Hailey was going to return to her own cabin for the night, but Viola and Klaus insisted that she'd eat dinner with them. She pushed the exhaustion climbing on her back and joined the two who made her feel like she wasn't as tired as she looked. Hailey helped Klaus in the kitchen after they had freshened up from the long day at the Institute. Vincent was in his room and Viola was seated on the stool with fresh bowl of blackberries. Hailey may have had a long day but spending time with everyone made the exhaustion feel like a dream.
Last night, she finally shared her past to Hunter. Instead of being revolted or disapproving, Hunter had supported her despite telling him that she was the reason behind her parent's deaths. Hunter never once judged her or thought that she was selfish. Hailey got lost in the task of cutting the colourful peppers for the salad as the noodles boiled on the stove. The weight on her back had been taken off and she had this group of remarkable people to thank for it. Nothing could beat the sensation that was in Hailey as of this moment. She was truly happy and felt like she could move on with her life.
"When is everyone coming home?" she asked Klaus.
"They should be back soon," said Klaus. He pulled out his cellphone and looked at the time. "They don't-"
The front door suddenly burst open. River and Gabriel rushed inside with furious expressions. Hailey's heart sank when she didn't see Hunter with them.
"What's going on?" asked Viola as she joined the guys in the living room.
"Lucas issued more mercenaries to attack Gabriel tonight," said River. "They showed up in a group outside the company building."
"What the hell," astonished Viola. "How'd they get the nerve to come to the company?"
"Lucas came to me this morning," grumbled Gabriel. "And I sent him with his tail between his fucking legs."
Hailey's hands froze by her side. "Where's Hunter?" she didn't want to ask, but she needed to know, otherwise it would have eaten her up inside. Except, none of the men answered. "Gabriel," she called out his name like a pleading cry. "Where is he?"
Gabriel met her chaotic gaze, that was slipping into despair. "He used himself as a decoy so I could escape," he told her firmly, but the guilt in his eyes was clear.
Hailey swallowed the tightness in her throat that was choking the life out of her. But she masked the panic for Gabriel. "Okay. Thank you for telling me," she said faintly. "He'll be fine, he'll come back, right?"
Gabriel sauntered over to her. His arms wrapped and gathered her small form in his reassuring arms. "He's the best fighter I've got," he told her softly. "He'll be back to you."
Hailey buried her head on his chest. She didn't want to show the fear, but everyone knew that she was terrified. Gabriel laid his hand on her head, and then, he turned away to face the dead hearth of the fire place.
Hailey's pale face and frozen hands brought her back to where she didn't like being anymore. Hailey couldn't lose another person, she wasn't strong enough to bear the loss all over again, especially her mate. Hunter was her other half, if he was taken from her, she'd crumble and fall apart. Nothing could save her, not even their eternal goddess, Maya.
Azura, Vincent and Ryder and Lupin all joined the grim group in the living room after a dire half-hour passed. The storm had grown heavier, thunder roared without rest and it cut through Hailey the most. She suffered every crack of lightning, like it was whipping her to feel the anguish inside her heart even more.
"This is ridiculous," Viola snapped the tension in the air with her voice. "How long are we just going to wait here for him to come back?"
Hailey didn't want to say it, but she was wondering the same thing too.
Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath. "River-" Gabriel was interrupted when the front door opened at the crack of lightning.
Hunter sauntered inside with blood covering his suit and dripping from above his eye and wet hair. He closed the door and spotted them all in the living room on their feet. He wearily waved and shot them a cocky smirk. "Took longer than I thought it would," he remarked.
Hailey pushed past the crowd and hugged him close. He let out a grunt but she didn't let go. "You're back," she mumbled.
Hunter's arms tightened around her. "I'm back," he said. Hailey let go and took him to the chair.
"Are you injured severely?" asked Azura.
"Just some cuts and bruises," said Hunter. "The blood isn't mine." Lupin still brought the medical kit and patched up the cut on Hunter's cheek.
"What took you so long?" asked Gabriel.
"More mercenaries attacked after you left," Hunter told them. He let out a short wince when the antiseptic spray stung on his battered knuckles. Klaus came over with a bag of ice. "Thanks," he told Klaus before he placed the ice bag on the side of his head. "Damn, that hurts like a bitch." Hailey helped put the ice on his bruised head. His eyes opened at the touch of her hands and he looked at her intently.
"How long is this going to go on?" asked Vincent. "We can't keep risking our lives every time we step off our property."
"I want to kill Lucas myself," gritted out Viola.
River shook his head. "Lucas is going to keep sending his people after you, if we don't do something about it," he looked at Gabriel.
