Hunt Me! (I Crave The Chase) - Page 204

“Can you shift back?” Jules asked, his shoulders drawn tight. The sweater he was wearing had slipped over his shoulder, the enchanted tattoos that spread across his collarbone stark against his olive-toned skin.

I shook my head. And even that hurt.

It wasn’t a body hurt—because that had long healed, though the blood remained clotted on my fur. It was the kind of hurt that aches deep inside your bones. That makes you feel cold even when you’re warm. That reminds you of all your fuck-ups. A weight that was cruel, and hard, and unforgiving.

Is this how Jeffrey feels? I wondered to myself, my heart hurting for him anew.

I hadn’t had much room in my life to regret. Not because I was perfect, but because I’d always been so frightened of stepping out of line that I hadn’t truly lived. At least…not until I moved here. Not until I’d met Jeffrey. Not until I’d seen the watercolor painting that was Maine in the fall, and realized it paled in comparison to the auburn shade of Jeffrey’s hair.

Regret was a horrible, awful thing.

It made my mouth dry. Made me feel weak and shaky. Made a pit in my stomach grow lead heavy, burning like silver.

I hated it.

I hated it.

Footsteps sounded, multiple. Muffled voices echoed behind the door that led into the lodge. The large van that had left earlier had not returned. The hangar had been a ghost town for hours now, and the sound of hunters was as welcome as it was terrifying.

“They’re coming.” Harry sat up straighter, jerking to attention.

“No shit,” Jules muttered to himself, like he couldn’t help but snark.

“Shut up,” Harry hissed back, though his lips twitched into an indulgent little smile.

All of us came to the same conclusion at the same time. I saw the light flicker in both my brothers’ eyes, our gazes meeting, before they snapped back to the door.

Because if these were new hunters—if they hadn’t seen when I’d gone feral—maybe we’d have a chance to save this. The others could’ve told them what happened, sure, but given how quickly they’d left to help the felled hunters the chances of that were slim.

Which just reminded me of Jeffrey again.

Beautiful, wonderful, perfect—murderous Jeffrey.

Pride bubbled up inside me, bright and effervescent as I thought about the fact he’d incapacitated not one, not two, not three, but four hunters, all on his own. Our mate is strong, my wolf preened. He is a good choice. A good bitch and a good hunter. He was a wonder. An absolute wonder. I’d thought so as I watched his weapons display. I’d thought so when he’d chosen to spare me. And I thought so now—aware of the blood he’d spilt, no doubt to protect my family.

Because that was just the kind of man he was.

Noble.

Ready to carve off bits of his soul if it meant protecting his kin.

The footsteps drew closer. All three of us stared at the door, waiting with anxious anticipation. I knew there was a simple solution to our problem. A solution that was visual—and would make it impossible for the hunters to hurt us.

I just needed to shift into my humanskin.

If I could shift they’d have no choice but to acknowledge the second they entered the room that I was back. That I was fine. That they couldn’t kill me after all.

But no matter how hard I focused, no matter how hard I tried—I couldn’t do it.

Thud, thud came the feet.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.

I closed my eyes, focusing everything I had on the tingle in my body—the burn I usually felt as my fur melted away and my humanskin came back into focus. The way I shrunk, my snout shortening, my teeth flattening.

Only…still…

That didn’t work.