Page 21 of Locke

“Anything, what is it?”

“I need you to ask her if she has heard of the name Reyes Claudio.” She tapped the card several times on her thigh. “See if it rings a bell.”

“You don’t think they found you, do you? I would have thought they’d have given up. It’s been years. I think you are just being paranoid.”

Emm put the ID back in her pocket. “It’s either them or another hunter trying to get rid of the competition. This isn’t a closed service. It’s whoever can get this guy first.”

Elena groaned on the other side. “Emmie, you said you wouldn’t take those. There is too much at stake. We are fine here. Get a normal job, get a life. We are fine where we are. Abuela has friends, and Luis is in a good school. I do not need this nurse, we are fine—”

“No,” my mate snapped. “I will take care of mi familia. I’m bringing you up here to get you better care. Abuela will not live forever and then what? What if you have a bad day?” Emm argued.

Elena growled on the other side of the line. “I take care of myself just fine. Luis is growing like a weed. My online business has taken off. I don’t need your money!” she screamed.

Emm pulled the phone away from her ear.

“Elena, listen to me, please. Listen,” Emm pleaded.

Elena huffed on the other end.

“I cannot call again until this is over. I will not risk the family,” Emm said softly. “No matter how nice these people seem to be.”

Elena hummed. “This place is different, where you are at, this Forest Falls? The little town?”

Emm nodded, knowing well enough that Elena couldn’t see. “The people are nice. I just hope the people I’m talking to have nothing to do with this Locke guy.”

I grinned wildly inside my wolf. Ahh, so we are both hunters. The question is, who will eventually become the prey?

I wetted my maw, mouthwatering with anticipation. I wouldn’t object to my partner holding me down, a sharp blade grazing against my throat as their enticing curves hovered tantalizingly close to my dick. In fact, if it meant I could press them down onto my throbbing cock, I’d willingly surrender to the sensation of having her touch me anywhere.

Fuck, this is the ultimate turn on. Maybe I’ll forgive the Goddess, after all.

“And what if he is? Maybe this Locke guy isn’t some criminal, Emmie. That means you will let it go, right? You don’t hurt innocent people, you said that from the very beginning.”

Emm leaned her head back on the bench, her head mere centimeters from my snout. I took in a long, deep breath and inhaled her wonderful scent.

My cock stirred, and my tail wagged violently while she took a long breathless pause.

“I’ve gotta go, Elena. It might be a while before I can call again. I’m going to be using different burner phones, so always answer unknown calls.”

“Emmie, you better not hurt a hair on that man’s head, if he is innocent— ¡O te juro, te patearé el trasero!”

Emm forcefully ended the call, emitting an exasperated groan. With a swift motion, she snapped the phone in half, with the sharp crack echoing in my ears. Her movements were jerky as she grabbed a nearby bottle of water and poured it over the broken device.

My wolf licked our maw while we watched Emm gather her things. There were so many interesting revelations that haveappeared before me, I wasn’t sure which one I was more excited about.

My mate was a hunter, a strong female who has strong roots and believes in protecting a family—a pack. If I had my doubts before, which I didn’t, she certainly had solidified my approval of the Goddess.

Now, she wants to trap or kill me which is a fucking turn-on. I wonder if she would try to harm me. Strangle me? Tie me up? Would she do it if I tried to seduce her? Would she take the bait, bring me back to her RV and somehow tie me to the bed? Or better yet, would she use my body then fucking stab me when it was all over, like some black widow shit?

Oh, the possibilities.

My mate took another look at the playground before departing. She traveled back to her truck and the only other place she could go would be her campsite.

I felt confident that she would be safe and, with the bond helping me heal, I knew I needed to make my presence known to the Iron Fang. They would need to know things were about to change, and new protocols would need to take place.

I huffed and trotted toward the back alleys, taking the darkest corners I could find.

The shadows swallowed me whole as I darted through the forgotten streets, the smell of iron and decay clung to the damp air. I knew this place like the back of my paw, every crevice, every alleyway. It was my hunting ground, my sanctuary. But now, it was also the perfect place to plan my next move.

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