Hunter’s POVAlpha Colin sat up slowly, rubbing his head and squinting up at me. My lip curled as I looked at his ginger hair, but I had to do this. For Jane.‘Exactly, Hunter!’ cheered Reg. ‘This is exactly the sort of thing Alpha David would do for Beth. You need to think bigger.’ He leant in close and winked. ‘You need to think like Alpha David. Besides – Jane hates you.’‘Thanks,’ I muttered dryly.Reg ignored me. ‘The only way to get her to love you again is to be someone else.’ He grinned, his tongue lolling out. ‘This was one of my best ideas ever! And for such a good idea I think I deserve a little repayment, don’t you?’It was my turn to ignore him. Reg started singing loudly in my head, listing the different kinds of ice cream he wanted. I winced and tried to focus on Alpha Colin, who was saying something I couldn’t hear over Reg’s rendition of Ice Ice Baby.‘Yo, VIP, let’s lick it!’ he sang, proudly out of tune. ‘Ice, ice cream baby!’‘I’m a bit busy right now, Reg,’ I bit
Hunter’s POVReg was whining in my head when I came to. All of me felt dry and dusty – even the inside of my mouth was coated with orange sand. I sat up, my head spinning, and spat out a cloud of dust.‘Why wouldn’t you fight back?’ he griped. ‘It’s not like you. It felt wrong. And I know you had to protect Jane by creating a distraction, I’m a smart wolf, you don’t have to explain that–’‘If you were really such a smart wolf, Reg,’ I groaned, ‘I wouldn’t need to explain any of it.’ I sighed. ‘My fighting style is too well known. People send their kids to me to train, right?’ He nodded slowly. ‘I didn’t want to blow my cover by fighting back, even in this form.’ I plucked at Colin’s tatty shirt, now blood-soaked and torn, and wrinkled my nose. ‘Besides, I knew they wouldn’t do me any real damage.’I stood up slowly, my vision blurring. Fuck. Maybe they’d done me more damage than I’d thought…‘Hello!’ Reg tried to snap his paws like they were fingers, but failed miserably. Instead he y
Hunter’s POVTrying to hide a smirk, I gazed up at Jane, still clutching at her, and put her hand in my mouth. I bit down it gently, planning to suckle on it – but she pulled it away quickly and hugged it to her chest.“What are you talking about?” She frowned at me. “You’re calling me Mom?”Sensing her hesitation, worry started to creep in. ‘Are you sure about this, Reg? What if she sees me as a child instead of as someone she could love?’‘I’m sure I’m sure! This is just phase one of the plan. Look how confused she is! That’s how you know it’s working,’ he said sagely. ‘Remember, Hunter: what would Alpha David do?’I blinked up at her. “Yes, Mom. That’s who you are. You’re my mom.”I wasn’t sure this plan was going to work – until I stood up, purposefully letting the blanket slip off me. Her gaze instantly dropped down to inspect my abs, which I tensed, giving her the full show of my muscles. As she drew her full lower lip into her mouth, her eyes going heavy-lidded with desire, I s
Hunter’s POVI looked around the market curiously. It was teeming with people, all rushing around with wicker baskets slung over their arms, all hurrying from stall to stall, all clamouring to find the best prices in town. Jane was lost in conversation with her wolf, so I slipped away from the stall and went to find her a present. That was the next step on Reg’s list of How To Win Over a Woman. Food first, then a heartfelt gift.“Roses! Come and get your red, red roses!” hollered a curvaceous woman. ‘That’s it, Hunter! Roses are perfect.’ Reg shooed me over to her stall.“Hi.” I grinned at her awkwardly. I still felt out of kilter without my own face. Colin had a goofy smile, the kind that endeared women, but he couldn’t pull off the cold mask I liked to wear or the smug smirk that got women on their knees.“You want some of my roses, handsome?” she purred, leaning over her stall and running her fingertip up my chest. I swallowed hard, glancing back at Jane. Was she watching? “I do
