Hunter's Moon

by Angela Colsin

  As if they'd had this discussion several times now, Ashley nodded in agreement. Yet she soon snapped her fingers and mentioned, “Oh! I almost forgot, Cade and I are gonna have pictures taken of the baby in a studio, but I was hoping to get something a little closer to home if that makes sense.”

  “Closer to home? You mean like artful images of the baby in her crib and being held around the house?”

  Ashley's eyes lit up, exclaiming, “Exactly!”

  Emily grinned. “I can do that. Just tell me when and I'll bring my camera by to get some shots.”

  The mother's excited agreement had her snickering, and Ashley suddenly patted her hand against the arm of her seat as if she'd remembered something else. “That reminds me, did Joslyn invite you to the cookout tomorrow evening?”

  “Crap, I forgot,” Joslyn grumbled, informing Emily, “We're going to Ashley's tomorrow for food, drinks, and good times.”

  Emily snickered over the way she drew those words out, looking forward to the experience. Yet she didn't get the chance to say so before Ashley cast her husband a confused look and inquired, “What's wrong, Cade?”

  “You just reminded me that I forgot to tell my brothers about the meeting tonight. So let Conner know about it, Joslyn.”

  “Okay, what time and where?” she asked.

  Somehow, the talk sounded strange, and Emily wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but Cade seemed guarded in answering, “About ten o'clock at the usual place.”

  “Gotcha,” Joslyn confirmed with ease—and Emily was completely in the dark. A meeting at the usual place? What does that mean?

  She would've asked, but if Cade was trying to keep a secret, the matter was probably personal. So Emily attempted to brush it off in favor of enjoying the ride, which wasn't hard to do when Cade and Ashley made her feel so welcome.

  Yet, even after getting their food and joking with each other the entire way home, his peculiar comment popped back into her head.

  So, after setting up a few boxes to use as a dinner table in the middle of her new living room, Emily asked Joslyn, “I'm not trying to be a busybody, but what was all that talk about a meeting at the usual place?”

  Opening her container of nachos, Joslyn smirked. “It's one of those family outings we have, and Cade didn't want you feeling left out by naming this steakhouse we always go to without inviting you.”

  “Ohhh,” Emily drew out in complete understanding. While living in Flagstaff, Joslyn sometimes mentioned going out with the family for some late night activity or another, and it always made the Hodgins sound like a close-knit bunch—which honestly made her a little jealous. Wish I could get along with my own sibling so well.

  But Joslyn's answer had her feeling sheepish for asking, and she apologized.

  “I'm sorry, it just sounded so specific, like you guys were having a classified meeting to conduct some top-secret mission.”

  Snickering, Joslyn pointed out, “Cade probably thinks of it that way, and we'll be back late, but if it was a secret mission? God, we'd never pull it off with how forgetful Caleb gets.”

  Emily grinned, silently nodding with a mouthful of nachos. She also didn't feel one bit slighted at being left out of their family get together, though it would've been nice to get to know the Hodgins better. Especially Caleb since he split so quick.

  But she'd have plenty of chances at the cookout tomorrow, and in the general future. After all, she wasn't just visiting Arkin City, it was her new home. So Emily was going to do her best to get along with everyone around, and who knew, maybe she'd even meet someone special and eventually settle down.

  The hardest part was just waiting to find out.

  Chapter 3

  “That's everyone who could make it, Cade. So let's get this meeting started.”

  Mike Mason's announcement got everyone's attention, including Caleb's, looking up from his place against the far wall of the lumber mill warehouse. His siblings, including Joslyn, surrounded him, and beyond them was a crowd of lupines gathered to listen to the meeting about to commence.

  It was a large group, though not everyone in the Arkin City Pack had been able to attend because it was issued on such short notice. Some were busy with work while others had prior engagements with no time to cancel. Yet enough had come, including several human friends of the pack, to quickly spread word over whatever subject their alpha was about to discuss.

