by G. K. DeRosa
Hunter loomed behind me, his proximity thickening the air between us. The silence stretched, and my anxiety ratcheted up as I stared at the black motorcycle. If he didn’t say something soon, I was going to blurt out the first thing that came to mind, and that could never be anything good.
He drew in a slow breath and brushed past me, his shoulder bumping mine and sparks flared beneath my shirt. After the thrill of the tiny shocks, a flare of unexpected anger surged through me. Why was Hunter still lying to me? I was tired of ignoring the giant wolf in the room. “I know we’re mates,” I shouted.
He spun back, his dark brows twisted. “You don’t know that. How could you?”
“Because I feel it in every bone in my body. I have from the first day I met you. Over four years ago!” Hot tears welled, and I blinked furiously to keep them back. “Because what happened in there, was not normal. Because the way I feel about you—”
A pained expression twisted his face stopping me short. “Let me take you home. I don’t want to talk about this here.”
I threw my hands up and stared up at the starry sky. Bea’s driveway was a good enough place for me. I just wanted to get this over with.
“Please, Sierra.”
“Can we at least take a portal or something?” I so did not want to spend another thirty minutes welded to his body.
“We could, but the nearest portal station from here is twenty minutes so it wouldn’t cut out much travel time.”
Ugh.
Gripping the motorcycle, he held out his free hand. Dismissing it with a quick shake of my head, I climbed on. The less we touched the better. He got on in front of me, and the roar of the engine broke the tense silence.
“Hold on,” he barked.
“I’ll be fine.” I wrapped my fingers beneath the seat, digging my nails into the metal.
“Suit yourself,” he growled before revving the engine. The motorcycle lurched forward and my arms shot out, instinctively wrapping around Hunter’s torso.
“Ass,” I hissed in his ear as the bike sped across the gravel road. Darkness and our current position obscured his face, but I could’ve sworn the jerk was smiling.
Once we passed the highway and the forest closed in around us, the tension in my shoulder blades relaxed. I loosened my hold around Hunter’s waist and leaned back so our bodies didn’t have quite so many points of contact.
We spent the rest of the ride in silence, my jumbled thoughts providing me with more than enough entertainment. When we got back to my place, I’d force him to tell me everything this time. No secrets. If we were mates, I deserved to know and I needed to know why he’d lied about it.
The steady drone of the engine lulled me into a daze, the sounds of the forest a soothing lullaby, and despite everything, Hunter’s presence set me at ease. So when the motorcycle suddenly skidded off the path, my body lurched to the side and a massive tree trunk blotted out my vision.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Sierra!” A steel band wrapped around my hips and jerked me backward. The motorcycle flew out from beneath my legs, and a warm body enveloped me. I was weightless for a moment, freefalling. Deep evergreen and black shadows flashed across my vision. I thought I even saw the moon between my legs for a second. Then the earth zoomed up to greet me.
We tumbled across the forest floor, limbs flying everywhere before finally rolling to a stop. When I forced my eyes open, strong arms bound me to a hard body and a pair of blazing orbs stared up at me.
“Are you all right?” Hunter gritted out. Leaves and brambles stuck out from his hair, splotches of dirt on his face. His hand snaked out and landed on my cheek, a flash of citrine eclipsing the green. The rough pad of his thumb caressed my skin. “You’re bleeding.”
My mind flashed back to his tongue gliding over my wrist back at Bea’s house. I jumped up and extricated myself from his hold. Settling on the chilly earth, I said, “I’m fine. What the hells happened?”
Hunter sat up and ran his hand through his hair, removing the stray foliage. “Some wolves crossed right in front of me. I had to swerve to avoid hitting them.” His teeth grinding, he clenched his fingers around some dry leaves. “They could’ve killed you.” Something unreadable flashed across those mercurial eyes. Diverting his gaze, he glanced over my head and his nostrils flared.
