Chapter 31

My legs began to burn as we raced through the woods away from the camp.

Even my wolf lungs, so much better equipped than my human ones, started to sting slightly from the exertion.

Are they following? I mindlinked quickly a few minutes later.

I don’t know. Adrian’s words sounded tense. I keep hearing noises I think are footsteps, but it might just be us, or the wind, or animals.

I strained my body forward.

I don’t think they are. I don’t hear anything. Let’s run for another few miles to be sure then stop.

We finally paused in a moonlit clearing, panting but trying to move slowly as we circled the perimeter. No one there

We looked at each other, nodded and turned back into our human forms.

We looked at each other for a few long seconds. At the same time, we burst out laughing. The exhilaration of the run, the adrenaline of the night, and the relief that we hadn’t been caught bubbled over.

I doubled over, sides cramping and struggled for breath.

Adrian was also still hysterical.

I remembered his laugh from when I knew him years earlier, but the formal version of it.

Now, he was laughing with abandon, not caring that he was snorting. Or that he sounded ridiculous.

I smiled.

“I’m sorry,” he said, when he caught his breath. “It’s not really funny.”

“No,” I said, “it confirms everything we feared.”

We continued laughing anyway. I knew why I was hysterical. It felt like all the tension I’d been feeling since Maya’s arrival, since finding out I was pregnant, had finally released while we were focused on the mission then running for our lives. Finally focused on a problem that wasn’t quite so intimate.

The creases on his brow told me he’d been under a lot of pressure as well.

We both finally calmed, wiping tears from our eyes.

He cleared his throat. “That leader seems like a force. Just as we feared.”

“And they are searching for a female with powers,” I added.

“It looks like they think it’s your husband’s new—“ he trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“No, it’s okay,” I said. “Not taking about her doesn’t change that it’s happening. Yes, Hunter’s new fated mate seems to be who they want.”

“Have you ever seen anything that would indicate special abilities?” He spoke softly, clearly uncomfortable to be talking about her so directly with me.

I paused, trying to think. Was there a chance I’d just been biased against her because of who she was to Hunter? Had she been exhibiting qualities I hadn’t noticed? I didn’t think so.

“Not that I’ve seen,” I replied confidently. “Granted I’ve never seen her transform. I’m not even sure she’s started that kind of training yet.”

“Well,” Adrian continued, “they think it’s her, whether or not it’s true.”

“We’ll tell Hunter and make sure she’s well-guarded.” I paused. “Though I think he already looks after her pretty well.”

I tried, but couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.

“He shouldn’t be treating you this way,” he said, so softly I could barely hear. “You don’t have to stay. You could come to me—I mean, to our pack.”

I swallowed heavily.

“I have my loans to repay, and things to wrap up. I can’t abandon—the pack.”

He narrowed his eyes. It was true that the pack had paid my tuition and I would owe them a fortune before I left before my contact was completed. And of course I badly needed the stability of the Hunter’s finances for grandmother’s medical care. And I wanted to finish the pack school. And all the things that were keeping me where I was.

But, looking into Adrian’s clear eyes, I had a feeling he would be willing to help with all of that if I let him.

I knew the truth. I was staying because I couldn’t bear to leave Hunter.

In spite of everything, I still couldn’t stomach the thought.

I needed to pull myself together. Remind myself to stay strong for the pup.

I walked to the edge of the clearing where we’d stepped through a small steam on our way in. I knelt down and washed my face in the cold water, reminding myself to breathe.

I felt eyes on my back.

I felt sure Adrian was watching me. I turned and find his eyes directly on my face. I wasn’t sure if I was just feeling vulnerable and losing my ability to read situations, but they looked impossibly tender.

We phased to get back to the pack house, running at a relaxed lope this time.

I’ll walk you to the door, he mindlinked as we neared the house. Make sure you get in okay.

You really don’t need to do that.

He ignored me and I didn’t press the issue.

We changed back into our human forms as we walked up the front steps. I brushed my hand through my hair, which was full of leaves and twigs. I was only a hallway away from my bed, though. I was suddenly exhausted. Besides, Adrian had already seen me looking disheveled. He didn’t look especially put together himself. I decided it didn’t much matter.

Then a familiar car pulled up the driveway.

Of course.

Hunter leaped out and walked quickly around to the passenger side, opening the door for Maya. He didn’t see us on the front step.

They were both dressed well. They’d clearly been out on a date. A nice one.

Maya spotted us first, and I saw a bounce make it’s way into her step.

“Oh hi, you two,” she chirped. “Just our enjoying some fresh air?” She giggled.

She was obviously thinking we’d been off having sex in the woods. And she was obviously thrilled at the thought.

It showed how suspicious she was about Hunter and I. I was starting to get the feeling that she was playing dumb, even to herself. She knew there was something between me and the man she loved.

She just didn’t want to admit to herself how obvious it was that we were something to each other.

I could see her latching onto this as evidence that I was moving on. That there was at least a distraction for me from the person she wanted.

I didn’t really care what she thought. I just so desperately wanted to lie down and get to bed

I could feel my shoulders sagging and my knees weakening.

My eyes flicked up to Hunter’s.

They were dark. The irises caves that narrowed to a pin-prick pupil, topped with angry brows.

I could imagine the sound he would make a moment later: the deep low growl in the back of his throat that he would disguise as a throat clearing. An involuntary show of fury.

I knew him too well.

But he didn’t make the sound. His eyes softened, his eyebrows flattening and his pupils expanding and developing a subtle sheen.

He looked sad.

But that couldn’t be it. After all this, after Maya and all of the conflict between us lately, he couldn’t possibly be sad at the thought of me returning from some secluded bush with someone else.