First Born Son

by laura-maeve

William Black is the first born son of Alpha, Jacob Black. As next in line for the throne, it's up to him to prove himself worthy of the title of Alpha Male. Little does he know, Will has an enemy, one who's out for revenge. With this enemy in his territory, he takes it upon himself to cut down the threat. The question is can he get over his teenage hormones long enough to succeed?

10. Chapter 10

Hahahahah! Told you I wouldn't be gone as long this time! Okay so this chapter sets up the beginning of the end of this story. And I hope some of your questions get answered. I absolutely adore this chapter, especially for Piper. I think Piper was my favorite part of this chapter. Seriously. I really hope you guys enjoy this as much I as I did writing it.

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

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A couple weeks later…Mid-October

WillPOV

The rain was cold and heavy as I sat at the edge of the woods. Thanks to me keeping my hair longer, my fur coat was thick enough to guard my skin against the chill water.

I watched numbly while Hunter moved around her kitchen. It had been two weeks since our big blowout. And though I was still pissed off with a constant ache in my chest, I couldn't help but watch over her. I pretended that everything was okay, but I knew that everyone knew what was going on. Brayden had talked to our families, telling them what I'd told him. He'd said he hadn't told them about the sex, but I was pretty sure they knew.

My ears twitched when a branch snapped behind me. Growling, I stood up just in case.

"Easy, Will," Ash said. "It's just us."

He and Dox came to sit on either side of me. I sat back on my haunches.

Dox bumped his shoulder into my ribs. "Dude, you can't keep this up. If you want her to stay, just tell her. You skulking in the shadows isn't going to do much good."

I huffed at him. What the hell did he know?

He glared at me. "Don't take that tone with me, wolf boy. You know I'm right."

On my other side, Ash sighed. "Will, we're behind you one hundred percent, but you've got to do for yourself. You don't eat, barely sleep. Grama and Grampa haven't seen you in a while. They were just at the house. They were disappointed you weren't there. All you do is break your back over homework, working at the shop, and running until your paws bleed. Oh, and sitting outside this house. It's not healthy for you. Jules and Brayden both want to beat the crap out of you. We managed to make it out here first."

I stayed silent, knowing he was right. They all were. But as long as Hunter was still here, I had to keep myself busy. My body wanted her, burned for her. Every night, I cursed myself for the need to pump myself off to the memory of how I took her. I'd cursed her for doing the same thing when she left, but there I was unable to help myself.

Thank God, I could keep my thoughts to myself in wolf form. There were others out there right now roaming the woods.

Sighing, Dox leaned into me. "Will, you're our big brother. We need you. Don't get me wrong, we understand you're hurting. We really do. But if this is how it's going to be from now on, even after she leaves, we'd prefer you to follow her." When I looked over at him sharply, he gave me a sympathetic look. "You'd be better off following her and protecting her than here pining and praying she comes back. We love you, and we want what's best for you." He nodded toward the cabin. "She's your world now, not us."

Just then, the front door opened. Hunter came out onto the porch, framed by the light spilling from the doorway. She wrapped a shawl around her. "Will?"

Dox and Ash stood up as she walked out toward us.

She smiled sadly at them. "Hi, boys."

Dox just crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a steady stare. Ash cleared his throat, ever the polite one. "Hi, Hunter. You want us to leave?"

"If you don't mind. I'd like a moment with him."

Reaching around me, he grabbed Dox's arm and started pulling him back into the woods. Dox bitched while Ash tried to placate him as they tromped off.

Hunter and I stared at each other.

Her eyes shimmered in the soft light coming from the house. "I've missed you," she whispered.

I grumbled. She hadn't been back to school over the past couple weeks. She'd gone two days before finding a way to forge a doctor's note. Which made sense. She'd been packing, taking empty boxes into her house. Getting ready to leave me without a backward glance.

Standing up, I huffed and went to turn back into the woods. Her hand on my back had me biting back a shiver. We hadn't talked or touched since that day I'd stormed out after losing my virginity to her.

"Will, please. It doesn't have to be like this. We can still talk before I leave. I don't want to go knowing how angry you are with me."

I looked sharply over my shoulder.

The tears had silently started to fall. "I know I don't deserve any sort of compassion from you. I just thought that maybe we could…leave things off on a better note." Her eyes met mine. "I know you've been watching over me at night. I hear you running in the woods. My feelings for you haven't changed, love."

Gritting my teeth, I couldn't stand to watch her cry anymore. This was precisely the reason I'd avoided interacting with her. Hearing her cry was a very different thing than watching it. At night, as I ran the woods around her house, I could hear her sobs from the shower or her bed. But seeing the tears prodded at the protectiveness inside me.

Mentally sighing, I stepped back from her and phased. She gasped behind her hand, looking a bit unsettled.

"Do you mean that?"

"What?" she asked. Her eyes studied my body as if she couldn't believe the change was that easy for me. She hadn't seen any of us phase before. It was a first for her.

"What you just said. About your feelings."

She reached out toward me but let her hands fall when I just stared at her. "Of course. You know when I'm lying."

I shook my head. "You're too emotional. I can't get a read on it."

This time, she did move closer. Her hand was cold on my chest. "My feelings have not changed."

Unable to bear it, I gripped her hands in mine, warming them. "Then stay."

A look that I could only explain as despair twisted her features.

"Stay with me," I asked desperately. "At least until graduation. Give me the chance to win you over, to get rid of that pack. Please."

Shaking her head, she pulled away. "I can't," she whispered.

With a tug, she pulled out of my grasp and ran for her house.

Growling, I gripped my hair in fistfuls and let out a snarl before phasing.

PiperPOV

Grumbling, I tromped through the woods. Forks sucked. One minute, fairly dry. The next? A downpour from hell. It was hard enough that even through the thick canopy, rain drenched me. Eventually I made it out of the woods and back into Uncle Walker's village.

I shook my head, my mood turning amused when I saw the kids playing in the rain and mud. Since my brother's confession about Will two weeks ago, I'd found myself coming out here more and more until finally I just stayed here. Aunt Christa and Uncle Walker didn't mind. In fact, they said that they understood that sometimes we all needed some space. That night, all I'd wanted to do was yell 'I told you so' to everyone. But I'd refrained. Barely. Mom and Dad weren't too happy that I wasn't home, but Brayden probably had a talk with them. He was persuasive that way.

As I trudged to the hotel-like cabin I was staying in, kids running around me laughing, I caught a flash out of the corner of my eye. It was Brent, the lead enforcer. He was sparring with his sons, Vice and Jason. All three of them were attractive men. Vice, Brent's eldest son, was older than his brother by a decade. There were other half-siblings between the two boys, both brothers and sisters, but only two girls were here. Jason's sister and half-sister. Although both of Brent's mates were pregnant again. I suppose that fathering your first child at fourteen and Brent only being in his early forties gave him a lot of time to keep having kids. But it really wasn't a bad thing, especially if they were all as attractive as the four currently living here.

Changing direction, I figured that since I was already soaking wet I could stand to spend a little time watching them. Over the past couple weeks, I'd watched the enforcers train. Secretly, Jason was a favorite for me. But he was also a favorite of every other available teenage female around here. Which made me resent him because he ate up the attention.

I sat on one of the huge logs that circled the even larger bonfire that was still going despite the rain. Even in the mud and chilled air, the three of them were graceful as they lunged and spun away from daggers coming at them. Brent forced them to learn weaponry even though they had wickedly sharp claws and razor-edged teeth. It was understandable. If everyone had those claws and teeth, then it made sense to have an upper hand at something they were unfamiliar with.

Despite the age difference and being only half-siblings, Jason and Vice were close. It was evident in the way they worked together to take on their father. While Jason was getting up out of the mud, Vice would cover his back, and vice versa.

Out of nowhere, something flew toward me and slammed into the log with a loud thunk. It was a dagger vibrating in the wood. Scowling, I gripped the handle and pulled it out.

Jason jogged over, mud splattering his jeans and white shirt. "Sorry," he said in a deep voice. "You okay?"

Irritated with how attractive I found him, I glowered. "Mind watching where you toss that thing? Take someone's eye out." Then I tossed it to him. He moved so fast to accommodate the throw and adjust to catching it so he wasn't cut on the blade that he was a blur of movement.

His expression went cold. "Don't have to be such a bitch. I said I was sorry."

"Jason!" Brent shouted as he ran over. "That is not how we speak to females. I didn't raise you to be rude."

Vice came up and clapped him on the neck, grinning. "So that's why you're still single. Go figure."

Grumbling, Jason shrugged out of his brother's hold. "Shut up." Then he looked back to me. "I'm sorry. That was inexcusable."

Sitting there, I studied them. And then stood up. "Apology not accepted."

His eyes went wide. "What? Why not?" he demanded incredulously.

Both Brent and Vice were standing behind him, trying to reign in their smiles.

I kicked my chin up. "Because you really did mean to call me a bitch. You just changed your tune because Daddy Dearest berated you. In your mind, you're still calling me a bitch. And other unsavory names."

With that, I spun in the mud and walked back to my cabin, a small smile on my lips while Brent and Vice laughed in booming bursts. When I turned back to see what they were doing, Jason was chasing them around, tackling them to the ground. I shook my head and went into the communal building. It was fairly new, meant for any visitors. There were also some individual cabins for visitors, but I didn't really want to be alone to think about what all was going on just a few miles away at my own home.

One of the elderly wolves came at me as I hung up my wet coat and shrugged out of my jacket.

"Oh, Piper," Joanna said, fussing over me. "We were worried about you."

I smiled. "Thanks. I'm okay. I went for walk on the paths."

Jo smiled. "Well you're just in time. You have a visitor."

