The Hunted (Sleeping With Monsters Book 2) (4 page)

“I’ll be waiting for
you. I’ll take my car up the ramp.” I nodded at him encouragingly and he turned
away.

We were both silent
while we heard his engine take, and watched his beat up Mazda cruise by, and
then we were mostly alone, at last.

I immediately wanted to
say something and swallowed it. The wolf in me was fast and tough and loved
marrow
and
fighting
and was without deceit – but my human half had learned hard
lessons about reality.  

Instead of speaking,
the man’s fingers reached up to touch my eyebrow, healed now, where it’d been
split open in last week’s bout. It was a strange gesture for a human – for a
man – to make and I fought not to close my eyes in response. Him giving me
attention stirred things in me best left alone. 

“You were magnificent
tonight.”

“Thank you,” I said, my
voice flat.  

“I saw you take that
kick last week,” he said, glancing at my brow. “It didn’t even knock you out.
You move faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.” He shook his head at the
improbability of me.

He’d seen more of my fights
than anyone else had, excepting Javier. I’d been playing it close for months --
did he know my secret? If he did, why did I feel I aroused instead of
threatened?

“You heal quickly. And you
pull your punches every fight.”

I shrugged, forcing calm. “I
didn’t want to kill him.”

“You’d get paid more if you
did.”

“I like to fight for
fighting’s sake. But not like that.” If you killed everyone you went into a
ring with, you’d get a reputation. People would start bringing in knifes or
guns. I was a fighter, not a side-show freak. And if others ever figured out
what I
really
was, they’d all come in with silver – right before my pack
executed me for letting humans find us out.

He took a step back and
studied me. “Have you killed anyone before?”

My eyebrows rose. “Are you
wearing a wire?”

He laughed, holding the
sides of his suit open. His body was lean, the shirt tucked in to fit him. He
had a gun in a side holster, but no other equipment. I wanted to ask to touch
him to be sure -- and for other reasons. From the way he was looking at me, I
didn’t think he’d mind, but watching fights turned a lot of guys on. Whether
he’d admit it or not was the question. I couldn’t afford to guess his
intentions wrong and have him fight me to save his ego. If someone like him
wound up dead, people would care.

“Do I pass?” he asked,
as the corners of his lips quirked up in smug challenge. I wanted to taste
those lips and feel them on my -- inside me, my wolf squirmed.
Blood.

“What do you need a
killer for?” I said, more gruff than was required, trying to play it safe.

“Not a killer -- a bodyguard.”

“Why?”

“I’m about to make some very
bad enemies. I need someone I can trust to watch my back.”

“Surely you know people –“ The
family was rife with thugs.

“I do. But I’d rather find
someone on my own. Someone without a lot of history and obligations. A blank
slate.”

And someone who wouldn’t mind
being in the middle of an internal struggle. It wasn’t wise – but I wanted to
know more. “I’ve never been a bodyguard before. Why me?”

“Your work here.” He jerked
his chin at the makeshift ring. “You’re methodical. Even when you seem like
you’re losing, it’s on purpose. I used to run fights. I know what you’re doing,
luring them in. Playing with them.” While he said the words his eyes didn’t
leave mine. “You must have amazing control to have never killed anyone. Not
even on accident.”

I shrugged roughly again, although
I was flattered by the compliment. “And who says you can trust me?”

“No one. But I’ll pay you
enough to fake it, until you do.” He reached into his pocket then handed me a
wad of cash. 

I took it and pretended to
ponder his offer. The way I was now, I made just enough to get by, as long as I
kept my head down. The money he’d given me was more than I made in a month
splitting earnings with Javier.

But I was a were – which meant
that I couldn’t always be on guard. Not every night.

“I’ll need three nights a
month off.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Because the moon on
those nights would be full enough to make knowing me dangerous.

He tilted his head with a
mysterious smile. “Fair enough.”

“When does it start?”

“Immediately. I’ll expect you
to move into my condo.” He listed off an address on the better side of town.

I blinked. Moving in with him
– it made sense, but I hadn’t thought of that. How could I hide who I was right
under his nose?

