Hunter's Edge

Final Chapter

Author's Note:

This is the final chapter to this standalone Hunters story. If you enjoyed it, I have others available. Some are traditionally published, so my contracts prevent indie distribution so they won't be made available on Wattpad. 

If you want to read more and like erotic...as in SUPER HOT, you can start with the original Hunters books, Hunters: Declan and Tori.

But if you prefer a little less steam, but still very sexy, I'd suggest Hunting the Hunter, the spin-series I started when I began writing for traditional publishers.

All are available in print and in ebook from a variety of publishers. You can find a reading list at my website, shilohwalker.com. Just check out the bookshelf!

Final Chapter

It's yours. Just the way I am.

"But I'm not going to be able to live without you. If you walk away, my world pretty much stops."

He sighed, shoved a hand through his hair. Then, without quite realizing what he was doing, he went to her, reached out, took her hand. Tucking the ring and chain into her palm, he closed her fingers around it. "I've worn that every day, every night since the day I figured out that I'd lost you. That I'd never have you with me. But it isn't mine. I bought it for you. It's yours. Just the way I am. But I don't have the right to ask you to stay."

He cupped her face and forced her lowered chin upward until she met his gaze. "If you chose to stay with me, I'd do my damnedest to make it up to you. I'd do my damnedest to make you happy." Stroking his thumb over her lip, he said hoarsely, "But if you don't want that, I'd understand."

He let go, stepped back. Shoving his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her, he said bitterly, "Hell, it would be easier for me to understand you walking away than choosing to stay." The knot in his throat made swallowing sheer hell, but he had to because the words kept getting stuck inside him. "It's your choice. But before you walk away, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. That I love you. And I do want you with me."

Then he turned and started the walk back up to the house.

His heart was pounding with an intensity that deafened him and his blood roared in his ears. The ache in his chest was huge—but he felt a little more at peace than he had in a long, long time.

At least he'd told her.

At least he'd tried to give the two of them—give himself a chance.

That had to count, right? He told himself that as he passed by her truck. The dog was laying by the rear tires, whining, but Kel just kept walking. Until she grabbed him.

Angel grabbed his arm and he turned, almost afraid, to face her. She jumped towards him. Thrown off balance, he caught her against him and stumbled against the truck. Her mouth was on his. Her tongue in his mouth. Her hands in his hair...and her voice whispering through his mind even though she couldn't exactly speak out loud at the moment. You're a jerk, Kel. A class-act jerk. You think I actually want to walk away from you?

He tore his mouth away from hers. He had to hear it. Had to. "You'll stay? Here? With me?"

"Here. There. Who gives a damn, as long as you're with me."

The relief that hit him left him weak-kneed. He crushed her against him, buried his face in her neck and just breathed in the scent of her, listened to her heartbeat pounding against his own. He stumbled around the back of the truck and ended up sitting on the bed of the truck. The tailgate was missing and looked like it had been for a while—it was a good thing because otherwise Kel would have probably ended up dropping down to sit on the ground.