Hunter's Moon

by McKayla Schutt

  "Really?" His shoulders relaxed.

  "You still have a witch as a mate, now I'm a wolf witch. I heard rumors I have a cousin who’s the same as me." Luna remembered hearing about it from Ash while she had been driving. Alia had been placed on her list of people to go meet. Luna wanted to find where she belonged. Family seemed like the best place to start.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Hunter

  ANGER COURSED THROUGH Hunter's body like a raging fire. His senses were on high alert while he stared at his sleeping mate. He couldn't wrap his mind around his brothers attacking his mate. Scotty and Tommy were Irish twins, born ten months a part, so they did everything together except Scotty hated cars while Tommy loved them.

  His emotions were conflicted thinking about the whole situation. He wanted the ones who attacked his mate punished but on the other hand they were his brothers. If it had been anyone else, he would have killed them in his hallway without a second thought.

  Luna's heated scent drove him crazy and only the alpha coming kept him from waking her up. She moved to her side and her hands gripped onto the blankets. Her head shook violently against the pillow. The soft curls bounced around her face. Hunter moved to her side and place his hand on her shoulder.

  "Don't hurt them!" Luna yelled, and Hunter moved her hair from her face. Her eyes were squeezed closed.

  "Luna, wake up." Hunter tried a soft voice, but it didn't work. She screamed again, and the scent of fear filled his nose. He pulled her into his lap. "Luna, you need to wake up for me." He kissed her head.

  The air in the room heated up and she looked up at him. Her hands burned against his chest, but he didn't say anything. The scent of burnt flesh returned to his nose and he barely managed to keep the whimper in his throat. Her eyes slowly focused on his face.

  "Shit. I'm so sorry." She lifted her hands off his skin, angry flesh remained. "No, I didn't mean to." Tears fell down her eyes while she stared at his chest.

  He tilted her head back, so she looked at him. "Don't worry about it. I’ll heal. Are you ok?"

  She shook her head and cried more.

  "I'm here and I’ll protect you Luna." Hunter looked down and winced internally at how bad it hurt to move.

  "I know. The nightmare came back is all. Earlier it didn't when we were sleeping next to each other." She wiped the tears from her face, but they kept coming down. She placed her hand over the scarred flesh. He tried to understand the words she whispered under her breath, but she said them so fast, he would never be able to repeat it.

  "Do you want to talk about them?" The pain faded. My wolf’s working fast tonight.

  "No." She shook her head and leaned into his chest. "I’m sorry"

  When he glanced down again, he saw the flesh mending faster than he’d ever witnessed. “Is this you?” When she nodded he relaxed. "Damn girl." He pulled her in for a kiss and heat pulsed through his flesh. His cock hardened instantly.

  "Hunter and Luna, please come down stairs," Brauc called out. Hunter groaned and broke himself away from his mate.

  "After this I’ll be bringing you back up here." Hunter kissed her quickly and grabbed her hand. Luna slowly followed him out of the room. The scent of fear filled his nose. He stopped and turned toward her before they reached the steps.

  "Luna, no matter what happens down there I’ll be at your side." He didn’t want her to be fearful if he had a say in the matter.

  "Thank you, Hunter." Luna gave him a weak smile. They slipped down the stairs to find the alpha, his son, the second and Hunter's brothers.

  "It's nice to see you again Luna." Brauc nodded toward Luna. "It seems we have some clearing up to do." He glared at Scotty and Tommy for a second then resumed his neutral face.

  Scotty's flesh turned from a dark burn to angry red flesh in his human form. He took in a shallow breath.

  "I only defended myself." She waved her hand toward his brothers.

  "Why don't you walk us through the events and quickly before Hunter goes heat crazy." Brauc winked and Dominic stiffened. Hunter couldn’t imagine how Dominic felt about meeting his baby girl only to be reminded of the fact she was a fully-grown woman.

  "Heat?" Dominic asked, and Luna nodded. She told him what happened after she woke up. Hunter glared at Scotty and Tommy as she retold her side. Is this what family really does to each other?

