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“And his food?”
“He wasn’t really hungry.”
Raleigh finally lifts his gaze to meet mine. If I didn’t know better, I would say he was sad, but that doesn’t make any sense.
“Are you from around here?” I ask, changing the subject.
My training kicks in and I know I need to gather all the information I can. Being able to report something back to my father that furthers his cause could finally be the thing that makes him proud of me. He hasn’t been the same since my older brother, Aaron, died in a raid last year. He doesn’t believe I have what it takes to be a hunter and I intend to prove him wrong.
Not even ten miles from where I am standing, one of these shifter animals took his life. Sadness wraps around me like a cloak. I loved my brother more than anything else in this life and I want to avenge what was done to him. We never even had a body to bury.
“Not really,” Raleigh replies. “We’ve only been here about six months.”
“What made you move here, to the middle of nowhere?” I try to smile but I’m not sure it works. My mind isn’t in the game.
He chuckles. “We found something we have been looking for.”
“Oh, that’s cryptic,” I try to joke. “What could that be?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, beautiful.”
Taking my hand, he raises it to his lips, placing a kiss on my knuckles. Again, arousal roars through my veins, and Raleigh smiles like he knows exactly what effect he has on me. Reaching into his pocket he pulls out some money and drops it on the table as he stands.
“I’ll see you soon.”
With those words and a wink, he is gone. I stand there, dumbstruck. Staring at the door after he leaves.
“I wouldn’t mind a piece of that,” Raymond says beside me, startling me out of whatever trance I was in. “But I have a feeling that fine-ass man only has eyes for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I mumble, trying not to blush. “What would a man like that want with someone like me?”
Hell, that isn’t nearly as absurd as the thought of what a shifter would want with me. If this is true, I need to watch my step. I may end up dead, just like my brother.
Raymond stares at me in disbelief. “Girl, do you really not see it? You are stunning. I mean, if I was straight, I would be giving that man a run for his money.”
And there goes that blush…
Chapter Six
Raleigh
I know I told my twin that we need to visit the diner every day and I planned to stay there at least two hours, but I need to get the fuck out of here right now. Hearing Sayer’s wolf howl in pain accompanied by her smell and the feel of her soft skin against mine, is enough to have even me pushed to the brink. My usually well-behaved wolf is pushing at the corners of my mind, demanding to be set free so he can go to his mate.
I don’t allow myself to shift as my brother has done, my wolf may not allow me to hold him back. Instead, I walk around the small town of Katu Falls, trying to breathe through this intense need. I fully intend to stay away from the diner for at least the rest of the day, if not a little longer. I need to keep some distance from Iris. I won’t be able to control myself much longer if I spend too much time with her.
When I finally feel calm enough to be around people, I stop at the quaint little bookstore on Main Street and buy the latest horror novel and make my way to the town square. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful spot and now I will be able to enjoy it. There are a bunch of beautiful trees and lush green grass. Taking a seat beneath one of the large elm trees, I settle in for a read.
I lose myself in the pages, the world the author has carved with his words entrancing me, and lose track of time. Soon the sun starts to creep beneath the horizon.
“Have you been here the entire day?”
The melodious lilt of her voice has my cock stirring in its confines. Closing my novel, I place it on my lap to hide the evidence before smiling up at Iris.
“It’s easy when you have a good book,” I say with a smile.
“I wouldn’t have taken you for someone who enjoys reading,” she chuckles, fidgeting.
I raise a brow at her words. “And what would make you say that? You don’t even know me.” I tease, watching her blush.
