It was obvious that she didn’t trust me. Hell, she still hadn’t told me her name. Not that I blamed her. Unfortunately for her, she’d have to get over it. I wasn’t about to leave her alone to fend for herself. I wanted to ask how long she’d been on her own, why she’d run, and who was after her. I could make her problem go away, if she’d just tell me what I needed to know. When I’d dealt with her issue, she could leave.
Maybe. We’d see.
Like I’d told her, in addition to being one of the owners, I was a clan leader. I had connections. A network. I knew people who knew people, and between us all, we’d hunt down the person or persons hunting her and eliminate the problem. It didn’t matter how well she handled herself or that she’d managed this long on her own—however long that might have been. I’d entered the picture now. I was here and my alpha nature wouldn’t let me do anything other than takeover. It was my job to protect the weak and vulnerable.
There was a leak in my organization. The knowledge burned me. Our employees were well compensated for the “stigma” of working with the infected. In return, we insisted on two things: loyalty and confidentiality. I wanted to know who the culprit was and if anyone else was in on it. Whoever the traitor was, they’d been very careful. My fellow owners and I weren’t the most trusting of people.
It was time to hunt. “Let’s go!” I barked.
“What about the men?” she asked.
“I’d say it’s high time you became the hunter, don’t you think?” I asked.
Her heart rate increased, and I smelled her burgeoning panic. “Going after them won’t stop the threat to me.”
As suspected, the woman knew more than she was telling me. “Why don’t you tell me what will?” When she remained silent, I said silkily, “You can tell me what’s going on, or I’ll get my answers from them. Decide now.”
These woods were my hunting grounds. Those two wouldn’t get away from me, no matter how much of a lead they had.
She sighed. “Look, this isn’t your problem. Take me back to New Town and you’ll never have to see me again.”
I shook my head. “That’s no longer an option. I’m involved now and I’m choosing to stay involved. You’re tired of running. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come looking for a mate. Here I stand, ready and willing to help.”
Her suspicion and mistrust ran so deep, it smelled like sour perfume on her skin. “I’m looking for a mate, not a savior. Are you offering to mate with me?”
“No.” My response was instinctive and forceful. “Tell you what. Let me assist you with your problem and once it’s eliminated, I’ll help you find a suitable mate. I have a whole registry at my disposal.” I dangled the offering like the sweetest of enticements and waited to see if she’d take it.
Nature was on my side. The infected were pack animals by design. The scientist that created the virus had ensured it. They’d wanted super soldiers—stronger, faster, more cunning and intelligent than the average human—but they’d also needed soldiers who followed the chain of command. Couldn’t have an army of lone wolves and dissenters. Throughout the many mutations and variations of the virus, that one characteristic had held true.
Just when I thought she wouldn’t take the lure, she spoke. “When I was fifteen, my mother helped me to escape our clan. Its leader, Hiram, planned to mate me on my sixteenth birthday.”
Sixteen was too young for my tastes, but I knew plenty of clans who considered a woman mature enough to mate when she reached that age. I didn’t agree, but the practice was common enough. “You’re how old now?”
“Twenty-eight,” she said.
If her old leader had a taste for young pussy, he should have targeted his next victim by now. Men with his nature discarded women like canned food that had passed its freshness date. Wounded pride and the thrill of the hunt only lasted so long. “Forgive me. I don’t doubt what you’re saying, but it doesn’t make sense. Why is he still after you? It’s been twelve years. He should have given up and moved on to the next girl by now.”
I could feel her studying me, debating her next words. Silently, I urged her to confide in me. The more she told me about her situation, the better able I’d be to assist.
“Hiram will never stop hunting me. He’s more than just my clan leader. He’s my father.”
I sat in stunned silence while I processed the news. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say I was shocked. I’d met some sick fucks in my life. Men who got off on the power of being the strongest, most powerful, and used their strength and position to subjugate others. Those men believed might meant right.
Hiram may no longer want her for himself, but as his daughter she was still valuable. He could dangle her to forge alliances. Sell her to the highest bidder and no one would bat an eyelid.
I placed my hands on her shoulders and felt her subtle flinch. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I make you this promise. I won’t let Hiram have you. I will use all of my considerable resources to free you and help you have the life you deserve.”
“I’m already free,” she muttered.
“As long as he has you on the run, you’re not free. What do you say? Will you trust me to do that much for you?” I asked.
Again, the tense silence dragged out as she weighed her options. “For now, but I have conditions.”
Of course she did. I withheld a sigh. “Okay. What are they?”
“I want my car and my stuff. I won’t be trapped or dependent upon you. If I decide to leave, you let me go. Don’t track me. Don’t hunt me. Don’t try to bring me back,” she said.
Agreeing to her terms went against everything in my nature. I made a counteroffer. “We’ll get your car and belongings. You follow me to my clan’s holdings. If you want to leave, talk to me first and let me assure myself of your safety. I promise not to hold you against your will.”
I waited while she debated. Pushing for her trust would only result in the opposite.
She stared at me a moment longer before saying, “I’ll go with you—for now.”
That was as good as it was going to get. It was a start. It took time and patience to gentle wild things. She wasn’t just wild. She was wounded. An extra delicate touch was needed.
“All right, honey. I accept your terms. Mind telling me your name? I can keep calling you honey, but my clan might get the wrong idea about us,” I said, injecting a bit of humor in my voice to show I was teasing.
Again, she hesitated.
“You know I have access to Mate Match’s records, don’t you?” I reminded her.
I couldn’t see her rolling her eyes, but I felt it and heard her sigh of exasperation. “My name is Cherise.”
Smiling so that she caught a flash of teeth, I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Cherise.”
I laughed, unsurprised when she left me hanging.
“Can we go now? I’m cold, damp, and tired.” It wasn’t a whine, but it was definitely a complaint. Whether Cherise realized it or not, she was beginning to trust me. At the very least, she believed my promise of safety and protection. I could work with that. Relationships had been built on far less.
Not a relationship, I sharply reminded myself. It didn’t matter how drawn to this woman I was, I wasn’t looking for a mate. When the time came, I’d hand her off to someone more suitable and wish them well.
“Yes.” I took Cherise by the hand and led her in a different direction than the men had taken.
I still wanted to hunt them. There were two of us and two of them, so the odds were even. Unless they had backup. Cherise had said she’d seen four. There could be more. Teams usually went out in groups of six or eight. With my specialized military training, I could easily handle four men, but I wouldn’t risk Cherise. I had to get her to the safety of my clan first. Then I could hunt.