Hunter's Attraction

The Calm

“Don’t look now,” Lily’s coworker whispered, “but there’s a really cute guy staring at you.” Lily glanced toward the entrance and instantly recognized the boys. Jean-Pierre. His stare was unsettling, his eyes locked onto her with an intensity that made her stomach twist—both in a good and bad way. Julian, beside him, looked entertained, his smirk adding an air of mischief to the moment.

Her heart fluttered, but her muscles tightened, and a flush of warmth crept up her neck. She hated how her skin betrayed her, heating under his gaze. Annoyed at her own reaction, she forced herself to focus on the customer in front of her. “Do you know him?” her coworker probed.

“He’s in my creative writing class,” Lily mumbled, her voice clipped as she gestured for the next person in line.

“He’s cute,” her coworker pressed.

“I guess,” Lily shrugged, keeping her tone casual, though her thoughts raced. She flashed a bright smile at the customer, hoping it hid her distraction. “How can I help you?” she said, breathing out in quiet relief when JP and his friends finally left.

As Lily tried to push thoughts of JP aside, her mind kept wandering back to his intense gaze. Why did he keep looking at me like that? A mix of warmth and unease simmered inside her, making her feel unsteady. She wasn’t even sure why she cared. He was just a guy from her class. A rude guy from my class. Yet, her heart seemed to have a different opinion. She didn’t know what his deal was, and she wasn’t about to waste time figuring it out now. There were more important things to deal with—like filling the tip jar.

***

It was a little after seven when Lily arrived home, closing the door behind her with a frown. Not her best first day, but not her worst either. “Hey, Lily,” Lena greeted her with Monte trotting at her heels.

“Hi,” Lily smiled, giving the 8-year-old a hug. “How was your day?” She beamed down at Lena.

“Boring,” Lena pouted as she followed Lily through the house. “Sirena made me do arithmetic and reading for hours,” she exaggerated.

“How terrible,” Lily laughed as they entered the kitchen. “Where’s Sirena? Where’s my brother?”

“I don’t know,” Lena shrugged, hopping onto a small kitchen chair. “They rushed out of here about ten minutes ago. Sirena said they’d text you as soon as possible. They told me to stay close to Monte.”

“Okay. But why do I smell something burning? You weren’t cooking unsupervised, were you?” Lily gave her a warning look.

“No, no,” Lena replied quickly. “Sirena was trying to boil eggs a couple of hours ago.”

“She burned hard-boiled eggs?” Lily stared in disbelief.

Lena nodded, a huge grin spreading across her face. “It was hilarious. The pot turned black, and smoke filled the entire kitchen.” Her eyes lit up as she relived the moment. “The eggs were totally black. I took a picture!” Before Lily could respond, Lena darted out of the kitchen, with Monte close behind. She returned moments later, Sirena’s phone clutched in her hand. “See?” she said, thrusting the phone towards Lily.

Sure enough, the screen displayed four charred, completely singed eggs. “Oh my gosh,” Lily gasped, staring at the image. “Here,” she handed the phone back to Lena. “I’m going to take a quick shower. After that, I’ll cook us something edible. I’m thinking... spaghetti with meatballs.” Lily laughed when Lena nodded vigorously in agreement.

***

Jean-Pierre collapsed onto his bed with a groan. He had just returned from a pack meeting, and though it wasn’t even nine p.m., he was already exhausted. The real source of his exhaustion wasn’t the meeting, though—it was finding his mate, ignoring his mate, and letting his friends insult her. He was thankful his mother was working a late shift at the hospital. She’d be so disappointed to know how much of a jerk he’d been to Lily.

Lily. Warmth spread through his chest just at the thought of her name, a small smile tugging at his lips. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by the image of her tear-filled eyes. Jean punched his pillow in frustration. He had behaved cruelly towards her, and she didn't deserve any of it. She was kind, beautiful, and, based on the way he acted, completely out of his league. Jean-Pierre groaned, rolling onto his stomach.

Finding a mate was supposed to be a celebration, a fairytale moment come true. It was supposed to be a bond that strengthened the pack, not something that left him feeling like a failure. He hadn't planned to disregard her today—it was the overwhelming shock, the mere fact that it was a human, of all creatures. Instead of being civil, he’d let his friends tear her down right in front of him. The thought made his chest tighten with shame.

Rolling onto his side, Jean-Pierre swore to himself that the next time he saw her, he’d make it right. He owed her a genuine apology.

***

The screams and jeers of a rowdy crowd filled the basement as shouts of encouragement and insults echoed around the makeshift ring. Two bodies clashed violently in the center, egged on by the mob. Alcohol flowed freely, and hands exchanged money with greedy anticipation. Amid this chaos, two figures stood shrouded in a dark corner, conversing in hushed tones.

“So, tell me,” the man asked his female companion, “did you find any information about our new neighbors?”

“I’ve put feelers out,” she replied, her tone clipped. “All we know so far is he lives with three females—two adults and one child. Oh, and there’s a dog.”

“And they just moved here suddenly? At the start of summer?”

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“Married?”

The woman rolled her eyes and answered, “I don’t know what their relationship is. Still waiting to hear from my sources.”

“Tell your sources to move faster. We need to know more,” the man muttered, his eyes flicking toward the fighters in the ring. “I don’t need a damn hunter making trouble for me.”

“Do you think they’re connected to the old pack?” the woman asked, her tone low and serious. “It would explain why Alpha Cortez had to pay to settle on abandoned land.”

The man narrowed his eyes, considering. “Even if that’s true, it would have no bearing on our operation. She gave him another eye roll, her patience clearly thin. “And the wolfsbane?” he pressed.

“Ready to test on the next round of fighters. Just say the word.”