Page 325 of Flirting with Darkness

There, the third wave, forcing him toward Dex. His gaze followed as the hunter leapt from the edge of the roof, over Dex, to grab the lip of the opposite roof. A wolf swiped at him, and the hunter let go.

He slid down the side of the wall and grabbed the railing of a fire escape, using the momentum to flip, landing in a crouch right in front of Dex.

Slowly, the hunter stood, hood still over his head somehow. He wasn’t breathing hard, and no part of him moved as he considered the situation.

Dex’s grin widened, and he tilted his head slightly, wondering if the hunter would try to run, or attack.

But he did nothing. He stood there, waiting.

A whistle and the shifters jumped down, surrounding the hunter but not too close they were within striking distance. Dex took a step back, giving them room.

Still, the hunter only looked at Dex.

“Take himalive,” Dex stressed.

Two wolves charged the hunter, and Dex felt a jolt go through him when the hunter ran straight forhim, not the wolves. He jumped right as the first one lunged, knee slamming into the other wolf.

It took him to the ground, and he slid across the pavement on his knees, rolling at the last minute to avoid another strike. Suddenly, he was standing, hand wrapped around a bear’s throat and Dex watched in disbelief as he used his momentum and a kick to lift the bear up and slam him onto his back, the cement cracking at the force.

Another bear went to punch him, and he spun, avoiding it so smoothly Dex whistled his admiration. Fuck, this guy moved so pretty. He didn’t go for his guns, but he used everyone else as a weapon.

The hunter punched a tiger in the gut, rolling over him when he buckled, and grabbed another’s fist, forcing the strike to hit one of his own men. A knife thudded into the hunter’s shoulder, and he moved with it, yanking it out and tossing it back before the wolf even dropped his hand.

“I said alive,” Dex growled. His bloodlust was spiking, and the only thing holding him back was the hunter hadn’t tried to hurt anyone permanently. All he was doing was defending and Dex wanted to keep it that way.

The hunter wrapped his arm around another bear and swung himself up, kicking two other bears hard enough they dropped like stones.

Every kick and punch were full of anger and aggression, every dodge smooth and fluid, one motion sliding into another like this was nothing more than a choreographed dance. Dex had never seen anyone fight quite like this guy, and it only made him want to hire him even more.

Suddenly, the fighting stopped, and the hunter was the last one standing, breathing hard as he stared at the bodies around him. Then he looked up at Dex, and still he couldn’t see the man’s face.

“My turn.” Dex grinned and the hunter hesitated.

Why was he hesitating? What was keeping him from coming after Dex? It made no sense, and Dex felt his irritation spike. What was this guy trying to accomplish exactly?

Maybe he just didn’t want anyone to find out who he was.

Dexmovedand the hunter took a step back when he was suddenly right there. But somehow, he dodged the strike, landing one of his own. Dex grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.

The hunter was having none of it. He gripped Dex’s arm and swung up until his legs were wrapped around his neck, squeezing so tight Dex couldn’t breathe.

He dropped, slamming them both into the ground hard enough evenhefelt dazed. The hunter released him, and Dex laughed, his voice shifting as the rage taunted the wrath. One quick movement and he yanked the hood back.

One wide purple eye, and one blue stared back at him.

24

NOVA

Nova couldn’t breathe.

Dex had knocked the air from her lungs so hard, it hurt like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Her shoulder was throbbing, and the blood loss was starting to get to her after he’d knocked her head into the ground.

She slammed her fist into his elbow, forcing him to release her throat. Nova brought up her knee at the same time, slamming it into his side and she heard a rib crack. Gasping for air, she kicked forward as hard as she could, pushing him off of her.

Then she made a run for it.

It was stupid and she wasn’t thinking, but Nova didn’t know what else to do. How was she supposed to explain this to him after everything?

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