The Hybrid's Hunted Mate

Tori's POV

“Who is she?” Questions a tall dark-haired Japanese man. He stares at me with deep green eyes when he walks by the sheriff’s desk besides the bench I am cuffed to.

The front of his black hair hangs down to his beautiful tan sculpted jaw with the rest hanging around the back of his neck.

Something about him draws me in as I catch his mouth-watering scent of strawberries and fresh green tea. He is wearing nice black pants with black V-neck shirt that hugs his thin yet very muscular body.

“Hanzo, what brings you into town?” My arresting deputy questions, looking from me to the man in curiosity.

“Checking in, I heard there have been some issues with wolves in the area,” Hanzo answers with his eyes on me making me shrink back into the bench making my small 5’2” short curvy stature seem even smaller.

The way his eyes lock with mine I feel safe somehow, like he already knows what I am and that he will protect me.

“It’s getting weird, we found her in a hunter’s pit fall covered in blood with no injury, she won’t speak.” The deputy explains, he eyes me with suspicion and distrust.

I curl up a little uncomfortable under his gaze, glad the scrubs they gave me at the hospital completely cover me.

“What are you going to do with her?” Hanzo gazes down at my messy red rat’s nest I call hair and my dirt splotched sink. It is almost as if he knows more than he is letting on.

“Social worker is coming in the morning; we’ll find somewhere for her to sleep.” The deputy answers, shaking his head at me pulling at my handcuffs trying to get free.

“She’ll end up in the system then?” Hanzo watches me in concern. I scoff knowing they have no clue how old, who, or what I am.

“Probably,” The deputy shrugs his shoulders while looking up at Hanzo before his gaze moves towards a more casually dressed officer approaching the desk.

“What’s going on?” The new officer asks, I sink back into my seat seeing this man is the others superior by the way he carries himself.

‘He’s different, he doesn’t smell right,’ my wolf, Reika whispers in the back of my head. My eyes focus on the 6’2” muscular man in front of me. His short blonde curly hair falls in front of his blue eyes distracting from the stern, almost frightening energy he gives off.

“Jackson, I was asking about this young lady. If you want, I can take her till you can find something permanent.” Hanzo offers, I freeze under his gaze. I did not expect him to offer to take me out of her.

My heart races at the idea, ‘he will keep us safe, we can escape,’ Reika interrupts my thoughts. ‘We don’t even know him, Reika! He could want us to hurt us, like those men did to mom,’ I scold my wolf, still remembering watching my mother being raped and killed.

“Let me see.” Hearing Jackson’s voice pulls my attention back to my surroundings to see him grab a folder from the desk. I pay close attention to what he might say, hoping he will let me go so I can run.

“If I let him take you, would you go with him and let him look after you until we find your family?” Jackson looks me in the eye and I nod, knowing this might be my only chance to get free and hide what I am.

“If you think you can handle her, I don’t see why not. Looks like you’ll have your hands full,” Jackson agrees with a shrug. He places the folder on the desk then pulls as set of keys from his pocket.

“Yeah, it’s better than her going to a group home or ending up in the system.” Hanzo admits watching me flinch when Jackson’s cold hand grab my wrist as he uncuffs me. I carefully watch him then cautiously stand when he takes a step back.

“Thank you, I will call later.” Hanzo shakes Jackson’s hand before escorting me towards the exit. I begin to shiver then nearly jump out of my skin feeling something touch my shoulder. I relax realizing it is Hanzo’s warm jacket.

‘He smells good.’ Reika is all but swooning over this man, his warm comforting scent surrounds. ‘He probably has someone.’ I shake my head at my wolf and the way she is acting.

“Can you tell me your name?” Hanzo places his hand on my shoulder once we are outside and I shake my head not sure if I can trust him.

“That’s ok, I get it you don’t know me yet. As you’ve heard my name is Hanzo and I plan to take you home so you have somewhere safe to stay, at least until we find your family,” Hanzo gazes down at me with a soft smile making his eyes crinkle. I can’t help staring up at him noticing how sweet and cute he is. My cheeks burn red when I notice he catches me staring at him.

“Why?” I ask wanting to know why Hanzo is helping me and why Reika is liking him more than anyone we’ve ever met.

“I see what you are, you need somewhere you can feel safe and figure out how to adjust,” Hanzo answers as he leads our way towards a very large black truck, I shake my head and growl.

“I was born this way,” I snarl in distain for his insinuation that I was new to what I am.

“Really?” Hanzo looks at me with a raised eyebrow once we are in the truck.

“Yeah really, I don’t have anyone and I’ve survived just fine on my own,” I growl while grabbing the door handle to leave Hanzo’s truck, he locks the doors keeping me in.

“Don’t, I wasn’t trying to be rude I was just surprised. Let me take you to my home and at least let you get cleaned up and eat a hot meal before you run away,” Hanzo’s voice come across a desperate plea making Reika whimper in my head.

‘Please don’t leave him, I like him,’ Reika begs making me internally roll my eyes at how pitiful she sounds. Normally she’s the one keeping me level headed and telling me how naive and to trusting I am.

“Fine,” I agree with Hanzo and Reika while curling up to the car door. Hanzo starts the truck then begins to drive. ‘Thank you,’ Reika sounds relieved, I watch the dark trees out the window as we drive away from the town.

Despite Reika bugging me to talk to Hanzo and ask him everything she can think of we both stay quiet. Hanzo drives for about an hour into the mountains where we arrive at a gated property with a very nice large house.

“Come on, I’ll show you to the spare bedroom downstairs, there is an attached bathroom you can use,” Hanzo speaks when he opens the truck door for me. I carefully get out avoiding letting him touch me or getting to close.

“Thank you,” I softly speak while looking down and following him towards his home. The wind shifts and my eyes widen when I catch his scent strong enough to noticed he is a werewolf like me.

“Born or Bitten?” I question in an aggressive tone trying to be rude knowing bitten werewolves aren’t real. I only wanted to return his rude question from earlier.

‘Don’t be rude, he is helping us!’ Reika snarls at me, my brow furrows at how protective she already is of a complete stranger.

“Born,” Hanzo casually answers while opening the front door of the house exposing a beautiful wide open lay out.

When we enter the house, we are in a wide-open living room, behind that there is a kitchen to the back left of the house next to a dining room. To the right of the living room and kitchen are three doors that are spaced out for bedrooms next to a set of stairs that leads up to a loft with vaulted ceilings.

“Then you knew what I was before you saw me?” I blush realizing this man knows exactly what I am and has been trying to protect me.

“I did.” Hanzo shrugs his jacket off and watches me in concern when I nearly collapse onto the floor, my heart races upon hearing multiple wolves howling outside.