All Chapters of Hunter and the Silent Wolf: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

***JulianMy eyes blinked back blinding white – pitch white grounds, grayish-white skies, frigid white mountain peaks. Only thin slivers of green hue slid through the fractured snow swept evergreens.Fresh powder wadded just above my knees as I moved in slow strides, bracing myself against the broken bough. From this distance, I could stalk for hours and wait out the wildlife. Wait on my next kill.Four daggers strapped to my sides, two on each hip for easy access… any close encounters. But my preference was the bow. Quick. Quiet. Allowing me the distance I needed. And I always took the kill shot. Less suffering. I only killed what I needed to survive. To get me through the harsh winter, dragging anywhere from six to eight months in these mountains. This was no sporting feet.I had some dried deer meat back at the cabin. But it would only last through the end of the week. What I needed was a healthy buck. I could cook some of the meat now, store half in the freezer, and dry the rest.

***FionaI dipped my feet into the hot water. The bottoms were filthy, caked with days’ worth of dirt and grim. But the filth was the last thing on my mind as I submerged my entire body into smooth watery heaven. It took everything not to moan as the heat wrapped me like silk.My blood-tainted hair dropped lazily into the tub. I’d have to pick the leaves and twigs caught in the tangles with my good hand. The wrappings held my shoulder tightly in place for now, but I’d need to redo the bandages after my bath.But in this moment, this was everything I needed. Every part of me cringed with pain. I couldn’t move my arms without fire shooting down my back… but I was free.I escaped.My eyes stung, and silent tears dripped down my face, allowing light droplets to fall and echo into the pool of sitting water. I was taught to cry quietly. To mourn in silence.He didn’t like noise. He didn’t like my complaining. And he definitely didn’t accept my refusal.Three years and a broken soul… broken

***JulianShe offered to help with dinner, but I declined. She was my guest. I rathered her rest, make herself comfortable.It felt so foreign, having a woman in the house again. To cook for, to wait on. Just the smell of a woman was different… I hadn't realized how much I missed this. Mae would often help me in the kitchen, but I mostly did the cooking while she baked. I missed everything about her.A part of me felt guilty. That I shouldn’t share this place with another woman, in the space where my wife read, napped… lived. That I shouldn’t have even let another woman in. Period.But wasn’t this one different? Broken… in a beautiful, mystical way. I knew I said I’d send her on her way, but maybe not just yet. Too frail, too fragile. And those eyes. Those pouty lips.Fuck… I cursed under my breath.I turned my attention back to the food as I peeled the thawed vegetables. My knife slid effortlessly as I diced the potatoes and carrots with precision. I was a surgeon with a knife. Butch

***FionaI looked out the window, watching as snow fell like soft silk petals, blending into the white winter abyss below. Calm. Soothing.My breasts heaved, hidden under the hovel of clothing. My mind went to Julian. When we were in the kitchen together, he was so close and his hand felt safe and secure against mine. His touch sent sweet tendrils of warmth up my arms.My fingers brushed against my parted mouth. I wet my lips.This was dangerous. This was… unexpected.After everything I had been through, the furthest thing from my mind was finding a connection with a man. To feel something with another person. To trust another person. But maybe this was the connection I needed. It had been so long since I had a bit of kindness. Genuine, sincere kindness. But with a human?The other had been cruel. Callous and calculating. Only one other man had ever had me. But after the beatings, the torture... the rapes, I tried to refuse the mate bond. The punishment I received for such a refusal.

***FionaWater beaded from his chest as steam slipped out the opened bathroom door; a towel tucked securely around his waist. It hung low around his hips, low enough that I could see the abdominal muscles bridging towards something… much more enticing.I darted my eyes away but still couldn't keep from glancing over as I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying to keep the heat from flushing to my face.I had never seen him shirtless before. He always wore several layers of clothing. And the view was better than I imagined. His hardened chest ridged like a plate of armor. Abs stenciled with toned muscles grooving over every inch of his torso.His forearms bulged; tattoos etched over his arms, casting full artwork on both sleeves. He ran his hands through his wet tousled hair as dark strands frayed along his fingertips.“Now that’s a man,” Kaia purred inside of me. Again I averted my gaze, drawing back to the book in my lap, yet unable to concentrate on any of the words in front of me.An