Page 50 of Hunted

As I run, alert for any potential threats, I ponder my life. And my past.

Years ago, I didn’t just want to be like my dad. I wanted to be him.

That was until I saw his failings as a father. Now I wonder if the reason for my fear of failing as a father goes back to that.

My mind takes me back to the last day in the Raleigh Pack.

That last day when Dad walked out of the house—and my life—and he didn’t come back.

Whispers fill the pack house. They’re followed by raised voices, then questions.

Someone bangs on my door and I jump, scrambling up from my bed as I rub the sleep from my eyes.

“Have you seen him, Mack?” someone shoves open the door to ask me.

“How would he know where Connall went?” someone else mutters as they gather around me.

“Where who has gone?” I ask, trying to wake myself up fast and with no idea what’s going on.

Sympathy fills their eyes before they blink and turn away.

“Guess he didn’t tell even his son,” someone whispers.

They leave and I don’t know who they mean, but I think I can guess.

He barely spoke to me since Mom died. He barely spoke to anyone at all.

He just grunted. And he was always so angry.

Then he left and didn’t come back.

The fighting doesn’t start until early the next morning, as if everyone wanted to be sure he wouldn’t be coming back before they jostled for a higher position.

Everyone wants to be Alpha, but only one person can be.

I keep my head down, stay out of the way, too young to want anything to do with running a pack. And even if I wanted the position, why would I want to lead the pack who stole all of my dad’s attention?

By mid-morning, five men are dead.

As dark glares and tension ripple around the house, I keep to my room and I start to pack. I’m fifteen, nearly sixteen, and I never saw a future anywhere but here, with my pack. With the growing violence, dark glares, and signs that things are getting worse, my place isn’t here.

Not anymore.

I slip out of a window. No one cares about me. They’re too busy fighting each other for control of the pack.

I don’t take much. Just a couple of changes of clothes, some fruit and jerky.

The ripples of the pack that used to be home spread outward. The Raleighs destroy themselves and I keep going, never looking back, and only rarely wondering what happened to the dad who just walked away and left me.

All I care about is starting over.

17

AERIN

Ever since I walked into Adela’s home to work on improving my grounding, she told me to make myself comfortable on the couch, but has shown no sign she’s ready to start practice.

I’d remind her why I’m here, but since my powers are in a flux and will only lead to more frustration when I can’t do anything with them, I don’t bring it up.

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