I blinked at her. "I do?"

She nodded toward the huge living room. It was full of leather couches and tables. Someone was sitting on the couch in front of the roaring fireplace. I'd recognize that head and shoulder combo anywhere.

"Will?" I said moving toward him.

He turned, the expression on his face making my heart bleed for him. His smile was weak. Honestly, he looked awful. The past ten or whatever days hadn't been kind to him. Brayden had mentioned in a text that our alpha wasn't doing so well. He'd stopped eating and hadn't been drinking a lot of blood. As a Quileute wolf, eating was a sport, and the males could eat twelve course meals and still have room for pizza. As half-vampire, he and his siblings constantly drank blood to keep the gene from receding. The hollows under his cheeks were deeper than usual, his sharp cheekbones casting deeper shadows. There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes.

"Hey, Pipes. Haven't seen you around." Which was true. We didn't see each other at school. Our paths never crossed.

Going around the couch, I sat next to him, frowning. "Well yeah. Word is you're running yourself ragged." And the word is obviously understated.

"And you're staying out here."

Clamping my lips together, I looked away from him to stare into the fire.

"Is it because of me?"

My gaze shot back to his. He looked so lost…and sad. "Not for the reasons you think."

Now he dropped his gaze. "You told me so."

"Yes, I did. Which is why I left for a while. Seeing you hurting pisses me off. So bad that I want to both rant and comfort you. I thought it would be best for me to come out here to cool off and for you to get yourself back together. But it seems like you're just getting worse."

He looked at me again. "Am I?"

Sighing, I reached out to hold his hand tightly in mine. "You love her, Will. Anybody who looks at you knows that. And what's happening is…unfortunate. Honestly, I wanted it to work out for you."

Will shook his head, his hair throwing water droplets around. "You were right, Piper. There was so much wrong with the situation. And I didn't listen to you. I got even deeper…" He paused before laughing. The sound hurt my ears like broken glass. "God, that's a terrible pun."

I stroked his forearm with my other hand. "Will, nobody blames you for sleeping with her. It was inevitable. We just knew it would hurt you in the end if something was up." Leaning over, I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, Piper. And honestly, I'm sorry that it couldn't be you. I kind of expected it to be you."

I lifted my head. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. We've always been so close. And it didn't matter if we didn't have those feelings before I phased. I could have still imprinted on you."

I gave a wry smile. "Fate's a cruel bitch, huh?"

He chuckled and rested his head on mine. "Apparently. Thanks for not hating me."

I squeezed his arm and hand. "I would never hate you, Will. Royally pissed, sure. But I could never hate you."

"You deserve so much better than me anyway."

Sighing, I lifted up again. "You didn't deserve what she did to you, Will. I hope you don't think that."

Swallowing hard, he looked at the fire. "I honestly don't know what to think."

Opening my mouth to say something, I shut it and frowned when a shadow fell over us. I looked up. A muddy Jason was standing beside the arm of the couch, staring at me over Will's head. There was a look in his eyes that I didn't quite understand. This was weird. I'd been here off and on for two weeks, and he'd never paid any particular interest in me. Now he was all in my space in a half hour.

"Cozy," he said, looking from me to Will and then down to our clasped hands. That one word was not a happy one.

My frown deepened. "Jason? What…what are you doing here?"

"Do you want to be called a bitch?"

Will jumped to his feet, growling. "Excuse you?"

Staring at Jason, I got to my feet andstepped between the two of them. "Will, it's alright. I know what this is about. Although I have to say I don't understand why it's being brought up again."

Jason ignored Will, eyes still on me. Which was surprising. Will was freaking huge, and the alpha of the neighboring pack. Jason was pretty big himself with very broad shoulders and heavy muscle padding on his chest and abs. They were both aggressive, dominant males. But that's where the similarities ended. Jason had short blond hair and dark blue eyes. His tan was sun-kissed instead of russet. Right now, mud was splattered all over him, darkening his hair, making his eyes seem like a blue-black.

"I want to talk to you," he demanded.

Will shook his head and put a hand out to him as if to stop him from coming closer. "I don't think so."

Before I turned to Will, I narrowed my eyes at Jason. "Will, if you really want to apologize to me, I want you to go home, eat, and get some sleep."

He gaped at me. "But-,"

"Please, Will. I'll be okay. But you're off your game."

Now he looked insulted. Which had been my intention. I was making him seem weak in front of another dominant male. My hope was that he'd back off. His lack of nourishment would ensure his loss, but his viciousness could kill someone. I didn't want either.

Expression angry, he clenched his jaw, but said, "Fine. Call me if you need anything."

I nodded but knew I'd call Uncle Walker before Will. Will kissed my cheek and glared at Jason before leaving.

Joanna was watching us, so I moved around Jason. "Come on. Let's go to my room." Probably a bad idea, but screw it.

He followed me upstairs and down the hallway to my room. After unlocking it, I ushered him in. Leaning against the door, I watched him look around. I'd kind of moved in. Clothes were hanging out of the dresser. School papers and books were on the desk along with my laptop. My iPod docking station was hooked up in the corner, still playing the instrumentals and movie scores that helped calm me down.

Moving past him, I shoved the clothes back into the drawer and closed it. "So what do you want?"

He crossed muscled arms over his chest. "What I asked you earlier. Do you want to be called a bitch?"

Fussing with the sheets on the bed, I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Growling low, he moved to grip my arm and pull me up straight. "Earlier outside you didn't accept my apology because I only apologized because my father griped my ass, that you thought I still thought of you as a bitch."

I raised my chin but knew better than to try to pull out of his grasp. "Well you did, didn't you?"

Those dark eyes narrowed. "Maybe. But I still apologized."

I scoffed. "True, but that apology was worth shit since you didn't mean it."

He growled again, tightening his grip. "Maybe I did mean it. What I think shouldn't always be said aloud."

Going up on my toes, I put our faces so close together that our noses almost touched. "That, my friend, is an entirely different apology."

His lips lifted just a touch in a small snarl. "Why are you being so impossible?"

"I'm not. If you were thinking that I'm a bitch but felt bad for saying it out loud, that's what you should have apologized for."

He was breathing so hard that his chest was rising and falling with it. We just glared at each other, his grip still painfully tight on my arm.

"Another thing," I said, my voice low, "I don't like being manhandled."

Pushing closer, he whispered, "I don't care," before crushing his lips to mine.

For a moment, I went with it, having never kissed a boy before. At least not like that. My body sizzled where we touched, warming against his skin. But then, my brain decided to start working again. I shoved hard against his chest, making him stumble. And the only reason he stumbled was because I'd caught him off guard.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, swiping my sleeve over my mouth. "Really? We were having an argument and you just kiss me?"

"You wanted it," he said breathing hard. "And don't lie to me."

"What is wrong with you?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to kiss you. So I did."

I just gaped at him.

His lip curled. "Fine. If you're going to have a cow over it, just know that it did nothing for me."

Well didn't that just piss me off? As he turned to walk out, I said, "That's not what the tent in your pants says."

I smirked as he looked down. His jeans were soaked through from the rain. His rather large…member…had managed to tent the fabric with his arousal.

"I can't believe you think you can just go around kissing people," I said with disgust. How many other girls had he done that to?

Some sort of angry emotion darkened his expression before he smoothed it out. "I'm a dominant male. Taking and doing what we want within reason is something we do. You're lucky. Most dominant males over sixteen would have taken it further. A simple kiss didn't hurt you."

My gut clenched. "Why sixteen?"

He smirked. "That's our mating maturity. But it's different for enforcers. Remember my father? Vice is twenty-seven, born when my father was fourteen. By now, if I were a different male in a different pack, I could have at least a dozen young."

Not happy with that thought, I crossed my arms over my stomach. His eyes dipped to the cleavage that showed over my V-neck sweater. With my mother's genes, I was pretty chesty, so it couldn't be helped.

I glared at him. "Well, bully for you. So how many do you have?" Any one of those kids running around out there could be his.

A smug smile stretched his lips. "Don't like the thought that I might have kidlets running around here? Or is it the fact that I laid with another female?"

"Shut up and answer the question."

The corner of his mouth lifted to widen the smirk. "None." I must have looked like I didn't believe him because he continued with, "This pack isn't nomadic anymore. And none of the females here catch my fancy enough to take me from my training."

"Then I suppose I should be insulted."

He frowned.

I nodded toward his hips. "I guess you get raging boners all the time. I must 'catch your fancy' a little, but not enough. Must be the same with every other female here."

Jason shook his head, a look of disbelief overtaking the smirk. "You really don't know how to take a compliment, do you?"

Nope. Not really. And honestly, I shouldn't. Not until I phased and imprinted. If that happened. A relationship now would be stupid. So I played it off. "That's not really a compliment, though. Is it? Not if you get hard for any piece of tail walking by. You and your hand must know each other pretty well by now. Those calluses aren't just from handling weapons all day, are they?" And his erection was a compliment?

He gritted his teeth. "I never said I didn't have sex. I said I don't have kids. Not yet anyway. Something could always pop up."

Now he was goading me, trying to get a reaction out of me. Taking a deep breath, I gave him a winning, empty smile. "Well, this has been fun." I dropped the smile. "Get out."

Again, he shook his head. "Utterly impossible."

"Never denied it. Now get out. I'm not gonna be another number to you."

He smiled wryly. "Fine. I'll go take care of this," he said framing his hips with his hands, "somewhere else."

When he stepped out of the room, I shut the door in his face even though he was clearly about to turn around and say something else.

Spinning around, I leaned on the door, blowing my long bangs out of my face.

