Hunter
Chapter Two
From his hidden perch high in the closest tree, Hunter patiently waited until the female turned off the cabin lights. Once they went out he secured his bow and a quiver of arrows to a limb before he climbed down a few feet then dropped silently to the ground. He landed on all fours to absorb the shock then stood and silently crept across the opening toward the building. Darkness shielded him as he approached her bedroom. He pressed an ear to the outer wall and heard her pitiful sobs. Ever since her arrival, she'd cried each night until she went to sleep. This night was no different. It pained him to hear how sad she was. Apparently, the news Valiant had shared with the residents of the Wild Zone was true. The man who owned the property to the north of Reservation had died. No one knew for sure what would happen next. Hunter had an idea, but he hadn't shared it with anyone.
He'd recognized Monica the moment she'd arrived. She was the daughter of the man he'd started to think of as a trustworthy human. He wondered if she was as kind and generous as her father had been. He knew one thing for certain. The female was much prettier in person and he'd spied on her for days, shirking some of his duties to catch brief glimpses of her as she worked in the cabin. He'd convinced himself it was part of his job. The border had to be patrolled, kept secure and it was his duty to do so. Problem was, he wasn't doing it on Reservation. If any of his people found out, he'd be in deep shit, but he'd risk it just to catch a brief glimpse of her.
On the rare times when she'd carried things from her car and he'd gotten to take a good look at her, his heart had pounded so hard within his chest he'd been afraid she'd hear it and discover him. On those occasions, he'd waited for nightfall before he'd rushed to the front porch just to catch a faint whiff of her scent. He liked her fragrance, a mix of sweet coconut, vanilla and rich cream. She smelled good enough to eat, not that he would ever attempt such a thing.
Species females shunned him. Human females screamed or passed out as soon as they saw him. He hid from Monica because he didn't want to ever frighten her. As much as he hated to admit it, he truly wanted her to like him. In reality, he knew it was an impossible hope.
Her sobs had quieted. He listened until he was sure she'd fallen asleep before he crept away from the cabin. He retrieved his weapons before he made his way back to a special grouping of large trees. Reservation's border fence passed between two of them. He raked his claws down the gnarly trunk of the one on Monica's property before climbing up to a sturdy limb. He nimbly tiptoed across it as if it were a tightrope. Once he made it to the other side, he jumped to another tree limb and dropped to the ground. His cabin wasn't too far away. He took a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure her lights were still out. They were. Relieved, he turned to leave.
"You should answer your phone."
The deep harsh voice brought him to an instant standstill. It came from a direction that was near the fence, only a few yards away from him. Hunter instinctively crouched in preparation to fend off an attack as he searched the darkness for the intruder. He spotted Fury leaning against a fence post. The male was downwind of him. Hunter snarled in irritation before he relaxed and straightened to his full height.
"I leave it behind when I hunt. It makes noises and scares the prey," he said. It was the best excuse he could come up with. "Why are you here?" It was blunt question, but a valid one. Fury had a mate and a young child. He should be with his family and not spying on him in his own territory.
Fury growled, revealing his anger before he answered. "You were hunting outside of Reservation. It's now allowed."
The male was right. Hunter couldn't think of any plausible excuse so he remained silent.
"I didn't want to leave my mate or my child this evening to waste time chasing after you all night, but I was elected to give you some information."
Hunter winced. Fury sounded...well, furious, but he was relieved when the male only issued the slight reprimand. He'd expected worse.
"We received word that Daniel Carlton's daughter was traveling here to take care of her father's property. It borders ours. Justice thinks she might be willing to sell. We own most of the land around Reservation. The NSO needs Carlton's property for our own protection. We want to make sure that all the Wild Zone residents stay clear of her. We don't want to frighten her before Justice has a chance to speak to her."
Hunter hissed in anger. His claws extended. He couldn't help it. He was tired of hearing about how scary he and his kind were. They were New Species! It was time for his people to accept it and them.
"You think we'll scare her so badly that she'll sell to our enemies first?"
"Come on, Hunter. I didn't mean it to sound that way. You know how some humans are," Fury countered with a harsh growl.
"Yes, I do! But I also knew Daniel Carlton." Even in the dim light of a rising moon he could see Fury's astonished reaction to his ill-timed admission. No stopping now. "The man was trustworthy and was on our side. Not long ago, he ordered our enemies off his land."
