I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of the hot water running down my back. For such a rustic place, Hunter hadn’t skimped on the hot water heater. I wanted to stay under the spray all day, but I knew I couldn’t, so I reluctantly turned the water off.
I heard the squeak of the door. “Hunter?” It wasn’t like him to walk in on me, but maybe he was tired of playing the gentleman. He didn’t answer.
“Hello?”
With the water off, the cold started to seep in. Maybe I had imagined the noise. I slowly opened the shower door so I could reach for my towel.
The towel was handed to me. “Here you go, hun.”
“Falcon?” I grabbed the towel and slammed the door shut. “Get out of here.”
“I was just making sure you were all right. You’ve been in here a long time.”
“Where’s Hunter?”
“Already done asking for Gage? Poor guy.”
“This is Hunter’s room.” Although I knew he was just playing with me, I hated his insinuation. I had no interest in Hunter, and I never would.
“The Dires do it better, don’t they?”
“Dires?”
“So Hunter hasn’t told you yet, huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you need to get out of here.”
“Are you sure I can’t get a little peek?” Through the steamy glass I saw him moving closer.
“Get out of here before I call for Hunter.”
That did the trick. “Anytime you change your mind, just let me know.”
I waited until I was sure he was gone before stepping out of the shower and quickly getting dressed. So much for enjoying my showers. I debated telling Hunter about the intrusion, but my gut told me to keep my mouth shut. Hunter would be more loyal to a member of his pack than he was to me.
The days started to blur together. It had been less than a week, but I felt like it might as well have been a month. Gage and I barely saw each other. Hunter kept him so busy around the property, and other than meals, we rarely crossed paths. When we did see each other we kept our conversations to a minimum, but the looks he sent me said everything. He was worried and just as determined as I was to find a way out. I still couldn’t believe he’d stuck around. Hunter had said he wouldn’t let him leave, but he had so many more chances than I did. He was there for me, and that knowledge both made my heart soar and twisted my gut with guilt. Saying goodnight to Gage each night was always tough. I wanted to sleep in his arms, and without him telling me, I knew he wanted exactly the same thing.
The day after the shower incident I sat in my usual spot on the couch after everyone else had left the house for the night. The hours after dinner were always the hardest. Hunter made everyone else leave, and it was just the two of us sitting around by the fire. He never tried anything with me, but his eyes told me just how much he wanted to. Usually we fell into a quasi-comfortable silence where I daydreamed about getting away. Before the ill-fated road trip I’d always daydreamed about Gage. I couldn’t anymore. At least not in the way I had before.
“What are you thinking about?” Hunter broke the silence, setting aside a tattered book.
“Nothing really. What book is that?”
“This?” He picked up the book again. “It’s Moby Dick.”
“Oh. I’ve never read it.”
He handed the book over. “Then read it.”
“Oh, it’s okay. You’re reading it.”
“I’ve read it more times than I can count already. I want you to read it. I want to know what you think of Ahab.”
“Ahab? Isn’t that the crazy captain?” I may not have read the book, but I knew enough from pop culture.
“Just read it.”
Reading seemed like a good way to pass the time, so I nodded. “I haven’t had time to read for fun in months.”
“College keeps you busy?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ve considered college, but it was never a real possibility.”
“Because of your work here?” I was reaching for straws and trying to tread carefully on thin ice all at once.
He shook his head. “No, we haven’t been here long. We just have to be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He looked into the fire.
I needed to know. I had a feeling that my only chance of escape was to develop a better understanding of Hunter. On the surface he made no sense. He was keeping me in his bed without touching me, yet he was interested. Something wasn’t adding up. “Please tell me.”
“Why? You still haven’t told me anything about yourself.”
“Yes I have. You know I’m in college and from Mayville.”
“You only told me those things to be polite. You’ve never told me anything personal. You’ve never shared your secrets.”
“You haven’t given me a reason to.”
He looked as though he’d been slapped. “Haven’t I treated you well?”
“Well? You’re keeping me here against my will. You made it look like I was dead. My parents think that I’m dead.” Saying the words hadn’t become easier.
“Who told you that?” He asked suspiciously. “You haven’t been alone with Gage.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know.”
“It’s easier this way. Why should they spend months searching for someone they’ll never find?”
I shivered. “Why won’t you let me go? There have to be girls who would willingly be with you.” It was harsh, but true.
“You think that’s it? You think that’s why you can’t leave?”
“What other reason is there? It’s not like people would believe us if we said you were wolves. You wouldn’t have to move.”
“We’re not the only ones who know you’re here.”
“What does that mean? You’ve talked about the danger of the outside before. What aren’t you telling me?”
“Tell me something.” He sat down next to me on the couch. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”
“And if I do?”
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
“Everything?”
His lips twisted up into a devastatingly handsome smile. I’d never considered Hunter handsome before, more tough, but this particular smile softened him somehow. “Most.”
“I’m not smart. I mean I’m above average, but everyone thinks I’m a genius. The truth is, I study like crazy and stay up all night just to stay on top of my work.”
