“Have you had dinner?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Let me take you out to one of our finest restaurants.” Hunter held out his hand to Claire and she placed her hand in his, but before she did, she bent to reach for her large leather bag she had come in with and dropped by the chair.
Claire stooped over reaching for her purse and she exposed her breasts. They were hard and supple and brown like her body. She looked like she had spent time in Las Vegas in the middle of July. It was an honest display of skin. She was on a case, and the last thing she needed to do was to get involved with a handsome shifter who could confuse her, and who maybe the killer. That was a chance she wasn’t willing to take.
As much charm as Claire emanated, Hunter was equal in sexual magnetism and he knew it. The only person it didn’t work on was the person he had wanted passionately. But now she was off the table.
“We can get to know each other over dinner, but we will have to go in your car. I don’t own one. I’m thinking about getting a motorcycle, what do you think?”
“I think it’s you,” she said walking in the direction of the door and into the foyer and waiting at the door for Hunter to open it and close it behind her.
“I don’t own a phone either. In town I need to stop at the nearest store to purchase one.”
“Is that you?” Hunter asked looking at the black Dodge Charger parked to the right side of the driveway.
“Yeah. That’s me.”
“Cool!”
“Before we leave for town, I want you to know that I have to stop off and talk to Eric,” Claire said to Hunter. “Is that okay with you?”
“It’s your call.” It wasn’t okay with Hunter. He thought of all the ways he could kill Eric for what he did to Katie. But it was Devin’s fault for exposing her to a loathsome creature like Eric.
Chapter 12
Hunter and Claire arrived at Eric’s trailer on the outskirts of Samsaville within fifteen minutes. The trailer sat alone in a wooded area with tall pines near the motel his father owned. There were no other homes for miles. It held a comfortable spot in a remote area surrounded by discarded cars, tires, and junk no one wanted like old refrigerators.
It was a perfect place to get rid of a body, Hunter thought, after lowering the window and sniffing around for rotten flesh. Then Claire turned onto a dirt road behind the motel.
The isolated motel is a place where young men and women and young shifters needed a one night stay to get to know each other better. It was also home to college students ready to rent the place for a party that might last as long as their freshman year in college, which could be one semester.
Eric and his father made money by renting to local students in the area on spring break. However, the motel had gotten a bad name because of the gathering of shifters and humans, and all the corruption seen and unseen, which had been going on in the area since Eric and his father came to town and set up shop two years ago about the time Hunter was snatched by Bane.
Devin sold the land to them for practically nothing. Hoping to give shifters a break to encourage them to own businesses. Devin had been handling the Samsas’ affairs since Wilder gave him the go ahead after thinking that Hunter wouldn’t return.
The notion that Samsaville should be known as a party town played into Devin’s playboy persona. In his mind he could grow the town with all the young people, and create a haven for werewolves and shifters like himself. Not all his thoughts were of him, but most were.
Devin’s judgements were flawed, and all his thoughts were of fucking, and experimenting with sexual experiences he had never had. Like having several werefemale shifters at one time. His knowledge of sex only came from human females and Katie, and he was anxious to “expand his horizons,” he once said. And he couldn’t do that with one woman and a human at that.
Claire parked her Dodge Charger and jumped out of the car before Hunter could work his way around to open the door. He enjoyed being a gentleman especially in the presence of females whether human or shifters. He adored females of all kinds, and they liked him, too. They could sense that he wanted to protect them.
“I don’t think you should ever come here alone. Look at the place,” Hunter said pointing out how unkempt and dark it appeared, and hidden away in the middle of trees. The stream nearby which flowed behind the house was a good place to discard a body where it would wash downstream into a river.
They both turned with a jerk when they heard the sound of a stream flowing and beating against the banks, and the jumping of fish. Their sharp ears picked up the sounds, and if it wasn’t for that, they would never have known the river existed because of the high grass.
She turned looking Hunter in his blue eyes, “You mean don’t come out here again without you? I think I can handle myself.”
And she stepped in front of him in her motorcycle boots and black leather jeans. His sharp eyes caught the back of her, and from what he saw of her tight full ass she was a werewolf’s dream. His eyes stayed on her behind and a sudden desire crept over him. A heated pull in his groin washed through him. Hunter wanted to tug her down on all fours as he did with the werefemale in Alaska, and fuck her. Fuck her hard. His stride was quick and he caught up with her, and placed his arm around her waist instead.
Claire stopped and gazed at Hunter. “I don’t like to be that close to males,” she said pushing his hand away.
“I’m going first. He can’t be trusted,” Hunter declared. “I’ve dealt with his kind before.”
“So have I,” Claire said pulling a large stun gun from her purse hanging on her shoulder.”
“Do you think that will stop him if he shifts?”
“It’s been modified to handle him in shifter form, and you should see the bear shifters rolling with pain when I’ve brought them down.” Hunter smiled and stepped back with his hands up.
“Now I’m afraid of you.” Hunter said that to make her relax. He wasn’t afraid of her or anything yet. He had seen too much.
They stepped up the stairs and glanced around at all the trucks parked in the dirt and gravel driveway. Some looked like they were waiting for a good rain to gather more rust. Only one appeared to be operative. A white Ford F-500.
