“You’re going to need this more than I do.”

  Thirty-eight

  Leona

  The ride back home two days later is quick. I had a lot of fun with his family, even though it was hectic. I thought my family was crazy, but I was very, very wrong. Having a bunch of teenage guys is a lot. I’m not sure how Jillian and Toni handle all those guys. Apparently, they spend a lot of time together, all of them.

  I didn’t see much of Hunter after I kissed him. Things did not turn out the way I planned at all, and I like to think it would have went in the direction I’d hoped for if his mom hadn’t been kidnapped. I have so many emotions running through me at this point. Worried that it is because of me is on top of my list. I feel awful about it. I can’t help but think this is tied into my bullshit. There is also a part of me that is more hopeful with Hunter. He didn’t push me away.

  He did not push me away.

  That’s something, right?

  I’m not one to beg. And I said from the beginning that I would not force anyone to be with me. But something inside of me, and maybe it’s the feelings I’m getting from my wolf, but something is telling me that he’s doing the opposite. He’s forcing himself to not be with me and I don’t know why. So I took a chance. I took a leap. And even though I don’t know much more than I did before, I feel like it did something.

  I’m lost in thought when my phone dings.

  Hunter: Meet me tonight. First date redo?

  I stare at my phone screen for so long that I lose count.

  “Everything okay?” Thorne asks from the driver’s side. I blink a few times and bring the phone closer to my face. Am I reading that correctly?

  “Yeah. I, uh…” I shake my head. “Hunter, he wants to meet me tonight.”

  Thorne’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. A smile falls across my lips. My plan worked. It really worked. I type out a response, realizing it’s been a whole five minutes since he sent it.

  Leona: I’ll be there. And on time.

  “You sure you want to do that?” Thorne asks, his eyes glancing at my phone.

  “Why wouldn’t I? This was the plan, this is what I wanted.”

  Thorne and Castor share a look through the rearview mirror that I can’t quite figure out.

  “Just… be careful,” Castor says slowly.

  That all too familiar anger hits my stomach again. I’ve felt better over the last week. My nerves and anger were in check. I don’t know why, but each day that’s gone by I’ve felt a little better. But something about Castor’s words strikes a nerve.

  “How many times do I need to tell you all that I can take care of myself?” I glare at Thorne and then towards Castor who is in the seat behind Thorne.

  “I’m just—”

  “No,” I interrupt. “Just nothing, Castor. You guys always have so much to say about what I do. I’m not having this conversation again. Hunter is a part of this. Don’t you want him here?”

  “Of course we do, Leona. It’s not that,” Thorne says calmly.

  “Then what?” I cross my arms over my chest and lean back in the chair, more towards the door so I can see both of them at the same time.

  “It’s—”

  “Nothing,” Thorne says, cutting off Castor. “I’m sorry. We’re sorry.” He reaches over, placing his hand on my leg. “We just worry, okay? Of course, we want Hunter back with us. He is a part of us. He belongs here. We trust you to make your decisions. We’re hurting with him gone too. If you want to meet him, if you’re willing to forgive him, then I think that’s great.”

  Castor lets out a long breath, slumping back into his seat.

  “He’s right. I’m sorry.”

  I narrow my eyes, wondering if they’re bullshitting me. I don’t sense anything. I felt my wolf listening the entire time. I have to keep her pushed away at times because all she can think about is wanting to claim them. It’s distracting, especially when I’m angry. It’s also confusing as hell. I hope this ritual is completed soon, so I can shift and she and I can get on the same page. And with the way things are looking tonight, it may be happening soon enough.

  Thirty-nine

  Leona

  I make sure to get to the diner twenty minutes early. I almost wasn’t sure I’d be able to get here at all because Castor and Thorne insisted on coming with me, but I didn’t want them to. Thankfully they finally gave up, letting me win. Thorne has been uncharacteristically agreeable this evening, and it’s starting to worry me. I don’t think about it for long though, chalking it up to him finally accepting that I can manage things on my own. The butterflies in my belly are nuts the entire time I’m driving here. I stayed on the phone with the guys the whole way. It’s what we agreed to for me to come alone. We didn’t speak as I drove though.

