Being home, didn’t feel like being home.  Standing in front of the door, I knock and spying me on the other side Mums face lights up. Behind her, Dad quickly appears and I avoid his gaze, letting Mum hug me.

I feel like an intruder.

The air of hostility I walk into has me shrinking away and just when I am about to turn around to leave it ends as Dad takes over and hugs me too.

“I’m so glad you’re alright. Huntington called and said you’d left without a word and then nothing.” He sounds like he cares. I guess having two Bunting Hunters MIA could be bad for the family name.

“I had to go, leaving Alfie was hard and I couldn’t stay there.”

They both look at me like I have two heads so clearly their conversation went along the lines of, Elise has left and Ok.

“My Apopyth.” I try to clear up their confusion, but instead it only gets worse.

“How about I get us a cuppa and you can tell us what’s been going on?” Mum disappears into the kitchen before I can answer.

“While she is doing that, how about you go put your things away and freshen up?” Dad suggests and I shrug, dropping my bag off my shoulder.

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying Dad.”

He raises his eyebrow as he frowns and sighing, I pick it up and go up the stairs. “Fine.”

I want to avoid any arguments, especially after how our last one turned out. My stomach flips a little as I think of Reece and push those memories away. Better leave that out of the catch up too.

My room is how I left it, only now the window is closed. I chuck my clothes from my bag into the washing hamper and decide to take a shower. By the time I come down, it feels like home again. Only my parents don’t seem like themselves. They sit next to each other on the sofa, whispering and go quiet as I sit on the single chair beside them. Curling my legs up underneath myself, I take my cup and look at them curiously.

Dads uncomfortable. He probably wants to yell until he is hoarse and Mum has forbidden it.

Ah feel the love.

“So Elise, where would you like to begin?” Dad asks too politely. He is forcing it, and so I try and hold back my own attitude.

“When I left, I took off to the pack lands of Alpha Selene after finding out Jordan was supposed to go there, but he never made it. I wanted to see if she knew anything – mainly why he would go to her.”

“And?” Mum asks, settling into the chair she is clearly ready for story time. Like Ms. Huntington, maybe she needed to get more field work in every now and then.

“Well, that’s what started everything.” I tell them about my visit, the Apopyth and Alfie, going back to school and the shifters territory issues. Dad manages to keep quiet the whole time and all Mum does is offer a running commentary of ‘ohs and ah’s’.

Once I’m done, she turns to me seriously and I’m expecting Dad to speak first. “So what about Logan?”

“What?” I look at her dumbfounded. Out of all of that, she focuses on Logan?

“We’re not discussing her social life, but while we’re on that topic – you and the Tracker aren’t, well, you weren’t serious about…” Dad stutters.

“Oh come on! Seriously?” Rolling my eyes, I can’t believe the pair of them. Well Mum yes, but even Dad? I guess since that’s not the only thing I’m ‘of an age’ for and better getting working on popping out the kids so the Bunting line carries on once I cark it.

“You’re right. We won’t mention the Tracker again.” Dad nods and Mum huffs, not impressed.

“We might have to actually, I need to go back to speak to Selene and he does have an in with the pack.”

“You’re not going back to the pack.” Mum and I both look at Dad confused. It must just be one of those kind of mornings.

“What do you mean?”

“Elise, we’re not meant to act as antagonists towards the creatures. You going now will only lead to trouble. You sent your message by shooting that wolf!” He yelled, and already his face was starting to go red. I don’t think Dad had to worry about being killed by monsters anymore. Blood pressure was going to be his killer and I had a knack for bringing out the best in my Dad.

“I was under attack and had every right to kill it. I gave them a warning, spoke the shifter and let them go. Very civilized and by the book considering my life was in danger! Their attacks have killed god knows how many other shifters and probably Trackers as others who have tried to sort it out have ended up on the network! Coincidence?”

“What evidence do you have? You should have killed the trio rather than leave loose ends to come back and bite you!”

He had a point and so much for doing the right thing.

“The bitch needs to be knocked off her throne and I mean that literally. She has a throne!” We weren’t going to work anything else out if we kept yelling like this. “Dad, trust me on this. I think Jordan made it there and didn’t leave like she said.”

While speaking calmly, I tried to make him understand where I was going with this. Yet I seemed to work out even more in the process.

“Dad, she said she was expecting someone else – another Bunting and I don’t think it was meant as another insult to me.” I really am selfish. I was only seeing all this from my perspective. “I think she really was expecting someone else. She was expecting you to go after you son.”

