A Hunter Within Read online

  “Why? And how’d you end up meeting the CEO?” he asked, pulling out a chair and resting his head on his hand.

  “Well it’s a long story,” I trailed off.

  “Okay, well start small,” he said, noticing my hesitation. “What do you mean weird?” He watched me intently, waiting patiently as he so often has had to do. I’m not a fan of gushing about my mistakes or perceived flaws.

  “Well I was so quiet, and I was thinking about too many things and may have totally blown it,” I said, flicking the edge of some of the papers in front of me while I spoke.

  Henry burst out laughing, completely taking me by surprise. “I swear sometimes you turn into this ridiculously mousey girl.” He continued his laughter, much to my annoyance.

  “Mousey?” I responded loudly and then realized we were still in the library and lowered my voice. “I am not mousey!”

  “Yeah, okay,” he said sarcastically. “Remember sophomore year when Dr. Fillmore asked you if you left the trash out all night in the prep room? You almost had a panic attack that you’d disappointed him. Over the trash!”

  “Oh, my gosh, I was worried! You know I get anxious when I think anything can impact...”

  Henry rolled his eyes dramatically, knowing exactly what I was going to say. “Anything can impact your career, I know. I got it.”

  He chuckled again, watching me.

  “All right, Mr. Know-It-All, tell me what you really think of me,” I said, getting a little frustrated at being called mousey.

  Henry, catching on quickly to my aggravation, leaned forward to refocus my attention. “What I’m trying to say, Jules, is that you are this bad-ass woman,” he reassured me. “You’re funny, you’re fun to be around, you’re smart, witty. But you get around a boss or an authority figure, and you clam up and somehow forget all of those things. You lose your confidence. I’m sure it wasn’t as weird as you thought.”

  “Okay, you’re off the hook,” I said, with a smile at the man who had in four years become my best friend. “I’m sure it was fine, then.”

  Perhaps it was for the best if I found out more about what was going on before I confessed anything to Henry. At this point, he’d probably just think I was reading into things too much.

  “Well, me and my mousey self have to get back to writing this paper, so if you don’t mind,” I trailed off and waved my hand in the air to shoo him away.

  Henry glanced down at his wrist. “You have one hour. I’m not keeping the library open late for you again. Last time I got an earful from Mr. Carrier, and I’m sure he’ll fire me if I do it again.”

  “Fire you?” I laughed, glaring at his little charade with his non-existent watch. “You and I both know an earful is about all you’re going to get. Where’s he going to find a student who is willing to work as many night shifts as you, for as little pay as you do?” I exclaimed.

  He shrugged and got up from the chair. “Who knows, there may be another fool who wouldn’t mind seeing your face as much as I do. Mr. Carrier could hire him.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve heard I’m a lot to put up with. Demanding special exceptions to the library hours and all.” I smiled.

  Henry started to turn away when I called after him. “Thanks, Henry. For the pep talk.”

  “Yeah, don’t mention it.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze after pushing in his chair and then he walked away, chuckling.

  I shook my head. I had been lucky to find someone I bonded with so easily when I first arrived at school. Henry was the same age I was, and we had been library friends since our freshman year when we learned we shared a major. We had developed a tradition here where he brought me a coffee and shared a late night snack when most of the other students had gone home for the evening. Our time together eventually expanded into outside the library, and he joined me and my roommates on our many adventures. Eventually, the four of us became inseparable.

  Henry and I seemed to be thrown together even more lately, especially since this semester seemed to be harder for me than any other had been. With so many papers to write, I was determined to do whatever it took to maintain that perfect GPA I’d worked hard for. That usually meant, spending most of my free time studying at the library, since it was the one place I knew I’d have peace and quiet. I loved my roommates, but their studies weren’t as high a priority for them as mine were for me.

  I refocused and went back to work on my paper. Time flew and just as I finished my research, I saw Henry walking toward me again. The lights behind him flicked off, and I knew it was time to head out.

