Oooo, drama, drama, drama! So excited. And this isn't all. Of course. And guess what? Another CLIFFY! Sorry. But I had to. So close to starting Jules's story!
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Please Enjoy!
WillPOV
Half asleep, I rolled over, expecting to find Hunter. Instead, I met the pillow with her shampoo scent all over it. Frowning, I started to really wake up. The spot where she'd been was still warm, but not enough. It told me she'd not just gotten out of bed. She'd been gone for at least fifteen minutes.
Rolling over again, I looked at the window. The sky had darkened outside with late afternoon and the storm rolling in.
"Hunter?" I called.
The house stayed eerily silent. Still frowning, I got out of bed and stepped into my sweats then put on my button-up she'd been wearing, rolling the sleeves up over my forearms.
I went into the living room. No lights on. But the front door was unlocked. I remembered that I locked it when I came in.
"Hunter?" I tried again. No answer.
What the hell?
Maybe she needed something at the store. So I did some snooping. The boxes in the living room were filled with pillows, blankets, lamps, and some of the kitchen stuff. I went back to her room to go through her stuff but stopped at the door to the extra bedroom. The door was always closed. I tried the handle.
Huh. It was locked. The knob was flimsy so I gripped it and shoved my shoulder into the door a couple times. The lock broke on the third try.
My mouth went dry as I went inside.
Holy. Shit.
The room was painted black. Candles were everywhere. Different sizes and colors. Across the way, a table sat along the wall. There was a book, a manila envelope, and a picture. Other than that, there was nothing else in the room.
The book, I saw as I got closer, was a witch's book. A lot like the one Mara had when she visited to teach Jules. It was opened to the scent-binding spell. No surprise there. I already knew about that one. So I went for the picture.
It was in excellent, pristine condition. It was carefully positioned and well taken care of. And neither of the people in it were people I recognized. The woman was very pretty and very pregnant, her hand resting on the head of a small boy. He was two maybe three. He looked extremely familiar. Picking it up, I looked at the back. I knew from Mom that women liked to write down names and dates on the backs of their pictures. Sure enough "Mom, Damien, and Me" was written there, but no date. I set it back gently.
The name. Damien. It bothered me. I knew it from somewhere.
Still mulling it over, I picked up the envelope. I didn't even pause with concern that I shouldn't be doing this. She'd snooped my room. Turnabout's fair play.
There were only a few pieces of paper inside. A couple e-mails from a man named Robert. I didn't take time to read them, not until after I saw that the other pieces were pictures. Of Uncle Caden.
Going back to the e-mails, the one word in the subject line made me go still, my blood pounding in my ears.
Revenge.
"What the-,"
Taking one of the pictures, I compared it to the one of the woman and the little boy. Damien and Caden looked almost exactly alike except for the hair. Again, I turned over the family picture to read the inscription. "Mom, Damien, and Me." Three people listed. Mom. The boy is Damien. Damien…
"Shit!" I hissed as it all fell into place. This was Hunter's family.
Grabbing up the e-mails, I read them carefully. This Robert guy was reminding Hunter that Caden was the man who killed her family. Her assignment was to get rid of him.
"Son of a bitch!"
Snatching the family picture, I ran out of the house. My gut told me that Hunter had left while I was asleep to confront Caden before she left to lure that pack away.
I had to get there in time. Now it all made sense. Well most of it. She'd told me her biological parents had been killed. I was betting the woman in the picture was her mother, the boy her brother. The brother she'd never mentioned. All those surveillance pictures of Caden had to mean that she held him responsible for their deaths. But why? He wasn't that kind of man. At least, that's what I'd heard. Who knows what his life had been like before he came here? I did know that he'd lost his first family years ago. A pregnant mate and…a little boy. Now I knew why he looked familiar. And the why she held him responsible? She'd been lied to.
Shit, shit, shit!
Putting on a burst of speed, I flew down the streets. Avoiding people was easier than avoiding trees. I would have phased but I'd have lost my clothes and the picture, which Caden needed to see. If I was right, Hunter could be his daughter.
Eventually, I flew into the front yard of their house and skidded to a halt. There was yelling from inside. I was angry, too. All this time she'd lied to me. Even after I'd interrogated her. The man who'd beat the shit out of me had been right, and I'd chosen to look the other way, to doubt what he said. Now I knew he'd been right. She'd had an agenda the whole time. To kill my uncle. She'd used me.
Calming my breathing as fast as I could, I eased the front door open.
"You took my family! Why should you get to keep yours?!" Hunter was so emotional that I could hear the tears in her voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about, luv," Uncle Caden said in a calm voice. I could hear the slight tremor in it.
"Don't lie to me! You killed them! My mother and my older brother!" Hunter's voice was a hysterical scream.
Rounding the corner from the foyer into the living room slowly and quietly, I saw the whole picture. Hunter had her back to me, arms wrapped around Gage. No doubt she had claws at his throat. Aunt Leah and Uncle Caden were facing me. Aunt Leah looked at me, her eyes brightening. I shook my head and put my finger to my lips.
Caden held up his hands, his attention on her. "Hunter, listen to me-"
Hunter jerked her hold on Gage. "No! It doesn't matter what you have to say."
"Yes, it does. If you're going to kill me and my family, you should at least hear a different story."
She hesitated, which was my cue. Darting forward, I plastered my body to her back and gripped her wrists, pulling her clawed hands away from Gage's throat. He ran to stand with his mother, who wrapped her arms around him and cried into his hair. He just stared at me and held her.
"No!" Hunter yelled.
"Hunter," I growled. "Stop it, Hunter," I grunted as she fought me. "I said, stop!"
She immediately ceased.
"What were their names?" I demanded.
"What?" she choked out.
"Their names! What were they? Tell him the names of the people he supposedly killed."
Her body strained against mine, trying to break free, but it wasn't a whole-hearted attempt. "Those names don't matter."
Transferring both of her wrists to one hand, I took the picture out of my back pocket where I'd stashed it before grabbing her. "How about Alora and Damien?"
Her gasp and Caden's widened eyes were simultaneous. I held out the picture to Caden. He took it and studied it, eyes watering. Pain and confusion shared space in his expression.
Hunter struggled against me. "Where did you get that?"
I tightened my hold on her. "You should learn to lock your doors."
"You went snooping?!" And then she remembered, "That door was locked!"
"You left me alone in your house. What did you expect me to do?"
"Ugh!"
Caden came forward and flipped the picture toward us, his expression intense. "This is your mother and brother?"
She stayed quiet.
I shook her a little. "Answer it, Hunter. Now."
She just glared at him. "My father was killed, too. They had to cut me out of her dead body!"
He flinched then frowned. "Let me guess. No photos of him?"
"They were all destroyed. How did you-,"
"Know?" he finished. "Whoever sent you here to kill me lied to you. I didn't kill them."
"Yes, you did," she cried, almost as if she were trying to convince herself more than us. "They told me everything. You were jealous that my father had my mother because you loved her, too!"
Caden looked to me and shook his head. "Oldest story in the book." Reaching back, he dug his wallet out of his jeans. "I didn't kill them, because…" he flashed the same photo from his wallet, holding them side by side. "They were my family, too. Alora was my mate, Damien my son. That's you your mother was pregnant with. If what you're telling me is true…you're my daughter."
"No," she whispered.
"Yes. I'd have cut you out myself had I not been crucified to the wall of my own house with silver stakes. It wasn't a wolf who killed them. It was vampires."
Hunter was shaking her head over and over, her tears landing on my hands and arms.
