Our Story Part Three The Hunters

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning

Rowan met Garret in the morning before their math class. “Thanks to you I couldn’t get any work done last night,” she accused.

“I’m a bad terrible man,” Garret said solemnly. “Would it make you feel any better to spank me?”

“No!”

He grinned down at her. “But I’m a bad boy, I deserve it.”

“You are so close-”

“To getting turned over your knee?” She merely growled at him. “What?”

She sighed shaking her head and holding her book to her chest. “You make me crazy.”
He smirked. “But your face turns the most lovely shade of red.”

“Shut up.”

“Sorry, my love, not happening.”

“I figured.” She yawned. “Do you even know my name?”

“Rowan,” he purred seductively. She just glared harder at him, which only caused him to laugh.

“Let’s just get to class.” He slipped an arm around her waist as we walked. “So, you still haven’t come up with a major.”

“Nope, why, do you have an idea?”

“When I see you I think...” she trailed off peering up into Garret’s expectant face. He really was gorgeous.

“You don’t seem to be able to think at all,” he smirked.

“That was a fluke,” Rowan lied. Garret merely nodded still smirking. He realized with a pang that he was falling in love with her.

“For what it’s worth, Rae, you distract me all the time,” he said with a purr to his voice covering up his feelings with teasing.

Rowan tried to fight a laugh. “Stop trying to suck up.” They walked into the room. Cat was waiting with Tristan.

“Rowan,” she said relieved.

“What’s up?” Rowan asked knowing Cat well enough to see in her face that there was something very wrong.

“It’s kind of a long story,” Cat confessed. “I’ll tell you when we get to the quad.” Rowan nodded slowly. Class was the same as it usually was. She hated math with a fiery passion that burned deep within her. She had sat in the back and tried her hardest to concentrate. It wasn’t easy with Garret sharing his every lewd thought with her. She countered by sending him an image of her beating him up.

He countered with a pout. /That’s not very nice./

/No, but it will become a reality if you don’t leave me alone./ She wrote down their assignment.

/Touchy./ Class was soon over and Rowan stood, walked to her boyfriend and punched him in the arm, hard.

“Idiot,” she said mildly before strolling off.

Lunch

Rowan walked into the quad. “Rowen,” Cat called patting the spot next to her. Rowan started to go over to her but was cut off by Garret. He stepped in front of her and kissed me. Her arms automatically went around his neck and his came around her waist to hold her tightly to him. He pulled away, only a little, to let her breathe. He licked his lips thoughtfully.

“Cherry,” he purred. She blushed. “You have no idea of how much I want you right now. I have this incredibly strong urge to lift you into my arms and carry you into my bedroom.”

“In a Tarzan mood again?”

He chuckled at that. “I could go for a little... what Nick’s phrase...? hot monkey sex?”
Rowan laughed. “In your dreams, monkey boy.”

“Yes,” he agreed readily. “What’s your point?” She paused, not expecting that. He smiled, kissed the tip of her nose and walked back to the group.

“Dinner theater,” Damien smirked. She sat down next to Cat.

“Your friend has introduced herself,” Cat said nodding to Kalena.

“Hi,” Kalena said looking less than pleased at sitting in the middle of a group of supernatural creatures. But she was there and that told Rowan that she was serious about being helpful.

“And we need to talk,” Cat said.

“Now will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Have you heard from Lupe?”

A cold knot of fear formed in Rowan's belly. “N-No,” she said. “Why? What happened?”

“We don’t know,” Cat sighed. “Maya got a call last night.”

“She said she was in trouble, but she wouldn’t go into detail. We haven’t heard from her since.”

“So, we know nothing?” Rowan asked coolly, even though she was panicking.

“Nothing,” Nick acknowledged. He was terrified. These girls were his pack mates, his sisters. He couldn’t stand to even think that something may have happened to one of them. He should have been there to protect them. Next to him Hunter was having the same thoughts.

“Did you try Orion?”

“A couple times, no one knows where he is,” Cat sighed.

“I could try,” Garret said.

“And you’ll do what?” Cherish asked. “We’ve already tried everything.”

“I might be able to link with her,” Garret said.

“Link?” Rowan asked.

“Different from the one that we have but it’ll work.”

“You two have a link?” Cat asked.

