Wolf Hunter by Ryan Loveless Page A

“I’m not having a baby, Jaylen. It’s a stomachache.” He squeezed Jaylen’s hand anyway.
    “ Good. Because we would be screwed if that were happening.”
    “ Ha.”
    Westley was strong. Jaylen lost feeling in his hand before he let go.
    “It’s your tea,” Jaylen said.
    “ It’s not—”
    “ You’ve been mainlining it. Tea isn’t supposed to be inhaled, Westley.”
    “ Like you’re such a tea drinker.” Westley scooted away, seemingly through the worst of his pain.
    “ I know things,” Jaylen said. He picked up Westley’s mug and sniffed. It smelled like a collision of cabbage and garlic. “Christ. What the hell is in this?”
    “ I like it,” Westley said, with no conviction in his tone.
    “ Uh huh. Which is why you were gagging on it last night.” Jaylen took a cautious sip.
    “ No, don’t—” Westley lunged toward him, fingers splayed in panic like he was trying to stop Jaylen from jamming a fork in an electric socket.
    Before Jaylen could parse that, the taste registered and he spat. He didn’t mean to spit in Westley’s face, but he couldn’t hold the vile taste on his tongue a second longer. “What the fuck. You do not like this. You can’t.”
    “What do you mean I can’t?” Now he sounded defensive, as if swallowing his gross tea was a matter of personal pride.
    Jaylen put the mug down. It was all he could do not to scuttle away from it. “How am I supposed to like someone who likes this shit?”
    Westley blinked, then looked pleased. “You like me?”
    “ It’s a saying.” Oh shit. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out. Even if it was the truth. But liking someone was not an option. Not even someone as hot and perfect as Westley. He’d laid out towels for Jaylen’s shower and offered Jaylen a pair of clean underwear the night before. Who was more perfect than that?
    “ You like me is a saying?” Westley’s lips quirked up.
    “ Westley. What the hell is this tea for?” Jaylen tried to reclaim the conversation before it went too far out of his control.
    Westley’s face went firm, and he stood up. He plucked the mug from Jaylen’s hand. “It’s personal.”
    “Tea is personal?”
    Westley crossed his arms. “I have a condition.”
    “A... oh.” He’d interpreted at first that Westley meant he wanted Jaylen to do something before he told him what the deal was, but based on Westley’s dropped gaze, Jaylen figured he meant ‘condition’ like medical. Jaylen didn’t need to go there with a guy who was still hitting the definition of a one night stand. “Okay. Sorry. Hey, man, I can respect your privacy. I was worried, all right?”
    Westley grinned. “You do like me.”
    “Yes, fine. I do. But it doesn’t mean anything. I’m not the settling down type.” Jaylen squared his shoulders in a way he knew made him look more macho. A non-settling down type of macho man.
    “ Who asked you to? Jesus, Jaylen. Jump the gun much?” Westley sounded more let down than annoyed, despite his words.
    “ Right. Sorry.” Jaylen struggled not to feel bad. Eye on the prize. You’re here to kill Denton, not to fall in love, or lust, or whatever the hell this is. “Breakfast?”
    “ Please.” Westley sounded relieved to end the subject.
    The omelette had finished cooking using the heat of the skillet. They ate quickly. Westley was fascinating to watch. He cut his food first and then shoveled in four bites at a time. “I have to go after this,” Jaylen said. It felt like ripping off a bandage.
    “You have to?” Westley looked alarmed. “I thought we could hang out here.”
    “ I’m sorry, I have things to do.” People to see, super Alpha wolves to kill....
    “ Are you leaving town soon?”
    “ I’m not sure yet.” Depends on how long it takes to give Denton a bloody send off.
    “ Well, why don’t you stay here?”
    “ Because I told you, I have things to do.” Jaylen wasn’t sure if it was Westley’s question or the fact his insides were doing an unhappy