On my way to William's office, I replayed every encounter I had with him in the last few days. From the moment I ran into him in the hall at the hospital, to the dinner we shared together and to our conversation in the parking lot in the morning. No matter how many times we had met, I had felt that strange tingling feeling and odd sense of awareness. My body had also felt on fire every time he had been near me, but I attributed that to its attraction to him — my mind wasn't though. There was something off about him, but every time I tried to fit the pieces together, it felt like something was missing. I was missing the central piece.
The more I thought about him, the more convinced I became that he was a Hunter. There simply wasn't any other explanation as to why he would hide evidence and how he so easily figured out I wasn't from the Bureau. Because he clearly had. The way he talked to me made it pretty clear. Why would he have kept quiet about it if he wasn't a Hunter himself?
As I compared our lives, I wondered how he managed to juggle those two opposite lifestyles. He was a respected surgeon who dedicated his life to save others'. When did he find the time to hunt? To track and kill creatures? Surely those two jobs were not compatible. I already struggled with one job, how on earth did he manage two? Especially knowing the countless hours he spent at the hospital. Or he wasn't working alone. Most Hunters I'd met in the past few years hunted in groups, or at least with a partner. It was rare to meet solo hunters like me. But I wasn't really solo, I had Dee and she was the best hunting partner anyone could ask for.
When I arrived in front of Dr. Stoker's office, I stopped and took a deep breath. I felt nervous about the outcome of our conversation. Would he trust me enough to share information with me? Would he let me help and work the case with him? Or would he threaten me again to make me leave? I wasn't sure. He had been impossible to read.
Drawing in a breath, I knocked on the door directly connected to his office. The sound of footsteps approaching echoed softly and the door opened to a smiling William. He looked as fresh as he had in the morning, his brown curls falling loosely on his head, framing his face. The dark green cardigan he was wearing outlined the sharp muscles underneath, and the thought of what he looked like under the clothes crossed my mind. I shook my head when I realized where my thoughts were drifting and cleared my throat.
"Hi," I said, my heart speeding up in my chest. The tingling feeling was back, leaving a weird sensation of tiny needles poking my skin.
His smile grew larger as his eyes narrowed on me. He stared at me for a second, with a half smile that showed a dimple and his signature amused slash intrigued look before he answered, "Hi." He didn't move an inch as he continued to stare, his bright hazel eyes scanning my face silently. His gaze lingered on my lips, and I wondered if I had something there.
I was about to say something to break the growing awkwardness I was feeling when he lifted his eyes back up to mine.
"Please, come in," he said as he moved out of the way to let me walk inside the room. I did so and discreetly brought my hand to my lips in an effort to wipe whatever had caught his attention there.
He walked towards the small settee sitting below the window and offered me a seat before sitting in the armchair facing me. He sat back, looking as comfortable and relaxed as one could, and crossed his leg so that his ankle rested on his opposite knee. I wondered how he could act so at ease considering the circumstances. He looked as if he was a step ahead of me. Was he really?
"As much as I enjoyed sharing some outings with you last night, isn't this more comfortable?"
Heat creeped up my cheeks. This time there weren't any doubts whether or not he knew I was following him to the adult store. Thinking twice about it, that was probably why he even went there in the first place. Bastard.
"I was perfectly comfortable," I answered and he smiled. It was a real smile that put both his dimples on display and I had to work twice as hard to stay focused.
"Is it a habit of yours to follow honest citizens around— Or am I special?"
My heart skipped a beat as his flirtatious gaze waited eagerly for my answer. Was flirting the only way he could hold a conversation? Or was he using this tactic to distract me from the very reason I was in his office?
That thought suddenly cleared my mind.
"I know what you are," I said, purposely ignoring his comment.
His surprise was apparent despite how quickly he brushed it off. His body had stiffened the span of a millisecond and his eyebrows had shifted to a frown before he regained a blank face. Most people would have missed it. But not me. I always had a talent for noticing what others couldn't. An acute sense of attention. Very helpful when out on a job.
But had he really not figured out I had pieced two and two together already?
"Do you?" He asked as if I was the most entertaining thing he had ever witnessed.
"You're a Hunter."
His eyebrows furrowed again but he regained a straight face so quickly I wondered if I had imagined it this time.
"And what makes you say that?"
Bingo. I was right. My lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"Besides the fact that you didn't question what a Hunter is?"
He smiled again, not bothered to deny it. It would have been pointless anyways.
"You're hiding evidence. I've looked at the coroner's files of the last few years. All the autopsies you've performed were of victims of creatures— I know how to recognize one when I see one."
William was looking at me passively, almost bored.
"Why would such a respected doctor such as yourself go out of his way to protect the creatures who did that?"