Fury seemed to have lost the ability to speak. They stared at each other. The canine was the first to look away.
"His daughter is here now," Hunter admitted with a soft growl. He had no idea why his voice had suddenly changed.
Fury's intense gaze locked on him once again. "Is that why you're going over the fence? Do you want to hurt her or kill her?"
The male's mistaken reaction alarmed him.
"No!" The word rumbled from his throat. It was almost a roar. To his shock, his claws came out and his tail whipped side to side.
Fury stepped back and spread his arms. "Calm down. I'm glad to hear you don't want to harm her."
Hunter swallowed with an audible gulp and closed his eyes. It was safe. The male was a friend and would never attack him without provocation. He held his breath until he was sure he could take one without growling. Once he did, he opened his eyes and stole a quick glance at Fury.
The male didn't seem insulted. Instead, his friend studied him while he tested the air by taking in deep scenting breaths.
"What?" Hunter asked.
Fury frowned. "You've gone over the fence many times. I can smell your trail. Have you enlarged your territory?"
The question puzzled him. What was his friend asking?
"It's natural, Hunter, we're New Species. We'll all protect an area we think of as our own. Felines tend to claim a larger area. When I visit you, I can detect your mark miles before I reach your cabin." He chuckled. "You and Valiant have an area you're fighting over, at least with your scent. You two need to stop the pissing contest."
Hunter didn't know what to say. He'd never thought about it too much, but Fury was right. Lately, he'd suspected that Valiant was encroaching on his turf. Was it possible he was extending his range without realizing it because of his natural instincts?
"I've been distracted," he admitted.
"Hunter, you're a calm, reasonable male. Most of the time you're a lot more easy-going than I am. It's always been your choice to live in the Wild Zone. Maybe it's time for you to take a break and visit some of us at the main facility. Thunder is one of your nearest neighbors. He could take over your duties while you stay at the male dorm. Flame is there. You got along with him pretty good after you first arrived." Fury shot a quick glance at the small cabin beyond the fence before he looked back at Hunter. His dark eyes narrowed in a calculating way. "He's been a little down lately. Maybe the two of you could visit the recreation center and visit with our females. Some of them have expressed an interest in meeting a few of the tamer males from the Wild Zone."
At first, the idea appealed to him, but he rejected it after unwanted images from his past filled his head. The things that had been done to him were still too vivid. The humans had given him painful drugs that dulled his memory but didn't block out the evidence of fresh female species blood left on his claws after the medications wore off. He didn't know for certain if he'd killed any of his kind, but sometimes there was a strong smell of fear and sex that clung to him. Other times, his captors simply tortured the females until they begged him to mount them. The chance that he'd see one of his victims or that one would recognize him even if he didn't know her always stopped him from leaving his home in the Wild Zone.
"No," he said. His attention shifted to the fence. "I prefer to stay here and patrol our borders."
"How large of an area have you marked beyond the fence?"
Hunter faced the male and tried to hold his gaze, but he couldn't maintain a steady stare. Guilt ate at him. He looked away and shifted uncomfortably.
"I ranged beyond the cabin while the man was there."
Damn it, Hunter!" Fury cursed with an angry snarl. "It's not our land. You can't claim it. Stay on Reservation. Don't go over the fence. It's too dangerous. That human could've told any of our enemies about you. You could've been captured. It could still happen. Don't you realize that?"
The thought had occurred to him. He shouldn't have taken such risks, but he'd trusted the man. Could the human male have been baiting him to gain his trust before he betrayed him? It wouldn't have been the first time one of them had done such a vile thing, but he wasn't sure of anything at the moment. No matter, he still felt responsible for the daughter. Daniel would have wanted him to watch over her and keep her safe. His instincts practically screamed at him to protect her.
Fury stepped closer. "Promise me, you'll stay on this side."
"I promise," he grumbled.
Even as he spoke the words, he knew he'd lied to his friend, but Fury seemed satisfied.
"Good. Let's go to your cabin. I brought you one of Ellie's apple pies. They taste sweet and she hopes you like it. She says they are part of the American pastime that includes hotdogs, a baseball game and apple pie."
He wasn't fond of apples or any American pastime as far as he knew and he had no idea what to think about a hot dog. It sounded like an insult, but Fury didn't seem to mind. Hunter certainly didn't want to encounter one of them. Since Ellie was mated to his friend, he'd try the pie if it would make her happy.
