Chapter 8

8

HUNTER

During the entire hike back to the truck, I wondered if I would ever get the smell of rotting flesh out of my clothes or if I should run home before picking up Emma. Kyle and Sam left before we did because Kyle finally threw up, and that made the entire situation worse.

Sliding back into the truck, Will breaks our silence as we drive to the Lodge, “What’re we gonna to do?”

The question bounces around inside my head like a fucking ping-pong ball. I shake my head. “I’ll call our contacts in Anchorage and see if this has happened near any of the grave sites. Otherwise, let's hope Dad has some ideas.”

Will nods in agreement and grimaces.

It takes eight minutes to get from the Sawmill to the pack house or the Lodge as it’s usually called. The pack house is an old lodge that was used for the Sawmill employees, and we renovated it into a large family home. It has two significant wings; the east wing is for parents and pups to stay while they navigate their first big shift into a wolf, and the west wing is where I grew up with Jackson, Holly, and Will. My parents and Holly still live here. The majority of moms and pups are here for a few weeks at most, though with the sickness and disappearances, a lot of the families are staying in the Lodge for safety purposes.

Parking around the back, I head toward the main kitchen off the back porch. The smells from the kitchen ease some of my anxiety as I snatch a hot croissant off the counter and make my way towards the main hall, dodging Keelie’s dish towel as I take a bite.

“You rascals! Those are for lunch.” Keelie's voice carries behind us. She's been helping in the Lodge kitchen since I was a pup. Will and I have probably given her the majority of her gray hairs.

“We’ll be back for lunch, then!” Will smiles back at her, waving his croissant in the air. I shake my head at his taunt.

Just on the other side of the kitchen is a dark hallway. The only two rooms off this hallway are my parents’ bedroom and the office where the Alpha works.

I drop my voice and turn to Will. “Don't tell him who Dr. Fawnsbeck is to me. I don't need to deal with that now, especially with everything else.” My heart is racing, the distress building at the thought of my dad dismissing her, or worse, disrespecting her because she's a human.

Will gently grips my shoulder. “Secret’s safe with me,” he says, squeezing slightly.

“We keeping secrets now, boys?” My dad’s Alpha bark echoes down the hallway.

I quickly reply, “No, sir. But we need to go over what we found.”

The large office has vaulted ceilings with cherry cedar paneling that run across the room, making it appear longer. The massive picture windows behind his desk open to a view of the front courtyard. The walls are lined with bookcases filled with our histories and stories that have been passed down, along with laws and bylaws for our people. Most of the tomes are out of date, but they look good on the large shelves.

My dad’s arms are crossed over his broad chest. A large tumbler, half full of whiskey, sits before him.

Will’s voice fills the space. “A little early for day drinking, don't you think?”

Our dad laughs and shrugs, “I'm getting too old for this shit. What do you two need?” My dad sips his drink, “I haven't gotten a call about the human. Is she settling in well?”

My fists clench, and the apparent disregard to even acknowledge Emma's title or name has me growling.

Will promptly responds, “She’s doing okay. She crashed in the gully outside of town on her way here.”

My dad nods, and I don't miss the “Of course she did” as he wraps his hands around his tumbler and takes another sip.

Unable to take anymore of his comments, I lean forward in my chair and say what's been on my mind for months: “Dad, I think it's time to call Jackson home and have him take over as Alpha.”

My dad’s eyebrow lifts as if he finds my comment amusing. The sneer pulls at his lips, and he says, “Why's that, son? ’Cause I believe in the pack? We’ve survived a lot longer without human interference. I have seen what humans have done to our kind.”

Will goes to stand, but I put my hand on his arm. “Emma is already here, and honestly, I have faith in the decision I had to make. Emma should be ready to start light work tomorrow. I plan on being with her the entire day. She’s going to be a blessing to this pack. I honestly don’t know why you can’t see the fucking problem. You have been so over it for so long you're putting our pack lives at risk.” I run my hands over my head, and the frustration seeps out of every pore, “You can’t even see that Holly’s been sick. She has whatever is going around. We need Emma to help her.”

My dad's eyes flick between the two of us. “Does the human know about us yet?”

I shake my head.

His tone is sharp, “And how do you plan on handling that, Hunter?”

I look up at the wood-paneled ceiling and say, "Delicately. We need her to stay, for Holly’s sake.”

My dad’s sigh is weighted. “Well, I guess we’ll see how your doctor works out. Won’t we?” His emphasis on doctor has my jaw clenching, as he continues, “As for calling Jackson, I don’t care. If you think he can handle all of this better or you think he’ll agree with you, fine. But he hasn’t wanted to come home yet, so I guess we will all see what happens.”

“Well, that went better than expected,” Will says sarcastically.

I grunt in response as we climb back into my truck. My mind is working over everything we discussed. My dad seemed even more resolved to let me call the shots today.

I pulled up Jackson’s contact information and pressed send. The call goes directly to voicemail, throwing the device into the dash of my truck, “Fuck.”

The disappearance of pack members is a large enough problem, adding to what we found in the forest today. My dad’s nonchalance has a growl pulling from somewhere deep and rumbling through the cab. Fuck.

Will adds to my frustration by reminding me, “Well, I guess you just need to cross the bridge by telling the doctor about the clinic. And about wolf shifters.” Double fuck.

