Page 13 of Alien Huntsman

He ignored her question, pulling another strand of leather from his pocket. “Give me your hands.”

She hesitated, clutching her freed wrists protectively against her chest. The brief taste of freedom made the prospect of being bound again almost unbearable.

“Please,” she said. “I won’t run.”

“Your hands.” His voice left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, she extended her arms. His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he positioned her wrists together, careful not to pinch her skin as he wrapped the leather around them. The contradiction between his actions and his careful touch confused her.

As he secured the knot, he looked up. Their eyes met and the breath caught in her throat as that same strange sensation ofrecognition washed over her—a feeling of connection that made no sense. She’d never met him before yesterday, yet something about him felt… familiar.

His eyes widened slightly, as though he felt it too. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Then he abruptly broke the contact, jerking his hands back with somewhat less than his usual grace. He rose to his feet in one fluid motion and stepped away from her.

“Stay put,” he ordered, already turning toward the trees. “I’ll be back.”

Without another word, he stalked off into the darkness of the forest, leaving her alone with the sleeping pups and her racing thoughts.

She let out a shaky breath. Whatever Lenora had paid him to do, he hadn’t done it yet. For now, at least, she was still alive.

CHAPTER 6

Korrin stared across the flames at Tessa’s sleeping body. He hadn’t gone far, just out of sight amongst the trees, but he’d been unable to face any more of her questions. Especially when he didn’t know the answers himself. He’d waited until she fell asleep again before returning. The firelight painted her skin gold, softening her features until she looked almost ethereal. One of the pups had wriggled free of its siblings and curled against her neck, its tiny body rising and falling with each breath she took.

His jaw clenched. She was human. Just another fragile, treacherous human. No matter what his instincts whispered, she wasn’t his concern.

“Fuck,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He’d never been in such a position before. Usually his jobs were straightforward—find the target, complete the contract, collect payment. But this? This was a mess of his own making.

He couldn’t take her back for the same reason he’d accepted the job in the first place. If he took her back, her stepmother wouldsimply hire someone else, someone who wouldn’t hesitate to complete the job properly. Someone who might make her suffer before the end.

The thought made his beast snarl possessively.

Even if he just let her go, he was sure she’d simply return to that pitiful village. To the stepmother who wanted her dead. To the pompous male who’d been leering at her.

The stick snapped in his hand.

She deserves more than that, he thought as one of the pups yipped in its sleep. She’d insisted on caring for creatures that most humans would have killed on sight.

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” he told her sleeping body.

The wind shifted, carrying her sweet, intoxicating scent to him. His beast stirred, wanting to move closer, to wrap around her and keep her safe. The thought made him growl, low in his throat. This wasn’t like him. He didn’t care about humans. He didn’t protect them. He certainly didn’t feel this strange pull toward them.

But as he watched her sleep, her face soft and peaceful despite her circumstances, he knew he couldn’t let her return to almost certain death. But where could he take her instead?

Taking her to the Vultor enclave seemed the most logical solution. He was sure that Seren would agree to protect her, at least temporarily. But his logic failed when he imagined Tessa amongst his kind.

Scarlett had been accepted, yes, but only because she was Finnar’s mate. The bond between them was recognized andrespected. But Tessa? An unattached human female with no ties to their pack? Some of them would reject her simply because she was human, but some of the males would see her as fair game.

The thought of another Vultor approaching her, catching her scent, touching her—his claws extended involuntarily, digging into his palms.

Ours,his beast whispered.Ours to protect.

“Shut up,” he muttered, shaking his head to clear it.

He glanced back at her. Another one of the pups had crawled up to nestle against her stomach, and even in sleep, her arm curled protectively around the small creature. The sight did nothing to calm his agitation.

---