Caden came forward and cupped her face, making her look at him. "After the vampires killed them in front of me, they dragged the bodies away to the nearest pack. They'd have recognized your mother. We weren't going to risk her going to a human hospital. They must have gotten you out to see if you were still alive."
"If that's true," she whispered, "why didn't you come after me?"
He looked utterly defeated. "I should have, at least tried. But I knew that the pack would come after me. I was a lone wolf, no pack. With the dead bodies of my family at their door, they'd have considered me weak. A weak lone wolf isn't allowed to live. They'd have hunted me down and killed me. What doesn't make sense is that Tristan never told me."
"Tristan?" I said, recognizing the name. "What does he have to do with this?"
"Tristan was allies with the pack Hunter grew up in."
She nodded hesitantly. "Yes, he was. He was my father, the one you killed."
Caden started to smile, and it wasn't happy. A low growl seeped from between his teeth. "Tristan wasn't your father. I am. That's why you looked so familiar to me. You look like your mother, like your brother."
"Like you, Caden," Aunt Leah said softly.
Uncle Caden turned back to study her. Thinking about it, I realized that she did look like him.
Hunter patted my arm. "You can let me go now."
Leah hugged Gage tighter.
I shook my head. "Not yet. Uncle Caden?"
"This makes sense now. Tristan was allied to Robert." He looked to Hunter. "You were what? Barely a year old when Tristan was killed? Robert was pissed that his strongest ally had been killed. Growing up, he told you that a wolf named Caden killed your family and betrayed one of your pack's closest friends, didn't he?"
Slowly, she nodded. "Yes, he did," she choked out. And then realization set in. She slumped in my arms. "Oh my god. He used me. He tried to get me to kill my own father. It does make sense. All the training, the way I was raised." She lifted her head. "You're my father, this whole time." She must have looked to Gage. "And my brother."
Her knees collapsed and Caden was there to catch her. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't know." Grabbing onto his shirt, she sobbed, clutching at him.
I stepped back, my own anger easing as I watched father and daughter be united for the first time. Looking past them, I could see the conflict on my aunt's face. I understood the feeling. Even though my anger was pushed back for now, I knew it would come back. I'd given this woman everything of myself and all she'd done was lie to me and string me along. What had been real, or a play on me to get her closer to Caden?
"Shh, it's okay, luv," he whispered as she cried. He stroked her hair and rocked her.
Suddenly she pulled back with a horrified gasp. "Jacob!"
Now she had my attention. I stepped forward. "What about my dad?"
"Where is he?"
"Patrolling or about to. Why?"
Her hand went to her mouth. "Oh God. You need to call him. Tell him-,"
My phone rang in my pocket. When I connected, Maddox said, "You need to get home. Now."
I glared at Hunter but said, "What the hell happened?"
"Mom's unconscious and Dad is missing. There's blood everywhere."
Instant rage made my blood boil and body vibrate. "Any of it Mom's?"
I heard him swallow hard. "None of that I could see. They didn't want her. They wanted him. And Will…"
"What?" I growled.
He paused before saying, "Jules is missing, too."
The violence I felt course through me had me snarling. My phone was crushed in my grip.
"They have him," she whispered.
I snarled at her. "And Jules."
Her eyes widened, the horror turning to something else. "They took her, too?" Her phone started to ring. She fumbled for it and was silent when the call connected. And then, "You son of a bitch! Let them go! Take me. You can have me and do whatever you want!"
Whoever it was laughed loud enough that I could hear it. When the line disconnected, she threw the phone at the wall with a yell.
"Who are they, Hunter? The pack?" I demanded.
"Hunter?" Caden asked, staring at her with an expression that told me he had a suspicion. "You didn't come here alone, did you? You weren't running from them. You ran here with them."
Her eyes filled with tears again. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Gripping her arm, I tore her out of her father's grasp. "What did you do?!"
Faces pressed nose to nose, she actually looked scared as rage pounded through me. "They wanted to hurt the alpha of the pack who sheltered the traitor," she whispered. "Melice has your father and Jules."
Caden actually paled. "Melice? Robert's son?"
His reaction did not reassure me.
She nodded. "They…they're going to kill them."
Disgusted and enraged, I threw her away from me, fear starting to choke me. She stumbled back and Caden caught her. "Where?" I demanded. When she didn't answer, only stared at nothing, I yelled, "Where are they?!"
"There's a barn outside of Walker's property. It's out of the patrol lines, and their scents are hidden, like mine."
I was so disgusted with her that I actually wanted to raise my hand to her, forgetting how I was raised and that she was my imprint. I had never felt so betrayed in my entire life, especially not by someone I loved more than anything.
Vibrating with anger, I said, "You're coming with me. We're going to find them alive, and you're going to explain to this Melice what's actually going on. After that, I'll deal with you."
Her eyes shimmered. I turned my back on her and ran for the door.
"Will, please," she yelled as she followed me. "I didn't think he'd go through with that. I swear. And if I'd thought he would, I would have stopped him."
Stopping in my tracks, I whirled to face her. "You knew about this?"
Realizing her mistake, she shook her head. "I didn't know. I got a warning that he might try something. I thought that if I could get out of Forks soon enough that he'd just follow."
Yanking open the door, I glared back at her. "You better pray they're still alive." Disgusted, I looked her up and down. "I can't believe I imprinted on you. I gave you everything of me."
She ran after me into the yard. "And I gave you all of me, Will. Please! I love you."
Spinning viciously, I spat, "Don't you ever say that to me again. I don't want to hear those words out of your mouth."
Turning back, I phased and started running, not waiting for them. Immediately, Aunt Leah's voice joined mine and others. I couldn't help but notice that Dad's voice was missing. He wasn't phased.
Will? Uncle Embry said.
But I was too pissed to even think it.
Aunt Leah answered for me. No questions, just run to a barn outside Walker's patrol lines. An unknown pack has Jacob and Jules.
Several howls rose up into the afternoon clouds and rain.
Brayden and Uncle Seth joined us not long after. Of course, Brayden was ripshit pissed the moment he learned what was going on. Out of the three of us, I was the furthest away. Digging my claws in, I put on a burst of speed at the thought of my sister suffering. Beside me, another wolf matched my speed. I'd never seen it before, which meant it was probably Hunter. I growled but didn't stop to snarl or snap at her. There wasn't time.
We ran as fast as we could. When we got past Forks, I let her run ahead to guide me. She obviously knew where the pack was, another lie by omission. I used the burst of rage as fuel.
It was only a matter of time before we skidded to a stop outside a barn. Other wolves from Walker's pack had joined us, including Aunt Christa and Uncle Walker. Brent and his four kids also ran with us. Out in the woods there was some yelping and growling before everything went quiet.
Anybody got eyes out there? I demanded, forcing my voice out.
Elias and a group of enforcers just took down some members of the pack, Aunt Christa answered. She turned her eyes to the fight to show me what was happening.
Got it. Is it clear everywhere else?
Soon affirmatives were coming from every direction around the barn as other wolves were taken down.
Looking over at Hunter, I not very gently nipped at her neck to let her know we were going into the barn.
On my other side, Brayden was more than ready, his thoughts only on Jules. Together, we ran across the field. Others followed. The three of us charged through the old door just as a scream rang out. Brayden's rage surpassed mine as we both recognized who it belonged to.
The scene inside forced us to stop. There were two groups of about ten werewolves inside, some in wolf form, most human. One group surrounded Dad, who was fighting to get to Jules. He was too weak, having lost too much blood. He was covered in it as they kept beating him back. Every time he fell, it took longer for him to get back to his feet. Jules was in the middle of the other group. Her wrists were chained above her head. The chains had been threaded through the rafters. Her face was bruised, blood spilling from her split lip. Her clothes were torn, red handprints marring her skin. As the wolves circled her, they took turns punching and smacking her.
