Chapter 12: Olivia

My head hurts.

Everything hurts.

I rise, groaning. Once the sun hits my face, I wince and bury myself under the comforting citrus-scented sheets.

Hold on… Citrus?

I startle up, looking around, only to find that I'm not anywhere I remember.

What happened last night?

My chest tightens with familiar panic, and I hurl myself out of bed.

My throat stings. I rub the bruises there, and only then do my memories come rushing back to me.

The party. Axel assaulting me. Clarissa drugging me. Hunter…

Oh my Goddess, Hunter.

“No, no, no, no, no…” I panic. How could I have been so stupid? Kissing him? Asking him to sleep with me?

And that power I felt… what was that?

Not to mention my dream about Axel. My wetness is now dry on my underwear, and I cringe. Axel? Really?

That drug must have been insane. I should have never trusted Ryker or come here.

A knock at the door causes me to freeze.

I brace myself, but then Hunter’s unsure voice calls from the other side, “Olivia?”

I gulp, “Come in.”

He enters carefully. The second I see him, my heart lurches. His hair is still a mess, his lips swollen from when we made out.

“Um… Hi.” he says, running a hand through his dark curls.

“Hi,” I reply, breathless. Not only does he look as guilty as I feel, but this man had the guts to come in here without a shirt. I have to hold my breath to stop myself from staring at his bulging muscles.

“I’m sorry about… everything,” he mumbles, looking everywhere but at me.

“You’re sorry? No, Hunter, you protected me.”

His deep blue eyes find mine again, and he sucks in a sharp breath. “You told me Ryker invited you. Why?”

I contemplate telling him about my letter. He already knows about the council trying to kill me. What will one more secret do?

When I hand him the paper, he scrunches his face adorably as he reads. I never thought I’d find a 6”3, chiseled werewolf cute, but here we are.

He looks at me expectantly, “What does it mean?”

“No idea. I’d hoped Talon would know about it. That’s what Ryker told me.”

Hunter’s citrus scent sours. “Talon isn’t in the right state of mind to handle whatever this is. He’s… struggling. This signature at the bottom looks familiar, though. I could ask my dad if you want?”

What I want is to know more about Talon. To understand the fire I felt when Hunter and I kissed.

To stop remembering how good Axel fingered me in my dream.

“You would ask for me?” I question instead.

He nods. “It’s the least Daddy Hunter I can do.”

Embarrassment lights my body all the way to my ass. I stick my face in my palms, groaning as Hunter laughs.

“You remember that?” I squeak.

“Was I supposed to forget it?”

“No, but I was hoping you could pretend.”

I feel him come closer, and my heart picks up the pace. He gently pulls my hand away from my face.

“And what about this?” he traces the outline of my bruise. “Am I supposed to forget this, or will you finally give me the name of the animal who hurt you?”

He’s so gentle, it nearly makes me forget how desperately he wanted me yesterday.

I wrap an arm around his own, and Hunter’s breathing intensifies.

I should ask if he felt the fire.

“Hunter-“

BANG.

A door in the house slams open.

I snap back. We whip our heads in the direction of the noise.

“What the fuck?” Hunter’s brows crease.

“HUNTER! HELP! IT'S TALON!” Ryker yells, his urgency sending a chill down my spine.

Hunter doesn’t even gasp before he bolts.

I go after him, trying to catch up, but Hunter flies down the stairs three at a time, and my short legs can’t keep up.

When I finally get to the ground floor, I freeze at the bottom of the stairs.

Ryker and Axel’s scents merge, along with a new one: sweet lavender and rain. That must be Talon.

If I take one more step, I’ll see them, and they’ll see me. Maybe it's for the best that the alpha who tried to murder me doesn’t know I'm here.

I have to get out.

“Where the fuck have you all been?” Hunter roars.

“Stand down, Hunter.” All the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Axel.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Ax! You all left. I’ve been worried sick. Where’s—” He gasps. “Tally.”

“He’s fine,” Ryker insists. “He went for drinks…”

“Talon went drinking, and you want to tell me he’s fine?” Hunter snaps. “He looks half-dead. How could you let this happen?”

“Stop fucking screaming, Hunt, that’s an order. You’re stressing him out. He needs rest—”

“How did he get the keys to his jeep?” Hunter demands. “Ryker?”

“Oh sure, always blame me for Talon’s fuck-ups.” Ryker’s smooth voice goes bitter.

“Don’t act innocent.”

“Well, don’t scream at me; I'm not the addict.”

“That’s enough!”

Three sets of angry, male voices rise, shaking the windows. Shaking my soul. How the hell am I supposed to find a way out?

Maybe I could hide out in Hunter’s room until everything dies down. Very carefully, I begin backing away.

I’m not even a step higher when my foot crushes an empty red cup.

The fighting stops.

I can hear my blood roaring in my ears. I place a hand over my mouth to stop the gasp that threatens to fall out, but I know it's too late.

Axel's dark, threatening growl rings out, “If you don’t want to die, come out. Right now.”