The Hunter’s Mage

by Bryce Evans

  “Yeah, that’s me. A big ball of laughs.”

  Jade put her hand on his and squeezed. “I’m having a great time, just so you know. I like to laugh and that’s all I have done tonight with you.”

  Lennox reached over and pushed her hair behind her ear. “I’m having a wonderful time too. Thank you for going out with me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I would like for you to see something. Would you ride with me somewhere? I think you will like it. Well, I hope you will.” Jade couldn’t think clearly. He wanted her to go with him. She was shocked that he would want her opinion on whatever it was.

  “Sure, of course.”

  Jade looked up him and took another drink. Tonight, was their first date and then he would be gone again, but for how long? What was she thinking? Of course, he would go back to his job. She just thought that he would be staying for a while. Just have fun. Stop worrying about tomorrow.

  She pushed her straw around the glass. She felt sick to her stomach. Now all she could think about was Lennox leaving town.

  “You okay? Is the milkshake not good?”

  “Oh, yeah, yes, it is. I…never mind.”

  Lennox got up. She watched as the giant man pulled his chair beside her and then sat back. “I need to be closer. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “No.”

  “What do you want to say but didn’t?”

  “Really, it’s nothing. Eat your pie before it gets cold. It’s not important.”

  “Jade…everything about you is important to me.”

  She stared into his green eyes, searching for any clue to show he was playing her. But she didn’t find anything but the truth. “Do you really feel that way?”

  Cupping her face, Lennox rubbed his nose against hers. There were still some people in the restaurant but she didn’t know them. The women were smiling as this mammoth of a man gently touched his nose against hers. He was being so tender as he held her. Her heart was beating out of her chest. He had to hear it. She was such a dummy, not knowing what to do or how to act. Her wolf rubbed against her inside.

  “I don’t want to ruin this moment, but will you tell me about your family? If it’s too hard, then don’t, but I would like to know more about you.” Jade asked.

  His brows furrowed together as he cut a piece of the pie and stuck it in his mouth. Finally, he looked up at her. “My parents were good people and my little brother and sister were pretty awesome too. My sister was like my shadow. Everywhere I went, Haven was with me. She wanted to go with me and Cosmo the night the rogues came to our house, but I told her to get lost.” Jade watched as Lennox swallowed hard. “Cosmo’s family and my family lived farther out on the edge of clan land. The pack knew what they were doing when they attacked. They didn’t make enough noise to alert my clan when they killed my family and Cosmo’s family. Haven’s body was never found. I’ve searched for that pack for a long time. I have their scent memorized. One day, I will find it.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lennox. I shouldn’t have even asked. I know this is hard for you. I’m sorry for making you talk about it.”

  “It was a long time ago and I like talking about Haven. She had the prettiest black hair and hazel eyes. She would have been a true beauty. If only she would have—”

  Jade reached out, putting her hand on his. Her eyes were tearing up. “Let’s not talk about this. I can see how much this pains you, but Lennox, if you ever need to talk, I’m here to listen. And you can ask me anything.”

  Lennox’s eyes were almost glowing as he looked at her. “How did I get so damn lucky?”

  When she didn’t say anything, he grabbed her hand holding it up to his nose. Then he did something she had never had done to her. He turned her hand around and inhaled deeply closing his eyes. His tongue softly touched the inside of her wrist. Ahh, she shivered as he kissed up her arm. Squeezing her legs together, Jade almost growled at the way he was affecting her.

  “You taste so good.” His voice was low and making her feel things in places she had never felt. Only read about.

  “So, do you two need anything else?” T said, smiling at her as Lennox inhaled deeply.

  “Uhmm…no, I think we’re done,” Jade answered. Her voice was shaky as she watched him. When he opened his eyes, he slid her a glance that was pure sinful. His look was almost feral as he studied her. There was no way she would be able to handle this massive man. She wouldn’t even know where to begin. He only kissed her wrist and it changed her into a big ball of goo.

  “Here is your check and it has been a pleasure to serve you both. Now go have some fun,” T said before walking to another table.

  He was still holding her hand when he used his other and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and left it on the table. Wow, he was a good tipper. The meal was only thirty-five dollars. She liked that in a man. Someone who understood how hard a waitress worked.

  “I want to show you something,” Lennox said still holding her hand as they left the restaurant.

  “Okay.”

  After he opened the truck door, Jade waited to get in because he still had a hold of her hand. When she glanced down at it and then back up at him, he blinked hard realizing that he hadn’t let go. When he released it, she immediately felt the cold breeze outside hit her body. He waited and when she got in the truck, he leaned in staring into her eyes, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled the seat belt over her and locked her in.

  “I want to take you to my land and show you what we have built already.” He was so close that she could feel his breath. She wanted to be bold and kiss him first, but she chickened out. Pulling away, he stepped back and closed the door.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Wow, you’ve been busy,” Jade said as the guard waved them through the front gate. “You have your fence up, already.”

  “Yep, and we have one cabin built. Actually, it’s my cabin, but that’s not what I want you to see. I really want you to see it, but there is something else to see first.”