I inhaled to say no, but the
cash in my hand was like an anchor – and the tone of his voice like a leash. He
knew what he wanted, and for some strange reason he wanted was me. I liked
that. A tail I didn’t currently have batted, and my throat closed around an
eager whine.
Blood.

“All right.” I nodded, and put
the money in my pocket.

“You don’t want to know what
kind of enemies I’ll be making?”

As long as they were human, it
didn’t matter. “You’re paying me enough not to care.”

“Good. Go get your things then
– and get to my place before dawn.” He turned and stalked away, obedience
expected. I watched the shape of his body that his suit hinted at, his
shoulders, his ass, and inside of me the wolf stirred, hungry for a chase and a
kill or a fuck.
Blood?
Heat sank inside me, making my balls feel full.

I waited until Vincent was
gone and walked over to where Javier’s car was waiting. He saw the look on my
face and rolled his window down. “High class brawls for you now, eh? The big
leagues?” I could see the disappointment in his eyes at my loss, but he had too
much pride to try to guilt me into staying.

“Yeah.” I handed him almost
the whole wad of cash, keeping enough for gas and food. If I wasn’t paying rent
anymore, I wouldn’t need it, and Javier’d always been fair. He did a
doubletake, like the cash might be imaginary, and then tucked it in between the
cushion of his car seat and its frame.

“You remember what I taught
you?” he asked, one rheumy eye blind-blue from his own time in the ring.

“Everything.”

“Good.” He nodded once, and
then hit the side of his car. “If you ever need to fight again down here, let
me know.”

I nodded, and watched him pull
away into the night.

At long last, the Mountain’s
eager friend who’d stayed behind – the cut on his chin making him smell like a
shining penny in the dark – lumbered out from behind a cement pole.

“You cost me a lot of money,
asshole!”

If he’d been smarter, he’d
have jumped me while I’d still had Vincent’s wad. But he wanted a one on one
fight -- plus the knife he was flashing. I grinned at him, feral.

Blood!
my wolf
demanded.

Oh,
yes,
the
rest of me agreed.

The human part of me folded
back, exposing a wolf hungry for
kidneys
and
marrow
.

Humans did sometimes see weres
– it was just that no witnesses ever survived. 

#

I knew it was her when
I saw her attack the other car that’d tried to pick her up. Whoever was inside
it was an idiot -- she didn’t look like the other girls that worked here. She
was too clean, not broken down enough. Although maybe that’s what’d turned him
on, made him bold enough to try.

I started to wonder if
this was one of Syd’s tricks, to try to lure me out of the hills so that he
could punish me for coming into town without the pack’s permission. I squinted,
watching her for any sign – and that’s when his scent hit me.

Like when the driver in
front of you is smoking at a stop light, and you drive through the smoke
they’ve left behind – that’s how the scent of Vincent was on her. I fought not
to be blinded by memories.

“Hey, you,” I said,
loud enough for her to hear.

She glanced over.

“You,” I repeated,
slightly louder. It was her, right? It had to be. I breathed deep. Seven years
without him. Too goddamn long.

She stood up straight
and did something with her hair. “What?”

“Get in the truck,” I
commanded.

I could scent her panic
before she felt it probably, saw her looking at my beat-up truck and think
about the time of night.

“Get in,” I said,
becoming frustrated. Town was pack territory, it wasn’t safe – she hitched her
backpack higher. The bitch was going to run.

A car behind me honked
– the light’d changed while I hadn’t been watching. I punched the gas, reeling
forward.

If Vincent wanted me to
keep her safe, why hadn’t he bothered to tell her? I went up two blocks, took a
right, and then another right, and timed the lights. She hadn’t walked far – I
jumped my truck up the wide curb and leaped out of it at wolf-speed, racing to
the far side before she could think to run. I picked her up as she started to
scream, and threw her into the cab and slammed the door.

“You called me,
remember?” I said, my voice low. She smelled like him so much I thought it’d
break me. All I wanted to do was pull the car over and push her against the
door, hold her there, and breathe her in. The wolf inside me whined.