  "Witches are dangerous as you can tell. Look what she did to Scotty." Tommy stood, and Dominic punched him in the gut.

  "She’s my daughter." Dominic growled low while holding Tommy's neck.

  "Luna, I see you survived the change, but can you still practice magic?" Brauc asked.

  "Yes, I can." Luna squared her shoulders and Hunter had a sense of pride for her for standing her ground and not cowering to the alpha. The scent of fear still lingered but not as strong as before.

  "Dominic and Xavier, I want you to take Tommy and Scotty to my house." He glared at Tommy and leaned forward. "If you try to run or fight Dominic is allowed to kill you. Don't test me or him." His voice came out more as a growl than his normal voice.

  Hunter helped lift Scotty with Xavier's help into the alpha's truck. Tommy followed while Luna stayed in the house with Dominic and Brauc. Tommy stopped short of climbing into the truck after Scotty leaned against the window.

  "Your mate did this to your own brother. Are you really going to choose her over us?" Tommy spat out. Anger flared through Hunter’s blood and he balled up his fists.

  "You’re my brother and would you really make me choose?" Hunter resisted the urge to punch his older brother. “I’d never attack your mate if you had one.”

  "She is a witch, they are nothing but evil."

  "You attacked her, she would have never set fire to Scotty if you hadn’t placed the idea in his head to bite her. This is your fault, Tommy and now the alpha will choose your fate." He caught sight of his parents marching out of the house.

  "You’re not coming with us?" Tommy grabbed Hunter's collar.

  "No, I'm going back upstairs and go to bed with my mate. Now let go of me before I give you a black eye." Hunter glared at his brother.

  “Enough boys.” His mother spoke softly but it still carried the weight like normal.

  "I’ll make this clear right here and right now, Luna is my mate and if anyone and it includes my family, tries to hurt her again, I won’t hesitate to kill them. This is my only warning Mother." Hunter turned and marched into his home. Dominic and Brauc nodded once and then left him alone with Luna.

  "Do you really mean what you said out there?" Luna pointed toward the door. The hesitation in her eyes was clear as water. His heart hammered in his chest. He needed to gain her trust every way possible.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Luna

  LUNA'S DREAMS WERE peaceful for the rest of the night, the sun had effectively cleared the horizon before she even opened her eyes. She made her way down stairs and started making breakfast. Images of the night before crept into her mind as she whisked the eggs. A nice show to get you out of Dominic’s protection. The words his brothers spewed kept bugging her. He had helped her. She kept reminding herself of this little fact. Luna flipped some pancakes and tried to push back the idea of Hunter possibly hurting her. After making two plates of food, she climbed up the stairs and leaned against the door frame. Staring at Hunter while he slept quickly became her favorite past time. His eyes fluttered open and a smile crossed his face.

  "What are you doing up so early?" He stretched his arms up while his back arched. Will he stay or leave me? The question rolled around her mind making her stomach uneasy.

  "Early? It's almost noon." Luna laughed and stretched trying to push the evil thoughts away.

  "Well I should probably make my mate brunch in bed." He sat up and the sheet pooled at his waist. She liked admiring his toned chest and abdomen, and it was hers, at least if he stayed.

  "Sounds wonderful, but I think I've beat you to it." Luna whispered her spell and the food she had prepared dow
nstairs appeared on the bed next to them.

  "Oh, I could get used to this." He winked. She giggled and joined him on the bed.

  "Are you sure it doesn't freak you out too much? I mean you were raised by a witch hating family." She hated saying those words but the way his brothers attacked without much of a second thought spoke pretty loudly.

  "Yes. Most of it is a family grudge but they didn’t hurt me directly. I still don’t get the point since it started with a freaking accident."

  "I..." Words failed her. She wanted to be certain about his feelings and make sure he wanted to be hers. It was one thing to declare he would hurt his own family to protect her but another to actually follow through. He grabbed a grape and popped it in his mouth. She knew from experiences, everyone only took care of themselves. Maybe he’ll want me to stop practicing magic.

