HUNT (A Shifters Short Story)

“You know what I mean. If that guy promised my dad he’d look out for me, I’d sure as hell let him. He looks like he could take really good care of you.”


“Stop staring.” A quick search of my closet floor revealed a cardigan, four bras, and the hair clip I’d been looking for all month. It was the only one strong enough to hold all of my curls out of my face at once. “He’s compulsively unavailable.”

Her hopeful expression collapsed. “Wife?”

“Yeah, but not his own. His heart belongs to my cousin. My very married cousin.” And his body belonged to whatever human girl was warming his bed on any given week. I’d met at least a dozen of them, in what little time I’d spent at the lodge during holidays and long weekends.

He’d never failed to introduce me as “Kiddo.”

I saw no sign of my coat, but Robyn’s jacket was hanging over her desk chair. “Hey, can I borrow that?”

“Sure.” But she clearly had no idea what I was borrowing, because she was still staring at Jace. Not that I could blame her. I’d had a lifetime to practice not-drooling over him at every big get-together and I’d spent the past three-and-a-half years with him as my official Alpha, yet I was still tempted to stare.

“Be back in a sec,” I said on my way out the door, but Robyn never even glanced away from the window.

I flew down two flights of stairs and through the common room, and a burst of cold air hit me when I threw the door open. Shivering, I ran across the grass toward the parking lot in my boots, suddenly wishing I’d chosen lower heels. And pants.

Jace turned when he heard me coming, and a little thrill of satisfaction warmed me from the inside when his jaw actually fell open a little. But then he spoke, and that warmth died. “What happened to the rest of your skirt?”

“I left it in the nineteenth century. Right next to your sexist perspective.”

“Ha!” His eyes flashed in amusement, and I caught my breath. “I’m probably the least sexist man you’ve ever met.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re merely one of the least sexy men I’ve ever met.”

He frowned down at me, even though I was in my highest heels. “That’s not what I…” Then his grin rebounded when he realized I was kidding. “Funny. Where’s your suitcase?”

“It’s fifteen hours in the future, where it’s supposed to be. Why are you so early?”

Jace’s smile faded and the Alpha peeked from behind bright blue eyes and full lips I’d known my entire life. “Change of plans. The council’s called an emergency meeting at the ranch.” The Lazy S, of course. In Texas, which was still the de facto council headquarters, even after the death of the previous council head, mostly because the Alphas were all accustomed to meeting there. “Our flight leaves in three hours.”

“I’m not on the council,” I pointed out, in as rational a tone as I could summon. “Ergo, I’m not needed at the ranch.”

“Your dad’s already there, and he wants to take you home for the holidays.”

“Well, I’m an adult, and I belong to your Pride, not his, so he doesn’t have the authority to order me home.” Even if he was the head of the council, a position formerly held by his brother-in-law, my late uncle Greg Sanders.

Jace’s frown deepened, and I resisted the urge to give in just so I could see him smile again. “Your father’s not ordering; he’s requesting. Nicely.”

“And I’m declining.” I crossed my arms over my chest to hold Robyn’s jacket closed. Also, to illustrate my determination. “Nicely.”

“Fine. Then I’m ordering you to go back upstairs and throw some necessities into a bag. Now.”

“Why? Are you scared to stand up to my dad?” I knew I’d stepped over the line when a growl rumbled from his throat and my knees tried to buckle beneath me, on instinct. Because my Alpha was angry, and my inner cat knew that was my fault.

Jace had grown into his position quickly, and as the youngest male Alpha in the world, he was also among the strongest. His leadership had been challenged three times in the four-and-a-half years since he’d taken over the Appalachian Territory, and none of the challengers had come close to beating him. There were only a handful of werecats in the world who could hold their own with him one-on-one, and I was not among those. Nor did I want to be.

He mirrored my stance with his arm crossed over his broad chest, and I could hear the warning before he even spoke. “Abigail Wade, if you’re not in the car in ten minutes, I’ll…”

“You’ll what? Drag me out by my hair? Wouldn’t be a first for me.”

That was a low blow, and I had no right to aim it at him, but the moment the words left my mouth, his anger crumpled beneath the weight of something much worse.

Sympathy.