Page 44 of Hunted

NicandLukeleftat dawn.

Abigail pretended to be asleep in her room while she listened to Dominic moving around inside his house. She kept her breaths long and slow and deep. She remained on her side, even as he opened the door quietly—though it never failed to creak—and kept her form as still as she could.

But her eyes stayed open.

And she wondered if Dominic knew.

He didn’t come into the room, but remained in the doorframe, looking over her but staying far away from her.

Too far.

She didn’t know why, but suddenly Abigail wanted to sob.

They were leaving, and she didn’t know if they were going to come back.

She thought about Christian as she listened to Nic leave, and it was as if her body remembered everything that happened because her arm, chest, and stomach cramped.

Abigail turned onto her back, letting out a shuddering sigh before the tears flowed. She wasn’t sure how, or when, she fell back asleep. She only knew there was a sudden change in light in the room. Abigail opened her eyes a crack and then shut them immediately as the sun streamed into the room.

She only moved about twenty minutes later, getting up with a groan. Her chest felt heavy. Her eyes were heavy too, and wet. For a moment, she did not know why the inside of her head felt itchy. She did not know why her breathing was erratic, and she felt anxious.

But then she remembered.

Her two alphas had left to go confront Christian.

And she didn’t know if they were returning.

Don’t think like that,she told herself fiercely as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up.

The floor was cold, and she shivered slightly as she hopped her way to the bathroom, where she completed her morning ablutions and showered.

“The only way…” She spoke to herself out loud as she looked in the mirror. “To not freak out about this is to have a normal day. Remember, Luke and Nic are both alphas. They’re strong, powerful. Don’t overthink this too much.”

The pep talk didn’t do much for her anxiety, but her resolve strengthened slightly.

She dried her hair quickly and tied it back away from her face.

Then she slipped into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

The day would be cold, despite the sun, and she pulled on a pair of socks and boots for good measure.

Then she headed down for breakfast.

Make it a normal day, she told herself throughout breakfast.

She ate breakfast in the pack house and conversed with several of the wolves, who all seemed happy to see her. Only when she had finished with breakfast and had helped clear up the table did she feel stuck.

What now? How the hell do I make this a normal day?

Her thoughts were frustrated as she stared out of the door of the pack house and out at the rolling fields of the Moonstone pack territory. She wasn’t sure when she decided to go for a walk, but soon she was striding purposefully through the compound. It was as if a part of her had decided that if she walked long and hard enough, her anxiety would tire out and she would be fine again.

The walk took her, somehow, to the outskirts of Nic’s territory. She ended up in front of a bunch of cabins that were clearly occupied, but she had no idea by whom, as she had never been in this part of the compound before.

Just then, the door to one of the cabins opened and Esme walked out.

A wave of fondness washed over Abigail as the woman spotted her and waved her hand excitedly.

Esme and her husband, Bert, had not been part of the full moon run the other night. Abigail supposed it was because they were too old. Not that either of them acted their age.

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