Page 14 of Hunted (Haven Realm Chronicles 1)

Oryn huffed and darted from the room, his nails scratching thefloorboards.

“What’s wrong with him?” Iasked.

“Oryn is a great hunter with the kindest soul, but he doesn’t let many get close tohim.”

Relatable.“When my grandma passed, I didn’t talk to anyone for two weeks and wanted to hide from the world. Did he lose someone close tohim?”

Nero shook his head. “Now about our littleissue.”

Okay, a sensitive topic of conversation. I glanced down at the man in bed, who resembled a statue of a god with honey-colored hair that reached his shoulders. Flawless skin, even if pale and sweaty, a broad jawline and a strong nose that looked as if it had been broken before. A scar lined his temple and hairline. Healed claw marks ran down his neck and across his chest. What had happened in his life to gain such wounds? I moved to the other side of the bed to better study the shifter I assumed was Dagen. I reached over and ran a finger across a bumpy scar lining his collarbone. “Who did this tohim?”

“Bears, humans, wolves,” Nero said, folding his arms across his chest, and yet my attention fell to his amazing package, bringing the heat back to myface.

“Here, put this back on.” I handed him the red cloak tucked into the back of my pants. “You’ve torn italready.”

“Can’t help yourself, can you? Anyway, the fabric was ripped when we took it off you.” He smirked and accepted the cloak, then wrapped it around himself. His hardness hadn’t fully gone down and the curved form pressed through the material. Heavens, I ought to have been used to this since nude guys always turned up on my doorstep, and Bee talked about guys all the time, but Nero affected me like noother.

“Something like that.” I returned my attention to the hunter on the mattress. My heart ached at seeing someone covered in this many scars. How many battles had he fought? “Why did everyone attackhim?”

“Dagen’s an alpha. He must defend his territory from invaders, other wolves who don’t follow his command or who challenge his position. Otherwise, he’lldie.”

“Shit.” The tales of aggressive hunters were real. I pitied him. “And you’re Dagen’sbeta?”

Nero squared his shoulders and puffed out his cheeks. “Little lamb, Oryn, Dagen, and I are all alphas. Our land was split into three territories centuries ago, and we each rule a jurisdiction as our predecessorshad.”

I scratched my head. “Then why are you all three together?” Mr. No Pants had said the wolves were at war. Was it because there were three bosses? “I spoke to a man who traveled through your land this morning. He lost his pants to a wolf attack, which I guess is inconsequential, but he said there was a war brewing between wolves. Is thattrue?”

Nero sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Oh, I remember the bastard, and he was lucky I only ripped off his pants, not his legs. He crossed our land from Darkwoods to reach Terra without approval to enter our territory. But yes, we are having wolf issues at the moment, but that’s our problem to solve.” He paused. “Your concern is helping us cureDagen.”

“What’s wrong with him?” I placed a hand on his brow. He was burningup.

“I was hoping you could tell us. Whatever you sprayed on him has affected him. We need your help to make him wakeup.”

The reason I had created my potions was to deter animals, never to harm them. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I thought you were going to kill me, but the spray is only a deterrent.” Heavens, what had I done? I didn’t even know these hunters, but when I looked into Nero’s eyes, a softness filled them, reassuring me. “I’msorry.”

Now I understood Oryn’s reaction and why he’d attacked me. He blamed me for Dagen’s state. But in all fairness, they’d terrified me in the woods. Then I remembered the wolfsbane that had spilled into my bag and caught on the citrus spritzer. Had that tainted the potion?Oh, mother ofpearl!

I had inadvertently injured Dagen. Yet every time I looked at Nero, I pictured his lips all over my body. And him staring at me like a starved sex-god wasn’t helping. A distraction was in order. This was enemy land, and I was indanger.

“So if I help your friend, you’ll let me go, right?” If Dagen died, what would stop them from exacting revenge onme?

Nero headed out of the room. “Holler if you need me.” His voice grew dark anddistant.

“Can you bring me a bucket of boiling water and bandages, please?” I called out, not ready to deal with emotions I didn’tunderstand.

I should have planned my escape to get out of wolf territory, but then why did it feel as if a blade twisted in my gut at the thought ofleaving?

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