Chapter 5 - Delilah
Glaring at Hunter as everyone else in the room stares at me in silent shock, the sound of my pounding heart raps through my eardrums like a siren bleating to signal the start of my worst nightmare.
I hadn't given much thought to what could be worse than being rejected by one's fated mate, but marrying him just to prevent marrying another man is worse than I thought it would be.
Especially while he remains so smug about it, like he's achieved some grand feat that needs to be boasted about to his friends.
Our friends, who must think we're crazy, since this is coming out of nowhere.
We'd been careful to hide our past relationship from them, and I'll be damned if I have to bring it up right now.
I didn't marry Hunter because I have hope, or because I still have feelings for him.
The only feeling I have right now is hatred—red-hot, seething hatred for the man I married.
What did I get myself into?
While shock simmers in the deafening silence, I quickly snap out of my own, hating him more now because I made it very clear that this was supposed to be a secret until we could go to Scarborough.
“It's not like it means anything,” I chuckle nervously as I step forward, snatching the marriage license out of Hunter's hand. “We entered a deal, so I won't be forced into marrying the prince.”
Hunter nods. “And part of that deal includes doing everything to appear like a real couple,” he drawls as he leans closer. “What would your parents think if they learned about this mission and heard your husband wasn't with you?”
I huff with exasperation, realizing Hunter is right. Apart from all eyes staring at me, stunned, it's my parents I need to take care of.
After this mission, of course.
“Right,” I concede through my irritation, pursing my lips and throwing daggers with my eyes at Hunter. I didn't think it was possible to hate him more, but here we are, and now he's accompanying us on the mission.
As we get briefed about the mission, intending to travel to Oakland—the human town Arianna lived in while Tyler was in ops, the same place her vision took her to when she saw the dark lord—the tension in the air can still be felt as our friends remain curious about this fake marriage between Hunter and me.
Throwing my head fully into the game is the only way I can distract myself from the seething anger I feel toward Hunter. We discuss how we'll travel on foot to Oakland, without utilizing our wolf forms in case it alerts the dark lord to our approach.
“I have something that might help,” Emily offers as she reaches into her large handbag and draws out a vial of clear liquid. “It's a blend of herbs, brewed over a fire for three days and two nights. It masks a werewolf's scent.”
She passes the vial to Tyler and Arianna, who now appear less shaken by her vision and more determined to catch the dark lord, pats Emily's shoulder.
“Are you a witch, too?” she asks curiously in a sweet tone. “I swear I saw that recipe in my grandmother's journal.”
“No, I'm definitely not a witch,” Emily blushes shyly. “But I've always been drawn to healing with Earth's medicines.”
“I remember we tried a trial of the serum during one of our black ops missions,” I say with a thoughtful nod.
“Yeah, I've perfected the brew now. It's foolproof, and the dark lord won't know we're near if he's in Oakland.”
“This is good,” Tyler commends Emily. “We'll leave at nightfall. Meet at my house.”
As the meeting concludes and everyone disperses, Dominic and Sean leave Portland to go to their packs, leaving the mission group in town to gather at Tyler's place at nightfall.
Perhaps the uneasiness I feel even after I've left the pack den is internal, and not because any of my friends question my fake marriage. Still, I can't seem to shake it off, and turn toward Hunter, throwing daggers at him with my firm glare.
I'm too enraged to let a word out, a disgruntled huff only leaving my lips as I spin on my heel and stomp out of the den, deciding to get some rest before the mission instead of using up my energy on Hunter.
He's not worth it, especially after outing our fake marriage in front of the squad and putting me on the spot.
The only consolation I have is that they suspect nothing and didn't probe or mock me about the marriage. They bought the excuse that I married him to escape the Lycan Prince, which is, after all, the only reason I agreed to this charade.
Perhaps it's me who needs convincing. As if I'd have any other reason to marry my fated mate who rejected me in the past.
***
The journey to Oakland feels longer than it should, only because I'm highly aware of Hunter's presence, my mind hardly where it needs to be, considering we're on a mission to find the dark warlock who seems to be targeting us for our link to the Golden Tree Sisters.
That should be my priority, but I'm not oblivious to the way Hunter has been acting like he's my real husband.
He's trudging along up ahead, lugging my backpack over one shoulder after we argued about him carrying it for me. Not wanting to cause a scene or show the group that I'm not entirely on board with our fake marriage, I relented and shoved my bag into his waiting hands.
Internally groaning, there's a part of me that wishes he'd joined Sean back in Silverfang instead of volunteering for this mission.
“Hey, what's up?” Emily asks, slipping her arm through mine as we walk behind the others. Tyler and Nicholas are up ahead, with Hunter behind them, making it impossible not to see his movements as his muscles flex beneath a tight black T-shirt.
“N-Nothing,” I lie, snapping out of another one of those dazes that make me forget what he did to hurt me. I can't help it. Hunter Black is a gorgeous specimen of a male werewolf, and I have to keep reminding myself that his heart is as black as the sleek hair on his head.
“I'm just worried about this mission and catching the dark lord,” I murmur as a shiver courses down my spine.
“You? Worried?” Emily scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I find that hard to believe, D. You've always been the least bothered by missions.”
“Yeah…” I sigh, recalling how things used to be in black ops, not forgetting what happened between Hunter and me. “I guess things have changed, especially since I feel targeted for being a witch.”
“Well, the guys are gonna keep us safe, that's for sure,” Emily claims proudly, her chest puffing out. It makes me feel uncomfortable that I'm putting my safety in a particular guy's hands, so I gather my thoughts and reclaim the fiery spirit I've always had.