With a vicious snarl, Brayden was the first to move, charging into the group. He was followed by several others. They knew Dad's orders would be to take care of her first. So I decided to take care of Dad. Like Bray, I snarled and dove into the wolves. The one who had kicked my ass, Melice, was in this group, taking his turn in beating my father.
When he swung his fist, I leapt up and bit his arm. He screamed but rolled with me so I didn't snap it off. Pity. I worried at it, like a dog with a bone. Pun intended.
He managed a well-placed fist to my chest, knocking the air out of my lungs just long enough for me to release him so he could roll away. The barn was a mess of writhing bodies so thick that I couldn't get a lock on him as he disappeared.
Dammit! I should have grabbed his throat when I had the chance.
But I turned back to the fight, needing to get my family home. Their lives were more important, and something told me I'd get another shot at Melice.
On my way back to Dad, I met head to head with other wolves, tearing and biting. Bones broke and blood flowed under my teeth and claws. Hunter was spectacular in her ferocity as she fought off the wolves charging for my Dad. She protected him the way I'd imagine a mother would protect a cub. Blood spattered her fur coat, which was a blond, cinnamon color. Not once did she need any help.
I was in the middle of a fight with a large brown wolf, circling and snapping at each other. He was the last obstacle in my way. Dad was swaying on his feet, barely holding his own. I had to get to him before he fell. If he stopped fighting, they'd kill him.
I crouched, watching the other wolf. When he finally pounced, I went under and up. Teeth wrapping around his throat, I brought him to the ground and snapped his neck. Quick death even to my enemies.
I was almost to Dad when another wolf came charging at me. I turned but it was going to be too late. As I prepared for impact, I closed my eyes. But it never came. When I opened my eyes, I knew the fight was over. Uncle Emmett had the other wolf in a choke hold. Grama Bella and Grampa Edward had also joined the fight. Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice were playing with a group of wolves, rounding them up, calming them.
After nodding to my uncle, I ran for Dad just as he was collapsing.
"Jacob!" Grama shouted.
Crouching down, I managed to pull him onto my back. Aunt Rosalie had unchained Jules and was draping my sister over Brayden's back.
"Run, boys!" she shouted. "Carlisle's waiting for you. Go!"
As I turned, I could see Hunter try to follow us, but Aunt Rosalie stepped in the way. "Oh, no you don't, missy."
I called to Grampa Edward, forcing the thoughts out of my mind. "Don't let anyone hurt her until I can deal with her."
Even though he was in the middle of a fight, I saw him nod. With the affirmation, I shrugged Dad higher onto my shoulders and followed Bray out into the falling twilight. We ran fast and hard, surrounded by our wolves for protection. Even at this distance from the barn, I could hear the sounds of the fight. And they were dying down with the addition of the vampires.
Grama Esme had the kitchen door open for us as we burst out of the woods. Bray went first and I followed. In wolf form we ran through the house, awkwardly making it up the wooden stairs on all fours.
Carlisle took Jules first, hooking her up in the E.R. room. Once she had a drip and heart monitor, he checked Dad.
"I need you both to phase back. Brayden, get in there with Jules. The imprint will help. Will, Nessie's in the recovery room. Take Jacob to her."
As gently as I could, I let Dad slide off my back. Right after I'd phased back, the twins came running up the stairs.
"Dox, help me with Dad. Ash, go in there with Jules and Bray."
Miraculously, neither of them argued. Maddox came forward to grab Dad's ankles. I gripped under his arms and we both lifted. Damn, he was heavy. We trudged into the bedroom where Mom was still unconscious. The side of her face was one massive bruise.
With every breath that I huffed out, a growl came with it. I couldn't wait for my second shot at Melice.
"Up," Dox said.
We both lifted. Dad looked terrible next to Mom. Beat to shit. Probably looked as bad as I did the other night. Bruises covered his torso, scratch lines running over his ribs. Blood gushed from his nose, probably broken. But a least he was breathing on his own. I put my ear to his chest. Nothing gurgling.
A scream next door had me and Dox sharing a look before we ran over. Bray threw a pair of sweats at me. I hopped in them as I crossed the room.
"What the hell just happened?" Dox demanded.
Jules was writhing on the bed, Bray moving to hold her shoulders down. Carlisle was holding her arm up.
"Her wrist was fractured and healing wrong. It had to be re-broken." Bray's face was stained with tears and fury.
While we stared at each other, Carlisle set the broken joint and put it in a brace. No casts for us. We healed too fast.
"Jules?"
She'd become still.
Brayden freaked out. "Jules?" He shook her.
My grandfather put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, son. She's passed out. The pain was probably too much. There wasn't time for the morphine to set in."
We all looked at her limp form, looking small in the bed. She looked as bad as Dad did, minus the scratches. It was all bruises and bumps. Her breathing wasn't even, like it hurt when she took a deep breath. In her unconsciousness, she frowned and whimpered.
Now the fear that I'd been holding at bay with the anger came flooding back. Emotion brought a lump to my throat and tears coursing down my face. If I-if any of us- had lost Jules…I couldn't even finish the thought.
Clearing my throat, I said, "Bray, stay with her. I have to go check on the pack."
He just nodded and went back to stroking her hair.
I stripped and phased. I barely made it down the stairs without tumbling down them.
Someone give me an update, I called out.
We have a few prisoners. Surprisingly, they're all enforcers who surrendered. One of them said he gave Hunter the warning. I focused on the image Aunt Christa was trying to send to me.
I'm on my way. Where's Hunter?
She looked over to Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper. Hunter was sitting between them, human again and naked. Her knees were tucked to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. It was a night for tears because hers were a steady stream onto her knees. As I watched, Grama Bella wrapped an old blanket around her shoulders. Despite my rage at her, the imprint part of me was relieved that she was okay. Stupid fucking imprint. It should have been Piper, but of course not.
A few minutes later, I ran into the barn. Hunter brightened up, but I raised my hackles and snapped at her. Uncle Caden stepped in front of her, growling at me.
Shaking my head, I phased back, not caring about the view. Ignoring father and daughter, I went to the group of wolves that had been corralled.
"Who's the leader?"
A large dark-skinned male stepped forward.
"What's your name?"
"Jerome."
"You gave Hunter the warning?"
He nodded.
Turning just my head, I glared at her. She shrank back behind her father.
"In her defense," Jerome said in a painfully deep voice, "my warning was more or less saying the plan was an option, not that it was set in stone. None of us knew it would actually happen. Melice is unstable-,"
"Ya think?" I cut in sarcastically.
"Especially," he continued, "since she chose another male over him. The boy isn't used to rejection of that caliber."
Uncomfortable with that statement, I glanced at her before looking back at him. "So what should we do with you?"
Instead of answering, he looked over my shoulder. Behind me, Brent, Jason, Vice, Arden, and Cecily were standing shoulder to shoulder. Brent made the painful shift back to human and stood beside his children.
"Word is," Jerome said, "your daughter is doing well in her training."
Brent clenched his jaw and nodded, but said, "Answer his questions, Jerome."
The big man in front of me nodded. "It is true that we've followed Robert and Melice. There are deeds that we're ashamed of having done. But Hunter wasn't the only one being lied to this time. We followed her as back up. All of us were told that the white wolf was traitor to our pack. Only Melice and his closest followers knew otherwise."
