Page 41 of Alpha Hunt
Then he smiles, a slow, lazy curl of his lips that does strange things to my insides. “I’ll go get us some coffee,” he says, his voice still rough. I find that I love the unique sound of it. It’s so uniquely…him. He slides out of bed, not bothering to hide his obvious arousal, and I can’t help but stare.
Dear Lord, he’s magnificent.
His body is a work of art, all lean muscle and taut skin. He moves with a lithe grace that speaks of coiled power, of a predator at rest. I drink in the sight of him, my eyes tracing the lines of his abs, the cut of his hips, the thick length of his cock straining against his shorts.
Oh, my God!
I’m used to being around males who are in good shape. But this is next level. I can’t tear my eyes away.
He catches me looking and grins, unashamed. Then he turns and walks out of the room, leaving me gaping after him. I fall back against the pillows, my mind whirling, my body humming with unfulfilled need.
What the hell?
When he returns bearing two steaming mugs, it’s like nothing ever happened. I’m almost resentful of that. In fact, Iamresentful of it. How could he just knock my world off its axis and then act so normal?
He sits on the side of the bed and passes a mug to me before taking a mouthful from his own. Again, my eyes are glued to him; there’s barely an inch of spare skin over the hard lines of his corded muscles. He’s flawless. Aside from the band of scar tissue around his throat that I’m suddenly compelled to trace with my fingertip.
I curl my hands around my coffee mug to stop myself, but when he lifts a hand to his neck, it’s as if he knows what I’m thinking. I want to ask about it, how it happened. I don’t. There’s already been too much intimacy today. And he’s the one who put an end to it.
“Good coffee,” I say, my voice finally sounding almost like my own. He gives a nod. I’m becoming increasingly aware that my mate is a man of few words. “Did Jagger give you any specific instructions for the day?”
He shakes his head. “Just the usual.” He sips his coffee. I know he’s spent most of his time here exploring the area surrounding Leadmills. It’s never bothered me before, but today, I feel a twinge of apprehension. They tried to kill him there. In fact, he nearly died. If it hadn’t been for Dr. Bea, he would have…
“Are you going out alone again?” I don’t know why I ask it. I know he will. He moves more stealthily on his own. And after the way he caught me so easily, I can attest to his skills as a tracker. He’s uncanny.
“Yes.” He nods. “Although I think I might focus more toward the east near Sweetwaters for a while. Maybe hook up with Barrett. If we put our heads together, we might piece together a better picture of what’s going down. Then I’ll know what I’m looking for when I go out on my own.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” I hate the idea. Though, for the life of me, I can’t say why. “It looks like we’re going to be up against more than just the Leadmills pack.”
“I’m certain of it. We’re facing something that runs deeper than rogues fighting for territory,” he goes on to say. “I think we’re dealing with a shifter-human alliance.”
“An alliance?” My eyes widen.
“Must be.” He finishes his coffee and sets the empty mug down. “Those truckers are human. And they’re moving shifters. Wolves wouldn’t do that to each other.”
“Some of them would.” I can think of too many examples. But most of them belong in my past, and I’d prefer to keep them there.
“You’re right,” he acknowledges. “But they would have trouble moving so freely on human territory. They’re working together. It’s the only way they could manage it. We wolves can integrate into human society for short stints, but long-term?” He shakes his head. “We draw too much attention. We’re too big. Too wild. Too…much.”
I know what he means. I’m never truly comfortable in the towns and cities around us. As much as Steel Lakes may still carry the trappings of its past, our pack has stamped itself here.
I watch Edirn as he talks, my mind whirring with questions. He seems to have a lot of information about the Wildview wolves, more than I would have expected. I know he spent time at Leadmills, but how much could he really have learned there?
“So, you think they were taken to a central point and then dispersed from there?” I ask, trying to piece it together.
He nods, his eyes distant as if he’s recalling something. “Yes. From what I’ve gathered, they were rounded up and held somewhere before being…sold off.” His jaw tightens at the last words, and I can see the anger simmering beneath the surface.
“But how do you know all this?” I press, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. When Edirn arrived at Steel Lakes, it was with the understanding that he’d share the knowledge he had. It’s how we found the Wildview packlands. I never really learned how he came by this information. It’s probably why I’ve remained suspicious. “Did you find out from Rack or his men somehow?”
Edirn’s gaze flicks to mine, and for a moment, I see something guarded in his expression. “I picked up bits and pieces while I was there,” he says, his tone carefully neutral. “Overheard conversations, saw things I probably wasn’t meant to see.”
It’s a vague answer, and it only raises more questions in my mind. I get the sense that there’s more to it than he’s letting on, but before I can probe further, he changes the subject.
“By the way, Gage and Savannah have invited us to dinner tonight,” he says, a smile softening his features. “They want to thank us for our help with the twins.”
Despite my lingering suspicions, I can’t help but feel a little burst of happiness at the prospect. I’ve grown to like Savannah, and the experience of watching her give birth left me feeling a special kind of connection. The chance to see her and the babies is too good to pass up. “That sounds great,” I say, grinning. “I can’t wait to see them.”
Edirn’s smile widens, and for a moment, the tension between us dissipates. But as we finish our coffee and get ready for the day, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to his story than he’s letting on. How did he really get that information at Leadmills? And why is he being so evasive about it?