Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase (Spooky Boys #3)

I had never known patience like his.

A soft howl echoed through the crack in the window the moment my shaking had become nothing more than a tremor. It was a mournful sound, wicked and as spooky as a town like Elmwood promised. A place full of impossible things.

Mutt groaned, squeezing me tighter. “I must go,” he said, his voice hoarse and almost…angry?

I’d never heard him angry before.

“Please,” I said, surprised when the word burst out without permission. He had to go. What was I doing? Asking him to stay?

“I would not leave if I had a choice,” Mutt said quietly, squeezing me even tighter. “You have to know that by now.”

I didn’t understand it. But I supposed he was right.

“I guess I’ll…see you around?” It was the second time I’d said that, and I hoped next time, I wouldn’t have to accuse him of stalking me to get him into my bed.

“Soon,” he promised, kissing the back of my neck one more time before he stroked a hand through my hair and rose from the bed. His movements were jerky and angry, nothing like the normal, casual sway of his athletic body.

Mutt was agitated.

Another howl echoed through the window and I pulled my blankets tighter around me as I watched him jerk his still wet jeans on before he turned to face me one last time. His eyes flashed, his fangs elongated, his broad body lit up by moonlight.

He looked ethereal.

Every inch the supernatural being that he was.

“Rest,” he commanded, and I nodded.

And then—he pulled the window open and leapt out of it. There was a quiet thump as his feet met the ground outside. Casually jumping down two fucking stories like it was nothing. My heart raced as I shucked the blankets off and dove toward the window to make sure he was okay.

His half-bare body was already bounding away, loping between cars in the parking lot before he launched himself over the back fence with a graceful ease that left me breathless. When he landed, Mutt stood on the other side of the fence, moonlight lighting his tan skin as he twisted back to look at me, blue eyes flashing.

Another howl rang out, this time closer, and Mutt tipped his head back to answer, low and throaty. A haunting sound that had my heart racing and my hair standing on end, just like it had the first night we’d met when I’d heard his growl and realized what he was. The moon in the sky was nearly full again, and the way it glowed only added to the eerie feeling that settled like fog in the air.

And then Mutt was gone.

Gone.

Again.

And I was alone.

Just the unanswered texts on my phone for company, and the empty warmth of the space he’d vacated in my bed.

“Where the hell have you been?” Harry, my older, tinier brother asked with his severest expression. It was the one he used when talking about taxes, pack finances, and Godzilla movies, so I knew he was being extra-serious. His scent was calm-soothe-annoyed, but his heartbeat was steady. Which meant, while irritated, I didn’t need to start panicking immediately. This was a personal problem.

A personal problem that I had caused—and therefore should listen to.

Harry liked to think he was the boss of me because he was older. He did have a whole three years on me, and at the ripe age of twenty-two was therefore much wiser than I was—at least, according to him. Despite the years he had on me, I was the one who was going to be the alpha of our clan one day, which meant the way he talked to me half the time—now included—was what most would consider inappropriate. Not that he cared, or I did.

It was just how we were.

The day Harry stopped talking to me like I was a naughty, dumb kid would be the day the world ended.

He had flaws, sure. But he had strengths too. Truthfully, Harry was more suited to the role of Pack Alpha than I was. He had that whole “bossy” air about him, despite being reed thin and an omega.

“Out…” I hummed guiltily, doing my best not to accidentally crush the Pop Tart in my hand. Think gentle thoughts, gentle thoughts.

Harry made an annoyed sound, tapping his foot with his hands on his hips. “Out where?” The fact his eyes were wide betrayed him, however—making it obvious how surprised he actually was. He probably hadn’t expected me to reply at all, let alone with a whole-ass word.