Dawn (The Dire Wolves Chronicles Book 3) (17 page)

“There was a connection. There is, I’m not going to sit here and deny it. Maybe it has something to do with what Vanessa did to you, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s just plain old attraction, but that doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together.”

Levi cleared his throat. “I get you two need to talk, but can I talk to Hunter alone for a few minutes?”

“Yes, but are you still willing to—” Mary Anne started.

“Gage doesn’t need me.” I interrupted.

“How did you know that’s what I was going to ask?” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip.

“Because that’s why you’re here.”

“I promised to end the hunt. I didn’t break that promise.”

I smiled. “No you didn’t.”

“But you’re sure he doesn’t?” Her face was a mix of hope and worry.

“He knows it. He’s strong.”

“Did he ever need you to, or was that all a lie?” She watched me carefully.

“It wasn’t a lie. He would have it weren’t for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You mated with him.”

“I did.” She blushed and looked down.

“That completed him. He’s stronger than ever.”

“Oh…” She seemed to consider my words. “I helped him.”

“You helped all of us.”

Levi cleared his throat again.

“I’ll talk to you later.” She hurried off.

I turned to Levi. “Nice timing.” It was the first and only time I was glad that Pterons showed up.

Levi laughed. “Sorry about that.”

“The question is, were you late or were you watching us the whole time?”

“We showed up as soon as we could.”

“I hope that’s the truth.”

“It is. My wife would kill me if I purposely let that girl get hurt.”

“Gage saved her. He saved me too.” I had to admit it.

“He did.”

“What happens now?”

“We’re still going to have to keep you under observation.”

“I know that.”

“But no need to hide. No more hunt.”

“You can’t promise that.” Nothing was that easy.

“I’m the king, I can promise anything I want.”

“Promote her.” I nodded toward Michelle.

“I had a better idea.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll make you a commander in our newest intelligence force.”

I laughed. “Good one.”

“What better way to show everyone that the hunt is over? Put you on our elite intelligence force.”

“Where does Michelle come in?”

“You are under observation, remember?”

“You want her to babysit me?” I raised an eyebrow.

“No. I want her to work with you.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how to react. A job offer wasn’t exactly the response I was expecting.

“I have to deal with some prisoners.” He looked in the direction of Isaac and the others he captured. “Plus the one back at the prison. I already had them free Marni. She should be on her way up here already.”

“You’re a better man than your father.” His father would have never made this offer.

“So are you.” He held out some clothes. “Why don’t you get dressed?”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” He nodded and walked away.

I quickly changed and noticed Mary Anne wrapped in Gage’s arms.

“She’s not yours.” Michelle put a hand on my shoulder. “She’ll never be, and she was never meant to be.”

“Is that supposed to help me?”

She shook her head. “No, but you don’t love her. You care, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t love her.”

I only stared at her, trying to come up with a response. She didn’t give me a chance.

She smiled, squeezed my shoulder and walked off.

Her words angered me, but she was right. Completely right. Mary Anne wasn’t mine. That reality shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it did. Through everything I’d hoped we’d find a way to work things out, but Michelle was right. I didn’t love Mary Anne. I loved the idea of her, and even if for that reason alone I had to let her go. Gage didn’t deserve her. At least not yet. But he would.

“Hunter?” Mary Anne’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts as she walked over.

“How are you holding up?” I tightened the blanket she wore around her shoulders. It couldn’t replace a coat, but we didn’t have an extra one of those lying around.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re more than fine, aren’t you?” I’d never met a girl so deceiving. On the outside she seemed so fragile, almost weak, but on the inside she was the strongest woman I’d ever met.

“I am.” She smiled.

“This Pteron debriefing shouldn’t take much longer. You’ll be able to go soon.”

“You did tell me I’d get to see my family again one day.”

“I always keep my promises.” I regretted my words as soon as I saw her face fall. She’d broken a major promise to me. “I didn’t mean it that way. I wasn’t comparing myself to—”

“I know.” She shrugged. “We all do what we have to do, right? That’s how I’m supposed to excuse what I did.”

“No.” I shook my head. “You don’t have to excuse doing what your heart told you to do. And the hunt is over. You did more than anyone could ever ask of someone.”

“Thanks for understanding.” She smiled again.

“Mary Anne?” Michelle called. “Can we chat for a few minutes?”

“Sure.” Mary Anne turned to me. “Don’t leave before I say goodbye.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I wanted to say goodbye. I needed to even if it was the kind of goodbye that hurt.

Michelle winked at me as Mary Anne strode over to her. The Pteron was growing on me. She was annoying sometimes, but she had spunk. She had the courage to defy her family. I knew all about that.

“You did the right thing.” Denny held out his flask.

“Letting Gage kill my brother?”

“That too.”

“You mean Mary Anne?”

“Yes.” He took a swig from his flask. “Letting her go.”

“She is mated to him.” Saying it out loud for the second time was easier.

“That wouldn’t stop the Alpha.”

“Not necessarily.” Alphas could do whatever they wanted to do. Right or wrong. “He loves her.”

“Of course he does. And she’s in love with him.”

“On second thought.” I pulled the flask from him and took a swig.

He laughed. “Thought you might need it.”

“Fielding is gone.”

“He is.” Denny pulled the flask from my hand. “It’s not as satisfying as you thought, is it?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Most things in life aren’t.”

“I need you to take your position back.” Denny had abdicated the position to Chet several years before, and I’d never been more upset about that decision.

“We have almost no pack.”

“I still need you.” I met his eyes.

“I know.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“Yes.”

“You going to take a chance with her?” He nodded toward Michelle.

“Maybe.”

“Fair answer.”