“It is obvious, and it’s why we even moved here. Then why would she let you go? Surely if both my kids are missing…”

“I’m not a threat to her.” It came out as more of a whisper and despite everything I had spent the last week doing, my brothers words and fathers general opinions of couldn’t stay in the ‘don’t care’ box in the back of mind.

Everything made sense now and I did care. I just didn’t want to because of this.

It hurt.

“What?” Both my parents asked and Mum got up to sit on the arm rest beside me.

“You saw what Jordan put in the letter, everything you’ve ever said about me – he probably told her the same things about me too. I don’t want to be a Hunter, I only passed the graduation test at school because of being a stupid Bunting.” I throw myself a pity party and ignore Mums attempt at trying to comfort me as she pulls me against her.

“Elise, this week you’ve applied yourself to something. Look at what you’ve done. Darling I am so proud of you! I don’t think Selene is in this as much as you do, but she is another key.” Even Dad is being nice now and I refuse to cry in front of them.

I’ll save that for later when I’m in my room alone.

“And you’ve managed to give yourself the biggest advantage over everyone.”

“How have I done that Dad?” I snap at him sarcastically, keeping myself guarded.

“They’ll never see you coming. I only get frustrated with you, not because we think you’re useless. We’ve never said that, we’re just hard on you because we know you can achieve so much more than what you want to. Surely this week is proof enough!”

Just like I let the other Hunters think Jordan was dead, let them think I’m the black sheep of the family.

“So now I can go back to see Selene?”

“Not yet. Let the heat die down for a couple of days. Once the shifter heals, no harm is done and they have no argument. I’m going to check with a couple of friends nearby and see what I can find out about the territory issues too.”

I’m working with my Dad on Hunter related business.

Who the hell am I these days?

He gets up and I follow him to his office. While he goes onto his computer, I take out the map of the shifters in this area and the caves Jordan went to runs along the purple and red line. The Shifters say they knew nothing about the fae living there. It kind of makes sense, if they were scared to venture far from their homes or bar, they might not have been patrolling as frequently in fear.

I don’t doubt the wolves know more about that.

I’m showing Dad my theories and pointing out the pack house in relation to the caves when Mum appears in the doorway glowing. I’m not even exaggerating, she looks like she just spent a month in the Bahamas.

“Mum?” I ask confused, before I sense it.

No fuc…

“Victor, you have a visitor.”

Logan stands beside her, looking like the cat who caught the mouse.

“You’re stalking me?” I manage to ask, clenching my fists I realize I get my mood swings from my Dad too.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here to see Mr Bunting.” Logan smiles at my Dad and he gets up to go and shake his hand. The way Logan winces tells me Dad isn’t being as friendly as he had hoped.

“Logan I presume?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Leaving the map I’m trying to resist the urge to strangle him.

“Elise, language.” My Mother scolds, practically fawning over Logan in the process.

Dad and I both shake our heads before I push past them all. He is here for Dad anyway.

“What do you want Tracker?” Dad asks with the same dislike in his tone as what I have.

I go into my room, pacing for a few minutes before going down stairs. Mum is making another round of tea and says nothing as I sit at the kitchen counter.

“You know Elise, I hate it when your Father treats me like I can’t take care of myself. You know every chance he got he would follow me and make sure I was safe.” I hold up my hand, knowing exactly where she was going with this.

“Mum, Logan isn’t Dad and this isn’t some courting period either. He is an ass, and…”

“And what?” Logan is free of Dads hold and comes to stand beside me. “You’ve missed me terribly?”

“Go to hell.”

“Elise!” Mum scolds and I feel like I’m three being told to play nice with other children again.

God I miss Alfie.

“How did you know I was here?” I demand, hating how he smiles sweetly at Mum and takes the coffee cup from her graciously.

“I can’t tell you all my secrets now can I?”

“You can if you ever want to…”

“Elise!”

“Mum!”

Logan laughs.

I’m going to kill him.

“Logan, why don’t I show you to the guest room?” Mum smiles at me, daring me to say something or protest. Did she forget I am more than capable of walking out? Even if I was looking forward to sleep in my own bed tonight and was thankful at having my full wardrobe to choose from again.

“What?” Dad growls, and I smirk as Logan catches my eye.

“We have plenty of room, you’re not going to let him sleep in his car while we sort all of this out!” Without another word she guides him out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“I know every squeak of those steps if you two are thinking…”

“Oh god, Dad. No!” I leave out my retort of that working out for him when I stole his car.