"When did you learn different?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
He nodded to Hunter. "When I saw her come through the door with you, standing by your side to fight against us. Us, the only family she's ever known. It was a big statement."
I frowned. "So why did you give her the warning beforehand?"
"Because Melice wasn't going to tell her his plans. As part of this pack and future queen, I thought she should know."
I quirked an eyebrow and looked over at her. "Queen, huh?" She didn't meet my eyes. Shaking my head, I was suddenly so very tired. "Brent, Caden."
Uncle Caden changed and then moved with Brent to stand next to me. "I have no experience with this. What would you do?"
They both looked to Jerome, as if weighing his words.
"He's telling the truth," Brent said.
"You seem to know him," I observed.
He nodded. "Our pack visited theirs a long time ago, just before Walker took over. I have a daughter with one of the females there."
"Bethany," Hunter said.
Brent nodded.
"So what would you do?"
He looked to the group. "Are all of your enforcers of the same mind?"
Jerome looked to all of them. Every one of them gave a curt nod. He turned back to us. "We are. We were lied to. And you, Brent, should know how much we enforcers hate being lied to."
Brent nodded with a wry smile. "That we do." Then he looked to me. "I'd offer them asylum."
"If I may, after today, I'm fairly certain that every story about these packs we've heard and were dismissed as rumors were actually truths. We'd be honored to serve your pack and the other that resides in these territories."
After studying him for a bit, I looked over to my grandfather and raised an eyebrow. He may not be able to read my mind, but theirs were up for grabs. For a moment, he watched them, obviously listening. Everyone stayed quiet for a good five minutes before he looked over and nodded at me.
Huh. That was surprising.
"Uncle Walker?"
The big wolf trotted over to me and looked up. "I don't want them on my territory. I already have enough to deal with. Why don't we put your enforcers to good use and keep an eye on this group?"
He looked to Brent, who nodded. My uncle looked back to me and barked.
I met gazes with Jerome. "You'll stay with them and they'll teach you the boundary lines. After that, I don't want to see any of your faces on my territory. Are we clear?"
Instead of attitude from such a dominant male, all I got was respectful nod. Good. I'd hate to have to kill anyone else.
Without another word, I turned toward Hunter. Caden moved with me. Not surprising.
When I got to her, I reached down and roughly pulled her to her feet. Caden objected. I just glared at him. "Stay in here," I ordered.
"You're not your father," he said between his teeth.
My blood boiled. "Yeah? Well right now, my father's unconscious after being beaten nearly to death. All because she didn't tell me about the little warning."
"Fine," he spat. "But I'd rather hear your verdict regarding my daughter."
"Fine." I yanked Hunter in front of me. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks. But what surprised me was the look in her eyes. There was no pleading, not anymore. It was utter defeat, like she knew what I was going to say. "Look at me," I ordered.
She swallowed hard before those hazel eyes met mine.
"Keep packing," I said coldly. Her expression fell even more. "I'll give you one week to make arrangements with Caden. After that, you'd better be gone. I don't care where you go or how you get there. Go to California to stay close to your dad. I don't care. But you're not staying here."
The tears ran faster as she nodded. "I understand," she whispered.
"And if Melice comes back, I'll deal with him. I don't need any more of your help."
She hung her head and cried. I let her go so suddenly that she stumbled back into Caden's arms. He glared at me over her head, but I didn't care. Didn't he know how bad this hurt me? This deep freeze in my chest burned white-hot. I loved her more than anything, and I knew what it meant for her to send her away. But I couldn't keep her here. Not with my sister and dad unconscious in those beds, not after seeing the devastation on Brayden's face as he'd looked up from Jules's unresponsive body. No. It was over. I'd just have to get over the imprint as best I could. I'd have to keep my heart cold. And I hated that she'd turned me into this monster.
"Now that everything's been arranged, I'm going back to my family." I looked to Hunter. "You're not welcome."
With that, I phased and ran back home.
Three Days Later…
PiperPOV
Over the next three days, the general mood around the Cullen house and the pack was somber. Uncle Jacob and Aunt Nessie woke up the day after the fight. Nobody went near Uncle Jake. He was split-personality pissed at the bruise on the side of his wife's face and the condition of his baby girl. It took Edward and Emmett to hold him back while Jasper went to work on calming him down so that he wouldn't go down and take his anger out on Hunter. And every time she was mentioned, Will snapped that she was no longer a concern. That we should leave it alone.
And then there was Jules. She was still out for the count after having passed out from having her wrist re-broken. Brayden was a mess. With no sleep and no food, he was close to passing out from low blood sugar, but he wouldn't eat. And Uncle Jacob only gave him the order every now and then. Apparently, my brother was able to choose which orders he wanted to obey given that he was a hybrid. When he let me, I slept in the room with him and Jules. He'd moved her body over enough that he could stretch out beside her on the bed, wrapping himself around her. Her skin was pale around the bruises, eyes set deep in her skull.
Right now, I was leaning a shoulder on the doorjamb, watching them sleep. Jules shivered and Bray tightened his hold on her.
Suddenly, I could feel someone behind me.
I sighed, knowing who it was.
"You need to eat. And sleep."
I gritted my teeth. "And you care because…?"
He was silent for a moment. "Fine. Starve."
I frowned. He sounded…hurt.
Turning around, I watched Jason's broad back as he headed toward the stairs.
I don't know what made me do it, but I said, "Wait."
He stopped and partially turned, deep blue eyes guarded.
I closed the door to the room before walking down the hall to him. As I got closer, he turned to face me. Swallowing hard, I looked up at him. "So…don't look too closely into this but…" Moving forward, I wrapped my arms around his waist, putting my ear to his chest. I hid my smile when his heart rate sped up.
But when he didn't respond in any other way, I started to pull back. Immediately, his arms came up to wrap around me. "You're seeking comfort," he said, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"Probably. But like I said-,"
"Yes. Don't look at it too closely. I know." His hold on me tightened. "You're allowed to feel, Piper."
"I know."
"I mean, something other than anger. I can scent your emotions. They flicker, jumping from sorrow to rage. You push the sadness away when that's what you should let yourself feel. The anger won't help you while you sit idle. It'll fester until you explode."
I gripped his shirt at the small of his back. "Maybe that's what I want."
I could practically feel his frown. "Why would you want that?"
Pulling back just a little, I met his gaze. "Uncontrollable anger is what causes us to phase. I remember thinking the other day, with Will being beaten and Hunter in this hallway, that I was pissed enough. I thought I'd phase here in the hallway. And then you grabbed me and I calmed down."
He studied my face. "Well if that's what you wanted, I'm sorry I interfered."
I shook my head. "No. It's good that you did. If I would have phased here, I'd have hurt someone. And despite what she did, Will still loves her. He'd have killed me if I'd hurt her." Looking down, I frowned. "I have no idea why I'm sympathizing with her. What do you think about all of it?"
Rubbing his hands up and down my back, he sighed. "I think at the end of it all, she was lied to. Being lied to by the people responsible for caring for you is one of the greatest sins among my kind."
"So you think we should forgive her?" For some reason, I truly wanted to know what he thought.
"I know of Melice's reputation. And his father's. They're more than brutal. I can't imagine what she went through growing up with them. As well as the enforcer training. Piper, you have to understand that she was raised in that pack. The king's word is law. He told her a story; she accepted it as truth. It's our way unless it's proven to be a lie. This time, it was proven too late. Damage had been done. It's up to your alphas and the pack to decide how extensive that damage was. I believe she's truly sorry for what she did. The sorrow from her in this hallway had been beyond complete."
"So what about your sister? I heard Brent talking about her to that new enforcer."