  “Okay, I’m here.”

  “Is Hunter there yet?” Castor’s voice sounds on the other end of the phone. I turn the car off and peer into the diner. Sure enough, he’s sitting in the same booth he was the last time we were here.

  “He is.” I smile so wide it almost hurts.

  This is it.

  A million thoughts ran through my head as I was driving. But most of all, I couldn’t get the thought of having my own family out of my mind. My family is happy together. The guys have their own happy families too. And now we get the chance to make our own. One I didn’t think would be fully possible with how Hunter was acting, but tonight could be the night that everything is fixed.

  Tonight could be the start of something really good.

  “I’m hanging up so I can go inside.” I pull the keys from the ignition and pick up my phone.

  “Call us on the way back.”

  “I will. Bye!” I press the button on the phone to end the call, open the door, and head inside. I slide into the booth when I reach it. Hunter greets me with a small smile. It isn’t the big bright ones that I love, but it’s a start.

  “You’re on time.”

  “And you’re not being an asshole.”

  He frowns.

  “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  “Don’t apologize. I deserve it.”

  I nod. “Yes, you do.”

  He regards me for a moment, his jaw tense.

  “I’m sorry. I—”

  “What can I get y'all to drink tonight?” The waitress walks over, interrupting Hunter. I grow frustrated, suddenly wishing we would have went somewhere else. Somewhere we could have been alone. As cute as his idea was, I’d prefer to be alone with him.

  “Just water for me,” I say.

  “I’ll have the same.” She nods and takes off.

  My eyes find Hunter’s but the moment seems to be gone. The air around us feels different. I can’t quite explain it, but it’s making me calmer and less antsy.

  “Have you heard anything about your mother?” He shakes his head, unwrapping the plastic straw the waitress left on the table. He stabs it into his water, mixing around the ice with it.

  “Nothing.”

  “Is there anything I can do? Are they still looking for her?”

  The moment they found out she was missing, people went on the hunt. Many men from the pack went out in search of her, trying to find out what happened.

  “Yeah, they’re still out there. Look, I don’t want to sound like an asshole but I didn’t come here to talk about my mom.”

  That should bother me, right? Should I be concerned at his lack of concern for his mother being kidnapped? I think I should. But all that is going through my head is, then why did you come here?

  And as if this waitress can sense whenever Hunter has something important to say, she pops over to bring us the food we ordered when she dropped our drinks off.

  “Anything else I can get you two?” She smiles politely.

  “No, we’re all set,” I say.

  The moment she walks off, I look back to Hunter hoping he is going to continue.

  “I want to talk about us.” My heart races and my belly warms. I feel the excitement of my wolf inside of me. She’s been drooling over him since we sat down and it’s taken everything in me to keep her away. Maybe it wasn’t completely the alcohol that made me kiss Hunter, it was probably her too. “I should not have acted the way I did. It was wrong of me. Even if I did have my issues with you, I should have trusted my brothers. I should have trusted Castor and Thorne.”

  I can tell that it isn’t easy for him to be saying these things. He’s avoiding eye contact and some of his words are strained.

  “I could sit here and go on about all this, but really, the only thing I need to know is, do you forgive me? Will you give me a chance to prove I'm sorry?”

  His words make me happier than I can even explain. I try not to jump up and down, even though it’s exactly what I want to do. My emotions have been tenfold ever since my wolf came along. Harder to control.

  “Of course I will, Hunter.”

  And he smiles that huge, bright smile that I love so much but have never really admitted before. The air around us is light. I can feel his calmness radiating off him. That mixed with his smell makes me almost sleepy.

  We eat our dinner and share small talk, getting to know each other as much as we can in such a short time. When we’re done eating, Hunter pays the bill and I realize that I don’t want to leave him. Not at all.