Hunter’s POVI grabbed the whip – and my stomach dropped down to my belly. Would she realise I hadn’t lost my memory? Would she know I wasn’t really Alpha Colin? Why would a stranger go to such lengths to protect her?“Let my sister go,” said the red-faced man with a horrible beard holding the other end, “and I’ll spare your life – this time.”‘Ew, Hunter! Why is that man wearing a squirrel on his face? Maybe I should chase it off!’Hearing Reg chatting nonsense made some of my tension ease. Jane didn’t seem to have noticed me, which stung a little but was ultimately a good thing. Her gaze was fixed on Squirrel Face, who was practically vibrating with rage as he wrenched the whip from my grip. “I only gave you a choice because I know you’re Ed’s niece. Don’t piss me off!”He lifted the whip, aiming it at Jane again. I darted to her side, standing between her and him. I wouldn’t let her get hurt – and I needed her to see that. Jane had to learn that men could be protectors, too. She h
Hunter’s POV‘Poor Jane.’ Reg’s eyes were wide and sad. ‘She’s thinking so hard right now I can practically hear her brain throbbing. And speaking of throbbing, Hunter, what’s going on with your dick? It doesn’t feel normal.’‘My dick is fine,’ I said calmly. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. I felt weighed down, sluggish, and so tired I couldn’t move, but I could still feel everything. ‘At least it will be – if this goes to plan.’Ed told her she’d have to have sex with me. I heard her take three shaky steps back, then the soft smack of her back hitting the wall. My ears started to buzz after I’d strained them so much, and everything sounded distant, as if it was travelling through a long cave before reaching me.My breaths were coming in hot, fast pants; my skin was burning with heat and sweat was pooling along my collarbones and at the small of my back. The old man started cackling. “Let him hold himself back until he explodes, or becomes a eunuch, or dies.”‘Hunter,’ Reg w
Hunter’s POVIt was time for my memories to come back.Now Jane knew how she felt about me, deep down, we needed to be able to develop our new connection. She couldn’t do that with a giant baby; she needed a little taste of the real me.Reg poked his head out around the block, his paws covering his eyes. ‘Is it safe to come out?’ he asked, lifting one paw slowly and squinting out at me.‘Drama queen,’ I muttered. ‘Yes, it’s safe.’‘Well, I can’t be too careful with you around, Hunter!’ he chided. ‘Remember that time I saw you doing a naked conga line? You were holding a pineapple, yes, that’s it!’ He laughed. ‘And then you put the pineapple on your head and did the helicopter–’‘Sorry, who are you talking about? Because that sure as hell wasn’t me.’‘Well, it was you if I say it was.’ He shrugged.My face paled. ‘Do you – do you make stuff up like this regularly? And do you tell people this nonsense?’‘Oh, yeah! All the time! Ian loves hearing it, and he’s such a gossip he tells every
Jane’s POVI spun around, my jaw dropping. “No, Colin!” I cried. ‘Yes, Colin!’ cheered Ina. ‘It’s all coming together. You and Colin and Leif…’I tuned her out. “You can’t,” I went on, but Leif cut me off.“I don’t want you.” He sneered. “Just Jane.” He turned to me, eyebrows raised. “So what do you say? A hundred thousand dollars to be my sex slave. Do we have a deal?” He held out his hand.I swallowed hard as I eyed his hand, which was meaty and shaking slightly. That much money could get me out of here. It could keep my boys safe…I reached for his hand and shook it firmly. “I’ll be your sex slave,” I said.Colin grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, his brown eyes burning with intensity. “Don’t go,” he rasped. “Please, Jane. Just… don’t go.” ‘Oh, Jane!’ Ina pouted. ‘Look at those big sad eyes. How can you leave my chef like that? Let him come with you! He’d make a great sex slave – just look at those broad shoulders! And you remember how great last night was.’‘You just want Coli