  As they rounded the curve, she could see bright lights with people walking around. They were still working this late. They even had lights hanging from the trees. She swallowed hard as shifters stopped working and focused on them in the truck.

  “Don’t be afraid. Nobody here is going to hurt you,” Lennox said, putting his hand on her arm.

  For some reason she trusted him, but she didn’t know anyone except Cosmo. They were all so big. Every one of them were huge. Arden, Bane, Finley, all the guards were big men, but these shifters looked larger. They had to be, she guessed, for the job they had to do.

  Jade jumped when her door opened. Cosmo was standing there waiting. “Did you not know I was here?”

  She frowned knowing a speech was coming, of course. “I was too busy looking at everything.”

  “Leave her alone, Cosmo,” Lennox said, pushing him out of the way so he could help her out of the truck.

  “Don’t worry, boss. I wasn’t trying to steal your girl or anything,” Cosmo said, walking back to the log cabin. Her eyes focused on how large the cabin was. This was probably the pack house. All of them could stay in there. She noticed another smaller cabin off to the side. It was so pretty. Even had two floors. She bet the porch wrapped around the whole place.

  Lennox held her hand as he led her around to the front of the big cabin.

  “This will be the pack house?” Jade asked.

  “No,” Lennox said, staring at the front of it.

  “Oh okay, it’s just so large. I just thought that it was.”

  “This is your building.”

  Goose bumps flew across her body. She stared at him and then back at the building. “What?”

  “This will be your workshop once we’re mated. I’ve already got a lot of the equipment you use and the rest is coming, but I wanted you to see it and then let me know what else you need.” Lennox said, smiling.

 
“But…I already have a shop,” Jade whispered.

  “I know but when we mate, you will be here.”

  He had her whole life planned for her. He was making decisions without her even knowing or agreeing to them. He was treating her just like Bane had. Nobody trusted her to even run her own business and where the headquarters should be. She couldn’t breathe. She backed up until she hit something hard.

  When she turned, her instincts told her to run. But she couldn’t, she was stuck staring at the largest man, well, shifter she had ever seen. He had a patch over one eye. There was a long scar that stretched down his face. Grizzly bear did that, just like her.

  “Jade. What’s wrong?” Lennox was beside her as she stared up at the shifter. He never smiled, he just watched her, like a predator. She could smell the fur, he was close to changing.

  “This is Leo.”

  She couldn’t utter one word. Her vocal chords were mute. All she could do was stare at the scar down his face and his missing eye.

  “Grizzly,” Jade muttered.

  The giant of the man just nodded then pointed at her face and whispered, “Grizzly.”

  Jade nodded. Leo didn’t scare her anymore. She couldn’t explain it, but he seemed less scary now.

  “When Leo was young. A bear stormed their camp. He hadn’t even changed for the first time when his family was attacked by a grizzly. If it hadn’t been for his sister, he wouldn’t have survived. His sister Raven saved him, but she took some licks too. She’s also a Death Hunter. She’s not here yet. She is out on assignment. You will meet her soon.”

  Leo walked off leaving her alone with Lennox. She had to think. She already had a shop and now he was trying to take over her life. Tell her what to do. Well, he was sadly mistaken if her mate was going to dictate how her business was run.

  “I’m ready to leave.” Jade walked past him, heading for the truck. The excitement she was feeling before was gone. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling but it sure wasn’t excitement. Nobody was going to tell her what to do with her own business. She built it and she already had people from her pack working in her shop. It was a well-oiled machine and now he was trying to take that away.

  Then he would tell her that she needed to see a doctor too. No, no, no. No more.

  She opened the door and got in. Cosmo and other pack members were watching her but she didn’t care. She wanted to leave. Home. She knew everyone and she knew where she belonged.

  Lennox finally got in the truck and started the engine. All of his men had stopped working and glared at her. Now she felt uncomfortable. When this happened, she shut down.

  “Did Leo scare you?”

  “I just want to go home,” Jade whispered. Her voice was so low, she thought he might not have heard her because the truck wasn’t moving.

  She didn’t dare look up for fear he was going to be mad, then Lennox put the truck in reverse. She glanced up as he sped out of the gate and back onto the road. Dixon land wasn’t too far away; their land would always be beside each other.

  The silence gave her more time to think. And the more she thought about it, the madder she got. The tension was so thick in the truck, she almost told him to pull over. She was having a hard time breathing. It wasn’t much farther now as Lennox turned off the road onto the dirt lane that led to the front gate. She watched as Tate Dixon motioned for the gate to open as they passed. Tate knew something was wrong and would call her brother immediately. She didn’t need this right now. All she wanted was to think this through. Lennox was expecting her to comply with what he wanted, but what about what she wanted?

  As soon as they pulled up, Bane, Arden, and even Finley were waiting on the front porch. “I had a good time,” Jade whispered and started to open the door when Lennox pushed the lock button.

  Jade pulled on the door handle but the door was locked. “What are you doing?”

  “I want to know what’s going on, Jade. We were having a good time until you saw your new shop, now your acting like a child.” Lennox motioned with his hand toward her.