“And that’s a secret no one knows?” He rested his hand next to mine.
“No one.”
“Not even Gage?”
“Definitely not Gage.”
He smiled again. “You’re smart. I understand what you’re saying though, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Your turn. Tell me. Why can’t I leave?”
“Are you comfortable?”
I nodded. “Yes. Please keep your word.”
“I was planning too, but this might take a while.”
“Oh.” I pulled my legs up under me. “I’m comfortable.”
“Wolves aren’t the only paranormal creatures out there.”
“Meaning what? There are others?”
“Tons. Lots of different shifters, witches, and even vampires are real.”
“Vampires?”
“I wouldn’t worry about them. They’re pretty much the lowest of the low.”
“Oh.” I nodded, not sure what I believed but desperate to hear more.
“Witches though you need to be careful with. They’re powerful.”
“They’re stronger than you?”
“Physically? No. But they can mess with your mind. Especially a human’s mind. They can make you do almost anything and everything. Some witches can also control you physically.”
“Are there witches around?”
“Yes. A powerful and misguided Coven lives on the land surrounding ours. They have helped to cloak us, b
ut I never should have entered into any agreement with them. These aren’t the good kind of witches, Mary Anne.”
“An agreement?”
“They cloak us, and we turn a blind eye to what they do.”
“What do they do? What do you ignore?”
“I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Frighten me? I’m being held captive by wolves, how much scarier can these witches be?”
He looked torn for a moment, like he didn’t know if he should continue. “They use slaves. Human slaves.”
“What?” I moved away from him. “You let that happen?”
“We’re in hiding, Mary Anne.” He spoke so softly I could barely hear him.
“In hiding?” That explained a lot. I knew there was something strange about the set up.
“We’re not ordinary wolves. We’re Dire Wolves and that makes us especially dangerous to the powers that be.”
“The powers that be?” There was that word again. Dire.
He nodded. “The Society. The King. But none of that matters. I’ll keep you safe.”
“What makes a Dire Wolf different?”
“We’re bigger and much stronger. Like I said, we’re more dangerous to the King.”
“None of this explains why I can’t leave. I promise not to tell.”
He sighed. “The witches know you’re here. They’re angry… and you’d never get far.”
“What? How do they know that?”
“Do you remember how your accident came to be?”
“Something jumped in front of the car. Gage hit the brakes, and we spun out.”
“It wasn’t an accident.”
“Who jumped in front?”
Hunter turned away.
“Who jumped in front?”
“Chet.”
“What?”
“We were only trying to protect the humans around here. They started taking innocent people. Chet figured that any guy who’d drive these roads in a winter storm deserved the witches’ plans for him.”
My stomach turned. “Gage didn’t deserve to be a slave.”
“No, but who does? We had to choose someone. Chet didn’t realize Gage wasn’t alone. That’s why he didn’t take him. When we went to check it out we saw you.”
“So it was all in the plans? Why not just take us to them? Why let us walk?”
“Because I saw your face.”
“My face?”
“And your hair.” He picked up a few strands.
“You look just like her, Mary Anne. And you’re so beautiful.” He gently caressed my cheek. “And once I met you, I learned more. You’re so full of life, so good, so deserving of love and protection. I couldn’t let you fall into the hands of such evil. I couldn’t let that happen again.”
“Who do I look like? Was she a girlfriend? What happened to her?”
“Can’t we continue this another night?”
“No. We’re going to continue this right now.”
“It’s late. We should go to bed.”
“No. Please,” I pleaded.
“We’ll talk tomorrow night.” He started to put out the fire.
“Why? Why are you stopping?”
“Because I don’t want to keep you up all night.”
“The story is that long?” I wrapped my arms around myself. I was suddenly freezing.
“No. The story is that frightening.”
Chapter Nineteen
Gage
“We’re going hunting.” Hunter said the words stoically, like he was making an announcement of epic proportions.
“Oh, yeah?” I was learning where to draw the line with the guy. If I pushed it too far he let me know it, but I couldn’t just stick to yes or no answers either. When I did that he always got suspicious.
“Yes. There’s another storm coming through, and we can’t wait any longer.”
“I’m guessing I’m being dragged on this little outing?”
“Absolutely not. You’d slow us down. We hunt in our animal form and bring home the meat.”
“Oh. So are we staying home alone?” I risked a wink at Mary Anne. “I promise we won’t steal the car or stay out past curfew.”
“That’s a good one.” Hunter didn’t smile. “Falcon will be staying back.”
“What? I don’t get to go on the hunt?” Falcon whined like a little kid.
“We all have to contribute to this pack. Your contribution this time is to watch them.” Hunter gestured to me but looked at Mary Anne. No surprise there. “We’ll bring home plenty of meat.”
“Does that mean we get to sleep in the same room?” Mary Anne showed way too much excitement. I silently cursed. Was she trying to keep Hunter around?
“Of course not.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You will remain in my room while Gage returns to the guest room. Falcon will watch you both from the hall.