The crunch of dead leaves turned my attention to the approaching wolves. Three appeared from behind the dense underbrush. Two kept their gazes trained to the ground, but one, a huge dark brown male stalked toward us. Twin pointy black horns protruded from his massive skull.
I gasped. What kind of a wolf had horns?
Hunter hissed out a curse and leapt to his feet. “What the hell was that, Viceroy?” Flames danced across his irises and the tear of cloth drew my attention back to Hunter as his wings snapped out. Massive, glistening emerald wings.
Holy dragon shifter! I didn’t think I’d ever get used to that.
A dark fog curled over the threesome, bathing the wolves in a thick mist. When the haze settled a moment later, a naked male and two females stood before us.
A wicked grin twisted the male’s lips as he sauntered closer. “I do apologize, Aristaeus. The girls and I were hunting a buck. We were so consumed by our prey we didn’t see you approaching.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t hear the blaring engine of my motorcycle through the silent forest?”
“No, sir.”
Hunter’s voice deepened, and I could feel his wolf skimming the surface. “One would think you were trying to eliminate some competition.”
“Of course not, supreme beta. I would never. I have nothing but the most respect for you.”
The females both nodded, each flanking Viceroy. Their long hair cascaded over their shoulders, a perfect curtain for their exposed breasts. The male wolf was built like an ox. His shoulders and chest were wider than Hunter’s, but he was at least a head shorter.
“What are you doing in Demon Pack lands, anyway, Aristaeus?” He folded his tattooed arms across his thick torso.
Somehow, I managed to keep my eyes on his, instead of traveling downward. I was totally getting the hang of this naked stuff.
Hunter’s gaze drifted to one of the females before settling on Viceroy. “Just driving through,” he answered, puffing out his chest, his wings still blotting out the forest behind him.
“And who’s that?” The blonde he’d been eyeing ticked her head at me.
“One of my new wolves.”
“She got a name, Hunty?”
Hunty? My nails lengthened into sharp claws. Who was this girl?
“It’s Sierra.” He stepped closer, and his shoulder bumped mine.
“Is she one of yours?” Viceroy asked.
“Yes,” Hunter gritted out.
Wait, what? I thought I was supposed to be from Vander’s pack, the Crescents.
“You’re still on the prowl for a mate, I see.” Viceroy wrapped an arm around the blonde’s slim shoulders. “You should reconsider Kezia. I know you’ve enjoyed her before and as you know sometimes it takes a minute for the mate bond to click into place.”
The blonde batted her sooty lashes and cocked her head. A strategically placed lock of hair strayed, revealing a perky breast and hard nipple. “I’m willing to try again if you are, Hunty.”
A wave of jealousy flared, and my wolf rose to the surface. A growl slid through my clenched lips as fur rippled over my arms. “He’s mine,” I snarled.
All three jaws dropped in unison.
Hunter tensed beside me, his look of horror magnified in my peripheral vision. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing like mad, then a smile melted the hard angles of his face. “Another one infatuated,” he whispered to Viceroy. “You know how it is.”
Heat surged up my neck and seeped across my cheeks. A-hole.
Just go with it, please. Hunter’s voice broke into my mind.
I didn’t respond, but I threw him a heap of nasty thoughts I hoped
he’d feel.
Please, Sierra.
The male chuckled and snaked an arm around each of the girls’ wispy waists. “I do, I really do.” He flicked his tongue over his lower lip, his onyx eyes razing over me. “If you ever tire of her—”
“Not likely,” Hunter snapped, cutting him off and flames danced along his fingertips. “She will eventually find a mate and remain within my pack.”
Viceroy shrugged, a lazy smile replacing the feral one. “As you say, high beta. Then again, perhaps you’ll be singing a different tune after the trials.”
Hunter bristled. “Again, not likely.”
“We’ll see about that. Only a few more days to go.” The wolf eyed me once more. “I apologize, where are my manners? Since you are new, you must not know who I am.”