  “Like a child? Like a child?” Jade saw red. He actually said she was acting like a child. “You want to know what it is.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not a child, Alpha, and furthermore, you’re not my alpha.” Lennox’s eyes watched her like a hawk. “You can’t make decisions without my consent. I have a business and I take care of a lot of my pack with jobs. They depend on me and you just want me to leave them and start a new one in your, your—”

  “Pack. And, yes, I want you to be in my pack. That’s what mates do, they live together, not separate. What’s the big deal?”

  “What’s the big deal? I can’t believe you just said that. I can’t talk to you. I’m not living here, so you can forget it.” Jade pulled on the door handle. “Open the door!”

  Lennox popped the switch. Before she closed the door, she heard, “We will see about that.”

  Jade pulled the door open and shouted, “No, we won’t. This is one decision you won’t be making without my consent.” Then she slammed the truck door and rushed up the steps.

  “Jade, what did he do?” Bane asked as she rushed past him.

  “Nothing. Stay out of this.” Jade had never spoken to anyone like that, much less her big brother. This had turned into a disaster of a night.

  “Leave her alone, Bane,” Simone said as Jade ran to her room and locked the door. What would she do now? Bane would go ballistic when she told him what Lennox and his pack were building for her. But how could she hide it? It was almost finished. What was she going to do? She felt like a child, not knowing how to handle one’s mate. The night was wonderful. She was having the best time of her life and then he threw this on her. He had to have ordered the equipment months ago, which told her he had already planned out her life.

  She wasn’t his mate. She wasn’t his child that he had to control. Tell her how it was going to be instead of talking to her. No sir, Lennox was in for a big surprise if he thought he was going to control her.

  Oliver Park listened as Carter gave him the details. He needed to know exactly what was going on with the Death Hunters. He knew what the outcome would be, now he needed to plan out how they would kidnap the mate. He listened further as the wolf explained.

  “Apparently, he’s found his mate. A wolf with the Dixon pack somewhere in Georgia. They’ve bought the land next to her pack. That’s all I know so far. Nobody seems to know much and they’re not talking much about it either. I know that Stetson Trammell is unhappy about the Death Hunters leaving, but he was out voted. He said that the men and women that were hunters did not need a mate. If my mom hears anything else, she is going to call me,” Carter said.

  “Stay on it. I want to know everything that is going on with the Death Hunters.” Oliver Park said, getting up, staring out the window. Right now, they were living out of an old motel. The owner was happy to sell it to him and he gave him an offer he couldn’t turn down. They had fixed up most of the rooms, but they still had a lot to do.

  He knew how to build and renovate. That’s what he had done all his life. His room had been renovated first. He combined two rooms into one and it looked pretty cool. Each member of his pack had their own room. Soon he would be adding more members, but right now, he needed to get his revenge. He made a promise to Shelby when she lay in his arms, dead.

  “Danny, I want you and Travis to find out where the Dixon pack is located. I want to know where they are and how many members they have. Stay near them and let me know what is going on. Find the girl, Danny. Just find the girl and she will lead us to the alpha.”

  “You got it, Alpha.” He watched as Travis got up. He was acting funny like he wanted to say something but instead nodded and walked away. He was acting too suspicious, making his wolf take notice. Each member had to give an oath that they would do whatever he told them. Together they could conquer the world, but if Travis wasn’t, he needed to get rid of him and fast. He was going to let them
get on the road and have someone else follow ole Travis.

  Oliver watched as one of his wolves threw another shot down his throat. His pack was restless. They needed something to do or they would get into trouble and bring unwanted attention on him. He didn’t need anything to mess up his plans with Lennox Bartley.

  “Mark!” Oliver shouted over the music playing.

  “Yeah, boss.” Mark jumped up and ran to him. His wolf was close, he could see it reflected in his eyes.

  “I have a job for you. I need you to follow and watch someone. It’s imperative that he doesn’t know you are watching him, understand?”

  “Sure, boss. Who you want me to follow?”

  “Travis.” Mark took a double take then nodded. At least the shifter knew not to question him. “They are leaving now.”

  Mark didn’t waste any time. He ran out the door, never looking back. This was what Mark did. He was a tracker for his last pack before they threw him out. That’s why he had a pack full of misfits, but one day, they would have it all.

  First, he had to make the alpha pay for what he did to his mate. When he cut the throat of Lennox Bartley’s mate, he would make the man watch as she bled out, then he would know the pain he had caused.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jade closed her eyes when she heard her door open in her room. She regulated her breathing so he would think she was asleep. It was Bane again, but when he saw she was still in bed, thankfully, he didn’t disturb her. She didn’t want to talk to him right now. She didn’t want to talk to anyone.

  He would want an explanation and she couldn’t bear to tell him that he was right. This whole building situation made her sick to her stomach. Bane would definitely think she wouldn’t be able to handle this. She had nobody to talk to and that scared her the most. She could always run ideas through Quinn and Simone. Even Bane from time to time, but not this.

  All night long, she had stared at the ceiling, crying. She covered her mouth hoping nobody would hear her. She couldn’t take any more looks of pity from the pack. They had always had it in their eyes when they looked upon her. Word had to have spread about her date with Lennox. Most likely they would be mad at her, thinking she didn’t care about her alpha’s feelings, but she did.