WillPOV

After Piper kicked me out, I didn't really feel like going home, so I ran to the river that ran between my grandparents' cottage and the big Cullen house. The water was freezing. Not exactly what I needed. I was running low on body heat since I wasn't keeping up my weight with food and blood. Even being a werewolf, I could feel the difference. But even so, Hunter was the only thing on the planet that could warm me up. With her out of the picture, I needed to get used to this feeling. Maybe I should hunt. That would take up some time.

Scooping up some water, I scrubbed it over my face, waking myself up as my skin tightened. As I did that a couple more times, I didn't hear the rustle of leaves from the footsteps behind me.

"Well, what do we have here?" drawled a heavily accented voice.

Ah, crap.

Staying calm, I turned around on the bank of the river. The guy standing there was big with dark hair and eyes. My instincts went on red alert. There something about him that made me want to take up praying, almost like he was evil or something. Kind of like when Mara and Jules talked about auras, power seemed to flow off of him.

And this is why we patrol in pairs and groups, dumbass, I yelled at myself.

"And who might you be?"

He smiled. "You must be Will. I can smell her on you."

I jumped out of the river and faced him. "Don't you dare touch her." No sense in trying to act like I didn't know who he was talking about.

He waved a hand, dismissing my threat. "Don't bother. You see, hurting her might satisfy me for a bit, but I know her greatest pain would lie with the knowledge that you got caught up in her mess. If I fuck you up, well…" He grinned. "She'd never forgive herself. She'd do anything to keep from you getting that pretty face messed up again after tonight. You see, she's promised to me. And I'm aware that the two of you have…had relations. I can't really be mad about that. I mean, who could blame you? With a tight body like hers, any male would want to stick his cock in that."

A vicious snarl ripped out of my chest. "Watch your mouth."

His eyes glinted. "Territorial, are we?"

I ignored that. "She's running from you. She wants nothing to do with you."

A dark eyebrow lifted as well as a corner of his mouth in amusement. "So that's the story she's feeding you?" He seemed to think about that for a second. "I was wondering if she'd tell you everything about the real reason she was here. You know, we came with her."

My eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes. But if she hasn't told you her real reason for being here, who am I to ruin the surprise?"

The real surprise came when his fist landed on my face in a blur. Stunned, I stumbled back, trying to get my eyes to stop rolling in my head. Something was definitely broken. Pain seared the right side of my face when I clenched my jaw.

Shaking my head, I struggled to focus. Not fast enough. He was on me again, throwing out a leg. His foot connected with my temple, sending me flying back. I landed so hard that the air was forced out of my lungs. I was also pretty sure there'd be a dent in the ground from the impact. His intent wasn't to kill me, not yet. So I was allowed to catch my breath while he circled me.

"Not much of an alpha, are you?" he asked scathingly.

He might have been fast, but so was I. Shoring up my strength, I moved into a crouch and spun on the ball of my foot. With my other leg straightened out, I swept him off his feet. After he landed and I threw myself on top of him, it was all fists, knees, and elbows. I busted his nose a few times while he battered my jaw. The mud was slick, offering no friction as we rolled around, throwing punches.

Unfortunately, he got the upper hand, squeezing my waist with his knees and managing to roll us so I was on my back. With that kind of leverage, he swung over and over, heavy fists slamming into my head and chest. I brought my arms up to protect my face. But his strength was off the chain.

When the first crack sounded in my arm, I screamed. His grin was maniacal as he pounded that arm over and over, making the injury worse. That arm became useless, leaving me with one left. I got lucky with a jab between his arms to bust his nose open. Blood prayed over me and down his chest.

Enraged, he started on my good arm. With only a couple hits, the bones shattered. Both arms were useless. Once they fell to the mud, I knew it was over. My ferocity didn't match his. And with no food in my system, I was nearly as weak as a human.

He beat the pulp out of me until I was numbly staring at the sky. My body jerked with his hits, and I realized that I'd given up. Just let it happen. Hunter had already taken the best part of me and threw it away. What more did I have to give? No matter what, I was in a losing situation. If I followed her, I'd be miserable, missing my family. But if I stayed, I'd be pining for her, distracted and unable to lead the way the pack needed me to.

The guy's face appeared in my blurry vision that was slowly getting eaten by the black abyss.

He grinned. "Good night, pup."

An uppercut to the jaw and it was lights out.

PiperPOV

A constant banging sound had me rolling over and pressing a pillow to my ear. I'd just managed to get to sleep about an hour ago.

When it didn't cease, I rolled out of bed and stomped to the door not even caring that I was in a flimsy cami and some boyshorts underwear.

Flinging open the door, I growled, "What?!"

It was Jason in the hallway. He was squeaky clean, hair golden once more. He looked taken aback as his eyes scanned my body. But he didn't pull anything. Instead, he met my eyes. "You need to come with me."

I scoffed. "Yeah right. Not likely, stud. You're not gonna get a kid on me."

When I went to slam the door, his arm shot out to hold it open. "This isn't about that. Although I'm sure I could persuade you to warm my bed." He shook his head, gaze becoming serious. "Something's happened."

As the sleep faded from my eyes, it was clear he was in enforcer mode. My heart dropped as fear crawled up to replace the irritation. "Bray," I whispered.

Jason shook his head. "No. Not your brother or your parents."

I frowned. "Jules?"

Again, the head shake. "No. Will."

Instantly, I was on alert. Slamming the door in his face, I rushed around throwing whatever clothes I could find over what I was already wearing. I tugged on my hoodie as I joined him in the hallway.

"Tell me what happened."

"I don't know. All I know is Dad got a call from Walker. Apparently, Will was caught in the woods alone. He was beaten pretty badly."

"Did they tell you to come get me?"

He shook his head. "No. I know you two are close given what I saw earlier. I thought you'd like to know and to be there for Jules and the twins."

Following after him, I was speechless. Had he really been paying attention to me all this time? But that still didn't change that he was a horn-dog. No doubt he knew all the tricks to get girls into his bed. I wasn't going to fall for the nice-guy routine.

"Thanks," I said stiffly.

In front of me, I heard him sigh as he shook his head. I couldn't swear to it but I thought I also heard him say, "Impossible," under his breath.

When we got outside, Jason's brother, sisters, and father were waiting. Brent nodded to me. "Alright. I want you guys to stay with the Cullens and Blacks. I need to stay to talk to Walker for a minute. Elias is taking a group out to meet up with the patrols. If the boy wakes up and can give you any information, you call me."

The four of them nodded an affirmative. Every single one of them looked different and at the same time similar. Jason was the only true blond. His sister was dirty blond. The half-brother and –sister were both dark-headed like their father, just different facial features. But they had a similarity to their features that spoke of relation. Anybody looking at them would know they were family.

Jason ushered me to an SUV, putting me between his sisters. All four of them were armed with knives and daggers. Vice even had a gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans as he slid behind the wheel. They tried not to shift as much as possible. The two minutes it took was two minutes of complete vulnerability, so they used weapons.

Sitting there, on the way to the Cullen house, I had way too much time to think. My stomach was pit of fear. Jason had said that Will had been beaten badly. That gave no indication of how bad was "badly" on the bad scale. But as I thought about Will, the fear turned sour as it shifted to anger. Whoever was after Hunter had done this. She'd brought this down on all of us. The image of her face in my head had me seeing red and vibrating with anger.

When the vehicle skidded to a stop in front of the big white house, I hopped out as soon as one of the girls let me. Cecily and Arden scanned the woods as they ran with me up the steps. Jason and Vice melted into the woods, no doubt running their own patrol.

I burst through door at a run. Everyone who was milling around on the ground floor looked up at me.

"Jules?"

Aunt Rosalie pointed. "Upstairs."

Without a second thought, I flew in that direction, taking two stairs at a time. Arden came with me while Cecily stayed downstairs. Mom, Dad, Brayden, Jules, and the twins were standing in the hallway. They all look as if they'd been crying. The Black children still had wet tear tracks on their cheeks, and Jules was wrapped tightly around my brother. He was rocking her and stroking her hair, whispering in her ear. The moment Jules saw me, she let go of Brayden and ran to me. I wrapped her up in my arms. Over her shoulder, I looked to my brother, Ash, and Dox.

"Any updates?"

The twins wouldn't or couldn't answer, so Brayden did. "It's pretty bad," he choked out. He had to clear his throat to continue. "His upper body is full of fractures, chipped bone, and a punctured lung from a broken rib. Both forearms shattered. Nose and jaw are broken. Honestly, I'm surprised his whole face isn't broken."

My stomach dropped again. "That bad?" I whispered.

He nodded, more tears making the green of his irises brighter. He turned away, clearing his throat and rubbing his thumb and forefinger over his eyes. Dox looked at him sadly. He let his tears fall. Since I was holding Jules, who was quietly crying into my shoulder, Mom went to Bray. He fought her for a moment before burying his face in her hair. Holding her tightly, his body shuddered while he cried. I reached out to take Ash's hand. He squeezed my fingers hard. I didn't complain.

Behind us, more people came up the stairs. Another pair of arms wrapped around me and Jules. Ava. Her eyes asked the same question I had. How bad? I gave her a look that said very. Her lip trembled as she rested her cheek on her cousin's hair. Uncle Paul and Aunt Rachel talked to my Dad, who looked like he was barely keeping it together.

Who knew how long it was before the door opened and Uncle Jake stepped out. We'd all just held each other, taking up praying and crying. When he came out, we broke apart to stare at him until he told us something. He looked haggard and a lot older than he really was. And he'd very obviously been crying. Of course he had. His first born son was just beaten and left for dead.

He cleared his throat a couple times.

"Dad?" Dox whispered, looking terrified. "Don't-,"

"He made it through surgery."

