Vibrating with pent-up stress, he needed an outlet. The punching bag always worked—that or drilling a few werewolves in a good ol’ fashioned ass-kicking. But the wolves were behaving, or at least biding their time. There hadn’t been any new reports of attacks since they had retrieved Morgan. That in itself had Cal worried. The wolves hadn’t slowed down in their attacks for years, always keeping the Hunters on high alert. But the guys out in the field—Jeremy and his team—had reported no movement, no human killings, no sightings. It was eerily odd and Cal didn’t like it. Lazarus was waiting for something.
He moved over to the bag and started with a few light punches, warming up his muscles, breaking in the bag. Unwittingly, his thoughts drifted to the night before, to Morgan’s lithe body as she undulated with her growing pleasure, to the feel of her pressing against his erection, to the softness of her lips and the wicked taste of her tongue. It was enough to drive him mad—his desire for her, to bond and make her his. He’d hardly slept all night, one fantasy playing into another as he imagined what it would be like to take her in every possible way. With a hard jab that sent the bag careening to the left, Cal pulled his thoughts away from the torment that was Morgan. There was no use dwelling anyway. She hated him. Again.
He grunted as he picked up his pace, moving around the bag and landing several hard punches in quick succession, then switching to combination shots—short and long jabs, hooks and then crosses. He kneed and kicked, jolting the bag in every direction. He was caught up in his workout, his body burning with adrenaline, his skin coated in sweat, blocking out any thought, any outside stimulus. It was only when his tattoo flared with warmth, burning him hotter than his workout that he realized Morgan was standing at the other end of the room. Watching him. Studying him.
He cocked an eyebrow in her direction, slowing only a fraction as he continued to pummel the bag. “You come to scream at me some more?”
She shook her head slowly, her gaze traveling down the length of him as she took a step closer. When her eyes returned to meet his, Cal realized something was wrong. She was pale and shaking.
He was at her side a second later, using his hands to feel for injury, scanning her body from head to toe, inspecting for any damage. “What happened?”
Morgan shook her head again and swallowed, waving him away as she moved to sit on the bench that lined the wall. “Something’s in the w-w-woods,” she stuttered.
“Did you see something out there?” Cal stared down at her, clenching and unclenching his fist. “I’m going to kill Lance. I told him not to run outside.”
Morgan coughed. “Could you…could you get me some water?”
He calmed his fury long enough to grab her a bottle of water from the pantry, as well as an energy bar. “Here,” he said as he handed them over. “You look like you’re about to pass out. Eat this.”
When Morgan opened her mouth to argue, Cal gave her a stern look and forced the bar into her hand. “Eat it.”
She pulled in a deep breath. “I’m fine.”
“Like hell you are. You’re as pale as death. What did you see?”
Morgan shook her head, then took a sip of the water and a tentative bite of the bar. Grimacing, she moved to set the bar down on the bench, but a warning growl from Cal had her taking a larger bite.
“Where’s Lance and Candy?”
Morgan swallowed the piece she was chewing and cleared her throat. “Lance and Candy are still running. I got a cramp.”
His fury exploded again and he paced a short circuit in front of her. “And what? He left you behind? That son of a bitch, I’m going to—”
Morgan stood and laid her hand on his forearm, her touch instantly stilling him. “It’s okay, Cal. I wasn’t far from the house. Nothing attacked me. I just heard something.”
He snorted. “Yeah, something that scared the shit out of you.”
Morgan sighed as she lowered herself back to the bench. “Something was calling my name.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I was standing by the forest, and I heard some noises and when I turned around something called my name.”
His gut clenched and he ran his hand over his mouth. “Are you sure?” The wolves didn’t usually come out during the day. Being the evil beasts that they were, they were weakened by the sun. The monsters hunted in the darkness of night.
Morgan gave a humorless laugh and took another sip of her water. “Either that, or I’m going nuts.”
Cal slowly began to unravel the tape from his left hand. “I’ve got to get a team together and check this out. Where did you hear it?”
Morgan waved her hand up. “I guess it was on the east side, right around where I was yesterday when you found me.”
He nodded. “I think you should go and lie down for a bit. Your color looks better, but all the same, you should get some rest.”
Morgan scowled at him. “I’m not a child. I was just a little freaked out that’s all.” She laid the rest of the energy bar on the bench and stood. “I’m going to do some training.”
“Like hell you are,” he growled.