Page 46 of Hunted

“How have you been, dear?” Esme’s voice had changed, becoming suddenly serious.

Abigail’s cheeks grew warm. She had a feeling the question was two-fold.

The first part of the question is: How have you been settling in?she thought as she brushed crumbs off her sweater.And the second part of the question is: Who are you going to choose?

“I’ve been fine.” She would be as honest as she could, Abigail decided. “I think I’ve just been adjusting to having Luke with me.”

“Ah, he’s your mate, isn’t he?” There was sudden kindness in Esme’s voice.

“Yes, he is.”

“And how do you feel about having your mate here, with our alpha prowling around you both?”

Abigail laughed at the wryness in Esme’s voice. “Nic has been perfect. I really appreciate him. I care about him a lot. He has made everything easier for me.”

“Our Dominic is like that, yes.” When Bert spoke it was so sudden that Abigail nearly jumped at his words. “He really cares about you, too. We all—well the pack—thought you might be the one for him.”

“I thought so too,” Abigail answered honestly. “I still do.” The words escaped her before she could stop herself. “But anyway…” She hurried to change the subject. She didn’t want to think about her relationship with either alpha right then. “They’ve gone off to confront Luke’s father. I’m so worried about both of them.”

“Ah.” Esme waved a casual hand. “They’re strong boys. And they care about you enough that they’d take care of each other, just so you wouldn’t have to lose either of them.”

Abigail sucked in a sharp breath as she thought about the truth of Esme’s words.

The afternoon had been nice, but now, as she thought about Nic and Luke, and their quest to confront Christian, her chest seized up again, and her arm started aching.

Maybe Esme had seen the change on her face because she placed a gentle hand on Abigail’s good arm. “Why don’t you stay for dinner, dear?”

Chapter 21

Luke

Luke’svehiclesweptdownthe highway, its occupants traveling in awkward silence. Dominic’s staid demeanor had thwarted all of Luke’s attempts at small talk, and he was hesitant to pump the alpha for information.

Shifting uncomfortably in the driver’s seat, Luke thought bitterly that no one but his father had ever put him in the position of feeling unwelcome to ask a question. He had promised himself he would always foster an environment in his pack in which anyone could approach him with a problem, but the man sitting next to him was a stone.

The weird thing was, Luke had seen him interact with his pack, and he always seemed warm. He wondered what about him in particular made Dominic shut down the way he did. There had to be a way to crack that thick shell.

I’m overanalyzing this,Luke thought, annoyed that this man made him feel so much like a child.I just need to ask and get it over with.He attempted to form the words, but they died in his throat.

Mustering his courage, he tried again. “Why was Abigail so worried about me leaving?”

Dominic took so long to answer that Luke shot him a peripheral glance to make sure he was still awake. “Worried?” he finally replied. “I wouldn’t say worried.”

Luke sighed through his nose, biting his upper lip and restraining a sarcastic remark. “Whatwouldyou say, then?” he asked in a measured tone.

“Umm… concerned. I would say concerned.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Mmm?”

“I said, what’s the damned difference?” The tedium of the conversation had gotten out of hand. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Abigail was actingconcerned, so why was sheconcernedI was leaving?”

“She wasn’t concerned you were leaving.”

Luke wanted to throw Dominic from the passenger’s side window. Of course, he would have to shatter it first, and he entertained himself for a moment with the myriad possibilities. His irritation was so strong it sent an unpleasant chill down his spine. Luke spoke slowly, focusing his glare on the road.

“I’m going to ask one more time. If you avoid the question again, I might launch you from the car. Abigail was upset—or in some wayconcerned,” he added quickly. “Whatever the reason, I would like to know why.”

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