The same time Jules sagged in my arms, Dox's knees gave out. Bray and Ash caught him, but Uncle Jake hugged him. "It's okay, son. He's going to be okay."

Aunt Nessie came out behind them, looking just as bad as her husband. I held and rocked Jules, stroking her hair. Ava let us go so she could hug Ash. He was looking lost, shocked. She hugged him tightly. After a minute or so, he hugged her back.

"…get your hands off me."

We all turned toward Hunter's familiar voice coming up the stairs. A second later, she and Jason appeared at the top. He had her arm in the same grip he'd used on me, except I suspected a tighter hold. His face was utterly cold as he looked down on her.

The moment I saw her, my vision went red again.

When she saw us and our expressions, she gasped. "He's not…please, tell me he's not…"

She couldn't say it. In her thickened accent.

As gently as I could, I transferred Jules to her mother's arms, and then viciously turned on Hunter. "Dead? Is that the word you're looking for?" I demanded. She flinched. "No. He's not dead. No thanks to you, you stupid bitch."

"Piper," Mom scolded weakly. She knew I was right.

Hunter rushed forward, a pleading look on her face. "I'm so-,"

As soon as she got close enough, I slapped her. When she rocked back on her heels, Jason rushed over to me, pulling my arms behind my back.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry! You have no right! You did this and you know it!" I was so angry that I had the passing thought that I might phase right here in this hallway.

"Easy, female. Calm down," he said in my ear as he pulled me against his body. He was protecting Hunter from me? She was the werewolf. I was still human for all intents and purposes. Of course, I was still stronger than the average human. But still.

When Hunter turned back to us, her eyes were amber but the color quickly faded back to normal hazel as she lost her anger.

"Piper," Jules said in a soft voice. "Don't. I called her here."

Craning my neck around, I stared at her. "Why the fuck would you do that? This is her fault! She brought them down on us. Don't think for a second this didn't happen because of her."

Jules gave me a tired look. "I know. I blame her, too. But having his imprint nearby will help him heal faster. I'm as pissed as you are, but right now, my brother's life is more important to me. You'd have done the same if it were Brayden."

"If it were Brayden, I'd have never accused you of betraying him."

"You know what I mean."

I glared at Hunter. "Why him? Why didn't they go after you?"

Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. "This is a message."

"For what?"

She shook her head. "Not what. Who." Then she met my glare. "For me."

Uncle Jacob's deep voice was rough with emotion behind me. "What are you talking about?"

Hunter's tears fell as she wrapped her arms around her middle and hunched over herself. "They know that I don't care if they hurt me. I deserve it. But if they hurt the ones I care about…it'll destroy me, break me." Looking up, she met my uncle's eyes. "And I love Will. I love Jules. I love all of you." She looked to me. "Even you because I understand why you hate me. If I were you, I'd hate me, too."

Right then, Edward and Bella came out of the room. Edward studied me for a moment, reading me. I was calm enough now that I knew I wouldn't phase, but maybe the change was coming on me. The women of the pack didn't change the way the men did. No growth spurts or any signs besides the moods. And I was pretty moody all on my own.

After a heartbeat, he nodded and then looked to Hunter. "He's unconscious but all he's seeing is you. I think my granddaughter is right. He needs you."

Arden followed her as she dashed into the room. Then Jules, Ash, and Dox followed.

When the door closed, I twisted in Jason's grasp. "You can let go now. There's nobody out here I want to slap." Well, I kind of did want to slap him, but I didn't when he eased his hands from my arms.

His deep blue eyes stared at me as if he were seeing me for the first time.

I squirmed. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm going to go check on things outside. Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone. That would really piss me off."

With that he turned on his heel and jogged down the stairs. I glared at his back until he disappeared. When I turned back to them, the entire hallway was staring at me. Dad was also glaring where Jason disappeared.

Brayden's eyebrows were in his hairline. "New friend?" he asked dryly.

"Shut up," I pouted as I went to hug him.

HunterPOV

The room was dark and quiet besides the machines that were hooked up to Will. I was terrified of what Mel had done to him. I hadn't expected Mel to go through with his threat. Made me wonder if Jerome's warning would also come to pass. I need to leave…very soon.

Beside me, Jules took my hand. Shaking, I was in awe of her compassion. She was angry with me and yet she comforted me.

Ash and Dox were behind us, another comforting presence.

I'd never felt so weak or so like a girl in my entire life. Especially when I got to the bed and saw what my true mate was suffering. The breath left my lungs and my knees gave out. Maddox caught me while Ash pulled a chair over that I could sink into. The tears were steady, my breathing hiccupping in short bursts.

Will was unrecognizable except for his hair. His face was swollen, stitches running over his nose, forehead, cheek, and eyebrows. His eyes were swollen shut. That massive chest was nothing but a giant black bruise and stitches.

Leaning forward, I took his big hand in both of mine. The knuckles were bruised and bloody as if he'd fought back. Both of his arms, from wrist to elbow, were heavily bandaged and tied to flat boards. They'd been broken.

Some of that rage that I'd always housed bubbled to the surface. Mel would pay for this. With his life.

"You know," Maddox said quietly, "he might have won or even had a chance if he'd been eating or sleeping lately."

I closed my eyes, knowing that he was indirectly blaming me. This was my fault.

"For two weeks-,"

"Dox," Ash chided quietly.

"No, she should know." I could feel his eyes on me. "For two weeks, he's barely eaten, sleeps for maybe five minutes, and runs until his paws crack. If you hadn't dropped the bomb that you were leaving, he'd have been taking care of himself. He'd have at least been able to protect himself better. This," he said, "This is what you did to him. This time, I agree with Piper."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I rested my forehead against Will's hand and cried. "I know," I whispered. "I'm so, so very sorry." I pressed my lips to his skin. "I love you."

I felt a small hand on my back. Jules sat on the arm of the chair, silently crying. When I reached back, she put her free hand in mine. We sat there for quite a while, crying together. The boys sat at our feet while we listened to the machines monitor his vitals.

Over the course of a couple hours, Will visibly started to heal. The bruises went from deep black to a very dark blue. The puffiness of his eyes had gone down. What gave me comfort was when his breathing began to even out. Ash had encouraged me to talk to Will, that the sound of my voice would let him know that I was there.

Eventually, Nessie came in to check on us. The boys had fallen asleep and Jules was resting back against the chair. The woman leaned over her son, gently petting his hair. "He already looks better," she whispered hoarsely. Her lips trembled just before they touched his forehead.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered again.

Taking a deep breath, she turned toward me with a small smile. "Hunter, I don't know all the details. Only you and Will know. And maybe Brayden. I love my son, very much. I promised myself that I would kill whoever hurt my children. But you're his imprint. I could never really hate you. I'm angry, yes. However, I understand the difficulties. I'm an imprint myself." In a very motherly gesture, she took my face in her hands. "I don't know what you've gotten yourself into or how deep you're in it, but you are a good person, Hunter. I believe that you can find a way to overcome whatever it is. And whether or not you stay with Will, stay here, you will always have a home here."

Leaning in, she kissed my forehead before quietly leaving.

It was the night for crying because that's all I seemed to know how to do. But while my head was bowed, there was a pressure on my hand. I looked up to see Will's eyes opened just enough.

On my feet in an instant, I leaned over him, smoothing his hair back. "Will?"

He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Shh, don't try to talk. Your lung is punctured."

He squeezed my hand, and then his fingers loosened. Like he wanted to pull away.

The rejection stung even though I deserved it. "It's alright. Your siblings are here. I'll let you be alone."

When I started to turn away, his grip tightened painfully, pulling me back. When I looked into his eyes, it was panic I saw. He shook his head frantically.

I put my hands on his face. "Okay, okay. I'll stay. Promise."

Ash, Maddox, and Jules crowded around the bed. Each of them touched their brother comfortingly.

Dox held his other hand carefully around all the wires and needles. "Didn't I tell you to take better care of yourself? You stubborn bastard."

Will's mouth had healed enough in the last hour or so that he could smile a little. "Smartass," he mumbled.

As his siblings crowded around him, I slid to the background.

But he noticed. "Hun-Hunt…"

I was about to start the waterworks again. He wanted me, was calling out for me.

Jules must have seen it because she grabbed her brothers. "Come on. Let's go get him some blood. Or at least ask Grampa Carlisle if he can try."

Dox scowled. "Does that really need all of our participation?"

Jules yanked on his arm. "Yes. It does. Come on." On their way out, she looked over to Arden, who'd been so quiet that I'd forgotten she was there. "You, too, Arden."

The girl blinked blue eyes at her. "But I was told to-,"

"Now. Hunter's not a threat to him. If I can trust her knowing what I do, then so can you. Let's go."

The girl frowned. "Enforcers don't trust anyone but each other."

Growling under her breath, Jules went to grab Arden's arm. "Isn't that a sad life for you. Now come on."

Arden looked confused as she allowed herself to be dragged from the room. "No, not really."

I smiled when Jules reached behind her to close the door and rolled her eyes.

When we were alone, I went to Will. When I looked into his eyes, my breath caught in my throat; my heart ached. They were full of love and tenderness. Not at all what I deserved. He managed to reach out a little with his hand. I went to him, gripping his hand to my chest as gently as I could with it taped to the board.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea," I whispered, stroking his hair. "I promise I'll be gone as soon as possible."

His eyes turned panicked again as he shook his head against the pillow. "No," he rasped.

I put my fingers over his lips. "Shh. Don't talk, love. You know I've made up my mind. I can take him. He'll hesitate with me. I can't stay here, Will. I just can't see someone else in this bed."

