“You can’t. You don’t know anything about me.”
“I do, too.”
He’s not hearing me. “You only think you know me. It’s this stupid place.”
“We’ve known each other for millennia—”
“No.” I shoot that argument down. “Artemis knew Orion. But that’s not us. Not entirely. I’m Noelle. You’re Jake. When it comes to love… to feelings… they’re the only two who matter. And we just met a handful of days ago.”
That’s not long enough to know that I love him. Right?
Humor twinkles in his eyes. “You finished?”
I’m still running his words through my mind, trying to make sense of them. “What?”
“You interrupted me. I was askin’ if you were done so I could finish what I was sayin’.”
Rolling my eyes, I gesture for him to continue. If he doesn’t want to be serious, fine. Then I won’t have to be, either.
“We’ve known each other for millennia, and I won’t deny that the echoes of the story have been part of me for a long, long time. But that’s not all. I know damn well you’re Noelle, and not only ‘cause you remind me every chance you get.”
The way he says that sets me off. Maybe I’m contrary like that, maybe I’m looking for a reason to turn combative, or maybe I’m scared out of my head that he does actually mean any of this—whatever it is, I’m immediately defensive.
“Don’t get a tone with me. I don’t like it.”
My attitude is like taking a lit match and throwing it on a gasoline fire. Holy shit. Hunter friggin’ explodes. He’s not loud, and that’s what makes it so bad. Because he’s quiet and he’s earnest and it’s so damn obvious he believes what he’s saying, even if I can’t.
“I was waitin’ for Artemis. I admit it, darlin’. But I got lucky when I met Noelle. You said we’re Noelle and Jake. And that’s true. The story could have gone countless different ways. Orion loved Artemis. And now Jake loves Noelle.”
“You don’t—”
“I fell the second I watched you shove a stick in that scorpion’s eye. I’ve only fallen deeper since. You raced with me. You tended to my wound when Apollo shot me. You upchucked all over his sandals. If I didn’t know before then, that would’ve been the clincher. And that was all Noelle.”
He’s… he’s right. That was all me.
“Hunter—”
“I’m tryin’, Lord knows I’m tryin’, to get you to see that it might’ve been Artemis who brought us together, but it’s Noelle I claim as mine.”
My heart stutters in my chest. Every time. Every time he calls me by my name.
“Listen to me—”
“I thought tellin’ you the truth would be a point in my favor but you’re so dang stubborn.”
He kicks at the ground. His boot hits a baseball-sized rock and it flies, landing in the far distance with a crash. If that was me, I’d have broken like three toes. Jeez, he’s strong. Whoa.
“Know what? Forget it.” His words are short, his tone gruff. “It’s like tryin’ to convince a brick wall. You won’t listen, will ya? Just… sorry I brought it up.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. First, he keeps cutting me off? Now I don’t even get a chance to reply?
Too bad for him. He had his turn. I’ve got a couple of things I want to say and—
Wait a second. He’s leaving!
With a quick motion, he slides his sword out from under his cloak and holds it out in front of him as he stalks away.
I don’t know if I’m turned on or just really confused and kind of furious. It’s all happening too fast. My head is spinning. One thing I do know? I’m not about to let him get away that easily.
I chase after him. “Where are you going?”
“To hunt. It’s all I’m good for.”
I don’t know what I did to set him off. I should be the one who’s testy, considering the bomb he just dropped on me. And now he’s going to walk away?
Uh-uh. Nope.
He wants to do this?
Let’s do this.
“Oh no, you don’t. You come at me, telling me you love me when I haven’t even finished my snack yet? You must be crazy!”
It’s so much simpler to resist a playful, chuckling Hunter. He could be any guy in any bar, oozing charm in a sneaky bid to get in my pants. He can say the words he thinks I want to hear. Doesn’t mean I’m falling for it, even if I am falling for him.
