Page 75 of Hunted

Evenwiththedisloyalmembers of the Crimson Claw pack being escorted off the territory, hopefully never to see a pack again, Abigail felt as though something about Luke’s speech lacked finality. She expected that once the exiles had been bitten and marked for life, the crowd would start dispersing, and that the session would come to an end. But it left a lingering question in her mind.

Was she going to remain with the Moonstone pack, or was she going to move back to her old pack and help mend the damage Christian had caused? Both packs were hurting—nobody had been left unharmed—but she almost thought returning home might be a good idea. She so greatly missed her students and would hate to see them go.

And she felt a brief pressure to resolve an unanswered question—would she stand beside Luke or Dominic as their mate? Could she honestly say goodbye to either of them now, having known them both so well and feeling their presence in her life so profoundly?

This pressure dissipated as Luke broke the silence, justifying the now arbitrarily gathered group still lingering, uncertain of whether or not to leave. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“Some of you might be wondering what will become of Crimson Claw now that my father’s legacy has tainted its name,” Luke said. He waited for replies or some indication from the crowd but continued talking when he realized he wasn’t getting it.

“Crimson Claw is a ghastly reminder of the blood on each of our hands. Many of you already made the wise decision to leave.”

She could see the sweat on his brow, could tell how nervous he was. The unfortunate thing about being a shifter, for public speaking reasons, was that as a shifter, you could read people just by smelling them. It wasn’t just the sweat but the fear, and the anxiety, and amusement. They all generated neurochemicals that caused different things in the body.

In spite of this, though, the members of Crimson Claw all stared at him in anticipation, unable to vocalize their thoughts. She knew they could tell how nervous he was, and it still didn’t affect their judgment of him or what he was saying. They were hanging on his every utterance.

“I’ve spoken with many of you individually,” Luke said. “And after careful deliberation and a lot of remorse, I’ve decided that Crimson Claw is no more.”

This caused quite a stir in the crowd, Abigail guessed mainly among those Luke hadn’t discussed this with. It made her feel pretty anxious, but she was relieved to no longer be the focus of their questions. She didn’t do well in the spotlight.

“Where are we supposed to go?” a middle-aged woman in tattered clothing cried out. The pack had taken care of many people who struggled in ordinary society, giving them a financial net and a way to live their lives.

“I will be joining Moonstone, in an attempt to help repair the damage my father caused,” Luke said.

This didn’t answer the woman’s question. Luke pondered how best to answer it, clearly feeling the tension of the interaction. With every passing moment, the woman grew more desperate and angrier until Dominic stepped in. It made sense since he would be the new alpha for the merged packs.

“And for those displaced by this tragedy,” Dominic said, raising his voice. “We offer you a home in Moonstone. If you choose not to go with Moonstone, Luke and I will work tirelessly these next few weeks to find you all a home. Nobody, by the grace of their own actions, should be without a family.”

“We will find housing for you all here,” Luke said. “Dominic has informed me that the construction crews are going to be putting in triple time to build houses, and we can set you up with apartments in the meantime in a city about twenty miles out. Your first year of rent will be covered.”

Dominic and Luke cleared up any remaining details by answering questions, and there were many. Many pack members had houses in the Crimson Claw territory and were informed that those houses would remain for several months, mortgage-free, so their owners could sell them off. The cost of staying in the houses past that point would probably be not joining Moonstone, given the distance.

The terms were not unreasonable, and given that both Luke and Dominic seemed perfectly willing to find compromises, stating outright that nothing was final yet, everybody from Crimson Claw seemed on board.

Abigail couldn’t help feeling the change was necessary, and that Luke had made the most he could of a bad situation. She was under the impression that most of the remaining members of Crimson Claw, who stayed loyal to Luke until the end, would have agreed with her.

That’s when, from out of the crowd, Rowan, Ethan, and Poppy came charging toward Abigail, running forward to hug her leg.

It was going to be tough to keep from getting emotional, and as they embraced her, Abigail could feel herself on the verge of joyful tears.

“We thought we were going to have to leave!” Rowan exclaimed.

“We already missed you so much!” Poppy said.

“Our moms and dads said we can stay here and you can be our teacher again,” Ethan said. “Isn’t that great?”

“I’m sorry I left you,” Abigail said, betraying her desire to not cry and now ugly crying instead. “I didn’t want to go!”

“It’s okay, Miss Abby,” Rowan said.

“Yeah, we know why you left now,” Ethan added. “The big scary man made you go away.”

She was so happy. She had known them from birth, and she missed being part of their lives. Some moments she thought she had left them behind forever. Now, she was going to be an integral part of their lives again, and she was sure she would get to watch them grow up.

But one question was still hanging in her mind, and it would guide the rest of her life. She had three options—choose Dominic, choose Luke, or choose neither.

Try as she might, she couldn’t make a decision.

Shifters from Moonstone approached her, thanking her for her part in ending the assault, and expressing sympathy. They offered their support to her. Whatever she needed, they would be there to help.

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