Which left the question of my revenge. I finally knew what love was. My heart was in the bed in front of me, healing injuries that were my fault. Could I really take someone else's heart and soul away from them when I had just a taste of that kind of pain? I knew that I at least had to face the man, make him remember what he'd done, make him know my face. It was quite possible he'd changed his ways, found his own love.

As the cliché went, there was only one way to find out. And it was the showdown I'd been waiting for.

WillPOV

My whole body was screaming. My chest was tight, but at least I could breathe. The fact that I could open my eyes at all was testament to the powers of the imprint. It was all Hunter. Despite what had happened tonight (or was it still tonight?), I still wanted and needed her close to me.

The torture in her eyes as she stared down at me tugged at my heart. God, I loved her. How the hell was I going to let her go? The thought of her leaving actually made my chest hurt, bringing pressure to my eyes.

Fuck it.

I cried, gripping her hand as hard as I could. She wiped my eyes and cheeks with the pads of her thumbs.

"Oh, love. I'm going to take care of this, of you. I'll not let anything else happen to you or your family."

The declaration scared the shit out of me. I knew how hard that bastard could hit. If she went up against him, she'd lose. It didn't matter her training. His brute strength and size could easily overtake her.

I tried to pull her toward me, but my limbs weren't working right. "Stay," I rasped. "Please."

Just until I could get my ass out of this bed. I was going to hunt the fucker down and kill him with my bare hands. I didn't believe anything that had come out of his mouth. Hunter had told me the truth when I'd questioned her. Nothing else was going on. If he was dead, she was safe. Simple as that.

And that should have scared me that I could think about killing another living being so easily. But honestly, it was the easiest decision I'd ever made. Hunter was mine, and I had a responsibility to take care of her. She'd been on her own, fending for herself for too fucking long. It was time she had someone who would be the brute strength she needed. What the hell had I been thinking, moping around like a depressed idiot? And I'd left her alone? Jesus Christ, it was amazing she was still alive.

I met her gaze. "Please," I said again, this time with some strength behind it. I was feeling better already with her near me, touching me.

She looked like she was going to argue, but I knew I'd won when she squeezed my hand. "Okay." She kissed my wrist. "I'll stay. Not long, but I'll stay."

Relief washed over me as the door behind her opened. Jules and the twins were followed by our parents. Brayden wasn't far behind with Piper and Ava.

Hunter kissed my hand before pulling away.

Again, anxiety hit me hard when we lost contact. I reached for her as she moved away. When I caught her sleeve, she leaned over me to press her lips to mine.

"They're very angry with me, love. I won't leave the room. I promise."

It took all the strength I had to let her go even though I knew she was right. I didn't want to see their pissed off glares at her while they visited my bedside. As promised, Hunter moved back toward the door, staying in the shadows. Her eyes never left me.

Dad was the first to lean over me. His eyes held so much emotion that it was hard to look at. His smile was tired. "Hey, son. You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry," I choked out.

His big hand cupped my jaw. "Don't ever do that again. You're going to start eating and sleeping again, you hear me?"

I managed a small smile. "Yes, sir."

"And speaking of," Jules said coming up beside him. She was holding a plastic cup with a lid and straw. "Drink up, bubba."

The scent of the blood hit me like a piledriver. My entire body spasmed painfully. Dad moved the bed so that I was sitting up just enough for Jules to put the straw to my lips. The moment the thick, cold liquid hit my tongue, I had to fight convulsions. Two weeks was too long to go without blood for a half-vampire. Without the constant intake, the gene started to recede. Grampa Carlisle had wanted to experiment a few years ago to keep updated information on hybrids. Mom and Dad hadn't wanted any of us to go through it, but I'd volunteered anyway. I'd gone a week without blood. Every day, he'd tested my abilities. I'd gotten so weak and slow to the point that Dad had stopped the experiment and forced me to drink. He and Mom both had been terrified that I'd turn human and forbid Jules or the twins to go volunteer. But the re-entry of the stuff into my veins had caused severe convulsions. Carlisle believed that it was the gene reigniting in my system. Kind of like a car battery getting hooked up.

That's what happened now. I had to grit my teeth to keep my body still enough to drink. Immediately my senses came back online. Everything in the room was crystal clear even though it was dark except for whatever light came from outside. I could see Hunter across the room as if she were standing right next to me. The green in the hazel of her eyes was standing out, brighter than usual, which meant she was distressed. There were tear tracks on her cheeks, probably a couple hours old, maybe less.

And then the scents. So many that it was giving me a headache. But I loved every second of it. As I drank, the strength began to return. I felt like I could move now, sit up on my own. But I knew that if I tried, everybody would have a conniption. The bones that had been shattered started to heal. The pain was ridiculous as my body healed itself. Too soon, the cup was empty. I was left licking the inside of my mouth and sucking my lip.

Ash laughed. "Don't worry. We got you covered."

He actually handed me the cup this time. When I reached for it, I realized my arms were attached to a couple boards. Mom came up with a pair of scissors to cut the tape while I set into the second cup of blood. This time, I enjoyed the taste. My body hummed, taking in what it needed.

Once the bandages were off, Grampa Edward came in to check my arms and the machines.

"Well?" Dad asked.

Golden eyes kept studying the machines. "Well, it seems the blood was the medicine he needed." He looked down at me. "How do you feel?"

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "Much better." I looked down at my chest. The bruises were lightening up, but the skin was starting to heal over the stitches.

"I see it," Grampa said. He grabbed a pair of tweezers and clippers, and then began taking out all the stitches.

Grampa Carlisle was standing back, taking notes.

"It really is remarkable," Grampa Edward said. "The way you heal. Just one of your supernatural genes recedes and you lose so much. Add a little food for the vampire and suddenly you can see everything."

I frowned. "I thought you couldn't read my mind?"

"I can't. I've had to relearn how to read people. I saw how you looked at Hunter just now."

"Oh."

He chuckled and patted my shoulder. "You should stay strong." The look in his eyes said he was on the same thought process I was. No more being a pansy.

I nodded. "Yeah, I should." Through the crowd of people, I looked over at Hunter. And frowned.

Jason was talking to her in a low voice, looking intense. She looked uncomfortable, shrinking away from him. He said something and she shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. I didn't like that he was upsetting her.

"Will?" Mom asked.

My lip was curling away from my teeth.

"Hunter." My tone was sharp.

They both turned to me.

I held out my hand. "Come here." It was an order, not a request.

Jason and I stared at each other as she crossed the room, putting her hand in mine. He was the first to look away. Good. The alpha part of me was pleased by that reaction. He was on my territory and upsetting my mate. It was good to know he realized who the alpha in the room was.

When she was close enough, I wrapped my arm around her hips and pulled her against me.

Despite her uneasiness of being around the people mad at her, she put her arm around my shoulders and smiled down at me. "Feeling better?"

I squeezed her waist. "Much."

A throat cleared. Grampa Carlisle. "Will needs his rest. As his doctor…everybody out."

The group chuckled. All the girls kissed my cheeks before leaving. Mom patted my knee and kissed my forehead. Dad, having had his emotional time with me, just nodded before he steered Mom out of the room by the shoulders.

Hunter pressed her lips to the top of my head. "I'll come check on you tomorrow."

She pulled away before I could get a better hold. I grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you're going? You promised to stay."

"Will-,"

"You're staying," I said, no argument. If she left now, I was afraid she wouldn't come back. In fact I was scared she'd be gone before I could get cleared by Grampa Carlisle.

She sighed like she was about to argue anyway. Before she could, I moved over on the bed and tugged at her hand. She put a knee up onto the mattress but still fought. "Will-,"

I growled. "Did that sound like a question? Lay the fuck down. You owe me that at least."

Sighing again, she moved back to take off her shoes.

Just before she was about to crawl up beside me, I shook my head. "Clothes, too."

"But what if someone-,"

"There's a blanket in that closet over there."

"But-,"

"If this is the only time I get to sleep next to you, I at least want to feel your skin against mine."

She studied me for a moment before going to the closet. After she spread the blanket over me, she stripped down to her underwear. The moment she was under the blanket and sheet, I put my hands on her. She resisted being pulled against my chest, but I still won. I wrapped my arms around her, hands resting on the swell of her ass and hip. A bare thigh slid between mine. I cursed my body as I got hard in a rush when her knee brushed my balls. But this was how it should have been the day we'd made love. Falling asleep to the comforting touch of skin on skin.

Everything about this situation was fucked up. She should have been a normal girl, or at least an honest werewolf. Normal girl, high school relationship. Imprint, marry, have kids. Inherit the shop and pack. Pretty straightforward, but nope. I had to draw the fucking short straw.

"Will?"

Blinking, I focused on the here. "Yeah?"

"Um…"

I looked down at her. My hands had been busy. The one on her hip had pushed her panties down enough that my fingers rubbed bare skin. The fingers of my other hand were brushing over the soft skin of her breasts where it was revealed above the cups.

Instead of snatching my hands away, I left them where they were and looked down at her. "So? You know over these two weeks, I should have been filling up on sex with you so I could have a variety of memories to use when you're gone." I dipped my fingers into the cup of the bra, brushing over her nipple.

Her eyes closed on a sigh, body shivering against mine. "You can have other girls, Will. I'd be lying if I said that wouldn't bother me, but I'd understand."

Leaning down to her ear, I growled. "You really don't understand how this works, do you? I couldn't get hard for another girl if I tried. It's you and only you."

With some effort, she pulled herself together and tugged on my wrist, moving my hand away from her. She kissed my fingers. "Let's sleep, Will. You're still healing."

I brought her hand to my lips, kissing her palm. "Is that a promise for later?"

