Day's Light

by M. A. Church

  Hunter reappeared, already dressed. The sharp stabbing disappointment also surprised Mark. He wanted to take a good long look at Hunter. All of him. But for now, he’d have to settle for just admiring that muscular chest of Hunter’s.

  Hunter held out his hand. “Need some help?”

  A part of him wanted to show Hunter that no, he didn’t need help—that he was just as strong and just as fierce. The more logical part said to take Hunter’s damn hand and let Hunter guide him.

  He took Hunter’s hand.

  Chapter Eight – Hunter

  WHAT A night. Although actually, the microwave clock showed it was early morning of the third day. They’d been roaming as wolves for longer than Hunter thought. After getting Mark dressed and situated at the kitchen table, he poured Mark a glass of water. The calmness emanating from Mark surprised Hunter. He hadn’t known what exactly to expect, but it sure wasn’t this.

  While grabbing ground beef from the refrigerator, he saw the bag of food Zane and Brax had brought. At least Brax had thought to put it in there. He took it out and looked inside.

  “Hey, Zane brought us some BBQ sandwiches. You want to start on this while I cook? I know you’re starving, and these aren’t going to be enough. I’d cook breakfast stuff, but I’d kinda have to have it in order to cook it.”

  Mark chuckled. “Honestly? I’m so hungry I’d pretty much eat anything you put in front of me.”

  Hunter warmed one up and handed it to Mark, along with some napkins.

  “Wow.” Mark wiped his mouth after taking a big bite. “This is good.”

  “It’s from Sissy’s Log Cabin Restaurant. That soup you had came from there also. Sissy’s a mated werewolf. Every business in Dayville is owned by either a bitten or born wolf. Oh, and Dayville is where you are now.” He hunted up a skillet. “So, do you remember mind-speaking with me?”

  “That was some awesome shit.”

  “It’s certainly useful. While I fix these, why don’t I tell you some more about me and our pack?”

  “I’d like that,” Mark said. He took another bite, then stared forlornly at the half-eaten sandwich.

  Hunter fished the other one out of the bag and warmed it up too. “Here.”

  Mark blushed. “I can’t believe my stomach is still growling even though I’m shoveling food in as fast as I can. Is this normal?”

  “For us, yes. Our metabolism is higher, so we burn calories insanely fast. You’re going to eat about double what you used to, but it’s needed, so don’t worry about it. Plus, you just had your first ever shift.” Hunter turned on the stove. “Hamburgers okay?”

  “Sure. I’m not a picky eater.”

  “Good thing you’re not a vegetarian. We eat a lot of meat.”

  Mark smirked. “Just so happens I like meat.”

  Hunter’s skin heated. Well, he certainly walked into that one, hadn’t he? “Okay, so, the Day Canyon pack is two thousand members strong. That’s actually kind of unusual.” Hunter returned to the stove. “Packs don’t tend to be that big, but ours is. We’re also different because we’re co-Alpha led. Zane and I are brothers. He was born a few minutes before me, and he’s also an Alpha.”

  Mark finished off the first sandwich. “You mentioned him earlier.”

  “He showed up right as you were going through the change.” Hunter paused. That reminded him of the kind of howl he’d heard from Mark, but he wasn’t ready to address that. “The majority of pack members live here in Dayville. It’s a quaint village with stores, like I said. Some of the pack works at the resort, which Zane manages. Others help here, which I run.”

  “So, your house is in Dayville?” Mark asked, starting on the second sandwich.

  “Yes. Zane lives at the resort. I live in town.”

  “And you’re an Alpha? And Zane’s an Alpha. But you both run this pack. Now, granted, I know absolutely nothing about this stuff, but I know a little about wolves from TV. Isn’t a pack only supposed to have one?”

  “That’s actually a good question.” Hunter flipped the burgers. “We’re werewolves, not natural wolves, but yes, we do share certain traits with them. Normally there would be one Alpha per pack.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a dominant thing. But Zane and I are brothers. Our females give birth in human form, so unlike natural wolves, there are usually only one to two babies. We’re fraternal twins, actually, so… I don’t know. It works for us. Keep in mind that he runs the resort, and I have control over the village, so I guess we have territories within our pack.”

