Hunter's Moon

by McKayla Schutt

  "They thought you would start to shift, they knew if you started shifting I would be forced to leave the coven with you."

  "I didn't shift until I was bitten by a wolf." She glanced at Hunter, his shoulders tensed up. Her heart ached but she liked hearing how her mom wanted to keep her.

  "So, you're just like your cousin, Alia after all." Jina smirked and looked over at Hunter. "Are you going to make my daughter happy?"

  Luna wanted to know the answer as well.

  "Your daughter means the world to me. I’ll do everything I can to make her happy." Hunter's honest voice brought Luna a sense of peace. She glanced at Hunter, his shoulders tensed up.

  "Well let's get you settled in before dinner. I'm sure some of my friends would love to meet you." Maybe he won’t leave me. She tried to push down the hope in her heart.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Hunter

  HUNTER HELPED JINA set the table for five guests. Luna hip bumped him, but he tried his best to keep himself focused. The scent of her arousal slowly drove him and his wolf mad. Once they had set up their room to sleep in, Jina insisted they all go shopping for food and prepped it when they arrived home.

  "Are you ok?" Luna whispered into his ear, her amazing scent filled his lungs. Hunter looked up to see where her mother stood. Jina swayed her hips to the music and was facing the stove away from Hunter and Luna.

  "I'm having issues right now," he whispered back. Luna raised one of her eyebrows. Instead of saying something he grabbed her hand and placed it over his raging hard on. Luna's brown eyes widened then a smile lifted her soft lips.

  "I can fix it after dinner." Luna nipped at his ear and Hunter barely stifled a groan. A tap on the door sounded making Jina turn with a spoon full of sauce to her lips.

  "Can you get that?" Jina pointed toward the door. Luna grinned and sashayed over toward the door. Cherish walked in first with street clothes on. Two other women followed close behind

  "Luna and Hunter, you’ve met Cherish. These are my two friends, Mint and Donna." Jina pointed toward Mint first with her green streaked blonde hair. Donna had red curly hair. All of them were looking right at Hunter. He did his best not to wiggle around where he stood.

  "It's nice to meet you." Luna smiled and extended her hand. Mint shook her hand first with a short smile which didn't meet her blue eyes.

  "Yes, the whole coven is buzzing about you." Donna clapped her hands, her blue eyes beaming.

  "Let's take a seat and dish up." Jina placed a big pot of spaghetti on the table.

  "It smells wonderful." Luna smiled and took her seat. Hunter slid into his chair trying his best not to adjust himself in the process. He wanted dinner to end and fucking soon.

  "So, tell us about yourself." Donna leaned in toward Luna.

  "Well, my life hasn't been all roses, that's for sure." She talked about the witch Kerine and how she had given her away to the scientists to be experimented on. His wolf howled as she gave a brief overview.

  "I'm glad she’s dead." Hunter spoke under his voice, his wolf wanted to bring her back to life, so he could kill her again.

  "She was the only family I knew for a while.” Luna licked her lower lip. “When I finally managed to get back to Crescent Valley, Angel told me everything that happened. Took me a full year to actually believe the stories." Luna glanced down at her food. "Angel said I intimidated Kerine because of how powerful I had become at a young age."

  "Well you're safe now." Jina grabbed Luna's hand and smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes while everyone ate.

  "How did you two meet?" Donna broke the silence with her fork bouncing in the air to point between Luna and Hunter. A bubble of laughter left Luna and Hunter wanted to hear it again.

  "I was visiting my grandparents in their hotel when I ran into Luna." He moved a curl away from her beautiful face.

  "Yes, my clumsy butt didn't look up in time and I ran right into him. He kept me from falling and it's when we imprinted." A smile lit up her beautiful brown eyes. He would remember that day for the rest of his life and especially the moment when he made her his. His cock twitched, and he stifled a groan.

  He remembered her request when they had been driving down. If you want to live your life as a single man, I’ll respect it and go back west. Hunter didn't want to let her go but his human side feared she didn't want to be with him. If she wanted him, why would she give him an out? Unless she had second thoughts.

