The Hunted Wolf Page 3

  “Uh, I’ll go talk to Alicia,” he said quickly, disappearing through the open door.

  “I don’t need your help, Sophie.”

  “I don’t care what you need. You’re not going out there without me.”

  “Why not?” I asked her. She paused for a moment, pursing her lips, a displeased look on her face.

  “Are you ready?” she asked. “We can go now.”

  “Do you even know what we’re doing?”

  “We’re hunting down these witches. We’re gonna find that house,” she said. “We’re both in this. You’re going to have to get over it. This whole stoic macho man thing is tiring and irritating. Grow up.”

  I stared at her for a moment, taken aback by her bluntness. My mouth opened to speak but I couldn’t find any words.

  “That’s right,” she said. “Do that. Just don’t talk.”

  “You just don’t want me pointing out the obvious,” I said slowly.

  “The obvious?” she asked, lifting her brow, giving me a dangerous look.

  “You seem to find reason after reason to keep me close to you,” I said to her.

  She snorted.

  “You think it’s because I like you?”

  “Why else?”

  “Because if you get yourself killed—” she cut herself off.

  “What, Sophie?” I prompted her softly. She didn’t respond, but turned around.

  “Let’s go. And don’t talk to me. We’re not friends and I do not like you.”

  “We’ll start tomorrow,” I said to her. “I think you need some time to cool down.”

  She let out a disgruntled noise, slamming my door behind her.

  Chapter 5: Alicia

  “Jackson,” I said when I opened the door, looking up to see a half-grin on his face.

  “Morning, doc,” he said.

  “H—hi,” I stammered when I glanced at his lips, remembering his kiss. “What are you doing here? We don’t have an appointment.”

  “No appointment. You and I have an assignment.”

  “An assignment?”

  “I went to the lion caves yesterday to find out about the mauling that went on here by one of their own. I spoke to princess Elina. She says that there are people who are dying in the same way ours have been dying.”

  “Who are the lions?” I asked in confusion. “Where?”

  “There are caves on the other side of the park,” he told me. “A pride of lion shifters lives in this huge system of caves that they’ve carved out.”

  “How many are there?”

  “More than here. Two hundred or so, depending on how many have died.”

  “Wow,” I said in wonder. “I knew there were other shifters in the park, but I didn’t know they were organized. Are there others?”

  “Not...really,” he said. “But there are a lot of birds in the forest miles from here. They stay in animal form so they don’t really live as humans.”

  “That’s incredible,” I said. “Can we go see them, too?”

  “You’re looking forward to this?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “I love meeting shifters. I’ve never met a big cat before.”

  “They’re dangerous,” he warned. “If they’re on the big side, it’d usually take three or four wolves to fend off a lion attack.”

  “You and Gabriel managed,” I said.

  “Gabriel as Alpha has superior strength,” he said.

  “I see,” I said to him, my pulse speeding up at the look in his eyes. I looked away from him rather than falling into his gaze.

  “Can...someone else come with me?” I asked him. “I can go with Harley.”

  “I’m afraid not. The princess will be wanting to deal with me.”

  “Oh,” I said, taking a deep breath. “It’s just that...I’m not comfortable—”

  “Do I make you uncomfortable, doc?” he asked with a frown.

  “Not really, I just have a hard time—”

  “Controlling yourself?” he asked, eyes glittering on mine, piercing through me.

  “No,” I said quickly. “I just don’t like all the flirting.”

  “No flirting,” he said. “I promise. I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

  “You swear?” I asked him. He gave a serious nod.

  “Thank you,” I said in relief. “Let me get my things. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  I went into my room and threw several things together, enough for two or three days. When I emerged, he was standing in the doorway with his hands behind his back, and gave me a gracious nod as we left.

  “So how long will it take us to get to the caves?”

  “The hike is around eight hours,” he said, taking my bag from me without asking and slinging it over his shoulder. “Think you can handle that?”

  “Yes,” I responded, feeling excited as we left the village and passed into the woods. I felt nervous, too, walking beside Jackson, and forced myself to keep a straight face, not looking at him at all.

  “You said that there was a lion princess?” I asked him. “Like a real monarchy?”

  “Yes. There’s a queen and her two daughters, princesses Elina and Selene. Women rule in the lion caves. There are no male royals.”

  “Really? How does that work?” I asked him.

  “Do you know of old blood shifters?” I asked her.

  “Like Gabriel?”

  “Gabriel, Harley, and myself come from old blood. So do the lionesses—they choose their breeding partners from a pool of eligible old-blooded males, but he does not marry into the family.”

  “What exactly does old blood mean?”

  “It’s means our families are descended directly from wolves who were just animals. We were the original shifters. Old blood is highly valued in the lion caves, not so much among the wolves.”

  “But you take it seriously,” I queried.

  “Yes,” he said. “I take my family and my duty to our Alpha very seriously.”

  “So you’d risk your life for him? What has he ever given you?”