“You know what?” I begin, raising my chin in a confident tilt. “I'm just being silly. Nothing's gonna happen. I'm gonna face whatever comes our way, because I absolutely can.”
Emily nudges me gently in the ribs, a proud smirk on her face extending to her blue eyes that glitter with that pride. “Aha! That's the Delilah I know!”
When we arrive in the quiet town of Oakland, an eerie ambience is settled in the air, and the group exchanges knowing looks with silent nods.
Arianna's vision was right. The dark warlock is in Oakland.
“I'm gonna get us two motel rooms over there,” Hunter says in a low tone, nodding at the motel at the end of the street across the gas station. It strikes me that he's taking charge, but an intrusive thought has me feeling irritated by his competence.
Of course, he'll be skilled at getting motel rooms, I think disdainfully, mentally rolling my eyes.
“Good idea, Hunter,” Tyler commends him with a pat on his shoulder. “We can speak to the locals, figure out if anyone has seen anything suspicious.”
“There's a diner next to the motel. We could grab something to eat and blend in,” Nicholas suggests, and we all agree as we head to the motel.
Hunter takes charge again, sweet-talking the receptionist behind the desk and getting an extra room free of charge simply by oozing his natural charm. He brings the keys over and says he'll take the extra room while Tyler and Nicholas take the other, while Emily and I have our own.
The other two guys go to their room, while Hunter carries my bag down the hall.
“Room nine…” he says thoughtfully as he stops outside the door. “Here we go.”
He unlocks the door and pushes it open, stepping aside to allow Emily to pass him. He turns to me, holding out my backpack toward me.
“Thanks,” I murmur indifferently, unable to meet his eyes. I'm about to pass him and enter the room, but Hunter grabs my wrist to stop me, igniting the mingling fires of my irritation and the natural effect the mate bond has on me every time he touches me.
“What?!” I snap, glaring at him coldly, and he releases my arm as if I've just slapped him across the face.
“I'm in the room next door,” he whispers, and I chuckle sarcastically.
“Is that an invitation to come over when everyone's asleep? We might be married, but those days are long gone, Hunter.”
Hunter frowns, appearing stung by my words. “I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, I'm right next door. Nothing else.”
Pausing when I realize that maybe I'm being too harsh, there's still a part of me that needs to be completely clear about my boundaries. I shouldn't feel guilty about it.
“Right,” I nod tersely, and Hunter calmly shoves his hands into his pockets.
“I'm gonna go to the diner with the guys. You two coming?”
“No,” I say, almost too quickly. “I need to freshen up. You do what you need to do.”
“Want me to bring back something for you to eat? A steak sandwich?”
“No,” I say again, feeling like he's being too nice, too kind, too attentive for my liking. It's overwhelming, especially mentioning steak sandwiches.
He knows how much I like those…
I spin on my heel and enter the room, shutting the door behind me, my heart pounding from being so close to Hunter again.
This time, Emily witnesses my reaction, her brows furrowed as she stands between the two single beds.
“You're definitely not okay…” she remarks, folding her arms. “What's going on between you and Hunter?”
I gulp, trying to compose myself, only speaking when my heart feels calmer so I don't sound suspicious.
“Nothing,” I say evenly, tossing my bag on the first bed. “Why would you think anything is going on between us? We're only married, so I don't have to marry the prince. It's chill.”
“It's far from chill, Delilah. I heard everything, you know?”
“You heard nothing, Em. It's nothing.”
“You two have history, don't you?” Emily asks with skepticism in her eyes.
“No, Em,” I protest, not wanting to get into the details. It's not something I want to think about. “Hunter forced me into marrying him when he heard about my betrothal.”
“Forced you?!” Emily exclaims as she takes a seat beside me. “What do you mean he forced you? Since when can anyone force you to do something you don't want to?”
“Since he's offering me an escape, Em,” I sigh. “My parents are forcing me to marry Prince Damion, and I can't escape that. Not unless I show up back home, already married, claiming that Hunter is my fated mate. It's the only way I can get them off my back.”
“So, he forced you into marrying him, and you accepted because it was a good offer? What happens when they find out he's not your fated mate?”
“He—” Just as I'm about to slip up and tell Emily the truth, I purse my lips and bite my tongue.
No one can know that Hunter is my fated mate.
Not when he rejected the idea, and I'd buried it far away.
“He's not, but my parents don't need to know that.
Not until they're off my back about the prince.”
Emily nods thoughtfully, and I can only hope she buys the lie. She's just about to open her mouth to say something when a knock on the door interrupts our conversation.
“I'll go check who it is,” she offers as she stands up and heads to the door. She pulls it open, stepping aside to reveal Hunter at the doorway.
“Change of plans,” he says firmly. “I spoke to someone in reception, and there have been whispers about a local woman acting strangely in the woods. She lives out there alone.”
I stand up immediately, fists curling at my sides. “A woman? Do you think she's one of the witches working for the dark lord?”
“It's possible,” Hunter concedes with a thoughtful nod. “She's a local, but people have been noticing her strange behavior, like her muttering under her breath while she was in the market today. She's drawing attention, and not the good kind. It's suspicious, to say the least.”
“Do they know where she lives?” Emily asks Hunter, who nods again.
“She lives in an isolated cabin in the woods. I told the guys already, and they're preparing to go after her. She might lead us to the dark lord.”
I nod, realizing how serious things are when Hunter doesn't crack a joke, even when Emily gives him another vial of the potion to be rubbed on our scent glands and mask our wolfy scents. He takes a vial for Tyler and Nicholas and disappears into the hall.
Emily turns to me, and I nod. “Come on. Let's go find this supposed witch.”