The best thing about the efficiency apartment was the window that gave him a view of the street, of Haven.
It was everything he needed.
He went to the window and stared at the building across the way. His hand flattened against the glass. Meredith was only yards away, but she might as well be a million miles.
Sighing, he turned and surveyed his new home. His landlady had taken cash for the first and last months’ rent and assured him he could pay her in cash every month if he chose. It was perfect for him.
As much as he wanted to crash for a few hours, he needed supplies. Food and some basic bedding at the very least. He glanced out the window again, seeing movement at Haven.
Tammy was banging on the front door. Moments later, Hank let her in, his gaze wandering up and down the street before he shut the door. Good, they were on alert at least.
He tore his gaze away from the window once again and strode to the bed. He unzipped his duffle bag and drew out a long, thin case from the bottom. He set it on the mattress and opened the latch. A rifle sat waiting for him. He had enough ammunition for now. What he shot at, he hit. It wasn’t his preferred way to fight, but he’d do whatever he had to do to protect Meredith. Closing and latching the case, he took it to the closet and stored it on the top shelf.
He paused, closed his eyes and let his head fall back on his neck. He was so damn tired. Exhaustion tugged at him, urging him to curl up on the mattress for a few hours. “Soon,” he promised himself.
Working his eyes open, he went into the bathroom and turned on the cold tap, flicking water on his face to try to wake himself up. He grabbed the tail of his T-shirt and rubbed it over his face. He peered at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. His face was grim.
There was little he could do about how he looked. “Get on with it,” he growled at his reflection. He turned off the tap and headed for the door. He’d get enough supplies to get him through a couple of days. Then he’d come back and catch a few hours sleep.
Bending down, he checked the knife in his boot. The deadly blade was coated in silver, so it worked well on werewolves and hunters alike. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not with Meredith’s safety.
Grabbing a flannel shirt from his duffle, he slipped it on and left his new home, locking up behind him. His first stop would be a hardware store to pick up a new lock. He wasn’t taking a chance that anyone else had a key.
His sneakers made little sound on the treads of the narrow staircase. The entrance to the upper floors was around the back of the building, which suited him just fine. There was also access with another staircase at the front of the building, but the back worked better for him. Less chance of Meredith or any of her pack catching sight of him.
Not that he expected that to last. After all, he was living here now. They were bound to run into one another eventually. His gut clenched and a muscle beneath his left eye began to pulse. He’d deal with that when he had to.
For now, he had things to do and places to go. The quicker he got the necessary chores out of the way, the faster he’d be back to start his surveillance of the club for the evening.
He pushed open the back door and listened. He inhaled, ignoring the stench from a nearby dumpster and the mixture of gas and pollution in the air. He heard nothing out of the ordinary, nor could he smell anyone. He stepped out and glanced around, scanning high and low.
Satisfied he wasn’t being watched, he headed toward the street. He turned left and started walking, making a mental list of everything he needed.
His thoughts drifted to Meredith and he swore under his breath. A sense of urgency tugged at him. He didn’t want to leave her, even for a few hours.
She was safe. For now. He had to believe that. She was surrounded by her pack and they were all on high alert. The bounty hunters would need time to regroup. She was in no danger, not until nightfall.
Still, that niggling sense that something was wrong wouldn’t leave him. “There is no other danger,” he assured himself. He dragged his hand through his hair and took a deep breath when he noticed several people looking oddly at him.
Talking to himself in public was not the way to stay unnoticed.
He noticed a thrift store on a side street. They would have blankets and sheets and maybe some basic kitchen stuff. He’d get whatever he could there. He could dump it back at his place and then go searching for a grocery store. There had to be something close by. Even a convenience store would do. He wasn’t picky.
But there was no way he could leave the neighborhood. His instincts were screaming at him to stay close. So close he would stay.
There was always takeout and restaurants for food, and if the thrift shop didn’t have what he needed, he’d sleep on the bare mattress.
Hell, he’d slept on the ground before. No big deal. He could always shift and curl up if had to. His wolf certainly wouldn’t care.
Decision made, Isaiah relaxed slightly, but still stayed on alert as he pulled open the door of the thrift shop and stepped inside.
Meredith cried out. The sound woke her and she wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to shake off the remnants of her dream. It vibrated through her like a never-ending ache. Loneliness filled her, reminding her of all she’d lost.
She rolled over and glanced at the clock on her bedside table, surprised to see that five hours had passed. In spite of all the thoughts she had running through her brain, she’d eventually drifted off to sleep.
But Isaiah had followed her there, finding his way into her dreams.
It had started out so good. She’d been lying in bed trying to sleep, and he’d come to her. It had never occurred to her to question why he was here or why he was naked. She’d reveled in the sight of his wide shoulders, massive biceps, ripped abs and muscular thighs. He’d been aroused. His penis stood tall and proud, the tip red and wet as he moved toward her.
He belonged with her. She’d pushed back the covers to reveal her nude body, inviting him into her bed. He’d smiled at her then, a roguish smile filled with sensual promise. She knew he could smell her essence. She was wet between her thighs, ready to take him. There was no disguising her puckered nipples or the way her breasts swayed with each deep breath she took.
She shivered at the memory.
He’d devoured her with his eyes before kneeling on the bed and starting with his hands and mouth. He’d touched and licked and tasted every inch of her skin from the sensitive curve of her neck to the tips of her toes.
The look in his eyes had aroused and frightened her at the same time. This was a male who wouldn’t be denied.
And she didn’t want to.
She wanted to give him everything. Share every aspect of herself.
“Roll over.” His deep voice had washed over her. His command demanding her compliance.
She’d rolled over on her hands and knees. She known what was coming, had wanted him to claim her, to mate with her.
Meredith had waited, breath held, needing to feel his large body covering hers.
Nothing but cool air had hit her skin.
She peered over her shoulder only to see him fading into the shadows.
“You sent me away. You sent me away.” His voice had become little more than a whisper until it disappeared totally.
She’d cried out and the sound had pulled her out of sleep.
She lay on the bed shivering, not with cold, but with barely suppressed desire. She didn’t want to move. Her breasts ached and her sex throbbed, empty and aching.
She could easily have stayed in bed forever. Being surrounded by Isaiah’s scent was almost as good as being held in his arms. But he wasn’t here, his smell would eventually fade from the sheets and she had a family to protect.