Capitol Kidnap: Urban Werewolf Book 1 (14 page)

"I came back for you, Jen." She kneed him in the groin and ran as fast as she could. She ran through a yard and leapt the fence, coming once again to the grassy field where she had shot the buck. She flew across the field and retrieved her arrows, collapsing into a sobbing heap just inside the tree line.
 

She'd mourned him ten years ago. She'd fantasized about him coming home for months after it first happened. Hunter made her peace with his death or the hope of him making a new life for himself there. Him crossing the country, making it here, back to their home, and finding her outside of their house ten years later, that possibility had never crossed her mind. There were things from before and things from after. The two worlds looked the same, but were very different. He was definitely a thing from before. She had been soft then and open to everything. Now she was hard. Everything was for the clan, what would he mean to them? It was best that she'd run. Mixing the before and after would only cause problems. She'd done the right thing running.
 

She heard him traipsing through the field behind her. He walked awkwardly through the high grass. She'd kicked him hard and he was hurting. She watched him from the shadows. He called out for Jennifer and stumbled through the grass. She could leave now and disappear into the trees along the trail. She'd just be gone. Still, he'd been looking for her, wanting her, loving her all these years. She owed him more than a knee to crotch.
 

"I'm sorry." He stopped moving and stared towards the sound of her voice. She rose to her feet slowly, nearly stumbling like the deer. She felt weak as if her heart had broken all over again. "I'm not that girl anymore."
 

"How could you be? It's been ten years." He took a step towards her and she tensed, ready to run again.
 

"Then why did you come?"
 

"I had to have something to live for." He shrugged. "Finding my wife seemed like the perfect reason."
 

She stared at him.
 

"I can go," he said.

"Don't." She watched him. He had tracked her from a distance, followed her to her old haunts, and found her. He stood stock still staring at her. The awkward movements in the grass had been an act, to lure her out of her hiding place as surely as she had run down the deer. His posture mirrored hers, hand on a knife hilt at his belt. The gun was holstered down his back. She tensed and feinted left. Only his eyes moved.
 

"I didn't expect to find you at the house." He took another step towards her. She held fast this time. "I was just hoping to find some sign as to where you might have gone." She answered with silence. "Was it you that took that picture?" He swallowed. "From our honeymoon? The others were all broken." Fresh out of college, they had been like children splashing at the edge of the beach. It was ruined when she nearly drowned in the flood.

"It's gone now. Why did you really come?"

"We were going to start a family. Do you want that still?" His hand drifted away from the knife. His eyes clouded over. "Or do you have your own?" She was only Hunter. She had her place in the clan. They would be happy with little ones, but she had never considered a family after him.
 

"You came back to make babies?" It would be so easy to run now. Disappear into the trees, snatch up her bike and ride back to the RV.
 

"To be with you."
 

"To be with Jennifer, not Hunter." She shook her head. "Jennifer is dead and gone."

"You were Jennifer once."
 

She shook her head. "Not anymore." He sighed and turned away.
 

"Let me help you with the deer," he called over his shoulder.

She hesitated only a second. "I'll need my bike." She gestured towards the tree line.
 

"You know the way." She watched him move out of the field, now that he'd recovered a bit from her kneeing him, his stride became balanced and easy. Like a hunter's. Like hers. She swallowed hard. She couldn't bring him back with her. She'd take the deer and go. He'd let her do that. Wouldn't he?