  “That’s actually interesting.”

  “Like I said, it’s not the norm.” Hunter stepped away from the stove to refill Mark’s glass. “Anyway, Zane is mated to Carol Ann. She’s a born wolf too.”

  “Born?”

  Hunter returned to the stove. He flipped the burgers again. “There are two kind of werewolves: born and bitten. Both live the same amount of time.”

  “I’m a bitten werewolf. Can I say that the word ‘werewolf’ still kind of freaks me out?”

  “Damn werewolf movies.” Hunter scowled as he flipped the hamburgers. “We’re not mindless killing machines who roam the streets on full moons looking for prey.”

  “No?”

  “No. As you have experienced yourself, our human consciousness remains. You knew who you were, where you were, and what you were doing, right?”

  “Yes, but it was different. I kept getting distracted by things that normally wouldn’t catch my attention.”

  “Not surprising for a first shift. Look, our wolf isn’t concerned as much over human foolishness, but the wolf does know right from wrong. As you also saw, we can shift when the moon isn’t full. But we do feel the pull more strongly then.”

  “So the myth that werewolves can only shift on the full moon is wrong.”

  “Oh goddess, please forget everything you’ve ever seen in those movies. They’re called horror for a reason, you know. We rarely change humans, and we especially don’t change humans on the spur of the moment. That was one of the things that freaked Brax out. I changed you without doing any sort of background check at all.”

  “Because I was your mate.”

  “Because you were my mate, who had been shot as a human, and were dying. If I had met you in a normal way, I would’ve had you investigated and taken the time to get to know you. I would’ve slowly introduced you to my world instead of throwing you into the deep end like I have.”

  “Deep end, huh? You going to keep me from drowning?”

  “You bet your ass I am, but something tells me you’re a pretty good swimmer too.” Hunter cleared his throat. Now onto the part he dreaded. “I am sorry, though. I did this without your consent. But you were dying, Mark. I bit you—and mated you—hoping it’d be enough to keep you alive. But you were right too. You didn’t get a choice in the matter, and I’ll always be sorry for that.”

  “Would you do it again?”

  “I would, yes. But I also took a chance. By mating you, I tied us together. If you had died, there was a good chance I would’ve too.” Hunter took the burgers off the stove and slid them onto plates. “The loss of a mate can be life-ending for us.”

  “Jesus.” Mark ran his hand over his face. “That’s insane. You know that, right?”

  “You’re my mate, and I would do anything, anything, for you.” Hunter placed the food in front of Mark, then grabbed several different bags of chips. “Here you go. Just pick whatever you like.” He opened the refrigerator and got the condiments. “I don’t have any tomatoes or lettuce, if you like that kind of stuff. Sorry. I need to go to the store.”

  “I can live without it.”

  Hunter poured himself a glass of water and sat down across from Mark just as the sun broke the horizon. “Dig in.”

  It didn’t take long to demolish the food. Mark leaned back in his chair and patted his belly. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve eaten that much in my life.”

  “Like I said, it’s normal.”
Hunter sipped his water. “Overall, how do you feel?”

  “Good.” Mark yawned. “Tired.”

  “That’s not surprising, all things considered.” And now Hunter had to tread carefully. “Do you remember shifting?”

  “No. Nothing about it. I do remember being angry, and….” Mark frowned. “A whole lot of anger, actually. But there was fear. Confusion. Then there was this powerful cry that raced through me. I felt it all the way down to my soul, I swear. But it was heavy with desperation, and that… that scared me.”

  Hunter’s breath caught.

  “Then another—I don’t know—I guess another sound joined it, but that one was full of encouragement and hope. They blended together, and I felt calmer. Tranquil. Like my anger had sharp edges and suddenly they’d been filed down and smoothed out.”

  That had to be when Hunter had howled, and Zane had joined him. An Alpha werewolf could incite a pack but also soothe it. It was odd that Mark said everything inside him smoothed out.