  “Do you need me to walk you home? It’s pretty late,” he suggested. “If you wait a few more minutes, I can finish and lock up. We could talk about whatever else it is that’s bothering you on the way to your place.”

  “You’re sweet, but I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I’ll be surrounded by the drunkies stumbling back home from their party life at this hour. Plus you’re the opposite direction from me.”

  “And I see you’re ignoring my comment about whatever else is bothering you?” he asked, playfully but intentionally. One not-so-great perk of having friends who know you, is that they really know you. Or maybe I just wasn’t good at hiding things when something was on my mind.

  I flagged the last few pages I needed in my books and packed everything up before I met his eyes again. “I think I’m probably overreacting. I’ll sort some things out and let you know if I need your infinite wisdom,” I said and added a wink for him.

  He laughed and shook his head. “If you’re sure.”

  “I am. Thank you, Henry.”

  “Anytime, Jules,” he said. I headed for the front door, realizing I never even touched my coffee. I grabbed it and dumped it into the trash on my way out.

  Holding the door open, I peeked back over my shoulder, just like I always did. I swear whoever built this library modeled it after Beauty and the Beast. The entrance was so elegant with two immaculately stacked shelves of books on top of each other, complete with a ladder on the side. I hadn’t ever actually seen anyone look at the books in the front entrance, so perhaps it was just a ruse. But it was beautiful nonetheless.

  I shook my head, laughing at myself for being one of the only college students comparing her library to a Disney movie, and walked out.

  As I’d expected, there were already drunk students around campus, slowly making their way back to wherever they were staying for the evening. To make matters worse, there were two people sloppily playing tonsil hockey on the library bench as I walked out. It seemed a bit early for that madness, but what did I know? It wasn’t like I had much time for that.

  I’d tried a few parties with some of my friends over the years, but they always seemed to get out of hand, and I preferred more intimate settings with just a few people hanging out, maybe playing some games. I rolled my eyes at myself. Gosh, I really was a nerd.

  As a fifth-year student finishing up her abbreviated master’s year, I lived off campus. There was a nice apartment complex across the street from the main quad area that I got into when I was a junior and hadn’t left. It was perfect for me, seeing as I spent more time on campus than anywhere else.

  Wheatland University, my college, was a well-lit campus in a small town where nothing really ever happened. However, it was one of the best schools for science and research. I had worked hard and earned a scholarship, hence why I was adamant about keeping my grades up. Even if that meant Friday nights locked away in the library. Who was I kidding? I didn’t mind that part at all.

  I paused, rounding the one dark corner of campus and noticed how quiet it had gotten. It was 12:30 am, so normally a quiet time, but I couldn’t make out any laughter or distant voices of students like I normally could. I stopped walking and looked around for a moment. The darker path looped by a small wooded area that contained a beautiful trail of flowers along the edge of it. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I focused my eyes up ahead where I could barely see the light from the lamp post
that was almost a football field’s length in front of me.

  As I made my way through the darkened area, the strange discomfort I’d been feeling lately hit me so hard it was almost ridiculous. I rolled my eyes, annoyed at myself for letting a bit of silence and the night irk me in any way, and picked up my pace. As I power-walked, I convinced myself the weirdness I felt was just a result of everything that had happened earlier in the day. I shifted my bag slightly, gripping the pepper spray Henry had insisted I keep on me after realizing my late nights at the library were habitual. I’d laughed it off at the time, but it brought me some comfort now.

  Snarl…

  I froze. My eyes darted toward the noise, which of course was coming from the wooded area to my right. My breath hitched, and I pulled the pepper spray out my bag slowly. My eyes ran over the wooded terrain, but I couldn’t see anything. I side-shuffled for a minute before turning my attention back toward the path and picking up a jog.

  Snarl…

  It was louder this time, and I turned my head to the side and saw a man leaning out from a tree up ahead. Frowning, I moved as far to the other side of the path as I could and continued jogging, my eyes set straight ahead.