  "Luna, I can see the worry in your eyes and I’ll prove it to you." He leaned in and kissed her. Heat coursed through her body again. She had been able to barely suppress her urges while he slept but now the fog of heat had rolled in.

  "Eat first, you’ll need your strength for later." He placed a grape in her mouth and she almost swallowed the thing whole. They ate in silence and Luna kept glancing up at him through her eye lashes.

  He keeps saying he’ll prove it to me but how does he plan on doing it? The question kept repeating in Luna's head as she ate her pancakes.

  "Hunter, do you want kids?" Luna asked after she finished her pancakes. Tension pooled in her thighs.

  "At least three little ones please. If you say just one I might have to persuade you otherwise." He leaned over and kissed her. She liked the idea of him being open to kids, but she wasn’t sure if now would be the best time. They had just met yesterday morning.

  "I think two might be my limit." Luna chuckled. "I also haven't been around kids very much." Luna shrugged. Why am I talking about kids, in plural, he might leave me before the first one even comes. She licked her lower lip.

  "Well after the first one comes then we can decide." He winked and placed his plate on the ground. Luna did the same and he grabbed her ass while she had bend over. A moan left her lips at the tight grip. "I love that sound." His voice deepened.

  "So, you want kids and I want kids but are you sure you want them now?" Luna pushed out the words. She knew her chances of not already being pregnant were slim from last night, but a little voice warned her she might not be ready.

  "As long as I have you, I'm ready for anything." Hunter pulled her back onto his lap, she wrapped her legs around his waist, his hard-on pressed against her thigh. "You my dear are overdressed." He kissed her shoulder. Her shorts and T-shirt were the only things she managed to get over here since her clothes were still at Dominic's place.

  Luna snapped her fingers and her clothes landed next to the dirty dishes. Hunter's hands wrapped around her breasts and she tipped her head back. Her one and only solace which kept her from uttering the word condom, was the idea of at least having his kid. If he changed his mind like she feared he would, at least the baby would keep her company.

  She wanted Hunter to be her lifelong mate, but his family’s strong views of hating witches could break him later. After her heat ended she would have something of Hunter if he changed his mind and left her.

  The fog surged forward and she sat on her mate, her core hovered over his hard cock. Heat rolled around her stomach and tension pooled in her thighs.

  "Such beauty and I'm not worthy." Hunter's eyes were on her and she barely resisted the urge to cover herself. His hands wrapped around her waist, his warm touch searing into her flesh. She dropped herself onto his hard cock and he groaned loudly sending pleasure up her spine. Luna liked the sound so much she repeated the motion.

  "Are you trying to kill me?" Hunter closed his eyes and bucked up his hips pressing himself deeper into her core. Luna moaned this time and the tension stopped growing while he filled her.

  "No, I just enjoy the noises you make." Luna smiled. Hunter grabbed her hips and moved her up and down in quick bursts of speed. Her hair fell over her face as her nipples brushed against his light chest hairs. Each thrust sent so much pleasure through her system she didn’t think she would last. She grabbed onto his shoulders trying to ground herself just a bit, but it didn’t nothing to stop the orgasm building so strong and so freaking quickly. His name left her lips as waves of bliss crashed through her soul. It all happened so fast she questioned her sanity for a moment after the waves of pleasure receded replaced with a stronger need. Sweet freaking torture best described the short satisfaction.

  "More." Luna gasped for air. He lifted her off him and she whimpered in pain. What the hell? Do I have to fucking beg him? She bit her lower lip trying to hold back her curses.

  "I want to take you from behind my little witch." He grinned and relief flooded through her chest. After a quick change in positions he kneeled behind her, his tip pressing at her entrance once more. Anticipation built with every second he wasn’t inside her. She wanted to cry out faster but instead she focused on breathing. Little zips of magic fluttered through her, she needed to calm down or else risk scaring the shit out of him. Magic flowed from her fingers and the pillows next to her floated for a second before dropping back to their place. His lips pressed into her shoulder sending more heat right to her core. In one swift pump, he filled her completely. The pain stopped again, replaced with pleasure and a need for more.