We make the turn from the Lodge to downtown, and even from this distance, I see her. Her curly, blonde hair catches the sun. I take in her beauty as she laughs at something Charlie says. All three girls are sitting outside the bakery where Charlie works. The sight has some of my frustration ebbing away.

“Maybe I don’t have to tell her the truth today,” I say to Will as I look at him.

He has pity in his eyes. “The longer you wait, the worse it’ll be, man. Just tell her.

Releasing my breath, I take my best friend in, “You always seem to know what to say.”

He laughs slightly. “Hardly. I know the sooner you face fate, the sooner you can fix many of these problems.”

I ponder his statement. He’s right. If I can get Emma on board with wolf shifters, get her in the clinic, and get her healing pack members, we can save Holly. Hopefully, she’ll also be more open to dating me. Then, we can explore our bond, decreasing the instincts that prickle along my skin anytime I’m near her.

Hold her. Claim her. Keep her.

My frustration vanishes as I take in the sweet smell of citrus flowers, letting them guide me across the median to Emma.

“How’re you ladies doing?” Will's voice cuts in as he comes up next to me. He pushes past and pulls Holly up for a hug, then gives Charlie a fist bump. Charlie isn’t from our pack, and she’s not a hugger. Only Holly has ever hugged her. To Emma, he just waves a hello, keeping his distance. In a typical mating, a female wouldn’t be approached by any other male until she's claimed and marked. This situation is a bit different, but my wolf would force a shift if he did approach her.

Emma’s body pulls closer to mine as she stands and makes her way around the table. I imagine that the bond we share is pulling her closer to me. I have no idea if she even feels the bond as I do. For me, it's a tangible thread that folds between time and space, connecting us on a cosmic level.

I take a small step closer to her, testing the strength of the threads as my body heats from her proximity, and the memories of seeing her naked this morning flash through my mind. “Emma, I was hoping we could chat about the clinic?”

“Alright,” she says, giving me a small smile. That sounds good. I'll see you girls later.” Everyone nods in agreement, and I secretly thank the gods for blessing me with a sister who is so good at helping others feel safe. Emma sounds less guarded than this morning, and I love that she has a soft smile as she looks up at me.

It takes all my restraint to keep my hands from the small of her back as I direct her to my truck. “I want to discuss your plans and go over the details of the clinic.”

Over her shoulder, she gives me a shy smile and a nod, and I see her glance back at Holly and Charlie as Will sits down with the girls at their table.

On the way, I explained that the clinic was just off the turn from our houses and that she could walk there if she wanted. Pulling into the dirt lot, I take in the building. It's one of the first new buildings we’ve built here, with clean lines and cement walls. There isn’t anything inherently fancy about the structure, but it looks sleeker than the dilapidated downtown from high windows on the front frame a large oak door. Each clinic room has a floor to ceiling window—the pattern wraps around the entire building, so there is a light and airy feeling inside.

“This is beautiful,” Emma says as we approach the sidewalk.

I give a short nod, my hand flexing as I slip it into my jeans pockets, pulling out the keys. “Why don't we head to your office?” I pull the door open for her and hand her the keys, pointing the way. “It’s down the main corridor on the right. You can’t miss it.”

“What are the keys for?” She jingles the set of three keys. “I thought you didn't use locks in Solaris.”

I purse my lips at her sass. “I might have to get a few more locks, I guess.” The teasing lilt in her voice caught me off guard.

Her eyes catch mine, and a slight blush fills her cheeks. I smile and direct her down the long hall to her back office.

The woman truly feels larger than life, and I hope she handles this wolf shifter thing well. I pull my arm over my head, squeezing my neck while she enters her new office.

I hear her voice catch, and a smile pulls at my lips. The plush, deep purple rug fills the room, making it homey. In the middle of it sits a large oak desk. The walls are lined with bookcases, and behind the desk is a hearth with floor to ceiling windows on either side. I wanted whoever we chose for the position to feel at home here, and knowing this is my mate, I'm glad I went all out.

I fall into the mahogany chair on the other side of her desk and watch her slowly take in the space.

“Hunter…” Her pause is weighted as she turns to face me with a full smile, and, fuck me, I’m a goner for this woman.

If guarded, Emma was beautiful. This woman is a vibrant constellation as she melts into her new wingback chair. She sets her hands on the desk, demanding my full attention. I smile brighter because she's always had it.

“Do you like this office?”

Her inhale is cute. “Uh huh, it’s…it’s more than I could’ve ever imagined.”

I nod decisively. “Good. Let's get into this, then.”

I review how she's in charge of setting her hours and days when she will be here. I tell her about Amy and Trevor, two med students home for the summer and want to learn. They would work under her for the summer. Finally, with a lead weight in my stomach, I bring up the topic of what we are dealing with.

“Emma, our sickness here is new, and I’m pretty sure it is a form of poison.”

Her body shifts back in her chair. She crosses her legs and intertwines her hands. “If you haven't had a doctor, how can you know?”

“Because we have never been sick before. We can't get sick.”

Her body tightens as she sits up straighter. “We, as in?”

“The town.”

She blinks twice. I swear even the birds outside stop singing. The room fills with a heavy, bloated pause. Her voice is a mixture of concern and curiosity. “Okay, how?”

I push back from my chair, putting space between us. I don't want this next bit to scare her. I don't want her to be scared of me. “Because we are wolf shifters.”