Page 29 of Hidden Pain

“I gave you my version of a chill-pill. Now do you promise to come and listen to what Lily has to say, or are you going to go out on a rampage and cause more problems?” Jessica inquired.

“At this precise moment, I’m more likely to do damage to you for using your magic on me without my permission,” Hunter snarled.

“Then I think we’ll leave the cuffs on until Lily has told you what she’s learned, and I’ve left.”

“Get these things off me. Now!” Hunter demanded and struggled against the magical bindings. He’d be forever grateful to the witch for helping Lily, but even so, he was still angry at her.

Lily moved off the bed and came toward him.

“I think there is a spy in your pack?”

That caught Hunter’s attention.

“What?”

“Nuka.” Lily turned around and looked at Jessica. The witch nodded for her to continue, reassuring her she was protected. “He threatened to put me back in the circus if I said too much, but one of the things he told me was that he’s been planting his people into packs to destroy them from within.”

Hunter closed his eyes and inhaled before opening them again.

“Ebony,” he stated flatly.

“What?” Lily questioned.

“She announced she was pregnant earlier, and that it’s mine.” Hunter reluctantly informed the woman he was falling in love with. Seeing her injured had confirmed what he’d been trying to deny for so long.

“Is it?”

“The dates would add up, but I swear I checked her fertility before I…you now,” Hunter admitted. He felt really confused—surely the baby couldn’t be his. Lily blanched and moved away from him.

“Could it be Christian’s?” Kingsley’s voice came from the doorway. Lily stepped aside and gasped. When Hunter looked up he saw blood dripping from a cut…no, a paw swipe on Kingsley’s cheek. He wrestled with the bindings keeping him in place while Lily ran to the human, pulling him into the room and toward the bed.

“Who did this?” Lily questioned. Hunter roared against his restraints, and his claws and fangs appeared. Jessica looked at him with her finger raised in the air.

“Don’t you fucking dare!...”

The next thing Hunter knew, Kingsley was sitting on the bed with his wound healed and Lily’s arms were wrapped around the human.

“Jessica!” Hunter shouted. “Get thesethingsoff me. Now!”

“That’s quite a rage,” the witch responded.

“Deadly. Now do it.”

Hunter needed to check on Kingsley. The urge was boiling inside him, and if he wasn’t freed, he would break the goddamn chair he was sitting on to get to his friend.

Jessica turned to Lily and Kingsley. “Any problems, call me,” she said, and with that, the witch disappeared, and the magical bindings holding Hunter in place vanished with her.

In no time at all, Hunter was on his feet and grabbing Kingsley’s face to check on the damage.

“Who did this?” he demanded. He had to admit the witch had done a good job. He couldn’t even see the vague hint of a scratch. The only evidence that remained of Kingsley’s injury was the blood stain on his shirt. “Was it Christian? Is that why you said he could be the father? I’ll kill him. I’ll call him out in front of the whole pack and put him down. I swear it.” Hunter prowled up and down the room, his fingertips turning to claws. “Then I’ll go to Nuka and rip him in half. They’ll both pay for hurting you.” He let out a loud howl.

Kingsley reached behind him, pulled out a pad of paper, and opened it.

“I drew something.” The human held it up to show him.

Hunter froze and now distracted from his rage, he turned to look. Taking the pad from Kingsley, he stared down at the drawing of a feather. Blood smudged the edges, but it was stunning. It looked real and appeared to be falling down the page.

“You did it!” Hunter exclaimed and stared up at Kingsley.

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