  Still, their presence combined with the short notice had Caleb uneasy. It could only mean this meeting wasn't going to reveal anything pleasant, and he warily watched his older brother climb onto a loading dock at the front of the crowd where everyone could see him.

  There, the alpha initiated their discussion.

  “I know no one wanted to meet on short notice, but this shouldn't take long, and everyone needs to hear it. So if someone you know couldn't make it tonight, pay close attention and relay this to them later.”

  A silence fell across the crowd in response to their leader's serious tone, and once he was convinced they were all hanging on his words, Cade continued.

  “The bottom line is that our pack could be in danger. Some of you have heard rumors floating around about lupines going missing and then turning up dead, and sadly, they're true. My uncle called today with an update on the situation, and confirmed that there's actually a string of cases two and a half years in the making that Hunter's Moon believes are all connected.”

  A low rush of whispers filled the warehouse, and Caleb shared a concerned look with his sister, Sara. Their uncle, Travis, was an elder of Hunter's Moon, the Order that oversaw lupine affairs, and they both knew he wouldn't have sent word if things weren't serious.

  Sadly, Cade's following report proved the assumption correct.

  Two years ago, two lupines who'd disappeared from different parts of Texas were both found dead several months later; one was shot, and the other stabbed. According to human records, the stab victim had bled out as a result of his injuries, yet Hunter's Moon determined the actual cause of death to be silver poisoning perpetrated by a blade made of the metal that was left embedded in the lupine's body for too long.

  The culprits of the crimes were never found, and at the time, Hunter's Moon hadn't believed the murders to be related. Yet a year later, another lupine disappeared from Louisiana, along with a human companion.

  The remains of the human were located not far from a swamp evidently used to dispose of the body, and there wasn't enough left to determine the cause of death. But the fate of the lupine was one that made Caleb shiver—Hunter's Moon conducted an autopsy that revealed traces of colloidal silver in his body. That's a shit way to go.

  Prolonged physical contact with silver was enough to weaken a lupine, and injuries caused by the metal were always severe. But to have the substance flowing in ones veins was unimaginable, and Caleb felt sorry for the victim.

  Since then, a handful of lupines had disappeared, only to turn up dead a short time later. Yet the most recent attack, which wasn't even a week old, had the Order on alert because the lupine actually managed to escape her assailants.

  “She was leaving work when someone jumped her,” Cade related, “and described a masked man wearing some type of suit that blocked his scent. It also had metal cuffs and a neck guard made of silver.”

  After admitting that, Cade added ominously, “This happened near Augusta, not even two hundred miles away.”

  A low chattering occurred amongst the wolves gathered, and someone near the front of the crowd asked, “They don't know anything about him?”

  Cade's expression was grim when he shook his head. “No, nothing for certain. They don't know who's behind it, how many are involved, if they're human or supenat, or what their motives are. But regardless of the truth, we can't ignore how close it's gotten to us.”

  The voices in the crowd grew louder while Caleb thought everything through, and Cade was right. Maybe this group would come to Arkin City, or maybe they'd pass by, but it was definitely a
serious matter they all needed to know about.

  When the chattering got too loud, Mike called for the group to quieten down so Cade could further add, “I'd like to say the chances are good this will pass us over, but we need to be prepared anyway. So I want everyone to be guarded around outsiders of the pack, and keep an eye on uninformed human friends. I also want you traveling in groups, and if you can't do that, make sure to tell someone when you're going out and where to, even if it's just to visit a neighbor for sugar. The last thing I need is a call saying someone's missing, especially if we have no idea where they were or what they were doing when they vanished, got it?”

  Everyone gave their agreement without qualm, and Cade nodded, obviously glad for his pack's quick acceptance.

  “Okay, I think that about covers it, and I'll get word out as soon we know more. Our detectives on the city police force, Josh and Daphne, are gonna be keeping their eyes peeled, too. So everyone get home safe tonight, and watch each others' backs.”