  “He’s—that’s not how it works. I owe him my life. His family spared mine a long time ago, out of mercy.”

  “Gabriel is not a merciful man,” I pointed out.

  “He’s not. But that doesn’t make him any less entitled to my protection.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” I said to him. He glanced over at me.

  “Why?”

  “You’ll get yourself killed for him and for what? Is he ever kind to you? Does he care about anyone at all?”

  “He does,” Jackson said. “He cares for the village. He cares for the humans there, and the ranger in particular. He just doesn’t show it.”

  “If you say so,” I said doubtfully. Gabriel was the coldest, harshest man I had ever met, so sharp and rigid that it seemed nothing would ever get through to him, no kindness or mercy at all.

  “I do. I understand why he rules the way he does.”

  “Do you agree with his way of doing things?” I asked him. He paused for a moment before shaking his head.

  “It’s not how I would lead. There’s a certain level of austerity in the village. Everything is so...muted. There’s no noise or music or laughing crowds.”

  “And that’s the kind of thing you like?”

  “I like warmth,” he said. “I love it when the world and its people are open and welcoming.”

  “I see.” It went quiet for a moment as we walked beside each other.

  “Does the rest of the village know about the lion shifters?” I asked him, desperate to fill the increasingly tense silence between us.

  “Not all of them. We have an uneasy real estate agreement that involves keeping out of each other’s way. There’s no need for most of our people to know that the lions live in the park.”

  “What do the lions think of the wolves? The same?”

  “From what I remember, most of the lions are familiar with the village. At least, they know it’s here. Most of them are fine with it, b
ut there are a few who believe that we should be serving the royals in the village.”

  “Why?”

  “The lions have been here longer. Some believe that the wolves are intruding on their territory.”

  “What do the royals think?”

  “The royals do their best to stay away from us. They keep the peace.”

  “How do you know all this?” I asked him. “If most of the village is unaware.”

  “I was...friends with the princess when we were young, eighteen or so. I went there often.”

  “Friends?” I asked.

  “A bit more, maybe,” he said to me.

  “Great,” I said stiffly. “Am I going to have to deal with you two—”

  “No,” he said quickly, cutting me off. “I have no interest in the princess. Elina is not who I want.”

  “Oh,” I said. He stopped then, his expression sheepish, and he seemed reluctant to speak.

  “What is it?” I asked him. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and let out a deep breath.

  “I told Elina that you’re my natural mate.”

  “Your what?” I asked.

  “Uh, all old blood shifters have natural mates. Someone they were born to be with. The bond between a shifter and their natural mate is unbreakable. Elina knows I wouldn’t be able to touch her.”

  “Did she want you to touch her?” I asked, feeling a hint of discomfort roil in the pit of my stomach.

  “She asked me to spend the night with her, yes. I had to tell her something. I told her that I was mated and your name slipped out, I—”

  “Couldn’t you just...say no?” I asked him in bewilderment.

  “It’s not that simple,” he said. “Displeasing the princess or any of the royals is a dangerous game, especially when it comes to their mates. The lionesses get what they want and do not accept no for an answer. Old blood lionesses have been known to kill the mates of shifters they want to be available for them, and it’s a hell of a lot more dangerous to get between a shifter and his natural mate than it is with a regular pairing. They know better.”

  “Why is it so dangerous?”

  “If you were in trouble, I would be stronger, almost unstoppable in trying to protect you. Many old blood shifters see regular shifters as disposable and unworthy.”

  “Not me,” I said. “You mean your natural mate. Not me, specifically.”

  He stared at me for a moment, lips twitching into a slight smile.

  “Right,” he said as we started to walk again.

  “I don’t like it,” I said to him.

  “I’m sorry, doc. I couldn’t think of anything else in the moment.”

  “So what does it mean?” I asked him. “What do I have to do?”

  “Pretend we’re in love,” he said in a soft voice. “Can you do that?”

  “I don’t—no, I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve never...been in love. I don’t really feel things like that.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sentimental,” I said to him. “Love isn’t really my thing.”

  “I see,” he said. “And why is that?”

  “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, avoiding his eye.

  “It’s okay if you don’t know how to act. Follow my lead,” he said. I swallowed hard, wondering what that meant, what would happen between us while we performed a relationship.

  “What if I can’t?” I asked him.

  “I’ll try to make it easy for you,” he said. “You just have to trust me.”

  I looked over at him, feeling hesitant to agree. I suddenly wanted to go back, afraid of what would happen if for some reason I had to kiss him in public, if we really had to perform and touch and get close.

  “What if the princess doesn’t believe us?” I asked him. “Does it matter?”

  “Elina will do what she has to in order to get what she wants.”

  “And what she wants is you.”

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s always been that way.”

  “I guess you must be irresistible,” I said to him. He laughed.

  “I wish that was the case,” he said, meeting my eye.

