Page 12 of Hunted

She knew she should be focusing on her surroundings, planning her escape, but she still felt like she’d been sucker punched.

Gunn. Was. Here.

Right here, and every time he’d touched her in that room, she’d felt like her skin was being burned. She still felt it now whenever they accidentally brushed against each other.

He was as huge and hot and muscular as ever, with an even more dominant presence. He smelled like musk and forest in a way that made her mouth water.

Used to make her mouth water, she tried to correct herself. But her wolf had woken up at the first scent of him, and was scratching at her insides.

Stop that, she said. He never cared about us. He’s a criminal, and he’s probably going to torture us until he gets what he wants.

Bad phrasing. It immediately conjured up memories of the exquisite ways he used to torture her, wild and gentle, making her whole body light up with want and need. She couldn’t think about that. It was over and done—and if he tried it now, she’d rip his balls off.

Focus, Mikey. Use your training. Analyze your surroundings while you have the chance.

The two larger buildings were also guarded front and back, like the small one. From what she could see through the lighted windows, one was the medical center, where they were keeping Harrelson. The other, the largest, had more guards, and communication arrays on the roof.

It looked familiar. In fact, it looked eerily similar to the Enforcers’ command center at Michelangela’s home pack, in Silverlake, Idaho.

Startled, she swept her gaze around the compound again, this time looking for what wasn’t there. She couldn’t be sure in the darkness, but unlike Silverlake, there appeared to be no community center, no playing fields or baseball diamond, no playground for kids. Nothing but trucks and military vehicles in the parking areas.

Armed guards at the main buildings. She hadn’t heard him assign any to the command center a minute ago, which meant he didn’t have to. It was guarded all the time.

This wasn’t a normal wolf pack. It was a paramilitary installation.

Her stomach went cold. Whatever Gunn was mixed up in now, it was way bigger than she would have imagined. Black ops? Organized crime?

And that meant she was in more danger than she’d believed. The more she knew about this place, the less likely it was she’d ever be allowed to leave.

Gunn silently led her towards the building she’d pegged as his quarters. At first glance it looked like an ordinary cabin—wood siding and a front porch with a bench next to the door. Except, of course, for the armed man in full combat gear standing by the door.

And his buddy out back. If she was getting out of here after she was taken inside, it probably wasn’t through the doors.

But there were other ways. There was always a way.

Gunn led her up the steps, which were faced with wood but felt solid underneath, like concrete. That made her wonder what the wood siding concealed, especially when she saw the door. Reinforced steel, with a keycode lock.

She tried to get a glimpse of the code when Gunn opened the door, but he just gave her a knowing look, flipped a panel up and used his thumbprint. The door clicked open.

Inside it was laid out like a cabin—an open eat-in kitchen and a small living area with a stone fireplace. But the fireplace was swept clean, and the only furniture in the living area was a large conference table surrounded by beat-up chairs, with file cabinets lining the walls. There were claw marks down the center of the table, and some of the chairs looked chewed.

Clearly someone had difficulty keeping control during meetings. Another sign of dissention in the ranks?

Michelangela raised her eyebrows at Gunn. “Homey,” she commented. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”

Gunn shrugged. “The former alpha lived up the mountain. I, on the other hand, prefer to be further away from the Sanchez cousins.”

Former alpha? A few puzzle pieces clicked into place. “So you’re the alpha now? Is that why you came back here?”

“More or less.”

That set her mind racing. Had Gunn killed the old alpha and taken over? Was that the tension she’d sensed between him and the other men in the interrogation room?

Or had something happened to the former alpha, and he’d come back because his pack needed him? Was that why he’d left her?

Don’t try to paint him as a good guy, she warned herself. Going down that road was stupid enough the first time.

Gunn led Mikey over to the kitchen table and pushed her into a chair. She should have resisted, but she was suddenly so tired. Bone tired.