“Nope. But I really don’t care either so…” I folded my arms across my chest and shot him my steeliest glare. First, he tries to run us off the road, then he treats me like I’m some prize handed off to the baddest wolf.
“Feisty, I like that.” He stalked closer and Hunter moved between us. Viceroy stopped a few inches before running into my beta’s strained chest. Every muscle in his body was taut, strung tighter than a bow. “Anyway,” he said before dipping his head, “I am Viceroy Nere, beta of the Demon Pack.”
I figured as much. Another one of the sparkly unicorn Lunar Packs, gifted with special powers. That explained the horns.
He turned to the females. “And this is Kezia, whom you’ve met, and Leticia.”
“Viceroy doesn’t believe in mates,” Hunter snarled. “He prefers harems.”
The Demon beta chuckled. “What can I say? It’s in my blood.” His tongue snaked out again, and now closer, I could make out the rift between the pink flesh. Effin’ demons! He had a forked tongue. Viceroy must have noticed my shocked expression because he hissed, and his tongue vibrated in the air. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” He glanced back at the females. “Right, ladies?”
Oh, vomit. I did not need that visual.
“As pleasant as this ambush has been,” Hunter started, “it’s time for us to get home.”
“Of course.” Viceroy offered a weak bow. “I hope there wasn’t too much damage to your bike.”
Hunter’s eyes shot daggers. “If there was, I know where to reach you.”
The demon wolf clapped him on the shoulder, the smack ringing out in the stillness. “See you at the trials, Aristaeus.”
The girls each gave him flirty smiles before turning to follow after their beta. Kezia craned her head over her shoulder and waggled her fingers at Hunter, gliding her tongue across her full bottom lip.
Another flare of anger rustled my wolf to life. Shoving the unwanted emotions down, I searched the dark forest for the motorcycle. What if it was unrideable? Focusing my enhanced wolfish vision, the gleam of metal caught my eye in a ditch a few yards ahead.
I headed toward it as Hunter continued to watch the Demon Pack retreat into the woods. Had he actually had something with Kezia? I shook off the thought, reminding myself it didn’t matter.
Crouching down next to the motorcycle, I inspected it for any major damage. Like us, it had a few scrapes, but nothing life threatening. I could feel when Hunter joined me a few seconds later, his massive wings now gone. His powerful wolf pheromones bored into me as he loomed behind me.
“I think it’s okay to drive, right?” Let’s be honest, I really knew nothing about motorcycles.
Hunter crouched down beside me and inspected each scrape, every dent. Geez, it was just a motorcycle. He gently lifted it up and flicked on the engine. Purred like a kitten. “Let’s get out of here.”
“No arguments here.”
He got on and then helped me up behind him. I winced when I wrapped my arms around his waist, something pulling at my shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just a little sore from the fall.” I hope I don’t get whiplash. I rubbed at my sore shoulder and the advancing tightness in my neck.
His hand came over my clasped ones, and he squeezed. “Hold on, I don’t need you falling off again.”
Instead of focusing on the rush from the mere touch, I barked, “I didn’t fall. I was thrown.”
He throttled the engine, and it let out a roar. “If you’d been holding on tighter, you wouldn’t have been thrown and I wouldn’t have had to jump off the bike to catch you.”
“You’re saying this is my fault?” I hissed into his ear as the bike lurched forward.
“I’m just saying don’t be afraid to touch me.”
I wanted to punch him in the throat. “Are you effin’ kidding me right now?” I screeched.
He didn’t answer, just revved the engine again, drowning out my fighting words. Neither of us spoke again until we reached Lupine Hills.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I trudged up the hill, secretly wishing Hunter wouldn’t follow me. As much as I wanted to have this talk and get everything out in the open, I was dog tired. Funny, right? Our little tumble across the forest at breakneck speeds had my muscles screaming in pain. All I wanted was a hot shower and a bed.
The motorcycle engine cut off, and Hunter’s footsteps trailed behind me. Dammit. I whirled around, unable to control myself. “Maybe we can talk tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and I don’t think I have the energy to listen to more lies right now.”