“What about Mary Anne’s friend?” I’d noticed the protective way he moved around her.

“Genevieve?” He shrugged. “Maybe when she’s older.”

“She’s of legal age, isn’t she?”

“Technically yes, but she’s a kid. A cute, spunky one, but still a kid. Turning eighteen doesn’t magically change that.”

“It doesn’t.” I watched Mary Anne. “But living does.”

“Mary Anne has grown up.”

“She has.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Why didn’t you tell me I was an idiot about the dreams?”

“Because you wouldn’t have listened.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re you.”

“That I am.”

I
hugged
Hunter one last time. I knew it wasn’t a forever kind of goodbye, but I also knew that things would be different the next time I saw him. He’d be different, and I’d be different. But that was for the best. Maybe then we could get to know each other as real people and not caricatures of the roles we were destined to play. Hunter was no more a ruthless, heartless animal than I was a damsel in need of being saved. Once we pushed those pretenses aside it was obvious we were meant to be one thing. Friends. He’d saved my life and Gage’s, and for that I would be eternally grateful, but that couldn’t hold me back from living my own life.

Hunter had been right about one thing. My appearance in his life would help end the hunt, only it had nothing to do with my being his mate. Once we accepted that, everything else fell into place.

So much had changed in such a short period of time. I’d changed in more ways than I could count, but some things had stayed the same. I caught Gage’s eye from over Hunter’s shoulder. He was tense, but I knew he was trying. He understood I had to say my goodbye.

“Take care of yourself.” Hunter released me from the hug. “And don’t be a stranger.”

“Same to you.”

“Is that your way of inviting me to visit you at Eastern?”

“You can’t stay with Genevieve and me. You’ll have to stay with Gage.” I smiled thinking about how nice it would be to have Genevieve as a roommate.

“I can get a hotel.”

I smiled again. “Let me know when you’re in town.”

“I will, but it’s going to be awhile. There’s a lot of work to be done before I get to take time off.” He glanced at Michelle where she waited. She smiled back, and if I wasn’t imagining things, there was something hidden in that smile. Hunter was going to be just fine without me.

“I understand.”

He took my hand in his. “I’ll miss you my Firefly.”

Tears welled in my eyes. “I won’t forget you.”

“Of course you won’t.” He kissed me on the cheek, nodded at Gage, and walked away.

I walked over to Gage. “Are you ready?”

“To face our parents?”

“Yeah.”

“I hope they don’t have heart attacks.”

“We need to stick to our cover story, and we’ll be fine.” I blinked back the remaining tears. I needed to stay focused. We were returning to our real lives. I needed to be ready.

“The cover story, yes. We met a crazy cult in the woods after our accident. The leader wanted you and kept us captive.”

“That’s not too far from the truth.” I leaned up on my tippy toes and brushed my lips against his.

“No. Not too far. Well, aside from the fact that I’m not human anymore.”

“That’s a little detail.” I ran my hands through his messy hair.

“We also get to tell them we’re together.”

“I’m sure that won’t be as big of a shock as the rest.”

“My mom will be happy I finally chose a nice girl.”

“Nice girl?” I put a hand on my hip. “After everything we’ve been through do you really think that still describes me?”

“You’re badass, smart as hell, gorgeous, tough as nails, and willing to sacrifice to protect those you care about, but yes on top of all that you are a nice girl.”

“You’re a nice boy.”

“Am I?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. All that bad boy act stuff isn’t going to work on me anymore.”

“Will you still find me impossible to resist?” He wrapped his arms around my waist.

“I’ll never be able to resist you.” I rested my head against his chest. I’d never get tired of being in his arms. “So what happens after?”

He stroked my back. “After we see them?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know… you still want to live with Genevieve?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

His face fell.

“Not that I don’t want to be with you, but I think we need to take things slow. Let this flow naturally.”

“Got it. But when you say take things slow does that mean I have to wait three dates to bring you home with me?” He dropped his lower lip in a pouty way.

“Would you be willing to wait that long?”

“I’d wait forever for you.” His eyes locked with mine, and I knew he meant it. Despite everything else we’d made it through, those words hit me hardest. He loved me flaws and all, and I loved him. I wasn’t in love with my fantasies of him anymore. Those were gone, but what replaced them was so much better.

“I won’t make you wait forever.” I entwined my hand with his. “We should go.”

“Would you like to drive?”

I thought about it. “Yes. I’ll drive.” I accepted the keys and got into the driver’s seat, the seat I would always take now in my life. I was done worrying about failure and whether I’d disappoint everyone. I was me, and that was more than enough.

It was nearly morning when we got on the road, and I forced my eyes to stay open, but it was worth it. The sunrise was the most beautiful one I’d ever seen.

Gage played a beat on my leg the same way he usually did on the steering wheel. “We made it to dawn.”

“And we’ll make it right back to dusk again.”

“There’s a beauty in that, isn’t it?” He asked. “In the predictability of each day and night.”

“There is, but it’s not the predictability I love. It’s knowing that I get to spend the rest of my sunsets and sunrises with you.”

“A lifetime of sunsets and sunrises.” He kissed my cheek, and we made our way home.

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T
he son
of darkness is all grown up...

James is a Guardian. He is tasked with protecting the most important person in his world. For eight years he has done his job without complaint, but he has grown tired of living under the shadow of a father who is responsible for the most unimaginable violence and destruction his world has ever known.

Ainsley is at a loss for what to do with her life. She hates her two dead end jobs and the family who betrayed her. She has resigned herself to living one day at a time, but she longs for an escape from her lonely life.

When Ainsley finds James in her bed, their two lives and worlds collide. They may have both found exactly what they need, but the darkness James has been running from his whole life has just caught up.