I walked on stiff legs to the front door as Prisha handed me my purse. “You promise to write and keep me updated?”

“You know I will,” I replied automatically. Keeping my whereabouts hidden also meant that the Supernatural Forces had confiscated my mobile, since phones could be tracked. From here on, it would be old-fashioned pen and paper as a means to communicate, with the SF transporting those letters.

Prisha pulled me into a fierce hug, then Tessa did the same, but both looked quite different when I pulled back. Sadness and concern tugged on Prisha’s features whereas my sister looked ecstatic, as if she couldn’t wait to also be whisked away.

I sighed. “Stay out of trouble,” I said to my twin.

She winked. “Always.”

I groaned. “If only that were true.”

The Fire Wolf was pacing when I stepped into the hall, my bags in tow. The overhead lights glinted off his dark hair, and his shirt stretched over his broad shoulders as he flexed and moved.

Since I’d never unpacked at Prisha’s, my backpack was already set to go, and in a rare show of thoughtfulness, Tessa had packed more of my things when she’d returned home to collect the rest of her stuff. I now resembled her with my embarrassing amount of heavy luggage.

The hunter stopped short when the door closed behind me. He stood as still as a statue as a golden glow flared in his eyes.

“I’ve got it from here,” he said curtly to the two SF members behind me.

They gave brief nods before returning inside.

When we were alone, heat flashed in the hunter’s eyes, and a predatory expression stretched across his face.

My belly quivered—dammit, it quivered—but then I remembered how he’d tricked me and my fingers curled into fists.

He prowled forward, his hands loose, but his swagger told me how triumphant he felt.

He’d won.

I recalled my earlier promise to slug him the next time I saw him, but his next words stopped my hand from drawing back.

“You look lovely.”

For a moment, all I could do was blink. “What?”

“I said you look lovely.”

I scoffed and looked down at my workout clothes. “Um, I was training most of the day, I haven’t showered, and I stink, so nope, not gonna buy that.” I crossed my arms. “And by the way, I pegged you for many things, but outright liar wasn’t one of them.”

He frowned. “I’m not a liar.”

“Yes, you are. You said you didn’t have a pack.”

“I don’t.”

“Then where are we going?”

“To my family’s pack.”

Oh, for the love of the gods. “How is that any different from being your pack?”

“Because I don’t associate with my family.”

I stared at him for a moment, but his expression appeared guileless. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to, but I’m not a liar. I don’t consider them my pack, but I will use their protection to guard you while we track down Jakub.”

“We?”

“The SF.”

My eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding from me now?”

He stepped closer, and his citrusy cedar scent wafted toward me. “Why do you look so sexy when you’re irritated with me?”

I took a step away until my back touched the wall but already my heart was racing. “I’m not sure. Perhaps you should see a psychiatrist.”

His gaze lowered to my mouth just as he pulled his yellow crystal from his pocket. “Have I told you how much I enjoy your wit?”

“I don’t believe you have.”

“In that case.” He moved in more and dipped his head until his lips were pressed just below my ear. “I find it delectable.”

I somehow managed to say, “You don’t say,” even though my toes were curling.

He inhaled, and nerves shot straight to my stomach. A low rumble came from his chest. “Your scent just changed. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re growing aroused.”

“Good thing you know better then,” I replied breathlessly.

His hand found my hip. He squeezed it before snaking his arm around my waist. “Ready?”

I pushed him back ’cause my heart was hammering a million times a minute and I was already melting into him.

Fuck, this was a bad idea. The man knew how to turn me on. How the hell was I supposed to survive the next few weeks while the SF did their job?

“Being that close isn’t needed for portal transfers,” I reminded him, then pointed at his crystal. “Let’s just get on with it. Take me to your pack-that’s-not-your-pack.”

A devious smile twisted his lips as he began to swirl his crystal, then he held out his hand, his portal whirling behind him. “Ready?”

I brushed past him, not bothering to answer. I picked up my heavy bags, tossing them into the portal before I stepped in after them and his portal swallowed me in its wind.

The feeling of popping, falling, and being pulled apart hit me all at once. I kept my mouth firmly closed even though my insides were churning.

But a split second into the transfer, I felt something brush against me. A hard body. A warm hand. The scent of citrus and cedar.

The portal spat us out a second later, and I was in the Fire Wolf’s arms—legit, in his arms—with my bags at my feet.

The dude was carrying me like I was Cinderella, as though those ridiculous glass slippers had broken on my feet, cut my soles, and made my ability to walk impossible.

“Put me down.”

A smile streaked across his face. “You’re not very heavy.”

“Your point being?”

“I thought you would be. Muscle weighs far more than fat.”

“Is that your way of saying I’m not fat? Or that I am fat? I’m not sure.”

He chuckled and finally set me on my feet. But he didn’t let go, instead he kept an arm hooked around my waist. “You’re toned and strong. I thought that meant you’d be heavier than most women.”

Most women. As if he had a lot of practice carrying females. A memory of what Carlos had told me—no, of what he’d warned me about—flitted through my mind. He’d said the hunter was a womanizer, and there had certainly been plenty of women at the Black Underbelly who would have loved to give the hunter’s dick a run for their money.

A flare of jealousy streaked through me. Ugh. I did not just feel that.

I disentangled myself from his arms, my fingers dancing across his smooth skin and chiseled forearms. A low grumble came from the hunter at my unintended light touch. My belly fluttered at that sound, but I forced myself to step well away from him and look around.

We were in a meadow, nestled in a valley between rolling hills covered in trees. Cool air flowed over my skin as a smattering of clouds drifted across the sky. The sound of running water reached my ears. Behind us, not even twenty yards away, a narrow stream flowed until farther away it reached a small lake. It was idyllic looking—quite picturesque—like something you’d see on a postcard for a destination that promised leisurely autumn walks, cups of hot cider, and lakeside picnics.

“Where are we?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“My family’s pack territory. We’re just outside Oak Trembler, Ontario.” He nodded behind us. “I have a cabin here, and the pack town—Oak Trembler—is only a mile east.”

I squinted in the direction he’d nodded. Just through the trees, I could make out the outline of a wooden cabin. It blended so well into the landscape, though, I never would have seen it if he hadn’t pointed it out.

I shook my head, not able to believe any of this. “How can you have a cabin here if you don’t associate with your family?”

He shrugged. “My father insisted that it’s mine even though I never use it.”

“When was the last time you were here?”

“A while.”

I huffed. A vague answer. Imagine that.

I was about to open my mouth, to insist that he tell me—hell, the dude had basically tricked me into coming here, it was the least he could do—but then the sound of a slamming door reached my ears followed by a shriek of happiness.