  Despite his dismissal, many of the lupines present stood around to discuss the issues at hand. Some were probably reworking living arrangements, or making plans to travel to work in groups, and through it all, Sara asked, “You think it might actually be humans doing this?”

  “Beats the hell outta me,” Caleb muttered, though his brother's description had offered some insight that made him uneasy, which he pointed out, “The thing that bothers me is the human friend who was killed in Louisiana.”

  “Why that?” Joslyn inquired.

  Pursing his lips, Caleb looked between them and asked, “If this shit's all related, how would they know who's a friend unless they're spying on packs?”

  “That's what I thought,” Conner agreed, “which just makes this whole thing worse.”

  Sara groaned. “Okay, abductions are one thing, but thinking someone's already here, watching us, is just intolerable.”

  “Agreed,” Joslyn muttered.

  By then, Cade had joined them after exchanging a few words with his second in command, Mike, and in overhearing their conversation, he admitted, “That's what has me worried, and I was thinking about making the wolves in our pack who live alone stay with someone for a while. Like Caleb and Sara.”

  Caleb thought that sounded reasonable, and had no trouble bunking at his sister's. Otherwise, she'd end up sleeping on his couch because his upstairs bedroom was missing a wall, and filled with construction materials to build a balcony.

  But that's when Sara reminded Cade, “I'm staying at your place tonight anyway, remember? Mom needs me to drive her to that doctor's appointment early tomorrow morning.”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”

  Their mother, Rose, was now living with Cade and Ashley until the baby was born and Ashley had time to recover. But they all had the feeling she might end up staying a lot longer considering how excited she was to be a grandmother.

  This left Joslyn and Conner, but they didn't have another bed, and their love seat wasn't big enough to sleep well for a man of Caleb's size.

  So he qualified, “Don't worry about me, guys. I'll be fine at home for tonight at least. I've got Nacho now, and I'll keep my phone handy.”

  “Nacho?” Cade asked.

  “Yeah, that pup I found. I'm gonna keep her until she's old enough to take care of herself, and I'm pretty sure she'll alert me if something's up.”

  Cade didn't looked too thrilled by the idea, but he reluctantly agreed. “Fine, but be careful, and let Conner follow you home to make sure you get there okay.”

  “I will.”

  “I mean it,” he growled seriously.

  “I know!”

  Caleb's quick response was sincere enough to placate his eldest brother, who finally backed off. “Okay. Sara, wait for me to finish making sure everyone's gotten out of here safely, and I'll follow you home.”

  Sara agreed, and they all helped their brother get the pack members on their way without incident. Caleb even offered to let some stay with him if they had no one else to room with, but none seemed to need it. So he departed the warehouse with Joslyn and Conner, and as they crossed the lot together, his twin inquired about the balcony he'd started building onto his second level guestroom a week ago.

  “Hey, is the wall still missing from upstairs? Because you'll need to fix it soon with all this crap going on.”

  “Yeah,” he muttered in agreement, considering the wide hole where a door was supposed to be above his garage. Currently, the space was covered by nothing more than a plastic tarp, offering easy access to anyone intent on breaking in—saying they could climb the garage to reach the second floor, anyway.

  Still, it was a problem, and he promised, “I'll start working on the door this weekend, and bar off the hall until then.”

  Suggesting his twin knew he couldn't turn his home into Fort Knox overnight, Conner nodded in satisfaction over the temporary solution.

  Yet their discussion of fortification brought to mind a random concern. Emily lives alone, and she's an uninformed friend of the pack.

  Slinging his leg over his bike, Caleb exhaled a sigh at the misplaced worry. It wasn't the first time Emily Sterling had come to mind since their brief encounter that afternoon, and considering the way her scent had pricked his curiosity, he knew it wouldn't be the last.

  But he ignored the implication of such thoughts, and also avoided reminding Conner and Joslyn to keep an eye on her. Joslyn was her best friend, after all, so he was pretty sure Emily would be safe right where she was, and didn't give the matter a second thought.