But the angry, heaving mountain of a man in front of me? This is real. It’s raw. His powerful kick gets me going. The way he runs his hands through his hair in frustration, tugging the strands, turning away as if he can’t stand the sight of me, before glancing back. There’s hunger in his eyes, desire written all over him as resentment rolls off of him in waves.
Oh, mama.
I want this. I want him.
Jake.
Love. Lust. Whatever. I’m not about to start analyzing what’s going on between us. I’ve been fighting it since he kissed me last night. I don’t want to fight it anymore.
“Don’t you dare leave me like this,” I tell him. “You started this, Hunter. You’re gonna damn well finish it.”
He exhales roughly, the fight going out of him as his shoulders slump. “What’s the point?”
No, no, no.
I want fired-up, aggressive, possessive Hunter back. He’s the one who throws caution to the wind and finally makes a move.
Guarded Hunter? Defeated Hunter? He’s the one who snuggles with me in a pile of pissed-on furs and discretely moves my hand away when I “accidentally” lay my fingers against his obviously hard cock. And then I had to pretend to be sleeping and… yeah.
He doesn’t have to tell me he loves me to get me in his bed. Thanks to my three-day rule, I was already counting down the minutes. It was inevitable, so long as Hunter was game to play. I don’t want to question his emotions or mine. I just want him to touch me again.
And I have no idea how to convince him that’s a good idea.
He lowers his sword. The point digs into the dirt. Hunter hangs his head. And then he says, “The story isn’t changin’.”
I don’t get it. We’re not talking about that stupid story. This is about me and him and hell if I’m about to let him change the subject.
“Okay.” My hands go to my hips. “And?”
His head jerks and he’s staring at me again. Some of the fire and heat and fury has returned to his gaze.
Thank friggin’ God.
“I want you so bad.”
Okay. We’re getting somewhere. “I want you, too.”
“No.” He grips his head, pulling on the thick, shaggy, sandy strands of hair. With a growl, he shakes it. “It’s my turn. Let me speak, dang it.”
Why do I get the feeling that he’s not talking to me?
“Uh, Hunter—”
He lifts his head. His eyes are wild. “Jacob. Call me Jake.”
Whatever he wants. “Sure, Jake.”
“You think it’s all about the story—”
Uh… because isn’t it?
“—but I don’t care ‘bout that. Orion’s had his turn time and time again and he always fouls it up ‘cause that’s what the goddamn tale says. It ain’t changin’, but what about Jake?”
Holy shit. He’s finally seeing things my way.
“I don’t know,” I say softly. “What about Noelle?”
“I love Noelle,” he snarls. “And I want her—I want you so damn bad.” He thumps the flat of his hand against his chest. “Me. Jake. Orion is after his happy ending with Artemis but this ain’t no fairytale.”
That’s what Hephaestus said. It’s a myth, a never-ending story that plays out again and again. It’s not a fairytale and I’m beginning to understand that no one will have a happily-ever-after.
“You give me hope, Noelle. You make me want to keep on fightin’ to change fate, even when I know it’s impossible. I know what you want. You’ve never once shied away from tellin’ me that.
But do you know what I want?”
Since I’m afraid he’s going to start throwing the forever word around again, I’m hesitant in my answer. Apart from that, I don’t know. So I say, “No.”
“Forget this tale. I want a love story, a gritty, honest love story, where I can have you because you love me. But I can’t. Because you’re Artemis and this story ain’t changin’.”
He exhales roughly, a rush of air that almost knocks me off my feet. “That’s it. Let their stories play ‘cause Lord knows I can’t do anything to stop it. I’ve been a damn fool for even tryin’.”
Whoa.
So. Yeah. Did I think I can handle this? Handle him?
In my friggin’ dreams.
Hunter has just done the impossible. He’s spoken enough for both of us. After he’s done, he’s left me speechless.
I shake my head.
Focus, Noelle. Focus—
Yes.
He’s pacing, two steps forward, three steps back. He wants to go, he can’t bring himself to leave. His cloak whips around him, the sword slapping into his thigh with a meaty thwap.
