As we approached, she glanced up, her eyes meeting mine with a fiery intensity that sent a jolt through me. She was fierce, this hunter, and she amused me.
“Took y’all long enough,” she muttered.
I ignored the jab, my focus drawn to the body at her feet. This scene was brutal, even more so than the one before it. The victim was ripped to shreds like the last, but there was a frenzy to it this time that made my stomach churn. The scent of the rogue wolf was stronger here, the stench of his rage clinging to the air.
“He’s escalating,” I growled, crouching down to examine the body. The rain had washed away some of the blood, but the violence was still clear. “This kill is… messier.”
Joanna nodded. She crossed her arms as she looked down at me. “He’s losing control. Whatever’s driving him… it’s getting the best of us. My contact on the police force has buried this, but people will start to ask questions if this doesn’t stop.”
I stood, my eyes scanning the area. “The body is still warm.”Dragging a hand through my hair, I frowned. “We need to track him. Now.”
Joanna raised an eyebrow. “We?” She glanced at Maya. “Where’s your luna?”
I met her gaze. “What makes you doubt this is her?”
She held my stare for a moment before meeting Maya’s. She shifted her weight, assessing. “You haven’t been claimed by a lesser werewolf, let alone an alpha. Even if it was just sex, as an alpha, his scent would be all over you, and all you smell like is wet dog.”
I held out a hand, halting Maya’s charge. My wolf snarled at the keen sense of smell and overall perceptiveness of the hunter.
As long as I’d known her, Maya had never taken a lover. As far as I knew, that sort of thing didn’t interest her the way it did everyone else.
“I’m not mated.”
The truth was, I didn’t want a mate. I wantedmymate. The one the Moon had promised each of her children. I was Alpha, and yet the bond had not kicked in… I was wondering if it ever would. I’d felt stirrings, sure, but never that all-consuming pull that some of my kin described.
Joanna tilted her head, a slow smirk spreading across her face. “So, no alpha female?”She chuckled. “No wonder you’re losing the grip on your territory.”
I stepped closer to Joanna, using my height and towering over her. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
I’d always had a secret fear that perhaps I was defective… not truly meant to lead. But looking into the hunter’s brown eyes, I saw excitement rising deep within her, and her boldness intrigued me, helping me push those negative thoughts aside.
“I don’t need a mate to track a killer, Miss Sullivan. That I can promise.” I let my voice drop, though I knew it wouldn’t sway her in the least. “And if you’re worried about who warms my bed… you’re welcome to apply for the position.” My gaze drifted down her body, a slow, deliberate perusal meant to unnerve her.
She sucked her teeth, not backing down an inch. “Oh, you couldn’t handle me, Mr. Blackwood.” Joanna’s chin lifted, arrogance flashing in her eyes. Her words hung in the air, a challenge that sent a thrill through me. The wolf inside me stirred, eager to take the bait.
I turned to Maya, who was watching the exchange with wary eyes. “Maya.”
She stepped forward, her face hardening. “I’ll secure the area,”she said, peering into the darkness. She understood we couldn’t risk exposure to the humans, not with tensions already running high. She would handle the body to ensure no one stumbled upon the gruesome scene.
I turned back to Joanna, who was watching me with a guarded expression. “It seems you and I are going hunting.”
She didn’t protest. “It went north.” She pointed toward the dense forest bordering the mill. “I can smell it.”
I took a deep breath, sifting through the scents of the night. She was correct. The rogue’s trail led north, a faint but distinct path of violence.
As we moved into the forest, the rain eased, the canopy above shielding us from the worst of it. The trail was clearer here, the wolf’s scent untainted by the city’s muck.
We moved swiftly, Joanna a silent shadow ahead of me, her every movement precise and deliberate. She was a skilled tracker, her instincts honed by hunter magic, no doubt.
I couldn’t tell her age just by looking at her—her black skin was supple and untouched by time—but I admired her prowess, even as my wolf growled at the thought of following behind a human. Before tonight, the only time I’d allow that was if I was taking her from behind, letting her moans and the arch of her back dictate how much of my cock she could handle. How deep she needed me to thrust inside of her.
I shook my head to dispel the vivid, distracting image.
The trail led us deeper into the forest, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. Joannapaused, raising her hand in a silent signal. I stopped, adrenaline sharpening my focus. Up ahead, a cabin was tucked away in the shadows.
We approached with caution, our footsteps muffled by the wet earth. The cabin was small, its windows dark and empty. But the scent was unmistakable. The rogue was here.
Joanna drew her knife, the silver glinting in the faint moonlight. Her body tensed as she settled into a ready stance. She glanced at me, her eyes meeting mine.