I used the word 'protect' on purpose. I wanted to get a reaction out of him. He shifted forward on his seat and uncrossed his legs.
"Is that what you think I do? Protect the— creatures? If I were a Hunter like you claim, why would I do that?"
Despise and hate transpired in his voice at the word creature. If that wasn't an indication that he was indeed a Hunter, I didn't know what would be.
"You tell me," I answered, my eyes narrowed. I tried to read what his expression-less face was hiding, in vain. Whatever he was feeling at this moment wasn't strong enough to show. His chest moved up and down at an alarming slow pace, and I suddenly became too aware of how mine seemed to heave way too fast. Was he really so calm? I looked like a heaving mess next to him and I wasn't even hyperventilating, I was simply– breathing. The growing silence combined with the way his eyes were scrutinizing me started to make me feel uncomfortable. He had a way to look at you that seemed to stripe you of all your secrets.
I swallowed and was about to say something, anything to break the tension in the room but he said, "You seem to know a lot about me while I don't know anything about you."
He shifted again in his seat and sat back, his ankle back on his opposite knee.
"Well, except that you're no FBI agent," he mocked. "What's your real name?"
I hesitated for a second. If I wanted him to trust me, I needed to give him reasons to and lying about my name would not serve me well.
"Charlotte."
"Pretty name," he answered with a half smile. "Suits you a lot better than Louise."
My stupid heart skipped a bit at the compliment. Seriously, what was wrong with it?
"So tell me, Charlotte-– or do people call you Lottie maybe?"
The way he said my name, so sensually, brought heat down my stomach, and I found myself shifting in my seat to hide my reaction. Judging by the smirk on his face, it didn't go unnoticed.
"Charlotte will do just fine," I clapped back, trying to pass my arousal for anger.
His grin grew larger.
"Charlotte is it then– so what are you doing here, hunting so far from home and by yourself? A bit reckless, don't you think?"
His bluntness didn't even surprise me. What did surprise me was the faint concern I discerned in his patronizing tone.
"Who said I was alone?"
His thick eyebrows rose and he smiled.
"Right, I almost forgot about your– companion. Still, do you think it's a good idea to come here alone? Do you even know what you're hunting?"
This time, real anger took over me. The way he was talking to me, as if I were a child who had no idea what she was doing was infuriating. I was probably a better hunter than him, female or not. And he was barely a few years older, he couldn't possibly have that much more experience. Plus the fact that the creature had killed two people already and was still roaming the street led me to believe he either didn't know what it was, or he simply wasn't good enough at his second job.
"I don't need a lesson from someone who's not doing anything to protect the people of this city."
The ease and boredom that was apparent on his face were now completely gone and replaced by– despise? He was so hard to read I couldn't be sure, but he looked angry. I was almost sure I heard a growl come out of his throat, but it was so faint I could have imagined it. Then his face was blank again.
"Why. Are. You. Here?" He asked again slowly, ignoring my comment.
He was losing patience, and so was I.
"Why are you hiding evidence? What creature killed those people? I've never seen wounds like that."
He analysed me for a while before relaxing again.
"You ask a lot of questions," he stated, passing a hand in his hair in a vain attempt to tame the loose curl that fell on his forehead. It was back within seconds.
"I could say the same thing about you," I answered, my eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding?"
He sat motionless, his gaze focused on me. I would not have any answers tonight. I was wasting my time.
"Look, I just want to help–"
"Don't. Go back to wherever you come from. I don't need the help of a rookie Hunter barely old enough to drink," he said through gritted teeth as he stood so quickly I wondered if he was ever sitting down.
My breath caught in my throat. Such treatment wasn't unusual from older Hunters, but he was barely older than me. Yet he had the attitude of a sixty year old ass.
"Clearly," I snapped back, jumping to my feet. "You might not care if people get killed, but I do. And I won't leave until the creature or creatures who did that have been dealt with."
His jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.
"It's you who's going to get killed," he answered, resulting in my nails digging deep in my palms in anger.
I walked around the coffee table to meet him near the armchair and stopped barely a feet away. His close proximity worsened the tingling feeling on my skin, but I ignored it as I held his challenging gaze.
"Is that a threat?"
"Take it the way you want. But don't come and complain when something happens to you."
I bit my cheek hard, my chest heaving with anger and revulsion. How had I even been attracted to him? He was an arrogant bastard.
"You should leave," he said, walking to the door.
He turned the knob and held the door open, eager to see me gone. I didn't hesitate and started for the door.
"You don't know me," I said before he could close the door on me. "Don't assume I can't get the job done because I'm young. Or for whatever misogynist reason you might have. I'm most likely better than you, so take that advice you gave me the other day. You'll need it more than me."