Page 46 of Donovan
His jaw tensed. “Donovan, no.”
“We can’t just ignore this,” I snapped. “People are out there dying, Declan. Families. They’re running for their lives, and if we don’t help, they won’t make it.”
He exhaled sharply, like I was pushing him to the edge of something he didn’t want to confront.
“This is exactly why I became a hunter,” I said. “Not for the Guild. Not for the paycheck. But because I couldn’t stand the thought of people being slaughtered while I stood by and did nothing.”
His gaze flickered, something dark and pained flashing through his expression.
I knew what he was thinking. He’d spent his whole life trying not to become a monster.
He’d fought his instincts, his cravings, because he never wanted to be the thing people ran from in terror. But now? Now, people were terrified of him.
And the idea of stepping into a shifter community, of fighting and killing, had to feel like he was walking straight into the nightmare he’d been trying to outrun.
But that wasn’t who he was and I wasn’t going to let him pretend otherwise.
“I know it’s dangerous,” I said, my voice softer now, steady despite the turmoil in my chest. “I know we have to be careful. But we can do this, Declan. We have to.”
Declan gritted his teeth, dragging a hand down his face like he was physically trying to wipe away the weight of this decision.
His jaw tightened, his eyes dark with frustration, with something else. Something like fear. Not for himself. For me.
I knew every instinct in him was screaming to say no. To get us as far away from this place as possible. To avoid yet another fight, another risk.
But I also knew him. Knew the man behind the fangs and sharp words. He couldn’t just walk away from this any more than I could.
He muttered a curse, jaw clenching.
“This is a terrible idea,” Declan grumbled.
But there was no bite behind the words. No real protest.
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips, despite everything. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Declan rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously likereckless idiot, but he didn’t argue. Didn’t tell me no.
Instead, he shook his head, exasperated, and when his gaze met mine again, the fight was already gone.
The resignation was there and that was as close to agreement as I was going to get.
“We were doing this.” I turned toward Lena, heart hammering. “Lead us there.”
She blinked, startled, but nodded quickly, already moving toward the door.
Declan and I moved fast. I yanked open the duffel I’d stashed near the table, pulling out my gear. Silver-lined knives, extra clips of blessed bullets, my sidearm.
My fingers worked quickly, muscle memory taking over as I strapped my thigh holster in place and slid a blade into my boot.
Across the room, Declan was arming himself just as efficiently, knives disappearing into the folds of his clothes, his movements methodical, effortless.
Lena watched us, wide-eyed, her breath shallow.
“You two—” She hesitated, then shook her head. “You’re hunters, aren’t you?”
I didn’t bother denying it. “We were with the Guild,” I told her, shoving a spare clip into my pocket. “Not anymore.”
She didn’t react the way most people did when they heard that name. No fear, no recognition, just a blank stare. She’d never heard of them.