Claire knocked. Then she knocked a second time. Finally the door opened, and standing with his chest bare and a pair of loose jeans was Eric. He has a head full of dark hair and as many chest hairs down the center of his body leading to his belt buckle.
“What do you want, bitch?”
“Not you.” And she flashed her badge and he stepped aside. Then he saw Hunter.
“He’s not coming in.”
“Yes he is, and he’s with me. If you don’t want to be arrested on site then shut the fuck up and move.” Hunter didn’t know what Claire’s badge represented, but it was clear Eric knew it had authority. Hunter recognized the kind of werewolf Eric is. He has no respect for the werewolves’ laws, and he has less respect for females of any kind, and because of that it made him dangerous.
Claire walked in and pushed a plate of fresh venison off the table and sat down. “You can’t come in a man’s...”
“You’re not a man, and I can’t stand fresh killed meat.” When Claire pushed the meat aside, the blood ran down the leg of the wooden table, and on to the floor. She glanced around looking for a clean place to sit. There was a shabby dirty cloth sofa against the wall with a dark cloudy dusty window looming over it. Hunter stood alongside Eric. They stood eye to eye measuring each other. Hunter knew the kind of shifter Eric is. One that would wait until your back was turned before he attacked.
Eric did just that to Devin, and Hunter had a score to settle with him but now wasn’t the time. He had to use control when he thought of what Eric tried to do to Katie.
A shifter who dislikes females is the most dangerous of all animals, whether human or shifter.
Eric appeared nervous and caught off guard. He kept glancing around, his eyes shifting to the side, bu
t never leaving sight of Hunter and Claire. He took too many glances to the right in the back of the trailer. Through the open door in the back, Hunter’s eyes spotted a figure.
It looked like a werefemale. He couldn’t imagine what werefemale would want to do with a disgusting werewolf like Eric not unless she was as despicable as he.
Hunter stepped to the side of Eric, and Eric stepped in front of him. “Where are you going,” Eric said to Hunter.
“Where ever he wants,” Claire said looking up at Eric. When Hunter made a move to go to the back, Eric placed his hand on Hunter’s arm. Hunter looked down.
“You don’t want to do that,” Hunter said glaring into Eric’s eyes. Eric held Hunter’s wrist tighter. Before Eric could blink Hunter knocked his arm away and stood clutching Eric’s shoulder with an eyes on his jugular. Eric watched at him with terrified eyes. Knowing if he made the wrong move, he would be dead. Claire sat laughing; clearly amused.
“I didn’t realize you were that...”
“Handsome,” Hunter said dropping Eric to the floor. Eric scrambled to his feet.
Hunter sauntered into the back, reached into the room, and with one arm he snatched a woman by the hair who had been hiding behind the door. She bit at his hand and he knew that she wasn’t a werefemale. Not many werefemales would dare attack a male werewolf.
She was nude. Hunter reached for a sheet and threw it in her direction, “Put this around you,” he said. The young woman shivered and shook. “I’m not the one that’s going to hurt you.”
The young blond woman pulled the sheet across her shoulders and marched out with Hunter following. She stood with her head lowered looking at Claire, then her eyes wavered between Hunter and Eric.
“I didn’t do anything. I was just having a good time with Eric.” And a good time could have been anything from sex to drugs, or both, Claire thought.
“Who are you,” Claire said. She waited for an answer. The young blond glanced at Eric. “Don’t you know that this shifter is a person of interest in the murder of six women?”
“I didn’t do anything, and he couldn’t have murdered any women.”
“You say that because you’re still alive,” Hunter said.
“For all we know you could have killed those girls,” Eric said turning to Hunter getting a new amount of courage. Hunter narrowed his gaze. “Devin said that you had been gone about two years and that’s when the girls went missing,” Eric said looking at Claire. “It might be him. Imagine that hanging with a killer,” Eric said trying to toss out a laugh.
“If I want information, I know where to get it and it’s not from you,” Claire said standing. She pushed Eric out of her way. When Hunter glanced at Eric, he saw his brow wrinkle and his mouth turn down in a threatening manner. It was just one face Eric had. There were plenty more to be discovered.
Claire gestured for Hunter to follow her outside and he did, never turning his back to Eric and the woman.
When he stepped down on the grass, Hunter said, “Is that all you wanted to do?”
“I found out all I need for now. I’m here to gather information and then pass it on to the sheriff of this town. And by the way, that’s his daughter in there with that killer.”
“You know he killed those girls, and yet you left her there.”
“He’s not going to do anything to her now. Now that he knows we know about her. And if I were you, I would go see the sheriff and tell him to keep his daughter away from Eric. Lock her up if he has to.”
“Why me?” Hunter questioned. He had enough to do. He hadn’t had a good rest since he arrived home.
“Because you own this town, at least your family does.” They climbed into the car and Claire took the wheel, and revved the engine, backing out to the main road passing the motel, she headed in the direction of town.
“Where to now? I have to get a phone.”
“I need to talk to your brother to find out what part he played in this.”
“What do you mean what part he play in this? He’s my brother. I know him.”
