Page 40 of Hunter

“This. Whatever’s going on between us…” Hunter locked his eyes onto hers. “was not irrelevant. You know it and I know it. You can try to go rogue. You can live alone in the middle of the rainforest. But this thing…us…it can’t be undone. It’s far from irrelevant. I suspect the opposite is true.”

“I…I…we shouldn’t discuss this. Not now.” Not in front of Julian. Not ever. If she spoke the words, it might confirm her suspicion about the Alpha.

“I need you to come with me. You can talk with your brother later. Until I check this out with Jake, I don’t want you here with this guy.”

“You can’t separate us.” Willa stepped backward, putting distance between them as her traitorous body tingled in arousal, her wolf craving him.

“You’re wrong, doctor. I’m Alpha. This is my house. My property. My wolves. I may not be able to keep him from trying to escape but under no circumstances am I going to risk your safety by letting you stay here.” He pinned her with a hard stare as her defiant eyes flashed back at him.

“Save that anger for whoever else put you in Hell. Not for me. Now come along, Willa,” he ordered.

Rage boiled in her gut. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her emotions. She shot a look at her brother, who smiled. Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “Is something funny?”

“Ah little sister, something brews between you and the Alpha. This is an unexpected turn of events. If I weren’t so happily flying solo, I’d almost be jealous I’m alone but last time I checked…” Julian paused, his gaze in thought. “No. Single works. Yeah, I’m good.”

“There’s nothing funny about this,” Willa snapped at her brother.

“Go with the Alpha. I’m not going anywhere. Jake will vouch for me.”

“Fine.” Willa took a large step around Hunter, ignoring him as she headed out the door.

“She’s going to be a tough one. Good luck there, Alpha,” Julian laughed.

“I don’t need luck. You should be worrying about yourself.”

Willa quickly exited the guest room, striding through the hallway, toward the staircase.

“You can’t outrun me,” he called after her.

“You don’t have any idea what I can do. I need to borrow your cell phone. Now. I’ll have money wired to a local bank, so I can get us out of here.”

“Us?” he questioned.

“Us.” Willa spun on her heels to face him, her heart pounding. “As in Julian and me. I don’t know what that little display was back there but I’m a grown woman. I’ve survived on my own without you or any other wolves. Especially not an Alpha .” She mimicked quote marks in the air with her fingers. She shook her head and pulled her long hair into a ponytail, twisting at it.

“You can’t just leave,” he told her.

“No. I actually can. You can either let me borrow your phone or I’ll shift and run as wolf to the closest human police station and claim I’ve been abducted. Or have amnesia. Any excuse. I need to go. You should trust me.”

“And why should I do that exactly? Because we had sex? Sorry sweetheart but it’s not my first time at the rodeo. That guy in there. He could be your brother or not. I must have lost the good sense I was born with to think we…”

“Don’t even say it. I know…” Sex? That’s all it was to him? “You probably do this all the time, but I don’t.”

“What’s going on between us. You and I both know what happened back there,” Hunter glanced to his bedroom and back to Willa. “But you’re not going anywhere. And neither is he. You can use my phone to make a few phone calls but it’s not safe for you to leave.”

“Julian and I can go.” Willa sucked a deep breath, attempting to remain calm. “What happened between us. It was regrettable.”

“Regrettable is it now? You go from screaming my name like I’m a God to calling what we did regrettable ? Wow, okay then.”

“There are things about Julian and me you don’t know. What I did with the serum must be addressed as soon as possible. I can’t wait until you straighten things out with the humans and vampires. I’m quite sure the wolves who captured me have moved on.” Because they know I’m going home. “I appreciate you saving me, but I’m not part of your pack. You can’t tell me what to do like you do your other wolves. Whatever happened with us…” Sadness danced in her eyes and she struggled to control her expression.

“Was regrettable,” Hunter gritted out. “Got ya.”

“I’m sorry.” Willa’s mind clouded with at least ten pithy replies yet all she could do was apologize. What the hell was happening? Her senseless attraction to the Alpha hindered her judgement.

“You need a phone? There’s one in my bedroom on the nightstand.” Hunter gestured down the hallway. “I suggest you get dressed, come down and get something to eat. Nothing’s changed as far as I’m concerned. You promised earlier that you wouldn’t run. We’ll go together. You’re right about one thing. I’m not your Alpha.”

Willa opened her mouth to interrupt but the words never came. Her chest tightened. My Alpha. That’s what she’d called him in bed.