Consequences Series

HUNTER

I walked around in a daze. It all had happened so fast, and my brain was struggling to process what I’d done. And more so why I’d done it.

It was a blind rage, that was certain. And it happened when he’d accused me of being gay. Why had that made me so angry? Homosexuality was common among wolf packs, it was accepted.

Am I a bigot?

I came to the conclusion that it only angered me where Drew and Elliot were concerned. That Drew had been right. I was jealous. I wanted him all to myself. But as my lover or my beta? That required more time to sort out.

It was night when my feet found their way to Drew’s doorstep. I needed to make this right, and I prayed to the Goddess that he’d agree to at least listen to my apology.

I also prayed that Beta David wouldn’t answer the door. David protected his son fiercely, and I didn’t know if he’d used his ability on Drew to find out who had hurt him.

If he had, you’d already be dead, that voice in my mind said.

It didn’t comfort me like it should have, though. Maybe I did deserve to die for what I’d done, but I’d let Drew decide that. It was to him I’d need to make amends.

I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d say to him, but I vowed to do anything it took to get Drew to look at me without a negative emotion in his eyes. I stepped up to his door, my heart jackhammering in my chest as I raised my fist.

Before I got the chance to knock, the door flew open and Jake and Henry stomped out, forcing me back off the porch and down the front steps.

Jake made to lunge at me, but Henry held him back. Somehow.

“Jake, don’t. He’s not worth it,” Henry said, putting himself in front of Jake and holding him back by his shoulders.

Jake’s eyes looked away from me and to Henry, and his rage vanished. His look softened more the longer he looked at Henry, then it changed into something else entirely.

Wait a minute. Is that love? Is Henry gay too? Millions of moments ran through my head as the realization crashed upon me, but Jake’s words stopped my mind’s slideshow.

“What do you want, Hunter? To finish the job?”

Despite myself, I flinched at that.

“Seriously, man. What’s wrong with you? Why would you do this to your own beta?” He shook his head. “And to think I stood up for you. I told Drew you couldn’t be that bad. But I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

I didn’t need to explain myself to him, yet. Drew deserved to be the first to hear my apologies. “Can I speak to him please?”

Jake crossed his arms. “No, you can’t.” He nodded his head to Henry. “But you can speak to us.” His face was hard and he raised his eyebrows in wait for a response.

I sighed. If I wanted to get past them, I’d need to give them something. “I came to apologize.”

“For killing him?” Henry said.

I flinched again. “For everything.”

“Why should I believe you’re serious?” Jake asked.

I shook my head and looked at the ground for answers. “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “When I saw him…not moving, I…” My eyes welled. “He was so cold.” I touched my lips at the memory. “I fucked up.” I looked up as two tears fell. “I won’t do it again. I can’t lose him again.”

Henry was visibly shaken, and his anger transformed into that same look of knowing I’d seen on Drew. He turned to Jake and put his hand on Jake’s forearm. They shared an unspoken conversation before Jake sighed and uncrossed his arms.

“I’m sorry, Hunter, but you can’t see Drew,” Jake said.

I stepped up onto the first stair, anger rising at their refusal to let me apologize to Drew, but Jake’s raised hand stopped my words of protest.

“You can’t see him because he’s gone. He just left less than an hour ago.”

I staggered back onto the walkway, not fully comprehending his words. “OK. When will he be back? I can wait for him.”

“He’s gone, Hunter. He won’t be back.”

I shook my head, convinced I’d misheard him. “But, he’s my beta. Where can he go?”

Jake took a step down. “He went to train with my pack. My old pack.”

“But he has a duty to this pack. To me.” Panic rose inside me. Have I lost him forever before I’ve even had the chance to apologize? He’ll never know how sorry I am. He’ll hate me forever. I was beginning to spin out. “He can’t just leave me.”

Jake stepped down the rest of the way and put his hands on my shoulders. “He’ll be back.”

I looked up at him, and hope flared in my chest. My mind began to focus again.

“And in the meantime,” Henry said, stepping beside Jake, “you’ll have three years to make it up to the rest of us.”

I looked at him and cocked my head.

“You have three years to get your shit together, Hunter, to become the alpha we need you to be. A loving, kind, and good alpha,” Henry said. “One that Drew would be proud to serve beside.”

I nodded slowly and vowed to myself right then to do just that.