Will

Will was a rogue hunter. A killer.

He'd come to accept that fact pretty well over the years, but at first it had been hard. How do you justify that killing another creature is okay? That stopping a heart, the intake of breath, and cutting the once thoughtful mind of a being is necessary?

But then he had been put into action, had seen the feral, out-of-their-right-mind wolves, and most of all, seen the damage that could happen if they weren't taken care of.

He'd witnessed that damage firsthand when his best friend had been killed.

After the horror and grief and disbelief of the attack passed, Will had gone back into training with a determination and strength others couldn't believe. He'd begun to work hard—even going as far as doing extra work outs at night on his own—and slowly sculpted a section of his mind dedicated to making sure that another attack like this one would never happen again.

He owed it to Mathias.

His parents didn't understand—they still didn't. Terry and Shawna Grey couldn't believe that their son would be so willing to throw himself into danger. Didn't he care about how they would feel? Didn't they see that this job could easily land him into a wooden box in a hole in the ground?

He'd almost let them talk him out of it too. The begging, the negotiating, the pleading, it started to be too much and right before he completed his third level training, he'd considered dropping the entire idea all together.

Then he thought of Harley.

If he'd been old enough, strong enough, he imagined himself defending his best friend's family. It wasn't his most rational thought, he knew, but it made him feel better to think that he would've done something if he could have. Since that wasn't an option, he'd joined up as a rogue hunter with the hopes he could help save other families and packs from the same fate.

He wasn't the only rogue hunter in the area, but oftentimes he got called on by other packs to assist with any potential situations. He didn't mind—it was his job after all. Except he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel frustrated at the somewhat constant traveling.

For a younger wolf, Will had acquired quite a bit of a record—one that almost shined. It had taken a lot of work, and a few scars, but he's made himself known around these parts.

He owed it all to Abe, his trainer, who was the best rogue hunter and enforcer this side of the world had ever seen. After he'd passed his level three general training here at the pack, he'd gone down south near Mississippi to study with Abe.

Which was also another reason he didn't have the best relationship with his parents. They couldn't understand why he had to leave pack to train and why it was so important he trained under Abe.

Yet Will knew—if he wanted to be the best, then he had to study under the best.

Of course, being a great rogue hunter still involved paperwork. Packs liked to keep records, not only of happenings, but also of the wolves under their care. Anytime Will went out and did a job he had to follow up with a report.

God, he hated reports.

The Little River pack had given him a month to send in a report on the feral wolf he'd taken out on their territory. It was a generous amount of time, considering the feral wasn't a wolf from their pack.

Usually, when a kill was a bit...closer to home the pack gave him time to put a report together. Between funeral arrangements and mourning time, it often takes a while for the pack to want to know what happened.

When an incident was not a wolf the pack knew—they often wanted the report as soon as possible.

Will sighed and rubbed his forehead. The paper in front of him proved to be difficult. His memory of the event came back mostly in patches—sharp teeth, an uneven fight, claws catching on his underbelly. He remembered the end result well enough, but he just couldn't quite get himself to write the damn thing.

On the desk in front of him, his sleek black smartphone rang.

"Hey Will." Cameron spoke through the speaker. "Alpha just got a call about a possible situation two states over."

Already?

He clicked his pen and set it down. "What kind?"

"A couple of patrols noticed some movement along their territory. The Alpha has more details, but it sounds like they're calling in hunters to help out."

Not every pack had rogue hunters. Some packs simply lived in denial about the frequency of rogues and ferals, while others struggled to find a wolf who wasn't an Alpha strong enough to do the job. Either way, the packs without hunters had to petition to another pack's Alpha if they wanted help.

Will thought of himself as a power tool. He was sharp, honed, and had the potential to be a dangerous weapon, but if another wanted to use him they would still have to get permission from the owner—in this case, the Alpha.

Despite his tiredness, he chuckled. "If the Alpha keeps loaning me out to people, I'm going start feeling used."

"I can go with you." Cam offered.

He wiped a hand over his face. "No, no I'll go. It could be nothing. If I need backup, I'll call you in."

"If you were any other wolf I'd be nervous to send you out alone. But damn man, they don't call you one of the best for nothing. No wonder the packs want you."