I approach him with caution, like I would a wounded animal. As soon as he senses that I’m coming closer, he goes still. He exhales roughly through his nose, nostrils flaring, eyes narrowing on me. If I hadn’t already, I now have every ounce of his attention.
My gaze flickers down to the sword in his hand. Without a word, he sheathes it on his belt.
Once his hands are empty, I grab them. Lacing his fingers with mine, loving the way the rough skin feels as his hands hold me tight.
And I realize that I trust him.
Love? We’ll get back to that later. For now—for me—trust is a humongous step.
I tug on his hands as I tilt my head back so that he’s looking down at me while I stare up at him. This moment is for us, and I want him to know that.
“Listen to me. So we’re Artemis and Orion in this place. I get it. But you’re the one who said why can’t we be both? Noelle and Jake. That’s who we are, too. They get to write their own story. You want me to believe that you love me? Prove it.”
“I’m tryin’. Don’t you see that? And it ain’t like I wanna give up. It’s just… the magic on this side of the mirror is too strong. I’ve seen it happen. I remember livin’ it over and over again. If you won’t believe in my feelings for ya, how can I believe I can stop the end from comin’?”
He sounds so defeated. So lost. I can’t stand it.
I have to help him. But how?
Okay. Hephaestus warned me that I’d be able to access Artemis’s memories in time. After all the years that Hunter has been trapped in the Other, he must be able to tap into every life Orion has lived. He still won’t tell me his role in Artemis’s mythology and, no matter how hard I try, I don’t know how to make her tell me. I know it’s got to be bad. Why else would he try so hard to change it?
For once, I think that my ignorance when it comes to the pantheon and the actors and their roles might work to my advantage. If I don’t know how this ends, I won’t make the sort of choices that will lead me down the road to tragedy. Like I said, I can write my story.
There are only a few small snippets of Artemis’s history and character that I know for sure. She’s a huntress, a protector, the goddess of the moon, and—as much as I hate to admit it—the twin of Apollo, the god of the sun. She reveres all animals, but especially deer.
And she’s a total prude.
Seriously. No nookie at all. No wonder it took me so long to believe that I have anything to do with an ancient virgin. I’ve spent nearly every waking hour with Hunter, imagining him naked. Come on.
It hits me then.
I know exactly how to prove that I’m still Noelle St. James and I can do whatever the hell I want. I squeeze his hands. When he returns the gesture, I smile coyly.
“Let me ask you something. Artemis, she’s a virgin, right?”
His eyes widen. It’s obviously the last thing he ever thought would pop out of my mouth.
Silly Hunter. You’d think he’d know better by now.
“Yes,” he says, drawing out the word. He wears a look of confusion that makes him seem super innocent. It’s friggin’ adorable. “Artemis has always been a chaste goddess.”
I thought so. “Okay. So I’m guessing that Artemis and Orion, they never… you know.”
The apples of his cheeks turn dusty pink. Holy shit. He’s already blushing. “No. Never.”
Letting go of his hands, I move even closer to him, bridging the small gap between us until I can press my palm against his chest. Tilting back my head again, I meet his flustered gaze. “So if Noelle and Jake decide to… you know—”
He turns his head away, breaking eye contact.
I gotta admit. That hurts. Here I am, basically saying screw it and throwing myself at him like I’ve wanted to do all along, and he can’t even look at me.
He doesn’t pull away from my touch, though. In fact, as the heat through his linen shirt increases, I get the feeling he’s actually leaning into my palms. I glance up at his profile again. He’s closed his eyes and he’s frowning.
“Hunter?”
A deep breath, then a soft exhale. The words look like they’re being ripped out of him and it’s painful as hell. “I’ve never done that before.”
There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re on the same page here, even if we’re dancing around the subject. Hunter—he’s the virgin here? Are you kidding me?
I try not to let the shock color my tone. “Really?”
“It’s not so hard to believe,” he says, and I realize I totally failed on that front. “There was never any time on the farm before. Never had a chance. Then, when I came through my own mirror, I spent too much time on my own and, before long, I was waitin’ for you.”
