Page 23 of Anaki

Engines rumbled, and a faint smell of gasoline filled the air. Rough-looking bikers strutted down the sidewalk, their heavy boots echoing against the pavement, asserting their dominance over the town.

As we drove by, the bar appeared to be even larger, the double-story building making me tilt my head in question.

“At the top there,” Anaki said as he pointed. “Are apartments for a lot of the guys. Wolves need to be in close spaces. Like a pack, just like real animals.”

My eyes stayed on the bar as we drove by. There was even a mechanic shop at the back of it. It was huge compared to a lot of the buildings in town.

“The MC has more wolves than any other supernaturals. I live there some of the time because I work there, but I have my own place. So do Bear and Nadia. They have a cabin in the forest that the MC owns. That’s where we are going. It's quiet there, Luis, you’ll like it. You get plenty of places to run without getting into trouble.”

Luis rolled his eyes. “I don’t get into trouble. Not that much.”

Abuela scoffed. “When he gets bored, he does.”

After a few more minutes, we left the bustling town behind, going down a narrow, curvy, gravel road. The dense forest enveloped us, castingdarkness as nightfall took hold.

As we approached the clearing, quietness enveloped us. The crunching of gravel beneath the tires was all I could hear besides the distant chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves. The scent of clean air was refreshing as they rolled down the windows.

Along the gravel road, cabins stood in a neat row, some in the midst of construction, while others remained silent and unoccupied, their windows devoid of light. At the culmination of the driveway stood the grandest dwelling of them all, an imposing structure that commanded attention. Vines crawled up the mansion, making it look part of the forest. It was still being built. Some parts still had fresh stone being laid at the steps, but it was gorgeous.

“That’s the pack house,” Anaki said and opened the door. “A lot of wolves will live there eventually, instead of at the bar.”

I nodded, and Anaki helped steady me as we climbed out of the car. The cabin before us was quaint, with beautiful vines, flowers and bushes already grown around it. The cabin looked brand new but settled so beautifully into the forest.

“This is where we are staying?”

Anaki laughed nervously. “Yeah? What did you think we were gonna do, put you in a tent? Or wait, is it not good enough? I could find somewhere better?” Anaki ran his fingers through his hair and nervously looked over to find Bear. “Hang on, I can find something else.”

Before Anaki ran off, I grabbed his arm. It was the first time I took the initiative to reach out to him. He froze and turned back to me, surprise on his face. “This is great. I’m just surprised. I didn’t think our kidnappers would set us up with something like this.”

Anaki put his hand over his chest. “You wound me yet again. You really think we are that bad of people?”

"Still deciding.” My lip curled into a small smile. “No one does this for free. There is always a catch.”

Anaki frowned. “While we were told to come get you by orders of our president, Locke, it was for good reason. He cares about your sister.”

I shook my head. “Don’t see how. She’s supposed to be hunting him, catching a bounty on his head. She isn’t romantic either. She’s more of a one-night stand kind of woman.” I never did that. While I dated, I looked forthe one.I didn’t give out the goods like Emm and Abuela thought. A few stolen kisses here or there to find a spark, and when I thought I had found him…

He turned out to be a dud.

“Locke doesn’t give up so easily. You’ll find that out. He’s very… persistent.”

She’s gonna put up a fight. Hope he’s ready for that.

Anaki put his hand on my lower back. “Come on.” He jerked his head to the cabin. “Let’s get you settled. You’ve had a long day.”

That was certainly an understatement.

Chapter Eight

Anaki

As I reached out to guide Elena towards the cabin, my hand brushed against the soft fabric of her dress. “Anaki?” The deep, rumbled timbre of Bear's voice jolted me from my thoughts. A mixture of surprise and irritation curled my lip into a snarl, but Bear remained steadfast on the porch, his presence unwavering. Nadia swiftly motioned Elena inside, and left me cold in the doorway as she shut the door.

The deafening chorus of crickets and buzzing insects engulfed our surroundings, their relentless noise assaulted my healed ears. The noise was at an almost unbearable level. Between Bear and me, the silence was heavy, a thick fog suffocating any possibility of conversation.

The relationship we had with each other was brotherly, but our inner turmoil was left alone. We didn’t have deep-rooted talks about our pasts, as it hurt too much.

I had witnessed his past before my eyes; it tore him apart. I had felt his pain. In some ways, I felt I was partly an empath because of how deeply it had hurt me as I watched him suffer the bond break with his first mate.

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