He coughs awkwardly and disappears while I slump down onto the counter in defeat.

----

I stay in my room all afternoon and avoid Logan. I can hear him and Dad in the office, but don’t get involved. If I fight with Logan, Mum argues with me and so I argue with her which then makes Dad step in and… I stay in my room all afternoon to avoid Logan.

I just know there is something to see with the vampire fangs and put my request in via the network for information about that case. I try and read up on Selene, yet she has a perfect record. She gained her power twenty years ago and all challengers since then were recorded as required. She didn’t mess around and only willingly accepted them if they were to death.

I guess she didn’t like any loose ends to come back and bite her in the ass one day.

Could them underestimating me actually work to my advantage?

 “Dinner!” Mum knocks on my door on her way past and groaning, I get up and go downstairs. The table is set and she has clearly gone overboard thanks to our ‘guest’. Dad doesn’t look impressed with eating at the table or maybe Logan being around was keeping his mood sour.

 He seems to have that affect on us Buntings. Except Mum, but she was only one by marriage.

Dinner was awkward with forced polite conversation, which wasn’t helped when Dad put Logan and I in charge of the dishes.

“I’ll wash.” He instantly volunteered, making himself at home as he cleared off the plates.

“There is a dishwasher and since when do you know how to wash dishes? I’ve seen your place!”

“Fine, I’ll load it up and you deal with it later.” He rinses off the plates before loading them in and he actually looks happy about it. “What?”

“You should only stay in places with a dishwasher. I’ve never seen you so, happy.”

“Bunny, just once – and I know it’ll be hard for you, but shut up.”

“Bunny? You’re sticking with that?”

“Both of you shut up! I want that kitchen spotless!” Dad calls out and make a face at him through the wall. “I saw that Elise!”

He knew me too well.

“Your parents are pretty cool. Your Mums cooking is amazing.” He leans against the counter opposite me and I can’t tell if he is joking or not.

“They have their moments.”

“You don’t know how lucky how you are to have them, Jordan too. If I end up on the network, captured or dead – no one will even bother to find out why.” He is being serious, too serious.

I’m about to speak when I remember he told me he was an orphan.

Shit.

“Well if it happens before you can find someone stupid enough to marry you, and if I’m not busy or something I might look into it.”

And I probably would because I’d want to find the bastard who did what I’ve been wanting to do since the moment I met him.

I keep that part to myself, not wanting to ruin our moment.

“Yeah right princess, but thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel better. If you get girls into the place you were living, you can definitely trick them into marrying you.” He laughs, shaking his head but I can tell I’ve touched on a sore spot.

“So did you know about the territory issues going on?”

“No. There was another Tracker who had a handle on sorting out a new arrangement. He actually went missing a couple of weeks ago. When I met you at the college, I was actually looking into it as he had asked me to go to Selene’s pack with him and never showed.”

“Or that what she wanted you to think?” I ask.

“Your Dad was telling me your theories. You could be right.”

We’re having a conversation. An actual conversation.

“I usually am.”

“Not just about whether its Prada or Chanel?” It’s a lame attempt at keeping things hostile between us.

“You’re an idiot.” But neither of us have the same venom in our tone anymore and I finished wiping down the counter. A few minutes later, Dad waltzes in.

“Knew that would work!” Dad looks proud of himself as he gets a beer out of the fridge and offers one to Logan.

“What would work?” I ask, looking at Logan who shrugs.

“Anytime you and Jordan got on my nerves, I’d get you cleaning or gardening. Sure it started off bad, but once you got going you’d settled down and started being nice to one another again.”

Looking around, in the time we spent talking I’d tidied the counter, he had loaded the dishwasher, the kitchen was looking clean and we were being nice to each other.

Damn him.

I head outside and sure enough Logan follows.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect of you lot, but I’m really glad I came here.”

“Now that you mention it, want to tell me how you keep managed to stalk me?”

“Tracker. It’s kind of my thing.”

I look at him doubtfully.

“I’m not telling.”

We go into the back shed and I decide to beat it out him, literally. “How about, if I win – you tell me. If you do, I’ll let it go.”

We head over to the mats and he smirks in a way that has me on edge.

“I don’t seem to be getting much out of this. If I win, you have to bring me breakfast in bed in the morning!”

“Breakfast? That’s it?”