I don’t know if I should be surprised or touched. I settle on being a little leery.
“I’m not a virgin,” I admit. I’m not ashamed. I’ve always owned my sexuality. Still… “Does that bother you?”
His eyes spring open. My heart sinks at the look of horror on his face.
And then he says, “What? No! Why would you think that? Noelle, I know you’ve lived your life mirrorside for a long while before you came to me. From the second we met, I knew you were different from any of the ladies I’ve ever known. Times are always changin’. So you’ve had a lover or two. Shit, darlin’, can ya imagine what would happen if neither of us had a clue to what we’re about to do?”
A laugh bubbles out of my throat. Even if I had second thoughts—which I definitely don’t—Hunter’s impassioned rant would’ve knocked them dead.
I feel his chest rise and fall under my hand. His breathing has picked up. His cheeks have passed from a rosy shade straight into tomato-red territory.
“Sorry ‘bout that. I jumped the gun, I guess. You haven’t even really asked me to share your bed—”
I cut him off right there. “Oh, no. You’ve definitely been invited.” I don’t add that I’ve basically been waiting for him to RSVP since he killed that scorpion for me.
I guess the scorpion was the turning point for both of us, after all.
Taking my hand from his chest, I step away from him. Sudden loss flashes across his face. At the height of his emotions, Hunter isn’t hiding anything from me. I like that. It makes it easy to see that we’re both going into this with eyes wide open.
I’ve never really thought of myself as a seductress. But when I give him a smile that’s little more than a curve of my lips, and hold my hand out to him, Hunter gazes down at me as if I’m the one who’s hung the moon.
His hand dwarfs mine. I’m not even a little worried. He might be a giant compared to me, tall and wide and really strong. Even so, I’ve never felt more in control in my life. We’ll figure this out.
This is usually the point where I have my safe sex chat. Would Hunter have a clue what I’m talking about? I mean, I’m on the shot, and I know I’m clean. I hav
en’t been with anyone since the last time I was tested. My 100-year old virgin is at no risk, and I want make sure he knows that before we really do this.
Or after. Yeah. After’s good.
Without another thought except to how amazing this is going to be, I give Hunter’s hand a short tug. I walk toward the front door of his cabin. He returns my tug with a gentle squeeze and, before I realize he’s moved, Hunter swoops me up into his arms.
I laugh again as he purposely carries me over the threshold and, with a slam of his leather boot, kicks the door closed.
The bath can wait. No point in getting clean when we’re about to get down and dirty.
34
I wake up with a smile. I ache deliciously in all my favorite places, and I'm lying next to the man responsible for it.
I reach out to stroke his arm and miss. Feeling around blindly, I quickly realize there's nothing except the empty bed and a cooling spot within arm’s reach. I quirk one eye open.
Okay. I was lying next to him. He's gone now.
I'm not surprised. Last night was… okay, it’s probably super cliché to use the term in the Other, but screw it. It was friggin’ magical. I'd been going through a really long dry spell in my real life, and that was nothing compared to Hunter’s wait.
What he lacked in experience, though, he more than made up for in exuberance. The first few attempts were fumbles—I barely touched him the first time before he came—but his recovery time was magnificent. I lost track of how many times he wanted to give it another go. And I loved every minute of it.
But Hunter’s Hunter. He wouldn't leave me unprotected, I know that. He also wouldn’t shirk any of his responsibilities. There's the fire to tend to, breakfast to be made, work to be done.
Oh, well. I guess a morning quickie is out. Shame.
Later then. I’m already looking forward to it.
I stretch, then realize that I'm naked when the deer hide rubs against my poor, sensitive nipples. I might be well and truly boned right now. Still, it's time to get up, get dressed, and find my guy. Because somewhere between the mountain and the tent, I gave up. Hunter’s mine and I'm keeping him for as long as I can.
Stalk the Moon Page 29
