“Thank you.” I slip off my boots and put my sneakers on. When I stand, I take off my jacket and throw it on the steps. I don’t say anything to Hunter because I don’t know what to say. Instead, I run. My vampire vision lets me see well in the dark, and I tear through the woods, needing the release. I make a mental note not to go too far. I already almost burned out earlier. The blood helped, but right now, I’m running just to work out frustration, not to deplete myself. I’m not sure how long I’m out there, but I eventually start making my way back. When I get close to the house, I slow down and walk. I’m a sweaty mess, but I feel better. I think about everything from earlier and feel defeat wash over me. I’ll have to find Ava tomorrow and apologize. It's too late tonight; hopefully, she’s sleeping. Guilt swamps me. She’s been nothing but good to me. When everybody else just saw me as the enemy, she saw me as a person. She deserves better.
I step out of the woods and walk towards the now dark house. “Feel better?” a low voice hits me out of the darkness. I look at the steps and see Hunter sitting on the top step.
“Yes.” My voice is quiet, and I walk towards the steps. “Thank you,” I tell him as I pass him. His hand touches mine, surprising me. I stop and stare down at him.
“Are you okay?” he asks quietly.
“I’m fine.” I start to move forward, but realize his hand is still touching mine. When he doesn’t say anything, I pull my hand away. “I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed.”
I step past him and am almost to the front door when I hear him stand. “Sherese.”
I close my eyes. “What do you want, Hunter?”
“Thank you for standing up for me.”
His words surprise me so much that I turn around. He's close, and I have to look up at him to see him. “What?”
“Earlier, you stood up for me. Nobody but Bryce has ever done that for me before.”
His words make me sad, and this night just feels like too much. “Well, thanks for getting me blood. I guess we’re equal.”
His voice is velvety soft when he speaks next. “And thanks for getting me out of the ring. You did the right thing.”
I’m suddenly curious. It’s probably the exhaustion riding me that makes me ask, “Whywereyou trying to kill the alpha?”
He stares down at me, and I can literally feel the intensity of his gaze. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”
“Why not right now?”
The corner of his lips tug up, and my breathing speeds up. I’m not really sure why. Once again, I blame the exhaustion. “You’re not ready for the answer. Not yet.”
“I’m not a child, Hunter.”
His eyes skim over me, and I stare at him in shock.Was he checking me out? Seriously. I need to go to bed.His eyes meetmine again. “No, you’re not.” His voice is deeper now, and I have a hard time catching my breath.
“I need to go to bed,” I blurt out. I take a step back and fumble for the door handle behind me. I open the door and escape to my room. I close the door behind me and lean against it, trying to catch my breath. “Don’t read into any of it; you’re just tired.” It’s not until I’m in bed a few minutes later that I remember my boots and jacket, but there’s no way I’m going out there to get them, not when it means I have to walk past Hunter.Nope. I’ll just get them in the morning.The events of today crash over me, and I’m pulled into a deep sleep within minutes.
The next morning, I wake up later than usual. I lay in bed for a few minutes, dreading getting out of bed. Everything from last night comes back to mind, and I resist the urge to groan. I force myself out of bed. After a shower, I feel a little better about life. I crack the door to my room. When I don’t hear anybody, I tiptoe out into the hallway. My goal is to make it to the kitchen to grab a blood bag and make it back to my room without being seen. I breathe a sigh of relief when I don’t see anybody on the way. I don’t see Hunter on the couch, so hopefully he’s out letting his wolf run. I grab a blood bag from the fridge and close the fridge door quietly behind me. I’m almost out of the kitchen and feeling good about my success when a voice stops me. “Why are you sneaking around?”
I nearly jump out of my skin. I eye the male standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the wall. “Hunter! You scared me. Where did you come from?”
“You walked right past me. I was in the living room.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” I whisper hiss.
He smirks. “It was more fun to see what you were up to, sneaking around.”
“I’m not sneaking around.”
“You sure about that?”
I shake my head. “Yes.” When he doesn’t move out of my way, I eye him. “Was there something you needed?”
“Nope.”
“Okaaay. Well, then, can you move? Because you’re blocking me from leaving the kitchen.” He stares down at me, smirking. “What?”
“Nothing. Just practicing being enthralled.”