  “Why?” I asked him, though I hadn’t meant to say the word. I knew what he was going to say and something in the back of my mind screamed to stop him from saying it, but the deepest part of me wanted to hear the words from his lips.

  “Because you’re resisting. Because you keep looking at me like all you can think about is riding my cock. It’s driving me absolutely batshit crazy.”

  “Oh,” I whispered, not quite expecting that. I felt my whole body flush at once and I tore my eyes from his, looking straight forward.

  “I don’t think about things like that,” I said to him in a crisp voice.

  “Never?” he asked in amusement.

  “No, never. I’m not interested in that sort of thing. It’s not worth the time.”

  “It would be worth every minute, doc,” he said. “I promise you that.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said. “You know better. You know exactly how good it’d feel to let go and let me fuck you for hours. That’s why you’re so nervous.”

  “You think pretty highly of yourself,” I said. He chuckled.

  “I’ll let you deny it. I’m not going to push.”

  “Good,” I said, still blushing, hiding my face behind my hair. I stared ahead as the mountain and the caves started to come into view, and I drank in the beauty of them as we got to the base.

  “Stand still,” he said to me. “Put your hands up.”

  “Okay,” I said, doing as he said. A moment later we were surrounded by three lions, who shifted in front of us.

  “You’re the doctor and the wolf,” one of them said.

  “That’s us,” said Jackson. “Elina is waiting for us.”

  “Come with me,” she commanded. I looked around as we did, scanning around the caves as we started to climb a staircase etched into the stone up to the first rock. We climbed up a series of staircases and ladders, though the guards in their lion form jumped easily from one rocky platform to the next. Jackson helped me up as we went, and I felt something radiate through my skin every time I took his hand, especially when he looked me in the eye while helping me up, his fingers lingering for an instant on mine. Each time that instant grew longer, and I had to force myself to pull away when his fingers brushed the inside of my wrist, pulling me up onto the last ledge that led to one of the caves. We went inside and I saw how massive the cave actually was—that it branched off in all directions. I wondered how deep it went into the mountain, and hoped that I’d get a chance to explore before we left the caves for good.

  We made our way upward and into an open room with a waterfall pouring through the center. Around the back of the waterfall was a raised platform with three thrones, each of them more dazzling than the last.

  “I will go get the queen,” the guard said.

  “I was supposed to meet with the princess Elina,” Jackson said.

  “The queen and princess Selene would like to speak to you both as well.”

  “Okay,” Jackson said, hesitation in his voice. We exchanged a glance that lingered as the guards disappeared and then reappeared with three women, two young and one older. The queen was stunning with thick white hair tumbling over her shoulder, large golden eyes and a heavy white cape over her shoulders. Her daughters had the same yellow eyes, one of them with long golden curls, the other with her hair cropped short. The long-haired daughter gave Jackson a flirty smile when she walked in, not even glancing in my direction. I knew she was Elina, which meant the princess with the short cropped hair and men’s clothing was the other sister, Selene.

  “Your highness,” Jackson said, bowing to the queen and her daughters. “Elina, Selene. Thank you for seeing us.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I added. All three women turned their eyes to me. Elina was giving me a slightly cold look, but Selene simply looked curious, wh
ile the queen’s expression was mostly blank and unreadable.

  “You’re a human doctor?” Selene asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “I’ve studied shifters throughout my schooling.”

  “Why?” she asked curiously.

  “I thought they were fascinating,” I said to her.

  “I thought that shifters were a secret from most humans.”

  “I’ve known about the shifters my whole life. I come from a family that is familiar with your species.”

  “I see,” Selene said. Elina cleared her throat, a cool, polite smile on her face as she regarded me. The look in her eyes was sharp and annoyed, somehow twisting her gorgeous features into something threatening and ugly to me.

  “How are you going to help us beyond what our own doctors were able to do?”

  “You had doctors?” Jackson asked.

  “They are dead now,” the queen said, speaking for the first time. “We had doctors. No longer.”

  “I can try to help you. I’ve been looking at the wolves for symptoms or signs of something that might be causing this. I found something...interesting in the last body I examined postmortem.”

  “What’s that?” Selene asked. I looked over at her face, just as strikingly beautiful as her sister’s, her features regal and cat-like, with penetrating eyes.

  “It was a symbol burnt into the inner layer of skin—a cross with an x through it.”

  “I’ve seen that before,” Selene said.

  “Where?” Jackson asked her in an eager voice.

  “It was written in the dirt above the empty graves,” Selene said.

  “Empty graves?” I asked. She exchanged a glance with her mother before looking at me again.

  “We’ve started burning our bodies. We found one of the graves disturbed and discovered that the body was missing. We dug up others; everyone who dropped dead had been taken out of their graves. Now we burn them,” Selene said.

  “Do you know where they’re going?”

  “Not at all,” the queen said.

  “You two don’t seem like you’re natural mates,” Elina interjected, looking between me and Jackson.

  “We are,” Jackson said. “Alicia is just—she takes her job very seriously.”