He shook his head. "I'm sure my dad is going to pull her out of there. Especially knowing what he does now."
"Good." Taking a deep breath, I put my ear against his chest again. "Well, no matter what we think, Will's made up his mind. I don't think that will change with her the way Jules is."
"And as alpha, that's his decision." He pulled back to look down at me. "Where has your anger gone toward the female?"
I swallowed hard. "At the end of the day, she stood by Will's side and fought. For some reason, I don't see Will the way I used to."
"You mean you're no longer in love with him?"
Shocked, I looked up at him. His blue eyes were intense. "No," I whispered. "I really don't think I ever was. I kept thinking 'let my brother be okay', and I realized I wasn't just thinking about Brayden. I do love Will, but…" I hugged him again.
Behind us, the door opened. I turned to see Brayden watching us. He was eyeing Jason's hands on me, but what he said was, "Is Carlisle around?"
I opened my mouth but there was no need. The man himself appeared at the head of the stairs. "Did you need something?"
Bray cleared his throat. "I think she's waking up."
Immediately, there was a rush on the stairs. The whole Black family was standing there in record time. I pulled away from Jason awkwardly. Comfort time was over and so not happening again. Now that the moment was over, I was embarrassed again.
His expression went cold as he stepped back, hands in front of him, one hand gripping the opposite wrist. Customary bad-ass pose. Great. I'd offended him. Again.
Oh, fuck it. He was a big boy. Let him take the rejection. It's not like we were dating…or fucking.
Carlisle excused himself to slip into the room. Brayden shut the door behind him, leaving the rest of us in the hallway, awkwardly staring at each other. Uncle Jake was hugging Aunt Nessie. The twins had their heads bent, shooting glances at each of us before giving each other meaningful looks.
But Will was the scary one. Those eyes, usually so warm, were utterly cold. His jaw was set as he leaned against the wall next to Jason, arms crossed over his chest. He put one booted foot back against the wall, head bent, as we all waited.
The door opened a couple minutes later. Carlisle poked his head out. "She's ready to see you."
Though I wanted to see her badly, I let the family go in. That was already too much. But when they were in, Carlisle looked back to me. "She's asking for you, too."
Emotion tightened my chest. I looked back to Jason. He nodded and stayed where he was.
Aunt Nessie was draped carefully over my best friend, gently crying into her hair. Uncle Jacob was barely holding his tears in check as he bent over Jules to kiss her forehead. The bed had been raised so that she was sitting up. Brayden was in the corner, watching every movement they made near her. I went to stand with him as the three boys got their chance to huddle around their sister. I could see the frown on her face when she looked up at Will. He gave her a tight smile that I was sure he tried to mean as comforting. It wasn't.
Her eyes flickered over to me. I shook my head a little, telling her I'd explain later.
Surprising all of us, she sat up higher in the bed, cradling her broken wrist to her stomach. "Okay, listen up. I'm tired of the moping shit." She glared over at Brayden. "You need to go eat something. Right now." When he didn't move, she narrowed her aqua eyes. "Go on."
Glowering, he opened his mouth to argue.
She pointed a threatening finger at him. "I said now."
They glared at each other until he cursed and stomped from the room, grumbling the entire way.
Then she turned on Will. "I don't know what your problem is, but get the fuck over it."
"Jules," Aunt Nessie gasped.
Will frowned. "It's got nothing to do with you."
"I know," she sniffed. Laying back, she smoothed the sheet over her legs. "It's about Hunter."
He growled viciously. "Don't ever talk to me about her."
"William!"
Uncle Jacob tried to step in, figuratively speaking. "Alright, guys. Just calm down. Jules, you literally just woke up from being unconscious for three days. You could at least act like it."
Exhausted, Jules sank back against the bed. "Too bad," she said, both of them ignoring their parents. "Get over your attitude, Will. Where is she?"
"Packing," he said tightly.
"Stop her."
"No."
She growled. "Goddammit, Will. You're really going to send her off?"
Gritting his teeth, he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'm glad you're awake. I'm gonna go make sure Bray is eating."
As he went for the door, Jules yelled, "And knock his ass out for me. He gets cranky when he doesn't get enough sleep." When he slammed the door, she shouted, "This isn't over!" Under her breath, she mumbled, "Jerk."
Dox chuckled. "Get 'im, girl."
She smiled tiredly. "How long have I been out?"
"Three days," Ash answered.
"Somebody wanna tell me what happened? I don't really remember anything."
All of them passed around looks, not really sure how to go about it. Sighing, I stepped forward, having heard the story a million times in the last three days. "Apparently, that other pack was spying on Hunter. While she was off finding out that Caden's her dad, they decided to try to take out Uncle Jake. You were just tasty enough that they wanted you, too." We shared a smile. "Actually it was probably because Hunter protected you. Did you know she was promised to that loser of a leader?"
Jules grinned, the fingers of her good hand picked at the brace. "So, she's Uncle Caden's daughter? From his first mate?"
I nodded. "Apparently."
"Wow. And what's Will's problem?"
Now I hesitated.
Jules looked at all of us as we avoided her gaze. "What?"
Ash's turn to dish. "Well, um, Hunter was warned that Melice might move against Dad and the pack. And she didn't tell Will. Granted, if you hear it from other people, they'll say that it wasn't really warning."
Jules frowned. "I don't understand."
Dox stepped up. "Jerome, Melice's lead enforcer, was the one to give Hunter the warning. He said that it wasn't really a plan, just a passing thought. And then it seemed like she was going to get her revenge, he decided to add to the misery. It was a split-second decision that Hunter couldn't have known would happen."
The expression on her face clearly said she was missing something. "So what's with the stick up Will's ass?"
Aunt Nessie threw her hands in the air. "What is it with the sudden use of this language?"
Uncle Jacob chuckled. It was a tense sound. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "They're our kids, Ness. Don't you remember how long it took me to get you to talk like that?"
"Exactly. It took forever."
He kissed her temple. "Well, as far as I see it, if they're old enough to shed blood for the pack, then they're old enough to use whatever language they want." Then he gave them the look. "As long as they're respectable about when and where they use it."
The three of them nodded. I smirked.
"You, too, Piper," he said without even looking over at me.
They laughed while I gaped. "I didn't even…how am I a part of this?"
Now he looked over at me. "You're my niece, and you're enough like your mother that I know she'd agree."
I scowled.
Aunt Nessie laughed before kissing Jules on top of her head. "Do you need anything?"
"The bathroom would be awesome. Food wouldn't go unappreciated. And knowing my boyfriend is actually doing what I told him to do."
Uncle Jake got a playfully thoughtful look on his face. "Huh. Now who does that sound like?"
Aunt Nessie swatted his chest. "Don't forget she's your daughter, too."
"Yes, but what just happened was not from my side."
We all laughed as they bickered their way out the door.
When we were all alone, I cleared my throat. "I'll, um, go check on the boys."
"No," Ash said. "Dox and I will go. Give you two some time."
"Thank you."
After the door closed behind them, I was left alone with my best friend. For the longest moment, we just stared at each other across the room. And then she held out her hand. Moving for the chair, I took her hand and sat down.
"Really, how are you feeling?" I asked.
"Surprisingly tired."
I snorted. "Well you did wake up and go right into ripping Will a new one. Honestly."
"Well, he's being stupid. He loves her. She loves him."
I gripped her hand. "Yes but things aren't that simple, Jules. You do realize that you and your dad could have died, right? If Dox hadn't gotten home when he did to find your mom knocked out and called Will, the cavalry could have been too late. We'd be burying you instead of you sitting here talking to me. That's unacceptable."