"Lucas is a wild mutt who has no leash," cursed Azura.
The silence in the room grew thick when Gabriel didn't utter a sound. They all stared down at Gabriel's broad back, which was facing them. Hailey sensed the tension around their alpha who had a tough decision to make. A choice that could cost him his title and family. Hailey wanted to tell them to think about this with cool heads. But this wasn't a group to make wild decisions or mistakes because they're angry. Hailey was well aware that whatever Gabriel decides, will be for the best.
The silence was broken when Hunter spoke up. "How long are we going to stay on defence?" Hunter asked Gabriel.
Gabriel turned to face his pack mates. They're eyes full of determination, that always let Gabriel know that they were ready for anything that came their way. Gabriel's golden eyes shifted over to Azura who was standing in front of him. "You know what to do," he said sternly, his jaw clenched tightly.
River tossed a black device to Azura who caught it with one swift hand. "I'll have what you need in the hour," she told Gabriel before she left the house on her mission.
"She'll track down Lucas," said Gabriel. "And when she does, we take the fight to him."
"But the treaty," said Vincent. "None of us can fight Lucas."
Gabriel pulled out his cellphone. "Just be ready for when Azura calls," he told everyone in the room. "I'm going to end this once and for all." Gabriel laid his hand on Hunter's shoulder, before he went to his bedroom with the phone against his ear.
Hailey took Hunter to his room, so he could get out of the dreadfully wet and bloody clothes. She closed the door behind them and helped him quietly. The fear was a sickness in her heart still sent a chill down her body. She couldn't get her mind away from ominous thoughts no matter how hard she tried. Hunter was right in front of her now, so there was no need to worry. But it dawned on her that his life would always be in danger. Enemies surrounded him and his family all the time. What was she going to do if she lost him? she wondered alone.
Hunter came up in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Hailey let out a laugh in disbelief. "You scared the life out of me," she told him. His eyes warmed and a smile crept up his lips. "This is nothing to be smiling about, Hunter."
"I like you worrying over me," he put his arms around her waist.
Hailey smacked his shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you," she laid her forehead on his chest. Her small hand gripped his wet shirt. "You're everything to me, Hunter and I love you so much." The room grew quiet, but the rain dribbled against the windows.
"Hailey-" Hunter put his hands around her nape. She looked up with tears swimming in her eyes, and he locked her lips with his. Their kiss was gentle but Hailey felt it deep down in her soul. Hunter's scent darkened and his hand roamed over her body. He pushed her up against the door, not giving her a moment from their kiss just to breathe again. Hunter deepened the kiss and devoured her until her knees weakened underneath her. Breathlessly, she anchored her arms around his neck and straddled his waist, their bodies pressed so close her clothes got wet with his but she didn't care. Hunter's hardened shaft throbbed right against her core, she moaned against his lips as Hunter grew greedier.
Hailey combed her fingers through his wet hair and gripped him closer. She didn't want to think about anything else expect him. Hunter savagely bit her bottom lip, his growl reverberated through her body and the heat pooled between her legs. Hailey kissed down his jaw and trailed towards the juncture between his neck and shoulder. She licked over the sweet and wet skin, before her teeth brutally bit down marking his skin raw. Hunter released a hot growl and his scent grew untamed around the bedroom.
But Hailey stopped there. She slid her legs from around his waist. "Go rinse off the blood and change your clothes," she said softly.
"I can't even think about that right now," he kissed down her neck.
A smile crept up her lips. She pulled free and backed away into the bathroom. She flicked the light switch. "Are you sure?" she teased as she slipped off her damp shirt and tossed it to the side with her skirt following after. Hunter bit his lip before he stripped out of his wet clothes and joined her in the shower.
Hunter and Hailey arrived downstairs for dinner, which wasn't ruined because of the recent events like she expected. No matter what happened, nothing bothered this group of people, they always found a way to lighten the mood. Over her plate full of pasta and salad, she noticed Klaus had plated the fettuccine Alfredo pasta with smoked salmon, grabbing a fork he sauntered out of the kitchen with a weary frown.
"Is Klaus feeling alright?" asked Hailey.
Vincent looked up from his plate. "Yeah, why?"
"I just saw him leave with his plate," she pointed out.
"It was probably for Gabriel," said Viola.
"Oh," muttered Hailey. Klaus returned without the plate, but his frown had deepened. "Everything alright, Klaus?" she asked him.
His green eyes lifted. "Yeah," he raked his hair and joined around the table with his own plate of pasta. "Gabriel's still on the phone though," he told them. "All I heard was a name." All of their heads lifted from their plate of steaming, hot pasta. "Alec," Klaus revealed ominously. "The name was Alec."