  "Yes!" Luna cried out. He gripped her hips and picked up a punishing speed. His balls slapped against her clit sending more heat through her. Each sweet thrust helped build another orgasm. Her moans came out longer and closer together while his grunts and groans did the same. She liked the sounds of him getting just as much pleasure as her. Hunter's breathing came out in short pants. Magic hummed through her again. She surrendered to the desire for her mate and the pleasure he gave her.

  His grip tightened on her hips and he swelled inside of her body. One more thrust sent her flying into a sweet orgasm, more intense than before as she finished with her mate. Luna took in a deep breath once the waves of heat and pleasure finally let go of her body. She finally found the satisfaction she craved. A jolt pulled her down as the bed crashed back down to the floor, about three inches off the ground.

  "Shit.” He grabbed onto her keeping her in the same position before the bed had moved.

  “Sorry.” She looked around to see the pillows were on the ground and her dresser had nothing on top from falling too.

  “It’s okay. Just a different experience.” He turned her head and kissed her. “I'm not done with you my little witch." Hunter nipped at her shoulder and heat took over like she hadn't finished two moments ago.

  "Damn it. Now you have to finish me all over again." Luna looked back at him, his grin made her heart clench.

  "I like the challenge." He pulled out and slammed into her. Heat may suck for some, but Luna enjoyed every second of pleasure she received from Hunter. Tomorrow she would deal with the fear of him leaving her.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Hunter

  "ARE YOU READY?" HUNTER glanced over at Luna in his car. She had said her goodbyes to Dominic and his car had enough clothes for a few nights at the coven. Luna rolled her necklace in her hand and then turned to him. The small charm brought her comfort, at least one thing would always stay the same.

  "Yea, I think I'm ready." Luna nodded like she wanted to convince herself too. Hunter put the car in drive and headed south. He loved his mustang and liked to race for extra money. He weaved in an out of traffic and after a few minutes Luna finally relaxed in her seat.

  "Tell me something interesting about yourself." Luna turned in her seat to face him.

  "About me? Let's see." He paused to think of something not including his hateful family. Sadly, he came up short. "It's not exactly interesting but it might help you understand me more."

  "Ok, shoot." Luna adjusted to face him better. He liked how her dark brown eyes were completely focused o
n him. Hunter was falling for this woman faster than he had ever expected to. His witchy mate was taking him under her spell.

  "At the age of six or so, I had made a few friends in school. I had no idea one of them was a witch until I had mike come over to play. My brothers beat the crap out of me and threatened him to stay away." Hunter rolled his shoulders trying to push back the hurt look on Mike's face. He had hated lying to Mike when he said he didn't want to be friends any longer. Hunter still held anger with his family for dictating who he could and couldn't be friends with. They made it clear, they wouldn’t love him if he didn’t fall in line with the family mantra- we hate all witches.

  "That's awful, what about your mother or father?" Luna pushed her hand through her curls.

  "They told them to do it. They made it clear, until I say, 'I hate witches' to keep doing it." The acid taste in his mouth burned when he spoke.

  "When did you give in?" She rubbed his arm.

  "Not for about a year. I lied because I couldn't take it anymore. To be honest with you, I've been lying about it for years to my family."

  "And you're not just saying this to get into my good graces?" Luna raised her brow. Hunter glanced her way and shook his head. He truly wanted her to believe him, but he knew it would take time.

  "Sooner or later you’ll trust me. I know we started off rough, but I just defended and protected you against my older brothers." He had called his Grandma Riva to tell her about finding his mate. After twenty minutes of talking he managed to get out of coming to visit their hotel again. She had been too excited to force them into coming back.

  "I know you did." Luna nodded. Her brown eyes scanned the horizon.

  "Then what else will it take?" Hunter resisted the urge to pull the car over, so he could really take a look at his mate. The uneasy tension between them made Hunter's stomach tighten with nerves. His wolf paced in his mind. He knew what she needed now. His loyalty. He just didn’t know how to prove it yet.