  Mint gasped for air bringing Hunter back to the present. Her eyes glazed over, and her body pulsed energy. A chill zipped down Hunter’s spine and his wolf paced at the edge.

  "Is she ok?" Luna's voice picked up.

  "She's having a vision," Jina whispered while she watched her friend. Mint gasped for air again and looked right at Hunter.

  "Every action has a consequence." Mint hissed and then took a sip of water. She turned toward Luna, "Your wolf may be strong, but your witch side has far more strength." Her words felt like a threat which triggered his wolf to push at the barrier. He needed to move or risk shifting when he wasn’t allowed to.

  "I think I'm going to get some air." Hunter stood.

  "I'll come with you." Luna followed him out of the house and after a few steps they were crunching on pine needles. She grabbed his hand and they headed for the forest surrounding the coven. The trees rose high almost touching the stars. The terrain pitted with rocks and roots didn’t bother Hunter, but he had to keep Luna from tumbling over a few times.

  "That was weird, right?" Luna avoided a large rock. Hunter lifted his gaze to find two squirrels playing, their claws scratched at the tree as they kept themselves up.

  "Very odd." Hunter shook his head. They came to a large oak tree. Part of him wanted to ignore the warning as his wolf calmed down.

  "You know I did say something about helping you out earlier." The scent of Luna's arousal over powered the earthy scents around them. His cock hardened instantly.

  "And where do you suspect we fix my problem?" Hunter raised his eyebrow. Luna snapped her fingers and their clothes formed a pile on a large, flat rock. Hunter closed the small gap between them and lifted her up, her legs wrapped around his hips. Holding her on his own might prove difficult after a few minutes.

  "Right against this strong tree should work just fine." Her hand trailed down his chest and wrapped around his cock. He groaned. "I need you inside of me," she whispered.

  He tightened his grip and took two steps to the oak. Her back pressed against the bark, she moved his tip against her entrance and in one swift thrust he entered her warm body. The clouds of heat were too strong to worry about getting caught.

  "Yes." Luna gasped out, her head tilting back. He gripped her hips tightly to keep her steady before moving in and out of her wet pussy. No matter how hard he tried to keep himself from going faster, his body overrode his mind. The need to see her cum had a vice grip on every single thought.

  His balls tightened. Luna squeezed his shoulders. He leaned in and kissed her soft lips stifling her moans. Their scents mixed and filled his lungs. He couldn't let her go no matter what. After they finished he would think of a plan to prove himself.

  Her walls clamped down on his cock and her body tensed as she reached her climax. He pumped into her once more and released himself into her core. Sweat covered their skin and a slight breeze made Luna shiver in his arms. He leaned forward and kissed her. The waves of heat receded leaving him a little saner.

  "You're amazing." He kissed her again. No matter what came their way he would stay at her side. He just hoped she would be willing to stay at his side too.

  Hunter set her on the ground and she snapped her fingers, their clothes magiced back to their bodies. Only the lingering scents and Luna’s hair spoke of their actions.

  A twig snapped behind Hunter. A male scent filled his nose. Two racing hearts reached Hunter's ears.

  "Look what we have here, Steve. Seems like for once, coven gossip was right. There’s a Jones kid on our lan
d." They both had short brown hair, but the blue-eyed man spoke first.

  "I see that, Lane." Steve nodded, his green eyes focused completely on Hunter.

  "I'm not here to cause you any trouble." Hunter shoved Luna behind him when she tried to move to his side.

  "I'm not here to hurt the witch. Just you." Lane grinned. The full moon dimmed as clouds covered its glow. His wolf surged forward and let go of a howl when Hunter pushed him back.

  "Like I said, I'm not here to fight with your family." He wanted them to walk away so he could get Luna back to her mother and the safety of her home.

  "It's funny because we heard rumors of your brothers trying to get down here," Steve said while he advanced toward Hunter. What a fucking surprise!

  "Yea, Tommy and Scotty have been making threats for months now and they are right at the border." Lane smirked.

  "Scotty is an idiot and only follows Tommy." Luna moved out of Hunter's grasp and faced them.

  "You're Jina's daughter, right?" Lane pointed at her.