"Alec?" questioned Vincent.
"Do you guys know an Alec?" asked Hailey.
"No," said Hunter grimly.
"I could've heard wrong," Klaus shrugged. "Just forget I said anything."
Hailey knew that none of them were going to forget this name anytime soon. Even though they chatted over dinner, at the back of their heads, the name buzzed like a fat bumblebee. They searched and searched but none of them anyone named Alec. They all wondered who exactly Gabriel was on the phone with this late at night.
Abruptly, the front door opened again and River sauntered inside. "Where's Gabriel?" he asked the group in the kitchen.
"His room," answered Klaus. "What's wrong-" River stomped across the foyer and jumped two stairs at a time to go to his alpha's room. "Did something happen?" Klaus asked the rest of them who were just as bewildered as him.
"We'll find out soon enough," sighed Vincent.
Hunter closed the door behind them after they finished their dinner.
"This was the longest day of my life," she moaned as she fell back on the bed. The cool sheets welcomed her sore body. Hunter stripped off his t-shirt, and then, he sauntered over to his side of the bed. Hailey's eyes started to doze off without even allowing her a moment with her mate.
"I have something to tell you," Hunter kissed her cheek.
"Hmm?" she mumbled her drowsy reply.
"It's about your parents," he revealed.
The exhaustion over her body was ripped away. Hailey's eyes snapped open. "My parents," she repeated. "What about them?"
"I made River and Ryder dig up why your parents lived on the road so much," he told her.
Hailey frowned and got up from her position. She crossed her legs under her and faced Hunter. "I wasn't able to find anything though," she told him. "How'd they get information on them so quickly?"
Hunter raised a brow. "Do you really need to ask," he retorted.
"True," she said. Those twins really were the best at what they did around the pack. She couldn't believe that they were able to find information on her parents.
Hunter leaned back on the headboard, his legs spread out in front of him. "Do you know what the Black Seal was, Hailey?" he asked her.
Hailey tilted her head. "It was an organization that aided wolves, right?" she asked him.
He nodded. "They helped rogues, but they did so much more," he said. "The Black Seal was an organization that eliminated threats against wolves. They got rid of corrupt individuals that harmed the lives of our kind, just like how Zero does now."
"I understand," she said. "But what does that have to do with my parents?"
"Your parents were part of the Black Seal," revealed Hunter. "They worked as agents."
Hailey's grew quiet because she couldn't believe her ears. But then, it all started to come back to her. They used to go on trips that would last days or weeks. When her mom or her dad would return, their blank expressions made sense to Hailey now. She understood why they lived on the road. "So, they were being hunted everywhere they went?" she asked Hunter.
"Your parents had a lot of enemies," he said. "But they were heroes."
Hailey's chest tightened. "Heroes," she mumbled, "my parents?"
"They protected and fought for an honourable cause," believed Hunter. "I couldn't find any information about their missions though, sorry."
"No," she shook her head, "you found more than enough. Thank you." Her parents were agents that worked for the Black Seal organization. Hailey's head that were full of questions about her parents were finally answered, her mind cleared of all the ripples from her past. Hailey looked down at her clasped hands. "My parents died protecting me," she said. "They truly were heroes."
"They saved a lot of lives, Hailey," said Hunter. She looked up to meet his calm and cool gaze. "You should be proud."
Hailey unlaced her legs and climbed on top of Hunter. She straddled his legs. "I am, I always have been," she said softly. "Thank you for helping me find information about my parents."
Hunter tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Anytime, baby," he smirked.
Hailey bent down and kissed his lips chastely. "How did I end up with a mate like you?"
Hunter sighed. "I ask the same damn thing every day," he told her with a deep and sexy laugh, that was music to her ears. Hailey laid her lips on his and kissed him softly. The kind that spoke more than words, that could be felt all the way to their souls. She combed her fingers through his hair, adoring the thickness and feel of it under her hands. Hailey breathed in his dark scent, that was roaring as strong as a wildfire, burning everything in its path, including her.
Hailey ripped herself away from his lips, even though it killed her to do so. Inches away from his mouth, she purred; "Make love to me-"
Hunter's strong arm wrapped around her waist and laid her under him. Their clothes were stripped off and discarded on their floor. Hailey's heart hammered against her chest, she couldn't get it under her control like the rest of her body, that craved her mate's touch more than ever.
Hunter's caressed her soft supple skin, that ignited to his hands and played to his whim. He was gentle and sweet as he kissed every inch of her body, worshipping each and every part. Hailey's heart leaped when his lips closed in on her core, his eyes darkened as he sensed her arousal heighten at the mere touch of his hot breath. Hunter pushed her legs further apart, his hand held at her knees to keep her still. A blush crept up her cheeks when she realized how much she wanted his mouth on her, how she craved his tongue giving her what she needed.
