Page 12 of His to Hunt

“What the fuck was that?” Valerie asks, her eyes wide. She lowers her vape without taking another hit.

I don’t answer, because I’m as startled and confused as she is.

Whatever it was, it sounded angry.

I can’t shake the feeling that it was angry at me.

But why?

CHAPTER 4

Victor

Now I know why my mate’s scent has bitter undertones.

I’m fucking livid.

I picked up Taryn’s trail this morning and followed it to the diner where she works. I could sense something was off. The mating bond didn’t feel right. She seemed to be affected by it as well, unless she normally drops forks all day and nearly throws up behind the counter while working the register.

Mother Fate didn’t bring me to Covington. A foolish little girl playing with shit she doesn’t understand did. This isn’t fate or destiny. It’s fucking magic. Worse, I believed it. I came all this way, trusting Mother Fate had finally remembered me.

I stalk deeper into the alley before I slam my fist into the brick again.

“Fuck!” I roar, mortar crumbling beneath my knuckles. But hitting shit doesn’t solve the problem. It just makes me angrier. “Damn it!”

I’ve heard about magic before, but I’ve never encountered it. New Salem is full of people who dress in dark clothing and chant nonsense in front of candles, but that’s not real magic. Not like this. Taryn’s lucky there are no Witch Hunters in this part of the country. They wouldn’t care that she didn’t know what she was doing. They’d just watch her burn.

Once I reach the end of the alley, I step into the shadows and shift into wolf form. I want to run away from Covington as fast as possible, return to my pack and accept the humiliation I deserve. But whether it’s Mother Fate or magic, I’m still drawn to Taryn. My instincts won’t let me flee, because I’ve still got her fucking scent. All of it, even the bitterness of the spell that brought me here.

I stay hidden in the shadows while I wait for her to reemerge from the bar. When she finally appears, I keep my distance as I follow her. I can tell she senses something, but I don’t think she knows what. The mating bond should heighten her senses while it’s still forming. I have no idea what one created by a spell will do. Either way, I’m sure it will be overwhelming for a human, but I don’t give a fuck. She deserves it for messing with shit she doesn’t understand.

Question is, where do I go from here? I’m going to be drawn to her while the mating bond is forming. Once it’s fully formed, I won’t be able to resist her, and she won’t be able to resist me. Then what? Do I fuck her until it’s out of my system and leave her here to rot? That’s pretty fucking cruel, even for a wolf.

It’s not unheard of, though. Some wolves reject their mates. Some mates reject their wolves. There are plenty of reasons why things don’t always work out, even with a fully formed mating bond. One created by magic definitely isn’t going to survive because it isn’t even blessed by Mother Fate. It’s just a fucking abomination.

Too bad I can’t convince my instincts of that. My instincts still pull me to Taryn. I follow her to the bus stop. After the bus arrives, I stay close enough to keep the taillights in sight. It stops several times before Taryn gets off in an upper-class suburban neighborhood. It’s the kind of neighborhood with manicured lawns, wide porches, and houses bigger than most people need.

She seems even more nervous now. Her head snaps toward every noise in the dark. She jumps every time the shadows move. I’m silent and practically invisible when I want to be, so she never notices me. I stalk her to a two-story colonial, but she doesn’t go to the front door. She cuts through the side yard to a sliding glass door that appears to lead to the basement.

My instincts demand that I follow her. Make sure she’s okay. I assume this is where she lives, but she could be burglarizing the place for all I know.

I slip into the shadows near the side of her house and shift. My wolf makes me stealthier, but I don’t want a human to spot a wolf in the middle of suburbia. I haven’t heard any wild howls since I’ve been here, so I don’t think wolves are common in this part of the country.

After I put on my clothes, I sling my backpack over my shoulder and creep along the side of the house. I make it to the sliding glass door where there are curtains, but they aren’t fully closed. I can see Taryn through the glass and it’s dark enough that she shouldn’t be able to see me.

The room behind her is poorly lit. A basement, definitely. Water stains on the walls, barely hidden by vintage posters for various bands. There’s a bed in the corner. A shower and toilet that are just sitting in the open with no privacy. Just a curtain someone strung up that doesn’t even close all the way.

I think my mate lives in this damp, unfinished basement, instead of the luxurious house above it.

That’s all I manage to notice before Taryn steps into view and captivates me completely. The closer I am, the more intense the pull. I’m dangerously close now with nothing between us but a flimsy glass door I could easily breach. It takes a lot of restraint to stay on this side of it.

My mate is attractive. I can’t deny that. She has long auburn hair with a slight curl, eyes that almost look gray, and a curvy figure that would definitely turn my head if I passed her on the street. She’s younger than I usually go for, but magic doesn’t care about the age difference. Mother Fate wouldn’t either, if we were truly meant to be together.

I should turn around. I should look away. But I don’t. I let my instincts and imagination run wild, fingernails digging into the brick beside the sliding glass door.

I watch as she peels off her shirt and unbuttons her jeans. I wouldn’t normally spy on someone like this, but I’m drawn to Taryn in a way that won’t allow me to look away. My dick hardens and pushes against my zipper when she slides her jeans down and I get a view of her gorgeous ass in a pair of black panties.

“Fuck me,” I groan, pressing my hand to the wall.