“Of sorts,” Garret nodded.

“I share his thoughts and dreams,” she said.

“Yes,” Garret smiled. “Always rather nice.” She shot him a dark look. “What?”

“Nothing,” she sighed. She didn’t have the energy for another fight with him. She stared at the grass. “Do we even know if she’s alive?”

“Of course she’s alive!” Cherish exclaimed. “She couldn’t be... anything else. She’s fine we just have to find her.”

“My last class was cancelled... I think I’m going to head back to the dorm, check for messages, and try her mom.”

“I didn’t think about that,” Cat said. “Good idea.” Rowan nodded and walked away. Garret caught up and gently pulled her to a stop.

“What?” she asked.

“May I walk you back?”

“You’re being awful polite,” she said.

“Yeah, but it’s just a fluke, don’t worry.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He walked her up to her dorm room. “Do you want me to leave?” She turned and stepped into his arms.

“Never.”

“Angel, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just worried.”

“Cherish’s right. What reason would someone ever have for killing her-?” he paused. “Shit.”

“What is it?”

“Hang on a minute, sweetheart.” He got out his cell phone and dialed a number has Rowan watched him confused. “Elise?”

“Garret?” the thrilled voice on the other end made him smile despite himself.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“I’ve missed you, bro. It’s so great to hear your voice.”

“It’s great hearing from you too. I have a problem.”

“Of course you do,” her tone was teasing. “You always call me when there’s something wrong.”

“Now, that’s just not true. I do call you at other times.”

“As if,” Elise snorted. “But what’s up?”

“Okay, have you ever heard anything from the Predators?”

Rowan sat down on the couch regarding him thoughtfully. /Who was Elise?/ He perched on the chair arm before continuing.

“No,” Elise said. “I haven’t been in a place to hear much but my ear’s always to the ground.”

“So you haven’t heard anything?”

“Nope, if I do I’ll call.”

“Okay, keep an eye out and keep in touch. I’d better get going, my girl looks really confused.”

“Your girl?” Elise asked the sisterly teasing note back in her voice.

He rolled his eyes and shot Rowan an apologetic look. “Yeah, she’s just the type of girl you always said I needed. Beautiful, stubborn... and just... good.”

“Another conquest?”

“No.”

“You can tell your sister what going on.”

“Why would-?”

Elise giggled. “Come on, Gar, how long have you been together? Do you luuvve her?”

“Now you’re getting too personal.”

“I’m just curious. You never call me any more, I want to know what you’ve been doing… or who you’ve been doing as the case may be.”

He growled. “Elise, for one: we haven’t done anything. For two: if we did it wouldn’t be any of your business. For three: she’s special.”

Elise gave a mock gasp. “The devil is putting on his ice skates as we speak.”

“No, hell isn’t freezing over.” Rowan giggled. “Dear lord, you haven’t met and she’s already taking your side.”

“Who are you talking to?” Rowan asked.

“Elise,” he said. “She’s like the annoying little sister that I never had.”

Elise gave a mock indignant sniff. “Bite me, ass.”

“Hey! Do you kiss your foster mother with that mouth?”

“Oh, screw you.”

“Bite me, kid. I don’t think your boyfriend would like that.”

“We broke up… I found out that he had a special relationship with the girls’ field hockey team.”

“What did he do?”

“Nothing much. Just cheated on me. It’s no big. At least I know he’s scum.

“Well, tell little Mikey that he’s dead. I wanted to come up this spring anyhow,” he flashed Rowan a smile, “with company of course.”

“I’d love that. I’ve really missed you, Garret. Things aren’t the same without you. The new family’s great. Thanks for finding them for me. I think it may work out this time… at least I hope.”

“You’ll be fine. Take care of yourself, kiddo.”

“You too. I love you, bro.”

“Love you too, kid.” He hung up. “Dead end. Which to be perfectly honest, is probably a really good thing.”

“Are you going to explain what happened? Who are the Predators?”

“That’s a long story, baby. I’ll tell you... but please remember, all this is in the past. I’m not the same guy.”

“That sounds scary.”

He laughed bitterly. “It is. You wanted to know about my past. Here it is.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“I don’t,” he agreed. “But I should. I guess now we’ll find out.”

“Find out what?”

“If you’ll still want to be with me after you know me.”