Hunter bit down the insides of her thigh, his white teeth grazed the skin reddening it. His eyes stayed on her as she watched him bite and feast like she was some ripened fruit.
"Hunter..." her voice died when his breath fanned her core.
"Tell me what you want, baby," his husky voice crawled over her throbbing body.
Hailey lifted her hazy eyelids. "I want your mouth on me," she breathed heavily.
Hunter grinned, he prowled over her and laid his lips on hers. It was a fast and heated kiss from the way he devoured her. His tongue deepened and she gasped when his fingers dove into her wet core. Hailey grabbed his thick wrist with both her hands, stopping all movement because she was going to explode any second if he continued.
"I can feel you tightening around my fingers," he growled against her ear. The primal voice shuddered through her body. Hunter kissed down the column of her neck, she slowly let go of his wrist when she relaxed from the high. But Hunter had different plans with her. He crept down her body and latched his mouth onto her core.
The slickness of his tongue thundered through her body to the point that it was painful to endure. The erotic rhythm he played her with had her yielding to him in seconds. Her body arched as he bit down on the throbbing nub, she bit her lips so hard she was sure that she drew blood. Hailey's eyes rolled back when Hunter's fingers penetrated her core even deeper than before. The pleasure was too intense for Hailey to keep it in, her breath was uneven and she cried out for him to stop, but he didn't listen. The rush built inside her abdomen, she closed her eyes afraid of how far she was going to collapse. Hunter hot tongue swept across her core and the sensual thrust of his fingers was unbearable. Hailey threw her head back when her release shattered her entire body.
A long moment had passed before Hailey opened her eyes again. She woke up dazed and still out of breath, but Hunter was already kissing up the column between her breasts.
"I can't think straight," she managed her voice to form words.
Hunter kissed her neck. "Thanks, glad you enjoyed," he teased smugly.
Hailey giggled softly. "I should probably return the favour," she stretched off the bed and got to her knees in front of Hunter who had stunned expression on his face. She placed her hand on his taut neck. "Did I make you nervous?" she teased biting her lip. "Don't be, I'll take care of you."
"Fuck-" feral heat creased over Hunter's face, his brows furrowed and he clenched his jaw.
Hailey left a trail of kisses over his chest and hard abs that tightened at her every touch and soft kiss. She palmed his hard shaft, that was heavy and hot in her small hand. She licked off the precum before she put her lips around the head of his shaft. The used her hand at the base of his shaft, since her mouth could barely take half of his size. She licked over him and used a slow, erotic rhythm. Hailey looked up from under her lashes and she locked eyes with Hunter's who was watching her attentively. His amber eyes drowned in ecstasy and as hard as the shaft in her mouth. Hunter's grip tightened on her hair, that's how she knew that she was close to making him come.
"Hailey, if you don't stop I'll-" his husky voice faded and the growl from him released deep from his chest.
Hailey wasn't going to stop now that she knew he was lost in pleasure, like he had given her all the time. Her jaw hurt but she didn't stop, she deepened more and more as much as she could. Hunter's hips buckled but she didn't pull away, his release was hot and heavy as it spilled down her throat. She was pulled up and Hunter's mouth crashed over hers possessively. He kissed her hard and long with his hands in her hair and pulling her to him.
Hunter laid his forehead on her shoulder. "Where in the hell did you learn to do that?" he asked.
A laugh bubbled in Hailey. "Nowhere, since this was the first time I ever tried doing it," she told him.
Hunter's breath stopped in his throat. "You're going to be the death of me," he nipped her earlobe.
Hailey shuddered as he nipped her throat after. "I rather not be," she said, "I prefer you alive." She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her forehead against his taking a silent moment. "Don't ever scare me like that again, promise me?"
Hunter grinned. "I promise," he said. Hailey tilted her head up to receive his kiss. He took her down onto the tousled sheets, their bodies entangled together, Hailey took the comfort she seeked from her mate.
Hailey didn't know how much time had passed, but she had collapsed from exhaustion. Hunter sweetly kissed her lips before he covered her naked body with the duvet.
"I have to get going," he whispered.
She caressed his cheek. "What- where?" she asked as she saw the dark sky that was still outside.
"Gabriel needs me," he told her. "Get some sleep and I'll be back soon."
Hailey's eyes drifted on their own. In the darkness of the room, she saw Hunter's broad shoulders disappear behind the door, that he closed on his way out.