“Does anyone know anyone that well?” she said meeting Hunter’s eyes and then turning to face the road ahead. They had forgotten about eating. How could they eat when there was so much to do?
Chapter 13
After visiting the phone store, Hunter and Claire arrived at the hospital. It was late and Christine was getting off her shift when she saw Hunter walk in with Claire. Passing by him, he stopped and looked apologetic at her.
“I waited for you last night. Too busy?” Christine said giving Claire an appraising look.
“Pretty much.”
“What about tonight?” The elevator was coming and Claire looked at Hunter. He liked the way Claire showed jealousy in her eyes.
“I’ll see you tonight. I’ll leave the key under the matt.” He told her okay and rushed to catch the elevator Clare was holding for him.
“A ladies man. I didn’t take you for that. I took you for a man that’s settled with one female. So is she your girl?”
“I don’t have a girl.”
“So it’s like I said. You’re a ladies man.” Hunter didn’t answer her.
He wasn’t a ladies man. That’s not what he wanted when he met Katie. He wanted a simple life for a werewolf. Mate for life and have two litter of pups. Maybe open his own business or work the land. Raise thoroughbred horses. His was a dream of a simple life. Hunter didn’t want something complicated. His life had been complicated enough and he feared it would get more difficult as the days went on.
The elevator opened to the floor Devin was on. That is when he thought about Haley. How could he forget that little slip of a girl? He planned on seeing her after talking to Devin.
Claire and Hunter walked into the room to find Devin on his feet. “I thought you were in worse shape,” Hunter said ready to embrace Devin.
Devin stood back looking at Hunter, “Is that why you slept at my home?”
“What are you trying to say? I would never do anything with Katie. I fell asleep.”
Devin walked to his bed and lay down. “Who is this?”
“Claire. She’s investigating the murders in our town.”
“Yeah. Father mentioned something about her.”
“So you two are identical twins,” Claire said.
“I guess you could say that. We even like the same woman,” Devin said looking her in the eyes. Claire looked to Hunter.
“I’m not here to discuss your family genes or who has been fucking whom. You’re a suspect in a murder, and I need to know where you were.”
“Well last night I was here enjoying my meds. If you have other dates then I will need time to give you my whereabouts. If that’s all, then I would like to get some rest because tomorrow Katie is picking me up and we’re getting married.” Hunter turned quickly and left the room without a word. Claire stayed with Devin.
When he woke from his nightmare he was in the children’s section and entering Haley’s room. She too was walking about. She saw him and ran and hugged him around his waist.
She lay her head on his chest and she said, “I thought I wasn’t going to see you again, Hunter. I missed you so much. I thought you had deserted me.” Haley looked up into his eyes. At his gorgeous face. He placed his hand around her slowly.
“I would never abandon you. As a matter of fact, you are coming home with me tomorrow. My father and mother said that living with Katie and Devin was no place for a young girl. Wilder wants you at the ranch where you can have lots of children to play with.”
“I’m not a child, Hunter. I don’t play with dolls and little children.”
“Don’t worry. They grow fast around the Samsa ranch. My uncle has so many sons you might find you a boyfriend.”
“I don’t want a boyfriend. I want you. I’m more matured than you think.”
“I don’t doubt that, Haley, but for now, don’t say those things around anyone.” Hunter rolled his eyes, closed them for a second grimacing at the
thought.
“Why not? I’m not ashamed to say I love you even if you are ashamed to admit your feelings for me.”
“I have no feelings about you one way or the other.” Hunter watched at Haley brushing her teeth and placing her clear braces back into her mouth.
“In time you will see that I’m the only one for you,” she said walking close to Hunter tiptoeing, and gazing into his eyes. “You have beautiful eyes. I bet all the women tell you that.”
Hunter gently pushed her away. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. These were just the thoughts of a young girl. There would be no one for him but Katie. He made up his mind never to marry. In time Haley would see that there was no future for them. She was just too young to realize that now, he thought.
“Get some sleep and I’ll pick you up early tomorrow morning and take you to the ranch and introduce you to my mother and father, and maybe to my brothers,” he said looking at Haley climb into her bed. “We really have to have a talk, Haley.”
“We can talk now,” she said yawning.
“Get some rest you have a long day tomorrow.” Haley fell asleep with Hunter sitting watching at her.
He wanted to tell her about his brother taking his mate. He wanted to tell her that he was a werewolf and that her father was one as well. He wanted to tell her that she was adopted. And more importantly, he wanted to confide in her about how his brother took the most important thing in his life, and now they were getting married and having pups, and his heart was broken, and would remain broken for years to come, but she was just a child in his eyes. He couldn’t burden this child with all the problems he came home to.
And she was in love with him. He couldn’t break her heart the way his had been broken.
Hunter wanted to talk to someone, but no one would understand that it was because of his love for Katie, and thinking that she would be waiting for him, which brought him through unbelievable suffering, that he was able to endure in the wilds of Alaska.
He watched as Haley’s eye lids felt heavy and closed. Once he knew she was asleep, he crept out of the room and reached the elevator. When the door opened he saw Claire ready to exit it.
Insatiable: Moon Tide Book 6 Page 8