Page 29 of Hunted

Neither Dominic’s words nor the aroma of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano filling her nostrils were enough to restrain her. Dominic didn’t know that voice like she did. She went straight to the front door and opened it.

“Sorry, but we can’t let you go,” one of the male guard voices was saying to the shifter they had in their grasp. “Don’t know you. Can’t trust you on your word alone.”

The shifter grunted, gasped, and snarled, as he tried to wriggle free.

“Why are you here, Luke?” Abigail approached the three men responsible for the disturbance. “What could possibly be worth coming all this way?”

“Abby…darling!” Luke called out, grunting as he struggled against the guards.

“You know this man?” one of the male guards asked.

“I should hope so,” Abigail replied. “He’s my ex.”

The two guards looked at each other, considering their next move before releasing their grasp on the man.

“You know him. He’s under your watch,” one of the guards said. “But anything happens, you just shout, and we’ll be there.”

“Good to know.” Abigail nodded. “Thank you!”

She tried to be sincere in her thanks. She could imagine how thankless it was at times, being security for the pack. She really should learn their names.

Abigail looked coldly at Luke as he recovered himself, still pushing himself up off the ground where they had dropped him. “Are you gonna talk, or am I going to have to?”

“I just don’t understand what happened.” Luke shook his head. “Things were going so well.”

“That makes two of us.” Abigail sighed.

Inside, she could feel herself breaking—all the walls she had built up these past couple of weeks crashing down, crumbling under the weight of this ambush.

“What’s going on?” Dominic had approached them from the rear, sidling along the side of the house to find the tense scene. “Who is this?”

They could hear the crickets chirping as a gust of wind blew across Abigail’s face, her hair tossing in front of her eyes. She could feel Dominic standing beside her… could sense the release of fear chemicals and adrenaline as he monitored, unsure of what to do.

“Dominic.” Abigail decided introductions were in order. “This is Luke.”

She felt his movement stir the air around her as he charged, ready to attack. Abigail put her arm out to block his advance.

“What are you doing?” Dominic nearly snarled.

“It’s okay, Nic,” she said. “Luke isn’t going to try anything. Are you, Luke?”

Where was this coming from? She was filled with a deep confidence despite how terrified she was. She should be a stuttering ball of tears, lying on the ground in the corner. She didn’t understand how she was able to do anything in this circumstance.

Her rage must have given her strength.

“Try anything?” Luke jerked as if he’d been slapped. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He was not entirely the man she knew at that moment. He had been warped by something sinister and brought to his breaking point. She could sense the obsessiveness in his actions—the desperation in his movements. He was twitchy, but he carried himself with a slump she’d seen never before.

“As much as I’d like for you to continue this discussion out here in public, for all eyes to see, maybe we should take this talk someplace else?” Dominic suggested.

“Who the hell are you?” Luke cut into Dominic with venom.

“Another alpha, like you.” Dominic spoke coldly. “But you could tell that. And we’re not on your territory. So, I’m going to have to ask you to watch how you talk to me, or we’ll deal with you however we think appropriate.”

Abigail rarely saw that side of Dominic, but she was grateful.

“Look.” Luke’s shoulders slumped. “I just want to clear things up and talk to Abigail. Is that okay?”

---