A scowl twisted his lips, darkening his expression. And still he was gorgeous beneath the moonlight, the pale blue tint lighting up his sculpted cheek bones and strong jaw. “I haven’t lied,” he gritted out. “I don’t know if we are mates, not for sure anyway. There are steps to completing a mate bond, and the physical act of sex is typically what finalizes things.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burned. We’d been so close that one time at the academy.
“I told you I suspected it. I didn’t lie.” He placed his hand on the small of my back, and my body hummed. He led me up the hill, nudging me forward every time I paused. When we reached the entrance to my wolfy den, he stopped. “We need to finish talking about this. I don’t want it hanging over our heads as I go into the trials. If you’re really not up to it, I can come back in the morning.”
I shook my head. He was right. We needed to get this over with.
I slumped onto the couch as soon as we got inside and curled into a ball. As Hunter closed the door behind him, his eyes flitted to the note I still had pinned to my fridge. His note. The one I’d read a thousand times. Tucking my knees into my chest, I willed the emotions down.
Hunter folded down beside me, the weight of his tall form dipping the cushions and making my body lean toward his. I scrambled back to the end of the couch and put a pillow between us.
He buried his face in his hands and released a breath before turning to me. “You are right. The reason you feel this way around me is because we are likely mates. I told you two years ago, I’ve always felt something between us. Until last year when everything changed.”
“Why?” I spat.
“The curse...”
“Right. The one you cannot speak of.” I threw my hands in the air. “So you didn’t find another mate?”
He slowly shook his head. “I just said that because it was easier than explaining—”
“So you did lie!”
“Yes, back then I did, because—but not now.” He raked a hand through his hair, tugging on the long ends. “It’s likely that if we followed through with all the mating steps, we’d complete the bond.” He snagged his lower lip between his teeth and gritted his jaw. “But we can’t.”
“Why not? I may not understand much about this wolfish world, but fated mates are supposed to be together.”
“And sometimes they’re not.”
I let out a mix between a grunt and a scream. “You promised you’d explain, and you’re not. You’re just spouting off vague answers. Tell me.”
“I’ve already started looking into ways to break the bond.”
My jaw dro
pped, all the air evacuating my lungs. My chest tightened, my throat constricting as I struggled to gulp in a whisp of oxygen. Once at the academy, Davina had sucker punched me in the gut. This was ten times worse. It wasn’t just my stomach, it was my heart that was shattering. “You—you can’t do that,” I muttered. Even if we hadn’t completed the bond, Hunter was already a part of me. He’d snuck his way inside, burrowing into my darkest depths and no matter what I did, I couldn’t be free of him. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back.
“It is possible. It’s not pleasant, but I’m searching for a less cruel way to break our connection.”
“Less cruel?” I hazarded a glance up and met his golden irises. The storm of emotions brewing beneath the tranquil surface was like another hit. Why was he doing this? Hunter felt something for me, I knew it.
His eyes dimmed, and his gaze cast down to the floor. “The easiest way to break it is for you to witness me having sex with another female.”
I gasped. I clapped my hand over my mouth a second later, but it was too late. Tears tumbled over and streamed down my cheeks.
Hunter reached for my hands, but I tore them away from his grasp. “I’m sorry, Sierra, I am so sorry it ended up like this for us. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” I shrieked. “You broke me!”
“I’ll find another way to sever the bond. I’d never do something that cruel.”
I leapt to my feet and darted to the door, whipping it open. “Get out! Just get out.”
Hunter trudged toward me, his head down and shoulders bowed. “I never wanted this for us, Sierra. If I’d known—”
“Please get out before I punch you.” I stepped back, opening the door further.
He slid through the opening and despite both of our best efforts, his elbow grazed my forearm on the way out. Those familiar shocks zipped across my flesh, and I choked on a sob. He glanced up at me, his golden irises pools of emotion. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my fingers into tight balls and claws ripped into my palms.