The green in her eyes sparked with heat. "Maybe."

I nodded. "Then sleep it is."

Pulling her tighter against me, we both sank down into the bed. Her skin was soft and hot against mine, exactly where it should be.

JulesPOV

Piper was pacing in front of me and Brayden. I was sitting between his legs, my back to his chest. Ava was next to us. Bray's arms were wrapped around my waist, hands clasped around my stomach. I could feel Dad staring at us, no doubt waiting for Bray's hands to seek comfort below the rise of my jeans. We ignored him. At least I did. Bray stiffened every now and then, only calming when I touched his arms or legs around me.

"Give it up, Piper," Bray said tiredly. He looked terrible. Henry had been the one to come across Will's body next to the river in the mud. And when Bray had seen Will so unrecognizable, he'd completely broken down, taking his best friend's body from Henry. He'd insisted on hefting my brother up the stairs by himself. Before they'd started surgery, I'd heard him whispering to Will not to die. Please, don't die.

And that was when I'd lost it completely.

Reaching back, I stroked his face and neck while we watched Piper. He dipped down to press his lips to first my wrist then the side of my neck.

In front of us, Piper growled. "I can't! She shouldn't be allowed to be up there alone with him."

Jason, who'd apparently taken up the task of being her personal guard, silently watched her from the shadows of a corner in the room. Only his eyes moved. Bray and I had shared a look when we'd seen them meet down here after the showdown upstairs. Jason had immediately moved toward her, scowling the entire way as if it wasn't something he wanted to do but not something he had control over. Piper had shifted uncomfortably before becoming icy toward him. So they'd separated. She'd started pacing and he took up space on the wall, watching her.

I stroked my hand over Bray's arms, my other hand up in his hair. "Piper, Hunter wasn't the one to beat him within an inch of his life. You know that. She's his imprint, which means that he's her true mate."

She shot me a sharp look. "You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Look at Uncle Walker and Aunt Christa, or Uncle Caden and Aunt Leah. You can't have one without the other. Hunter would never knowingly hurt him."

"You can't know that. What if she resents him for being her true mate? What if she wanted it to be someone else?"

"That doesn't matter."

We all looked over to see Uncle Caden in the doorway with Aunt Leah and Gage behind him. Gage came to sit with us, beside Bray. They shared a fist bump. Gage reached over to squeeze my hand and smiled. I smiled back.

Piper turned her glare on her godfather. "Why wouldn't that matter?"

Sighing patiently, he put his hands in his pockets. "No matter how you feel about the person, that bond is too strong. Hurt them, you hurt yourself. It's sort of a selfish relationship. You'd do anything to keep that person safe." He reached back for his mate to draw her into his arms. "The girl won't hurt him. But I am curious about her. It's interesting that she ended up here. There are several packs between here and Europe that would have taken her in. Why here?"

"Well, why not here?" Dad asked.

Uncle Caden frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dad wearily swiped his hand over his face. Mom patted his chest comfortingly. He smiled at her lovingly before kissing her temple. "Think about it, Caden. You said it yourself that we're the most talked-about packs, mine and Walker's due to getting the Volturi off everybody's backs. It would make sense that we could be seen as the safest territory. Why wouldn't a young girl on the run want to find a safe haven here?" Sighing, he unwound himself from Mom to lean forward, elbows on knees. "So I can understand that. But why lie to us about who and what she is? That doesn't make sense to me."

We all fell quiet. Uncle Caden looked uneasy as he held his wife and looked down at their son.

"Uncle Caden?" I asked.

He frowned. "Hm?"

"What's wrong? Do you know her?"

Taking a deep, considering breath, he shook his head. "No, but I feel like I've seen her before. Which doesn't make sense. I've been here for the last seventeen years. She's at least nineteen."

"Guys," Mom said, rubbing Dad's back and neck, "let it go. We can puzzle 'til our puzzlers are sore, but we're not going to get anything. It all has to work out on its own. Otherwise, we'll drive ourselves nuts. Honestly, I think this should be between her and Will. I'm sure that if Will discovers anything that could hurt the pack that we don't already know, he'll tell us."

Mom didn't catch it, but I did. The look that Dad and Uncle Caden shared. It was that look of true mates and imprinted males. Mom didn't understand the full impact of the imprint because she wasn't a wolf. She only knew what was explained to her. Hell, I still didn't understand and wouldn't until I phased. The look said that they both knew full well that Will would do whatever it took to protect Hunter. Especially now that they'd been intimate.

Bray and I shared the same look. I wasn't imprinted, but I knew my brother well enough to know that he'd bonded hard after they'd had sex. She was his and he'd protect her from anything. I could see the same look in Brayden's eyes when he looked at me. He'd even told me that he'd level anything and anyone to protect me and we hadn't even "touched" each other yet.

"Well," Mom went on, "I suppose I should go get some things for Will and Hunter. We're about the same size." She put her hands on her knees about to stand up.

I scooted away from Brayden. "Don't worry about it, Mom. I'll go up. You stay here just in case."

She looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"

I nodded as Brayden stood up behind me. "Yeah, I need to stretch and get some air anyway."

"I'll go with," Brayden said.

Dad gave us narrowed eyes, but didn't say anything, too tired to worry about that when Will was upstairs healing from a near death experience.

Brayden cleared his throat. "You know, for protection."

Piper gave her brother a "what?" look before shaking her head and going back to pacing.

Dad's face went deadpan. "Protection?"

Brayden shifted uncomfortably. His parents looked like they wanted put their faces in their hands. Uncle Emmett grinned. Ash rolled his eyes and Dox choked back a laugh. Holding back a laugh myself, I patted his shoulder but looked at my father.

"Dad, stop." Taking my boyfriend's hand, I pulled him toward the door. "We'll be back."

Before Brayden closed the door behind us, I could hear Mom scolding Dad.

"Well that was embarrassing," Bray said as we hopped down the steps. He took my hand as we rounded the corner of the house to the path that led to our cabins.

Smiling over at him, I laced my fingers with his. "You two have never had problems before."

"I wasn't sticking my tongue in his only daughter's throat before."

I gave him a look. "Thanks for that image, babe."

He just shrugged.

Spinning around, I gripped the belt loops on his jeans and pulled him to me so that our bodies touched from chest to thigh. He looked surprised but still put his hands on my hips.

I went up on my toes. "Don't let him get to you. I like it when you kiss me."

He chuckled against my lips. "I think that's the problem."

Grinning, I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders. "Shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am." Gripping my hips to his, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. It was both strange and exhilarating to know that the erection pressing into my lower belly was for me. The first time we'd kissed like this and our bodies met, he tried to pull his hips back before I felt it. We'd had a talk that I didn't mind because it was natural and flattering.

I let his tongue between my teeth and moaned at his taste. Damn. I could kiss him forever. With a deep growl in his chest, he tightened his hold and bent me back.

"Mmm," he mumbled, pulling back still nipping my lips. "If we don't get going, I'm going to kiss you all night, right here. Even if your dad finds us."

"Hmm, if it wasn't Will we were trying to take care of, I'd let you."

We managed to pull apart and get up to the house. Brayden went to his house to change clothes. I was tempted to go with, but decided to resist temptation. It was hard, but I managed. Everything inside my house was quiet. Not surprising since it was the wee hours of the morning. I decided to change my own clothes. No doubt Brayden would dress and then come back. Mustn't tempt him either. Quickly, I stripped and put on new everything before going across the hall to Will's room.

But I lost some enthusiasm when I got to his door. Alone in my brother's room brought back the emotion. I took a deep breath. If things had gone differently and my brother had been human, he would never come back to this bedroom. We'd have had to decide to clean it out or keep it the way it is. My chest tightened. Without Hunter, he wouldn't have healed. Will would still be struggling to breathe, to wake up. It was then I realized how mixed my feelings were toward her.

"Jules?" Brayden's voice carried up the stairs.

When I heard him step up behind me, I took a deep shaky breath.

He moved the hair off my shoulder and stroked it behind my ear. "What's wrong?"

"Why can't I hate her?" I asked.

"What?"

Swallowing hard, I looked over at him. "Hunter. Why can't I hate her like Piper does?"

Breathing in deep, he pulled me into his arms. "Baby, I can't hate her either. It's because we both know the bond. You haven't imprinted on me, but you know me. You know how to read me and know what I feel. For Piper, everything is black and white right now. She won't understand until she falls in love. Hell, even then."

Sighing, I rested my forehead on his chest. "I really wish I'd phase. I want to know what it's like. I want the same connection."

His hands rubbed up my back. "I know. It'll happen. Something is bound to piss you off enough to make you phase."

Frowning, I leaned back. "You're saying I haven't phased because I'm too nice?"

"I wouldn't say too nice. Just that you only get irritated and then let it go. You don't know how to hold onto the anger. I've never seen you really pissed off before. And anger is the trigger, right?" He rubbed my arms. "It'll happen, alright?"

After a brief hesitation, I nodded.

"Alright, let's pack up some clothes for him. Why don't you go get some for Hunter?"

"Okay." I watched him for a moment while he went for Will's dresser. He pulled out some boxers, a shirt, and jeans.

I went to my room to grab some clothes and stuffed them into an overnight bag. Out in the hall, I took the clothes from Bray to add them to the collection. In the bathroom, I grabbed up a couple extra toothbrushes and Will's toothpaste. He was a Colgate man. The rest of liked Crest. I also packed one of my extra brushes for Hunter.

A few minutes later, we were heading back down to the house. Beside me, Bray was scanning the woods, his hand on my lower back.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Nervous," he said without taking his eyes from the shadows.

"Why?" I couldn't help myself from looking around, too. "You think they'll come back?"