  “You smell different than this morning, pretty lady.” He stalked out from behind the tree, stumbling.

  I stopped and stared in horror. It was the patient from Falcone who clearly had not been brought back the facility like they had told me.

  The closer he got, the more my hair stood on end, prickling in the cool night air.

  Instead of engaging, however, I tried to keep going, but he quickly blocked my path. His eyes gleamed, as if he was enjoying holding me up. My mind urged me to keep going, reminding me that I was alone and needed to get to the other side of the path as quickly as possible. Not that I needed that reminder. Perhaps there would be more people in the area, and I’d have an easier time escaping. I darted forward but was stopped dead in my tracks by the man, who had somehow caught up and now blocked the trail in front of me.

  “What do you want from me?” I demanded, sounding braver than I felt.

  He grabbed me by the arm and spun me around. He held onto me with a grip so intense my adrenaline spiked, and I knew I was truly in trouble, so I yanked my pepper spray toward him and held down on the trigger, spraying it directly into his eyes.

  Instead of flinching, he laughed. “You of all people should know better.” He grinned.

  “I think you have me mistaken for someone else. Get your hands off me,” I yelled, trying to pull back from his steely hold.

  “Parker!” a voice called from out of nowhere, and my eyes darted around, trying to find the source.

  “I think you’ve had enough fun for quite some time, wouldn’t you agree?” The owner of the voice was suddenly in front of me and pried the man off me, but not before I was thrown to the ground. I turned, trying to get a look at the person who had just saved me.

  “You!” I shouted, realizing it was the same man who had saved me from outside Falcone today. A million questions ran through my mind, but at this moment, it felt better to stay quiet and let him take care of the crazy psychopath trying to claw his way toward me. Again.

  I put some distance between myself and my distraught attacker, but the man lunged at me. He was stopped short by this mysterious stranger who seemed to be turning up at all the right moments. The patient’s chest slammed into the pavement, and I stared in amazement and fear as my would-be hero, who I guess was on my side, held the patient by the legs.

  “Quite frankly I’m done cleaning up your messes for one day,” my protector growled into the patient’s ear.

  I saw them start wrestling each other, in dangerous movements, just like I had watched outside Falcone. The patient lunged for the handsome stranger’s waist, knocking him off balance, but only for a moment. It was long enough that the man stalked his way back toward me smiling, but this stranger, security guard, whoever he was, was clearly strong. The force, which would have knocked most people out, had simply pushed him aside for a mere moment. In fact, as the fight continued, the stranger evaded most of the movements from the patient easily. Like he was toying with him. After the third attempt at the patient to come after me, I finally saw the stranger slam his elbow into the back of the patient and heard a loud crack.

  That did it for me. I was finally snapped out of the trance I had been in watching the unreal movements between the men in front of me. I backed slowly away and took one step, two steps, and then turned and made a beeline for the blue emergency call box and lamp post at the end of the path.

  As my body entered the spotlight of the better lit area of campus, I breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps my savior would have an easier time if I wasn’t there distracting the freak who had it out for me for who knew what reason.

  “Are you all right?” came his smooth voice in my ear.

  I jumped, dropping my bag and sending the contents flying. I turned and saw the blue-eyed stranger come into my view. “Yes, I—I’m fine.”

  He walked gracefully as he came closer to me. He gave me a tentative, soft smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes as he bent down to get some of the items that had spilled out of my bag.

  “What are you doing here? How did you know my name? Aren’t you going to take that man back to the lab?” Questions were pouring out of me, and I struggled to regain some semblance of composure as I watched him.

  He didn’t say anything right away. “I realize this might seem strange.” He stood and held one free hand up, like he was trying to calm me, but that wasn’t happening.

  “Why did you say you were security?” I asked, watching him as he studied me right back.

  He ran his hand up the side of his hair, and rubbed it once before bringing his arm back down to his side. “I didn’t, technically.”

  “Then why were you outside of Falcone?”

