Chapter Eight
Joanna
The next morning, my body ached in all the right places, a delicious reminder of the night before. I rolled over, reaching for Marcus, but found only space. I sat up, the sheet pooling around my waist, and listened for any signs of him.
The house was silent.
A pang of disappointment hit me, but I pushed it aside as quickly as it came. I would not be that girl, the one who moped around because the guy she slept with wasn’t there in the morning. I had more important things to worry about…
Like finding out who’s to blame for Toya’s disappearance… Murder. And stopping a werewolf uprising.
I got out of bed and stretched my limbs. My dress lay in tatters on the floor. I picked it up and tossed it in the trash before grabbing a robe from the back of the door and wrapping it around myself.
Upon entering the bathroom, I frowned at the open first aid kit in the sink.
I stand corrected. There will be minuscule amounts of moping.
In the shower, I made the water as cold as I could stand and let my fingers trace the welts that covered my body.
I could still feel Marcus’s grip on my hips, the insistent thrust of his body against mine, and the haunting echoes of his growls resonating through my core.
The memory made me shiver, and I gripped the tiles for support, trying to steady my thoughts.
The magnitude of our connection was overwhelming, like a storm that had swept me up in its chaos and left me gasping for air. It was a hunger I’d never known, a craving that seemed to defy all reason.
Even with Ethan, a powerful beta… it never felt like this. It never came close.
As I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and faced the mirror.
My reflection stared back at me, concern in her eyes.
I couldn’t deny the effect Marcus had on me, the way my body responded to his touch.
But I also couldn’t ignore the fact that he was a werewolf, and I was a hunter.
Our worlds were not meant to collide like this.
But here we were.
I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the tasks at hand. I needed to get back to my loft and figure out my next move.
I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed my purse from the couch, and rushed out the front door.
***
The drive to my loft was uneventful, and the streets were quiet in the early morning. The 2005 Honda Accord was old, but it was an unassuming safe-house car. I parked in the alley behind my building, my eyes scouring the area for any signs of trouble.
Yep. Something was off.
I made my way up the stairs, my hand hovering over the gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans. As I approached my door, I held my breath. The keypad blinked with a steady blue light. My code had been reset.
I drew my weapon, my heart hammering in my chest as I pushed the door open. It creaked softly, revealing the dimly lit interior of my loft. I stepped inside, my eyes sweeping the room for any signs of an intruder.
A figure lunged at me from the shadows. I reacted on instinct, dropping into a defensive stance as I raised my gun. The figure collided with me, and we crashed to the ground, grappling for control.
My elbow connected with their jaw as I twisted out of their grip. They grunted in pain but recovered with a skillful quickness, their hand gripping my wrist and slamming it against the floor. I cried out, my gun flying from my grasp.
Just as I was about to throw another punch, James tapped three times on the floor. “Okay, okay. Enough.”
We disentangled ourselves, both panting as we rose. I switched on the light, illuminating the room and confirming it was my mentor.
“What the hell?” I demanded, failing to mask my grin. I massaged my wrist. “You scared the shit out of me.”
James ran a hand through his graying hair, his chest still heaving from the exertion. “Sorry, Joey. I heard someone lurking at the door, and I thought…” He trailed off, his eyes darting to the gun on the floor.
I picked up the gun, tucking it back into my waistband. “You thought what?”
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I thought it might be one of them.”
I stiffened, my mind racing. “Why would a werewolf be looking for me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and not think about Marcus.
James’s eyes narrowed. “Because of Toya, Joey. You went dark for twenty-four hours.”
I let out a breath, relieved he didn’t mention the Alpha. “I’m being careful, James. I learned from the best.”
He nodded, but I could see the worry etched on his face. “Flattery will get you everywhere, kid.”
I changed the subject, gesturing to the lock on the door. “Did you break my door?”
He nodded, giving me a hint of a smile. “Old habits die hard. I hadn’t heard from you in a while, and I got worried. Came to check on you, and when you didn’t answer, I let myself in.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And you just happened to have your tools to fry my keypad?”
He chuckled, the tension in the room easing. “Always prepared, Joey. You know that.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Well, next time, guess my code, old man.”
He laughed, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Please tell me it’s not your sister’s birthday…” When I didn’t answer, he groaned. “Joanna…”
I returned his premature laughter. “Coffee?”
James grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Coffee sounds great.”
I made my way to the kitchen, pulling two mugs from the cabinet as James settled onto a barstool. I never liked coffee, but James did. And after five years, the familiar motions of preparing the bitter drink for him were a comfort in the chaos that was my life.
James’s presence in my place was always both reassuring and unsettling. Reassuring because he was the closest thing I had to family, and unsettling because he was a reminder of the world I’d chosen. A world where beasts like Marcus were meant to be hunted, not… well, something else.
“So, why haven’t I heard from you?” James asked, cutting through the silence. “What have you found out?”
I poured coffee into both mugs, sliding one across the counter to him.
“Not much,” I admitted, wrapping my hands around my mug.
“No one at the club recognized Toya. And there was no mention of an uprising, either.” There was no way in hell I was answering his first question.
I took a sip of my coffee, replacing the rancid taste of betrayal in my mouth.
“Please tell me you’ve had better luck.”
James’s eyes narrowed as he swallowed. “Yes, and it’s a mess, Joey.
” He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was tricky. Intel is scarce, but there are whispers. Werewolves believe it’s time to stop hiding and to claim their place in the world.
They think humans should know about their existence and accept them. Fear them.”
“I know that much. How do they plan to achieve that?”
“There’s been movement in the Bureau. The treaty—Anything to do with the deal made with the werewolves is being triple-fortified. Copies destroyed. Hard drive encryptions encrypted.”
I swallowed hard. “The Bureau’s scared…? James, do the werewolves have someone in the Bureau? If they can leak the conditions of the treaty…”
James sighed a deep, bone-weary sigh that shook me to the core. “It would be catastrophic.”
I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in.
The treaty between the werewolves and the United States government was a delicate yet fucking horrible agreement that maintained the balance between our worlds for years.
If the werewolves had someone in the Bureau and they leaked the conditions of the treaty, that balance would shatter.
It would expose the supernatural world to humans.
And expose just how fucking eager their country was to serve them to it.