  Hunter walks me to Thorne’s Jeep. I turn around to face him, looking up at his perfect model-like face.

  “You should…” I start to say.

  He reaches up, cupping my cheek in his hand. My eyes flutter shut and I lean into his soft touch.

  “What is it? Tell me.”

  His voice is low and soft. A tone I’ve never heard him use before. It almost makes me weak.

  “You should come home with me.” The words are barely a whisper, and I look up at him shyly. He blinks slowly, his scent taking over my senses. He smells like fresh laundry on a warm, spring day. It’s so calming and relaxing.

  “I have a better idea. Hand me the keys.”

  I do.

  He grabs my hand and brings me around to the passenger’s side. He opens the door and helps me in.

  Rounding the car, he gets into the driver’s side and adjusts the seat. When he starts the car, I ask him where we are going.

  “To my house.”

  “What about your car?”

  “It’s parked around back. We can get it in the morning.”

  Get it in the morning. We’re going to spend the night together? My entire body warms at the thought. I didn’t realize how much this issue with him was getting to me. I was angry and hurt and upset. I guess I still have some of those feelings towards him, somewhere deep down, but nowhere near as bad as they were before. My heart races as we drive to his house. I know we aren’t too far, which is why I don’t put up a stink about it. We’re at his house in under twenty minutes. He pulls into his otherwise empty driveway. All the lights in the house are off.

  “Leona?” I turn to look at him. His head is resting against the headrest, his hands in his lap. “I have a million things to apologize for with you. I want to do things right.” His jaw ticks. “I don’t want to rush into anything.”

  My wolf whines inside of me and I try not to show the disappointment I’m feeling on my face. He’s right though. There is no reason to rush into anything. We have time still. There are a lot of things we need to fix. Just because we’re having one good night doesn’t mean all is forgiven. The guys still have their own issues with him. Just because I’m choosing to forgive him, doesn’t mean they will.

  Though I guess it isn’t up to them.

  We get out of the Jeep and Hunter leads me inside, locking the door behind him.

  “Are you expecting anyone to come home tonight?”

  “Nope.” It’s all he says. I don’t ask where his dad is or his sister. I don’t really care. I’m thrilled to have Hunter all to myself. I never imagined this to happen. I was so blinded by my anger with him that I saw nothing else. Not that allowing my wolf’s feelings to take over is any better, because all she can think about is being bent over, ass up in the air.

  Not that I’m complaining.

  Not one single bit.

  “Come on.” Hunter brings me upstairs and we head down the hallway. I notice this house is designed almost the same way Thorne’s is. I’m not surprised since the houses are all built relatively the same. His room is even the same room that Thorne has. Only it’s set up much differently. This room looks barely used. More like a showroom and not a teenager’s bedroom. “How about a movie?”

  “That sounds great.” He walks to me, sliding his arms around my waist. One hand slides over my ass as he pulls my phone from my pocket, the other stays rested on my hip. He drops the phone onto his desk, right near the keys to the Jeep.

  “Let’s get you comfy, shall we?” His fingers find the hem of my shirt and he pulls it over my head, dropping it to the floor. I look up at him, his face is unreadable. He looks as if he’s almost in pain, holding back all emotion that he’s feeling. His long fingers slide along the strap of my bra. “On or off?”

  “Off,” I respond, breathless. He reaches around me, unhooking my bra and I let it fall to the floor. His fingers slide around my ribs, brushing up against the sides of my breasts ever so gently. I hold back the moan that wants to escape, knowing this isn’t what we decided.

  Well, what Hunter and I decided. Not what my wolf decided.

  His hands find my waist and he guides me to his bed. I sit on the edge and he gets to his knees. Lifting up one foot, he slides my shoe off, and then the other. My socks go next. He looks up at me and I can feel my heart thundering behind my ribcage. Sure, undressing someone is sexual. I’m getting naked. But this… this is something else.

  “Stand.”

