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  Without any more words, he led Alessandra out the front door.

  Alessandra took the driver’s seat, moving his boots to the back seat. “I’m driving,” she said, and nodded towards the open garage. “Want to put the gas they got into the tank?”

  Hunter glanced at the gas can on the ground near the entrance. His feet were already cold, but he could deal with the snow biting his flesh for a few more minutes. He grabbed the container and emptied the contents into the Jeep’s gas tank. Before jumping into the car, he put the empty container back where he’d found it and then slid into the passenger seat.

  Alessandra had the heater going and the flow of warm air on his cold feet felt good.

  “Where to?” she asked.

  Hunter digested the question as she pulled to the end of the driveway. Heading back in the direction they came would most likely be a death sentence.

  “North and West is really where I want to go, but there is no way we can cross the border with our faces plastered all over the news.” The Canadian border was less than a two hour drive from their current hiding place in central Maine. “It’s also the direction they will assume we’ve gone, since they tracked us here.”

  “Then we go the opposite direction.”

  “We can’t go much farther East, honey,” he said, glancing at her.

  Her lips pressed together and she shot him a glare.

  He couldn’t suppress his grin fast enough, and looked out the window instead. “Where do you think the last place they’d look for us would be?”

  “The Florida Keys,” she said.

  He laughed. Werewolves were not known for their fondness of heat, and the Keys were the last place he wanted to go. Just the thought brought sweat to the surface and he wiped his neck, shuddering at the thought. It also meant no hunting grounds. They’d have to actually work to buy food in order to survive.

  “The only other place hotter is probably Arizona,” he said. At least the desert would give them a chance to hunt.

  “Yeah, but they’ll look there. They won’t look at the islands, where we can’t hunt.” She glanced his way.

  Hunter sighed and gave a nod. “The Florida Keys it is.”

  Wolf Moon Chapter 5

  Alessandra’s eyelids drooped, and her right leg ached. She had been driving a little over twelve hours, and the Washington, DC traffic had nearly done her in. Hunter slumped in the passenger seat. He had slept most of the drive. The lack of conversation between them wasn’t exactly ideal, but at least he hadn’t brought up the argument from this morning.

  She had only stopped for gas, paying cash from Hunter’s stash. And at each stop, he woke and asked if she’d like him to drive. She had needed to concentrate on the road, otherwise all the thoughts and feelings bottled inside her would overflow, and she had no idea what that would bring.

  “You need to let me drive.”

  She jumped at the sound of his voice and the car swerved, narrowly missing the truck in the next lane.

  “Jesus!” she snapped, as her heart pounded in her throat. That pleasant lull of hypnotic driving had disappeared at the sound of his voice.

  “Why don’t we get off at the next exit, grab some food, and then I can drive for the next stretch,” he said, in that perfectly reasonable tone that made her want to growl at him, despite her stomach being in full agreement.

  “Fine,” she said.

  He raised his eyebrow at her. “You’re the one who insisted on driving,” he said, picking up on her irritation.

  Alessandra took a deep breath. He was right. Her foul mood really had more to do with her internal reflection over the last twelve hours.

  “Maybe we should find a place to sleep for the night.” She didn’t want to try to sleep in the passenger seat. While Hunter could drop to sleep almost anywhere, she could never sleep soundly in a car.

  “I’ll be good to drive for a while.”

  “I need a bed, not an uncomfortable bucket seat.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I slept just fine.”

  “You could sleep anywhere. I can’t.”

  “Fine,” he said, and shifted in the seat. “We can find somewhere off the next exit. If we’re going to just hang out for the night, I may go out for a bit.”

  “Why?” she asked, giving him a sideways glance.

  “Once I fully wake up and eat, I’m not going to be able to fall asleep right away. Not after sleeping for this long. I’ll have too much energy and I’ll need to burn some of it off.”

  “How?” she asked, keeping her eyes peeled for an exit sign.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go for a run. Or maybe I’ll find a bar and get drunk.”

  She snapped her head in his direction and the grin that he tried to hide surfaced. He was needling her on purpose.

  “Fuck you,” she muttered.

  “That’s another way I can release some energy,” he said.

  “Stop it.” This obviously was the end of her peaceful drive.

  “We need to finish our conversation from this morning,” he said, and stretched in the passenger seat.

  Alessandra glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. All things considered, she’d ended up with a protector who was very easy on the eyes. She shook her head, trying to clear that thought from her mind.

  “Was that a no?”

  His voice carried a challenge she wasn’t ready to deal with. She also wasn’t ready to deal with the truth of his words this morning. She’d had a long drive with him sleeping. A long time to think about the chemistry that had always seemed to exist. She just mistook it as some strange brotherly-type over-protectiveness.

  Hell, he had dated, even flaunted his girls to the pack. She had always been highly skeptical of the women he brought to meet them. None of them were ever good enough for him. Not in her mind, and now that she looked back, it seemed to stem more from jealousy than her alpha scrutiny.

  She had dated as well, and he had been just as critical of the guys she’d introduced to the pack. Jeremy was a gross misjudgment, and Alessandra was sure if she had introduced him to the pack, they would have picked up on his dark intentions. Jeremy had stripped her of any trust of the male population, including Hunter.