  "I would suggest you go back home and leave me and my mate alone." Luna pointed toward the coven. The brothers glanced at each other than chuckled. Every action has a consequence. Mint’s warning rang in his ears.

  "I don't think so. This punk has what's coming to him." Steve pointed at Hunter.

  "What on earth did he do to you?" Luna folded her arms in front of her chest.

  "His family has been threatening us for years. He's the dumb ass who decided to come onto our land."

  "He’s under my protection If you attack I’ll kick your ass and then you’ll probably have to deal with my mother." Hunter hoped they would take the hint and fucking leave.

  "Here is the flaw in your little threat Miss. Lane here just locked your mother and Cherish in their home. There's no one to stop us." Steve rubbed his hands together and focused on Hunter.

  Pain laced through Hunter's head making him drop down to his knees. Luna yelled something, but Hunter couldn't quite make out the words, but the pain stopped almost as quickly as it started. He looked up to see Steve on his ass and Lane glaring at Luna.

  "Don't you dare try that shit again. My mother might not be here but I’m just as powerful as her."

  "He's a wolf who hates witches. Why would you want to be with him?" Steve asked.

  "It’s none of your damn business. Now, walk away." Luna raised her voice and the air hummed with energy. His wolf clawed at the barrier, he itched to get out and tear into some flesh. Hunter pushed him back again, he needed a better reason to attack these fuckers.

  Steve fumbled to his feet and threw a ball of fire at Luna who ducked. Rage coursed through Hunter, he lost control of his wolf. His clothes ripped apart and fell to the ground. He barked at the two males who returned their focus to him.

  "Remember, if he bites you, you will die." Luna rolled her shoulders. "This is your last fucking warning. Get the hell away from me and Hunter."

  "Fuck you." Steve spat on the ground.

  "Ignis Totalis," Lane said the spell. Fire hummed over Hunter’s feet and anger rolled through his body. That shit hurts. He wanted to attack but the pain in his paws were too strong to move.

  "Divello!" Luna yelled, and the fire stopped as both males sored through the air and stopped when a tree blocked their way. His wolf's fur had singe marks on his paws, but the pain lessoned with every second.

  Both came running back but this time Hunter put his head down low and sprinted right into Steve knocking him back onto his ass. Light flashed over him as Lane and Luna yelled their spells while Steve stayed under his paws.

  Hunter’s growl vibrated through his chest as he bared his teeth toward Steve. He wanted to bite the fucker but barely resisted. A single bite had started this whole fight between his family and theirs. Hunter wouldn’t make it worse.

  "Dolor."

  Waves of pain started at his paws and made him stumble off Steve. The needle like pain zipped up his spine then ended leaving Hunter feeling weak and tired.

  "Had enough little wolf?" Steve chuckled then stopped laughing as Lane landed next to Hunter. Hunter took the opportunity to claw at Lane's chest. A scream echoed through the night.

  A blast of wind knocked Hunter off sending him toward Luna. He fumbled for his feet and check Luna over. Her hands shook slightly but she still stood upright. Hunter heard Jina yell something, but he couldn't focus on it as Lane slowly stood. Blood caked his shirt and he had trouble standing.

  "You will fucking die now." Steve marched toward Hunter, but Luna blocked him. A ball of fire hovered over each hand.

  "I'm stronger than you, now take your brother and leave." Luna bounced her right hand like the ball of fire was a baseball instead of a fiery weapon.

  "You can go to hell with your wolf." Steve lifted his hand and a ball of fire formed in his hand as well.

  "Damn it, Steve! That is my daughter!" Jina yelled. Hunter liked the scared look on the male's face as Jina stormed their way. A woman slowly inched toward Lane from behind, her eyes narrowed almost like slits as she glared at Luna and then Hunter. The clouds left the moon and the glow lit her face, he recognized her from earlier.

  "And my boys are following my orders." Havina placed her hand on Lane's chest and whispered ‘valetudo basar’ three times. The damage Hunter inflicted no longer littered the man's flesh.

  "Cherish made the announcement not to harm either of them, Havina." Jina snapped back. She hurried toward Hunter and Luna, the others were a lot closer, but she closed the distance quickly.

  "Oh, but didn't Luna attack first boys?"