Squeezing my hand, she looked down at the blankets. "Piper, there's a piece of this you're missing. A piece only I know because Dad was also unconscious, and Melice and I were alone before his wolves came in."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
She sighed. "This was the plan the whole time. Melice and his dad have been planning this for years. They lied to Hunter knowing she'd be their Trojan Horse. Just because the guy thought that it was just an idea, doesn't mean that it was. Taking over our territory was the overall goal of Melice's pack. Hunter didn't know anything. Just what they wanted her to know."
Good God. That changed everything.
HunterPOV
Taking yet another deep breath, I finished taping up another box. All day I'd been stopping with fits of crying, and then packing. For the last three days, all I'd done was wonder how Jules and Jacob were, hating myself for what I'd done. I'd been so stupid.
And my father. If only I'd confronted him sooner. None of this would have happened.
But it had. And Caden…my father…had been helping me find somewhere to stay outside the territory so that we could be close.
There was a soft knock on the door. "Hunter?"
Behind me, Gage poked his head in.
Sniffing back the emotion that had been creeping up on me, I cleared my throat. "Gage? What are you doing here?"
He came inside, a small smirk curving his lips. "What? A guy can't visit his sister before she leaves?"
The emotion came back in a rush. Looking at him, I couldn't believe I was an older sister.
Turning away from him, I wiped my eyes with my thumbs, and cleared my throat again. "Uh, do you want some coffee or hot chocolate? I haven't packed that away yet."
I could hear the smile in his tone. "Sure. Coffee's good."
Going into the kitchen, I picked up a couple K-cups for the machine and started it up. He followed me, leaning against the door, his hands in his pockets. It was strange how similar we looked. Both with light and dark hair, hazel-green eyes.
"So," he said, "I'm sorry about your mom. And brother." He frowned. "Although I guess he was my brother, too." His slight accent was charming. No doubt he had girls lining up for him.
I smiled a little. "Thank you. I never knew either one of them. Well, you know the story."
He nodded. "Yeah, Dad told me after…"
I winced and turned to him. "Gage, I'm so sorry. I…I…"
Pushing away from the jamb, he came over to take my hand. "It's okay. Really. I understand. Life has…seriously sucked for you."
A laugh burst out of my mouth, exactly what he'd intended. "Yes," I said, squeezing his hand. "I didn't realize that it was bad until I came here, fell in love, and found a true family."
"You really love Will, don't you?"
At the sound of his name, my breathing hitched, chest getting tight.
Apparently, I didn't have to answer.
"Maybe there's something-,"
I shook my head and looked at him, shoring up my strength. "There's not. And I can't ask him to overlook what I've done."
"Hunter, it wasn't your fault."
"That depends on who you talk to. There's nobody on my side who could get him to see things differently. And honestly, I'm not sure there could be another way to see it."
His eyes shimmered. "But you're my sister."
I gripped his hand. "And I won't be far. I'm sure…he…won't mind if you visit sometimes. Especially during the summers. I promise we won't lose touch."
He gave me a look. "Promises mean something around here."
"I know."
We reached for each other at the same time. We both breathed heavy, trying to catch each other's scent. He was only half Child, but scent was still powerful. And I wanted to remember it just in case Melice did come back.
"Dad wants you over for dinner."
I laughed. "We'll see. I still have a lot to do."
"He said it wasn't a request. I have a feeling that he'll come get you if you don't show up."
An odd feeling of affection assaulted me. It was so odd to have a father, let alone one who actually cared about me. Being raised by Robert, he'd been the only father figure I'd ever had. And there was really no warmth to him. Not with his mate around. The little gestures I'd been gifted with had been in her absence, which had been rare. As I'd gotten older, she'd been concerned for the direction of her mate's affections, as well as her son's. She hadn't been happy when Robert had announced that I was to mate Melice.
"Hunter?"
I shook myself. "Yes, sorry. Lost in thought." I handed him his mug. "Well, if he's insisting, I suppose I don't have a choice. He is my father after all."
Gage grinned around the lip of his mug.
"What?" I asked.
"You just called him your father. That's the first time I've heard you say it."
Since the ordeal, I'd spent a great deal of time with Caden. And all the pictures he had left from his time with my mother and older brother.
"For so long, I thought of him as the enemy, learned to hate his face. But now…I want a father."
"You're only nineteen. You shouldn't be alone anyway. And now you have me, too. Dad and I aren't much but…"
I smiled. "But you're still family."
He nodded. "Why don't I help you pack a little more and then we can go back to my house?"
We put our mugs in the sink and went back into the living room.
"Sounds good to me."
##########
Hours later, my father and I were standing on the porch, leaning against the railing as the rain fell.
"You know you don't have to leave tomorrow," he said, reaching over to push my hair behind my ear.
I laughed. "I probably won't. After that meal, I wouldn't be surprised if I slept all day."
"Have you talked to Will?"
The smile died as I shook my head. "You sound like Gage."
He snorted. "No surprise there. The kid watches me like a hawk. But have you?"
"No. I'm not welcome, remember? And it's just as well. My actions were inexcusable."
"Hunter-,"
I held up my hand. "Please, don't. It's over."
An ocean of sadness looked out at me from his amber eyes. "He's your mate."
"And I'm his imprint. He's still expecting me to leave. I'm going to respect that. As my mate, he's my alpha."
Sighing, he gripped my shoulder and turned me toward him. Cupping my face, he studied me. "You look and act so much like your mother."
I smiled sadly, covering his hands with mine. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"My mother wasn't your true mate. Why did you make a home with her when you knew that?"
Taking a deep breath, he let me go to take my hands in his. "You're my daughter. And you deserve nothing but complete honesty from me. Especially since I wasn't there to raise you. So here it is. I loved your mother. I really did. Finding a true mate is as rare as a human finding his soul mate. It just doesn't happen a lot. So I settled with a woman I loved. And we had two beautiful children together. But fate can be cruel when moving her pieces around the board. Since that night, I thought I'd lost everything of my past. I came here, found Leah. We had Gage. And now…here you are. The one piece of my past that I could never turn my back on."
Though it was a beautiful speech, I flinched at my step-mother's name. "Leah," I whispered. She hadn't spoken much to me, still livid that I'd threatened her son. Gage repeatedly scolded her for her shortness with me, but I could understand.
My father, sighing, wrapped me in his arms for the very first time. "My sweet girl, don't worry about Leah. It'll take some time and separation. I'll talk to her. Gage and I will wear her down."
At first I was too surprised to do anything. And then his warmth enveloped me. Clutching at him, I hugged him hard, burying my face in his chest, learning his scent. He put a big hand on the back of my head and rocked me.
"It's alright, dove. I'm here now. I'll never let anything hurt you again. Ever. I was cowardly for running back then, for not finding out if the babe inside your mother was still alive. But no more. I'll take care of you. I swear it."
To my right, I heard the screen door creak open. "Dad?"
And then another pair of arms wrapped around me. Gage.
Letting go for just a second, I wrapped an arm around my brother, hugging them tight.
In the safety of my family's arms, I started to cry.
A while later, Caden walked me home. It was actually cold tonight, cold enough to make me shiver.
"You alright?" he asked in a fatherly tone.
I smiled. "Yes, thank you."
He stopped walking. "Hunter," he said, calling me to face him.
I did, coming to a stop as well. "Yes?"
"I know that this is a lot to take in, but I am your father. This is very odd for me, too. However, you don't have to be formal with me. In fact, I'd prefer attitude and eye-rolling. It's what I get from Gage every time he tells me I'm being overprotective."