  Or he tried not to, anyway.

  • • •

  “Come on, guys, it's almost midnight.”

  Emily smacked her hand against the wall above her headboard, then collapsed onto her pillows again, adding more softly, “I know at least one of you has work tomorrow.”

  For the past twenty minutes, the noises coming from Joslyn's apartment had grown loud enough to make Emily think they were moving furniture.

  At first, she'd merely snorted in amusement, believing her friends had returned from their family outing and were simply enjoying a little alone time. But as the sounds persisted, sometimes growing more distant, and then closer and louder, she couldn't be sure.

  Either Joslyn enjoyed a much more active sex life than Emily wanted to imagine, or they were, in fact, rearranging furniture at midnight.

  Thankfully, banging her hand against the wall to let them know they were being too loud seemed to work. The sounds soon stopped, and Emily snuggled her pillows again, wondering if she'd ever get any sleep.

  Being in a new place was always too weird to easily relax the first night, leaving her tossing and turning in a bid to find the most comfortable position to lay in. But it just wasn't working. Despite driving for so long that day followed by unloading plenty of belongings, she couldn't get herself to drift off.

  Instead, she kept thinking about all of the boxes still waiting to be put away, and other chores she had to take care of before her move could be called complete.

  So, after a few minutes of deliberation, she decided to stop trying for the time being and reached for her phone on the bedside table. The light given off by the device caused her to squint as she accessed her camera, then threw the covers back to sit up with her feet on the floor, intending to record a short video for her dad detailing her first night in Arkin City.

  Scritch.

  The strange sound came as Emily pressed the button to start recording, and she pursed her lips, silently listening to see if she might hear it again. But it didn't—

  Scritch-scritch. Creaaak.

  Her brows narrowed over her eyes. What the hell was that? She knew the sounds heard in a new environment could be strange, but the paranoia that sprung up in her mind had her worrying too much for comfort.

  So she focused on the phone, intending to turn it off in favor of inspecting the strange sounds when a soft thump nearby got her complete attention.

  Emily's heart lurched
at the sound, and she quickly looked toward the shadowy corner at the back of her bedroom. It took a few moments for her vision to adjust, particularly without her glasses, but she soon made out a dark figure approaching her bed.

  The streetlight coming in through the window behind them made it impossible to discern any details, but regardless, Emily did what any rational person would do.

  She screamed.

  As if the sound had given the figure life, it quickly moved forward, and she sprang from her place on the mattress without thinking, running toward the door.

  In the process, Emily could hear the heavy footfalls right behind her, her heart thudding over how close the intruder seemed to be. So as soon as she cleared the hall and entered her living room, she grabbed a stack of boxes on the other side of the doorway and pulled them over as hard as she could, hoping the avalanche might buy her some time.

  But she wasn't sticking around to find out.

  Instead, Emily continued to the front door—and the sound of the intruder fighting their way over the unexpected roadblock hit her ears in the meantime.

  Finally reaching the exit, she struggled with the chain lock and the doorknob, giving her assailant enough time to catch up. As her foot landed on the porch, they grabbed her left arm in a tight clutch. Immediately, Emily screamed again and jerked away as hard as she possibly could, though she wasn't quite sure what happened next.

  Instead of pulling her in, the intruder actually let her go, and their sudden release sent her stumbling down the front porch steps so quickly that she smacked her left knee into the pavement and scraped her knuckles. Yet she barely took notice of the injuries, her mind fully focused on the effort of escaping as she pushed herself back up.

  “Emily!” Joslyn called.

  Having made it to the end of the driveway, her friend's voice brought Emily to an abrupt halt.

  “Joslyn?”

  Surely enough, her car was now parked next door, the engine still running, suggesting she'd just returned with Conner, and Emily dimly realized their presence was the reason her attacker had let her go—he didn't want any witnesses.