Page 23 of A Hunter Cursed
Her voice was soft, gentle as she told him, “I was missing you too.”
Jeremiah’s heart kicked hard in his chest and he had this sudden weird floaty feeling of happiness at her words. He would have liked to delve deeper into her statement, indulge further in the giddiness it caused, but there had been a purpose behind this call.
Giving himself a mental slap, he cleared his throat. “Hey, listen. I was, ah –” he hesitated a bit, not sure how to word things before he settled on, “sick. I was sick last night. I thought it might be a touch of food poisoning and wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay.”
“Oh, my God,” Keegan exclaimed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he assured her.
Her groan was loud. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Really, I’m fine,” Jeremiah assured her once more. “And this is definitely not your fault. Why would you even think that?”
“Don’t you see?” she asked, her voice rising. “It’s the curse. You’re lucky you survived.”
“It’s not the curse. Just bad beef.”
“But I’m the one who suggested the place.” Another groan, this one even louder. “I should come with a warning label: Keegan Bishop, death bringer.”
Gently, he reminded her, “I’m not dead, Keegan, and this is not your fault.”
A grunt met that statement and he could imagine her sitting there with a disgruntled look on her face. So, before she could berate herself further he added, “I can’t wait to go out with you again.”
She softly uttered, “He has a death wish.” The words hadn’t been intended for his ears but he heard it anyway thanks to his shifter hearing. He was about to dispute that statement, tell her that he was all about living when she cleared her throat and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should see a doctor just in case. I can come pick you up.”
“I’ve already seen the pack healer,” he told her, not mentioning that he was actually still with Marguerite as the woman attempted to drain him of his blood better than any vampire. “So, I’m in capable hands.”
That statement earned a “Damn right,” from Marguerite that had Jeremiah grinning.
“How about dinner tonight?” he asked.
There was a moment of silence while Keegan considered before she offered, “I could cook for you.” And then hesitantly, “You know if you want to come to my place?”
The thought thrilled him and his answering smile was evident in his voice as he told her, “I’d love that.”
Chapter Twelve
Keegan was still mulling over Jeremiah’s phone call as she sat in Destin Jourdain’s living room, guilt gnawing at her. Why had she risked it? Risked him? She’d known what could happen, but the temptation of Jeremiah had been too great and she’d been weak. Truly, he was lucky that whatever that food poisoning business had been hadn’t been fatal.
She hated that Jeremiah had been sick and hated even more that she was most likely the cause. The man should be running away from her screaming, and instead, he’d called to check on her, worried that she too might have been ill. And what had she done? Instead of breaking things off, swearing to never go near him again, she’d invited him over for dinner. What a disaster.Shewas a disaster.
Glancing over at Destin, she considered confiding in him but quickly discarded the idea. He’d never believed she was cursed despite any proof to the contrary. Only her mentor, Evangeline, had ever believed. Keegan missed having the older woman as a confidant. She missed how things used to be before the woman had been infected with that demonic power.
“Kane Fletcher isn’t anything like his predecessor,” Destin suddenly spoke up, cutting into her thoughts. “There’s no need to worry.”
Shit. She’d been biting her thumbnail, a dead giveaway that she was anxious. That Destin had drawn his own conclusion as to why she might be worried wasn’t a surprise. She was about to meet Kane Fletcher, the Born vampire in charge of all the supernaturals that resided in this territory, and his kind was said to be terrifying. The stories she’d heard… yeah, she should have probably been quaking in her seat. Instead, she was too worried about her wolf and what his being in her sphere of influence might do to him.
“Morgan will be with him,” Destin continued. “You’ve met her already.”
Keegan nodded. “At the training facility. She was nice.”
“Archer Langley, the alpha of the wolf pack will also be in attendance.”
That had Keegan perking up. If anyone would be able to confirm that Jeremiah was truly well, it was his alpha.
A knock sounded at the door and Destin uttered a quiet, “Speak of the devil,” as he rose from his seat.
The three of them had either ridden together in the same vehicle or arrived in such proximity to each other that they came in as a group. Morgan Rhys, Keegan immediately recognized. The two men with her, however, she’d never seen before. Both of a similar height, both muscular with broad shoulders and long legs, but she was willing to bet that the one with darker hair and the storm-gray eyes was Archer Langley. There was something primal about him, something that hinted at the wolf just beneath the skin.