If Cam was trying to inflate Will's ego, he wasn't succeeding. "You're full of crap." If he was one of the best, he wouldn't have the beginnings of a scar on his chest. He'd seen the best, trained with the best, and he was nowhere close.

He could tell Cam had shrugged at that, despite not being able to see him. "I tell it like I see it."

"Whatever." He grumbled. "Are you at the pack house?"

"Yeah. Just got out of a meeting with Oliver."

"Tell Alpha Mark I'll be over in an hour." He said. That'd give him enough time to pack an overnight bag and get a few things in order. "Cam?"

"What's up?"

He couldn't just leave Harley without a trainer. Training was an everyday thing. If he let her take days off here and there she wouldn't get as much out of it as he wanted her to. Doing a little bit of work each day not only builds her stamina, but confidence. He'd slowly watched her grow self-assured, little by little each day, despite the moaning and groaning she continued to do.

"I'll need you to work with Harley while I'm gone. I can write up her regimen and have it to you before I go."

"You want me to work with her?" The surprise in Cam's voice made Will frown.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Silence over the line. "Well, I've come to notice your...attachment."

Surprise had him hesitating. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, Will, I've seen it."

"I am her trainer." He said through tight lips. "That is all."

Cam dropped it. "Never mind. There's no way you'd fall for her. Forget I said anything." He coughed awkwardly. "I'll train Harley for you, no problem."

Will resisted the urge to growl down the line. His wolf had begun to fidget inside of him, the inner beast agitated for some reason. "Thanks."

He hung up the line after that.

If he wanted to make good on his promise, he'd have to get packing soon. But he couldn't even think about leaving until this report had the final stamp. The deadline given to him pack was tomorrow, and if he would be traveling then he had to get his shit together.

He sighed and got to work.

~

Will met up with Harley around lunchtime.

She sat at the large dining room table, munching on dry fruit loops, her eyes tracing her paperback.

Amused, Will took a moment to compose himself. "I think you're missing the milk."

Harley jerked in surprise, scattering cereal pieces onto the table. Instead of glaring up at him, she frowned at the mess. "Dang."

Laughter bubbled up in his chest, but he choked it down. "Maybe you should've gotten some actual lunch that isn't so...aerodynamic."

She finally looked up at him, some of her brown hair snaking in front of her face. "Good afternoon to you too, Will." She said, pulling that chunk of hair behind her ear. "Have you come to torture me more?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. He would not grin. He would not grin. "Training is hardly torture. If I wanted to torture you, you'd know it."

Irritation flashed quick over her face. The amount of satisfaction he got from aggravating her astounded him. There was just something fun about teasing her.

"I think you underestimate your routines, captain." She gave him a lazy salute.

"Then it might make you happy to know that I won't be here for training for a couple of days."

Instead of being happy like he'd predicted, Harley tilted her head to the side. Did she realize how much of a wolfish gesture that was?

Interesting. Had she picked that up on her own, or did some part of her suppressed wolf influence her? "Where are you going?"

He sat down in the chair next to her, snagging a stray fruit loop. The sugar burst over his tongue as he crunched. "I have some hunting business to take care of two states over. But don't worry, I've given Cameron a list of all the workouts. He's under strict order to keep you in shape while I'm gone."

Her dark eyebrows came together. "What's happening two states over?"

He shrugged. "I won't know until I check it out. Could be nothing."

"But it could be something." She pushed her book away from her. "You'll be careful, right?"

Now that he knew she was worried, he could see the signs: the slight downward curve of her mouth, the way she chewed at the inside of her bottom lip, and how her hand clutched at the silver butterfly necklace around her throat.

His wolf whined at the thought of distressing her, and that fact alone made him uncomfortable. "I've done this quite a few times." He assured her and himself. "Nothing to worry about."

She stayed quiet for a moment, her fingers messing with the corner of the open page of her book. "I knew you were a rogue hunter." She admitted softly, not quite meeting his eyes. "But for some reason I never thought about how often you have to go out and—" She stopped.

"Harley—"

Finally she met his eyes. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel distressed at the hollowness behind them. "Just don't end up like Mathias."

"I won't." He said, caught up in the way her eyes revealed just how much the past had an effect on her. "I promise."

Now he just had to keep it.