Wild Rogues (third in lone wolf series)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Abbey stepped into the kitchen that night after the kids were in bed and found Julian at the table once again immersed in papers, bills and lists. He was rubbing his temples and seemed overwhelmed and stressed.

Abbey came up behind him and he dropped his hands and leaned back against her. She laid her fingertips against his temples and rubbed gently.

“Are you okay?”

“Better now,” Julian replied with a sigh. “You should be resting. After last night and all the excitement today you have to be tired.”

“A little,” Abbey admitted. “It felt so good to finally put Samantha in her place after all these years.”

“I would say it did,” Julian agreed. “That woman is evil, Abbey, I could see it in her eyes. I don’t want you to worry yourself about people like that anymore. You’re too good to give her anymore of your time or anymore of your thoughts.”

Abbey smiled and kissed his head, “Why don’t you come to the living room and rest with me?”

“I need to finish…”

Abbey moved her lips to his cheek, “I’ll finish it in the morning. I‘m decent with numbers.” She took his hand and tugged, “Come on.”

That little tug was all it took to have Julian coming off the chair and following close behind her as she led him into the living room.

Marcus was just stoking up the fire after getting it roaring in the fireplace. The lights were down, darkness pressed against the windows and Abbey settled down on the couch between the two men.

She rested her head against Julian’s chest while laying her legs across Marcus’s lap. She practically purred and her back arched when Marcus began messaging her feet. Abbey let herself relax that way for several long moments. Julian’s heart was beating soothingly beneath her hear and Marcus’s big, calloused hands were hitting all the right spots on her sore feet.

But she knew they needed to talk. She needed to be prepared for what could be coming their way.

“Do you think the council is really coming?” she questioned, her voice disrupting the silent peace they’d all been enjoying.

“Could be.” Julian replied.

“Yes.” Marcus was more honest.

“Should we be running?” Abbey asked.

Julian shook his head. “If we run then they’ll chase us. They have Hunters and eventually we’d be caught. We can’t risk the pups like that.”

“Hunters?” Abbey frowned. She’d never heard of them before. “What are Hunters?”

Julian pushed her hair from her cheek, “Hunters are born to mortals but it becomes obvious when they reach six or seven that they are not like their parents. They have super human senses, strength and abilities. There used to be a council that oversaw them but it was overthrown about a hundred and fifty years ago. It isn’t known how many Hunters escaped, and it’s impossible for me to say how many have been born since. But the council has at least one that it can call on and one is all it will take. Hunters can hunt anything and they’re dangerous…. Very dangerous. You can’t smell them and you won’t see them unless they want you to.”

“Fuckin’ sneaky little bastards,” Marcus agreed.

“Somehow this isn’t making me feel better,” Abbey grumbled.

“You wanted honesty,” Marcus reminded her.

“Will they kill us?”

“No,” Julian and Marcus replied in unison. “They aren’t evil. But we did break rules so prison isn’t out of the question.”