A touch here, a seductive smile there, and he was mine.
Normally, I’d play along, take what I wanted, and be on my way, but tonight… tonight was different. Because I was tired.
Chasing Gabriel and his new hunter boy toy halfway across the world had sapped me of my patience.
I didn’t care about Beric’s orders. I didn’t care about dragging Gabriel back to the nest to face whatever punishment awaited him.
And I certainly didn’t care about Tom or his cheap cologne.
But then, I felt it. That prickling sensation at the back of my neck, the unmistakable feeling of being watched.
I glanced up from Tom’s eager face, my senses sharpening. My gaze swept over the bar until it landed on him.
Asher. The hunter who shot me. Who humiliated me. The one I hated with every fiber of my being.
He sat at the bar, his shoulders tense as he nursed a beer. His eyes, sharp and unwavering, were locked on me. No, not on me. On Tom. How sweet.
I smirked, leaning back in my seat. So, the hunter was concerned for the human? That was adorable. It was almost enough to make me forget my exhaustion. Almost.
“Hey, don’t ignore me,” Tom whined, tugging at my sleeve like a petulant child.
I didn’t bother hiding my irritation.
“I’m not ignoring you at all,” I said smoothly, my smirk widening as I met Asher’s glare head-on. “Just got distracted for a second.”
The truth was, Tom didn’t matter anymore. Not with Asher here.
Finally, after all my efforts, leaving breadcrumbs of bodies and chaos behind me to lure him in, he was here. My prey.
And he was bristling.
I could see it in the way his grip tightened on his glass, the way his jaw clenched when I slid an arm around Tom’s shoulders. Perfect.
“Yes,” I said, letting my voice drop to a low purr. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Tom grinned like an idiot, oblivious to the predator leading him out the door.
I tossed a few bills on the table and let him cling to me as we made our way outside.
The night air was crisp, the quiet hum of the town a stark contrast to the tension brewing behind me. I knew Asher would follow.
He wouldn’t be able to help himself.
We rounded a corner, stepping into the shadows of an alley. Tom turned to face me, his excitement practically radiating off him.
“My place is just a few?—”
“Shhh,” I said, pressing a finger to his lips.
He froze, confused, as my gaze darted past him to the entrance of the alley. Asher was here.
I could feel his presence, his anger rolling off him in waves.
Tom opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t give him the chance.
With a flick of my wrist, I sent him sprawling to the ground, unconscious. He wasn’t important anymore.
“Asher,” I called out, my voice echoing in the narrow space. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
