Chapter Thirty-Six
Hunter
I run the fastest I’ve ever run in my entire life.
We are near the border, and I pray my vampire blood is potent enough to protect the healer from the blast of energy coming.
I hear the sounds of vampires behind me, but I don’t look back.
One comes at us from the side; I can see it with my peripheral vision.
But I charge ahead and blast through the barrier.
A current runs through me so strongly, my teeth ache.
But I push on. I run the way we came when we first came here.
I’ve never been as thankful for my vampire speed as I am right now.
I still hear the sounds of vampires behind us, but I keep going, pushing hard.
At some point, there’s a sort of popping sound in my ears.
And then I feel the presence of my pack.
Relief slams into me. Bryce, I instantly reach out.
Hunter. Man, it’s good to hear from you. We’ve been—
I cut him off. I need help.
What do you need? His voice is instantly Alpha.
I’m on the run with a healer. She’s currently unconscious. Vampires are hot on my tail. I need a rescue.
I can feel his shock through the bond, but he doesn’t waste a second. On it. What about Sherese?
Pain flares hot, but I ignore it. She stayed behind. I don’t want to have this conversation right now. Let me know what you figure out. I have to focus and get somewhere safe.
Will do.
Relief at just knowing my pack is going to help gives me the stamina to keep going.
I keep running, but eventually, I run out of the forest. I find myself in a residential area.
I slow my pace, not wanting to attract attention.
Of course, carrying a female who looks like she’s dead isn’t helping.
I find an alleyway to cut through. I let my senses expand.
When I don’t hear or feel anything that gives me an indication the vampires are close, I begin to search for a place to lie low.
Eventually, I find an old shed that looks like it hasn’t been used since the eighties.
I pry the lock off and open the door. It’s stuffy and dirty, but it will hold us for now.
I lay the healer down on the ground. I can hear her heartbeat, but it’s weak.
I sit on the floor and try to get as comfortable as I can with all these old tools scattered around.
It doesn’t take long for Bryce to reach back out.
Maverick’s pack is closer. They’re coming to you. It’s about a five-hour flight. They’ll let me know when they’re in the air.
Thank you.
Are you still running? He asks.
No. We’re somewhere safe, but I’m still listening for vampires.
Got it.
I feel bad pushing him away, but I’m barely hanging on to my sanity right now.
If he pushes me on why I left my mate behind.
...It feels like a knife tears through my chest. I close my eyes and lean my head against the side of the shed.
Fear for her runs through me. Would they hurt her for helping me?
Why did she even bring the healer to me in the first place?
The questions burrow deep, and I don’t know up from down anymore.
They're in the air. They’ll let me know when they get close, and we’ll see if we can find your location.
Can you keep me updated hourly? I don’t have any way of knowing the time.
Will do.
The hours drag by. It seems like it takes forever, but Bryce reaches out again. Where to?
I stand to my feet. Let me find an address.
I let my senses sniff out any potential threats.
When I don’t perceive any, I open the door and slip out.
I make my way to a cross street so I can get two intersecting streets and a house number.
I send it to Bryce, and he puts Leo on it.
Soon, they have an address of an airfield about five miles away.
I pick up the healer and start running Southwest. A few people stop me, but I tell them it’s my sister and she just drank too much.
It’s not perfect, but it keeps me moving.
I finally get to the airfield and to where the plane is parked.
Maverick is the first one off, with his mate right behind him. She sucks in a breath. “Oh.”
Before I can move, another presence joins us.
I recognize the leader of the rogue wolves.
“Jackson came with,” Maverick fills in, as if I can’t see that.
I can tell Mav’s not super happy about it.
Jackson ignores him and stares down at the healer.
I watch him carefully, wondering if maybe this healer is his mate, but he shakes his head and steps back.
We climb onto the plane, and I nod at Stu, their resident tech genius. I follow Rose through the plane and to the back room, where I place the healer on the bed. The plane starts moving, and I start to turn away. “Where’s Sherese?” Rose asks softly.
I swallow. “She stayed behind.”
I can feel her gaze on me, but I don’t stick around. I head out into the main cabin and sink into a seat next to the window. Jackson sits in front of me, staring out the window. Stu types away on his laptop. Maverick stands in the aisle. “Do we need to go back for the vampire?”
I stare out the window. “No.” He doesn’t move. I turn to look at him. “She made her choice.”
Only then does he turn around. I hear him give the order to take off to the pilot. Only when we’re in the air do I take a breath, but it gets snagged in my lungs. I wonder if it will ever not hurt to breathe again.
