I got in the final edits for Hunter’s Need and it dawned on me.  I haven’t shared much from that book, have I?  Must rectify…

“You’re getting your ass on a plane, that’s what you’re doing.  That’s the only thing you’re doing, so deal with it,” Kelsey said, storming into her office.  She jerked the band from her ponytail as she settled behind her desk.  When she looked back at him, the irritation she felt was written all over her face, glinting in her eyes.

“I’m not getting on a plane.”

Kelsey narrowed her eyes.  “You know, I get the feeling you thought that was a request.  It wasn’t.  It’s an order, Duke.  Get packed, get to the airport.  I’ll have a ticket waiting for you.”

“Why in the hell am I going?” He already knew the answer, though.  Because he had to.  It had been pulling at him from the time he got out of bed, and now that he knew where he needed to be, it was like some fiery fist had a hold on his gut, dragging him along while he stood with his heels planted in the dirt and fought back.

“You’re going because you took the call,” she replied, her voice level.  “And I’m not talking about the damn telephone…although, Duke, stay the hell out of my office.”

Clenching his jaw, he glared at the witch.  He was pissed, he was wrong, he was going to Alaska, and he fucking hated all three. Worse, though, was the fact that he was going to have seen Ana.

Shit.  He didn’t want to see her, look into those soft purple eyes and let her tangle him up inside again.  He was still trying to undo the knots from the night they’d first met and it had been years.  At the same time, though, there was a huge part of him that was almost desperate to see her again.

Frustrated rage twisted through him, bitter reluctance lay on the back of his tongue.  Gritting his teeth, he said, “I don’t like this.”

Kelsey gave him a mockingly sympathetic smile.  “Really?  I hadn’t noticed.”  Then she shrugged and leaned over her desk, eying the files there with acute dislike.  “I don’t much care if you like it or not, but it’s what you have to do…and you know it.  You also know that you’re one of the few that can do this.”

He folded his arms over his chest.  “Other Hunters can manage going that far north.”

“In the winter, yeah, a vamp could do a short stint.  But the poles are hell on witches…trust me, I know.  I can handle it, but it’s not like I’m free to head north for a while.  Not too many other witches free who could cope up there, I can guarantee that.  I’ve been to Alaska and it’s like trying to focus on one grain of sand in the middle of a sandstorm.  Weres have control issues that far north—something about the polarity, but I’m not a science minded type and I don’t need to understand.  You’re a natural shifter, Duke.  You might feel a little more on edge up there, but you can handle it.”

With a smirk, she added, “I don’t think it’s Alaska that’s the problem, though.”

He flushed and focused on his feet.  Ana—

Yeah.  Ana was a fucking problem.

Kelsey leaned back in her chair and kicked her legs up, rested her booted feet on the desk.  “Ana’s the problem,” she said quietly, echoing his thoughts with eerie precision.

“I think you can handle it, but if you have doubts…” She let her voice trail off and pursed her lips thoughtfully.  “There are other shifters, I suppose.  Or I could talk to the witches, see how many of them have experience that far north.  Some of the witches can function there, it just takes time, practice, some experience is nice. Hmmmm.”

A sly smile curved her mouth.  “I think Grady could handle it.  He was born in northern Michigan.”

Grady—

A mental image of the witch flashed through his mind.  The black man was a nice guy and under normal circumstances, Duke would definitely agree that Grady could handle a few weeks in a place where his gift might become unpredictable.  Fine, send him.  The words burned on his tongue.

“The hell he will,” he snarled.

Kelsey gave him an innocent look.  “Oh, I don’t know, Duke.  Plus, he’s on friendly terms with Ana—“

Duke growled.

Kelsey laughed.  “Well, unless you want me to send Grady, then you’d better get packing.  You wasted enough time fighting this already, my friend.”