Page 17 of Hunted

Something inside him really wanted to impress her, and as soon as the food got to the table and she tried the first bite, she was amazed.

According to her, the fried chicken was better than restaurant quality, and as she clinked the fork to her plate and scooped the macaroni into her mouth, he could see her eyes light up. It was the happiest he’d seen her since she arrived here—a fleck of sunlight on a stormy day.

He felt such pride, and exhaustively detailed all the ways he’d prepared the macaroni, buying fresh gruyere and white cheddar, grating the cheese blocks while never taking his eye off the chicken because of how delicately it needed to be watched.

“How would you feel about going out and meeting the pack?” Dominic asked while taking great care to avoid getting chicken grease on himself.

“Like right now?” Abigail squirmed. “I don’t know… I’m kinda beat.”

“No, of course not tonight.” Dominic shook his head. “The healer wants you to stay in and rest, but I’m sure we could make a little exception. Maybe when you’re feeling a little better, I’ll call a small meeting.”

Abigail hesitated. “I want to thank you, so much, for everything you’re doing, but—”

“Say no more,” Dominic interjected. “I’m not expecting you to drop everything and join the pack. I just thought it might be fun for you to get out and meet some people.”

“You know what?” Abigail said suddenly. “That sounds lovely. I’d love to meet your pack.”

Over the next week or so, as her arm healed and her energy returned, Dominic often caught Abigail looking out the window. He really didn’t want to trap her here against her will. He wasn’t some beast. But for her own good, she needed to stay inside, away from any potential dangers without exerting herself.

It was a relief when the week of healing had passed. A relief to both of them that she seemed to be feeling better. So on the night of the occasion, after she had healed more, Dominic called an informal meeting.

It wasn’t going to be long. Just a couple of hours out. Dominic arranged it so everything would be set up when they arrived, and Abigail wouldn’t have to move a muscle.

Everyone had opted to meet up at the park. It was a nice, safe, public place. Dominic figured that this way, Abigail would feel safer among strangers, and if whoever—orwhatever—had done this to her returned, they would be discouraged from doing anything to harm her.

“There’s the lovely lady.” Esme smiled wide. “How are you holding up?”

“A little better!” Abigail grinned in return.

Esme and Bert, the elderly couple who had pulled Abigail from her car, both beamed. Bert was eating a hot dog, and a smidgeon of mustard had landed in his beard. Dominic thought to point it out to him but decided against it. They were in high spirits and still enjoying life in their later years.

“Thank you for your help! You basically saved my life,” Abigail said.

“Like I told you at the time, dearie…” Esme patted her uninjured arm. “It was really no problem.”

Abigail received a lot of questions that night, and Dominic had to shoo them away. The atmosphere of the picnic was civil enough, but Dominic knew that the last thing Abigail wanted was to be interrogated.

As the night progressed, Abigail seemed to be connecting more and more with Bert, Esme, and the kids rather than the other pack members closer to her age. Dominic had to admit the older couple carried a humble and profound wisdom, and it was always a treat to listen to their stories.

They detailed their trips around the world, the lives of their grandchildren, and the vast array of hobbies they had picked up since retirement. As Bert detailed his painting escapades, and Esme talked about her calligraphy, Dominic could see Abigail hanging on every word.

It wasn’t that she didn’t try to connect with everybody else. She had a lot of love for everybody, and she seemed to get along with almost everyone there. But something inside her gravitated toward the elderly couples and the children more than anything.

Dominic guessed it must have been from her years as a teacher. She had so much warmth and authenticity when she was listening to Bert and Esme talk about their lives, and when children came up to her and greeted her, the way she got them to open up was astounding. He had to admit, she had a way of carrying herself. She could be quite social around the right groups.

He knew she was still in pain, but she never let any of that show. She seemed to really want to make a strong first impression.

As the sun set over the park, Abigail seemed genuinely disappointed to be leaving.

“You didn’t just take me here to shut me away again, did you?” Abigail asked, looking out the window as they drove back home. “I’m going to see these people again, right?”

Dominic checked his rearview mirror, carefully signaling as he thought of how to reply. “You don’t have to be in the pack to hang out with everybody, like I said,” Dominic answered. “I don’t want to keep you inside at all. I’ve seen how stir-crazy you’re getting.”

“I feel like there’s a ‘but,’ in there,” Abigail said, smiling ruefully.

“But we need to listen to the healer if you’re going to heal,” Dominic replied. “And she hasn’t given the go-ahead yet.”

He was glad that she had a good evening, but he really wished he could give her a better answer. She frowned, still looking off somewhere in the distance.

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