Page 42 of Hunter

“Yeah well, that’s the thing. I rescued this doctor. Willa.”

“Ah…a female.” Silence.

“She’s…” Hunter debated his choice of words, knowing Jake listened carefully, “special.”

“Special, huh? Special as in demon? Or special as in hot as fuck?” Jake laughed.

“Well, yeah. I guess you could say she’s attractive.” Hot as fuck. His dick twitched, as his thoughts drifted to making love to her. “This isn’t about how she looks. It’s more about this thing she does. Her energy.” Here we go with the crazy again. “Ya see, she does this glowin’ thing sometimes. Not like a fae or anything. She’s a wolf. All wolf. I know because I’ve seen her shift. She’s…” Beautiful. Trouble. My mate. “A rogue.”

“That’s goin’ to be a tough one.”

“Tougher than you think. Got some issues with a pack of rogues that sold Willa to Hell for a ransom. Now that she’s out, they’re itching for trouble. They roughed up a human in town here looking for her. They also blew up the blood club. Murdered vamps and humans. A real fucking mess. I killed one of them but the other five are still on the loose. And there happens to be this other wolf. Yet another rogue. Says he had a hand in catching one, that he’s not involved.”

“Yeah?”

“So, Willa is telling me this dude’s her brother.”

“Okay. What’s up?”

“You know I’ve been in Wyoming a long time, yeah. Eighty years ago or so, I left NOLA. I’ve got the house, but I’m not involved with Acadian Wolves or Logan’s pack business. There were years I was gone I may have missed a few things. Now, I usually make it my business to know what’s doin’, but I understand you had a brother. And this wolf. There’s no easy way to say this but he says his name is Julian.”

“I gotta tell you I don’t see him often. And by often, I mean I don’t usually know where the hell he is. But he texted recently, maybe two or three weeks ago, which is pretty unusual. Said he’s out our way. Montana. No, Idaho.”

“This Julian can’t be the same Julian because I know you’d know Willa.” Hunter’s patience drew thin as his words were met with silence. “What? What is it?”

“Now listen. I don’t know if this wolf is really him, but Julian is my brother. Not by blood though. So, it’s possible he’s got siblings or family I don’t know about. It’s not like Ma would tell me if she had a good reason not to. That being said, I don’t have any direct knowledge of him having a sister. But who the hell knows?”

“What?” Hunter asked, his blood pressure beginning to rise.

“Yeah, you know Ma and Pa. They loved a good cause. And Julian was nothin’ but. My parents moved around a lot. We weren’t always with Acadian Wolves. And Julian. I don’t know. He was always special. Strong as shit. The thing with the skin? Ma swore us to secrecy about that trick. She’d whip my hide now just for talking to you about it. There’re some family secrets you just don’t tell. I know the Alphas knew. Marcel was in on it but that don’t mean he went around tellin’ everyone. If this Willa’s glowin’, maybe they’re related.”

Hunter’s stomach clenched. Willa. “She’s still in danger.”

“I don’t know what to tell ya. Ma was kind of hush hush about things.”

Hunter closed his eyes, a rush of air escaping from his lungs. Their elders kept secrets. As an Alpha, he’d thought he’d earned the right to know all. After all these years, apparently, he didn’t. Shit.

“You don’t think your mom would care to elaborate at this point?”

“Hunter, my man.” Jake laughed. “You know there’s no way Ma is goin’ to tell you. She’ll tell you a million stories about Jules, but that’s about it. Even after his ass went rogue, she wouldn’t hear a negative word. Special. Unique. Blessed. That is what she’d call him.”

“And what would you say?”

“I’d say I was pissed. He’s my brother. I loved him. And then one day he just ups and leaves us. Doesn’t want to run with pack. Doesn’t even tell me where he went. I don’t know. I guess I see it a little differently now that I’m older. What if he thought he’d challenge the Alpha? Maybe he thought he’d kill Marcel? I still think that’s why he left. I know how that feels and lemme tell ya something, Hunter. It sucks. You and Tris off and went to other packs. When you don’t have any prospects, and something is tellin’ ya that you’re supposed to be Alpha when all you really want to do is stay with your family…it’s not easy.”

“Yeah, I hear ya. I guess for me though, I never got going rogue. I had a buddy go off a year before I left. He never said he got the call to challenge but one day he was gone too. But not everyone leaves because of that. Some choose to run rather than consistently submit. These aren’t good people.”

“For sure, but Jules is different. He’s got good intentions but the boy’s hellfire. He’s got this special thing going on. Trust me, if he’s staying in your house right now it’s because he wants to stay, not because you can keep him there. He’s not going to kill anyone if that’s what you’re worried ‘bout. Without reason anyway. I would like to hear more about this Willa chick. She’s essentially my sister.”

“Exactly. So, the next time you refer to her as hot, you might want to rethink that.” No one was going to think of her as attainable, because she was his.

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about me, bro. I’m mated. But you? You sound wrapped up in this she-wolf for only knowing her a few days. A little somethin’ going on?” Jake laughed.

“Yeah, no.” Definitely, yes. “Hey. I appreciate your help.”

“You bet. Tell Jules I said to get his ass to San Diego. He’s not that far.”

“Yeah, yeah. Will do.”