Ripper (Hunter #1)(12)

“You don’t know how many times I’ve had to cart her ass out of a damn bar because she’s just got to find the bottom of a tequila bottle. I don’t like to think about the times I didn’t get a call.” Nate opened the driver’s side and angrily started the car. Dave got in on the other side and Nate took off.

I watched the dark trees pass by as Nate drove toward my house. This part of Hurst was undeveloped mostly because it tended to flood during heavy rains. The trees were thick on either side of the darkened road. I stared into those woods and knew there were creatures out there. I could see their eyes reflecting off the lights from the Jeep.

“Has she always had good instincts?” Dave asked, his voice quiet.

“It was like growing up with Scooby-Doo,” Nate replied. “She always solved the mystery. If I lost something, Kels could find it in no time flat. She used to be a big old bundle of potential and then my dad took her on one of his little trips and she started pulling this shit. She was sixteen.”

“I’d like to meet your father someday,” Dave muttered, his voice dark.

“Well, if he ever shows up in town, I’ll be sure to make the introduction,” Nate replied.

And then it hit me. What I had missed before. “Why would a wolf be following a doe?”

Nate turned down Highway 10 and then made a left into my quiet neighborhood. The houses were all older here and many had been converted to rentals. “Probably hungry I bet.”

Dave turned and looked at me, but now I wasn’t so sure his name was Dave. Dean? Dale? Something with a D. “You talking about a were?”

I probably shouldn’t be talking at all, but my defenses were down. “Yeah. I’m working this missing person case. She’s a shifter, turns into a doe. The only lead I have is this werewolf, but don’t wolves date other wolves?”

“For the most part.” Dave was serious as he thought about it. “Wolves tend to be almost exclusively attracted to other wolves, especially the males. It’s why they make such damn good bodyguards for the rest of us. They don’t tend to have any interest in our women.”

“This guy was interested.” I wished the world would stop spinning. It was kind of moving to and fro as the car kept speeding on. I concentrated on my line of thought. “I don’t know if I would call it love, but he definitely feels something for her. And why couldn’t he track her?”

“Maybe he’s a weak wolf.” Dave watched me carefully, and I got the feeling I was being sized up.

“Nah.” I wished Nate would slow down. It was really getting to my gut. “He was a baby alpha. He didn’t have great control, but he was strong. He should have been able to track her. She hid her scent from him.”

She’d masked her scent so Darren wouldn’t know what she’d been doing. She was either afraid of him or worried he’d tell her family.

Nate pulled into the driveway. He stopped the Jeep with an angry jerk. “Well, that explains it. You said you were going to stay out of the underworld. You’re supposed to be pulling police reports for insurance companies, not trying to track down missing shifters.”

“I had to take the case.” I was getting sleepy and my stomach was still really upset.

“No, you didn’t,” Nate complained. “You couldn’t resist. You couldn’t stay away.”

“It sounds like she’s trying to help someone.” Dave was the voice of reason.

Unfortunately, my brother wasn’t big on reason. “No. She’s trying to self-destruct.”

“You hang out with vampires,” I complained because he was being a little hypocritical.

Nate’s eyes were hard, his mouth a flat line when he turned on me. “Yeah, well, I never tried to off myself because I couldn’t handle my father’s chosen profession.”

Tears sprang to my eyes because Nathan couldn’t have humiliated me more if he’d tried. I opened the door to the car. “Fuck you, Nate. The next time you get a call about me, pretend it’s a wrong number.”

I slammed the door behind me and heard Nathan cursing. I would have to find another way to spend my free time because I sure wasn’t going to hang out with Nate and his friends online anymore. That shouldn’t hurt so much, but it did. I wasn’t good at making my own friends. I kind of sucked at it. Olivia was the only friend I’d made and she didn’t have time for me anymore. God, I was so pathetic. I stumbled to the front door and then remembered I didn’t have my keys.

“Shit.” I wiped my eyes, wishing I wasn’t so emotional. I didn’t leave a spare key with anyone because I didn’t trust anyone enough to give them the key to my house.

“Here.” Dave held my arm to help me steady myself. He had the key in his hand and opened the door for me.

“Thanks,” I muttered, not wanting the confident man who probably never had a single self-doubt even once in his preternaturally long life to see me crying.

“Nate’s taking a breather.” The vampire followed me into the small living room.

I sank down on the couch and closed my eyes, hoping he would take the hint. “I’m fine. I promise not to touch another drop of tequila and to switch bars the next time I feel the need to drink. I’ll leave my cell phone at home so there’s no chance of ever disrupting Nathan’s game night ever again.”