  He paused, handing over some of my books and shrugged. “I was hiking. Right place, right time, I guess.”

  I blinked a few times, trying to take everything in. I looked behind me and realized we were alone, with no deranged lunatic coming after us, which made me wonder what had happened back there.

  “Is he hurt?” My voice shook slightly.

  The man in front of me pursed his lips, becoming somber, before he nodded his head.

  That was supposed to be the right answer, but his expression made it clear he wasn’t happy about it, no matter what difficulties the man had caused. With a racing heart, I asked, “Is he dead?”

  He watched me closely and then nodded. “Yes,” he said.

  There was a hint of concern in his serious eyes, but it was clearly more so directed at me than toward the dead guy behind us.

  “We need to call the police,” I started, reaching with trembling hands inside my newly assembled bag for my phone.

  He brought his hands slowly to mine. Upon his touch, they steadied, and my gaze shot up to his, surprised.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he assured me.

  I shook my head once, not sure why I was willing to let this stranger do that, but after the madness that today brought, I figured why not.

  I stood there, starting to feel awkward, and glanced up, only to see he was watching me again.

  “Parker was on your lab coat when you came out of the building. I took a guess it was either your first or last name. And I was tracking this guy to try to keep him from hurting anyone. Sorry, I was a little late.”

  I frowned and then realized he was answering my questions from earlier, so I nodded in acknowledgement.

  He picked up my pepper spray, which was still on the ground, eyeing it curiously, and smiled before handing it back to me. This time the expression reached his eyes for a moment, and I was distracted by the change it brought to the seemingly permanent serious look on his face.

  “Did you think this would help you?” he asked, almost jokingly.

  I yanked it out of his hand, not sure why I felt insulted at his remark. �
�Yes, usually that’s why one carries pepper spray.” I frowned before shoving the final item back into my bag.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you. It was very brave. Did he hurt you?” the stranger asked, reaching to check my arm, since the creep had been grabbing me firmly by them only moments before.

  I pulled away and brought my other hand up to hold my sleeves down. I didn’t bruise easily, which most people thought was weird, and I didn’t need, or want, to be asked questions regarding my odd biology by this stranger.

  “I’m fine, truly. Thank you for helping me,” I said. “I really should be getting back home, though.” I nodded slightly and began to walk away only to be stopped again.

  “I’m Seeley,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Seeley?” I smirked, unable to help myself as I thought about how strange it was to officially meet him after everything we’d been through today. I reached my hand out as well and jumped as the shock I had felt when our skin touched outside of the lab returned briefly. I yanked it back, and judging by his quirked eyebrow and widened eyes, he seemed to have noticed it too. He smiled slightly at my quick retreat.

  I got caught up in that darn smile. I had never been the kind of girl who got weak in the knees. In fact, I’d never really had time for relationships and thought the notion that you could be distracted by looks and instant feelings of love was utterly preposterous. The closest I’d ever gotten to a relationship was a handful of dates, and they all had been unbearable. So the idea that a complete stranger could elicit any sort of reaction in me other than distrust and fear, especially since this man had shown up in my life twice at very off moments today, was a foreign concept.

  I forced myself to blink, hoping to break whatever daze it was I was in but realized that was a mistake. Pulling my gaze from his smile caused me to find his eyes, and I stared into the most complex ones I’d ever seen. Perhaps it was the scientist in me coming out, but Seeley’s eyes were incredible. They looked ice blue earlier, but now they were almost like a crystal blue, shimmering like, well, a crystal. They were beautiful, but in a way that almost looked unnatural. His face was perfect, flawless. His jaw was defined and strong, and when he smiled, he had a hint of a dimple on the right side of his face. His chocolate brown hair fell in a carefully disheveled kind of way, and his skin honestly looked like mine had after I had been airbrushed for a friend’s wedding last year. That hadn’t been possible without the two-hour makeup application required of me from the bride. But the man before me probably looked like this every day, without that sort of effort.