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As much as they claim otherwise I know they blame me. It’s funny to think that while I’ve been huntin’ them, they’ve been huntin’ me. Those with Rashne the Judge and Shaun Guiled, the bastard that nipped me, were the first string of the huntin’ party. I would have never been singled out if I hadn’t gone after Callahan.
Fuck me all to hell. Okay so no element of surprise like I had so hoped for. They know I am here, they know I am not alone. But they don’t know that I am female, or a wolf. Kale told me Patrick was callin’ out a man. Perhaps that is an advantage. We can do some checkin’ if the twins are up to it.
Kale wants to get Violet settled in first. I get that, I want that too. But he’s really attached to Daniel so I let him go with Marshall Charlie Walker upstairs where they have been bedding down. When Kale comes back down he lets me know they are restin’.
I nod and he joins Orion, J.D., and me at the map Wade has been studyin’. There seems to still be some heavy tension in the room, but it isn’t coming from me for a change.
“What’s goin’ on guys? You’re all way too silent on the subjects here.” I ask as Orion stares up at me then slides his eyes to J.D. who, as if feelin’ it looks up.
“What?”
“Why don’t you tell us why they want you, too?”
J.D. steps back from the table as Orion gets between it and me.
“Hey! Stop you two. J.D. what’s he talkin’ about?”
“Can we talk about this in private?” He asks his eyes pleadin’ with me. I grab Orion by the arm, pullin’ him back.
“Give us a second will ya? Wade where can we?
“Pick a room, I don’t care.”
***
J.D. AND I WALK INTO the hallway and down to an adjacent room. Once behind closed doors he clams up, crossin’ his arms in front of himself. I have a feelin’ this isn’t gonna be good news.
“J.D.? What’s goin’ on? Why do they have their dander up?”
He cracks his neck and jaw. “You remember that pack I told you about?”
“The one that kicked you out?”
“Yeah.” It comes out of him like he is gonna throw up. “It was a bit more than just tossing me. And it was Jimmy who did the deed first.”
I stare at him, not graspin’ what he’s said. I mean I heard him, but don’t believe I’ve heard him right. “You ran with Jimmy Straights?”
He nods, his body jumping with his stomach. “For about eight months before they found out I was defective.”
“You’re not defective.” I try to calm him. I could feel his sudden rage. “Why didn’t you tell me when I first met you? First mentioned Jimmy?”
“At first it was cuz I thought you were this big bad bounty hunter guy. Then because you were actually this big bad Bounty Hunter Woman. It’s not something a person wants to talk about. Then my feelings for you started. How was I supposed to know that I was gonna fall for ya? By then it seemed far away. Something that happened to somebody... Not me. I didn’t think they were gonna remember me. It’s been fifteen years. All I wanted to do was help you.” He kneels in front of me. “You gotta believe me, I’m nothing like them. I never was, I’m a good man, who made a young man’s mistake and paid dearly for it. Apparently twice. Don’t make me pay for it again. Please don’t hate me.”
My heart tightens. angry for the lie, but it wrenches from the truth. I take his face in my hands and look down at him. His eyes glow amber and tears fall as he blinks up at me.
“If you think that could make me hate you, then you don’t know me.” I kiss his mouth delicately, and he wraps his arms around me tightly. Sad as the situation is I can’t help but think that it could all be used to our advantage.