  "Yes." They chimed in unison while Luna shook her head.

  "I also see the wolf has shifted so there is another law broken." Havina glared at Hunter. He growled low before shifting back.

  "They attacked before I shifted." Hunter pointed to Jina who was only a moment away from being in touching distance. “It’s what I was told.” His voice boomed.

  "Well it's hard to prove isn't it. It's the mutt's word against my two sons. They were just out for a stroll and wanted to talk to Luna." Havina shrugged.

  "You're a fucking liar." Hunter growled low.

  "Keep your mouth quiet you mutt." Havina glared at Hunter. Luna placed her hand on Hunter's chest. She snapped her fingers and a pair of jeans covered his lower half. Having Luna safe calmed his beast down but Havina would need to stop telling fucking lies. He pulled his mate into his chest and kissed her head.

  "Well Havina, I can tell you this, witch to witch your sons attacked first. And I have proof." Luna slowly blocked Hunter. "Jina I need your help to prove it as I'm a little tired." She extended her hand and Jina shuffled forward grabbing it.

  Hunter had no idea what would happen next, but he kept his focus on Lane and Steve as magic hummed in the air. With Luna so close, the strong notes of heat became softer over the last few hours. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Luna

  I'M SO FREAKING TIRED! Luna pushed back the exhaustion and grabbed her mother's hand.

  "Aperio Saltem." Luna lifted her free hand into the air and the events after sex appeared in the sky like a movie with the stars sparkling in the background. She had performed the same spell once when she came home, and everyone wanted the story of her time with the scientists.

  "Your children are out of line." Jina's head snapped down to glare toward Luna's attackers.

  "This proof could have been altered." Havina stepped closer toward Luna. "Divello." Havina waved her hand toward Jina who flew back and away from Luna.

  "Get out of my way little witch or I’ll have to hurt you too."

  "Go to hell." Luna threw a fire ball at the woman, it missed but hit Lane in the chest. "Next time it will be bigger." Luna glared at Havina.

  "Dolor totalis." Havina's words registered just before pain zipped up Luna’s body then back down. A scream left Luna's lips as it bounced pulsed toward her feet. Luna opened her eyes just in time to see Hunter punch Hav
ina in the face. The woman stumbled back into a tree, her eyes blinking quickly, which broke the spell.

  Luna gasped for air as the spell left residual spikes of pain in her muscles. She resisted the urge to vomit or drop to her knees. Hunter hustled back to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist.

  "I've got your back." Hunter held her tight, hope bloomed through her chest. "Our odds aren't too good, are they?"

  "I think I can take two but not sure about all three." Luna leaned into him. She only had so much energy, and the heat had taken a lot from her. Jina stormed past Luna just as Havina refocused her attention on Hunter. Jina grabbed the woman's wrists tight, Havina tried to pull back but failed.

  "Don't." Havina hissed.

  "Nector magus." Jina hissed back as she pushed both of Havina's hands together. A snapping sound similar to a rubber band breaking rang out. "Cherish will bind your magic for a month for attacking my daughter but if it were up to me I would have you magicless for a fucking year." Jina pushed her back. Havina fell into her sons and Luna liked the horrified contort of Havina’s face a little too much.

  "You can't do that." Steve marched up to Jina.

  "I'm one of the stand-in elders of this coven, boy. Keep it up and I might bind yours and your brothers for attacking my daughter as well." Jina turned and slid toward Luna and Hunter. Steve snarled and hissed something under his breath pointing right for Jina.

  Before Luna could figure out what Steve said a green ball of light headed right for her mother. Her stomach turned as Hunter vanished from her side. His body lurched forward taking the blast. The echo of a dozen trees snapping at once rang in her ears. He hit the ground with a loud thud sending panic through Luna's body. Jina turned giving Luna a better view of Hunter' broken body, he let out a shaky breath. Her stomach dropped, and every sound dulled to a hum as magic vibrated through her soul.

  “No!” Luna screamed and power pulsed from her body sending, Steve and the others flying backward. Only her mother stood with her. Luna felt more power buzzing in her system than she had in a long time, and she wanted to use it on the fucker who hurt, Hunter. She turned her gaze on Havina who managed to stand.