  “There was this scent that curled around me. I knew it, but I didn’t know it. Does that make sense? But something told me that the scent was very important to me. The words comfort, home, pack, and….” Mark blushed. “And mate. Those were actually the very first words that ran through my mind.”

  “You smelled my scent.”

  “I figured. Then there you were. Even though you were in your wolf form, I knew it was you. I heard your brother speaking, but the words didn’t really make much sense. The acceptance behind them did, though. The welcome too.”

  Hunter would voluntarily cut his tongue out before he told Mark about the horror of his first shift. He would never hear it from Hunter. Zane and Brax wouldn’t speak of it either because what Mark went through was not normal, just as a bitten werewolf being an Alpha was not normal.

  “While I don’t remember the actual changing into a wolf, I do remember everything after Zane left.” Mark yawned. “Sorry.”

  “No, no, it’s okay. It was a long night.”

  “I’ll say.”

  “There’s still a lot of things we need to talk about, but I think that can wait until later.” Hunter stood.

  “I have questions. A lot of them. And, well….” Mark shuddered. “My mom and dad.”

  Hunter hurried around the table and drew Mark to his feet. “I know. I’ll tell you everything about the situation when we get up. I promise.”

  Mark yawned again. “All right. I’m suddenly so tired.”

  Hunter wrapped his arm around Mark’s waist and angled them toward the back of the house. “Again, not surprising. It’s been a—”

  “Long night,” Mark finished.

  Hunter stopped in front of the guestroom. His wolf barked fiercely in his head, but he ruthlessly ignored the furious animal. Yes, he wanted Mark in his bed as much as his wolf did, but he wouldn’t insist. Mark hadn’t had any choice so far in what had happened between them, but he would have a choice this time.

  “The bed’s made and there’s a bathroom right there. It has towels and stuff.” Hunter pointed. “I’ll be right down the hall if you need anything.”

  Chapter Nine – Mark

  MARK BLINKED in disbelief as Hunter left. That presence in his mind objected loudly as Mark stumbled into the bedroom, the very obvious guest bedroom.

  “The hell?” Why was he in there? Had he done something to upset Hunter? Which was a ridiculous thought. He hadn’t been back human long enough to do something like that. He was Hunter’s mate, so why the hell had he been banished to the guest bedroom?

  Mark really didn’t want to be alone right now. Seriously, he’d experienced a life-altering event that had changed his whole perspective, and he had just gotten shown to a guest bedroom? That presence in his mind was incensed.

  He was out the door and storming down the hall before he realized what he was doing. Slamming open Hunter’s master bedroom door, he prowled inside. Hunter, the big doofus, was standing by the destroyed bed, scratching his head. He jumped when the door hit the wall.

  Mark was tempted to slap Hunter upside the head. Maybe he could whack some sense into him then. “What the hell, Hunter?”

  A carefully blank mask descended over Hunter’s face. “What?”

  “That’s what I want to know.” Mark crossed his arms over his chest. “Am I not your mate?”

  “Um, yes.” Hunter rocked from foot to foot. “That mark on your neck states that very clearly.”

  Yeah, it’s clear as mud. “Do werewolf couples not sleep together?”

  Confusion flashed across Hunter’s face. “Yes.”

  Mark threw his hands up. “Then why the hell am I sleeping in the guest room? Do you not want me sleeping with you? Are you unhappy you mated me, because I got the distinct impression you wanted this. Am I wrong? Fuck, you didn’t want to mate me, did you? What the hell, man? If you didn’t—”

  Hunter rushed Mark, and Mark jumped at how fast Hunter moved. Before he could even finish the sentence, Hunter had Mark wrapped in a tight embrace. He slammed his mouth over Mark’s, cutting off Mark’s ramblings. The longing in the kiss hit Mark like a sledgehammer, confusing him more.

  Hunter finally raised his head. “Of course I want you. I want you more than my next breath. But I took the choice from you when I bit and mated you. I couldn’t, in good conscience, do the same concerning where you slept. Yes, I want you in my bed. More than anything. But only if you want to be there. I won’t force you.”