  She wasn’t sure she’d ever find that trust again, despite any attraction that might be there under the surface.

  Instead of answering his question, she took the next exit and followed the lodging signs. She pulled into a seedy looking motel on the main strip, and grinned at the sign, trading a glance with Hunter.

  The Hunter Motel in Newington, Virginia certainly wasn’t the type hotel she would normally stay at, but it had a little restaurant attached, and it was the only place visible on the strip.

  Hunter’s dimples appeared when she pulled up next to the office. He went to step out of the jeep.

  “Maybe I should go in,” she said. “You look the same as your wanted poster.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “No. Not like you do.” Alessandra took her long hair and rolled it into a bun. Hunter raised an eyebrow at her when she sent him a smile. She glanced in the mirror and secured the tight bun. With her hair pulled back, she looked less like the girl in the poster. “I’ll be right back,” she said and grabbed a handful of bills from the box hidden in the console.

  She strode into the office and stifled a yawn with her hand. A pimply guy sat at the desk, intently looking at something she couldn’t see. She cleared her throat and he jumped.

  “I need a room for the night. Preferably ground floor near the restaurant, if possible,” she asked.

  “The only one I have on the first floor near the restaurant has a single king. Is that okay?” he asked, as he pushed aside whatever had captivated him.

  Alessandra glanced out at the car before she gave a nod. As much as she would prefer separate beds, the location of the room was more important. “That’s fine.”

  With the key in hand, she slid back into the jeep. Hunter glanced at her and she
studied his beard and shoulder-length hair. He looked exactly like the wanted poster and she had never seen him without scuff on his face or a short haircut.

  “You need to change your look,” she nodded at him as she pulled into the parking space in front of their room.

  “What’s wrong with my look?” He sent her a sideways glance before he slipped out and opened the back.

  She waited at the door while Hunter grabbed the oversized suitcase. He followed her inside and she closed the door before he could comment on the accommodations.

  He set the suitcase down on the dresser and flipped it open. “I need a shower before we eat.” He didn’t even glance in her direction; instead, he grabbed clothes out of the suitcase and disappeared into the bathroom.

  She needed to clean up as well, and stepped to the bag to see what he’d packed in their emergency exit kit. She pulled out a sundress and spaghetti strap sandals, smiling. It wasn’t quite warm enough in Virginia, but Florida would be perfect for this. Jeans, shorts and t-shirts were the only other things left in the suitcase, along with night clothes. She pulled out a second pair of jeans and a plain blue t-shirt that matched Hunter’s eyes. He had packed underwear and a couple of bras for her as well. His stash was mostly the same. Jeans and t-shirts, but under it all, he’d also packed a suit and dress shoes. The dichotomy of the different clothing tickled her.

  She climbed on the bed and switched the television on while she waited. Another yawn caught her off guard, especially with the accompanying stomach rumble. The shower had gone off a while ago and Alessandra wondered what the hell he was doing in there. She needed food and sleep, and if he didn’t come out soon, she was going to march in there and take over the bathroom.

  She stood up to do just that and the door opened. The man standing there didn’t look at all familiar. His short dark locks were slicked back and his clean-shaven cheeks glowed in the dim light. His bright blue eyes sparkled under the frame of deep black lashes. He was stunningly handsome.

  “Hunter?” she couldn’t help but ask.

  He smiled. “Better?” He waved at his face.

  “Holy shit,” she said, and before she could stop herself, she crossed and ran her hand down his cheek. It was as smooth as she imagined it would be.

  He captured her hand, holding it in place as he stared down at her. “I gather you like the new look?”

  The heat from his breath tickled her wrist and she pulled it from his grip.

  “I may have ruined your razor, though,” he said as she slipped past him.

  She closed the bathroom door and leaned on it, trying to catch her breath. She had never seen him clean shaven. Nor had she ever seen him with short hair. With long hair and a beard, he looked more like a free-spirited hippie, but with what he looked like now, he could easily walk into a modeling agency in New York and be given a contract on the spot.

  Her gaze landed on the sink and the stray hairs he had missed in his attempt to clean up. The scissors from the first aid kit sat on the edge of the sink, along with her razor. She huffed a laugh, hoping the razor had a little sharpness left, but she doubted it.

  She undressed and peeled off the bandages on her shoulder. The bullet hole was gone, but the stitches were still there. Alessandra wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door.

  “Did you want to take these out before I jump in the shower?”

  Hunter’s gaze jumped from the stitches to the towel wrapped around her before he gave a nod and climbed off the bed. He took a seat on the closed toilet and grabbed the scissors from the sink before pulling her close.

  “And you couldn’t do this because?” he asked as he snipped each stitch.

  “Because, it freaks me out a little.” She met his gaze and then looked at the ceiling. The pull on her skin sent a chill through her and she shivered.

  He shifted her closer and continued to remove each thread. When he finished, his hands landed on her waist, pulling her gaze from the ceiling to his. Warmth radiated through her.

