Chapter 7
He stared at me. I could tell his mind was frenetic with speculation. His mouth was twisted to one side, eyebrows furrowed.
I felt sure he was about to accuse me of something, though I wasn’t sure what.
He peered through the window into Maya’s room.
“She’s waking up,” he muttered. “We’ll talk later.”
“Nurse,” he called in the general direction of the VIP charge desk, “come in here and check on this patient.”
He didn’t wait to see if he’d been heard or acknowledged.
He swept back into the room to see what Maya needed, quickly followed by a young nurse.
I exhaled deeply, lungs screaming in relief. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath.
It was days before I saw him again. He didn’t return to the pack house, even at night.
I was sure the doctor had said Maya only needed one day of observation, but that must not have been enough for Hunter.
I was crouched over my work and didn’t hear them enter the Delta office at first.
“Kara,” he snapped, making me jump.
Maya was following a half step behind Hunter, hidden partially behind his broad frame.
She looked shaken, like the attack had happened minutes, not days, earlier.
I’d spent much of the last few days trying to solve the mystery of why the rogues would target her directly, in that way.
I’d come up with nothing.
Did she know? I wondered if Hunter would leave her on her own long enough for me to ask her.
“Which one’s your desk?” He asked softly, placing his hand on the small of her back.
She nodded toward her desk.
Hunter’s head snapped over to me.
“Why do you have her in that desk?” He growled. “It’s the furthest one from you. And that chair doesn’t look comfortable. And where’s that draft coming from? How is she supposed to continue recovering like this?”
I sighed. His protectiveness stung because it wasn’t for me, but it was also especially irritating when it seemed to insinuate that I wasn’t doing my job well or being a good supervisor.
“That desk was the only one open, the chair is the newest and most comfortable, and it has the best view out the—”
“I don’t need excuses, Kara. I need you to fix it.”
Laila stood and marched toward him. I willed her not to talk back to him, but didn’t have the energy to intervene.
“Everyone has the same setup, and Kara was back to work the same day she was injured,” Laila said. “She’s Chief Delta, but she’s been here all hours doing whatever job you gave her, without any special treatment. She’s barely slept or eaten, and—”
She broke off at the rage etched across Hunter’s face. She looked down at her feet. Her cheeks grew flushed.
I braced myself for him to start yelling.
But Maya let out a barely perceptible whimper. Hunter’s attention switched to her as if he were magnetized to her upset.
“Hunter, I don’t want any special treatment,” Maya said quietly. She bit her lip and her cheeks were flushed. It looked like she was trying not to cry. This wasn’t a performance, I realized. She was embarrassed and didn’t want this.
Hunter gave her a cold look, the first time I’d noticed him doing so.
He hefted the large iron desk over his head and walked toward his own office, depositing it right outside.
He grabbed one of the padded chairs from the conference table and pushed it toward the desk, tossing a footstool no one ever used in its wake. It clattered to rest under the desk.
“Prepare everything she needs, Kara,” he snapped at me. “No details overlooked.”
He bent and whispered in her ear.
“Take care, love. Let me know if you need me.”
Love? Those three days in the hospital had certainly progressed their relationship.
I was sure he hadn’t expected anyone to hear. In fact, I wasn’t sure how I had, from this distance away.
Perhaps pregnancy was heightening my senses. I felt almost as sharp as I did in my wolf form.
Maya sidled up to me at the coffee maker a few minutes after Hunter left.
I palmed the decaf coffee pod I was holding. I didn’t want anyone to ask why I’d cut down on my caffeine intake.
“He’s just concerned about me being alone, because I’m new, I think. Please don’t misunderstand what it—”
She trailed off, looking down at my still bandaged wrist.
I pulled my sleeve down to hide it. I didn’t want any sympathy, or to make her feel worse than she already did.
“Your health is what matters most,” I replied calmly, smiling at her.
A smile lit the corners of her mouth. Her happiness was quick to return, unrestrained. It accented her beauty, which was substantial: dark hair flowing in waves to mid back; river green eyes; dark lips and long lashes I was fairly certain were untouched by makeup.
I could see why Hunter liked her.
I went back to my work, but was soon back at the door of the break room. The coffee had been a mistake, and my stomach was roiling. I needed ginger tea instead.
I stopped short when I saw Maya leaning against the wall outside the door, wiping away tears.
“What’s wrong?” I started, concerned, but she held a finger up to her lips and shook her head.
“I don’t want to make any trouble,” she whispered. “I’m just waiting until they leave so I can go in and get my medicine.”
I paused and immediately heard whispering voices inside.
“I think it’s too much of a coincidence,” a voice said. I was fairly sure that was Elle. “She turns up, then there’s the attack, and Hunter starts treating Kara like garbage—”
“Do you mean you think she’s here for some reason other than what she’s saying?” another whisper replied. Laila, I thought.
“I’m just saying I wish we knew more about her background.”
“Do you think she’s his mate, or he’s just infatuated with her?”
“She’s young and gorgeous, I can’t argue with that. Enough that he seems to be casting Kara aside.”
“Do you believe the rumors about them, then?”
“Well they’re more than Alpha and Chief Delta to each other, that’s for sure. Or they were.”
“His feelings for Maya can’t be as deep as they are for Kara, if you’re right about that.”
“I don’t know. And if he is falling for Maya, the question becomes who will he choose for his Luna in the end?”
Maya and I locked eyes.