  Mark threaded his fingers through Hunter’s hair. Hunter’s eyes fluttered, then opened wide when Mark tightened his hold and jerked hard. “That’s a beautiful sentiment. Or it would’ve been if you had bothered to tell me how gallant you were being. Instead, you dropped me off at the guestroom, like some people do to an unwanted pet at a shelter, and walked away. You idiot, I thought you didn’t want me.”

  Hunter’s eyes flashed yellow. “Again, more than my next breath.”

  Mark huffed. “I can see we’re going to have to work on your communication skills because they’re lacking. You should’ve told me you were giving me a choice instead of leaving me to figure it out, or worse yet, draw the wrong conclusion. That’s how stupid fights and hurt feelings happen.”

  Hunter nodded as best he could with Mark’s fingers clutching his hair. “I see that. Would you be comfortable sharing my bed? We wouldn’t have to do anything—”

  “Again, making decisions without consulting me.”

  “—but yes, I want you with me. In whatever way you want.”

  “Better.” Mark nodded. “Much better.” This time Mark ground his lips against Hunter’s. By George, he could give as good as he got. When Hunter moaned into his mouth, Mark ended the kiss. “I want to stay with you, but that bed seems to be slightly wrecked.”

  “Just slightly?” Hunter rested his hands on Mark’s hips. “You completely wrecked it.”

  “So I did. Maybe you should stay with me in the guestroom, huh?” Mark loosened his fingers from Hunter’s hair. He ran his hands down Hunter’s muscular arms, admiring the strength there. Looking back up, he stared at Hunter’s yellow eyes. His sudden bravery drained away. That… that was sexy, but it also brought back some painful memories too. “Is that normal?”

  “My eyes changing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes. It happens when we’re emotional—be it anger, happiness, confusion, excitement—doesn’t matter.”

  “And you’re feeling…?”

  “Happy.”

  “Good. Then let’s go to bed.” He’d get used to the eye color. It was just another part of Hunter. And shit. It was probably something he’d do too. At least he found this out before seeing himself in a mirror with yellow eyes. “I’m exhausted, and I really need you near me right now.” Did that make him weak to admit that? He had a feeling it might, but since it was Hunter, it was okay. He had no idea how he knew that; he just did.

  Hunter stepped back, but he quickly grabbed Mark’s hand. “You got it.”

/>   Mark let Hunter lead him back to the guestroom. Hunter closed the curtains, which were the blackout kind, Mark was happy to see. The sun was out; the darkness of night was gone. Mark helped Hunter turn down the covers.

  On the other side, Hunter paused, his hands resting on the waistband of this night pants. “I, ah, don’t normally wear underwear. Do you want me to…?”

  “Kind of figured, since you didn’t bring me any, either. Would you mind if we kept the night pants on for now?” That presence in Mark’s mind howled in disagreement. Oh, who was he kidding? That presence was the wolf inside him, and he needed to call it such. “I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, and if we’re both naked….” It wasn’t that he didn’t want to have sex, but fuck, he knew nothing about Hunter outside of what Hunter had told him.

  “It’s fine, Mark.” Hunter slid in and patted the empty space next to him. “I’m good with taking this slow.”

  Mark climbed in also, lying down beside Hunter. “Even though we’re mated?”

  “Yes, we’re mated, but we don’t know each other.” Hunter snuggled down, then rolled so he was looking at Mark. “Just because we’re compatible doesn’t mean we won’t have to work at making a relationship… well, work. The first step is getting to know each other. On top of that, you’ve had a really, really hard few days. Which is my totally inept way of trying to not bring up your parents.”

  “There is that.” Mark yawned again. He didn’t want to think about that, not as he was getting ready to go to sleep. The last thing he wanted was to dream about it. “Thank you.”

  “There’s nothing to thank me for. Good night.”

  A bird chirped outside, and Mark grinned. “Good morning.” He turned over, and a few seconds later, Hunter cuddled up to his back, his arm over Mark.

  Mark drifted off, thinking how right this felt.