  “All done,” he said, but he didn’t move from the spot and she didn’t move from between his knees.

  The moment stretched as she searched his eyes. There was no denying the attraction that lived between them, but it terrified her. His hand cupped her cheek and the fondness that filled his eyes brought a lump to her throat.

  “Do you feel it?” he whispered with such desperation that her heart ached.

  She leaned into his hand unable to say yes, and unable to deny the electricity flowing through her entire form. He slid forward and pressed his lips to hers. The soft contact set her heart on overdrive, and broke through her paralysis.

  She stepped away, grasping at the towel to keep it in place. Hunter leaned back and took a deep breath before the hardness returned to his features.

  “Clean up. I need food just as much as you do,” he said, and left the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

  Alessandra stepped into the shower and dialed it to the coldest setting her skin would allow, staunching the heat that had encompassed her the moment Hunter’s lips found hers.

  Wolf Moon Chapter 6

  Hunter sat on the edge of the bed listening to the water run. His heart still hammered in his chest. Alessandra hadn’t flinched. She had actually kissed back for a moment before she stepped away. The woman hadn’t denied feeling something, so all his posturing at Stan’s house must have sunk in.

  He glanced at the door and sighed, running his hand through his short hair. The whole situation left his nerves raw and his libido chomping at the bit. The beast in him wanted to storm in and take her to heights she’d never experienced, but the man kept him in check. If he gave in to his animal instincts, that would ruin everything.

  As much as she infuriated him, he wanted to break through her barriers. He wanted to be the one who fixed her. He wanted to be the one to erase the nightmares. The truth of being in love with Alessandra had always been rough, but now that she was aware, she was seeing him as a man and not her backup wolf.

  The door finally opened, and she stepped out. Her wet hair hung loosely around her face, and she avoided his gaze.

  “We need to start figuring out what to call each other.”

  Her gaze snapped to his. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, with the outstanding warrants looking for Hunter Blaez and Alessandra Tate, we should probably start calling each other something different in public.”

  Her arms crossed. “Why didn’t they use your real name?”

  “Because the dipshits don’t know it. I’ve got my original birth certificate and my social security number with me. My driver’s license was mistakenly made using my nickname and I never corrected it. Because of that, all my credit cards and loans and shit were made out to Hunter Blaez.”

  Her eyebrows went up.

  “Yeah. My father decided I should leave it alone and he made sure I had my documents before he died. He said to keep them close in case I needed to make a run for it. I guess he knew I’d get myself in trouble someday.”

  “But how did you know to take them with you?”

  Hunter chuckled. “My dad never trusted the council and he taught me to be prepared for anything. Why do you think I have a hidden compartment in my car?”

  Alessandra studied him. “It’s like I don’t know you at all.”

  “I’m a survivalist, Ally. And I had the forethought to grab my personal shit before I left my house that night.” He laughed. “I remember second guessing myself, trying to laugh away the urgency in the pit of my stomach. But I still listened. I still packed up my father’s fortune and anything that would do me any good on the road. When I left the house that night, I knew I was never going back home.” He paused and closed his eyes. “I don’t know if it was the wolf thing between us, or if it was some kind of warning from my father, but my heart was in my throat that entire night. The pack wasn’t all that cooperative either. They just wanted to go hunting and have some fun, but I couldn’t. I said we needed
to track you down, especially when I couldn’t get hold of you on your cell. They thought I was fucking nuts, until we caught your scent in those woods.”

  “I didn’t know,” she whispered, and crossed to the suitcase, depositing her dirty clothing on the side.

  He stood and stepped behind her, looking at her in the mirror. “At least you have something to call me.” Her lips twitched into a smirk and she met his gaze in the mirror. “And it’s not asshole,” he said.

  “Aww. I kind of like that,” she whined, pulling a grin to his face.

  “Seriously. What do you want me to call you? Sandra?”

  She wrinkled her nose in response and then chewed her bottom lip. Just the motion of her lip sliding into her mouth distracted him. “How about Leigh?” she asked.

  His eyebrows went up as he considered it. Instead of reacting to the visceral need to kiss her, he concentrated on the name, framing it in his mind and silently saying it in his head.

  “I actually like that,” he said, and she turned towards him, looking up into his eyes.

  “I’m glad,” she said, and licked her lips. “Jake.”

  “Jacob,” he said, correcting her. He wanted her to call him by his rightful name, not another nickname.

  “Jake,” she repeated, challenging him.

  He rolled his eyes. “Fine. You ready to go grab some food Leigh?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about her new nickname for him, but he certainly liked the way Leigh rolled off his tongue. From the pink hue in her cheeks, she seemed to like it as well.

  They were seated at the little diner, and he looked over the menu. The bacon cheeseburger looked like it would hit the spot and he closed his menu. Alessandra had her hands folded neatly over the menu and she was fixated with the moving traffic out the window.

  “Leigh, we need to talk about earlier,” he said, figuring the restaurant was a safe space, one that neither of them would make a scene in.

  She blinked and glanced at him, pointing her finger at her chest in such a way that Hunter wanted to drag her from the restaurant and put her over his knee. He clenched his teeth.