“Fine, and feed me piece by piece. Think you could wear like a bikini or slave girl outfit?”

“No. I draw the line at making you breakfast.”

“Scared I’ll win?” He teases.

“No. You know what, I’ll do it in my finest lingerie you perve!”

“I’m only human.” He shrugs, quickly shaking my hand – our deal is set.  

We take our shoes off and go onto the badly padded blue mats. Logan looks around, spying the cabinet with a collection of  tools and weapons before the gym set up in the corner and whistles impressed.

“So this is where Buntings come from hey?”

“It did the job during Academy breaks.” I crack my knuckles and we start to circle each other.

“No cheap shots to my manhood either.”

“Fine and don’t worry, I won’t pull your hair if you don’t pull mine.”

“You saying I fight like a girl?” He taunts, clearly amused.

“I wouldn’t know. The only time I could have seen you in action you stood in the corner before trying to run away.”

His face falls, before his eyes light up. “Well, how about I let you get the first shot in. I know how you like to stare into my stormy eyes and like the feel of my, hard, body.”

Logan throws back my diary entry at me and it works. Charging at him, I drop and slide, kicking behind his knee cap he buckles and falls beside me. We don’t hit with force, yet we don’t hold back either. His experience shows, where as I’ve been limited to the odd vampire, a couple of demons and otherwise just whatever the Academy gave us.

He can read my moves before I make them, and I suddenly feel out of my depth. My second of hesitation doesn’t go un-noticed and I’m on my back being pinned down. We’re both breathing heavily, the last hit in my side hurts and getting my hand free, I slap him.

“Ow! What was that for?” He sits up, still keeping me underneath him.

“Winning.” I snap. Pushing him off me, he falls back and laughs.

“At least you can admit it. I thought I was going to have to force it out of you.” Storming out, I will also admit I am a sore loser. “I like my eggs poached!”

Saying nothing to my parents, I go and shower before getting into bed. I can’t believe he won and if he actually thinks I’m turning up in my lingerie he can shove his breakfast right up his ass!

--

The one thing Logan didn’t specify was time he wanted breakfast so knowing him and how much of a morning person he isn’t, the six oclock wake up won’t be appreciated. I’ve just got off the phone to Vesna and Alfie is finally out his sulking stage. He has grown even bigger too and they think he’ll start to shift to the demon form rather than the snake.

I feel like I’m missing out my child’s first steps or first day at school and so busy myself cooking breakfast which I don’t actually mind. I like to cook and even get enough ready for Mum and Dad when they come down.

It’s when I’m pouring some juice into glasses I realize the house too quiet. Dad should be snoring or in his office. It was actually moving closer to six-thirty and Mum should be in the shower or something by now. She never sleeps in, ever and focusing on Logan – I don’t sense him here.

Leaving everything where it is, I creep down the hall. He may win in combat, but I have my stealth and if anyone can move around without being detected it’s me. Pausing outside the guest room, I pray he isn’t sleeping naked although I already know I have nothing to worry about and opening the door confirms my gut instinct.

He isn’t there.

Some of his stuff is though.

I run upstairs and opening my parents room, Mum is sitting by the window reading.

“Elise! Good morning.” She squeaks out nervously.

“Mum, where is Dad and Logan?” Though I already have my own conclusions.

“Out for an early morning jog. Your father has been slacking off lately and… Elise!” She calls out as I run into my room and get dressed. “You can’t go. It’s too dangerous! Let them…”

“I can’t believe they’d do this!” I yell, cutting her off.

Actually I can.

All that crap yesterday was just them telling me what I wanted to hear and now I was even more determined to prove them wrong; prove Dad wrong.

“It’s not about you. If anyone can find Jordan, you Father can!” Mum pleads me to stay, to wait for them.

“Cause he has been doing a great job so far!”

“You’re just like him, you know!” She yells back, finally losing her cool. “Get downstairs, eat your breakfast and if we hear nothing by lunch, we will go.”

“We?”

“He is not just your Father Elise. He is my husband and Jordan is my son. I’m not going to risk losing all three of you!” I rarely get to see this side of my Mother and it shocks me into silence.

I follow her downstairs and do as she says, not daring to look at her as her own anger is the stuff nightmares are made of. We get a plate and take a seat. Slowly she starts to calm down, but I’m not willing to test her again just yet.

“Now you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Logan?” She sips her tea and looks at me like a gossip queen with a secret she is desperate to share.

And she’s back to being the Mother I’m used to.