"Possibly. Especially if they want to send another message." He sped us up. "Come on. I feel like I'm being watched."

The moment he said that, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. We both sped up, only taking deep breaths when we made it to the house.

WillPOV

A couple days later, I was glad we were on fall break at school because I was still having issues moving around. But I was better. I could shower and shave on my own. It was nice having clean hair. My arms still twitched every now and then, but stretching helped. And the blood. I drank as much as they were willing to give me.

Right now, I was in the shower, letting the hot water beat on my skin. Hunter had said she was going to go make us something to eat before I went in so that it would be ready by the time I got out. I'd told everybody who had come to visit me to get over their anger at her. It was done and over, time to get over the past. They'd been better to her face and in front of me, but I knew they were still grumbling behind our backs. Especially Piper. When she got riled up, Jason was there steering her out of the room. She'd glare at him stubbornly, but he was just as determined as she was, staring at her until she moved. Something was going on between them but right now, I didn't have the time or energy to deal with it. He and his sisters had already questioned me per their dad's orders. I'd told them everything I could remember, which wasn't much. Not even a name.

Shaking out my hair, I turned off the shower and reached for a towel. After drying off, I slipped into some sweats and went out into the recovery room suite where I'd moved. There was a tray of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and mac-n-cheese.

I was just polishing off the potatoes when the door opened behind me. Swallowing, I asked, "Did you eat downstairs?"

"Um, I did, but if you're talking to Hunter, she's not here."

I turned around to see Mom in the doorway. It really was amazing how much she and Jules looked alike. The copper hair and bone structure. They were so alike that they were often mistaken for sisters, but that was also because Mom looked like she was in her early twenties. And like Jules, my mother was astoundingly beautiful.

"What do you mean, she's not here? She said she was going to get us food."

She frowned. "She said that she told you she was going back down to her house to finish packing and that she'd be back later."

Taking a deep breath, I carefully wiped my mouth with the napkin, picked up the tray, and went for the door. As I passed, I kissed my mother on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom. Everything was great."

She reached for my arm. "Will, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-,"

I turned back to her. "It's okay, Mom. She lied to both of us."

Her brown eyes were full of sympathy as she reached up to cup my face. "My beautiful boy. I'm so sorry things are going so poorly right now. I firmly believe that everything will work out in the end." When I looked away, she held firm, moving her face back into my view. "It will. You just have to believe that there's a way even if you can't see it."

Reaching up, I rubbed her wrist. "I just don't know we'll get over this, Mom. I mean, the pack-,"

She tightened her grip. "Don't you worry about the pack, William. You hear me? This is about you and Hunter. Not you, Hunter, and the pack. If the two of you can work things out and get to the point of starting to trust each other, the pack will follow. I know that Piper especially has been difficult, but it's because she loves you. Her aggression is the only way to show how worried she is. But Will, you have to be happy in order to be a good leader. When your father and I were having problems, before you and your siblings came along, Seth had to fill in as leader."

"Really?"

She nodded. "We were both a mess. But my point is, there are people who will help. You're not on your own, and you haven't fully taken the mantel of alpha. You've just recently phased and are dealing with so much. Let your father handle the pack. I want you happy and Hunter safe, so you two figure it out."

"You like her?" I asked, astonished at the warmth my mother had when she talked about Hunter.

Now she grinned, very motherly. "Very much so. I think she's just lost. She loves you. It was very evident the other night when she first saw you in that bed. She was feeling the same pain that I felt every time Jacob's been hurt. That fear and earth-shattering heartbreak. When everything works out, she's going to make a wonderful addition to the Black family."

I managed a small smile, kissed her cheek again. "Thanks, Mom. I'll try to remember that."

Shaking her head, she pulled away as well as took the tray out of my hand. "You're still going to go yell at her, aren't you?"

I gave her a look at the head of the stairs. "She needs to know, right? That I'm not going to just give up."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "You sound just like Jacob."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said over my shoulder as I went down the stairs.

Both of my grampas were not happy. They both tried to talk me out of leaving. Eventually, Dad stepped in, forcing them to let me out of the house. I nodded toward him as I went out the door. But then I hesitated. I was supposed to run with him later.

He seemed to know what I was thinking about. "Go. We'll run another night."

Nodding, I left.

Outside, thunder rumbled through the late morning clouds. I jumped the stairs of the porch and ran into the woods. Took me about thirty minutes to run through the trees. My chest was still a little tight as tested the knob on Hunter's front door. It was unlocked.

Despite what Mom had said, I was still pissed that she'd left, especially when she'd promised she'd stay. We took promises very seriously in our family. They didn't get broken unless absolutely necessary. Hunter was running again.

When I stepped into the house, I was bombarded with stacks of boxes and a view that made me rock hard. Hunter was bent over a box, her ass facing the door. She was in a pair of drawstring pants that fit tight enough that I could see the outline of the thong. My blood boiled.

"Stop staring at my ass," she said without looking over at me.

I opened my mouth to say something but she went on.

"I don't need to see you to know what you're staring at. You bust through the door like there's an emergency and then freeze there in the doorway. No surprise what grabbed your attention."

I raised an eyebrow. Her mood wasn't the least bit submissive, something I'd grown used to when I was angry with her.

Straightening up, she moved around, only glancing at me over her shoulder. "So what are you doing here? I can imagine your family wasn't all that eager for you to be moving around."

I closed the door behind me and locked it. "You broke your promise."

She faced me, putting her hands on her hips. Her hair had grown out over the past month, so the two braids she had it in hung down to the bottom of her rib cage. "How do you figure? I said I'd stay for a while. I never specified how long that meant. It was obvious you were doing better."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You know full well what I meant and how I took what you said."

Shaking her head irritably, she went back to closing up boxes.

"So when do you plan on leaving?"

"Couple days."

I started moving toward her. "And why the fuck are you the one who's angry?"

She just growled angrily as she messed with the tape gun. "Because I know why you're here and it's not going to work." Eventually, she threw the thing to the floor when the tape got stuck. "Fuck!"

Going to her, I gripped her arm and turned her around. Moving her bangs out of her eyes, I asked, "And what am I going to do?"

Her lip trembled, eyes filling with tears. "This. The way you look at me. You're going to guilt me into not leaving, and then I'm going to break my promise to protect you. I just can't do that. I won't-,"

I cut her off with a kiss. That was exactly what I planned to do.

And she figured that out.

For a good minute, she went with the kiss, melting into me, leaning on my chest. And then she growled, digging her nails into my skin before she pushed me away from her. "No!" she yelled, breathing heavily. "It's over. We're done. This can't happen again."

I looked down at the blood running over my skin from the punctures she left behind. I moved only my eyes to look back up at her and scraped some blood up with a finger. "It's not over, Hunter. It'll never be over with us. Not as long as I'm still breathing."

She glared at me. "Well you won't be for long if you don't let me leave."

"No." I stalked toward her and put the finger with the blood on it in my mouth, savoring the salty taste of my own blood.

Her hazel eyes watched as my mouth worked. She swallowed hard.

When I reached her, I cupped her face gently in my hands. "No, Hunter. You're going to stay. And I'm going to make love to you until your head spins. I'm going to give you something other than ugliness, anger, other than hatred. By the time you actually leave, you'll know what it's like to be loved, to know that you're wanted no matter how damaged you are."

The tears fell in earnest. "Why?" she whispered.

I swiped the tears with my thumbs. "Because I love you, too."

As I leaned in to kiss her, she said, "I hate you."

I smiled as my lips touched hers. "No, you don't."

The moment I put pressure, her hands grabbed at my shoulders, pulling me against her. Her tongue slid into my mouth on a sigh. The kiss was soft, slow, and deep. Our tongues danced together, tasting each other.

When we pulled back, I smiled when she swallowed hard, eyes closed. Taking her hand, I pulled her toward the bedroom.

"Will?"

"I'm making love to you in bed, where it should have been the first time."

"Typically I like my sex rough."

I grinned over my shoulder. "Yeah, I got that." I softened the grin down to a smile. "But right now, neither of us needs rough."

Behind me, I saw her frown as she let me pull her down the hall. "I don't know if I know how to do soft."

I chuckled. Opening the door to her room, I was thankful to see that it hadn't been touched with packing fever too much. Some knickknacks had been packed away but the bed was the same. Except the sheets were red.

Pulling her beside the bed, I turned her to face me. I reached up to move her bangs again. She leaned into the touch. It was then that I realized the shirt she was wearing was one of my button-downs. Jules must have packed it, and Hunter had taken it this morning. I started unbuttoning it while peppering kisses on her face. Over each eye, the tip of her nose, and the corners of her mouth. With each touch, her smile widened until she giggled softly. When I'd managed the last button, I slid the shirt from her shoulders. Reaching around her body, my fingers unclasped her bra, moved the straps down her arms, and pulled it the rest of the way off to fall at her feet.

Then I knelt before her, my hands skimming over the skin of her waist and hips. She looked down at me, watching my hands as I reached for the strings of her pants. Her body moved as I tugged on them. I made sure to keep the thong where it was because after she stepped out of the pants, I turned her around with my hands on her hips. A deep, low growl vibrated up through my chest. I ran a hand up the back of her thigh and up to cup one cheek. I pressed a kiss to the dimple at the bottom of her spine. The thong was pink lace, making her skin glow.

Her body shuddered under my hands and lips. I stood up to maneuver her on the bed but she went to her knees in front of me, looking up from under lashes.

I frowned a little. "Hunter?"

She grabbed the waistband of my sweats and tugged them down over my growing erection and down my legs. I stepped out of them, and she slid them to join her clothes. Instead of standing back up, she reached for me again, wrapping her hand around my cock. My breathing hitched. And then her mouth followed. Red lips parted and covered the head in tight, wet, warmth.