Falcon scowled. “This had better be my only time on babysitting detail.”
“You will do what I tell you if you want to remain part of this pack.” Hunter wasn’t a leader I’d screw with if I were in his pack. He was tough on me, but equally tough on the others. I knew from experience what it was like to be on his bad side, and I wouldn’t have wanted to bring that on myself voluntarily.
“Will you be gone long?” Mary Anne thankfully made it sound like she was asking out of curiosity and not because she didn’t want him around.
“A few days. If you need anything, Falcon will be able to find us.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.” She bit her lip, and I knew she was trying hard not to smile.
“Maybe you can use these few days to reconsider your feelings on sharing a bed with me. Not that I mind the floor.”
I still couldn’t quite believe that the guy was doing that. Not that I didn’t understand the effect Mary Anne could have on a man. I’d been playing our time in the truck together on repeat night after night. It was what was getting me through the hell of living with the wolves.
“Maybe.” She glanced down at the floor.
She was learning. At first Mary Anne seemed to be playing along with everything, then she fought him tooth and nail, and now she seemed to have found a balance. She held him at bay physically, but I sensed she tried to keep things personable otherwise. I didn’t like her near the guy, but there was nothing I could do. At least there wasn’t before. With everyone but Falcon leaving, we might finally have our chance to escape.
“When do you leave?” I tried to sound disinterested, but I was already formulating a plan. I needed to know exactly how much time I had to execute it.
“Tomorrow at dusk. We’ll spend tomorrow preparing, so don’t think you’re going to get out of work.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Good. Falcon will also be making sure you continue to do your jobs when we’re gone. The next few days are not a vacation or a chance to play patty cake with Mary Anne.”
“Patty cake? Is that what you think I’m going to do with my—” I stopped myself just in time before I could say girlfriend. I nearly ruined my charade of moving on. “My friend?” I knew he didn’t buy a word of it, but he still wanted to hear it.
“I’m sure you had lots of friendly activities planned.” He glared at me. “But remember my rules.”
“Your rules? I wasn’t sure there were any.”
“My rules that required you to keep a reasonable distance from her. Whether she’s going back to her father’s home or not, I can’t have you doing anything inappropriate.”
“And sleeping in the same room with her isn’t inappropriate.” I couldn’t shut up. Sometimes words just came out of my mouth.
“This is my home, Gage. It would be good to remember that.”
“I remember,” I mumbled.
“Good. Now get to work.”
I didn’t need to be dismissed twice. I put on my boots and followed Chet outside. In less than forty-eight hours we’d be out of there. I could hardly wait.
> ***
Hunter kissed Mary Anne goodbye on the mouth. It was a small kiss, and by Mary Anne’s frazzled face she wasn’t expecting it, but I knew exactly what the action meant. He was warning me. He was marking his territory and reminding me to stay away. I nodded, pretending to be the good dog he expected me to be while internally cursing him. Who was he to touch her lips? They weren’t his. They were mine. The thought took me by surprise. That wasn’t a protective thought, it was a possessive thought. The wolves were rubbing off on me.
“Have a safe, uh, trip.” Mary Anne awkwardly recovered from the unwanted contact. She just stared at him wide eyed. The expression told me everything I needed to know. He hadn’t kissed her before. I’d assumed that, but I hadn’t been sure. We hadn’t exactly had lots of time to talk.
“Thank you. Maybe you’ll finish reading while I’m gone.”
She smiled. “I will. I’m at a good spot.”
Reading? I decided not to ask. I didn’t want to prolong Hunter’s departure any longer than absolutely necessary.
Marni hugged Mary Anne. I didn’t know the female wolf well, but if the affectionate gesture meant anything, Mary Anne definitely knew her. I heard the girls exchange a few whispered words, and then Marni looked at me. I wasn’t sure what the discussion was about, but I didn’t worry about it. I just needed them to leave.
“Falcon, I expect things to be exactly as I left them when I return.” The implication in Hunter’s words wasn’t missed by anyone. He meant Mary Anne. He was warning his man to keep me away from her. If I was right, he was trusting the last wolf he should have been with that job.
Falcon nodded stiffly. “Of course. Bring back the good stuff.”
“Don’t we always?” Semi smiled.
“That’s only because I’m with you.”
“Enough of this pissing contest, let’s go.” Marni tugged on Semi’s arm.
“Bye.” I waved as the group walked out the door.
As soon as the door closed behind them Falcon turned to us with a smile. “So kids? Ready for the fun to start?”
Mary Anne coughed. “We’re not going to cause any trouble. You can relax.”
“Relax?” He laughed. “Not likely. Hunter would kill me if I didn’t keep my eye on you.” His eyes roamed up and down her body. We all knew that wasn’t what Hunter meant. Was the leader that blind to Falcon’s interest in her? But maybe that was the point? He thought Falcon’s interest meant he’d try harder to keep me away, yet he wouldn’t dare touch her himself? I needed to stop trying to apply psychological logic to these wolves. It wasn’t getting me anywhere.
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