Page 1 of Huntress and the Splintered Court
1
In the doorway of my room, I stood, arms crossed, silently seething. I had a breakfast meeting with Eric this morning to discuss Reed’s ominous threat about what was to come. Eric brought all his collected data on Reed’s coming and goings, but nothing even hinted at what Reed meant.
While gone, Gideon had my room cleared out. The mattress was stripped. All my clothes had vanished. Even my toothbrush holder was suspiciously empty. I didn’t need a guess to know where my things were. Damn domineering Alpha. I hadn’t actually agreed to move into his room. Sure, I spent last night in his bed, and the one before that, and the one before that, but that didn’t mean I had agreed to give up my room.
I went to the bed. Slipping my hand under the mattress, I groaned at their efficiency. The knife Eric had given, that Gideon returned to me, was gone.
“Has he finally come to his senses and kicked you out?” a female voice called from the doorway. Exhaling heavily, because I was in no mood to deal with this, I stood facing Carla as she hovered outside my—well what use to be my door. I’d done my best to avoid her since she discovered me in Gideon’s room during the full moon, not out of fear because I was pretty sure if Gideon hadn’t interfered the last time, I could have taken her and her friends, but to avoid a confrontation that might lead to more violence. I’d already broken her nose once, doing it a second time would be easier, and I’d feel less guilty.
“Not exactly,” I muttered. I may not like Carla, but I wouldn’t purposefully hurt her by rubbing her nose in the fact that I now had what she wanted. Gideon was pursuing me with the upmost effort. He wanted me with him, in his space, in his bed, giving me very little choice on the matter and yet Carla had fought tooth and nail to get what had come easily for me.
“Back to the cage then?” She smirked sweetly.
Just then Eleanor came up behind her. “Oh Miss Isabel, did no one tell you that they completed the move today.”
“Move?” Carla spat. “What move?”
Eleanor, not realizing the hostility radiating off of Carla, continued to beam excitedly for my new circumstances. I tried giving the older woman universal signs to stop speaking, but she was too excited to notice. “Isabel has been moved into the Alpha’s room.” Then she scampered off leaving me alone to deal with the she-wolf.
Carla turned ever so slowly. But it wasn’t anger brimming in her eyes. She fought back tears. I couldn’t help but pity her.
“You won’t be able to keep him.” Her bottom lip trembled even as she spat poison.
“Carla,” I tried for a calming tone. Both of us getting upset would only escalate matters.
“I know the kind of uncaring beast he can be, only selfishly worrying about his needs. You won’t be able to stomach it for long.” Uncaring? Selfish? Were we talking about Gideon?
“Is that how he was with you?” I questioned unable to hide the pity from my face. Even if we weren’t making love, but downright fucking Gideon had always been very passionate with me, and insured I received the same, if not more, pleasure as him.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Like you’ve not experienced the same barbaric treatment?” Her face lit up with understanding. “He’s not like that with you.”
Taking a deep breath, I drew strength from it. “No.”
“You’re lying,” she yelled, her body vibrated with emotion. She knew I wasn’t, having heard the truth in my body’s lack of reaction.
“Why would I? Hurting you gives me no pleasure.”
“He doesn’t just use you?”
“Carla, I’m sorry if that’s how he was with you, but…”
“It’s not unpleasant?”
She wasn’t listening but desperately seemed to want me to contradict her deduction. And that wasn't something I could do. “Not once. It’s always been…gratifying.” I fought off the smirk that came whenever I thought of sex with Gideon. Whether it was a werewolf thing or a Gideon one, he was the best sex of my life, not that I had many to compare him too, but enough to know how selfish some men were.
“I thought perhaps I was deceived just so he could be rid of me, but you truly are his mate, aren’t you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“Do you love him?”
“I barely know him,” I stated avoiding answering the question.
“You are a huntress and he’s an Alpha. I don’t see how this can work as you were born to be enemies. What will you do when it’s time to return to your Order?”
I blinked. “I don’t know.” I’d intentionally abstained from thoughts about the Order. The idea of leaving the Thorn Court caused me physical pain. I was currently living in the moment enjoying what Gideon and I had while we had it.
“Understand that I will be waiting on the sidelines to take your place the moment you depart.” She smirked condescendingly.