Hugging my arms around myself, I said, "I know. And I want that kind of relationship, too. It's just that I've been on my own for so long, I don't know what it's like to be a kid, a normal teenage girl."
He started walking again, and I fell into step with him. "I'd like to think that your relationship with Will was helping with that," he said carefully, shooting me a look out of the corner of his eye.
Now I did roll my eyes and looked at him with exasperation.
Laughing, he held his hands up. "Sorry, sorry. I know it's a sore topic. Just prodding."
I sighed. "I love him. Of course I do. And I can't blame him for his anger. Maybe time will cool him down. But I can't hope, not after what happened to Jacob and Jules."
He put his hands in his pockets. "I know this won't really help, but he loves you, too."
My smile didn't reach my eyes. "You're right. That didn't help. It only reminds me what he's giving up because of me."
As we turned onto the drive to the house, he growled low, brushing a hand through his hair. "You know, this decision is selfish on his part."
I frowned. "How so?"
His gaze was steady on mine. "Tell me you could bed down with another male now that you've laid with Will. Tell me another male would do it for you."
I really didn't know how I was supposed to talk to my father about sex. So I just gaped. "How did you know?"
He snorted. "Please. I know how it works. The heat builds and builds until you just can't control yourself. You get so hot that you just have to have them. Besides, I could smell it on you. Honestly, I'm surprised it took as long as it did for the two of you to fall into bed."
Clearing my throat, I blushed furiously. "So what's your point?"
He chuckled. "My point is that you're as gone for him as he is for you. He isn't just giving you up. He's also costing you your happiness because you don't want to be with anyone else just as bad as he doesn't. Sure, it's self-sacrificing on his part, but he's also deciding on your sacrifice."
He made a good point. I hadn't thought of it that way. I'd never want another the way I wanted him. It was like Will said when he told me he couldn't even get aroused for another female. I highly doubted I'd ever get hot for another male. I didn't even want to.
"Well, even if I didn't agree that it's what I deserve, what could I even do about it? I'm not welcome at the Black, Cullen, or Clearwater homes. Hell, I'm only really welcome at yours and barely that because of Leah. You know as well as I do how pissed off she is with me. And why aren't you angry with me? Gage is your son, too. Not just Leah's."
"First answer, go talk to Will. Second answer, Gage has forgiven you. And so do I. Leah doesn't understand the way you grew up, not like I do. Remember, I lived close to Robert's pack, heard stories of him. And how he was raising his son. Over the years, I've had contacts to talk to over there. I swear, if I'd known about you-,"
I put a hand on his arm to stop him. "I know. After spending even this small amount of time with you, I know you would have come for me. I'm just sorry I never questioned him."
"He'd have killed you if you had. That's how our kind works, Hunter. I know that."
When we made it to the house, I stepped up onto the porch. "You know, him killing me would have been better than the damage I wrought to this place. None of you deserved this."
Still on the ground, he reached up to take my hands. "But if that happened, I never would have known about you."
I smiled weakly. "Would that have been such a bad thing?"
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Gripping his hands, I swallowed hard, and surprised myself. "Father…dad…," I took a deep breath letting that sink in for him. It took a second, but shock and joy widened his eyes. Before I crushed it. "I don't belong. You have a whole new family. I'm just a…a remnant of your past. My being here has complicated your life so much. And that's not something I want. You moved on, found your true mate, and had a son. Where could I possibly fit in with that life?"
His expression hardened." Are you trying to say that you think yourself worthless to me?"
Taken aback by his reaction, I lowered my eyes and said, "If the shoe fits…"
"Bullshit." Climbing the stairs, he gripped my shoulders and ducked to put himself in my line of sight. "I don't ever want to hear that come out of your mouth again. Do you understand me? You are my daughter. That's as far from worthless as you could get. You and Gage are blessings. After your mother and brother were killed, I assumed you were dead, too. I ran thinking that I had nothing left. Every good thing I had was gone. You are my child, Hunter. You have every right to be here as Gage does, every right to my attention. I'm not going to let anyone get in the way of us forming a relationship, not even my mate. She'll learn to accept it or ignore it. Or leave me if she sees fit."
I gasped and shook my head frantically. "No, you can't-,"
"I mean it, Hunter. Nobody is going to keep me from my children. You and Gage will come before anyone and anything. That's how it was then, and that's how it is now. I don't need to know you to know that I already love you, Hunter. A father always loves his children whether he knows them or not."
That warmth was back, making my eyes water. "You love me?"
His smile was gentle as reached up to push my hair back just like Will did. "I've loved you since the moment your mother told me she was pregnant with you. Of course, she thought you were another boy. But I loved you nonetheless. I've always wondered about you."
"You have?"
He nodded. "Before Leah got pregnant with Gage, I went through a hard time letting go of the past. When I finally did, I passed out. I don't know if it was a dream or a hallucination, but I saw your mother in a field of white as well as Damien. But she wasn't pregnant and there was no sign of the baby. Since that day, I've wondered if you were alive. And if you were, where you were. I just didn't know how to go about looking for you. And those that I did manage to get into contact with couldn't get far enough into Robert's pack to find out what had happened the night of the deaths. I shouldn't have given up, but I couldn't ask anyone to put their lives in danger for me. But yes, my second babe has always been on my mind. Even when Gage was born."
I was silent as I cried. I'd always wondered what it would be like to have a true father.
He pulled me into his arms once more. "Hunter, you've made mistakes, some of them pretty severe. But I promise you that you don't deserve a harder life for it. I really wish you'd fight to stay. As your father, I could go all paternal on you and go to Jacob despite your refusal, but I don't want to ruin our relationship before it's even started."
Hugging his hard, I said, "If I can't be with Will, it'll be too painful to be here."
My father rested his chin on my head. "I completely understand. Gage and I will visit as much as we can. And you're going to answer your phone when I call."
I laughed. His tone left no room for argument. "Of course."
He pulled back to give me a very fatherly look. "I know what 'of course' means. I do have a teenage son. You will answer the phone or I'll be on your doorstep the next day."
Grinning, I said, "Deal. I promise I will."
"Texts, too."
In true teenage fashion, I rolled my eyes again. "Yes, yes, fine."
Expression becoming serious, he took my keys from me to unlock the door. Once it was open, he went inside, scanning the room. And then just went on in to inspect the rest. Amused, I dropped my bag on the kitchen counter and made a cup of hot chocolate.
When he came back into the living room, I grinned. "Satisfied?"
He gave a nod. "Just had to make sure. I never understood Jacob's differing protectiveness over Jules. But I get it now. For some reason, having a daughter is very different than having a son."
My grin widened around my mug. "I suppose there's no use in telling you not to?"
Chuckling, he shook his head. "Not in the least. If anything, it's going to get worse. Especially with our situation." And then he got serious again. "I don't like it, Hunter."
I swallowed hard. "What?"
"You being out there away from me. I can't protect you out there."
Moving into the living room, I went to stand in front of him. "Father, one way or another, they're going to come back. And I can't ask Jacob's people to risk their lives protecting me. I just can't. So I won't. I'll deal with Melice when he comes for me."
His amber eyes studied me, considering his options. "Maybe I should come stay with you for a couple months. Just in case."
I shook my head adamantly. "No. I won't take you away from your family here. I'll deal with him. I know his weaknesses. I think I could take him in a fight."
"That's the point, Hunter. You shouldn't have to. I should be the one to take care of it. The thought of that little bastard touching my daughter makes me want to kill."
Giving him a stern look, I said, "Go home, dad. Please. I may not leave tomorrow. If I don't, I'll let you know. If I do, I'll stop by on my way out."