I shuddered so hard that I had to grip the footboard. It groaned under the hold. When my eyes managed to stop rolling in my head, I looked down to watch her. Eyes still on my face, she went to work, bobbing her head to meet her hand. After a few long strokes, she dropped her hand. Gripping my thighs, she pushed her whole mouth onto me until I hit the back of her throat. And then further until her lips met my body.

Throwing my head back, I grunted, body spasming. Without her hands, she sucked in different speeds, slowing down just in time. Driving me absolutely crazy. But that's not how I wanted to come. So when I got to close, I gently pushed her away. I pulled her back up to her feet, her hands in mine. The kiss was sweet and salty, a little taste of me on her lips. My hands skimmed her body, memorizing the way her skin felt under my touch, trying to give her the soft touch she needed.

It was Hunter who pulled away to climb back on the bed. I followed, crawling over her until she laid back. Leaning over her, I undid both of her braids, spreading her hair out over her breasts. With her resting on her elbows, she used to hands to frame her ample breasts. Staring down at her, I ran the backs of my knuckles over the skin just above the line of the scanty panties. Just a strip of fabric separated us, and that made me hot as hell.

Reaching up, she gripped the back of my neck to pull me down to her. I laughed as I put my weight on my arms. She smiled against my lips.

So different than the last time we were here. Sure, I was still angry and hurt that she was leaving. But I'd make it as hard for her to go as I could. If making love to her properly would help, then that's what I'd do. I at least wanted one happy session with her. One where I got to see her smile up at me and pretend like this was what it was going to be like the rest of our lives.

She was beautiful under me with her multi-colored hair fanning out around her on her pillow. Her smile was shy and happy, no dark emotions clouding it. I cupped the side of her face and she snuggled into the touch. With my knees, I spread her legs, lowering my hips. We both groaned when our heats touched.

She put her hand over my heart.

Shifting my weight to one hand, I used the other to guide myself to her core. With no foreplay on her, she was wet but so freaking tight. Her head went back, eyes closed, while I dropped mine, resting my forehead between her breasts. Perfect placement. As I pushed into her, my mouth went to work on her skin. Her gasp was music to my ears as her hands came up to cradle my head. In one more push, I was seated deep inside her, and it felt like home. A sense of peace and warmth ran through my body, making me just want to stay right here and stare at her until we both fell asleep.

But my peace wasn't what I'd promised her. Moving so that I was resting my elbows over her shoulders, I was parallel to her. She gripped my biceps as I started to move. Her hard nipples abraded my chest, creating a delicious friction. Every place we touched, my nerve-endings fired, sending delicious shocks throughout my body.

Goddamn, how was I going to let her go?

"So good," she gasped.

When she threw her head back again, I put my lips back to her skin. I sucked her taste between my teeth, tongue licking the salt from her. And then I had a strange thought.

What would her blood taste like?

So there really was vampire in me.

Our bodies rocked in unison. Under my lips, I could feel the pounding of her pulse, how it sped up with every thrust of my hips. I wanted nothing more than to bite down, to let that flow free into my mouth, to take her inside of me the way she took me.

"Will?"

Clearing my throat, I pulled away. "Sorry. I'm fine."

Cupping my face, she forced me to meet her eyes. "Talk to me."

I looked back at her neck, licking my lips.

"Oh," she said softly. "I don't know if I can…"

I stroked her face. "Don't worry about it."

I kept moving. Her eyes were bright green, heavy-lidded, and slowly turning amber.

"Do you really want it?" she asked, voice breathy.

My mouth watered immediately at the thought. But I lied. "No."

She called me out. "Liar." Instantly, her eyes were on mine, intense and completely amber. "I can't guarantee I'll stay placid for long, not with my reflex. But go ahead."

"Hunter-,"

She cupped the back of my head. "Do it. It's only fitting I feed my mate, right? Just this once before we part." She opened her mouth just enough that I could see her canines lengthen as she pushed me back down to her neck.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yes," she breathed.

My body spasmed, thrusting hard inside her. She bucked, offering her neck to me. By now, I was practically drooling all over her. At the same time, I wrapped my arms around her and sank my teeth into her neck over that pulse. She gasped before it turned into a sensual groan.

The moment her blood touched my lips, my body spasmed again, bucking against her. So sweet as it poured into my mouth, slick down my throat. Hunter's nails dug into my chest again as I pounded into her. Her legs wrapped around my waist. Her blood was the sweetest wine, and as it hit my stomach, energy like I'd never known swept through me.

Once she orgasmed, it was a long continuous line of them. Just one after another. I didn't even have to thrust anymore. Her body clutched at mine, keeping me where I was and stroking me. Which was good. I got to focus on her blood. The back end of the swallow held a tang that burst on my tongue, making me want more.

But I pulled away. Didn't want to take too much. Instead, I threw my head back, letting out a hoarse yell as my body finally gave in to the coaxing of hers. I ground into her as I released over and over. Inside of her, the heat rose with my release filling her.

When I finally finished, I rolled over onto my side, taking her with me. But she pushed the momentum, putting me on my back with her on top. Instantly, blood rushed from the bite I'd left behind to run down between her breasts. Putting her hands on my chest, she rode me, her hair falling forward. With a finger, I grabbed a drop of blood and brought it to my lips, groaning at the taste and the feel of her. Her body was so tight around mine that it wasn't thrusting anymore, just a slow grind.

Between one pump and the next, her body spasmed, grinding her hips harder on my pelvis. Her clit moved back and forth over me. The moment I put my thumb to her, her head flew back with a yell to the ceiling. She gripped her own breasts, massaging.

Just watching her in her ecstasy threw me over the edge again. The hot jets forced my previous release out. Our orgasms mixed together pumped out of her, coating her sex and my hips.

When she was done, she collapsed on top of me.

Breathing hard, I stroked her hair. "See? You can be soft."

She laughed, but I was still inside her and incredibly sensitive. I hissed and winced.

"Sorry." She lifted her hips and I slid out of her.

When she moved to the side, I shored up my strength and managed to get out of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

Wobbling on unsteady legs, I went for the bathroom and the closet. There was gauze and tape. I also wet a washcloth down to wipe us both off.

"It'll heal," she said as I carefully moved back toward the bed. When I got close enough, I grabbed the foot of the bed. "Careful," she said with a smile.

I grinned. "Compliments to you."

Her laugh was deep and satisfied. "Well to compliment you, I highly doubt I could even walk right now."

Collapsing back on the bed, I said, "The only reason I can walk is because I need to take care of you."

"I said, it will heal, love."

Putting a finger under her chin, I moved her head to the side. "Not fast enough. It's still seeping."

Frowning, she put her fingers to her neck. "That's odd."

"Well," I said, starting to unwrap the gauze and then rip off some pieces of tape. "According to the lore, supernatural creatures are slower at healing bites made by other supernatural creepy-crawlies. We're both werewolves."

"Huh, I didn't think about that."

She let me tape up the wound and clean us both up. After I put the supplies on the bedside table, she pulled me back down beside her.

"Oof," I said, laughing as she snuggled into me.

Rearranging the blankets around us, I sighed, letting myself be swallowed by the bed. Usually I liked my mattress a little harder, but I could live with this. Just like the past couple nights, Hunter moved into my side, wrapping herself around me. Her cheek on my chest, arm around my waist, and thigh between mine. Her lips pressed a kiss to my chest before sighing contentedly.

While she fell asleep, I ran my hand up and down her back. Weak light filtered through the windows. Sighing, I turned my head to see a stack of boxes. At the reminder, my chest tightened. My whole universe was still going to leave me, even though, if I understood true mates right, she'd be leaving behind her own world. I didn't know if she was actually strong enough to do it, but I knew that I wasn't strong enough to pretend like this didn't bother me.

It took me a long time to fall asleep. But her soft breathing next to me lulled me to blessed unconsciousness. As I fell, I prayed she'd be here when I woke up.

HunterPOV

About an hour or so later, I woke up with Will wrapped around me. Taking a deep breath, I kissed his jaw and then wriggled out from under his arms. Thankfully, he didn't wake up.

Once I was free of the bed, I quietly changed my underwear and got dressed. It was time for my confrontation and then to leave. Looking back at Will, I really didn't have a plan. But no doubt after this, he'd know that I'd omitted so much, practically lied to him. It was better this way. He'd want me gone.

My mate was gorgeous against the red sheets. Even in sleep, he clutched the sheet to his hips where his erection was hard and proud. Remembering him making love to me, I fingered the bandage at my neck. Him drinking from me had been the most erotic thing that's ever happened to me. Which is saying something. The pull of his mouth on my neck had felt like his mouth had been feeding between my thighs, a direct pull that had heightened the pleasure.

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself out of the room. Outside, the clouds had darkened, thunder rolling through them. It hadn't rained too much, but as I walked, a few sprinkles fell on top of my head.

In all reality, I'd miss this place. More than I thought possible. Sighing, I trudged to the other side of the rez to another cottage that was down a hidden drive. As I got closer to the house, I let go of all the emotions except the anger and rage I was used to. The enforcer came out in stages as I crossed the yard.

When I knocked on the door, I hoped that it was particular person to open it.

The door opened.

I smiled. It wasn't pleasant.

The boy frowned. "Hunter?"

My smile widened to a grin. "Hello, Gage. Your father home?"

The frown deepened at my accent. He tried to slam the door, but I lunged first.

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So? What do we think? I know the updating of chapters is off...I'm sorry. But please let me know what you think! It'll help how I finish this up. Love you! xoxoxoxoxo