“Were you followed?” I
asked her, keeping one eye on the rear view mirror. She shook her head.

“Who are you?” she
asked.

I grit my teeth. Who I
was was currently a matter of debate. Packless mongrel? Lovestruck fool?
Definitely an idiot, for being here.

“What’s your name?” she
pressed.

“Max.”

“Where are we going?”

“Someplace safe.”

I could tell she didn’t
believe me. It didn’t matter.

I drove for my cabin. I
knew of safer places deeper in the woods, but we’d have to backpack in, and she
didn’t look like the type. Tomorrow I’d bother to talk to her, come up with a
plan, swallow my pride and ask how Vincent was.

I parked in the old
washout below the cabin’s ridge. There was plenty of moonlight for me but not
nearly enough for her. I took her bag and led her up the hillside, waiting to
hear an ankle snap. To her credit she didn’t protest and when we got to the
cabin I let us both in.

I watched her looking
around, then went to stoke the fire. “How long does he want you safe for?” I
stopped from asking what I really wanted to know --
is he going to come and
get you back himself?
I wanted that so badly – even as I knew it was an
impossibly bad idea, one that’d get us both killed.

“I’m not sure,” she said. I
listened closely. She wasn’t lying. Guess I’d have to keep the phone on for a
little longer.

“The water will be hot soon --
it’s safe to drink and wash with.” I pointed to the kettle I kept full. “I’m
not set up well for company. You can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.
I’ll give you a bit – I need to check on some things outside –“

Too late, outside, I
remembered I should’ve taken a flashlight for appearance’s sake.

I didn’t think she’d leave the
cabin tonight – but that didn’t mean that we weren’t followed. I went to the
edge of the ridge and breathed the night air in deep. The only scents out here
were smoke from my fire, musk from my fur, and her – who largely smelled like
him
,
to me.

All those years ago – all
those nights – blood raced around my body like it hadn’t in years, like I was a
teenager again, all hormones and hope. My wolf wanted out, as restless as the
rest of me. I shook my head and tightened my reins.

I walked along the ridge,
listening to the nightlife and for tires, all my senses taut. Coming full
circle I sat down, my back to a tree, and watched her through a smudged window.
I didn’t want to be in there with her alone – and I doubted she wanted to be in
there with me.

Vincent, you’d better
fucking have a plan.

An hour passed. Long
enough for her to feel safe, or so I hoped – and for me to catch anyone who’d
tracked us in. The pack knew where I was, but no one else did, and they were
too busy to bother with me. I walked to the cabin’s door and opened it. She was
on top the bed, pretending to be asleep. Two could play that game. I blew out
every light but one to save oil, and stretched out on the couch, eyes
half-closed, listening to her breathing and the steady sawing sound of
undisturbed crickets outside.

I was still tense. What
had happened? Why had Vincent sent her here? How bad were things? And every
time I inhaled, it was like breathing him in again, smelling him, remembering
how he – I heard her shift on the bed, up to standing. She was wearing a robe
now, and I watched her walk over.  

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” I answered her, unsure.
This close – her scent was just as strong as his. Inside of me, my wolf paced
and whined, and blood sunk low.  

“I don’t want to be alone,”
she said, looking down at me, one hand on her robe’s sash.

“Okay,” I agreed, and watched
her robe fall open.

I stood to breathe more of her
in. It was all I could do not to touch her, bring her close to me and breathe
her in deep, to paw my hands against her skin and feel the softness of her
flesh. My wolf was riding just under the surface now and it
wanted
– I
ground my teeth together, forcing it back without touching her. I breathed hard
and low, feeling my cock strain against the inside of my pants, praying that
she wouldn’t change her mind. And then she took a pose of submission in front
of me, recognizable to any wolf – her chest and face down in the couch
cushions, her naked ass up.

I bit back a growl, undid my
belt, unzipped my fly, and pulled out my cock.

I could taste her wetness in
the air, the sweet tang of her readiness, feel-see the heat radiating off of
her pussy. I wanted to push my nose between her legs and taste the juices
there, but that would be too personal – I still didn’t know her name and didn’t
want to.