Page 18 of Hunter

Ah…the Alpha. Her thoughts were drawn back to Hunter, the way he’d played the piano, then her. Recalling his touch, gooseflesh broke across her skin, a shiver running through her body. No Willa. Stop thinking about him. It’s never going to happen. It’s all a lie.

What she hadn’t told him was how she’d hated being on her own. She’d never deliberately chosen to go rogue. The only choice she’d ever made was to protect her family. They’d all gone their separate ways so as to survive. If anyone ever found out their lineage…they’d be at risk.

Staying in Jackson Hole put Teton Wolves in danger. She’d leave in the morning as promised.

Willa released an audible breath and stretched her neck from side to side. She glanced at the small pile of bags near the dresser. Although she’d spent so many years away from civilization, she recognized the expensive brands. Versace. Hermes. Chanel. A small smile formed on her lips. The vampire did have a taste for things other than blood, that was for sure.

But as her fingers trailed over the healing bite marks, she remained guarded. Willa planned on keeping her distance and not tempting fate. No matter how nice he appeared, it was a vampire’s nature to feed, and there was no way in Hell she was going to be on the menu.

“Where’s the vampire?” She asked as they drove to the bar. Even with her shifter vision, the endless darkness of the plains gave the illusion of them disappearing.

“He prefers to flash.” Hunter glanced toward Willa. “It’s his thing.”

She gave a small smile. “I want you to know…about me leaving. Today, what happened.” Willa struggled to articulate her feelings. “It’s just…I don’t want anything to happen to anyone here in your pack. These wolves are going to come at me again. They…” Know who I am. “Know that I’ve been developing something.”

“Developing something? Just what kind of doctor are you?” the Alpha asked.

“Some people fix cars. I fix people. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I also have a degree in archeology, so I try to mix the two.”

“A bit of an overachiever?”

“You know how it is as immortals. We live a long time.”

“That we do,” he agreed.

“When I decided to become a physician, there weren’t many female doctors. But it didn’t matter. I pursued it. Then I traveled the world. The more I traveled, the more I learned. Countries. Cultures. History. Humans. Paranormal creatures. But I always had the same intention no matter what I learned.”

“And what was that?”

“I wanted to heal people. Humans are the same all across the world. They experience happiness. Heartbreak. They have strong spirits, but the reality is that they’re fragile. They get sick. Die.” Willa’s thoughts drifted to all those she’d seen suffer, heaviness filling her chest. “Even wolves can be killed, I suppose.”

“I get you but it’s all the more reason to stay within the pack. There’s safety in numbers.”

“But what if you couldn’t live in a pack? We all take different paths. Being rogue doesn’t necessarily mean you’re evil.”

“No one said that. But it’s true that a lot of rogues can’t settle. The ones who can’t manage to forge a connection with another wolf, they’re often looking for trouble.” Hunter made a sharp right turn down a single lane road.

“Am I looking for trouble? What about you?”

“First of all, I’m pack. I’m Alpha. And you’re…you’re,” he stammered, “you’re not evil.”

“But you judge rogues as if you know everything. How do you know I’m not evil?” she challenged. “Who knows what Hell did to me? Maybe I was evil before they took me.”

“This isn’t my first time to the rodeo, sweetheart. There’s two things I can detect. Evil and bullshit. And you’re definitely not evil. I’m not sure about the second one just yet. No offense, but there’s some missing pieces.”

“You’re an Alpha. There’s a difference between bullshit and being cautious. I just met you. I don’t know if I can trust you.” A smirk crossed her face. “No offense.”

“You trusted me enough at the piano,” he countered.

“I…we…we were playing.” The memory of his hands on her skin rushed to her thoughts and she fought the arousal.

“Yeah, we sure were. Or maybe I was playing you and you were…”

“Stop.” Willa’s cheeks flushed. “It doesn’t matter.” She sighed, her focus drawn back to the topic of conversation. “I’m not though. Just so you know. I’m not evil. But I am independent.”

“Told ya. But as for the rogues? There’s no reason to choose that life. Being rogue is not what we’re meant to do. Wolves weren’t created to live outside of packs and be happy. It’s not the way it works.”

“Belonging to a pack isn’t in the cards for someone like me. The world is my pack.”