He didn't like it, but he nodded. "Alright. Lock up behind me."
As I tried to hide my grin, I decided that I liked having a father.
At the door, we hugged one more time before he stepped out. No doubt he waited until he heard the door lock behind him.
For some reason, I was wide awake so I spent the next couple of hours finishing up packing. There were just a few things left. I was going to leave certain things here. The place that my father had helped me find was fully furnished, so the furniture could stay.
While I was stuffing some sheets into a box, there was a knock on the door. Nothing thinking it through, I smiled and went to open the door.
"Really? Already back to che-,"
My voice died when I saw that it wasn't my father in the doorway.
On reflex, I slammed the door just as the werewolf towering in the shadows lunged. I didn't make it. The door slammed on his arm and he forced his way into the house. With all the strength I had, I swung the door again as hard as I could before turning and running for my keys on the counter. Unfortunately, another of Mel's enforcers had broken through the back door. Slipping in my socks on the hardwood floor, I spun around to run for the bedroom. They both shouted as they chased me. There was a double lock on the door. If I could get there, I could buy myself enough time to jump out the window.
But I wasn't fast enough. Growling, one of them grabbed my hair, pulling me back. I screamed as my feet went out from under me. On my hands and knees, I jerked my head, ripping my hair out at the roots and crawled for my room. One of them grabbed my arms and the other took my legs. I thrashed my body in their hold, growing out my claws. I slashed as much as I could and tried to remember my training. When they let me go, I rolled to my feet, ignoring all the pain.
Catching my breath, I stared them while they stared at me. I recognized both of them.
The biggest male grinned. "He's eager to see you again," Ryan said.
I snarled. "I'll never go back to him."
The other, David, cracked his knuckles. "He said you'd say that. That's why he sent us."
I flexed my claws. "Then come and get me, boys."
WillPOV
Grampa Carlisle had cleared both Jules and Dad, so we were finally home. The twins were upstairs playing video games. Mom and Dad had disappeared downstairs to their room sometime after dinner. Jules had gone upstairs, probably to take a bath. That left me sitting on the couch, staring into the fire.
After I'd learned that both of them would be okay, Hunter had started creeping back into my mind. And Jules yelling at me to go to her. I hadn't seen Hunter since that night, but I knew she'd been spending time with Uncle Caden and Gage. News through the pack was that they'd found her a place south of us. I didn't want details. Caden was angry with me, and no doubt ready to go to Dad to let Hunter stay. But Dad had made it clear that whatever decisions were made concerning her were up to me with no interference from him. Even though I knew he didn't agree with me.
I stared numbly into the fire. Behind me, quiet steps sounded on the stairs.
Fresh from the shower, Jules sat down on the couch. She sat the way she normally did with her back against the arm and her legs tucked under her. The bruises looked worse next to the unbruised skin and her clean hair. Her bottom lip was still swollen and cracked, but had thankfully stopped bleeding. Carlisle had made her promise to wear a wrist brace until the fracture healed.
I was relieved beyond explanation that she was now home, alive, and safe. But her eyes boring a hole in my head was driving me nuts. "What?" I snapped irritably.
She quirked an eyebrow, her fingers swiftly braiding her hair into a rope. "I'll forgive that tone because I know why you have it. Look, I get it. She betrayed you. But Will, they'll kill her if they get their hands on her. You know that. She embarrassed the leader by siding with us, with you. And fighting beside you. Is that really what you want? Your imprint dead when you could have at least let her stay here?"
When I refused to answer, she scooted closer and gripped my hand.
"Will, listen to me. Please. I wasn't part of her plan. All she wanted was revenge on the man she thought killed her family. She was lied to. She had no bones to pick with me. It was Melice and his dad, Robert, who wanted to hurt Dad. Not Hunter. Please don't make a stupid mistake. She's as much a victim as I am. Go tell her to stay. Maybe someday you could forgive her."
Gritting my teeth, I looked away from her and pulled my hand out of her grasp. "You need to get some sleep."
She scoffed. "Please, I've been out cold for three days."
"Not the same. You need rest."
She stood up, but put her fingers over my eyes. "So do you. And you can't rest until you confront Hunter." Cupping my face, she tilted my head so she could press her lips to my hair. "I told you that you were a hero. You should start to trust me about these things. I love you."
Suddenly choking up, I put my hands over hers. "I love you, too, Jules," I whispered.
She kissed me again before pulling away and going upstairs. I was left alone with the dying fire throwing shadows on the hardwood floor. On the one hand, Jules was absolutely right. The thought of someone hurting Hunter made me see red. But what she'd done didn't put her in my good graces. But then again, Jules's words echoed in my head. All Hunter had wanted was revenge, at least a confrontation. She hadn't intended for anyone else to get hurt.
Fuck it.
Minutes later, I was in my Jeep and speeding down to the rez. Now that I was calmer, I wanted to try to have a sane conversation to see if there was anything worth salvaging. But the closer I got to her house, the more nervous I started to feel. But nervous about what? Seeing her again after all the revelations and rescuing Jules three days ago?
Nope, I realized as I pulled up in front of her house. It was the nervousness that something was wrong. All the lights were on. I could see boxes packed and stacked in front of windows. The trunk of her car was open and half stuffed. All of that was fine and dandy. What wasn't was that there was no movement inside, no sense that there was someone else here. Hopping out of the Jeep, I looked around and went to the front door. The sound of the ocean was loud tonight in the absence of her presence.
Alarms went off in my head when I found that the door was open slightly. I couldn't help but think that if I had been in one of those cop shows, this would be the point when I'd pull out my gun.
Heart thudding in my chest, fear choking me, I carefully pushed the door open and moved inside.
"Hunter?" I called out as I walked inside.
Nothing moved. I moved toward the two rooms, first checking the one that had had the pictures and the book. The pictures were still there, but the spell book was missing as well as the vials, bottles, and ingredients. Stopping, I listened, stretching out my sensitive hearing. Nothing. I was still alone. Quietly, I moved for her bedroom. It took me a second to collect myself before opening the door. There were too many memories in this room and it hurt to see it again, but I knew I had to.
What I found made me want to retch. It was clear that a fight had gone down. There were deep gouges and long furrows on the walls and other furniture. The mattress had been thrown around and ripped apart. And the pillows had puked up fluff and feathers everywhere.
There was a half packed suitcase that was nestled into a corner. A few shirts were hanging haphazardly from it. Walking over, I picked them up and held them to my nose. That's when I smelled it.
Blood.
Jerking the clothes away, I looked at them.
There. A spot on the sleeve.
I started looking around the room. Sure enough, the red started to stand out on the lighter colors in the room. Splashes and spots here and there. The carpet was tan, but the drops were darker. Kneeling, I scraped my finger through one of the stains. Red came away on my finger. Fresh. So I looked for a trail. I found one leading to the window. Moving the blind, my knees almost gave out. The glass had been busted out. Blood dripped from the edges.
Gripping her shirt to my chest, I stared out of the window into the dark woods.
All I could think was that I'd been an idiot and was too late.
And then my possessiveness reared up. I growled as the wolf inside me charged forward. A massive wave of fury coursed through me, followed by a shot of violence.
No. I'd find her. The bastard that took her would see his own blood run before the dawn.
With a snarl, I charged back for the front door. As I moved, I stripped my clothes so that by the time I was to the door, I could phase. So I could go save what belonged to me.
Woo-hoo! Almost done. So what did we think? I love you guys so much! One, maybe two more chapters! Please review! Love y'all! oxoxoxoxo