“Do you want to see me, Hunter?” Wilder said looking into the face of his first born. How much Hunter had changed? He’s a full grown werewolf now. It’s time for him to find his way into this crazy world of men and werewolves, Wilder thought.
Wilder had come from a hunt with Lycell and Drayton, and he appeared tired and his body dripped with perspiration. Drops of water fell from his forehead. The front and back of his blue denim shirt soaked up all the sweat on his chest and back.
“Can this wait? You know how your mother insist that I take a shower. When I’m at the cave, I don’t have to worry about any of that. I can be myself, but she refuses to see me if I haven’t shaved or showered.” Wilder smiles but he feels tension in the air.
“What is it Hunter? I know something is wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong, father. I just can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what?”
“Be here under your roof. I have to find a place for myself. I have to go out into the world.”
“I thought you had enough of the world with that ordeal in Alaska.”
“I thought so too, but that’s the real world. Tough and nasty. You were able to find yourself and not under your father’s protection.”
“My father died before I became full grown.”
“All you want to do is protect us and the pack you and mother have created. What about me? I need to organize my own pack. I need to find a mate.”
“But what about the council?”
“You have Devin and then there’s Lycell’s brood who will be yearlings in a matter of weeks. They can help Devin. You have all you need.”
“I don’t have you, Hunter. You are the light of my life, and if you leave your mother will be heartbroken.”
“I know she will, but I have to go. You will have to tell her because if I do, then I won’t be able to go. She will cry and I will stay. If I stay, I will eventually hate everyone and everything around me.”
“What about Haley?”
“I’ve spoken with her. She’s to be sent off to school. I will make arrangements. She need to be away from Samsaville. There’s too much going on with the killings.”
“Did you and Claire discover anything new?”
“There’s nothing new to discover. Claire and I know who it is even if she didn’t say. We know it’s Eric committing the murders. The sheriff could bring him in, but then we have to prove that he did it, and there isn’t enough evidence to prove it, at least not now.”
Wilder sat with disgust and disappointment written over his face. “What do we do now?” He takes his hand from his mouth and gestures into the air.
“We have to wait until he makes another move. You have to get with the council and discuss how to keep the humans safe in our town, otherwise, it won’t grow and the humans will rebel against our family, and the packs in this country won’t be able to save us. We will have to go underground again until we’re strong enough.” Wilder raised an eyebrow.
“That’s one reason why I’m leaving. I can’t be here. I have plans. I’m leaving tomorrow for San Francisco.” Wilder sat gazing at Hunter sadden and worried about Hunter’s future and the future of his family.
How could he deny Hunter the chance to grow when he knew he had been the same way? He took off and left his father’s house at just the same age. Only to come back after his mother died. He knew deep in his heart that Hunter would be back and his family would be whole again.
But for now, the ache in Wilder’s heart couldn’t get any worse.
“I’m taking my inheritance and starting a company. I plan on integrating myself into the world of men. If I’m to save this family and the werewolf packs, I have to live and act like humans. I have to think like them. It’s my mother who taught me this.” He smiled.
“Are you leaving because of Devin and Katie?” Hunter studied the question.
“Yes and no.”
He finally recognized that he would be a problem in their relationship and he wanted to give Devin and him a chance to mend their broken bonds. A bond that never should have been broken in the first place. And Hunter knew that he was singly responsible for the break in their relationship.
“I have to go now, father. I have to say goodbye to a friend. Tell Claire that I wish I had met her under different circumstances. She’s beautiful and a tough shifter.” Hunter smiles thinking about how he would have liked to have gotten her in his bed. What fun nights he would have had with her purring and scratching.
Wilder grabbed Hunter and held him for a few minutes. He didn’t want to let him go. Just when he got his son back he was losing him again. When Hunter broke from his father’s arms he turned and walked away. Wilder stood in the same spot wondering what he could say to Adrienne, and how she would take not seeing Hunter.
When she found out about Bane taking Hunter, she cried and cried and made herself sick. Robert thought that her pregnancy would be in jeopardy, but she managed to carry Drayton’s one pup to term. Finally she accepted that Hunter might not come home, and she tried to occupy her time with her pups.
Now she had to face that fact again and Wilder didn’t know what she would do.
Hunter turned around in the foyer gazing at the beautiful ranch that had been home to him. He looked at the marbled flooring that Adrienne had replaced with the wooden flooring. He looked at the columns inside separating and creating a foundation for the stately home. He would miss looking out over the ranch and riding his horses and having his dogs at his feet.
Hunter had dreams too just like Wilder, and he would try to make them come true. He stepped out into the spring thaw and climbed on the motorcycle and rode into town to say goodbye to Christine.
Parking in the courtyard he hurried up to her apartment. Ringing the bell she answered and she opened the door. “Oh Hunter, I didn’t know you were coming,” she said smiling and closed her top as if he was a stranger. He thought it odd that she didn’t invite him in. He sniffed the air and she smelled of a shifter. He couldn’t connect the smell because it was masked with floral shower jell.
“I have a visitor. I think we agreed that we wouldn’t be excusive to each other.” That was a human notion not a werewolf one, but Hunter embracing that part of himself had forgotten. If he was to live a human life, he had to control his emotions, and smile even though he wanted to tear the shifters head off for crossing his territory.
“No problem, Christine. I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving town. I don’t know when I’ll return, and I had a great time with you.” Christine looked behind her and she leaned her face through the crack in the door and kissed Hunter on the lips.
When Christine pulled away she said, “I wish we had met sooner.”
“So do I. Take care of yourself and don’t let any strangers into your apartment.”
“I won’t. Bye Hunter. I’m going to miss you.” Hunter didn’t say anything because he didn’t feel the same way about Christine that he felt about his family. It was his family and Katie that he will miss and it was because of them that he had to leave.
He didn’t think too much about Haley only that she was someone else’s responsibility. Hunter took a slow walk to his bike.
Reaching for his motorcycle, jumping on it, and starting it up, then he thought of Haley and about how she liked riding on the back of his motorcycle. He smiled because he knew he would miss her eventually.
Having her tell him how much she loved him stroked his ego. And because of her, he was able to feel better about losing Katie. However, he would never admit that to Haley.
Hunter placed his helmet on his head and took off into the night. He had a smile on his face because he didn’t know what his future would be like, but it couldn’t be worse than facing the arctic tundra of Alaska.