Page 13 of Huntress and the Splintered Court
“Would you, little huntress?” he stepped further away giving us berth to pass.
In the room were all the surviving members for the previous night’s mission. Some sat on the couch. Others stood.
Gideon’s arm wrapped around my back, his hand finding its way to my hip where it remained until we stood beside his desk. After his reaction to Trey, I stayed beside him even as he took his seat. He released me there for a reason, so I leaned into the chair, placing my arm along the top, appearing as a sentry to the Alpha.
“My mate has informed me of what occurred last night. Can someone explain how not a single wolf noticed the vampires?”
“The place reeked, sir,” spoke a younger wolf. I recognized him as the one that slapped his friend in the coffee shop. “It was soaked in old and new blood.”
“And did you find any sign of the missing wolves?”
They all shook their heads. It was the reaction he expected. The vampires likely didn’t have them. My money was on Reed, a notion I already shared with Gideon.
The Alpha’s questions continued. The more he asked and the responses that followed had a curious idea forming in my mind.
When the office cleared leaving me behind with just him, he turned to me. “What is it?” He asked having noticed my thoughts were elsewhere.
I shook my head, unsurprised that he’d been aware of my wandering attention. I didn’t want to think out loud and cause suspicion before it was warranted.
“Isabel, I know that look on your face. What is it?”
I sighed. Gideon was like a dog with a bone, no pun intended, and he wouldn’t let it go until he got what he wanted which was why he made a good Alpha.
“It’s Trey. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but he wouldn’t let the wolves do anything. They were ordered to stay out front at the bar, which seemed fine because they’d have gotten in the way. But then he sent two of the least trained with me to the coffee shop, one of which was killed. And where were the others during that time? He seemed really pissed when I ordered them around the perimeter at the blood den, which yes, in hindsight wasn’t the best plan, but I realized it was a trap and tried recalling them only to have him argue with me.”
Gideon’s face was a mask I couldn’t read as he pondered what I said. “Isabel, Trey is my Head Enforcer.” He spoke in a calming tone that wasn’t insinuating.
“I know.” I threaded my fingers into my hair gripping it just hard enough to feel it pull at my scalp. “This is why I didn’t want to mention anything. I’m probably wrong.”
“But what if you’re not?”
I peeked up at him from under my lashes relaxing my grip and nodded. “But what if I’m not.”
He came to stand beside me looking lost in thought. “This doesn’t leave this room. I won’t ruin him unless I’m sure.”
6
Igasped as the bed shifted under the weight of Gideon’s wolf, as he hovered over me. His visit was unexpected since it wasn’t the full moon, which meant something had drawn him out. He placed a clawed finger gently against my lips and pointed to his ear before slinking out of bed. Lying there perfectly still for a moment I calmed my rapidly beating heart. It wasn’t every night a werewolf startled me awake. I listened for some noise but whatever had alerted him I couldn’t hear. I trusted his senses. Unsure what we were dealing with, I reached under my pillow and withdrew my knife. With a snap of my wrist, the blade was extended. I quietly slipped out from under the sheets as the cool air assaulted my naked form. Gideon was really going to have to stop insisting I sleep naked if people were going to keep attacking us in the night.
I found my panties lying beside the bed and I quickly slipped them on as I padded across the floor to the window. Peeking past the sheer curtains that covered the glass, a figure moved stealthily around the perimeter of the house just below our window. I was surprised Gideon had heard him.
Searching quickly, I found his dress shirt from the day before discarded on the floor. Slipping it on, I was out the door as I did up enough buttons to be sure I wouldn’t be giving a free show. Modesty wasn’t my biggest concern.
The front door hung open and a howl echoed through the night calling to other wolves. Gideon was on the hunt. I ran around the side of the house to where I’d seen the assailant. A werewolf was a wild card. If Gideon got there first, there was a chance he’d kill the invader, before we learned what he wanted. As I crept closer to where Gideon’s window overlooked, I slowed, slinking into the shadows. My brow furrowed. No one was there, but that was impossible. There wasn’t a shimmer of movement or a peep of sound, which made it all the more surprising when arms wrapped around me like ropes, one around my midsection and the other across my chest so the hand was covering my mouth.
A small squeal escaped me just before my training kicked in. I threw an elbow back, sliced my knife over the hand that was covering my mouth, then stomped my heel on the foot of my attacker which wasn’t as successful given I was barefoot, but the elbow and knife had done the trick making him release me. I twisted around and threw a few jabs, then stood with my knife to his neck, panting.
“You really going to kill me with my own knife? That’s harsh.”
“Eric?” I narrowed my eyes to see him better in the shadows. I relaxed the knife and beamed. “What are you doing here?”
“I tried calling. After what happened last night—”
A thunderous growl rumbled rattling the nearby windows.
“Shit,” I hissed seeing the crimson that stained my blade. Eric was bleeding and Gideon was scenting it in the air. He wouldn’t know whose blood it was only that his mate was in the vicinity of fresh blood. Thinking the worst, the werewolf charged.
“Move, Isabel,” Eric demanded withdrawing his sidepiece.