On our way to Florida, I send to Bryce.
We’ll meet you there.
I feel good about that for only about thirty seconds, until I realize I’m going to have to face Ava.
There's a very real chance she’ll castrate me.
I try to rest on the plane, but I can’t.
Every time I close my eyes, an image of Sherese forms in my mind.
We finally make it to our destination. Maverick carries the healer to our waiting transportation, and I settle in the very back.
Memories of traveling with Sherese behind me fill my mind, and I push them away.
When we get to the pack house, Maverick carries her inside.
She’s stable; at least that’s what Rose said.
Now she needs a blood transfusion, rest, fluids, and eventually something to eat.
They all disappear inside, and I sit outside and wait for my pack.
I only have to wait about two hours. I stand when the dark SUV approaches the packhouse.
I see Bryce behind the wheel and Ava in the front seat.
I don’t miss the daggers she’s currently shooting me, and I brace myself for facing her.
She’s the first one out of the car. “Where is she?” she demands, striding over to me.
Bryce is out of the car a moment later, and I eye him.
“Baby,” he starts.
“Don’t you baby me. He left her there. How could you do that?
” She shocks me by shoving me hard in the chest. Actually, it’s not all that surprising.
It's Ava. “I will never forgive you.” I catch the quiver in her voice, and I look away. She doesn’t know that I won’t ever forgive myself either.
I should have grabbed her and brought her with me.
With what hands, I don’t know. Staying quiet seems to make her madder.
“What do you have to say for yourself?!” she demands.
“Nothing.” There is nothing I can say to make this entire situation right.
Her eyes shoot daggers at me. “Why?” I shake my head and walk over to the car. “Hunter, please.” The pleading in her voice nearly breaks me. I turn back to her and see the devastation on her face.
I walk over to her. “I don’t have anything I can say that can make this better.” I try to turn away, but her hand is on my arm.
“Please, I just have to know. Is she dead?”
Shock runs through me. “No. No, Ava. She's. Not. Dead.”
A tear runs down her cheek, catching me by surprise. Bryce’s mate never cries. Well, now that she’s pregnant, maybe that’s changed. “Then why did you leave her there?”
Her words gut me. Again. I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t want her to know that her friend turned on her, on all of us. She doesn’t deserve that. I eye Bryce. The truth will break her.
Shock flares in his eyes for a moment. He gives me a searching look and then wraps an arm around his distraught mate. “Give him time, Love.”
“He doesn’t deserve time,” she says against his chest. Bryce doesn’t answer, and I don’t stick around to hear the rest of the conversation.
When I open the door, I’m surprised to see Cody, Alicia, and Leo, though it really shouldn't surprise me.
Three sets of eyes land on me, but I ignore them all.
I nod at Cody to move so I can climb in the back.
“I can sit back there,” he offers.
“I’m good.” He moves, and I climb in beside Leo.
“Welcome back, Hunter,” Alicia says.
I don’t even bother responding. It takes a while for Ava and Bryce to come back to the car.
My guess is that they probably talked to Maverick and his people for a little bit.
We finally leave the Pensacola Pack and make the drive to the airport.
Then there’s the almost five-hour plane ride, followed by another car ride.
By the time we get back on the pack land, it’s midnight.
Bryce parks at the packhouse, and everyone climbs out.
I think a few people ask me questions, but I ignore them all.
I finally leave them all behind and make my way to my house. I'll let you ignore everyone for now. But tomorrow, I need a full report on what went down.
I hear Bryce’s words, but I don’t acknowledge them.
I step inside my house and instantly regret it.
I smell her. Sure, the top layer is the putrid vampires' scent, but I smell the sweet, subtle hint of healer blood underneath it. I walk past the kitchen, and my eyes land on the couch where we sat and played UNO. I close my eyes a moment, and then make my way to my room. But the room where she stayed catches my eye first. I stop just inside the door, knowing I’m a glutton for punishment.
I walk over to her bed and sit on the edge.
I shake my head. If only Bryce and the others could see me now.
I always thought I was a strong, fierce predator.
But my mate’s rejection has made me realize just how weak I am.
And because I really am that weak, I lie down on the bed, hoping that the scent will somehow make me sleep. It doesn’t.
The next morning, I’m out the door early. I shift and hand the reins to my wolf, grateful I don’t have to think for the time being. My wolf takes full control, and all my emotions take a backseat to the blessed blankness of wolf survival instincts. Too soon, Bryce reaches out to me.
We need to talk.