Page 32 of Midnight Hunt

My body had just temporarily forgotten.

Reid had seemed to understand. He hadn’t even beenmad. More like resigned, as if he’d already known.

But when I’d insisted that Griff was my past andhewas my future, Reid had left me with four words. Four little words that had shaken me to my core and made me question everything. Seeing my confliction, he hadn’t stuck around much longer, and I was now alone to face the consequences of my choices.

Not quite ready to speak to Griff—or anyone else, for that matter—I shut myself in Kolton’s office and got lost in work. Even when dinnertime rolled around, I didn’t stop. Nora brought in a plate and gently hugged me before wordlessly leaving again. Other than that, no one disturbed me.

It was nearing bedtime when the office phone rang. Answering on autopilot, I replied, “Rivers’ residence. Vi speaking.”

“Vi? Oh, thank goodness you answered,” Mrs. Bailey’s frantic voice filled the speaker. “It’s Desirae. I told her not to leave the house, but the need to shift was too strong. She took off into the woods a few minutes ago, and I’m so scared she’s going to get hurt or worse. Please. You have to help me get her back.”

“Kolton!” I shouted, jumping up from my chair.

Seconds later, my brother, Griff, and Jagger burst into the office, my shout clearly putting them on high alert. Ignoring the fluttery feeling I got when Griff looked me over as if to check for injuries, I quickly relayed Mrs. Bailey’s message.

“Tell her we’re on the way,” Kolton said and strode from the office. Still holding the phone, I shot after him, elbowing past Griff and Jagger in the process.

“I’m going too,” I told him, adding some dominance to my voice.

“Vi—”

“I can help. Iwantto help,” I interrupted before he could shut me down.

“You were just injured—”

“It won’t happen again. I’ll be extra vigilant. Ineedthis.”

At that, he paused with his hand on the front doorknob.

Knowing he still wasn’t convinced, I allowed myself to admit, “I need to feel like I’m still a part of Midnight Pack.”

He turned to face me then, his expression softening. “You’ll always be a part of Midnight Pack, Vi.”

“Will I?”

Seeing my doubt, he exchanged looks with Jagger and Griff, then quietly sighed. “Fine. You can come, but you’re to follow me at all times. That includes Sable.”

“I promise,” I breathed, rushing forward to hug him.

As I quickly assured Mrs. Bailey we were on the way, Nora joined us in the foyer. Kolton paused to draw her close and press a sound kiss to her lips, and I immediately thought of this morning’s football game when I’d been wrapped around Griff like a koala bear. Heat had stirred in my belly when I’d caught him staring at my lips, the look in his eyes anything but platonic. And for one second, I’d allowed myself to return the look—and remember what it felt like to kiss him. Feeling that same heat stir in my belly now, I hurriedly looked away.

They were just residual feelings from the past. Once I took that next step with Reid and we became intimate, I was certain the feelings would fade away.

I would get over them.

I would get overhim.

For the sake of my future with Reid, I had to.

“Stay safe. All of you,” Nora said, dispelling my troubled thoughts. I could tell she wanted to come too, but her priority these days was protecting her two precious children. She was an amazing mother, and God help anyone who tried to come between her and her babies.

With a final kiss goodbye, Kolton turned from his mate and led the way out the door. I eagerly followed, not about to let him change his mind. It wasn’t that I got a thrill from danger. I would just rather face it than let the ones I loved deal with it alone. Not knowing if they were hurt or worse was unbearable, so I’d much rather be a part of the action than get left behind.

“Did you make any headway on those fingerprints we pulled from the trap?” Kolton asked me as we left the porch and headed for the garage.

“Darin ran them through the database but hasn’t found any matches yet,” I replied, referring to our pack member that worked in the NYPD. “He’ll have to contact the FBI to access Interpol’s system, but do we really want their attention drawn to two werewolves?”

Kolton deliberated for a moment before saying, “We can hold off on that for now. No need to alert other countries to our search just yet. Did one of the males really look Russian to you?”

---