  I get to my feet. He slides his palms up my legs slowly until his fingers reach the waistband. He hooks them in and tugs them down, leaving my panties on. He helps me out of my pants in the most graceful way, and I watch him every second. I see how his breathing picks up. I see when a long golden lock flops over his forehead and into his eyes. I see when his tongue darts out to run along his bottom lip. When my pants are off, he straightens but stays on his knees. Leaning forward, he brushes his lips along my hip bone, his tongue darting out as he presses a hot kiss to my skin. This time I can’t stop the moan that comes out of me.

  “Hunter…”

  His fingers dig into my sides and his forehead rests against my lower belly.

  “I’m sorry.” He takes in a deep breath and stands up, turning around without looking at me. He pulls a t-shirt from one of his bureaus and hands it to me. I put it on, not missing how the soft fabric feels against my hardened nipples. Every part of me wishes it was Hunter brushing against them and not some lame t-shirt. He gets himself undressed, staying in only a pair of boxer briefs. “Let’s find us a movie to watch.”

  We crawl into bed and he picks up the remote, turning on his TV and searching for a movie. We finally decide on one and he places the remote down on the bedside stand and straightens his arm out towards me, gesturing for me to cuddle. I don’t waste any time moving into his side. If I thought he smelled good before, he smells even better now. His skin is soft and warm and he smells so inviting. Like a place I could stay forever.

  Hunter’s finger dances across my skin along my back, making small circles and random designs. It’s something he’s doing unknowingly but it’s driving me insane. Trying to tame my wolf’s emotions is not easy. It also doesn’t help the fact that after that little undressing situation, I, too, want to feel more of Hunter. His stomach muscles tighten as I trace my fingers along his firm abs and I feel his breath hitch just the slightest. Even the movements of his fingers across my back stop.

  We’re a good portion into the movie and I don’t know a thing that’s going on. All I can think about is how I need to feel him. I need more of this.

  I need to complete this mating thing because I need these guys to be mine.

  All of them.

  They are mine and they belong to me. I pull my hand back, slowly sliding it along his lower belly, where the waistband of his briefs rest. I feel the movement of his boxers as his cock grows rigid.

  “Leona.” His voice is a warning. But it’s not the same tone I’m used to hearing. Not the degrading one. The one that makes me feel like shit about myself. No. This one makes me feel powerful. Makes me feel like I have control over him. Like if I do what I want to do, he won’t be able to say no.

  So I do it.

  Forty

  Thorne

  Leona ends the call and I grip the phone in my hand.

  “What are you thinking?” Castor asks. I take a moment before I answer.

  “I don’t know.” I shake my head. I have no fucking idea. Something seems off, but I don’t know what it is. “You don’t think he would hurt her, do you?” I ask the question we were both thinking.

  “No. I…” He looks up, his eyes meeting mine. “No, he wouldn’t do that.”

  I let out a long sigh.

  “I know but I had to ask.” He nods in agreement. “Something is definitely up though. He’s not acting right. I’ve never known Hunter to be that much of an asshole, not the way he was to Leona. But what’s more, I’ve never known him to give in so quickly. To admit he was wrong. I mean, that’s what he’s doing right? Submitting?”

  Sometimes our personalities don’t match our animals. It happens. Hunter’s well suited to be an owl. He’s smart and he’s a hunter. He’s good at finding things out, putting two and two together. Basically, he’s the brains of the operation but not in that nerdy kind of way. Not like Callan.

  Hunter is mindful, meticulous, and determined. Great traits of an owl. But he’s also stubborn and prideful. And even though they don’t reflect his animal, it’s who Hunter is. Those traits come from his father, who is one of the biggest assholes on the planet. Or maybe they were learned. We haven’t had the best life. Dealing with loss at a young age. Hunter lost a father, like I did when that wolf pack attacked the one we were born into. Hunter’s mother lost a great man. She was left with an evil one. One that we all wish would have died back then, not Benson. It tears Hunter up inside every day. Not only does he deal with the loss of his father, but he deals with the abuse from the only one that’s left. The one that treats his mother like absolute shit.