“Implied doesn’t mean anything to Dires.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Unless it comes to a mate. Then it’s implied that everyone else needs to stay far away.”
“Hunter’s choice has been more than implied.”
“Yes it has.” Marni stopped short as we reached the clearing. “I have to find the others. Go grab anything of yours you want to bring with you.”
“You don’t want me to come with you?”
“The nomads are skittish already. Bringing a baby Dire with me isn’t going to help things.”
“A baby?”
“You were just changed after all.”
“Right.”
Marni disappeared, and I shifted back to my human form. I wasn’t sure where we were going next, but it couldn’t be worse than this frozen farm. I hoped Mary Anne agreed.
Chapter Nine
Mary Anne
Lunatic. Hunter was a lunatic. Sex dreams that told the future? I pretended to go along with it so he’d keep talking, but none of it made any sense. Especially not the Vanessa part. How did the similarities in our appearance tie in? I was positive there was a connection. Dating her had to have played into the image of the girl in his dreams.
I rolled over in the bed, surprised that I was able to. I was expecting Hunter to have me wrapped up in his cocoon again. I knew it wasn’t an accident. I sat up, wishing I could see something in the complete darkness that engulfed the room. “Hunter?” I called out tentatively. Had he really left me all alone? “Hunter?”
I didn’t hear a response, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. I had a bad feeling about the silence.
I’d finally set my mind to facing the cold and getting out of bed when I heard the howls. There were several of them off in the distance. I was right. Something was wrong.
The footsteps on the stairs was the next indication that something was going down. The door burst open. “Mary Anne!” Hunter flipped on the light.
I blinked a few times, taking in the breathless figure of Hunter. “What’s going on?”
“We need to go. Get your coat and boots on. We don’t have time to waste.”
“What do you mean? What’s going on?” My chest clenched. Had something happened to Gage?
“Your friend made the witches mad. Unbelievably mad, and he did it in a way that’s going to get attention. We’re going to be found if we don’t act fast.” He held out my coat to me.
“I’m not even wearing a bra. I need a minute.”
His eyes went right to my chest. “We can get you whatever you need later, but we don’t have a second to lose.”
I accepted the coat and stuffed my bra into the pocket. I was putting it on later. I slid into my boots. “Is everyone going?” He’d know exactly who I was asking about.
“Yes. We’re not leaving anyone behind.” He grabbed my hand and headed for the door. “We’re going to be fine, but we need to get on the road immediately.”
“Got it.” I was still sleepy and in no position to argue. I had no idea what would happen if we were found by their enemies, but I didn’t want to find out.
A line of trucks and an SUV were idling outside. Hunter opened the passenger door to one of the trucks. “This is us.”
I looked over my shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of Gage.
“He’s coming.” Hunter helped me up into the small cab. “I promise.”
“Where is he?”
“I’m right here. It’s okay.” Gage’s voice came from somewhere nearby. It was too dark to see him, but I’d know that voice anywhere.
I nodded. “Ok.” I buckled absently, waiting for Hunter to take his seat.
“You can go back to sleep. I have everything under control.” He buckled his seatbelt and pulled away from the house.
“Sleep? How am I supposed to sleep right now?”
“It’s going to be a long ride. You might as well sleep to make it go faster.”
“How long are we talking?” I tried not to panic. Where were we going now?
“Long. We can’t risk staying in this area at all. The king’s men will be combing the entire Northeast for us once they figure out we were involved.”
“So where are we going?”
Hunter smiled. “We’re going right under their noses.”
“What do you mean?” I turned in my seat.
“We’re going to the one city where they’d never expect us to be.”
“What city is that?”
“New Orleans.”
“New Orleans?” I asked with surprise.
“Yes. It’s where the king lives. He’d never expect us to show up there.”