An Unlucky Moon

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  It was that whole big bad wolf thing that Becca didn’t think he’d be able to control.

  It wasn’t as though she didn’t think Hunter or Josiah were strong enough. It was that they’d have to go against their Pack and their traditions to make things happen.

  How the hell had her mind made its way back to the war brewing with the den?

  “Okay, you need to tell us exactly what happened,” Faith demanded. “I need to know if you want me to castrate the bastard or not.”

  “Faith, stop trying to take vital body parts off of Becca’s mate,” Nadie admonished then turned to Becca, who still lay against her. “But I’ll hold the bastard down for Faith if you need me to.”

  Becca snorted out a laugh—exactly what she’d needed. “I’ve missed you guys so freaking much.”

  Nadie squeezed her close while Faith rolled her eyes, but Becca didn’t miss the happiness in them.

  “If you missed us so much, you shouldn’t have stayed in the freaking den for so long,” Faith said. “I mean, come on, one minute you’re dating the man, the next you’re kidnapped, saved, and living with him with stars in your eyes. Not that I knew there were stars in your eyes because I hadn’t actually seen you. For all I know, things have been perfectly dreadful, and yet, you haven’t come to us.”

  “Hell, make me feel like a bug beneath your shoe, why don’t you?” Becca whispered.

  “We just missed you, that’s all,” Nadie soothed.

  “I’m sorry I stayed away for so long.”

  “No you’re not,” Faith corrected. “Yeah, you’re sorry you couldn’t see us, but from that bun in your oven, I’m pretty sure you enjoyed most of your time.”

  Becca laughed then told them about what had happened in the den while she lived there. She tried to make the parts with Hunter and how much she loved the man the most important parts, but her friends were more interested in the fact that she was now a leprechaun with either a death threat or Breeder threat hanging over her head.

  “Why the fuck didn’t we know about this?” Faith yelled as she paced her living room.

  “Faith.”

  “No, don’t start, Becca,” Nadie said, albeit calmer than Faith. “Dante said only that you were being taken care of and happy. He didn’t mention that people were still trying to kill you or that the realm that was supposed to welcome you with open arms seems to have turned into a crazy bunch of wackos that only want you for your uterus. He knew about all of this, didn’t he?”

  The betrayal laced within Nadie’s voice made Becca feel about two inches tall. Damn it. What had she been thinking? Why had she stayed away from her friends for so long just because she wanted to see her future?

  “Nadie, hon, he didn’t know everything. I’m an idiot. I tried so hard to examine what I wanted my future to be, even if I didn’t know it exactly, that I threw my past away or at least hid it.”

  Faith plunked herself down beside Becca. “I’ll forgive you in a bit because I sort of understand.”

  Surprised, Becca turned toward her friend. “You do?”

  Faith sighed. “Yeah. I do. I mean, you’re still not off the hook for ditching us, and even more so in trouble because you haven’t explained how good Hunter is in the sack yet, but I’ll get over it.”

  “Faith!” Nadie blushed, and Becca just laughed.

  “Tell me why you understand because I don’t know if I do.”

  “You love him, Becca,” Faith said simply. “All of this is so new, so of course you’re going to be confused. Come on, it isn’t like you had the most stable of childhoods, and, hell, even your twenties sucked a bit with doing so much at once and not taking any of the help we offered.”

  “Faith.”

  Her friend held up her hand. “No, let me finish. You’re our best friend. We seven have been through hell, and for some of us that means literally. We’ve been struck by freaking lightning and now look at our future. Of course you’re going to want to see what the other side looks like and immerse yourself in it. You’re too afraid that if you step away from Hunter for even a little bit he’ll leave like everyone else did—excluding your friends—and you’ll be alone.”

  Becca swallowed hard. Though that had been what she’d been thinking, it still hurt to hear it. Gods, she was an idiot.

  “I think I need to learn to multitask a bit better.”

  Faith snorted. “Honey, every time you multitask you end up dropping things. It’s okay to need to compartmentalize a bit. Just, next time, make sure you don’t take that so close to heart.”

  Nadie rubbed her hand on Becca’s shoulder. “Why are you here now, Becca?”

  Because she was an idiot, and she told that to her friends. “Besides that? Because I…hell. I guess I got scared. Hunter is freaking amazing. Even when he’s all tough-alpha-wolf dude, he’s always putting me first.”

  “Maybe you just wanted to test him,” Faith put in.

  “That makes me sound like a bitch. It might be true, or I just got scared. I hate those women who throw fits just to test their men. I’ve never done it before, and I’ll be damned if I let this end here.”

  “You’ll explain it to him in a bit,” Faith said. “Ambrose texted saying your mate is hanging with him and Balin at their place doing manly stuff.”

  “Ambrose didn’t say manly stuff,” Nadie said. “And Ambrose actually texted?”

  Becca snorted, trying to imagine the five-thousand-year-old angel texting.

  Faith smiled. “Jamie is forcing him to learn new things. As for the manly part, I might have added that, but it doesn’t make it untrue. Your Hunter will be by to pick you up in a bit. Despite what you’re thinking, he understands. Well, not the pregnancy part, but the fear-of-everything part. When are you going to tell him you’re having his puppies by the way?”

  “Wolves don’t have litters, so I don’t think I’ll be having like eight babies at once,” Becca teased, feeling better by just seeing her friends. “And I’m going to tell him we’re having a baby as soon as we get back home. I’m not hiding this, and knowing his nose, I can’t hide it for much longer anyway. I only got the pregnancy test to begin with because Leslie, another wolf, snuck it to me and I hadn’t wanted to worry Hunter more than he already is.”

  Faith nodded, and the three of them started to talk about what she’d missed while she’d been away. These two women, and the other women who were part of their inner circle, were, or had been, her anchor. Hunter might have become that now, but her friends would always be there as well.

  She just needed to remember that.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hunter stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and stared at the back door to Faith’s place. He felt as though he’d just left Becca there, yet at the same time, it felt like it had been years. Gods, he missed her more than anything, and his wolf, just like the man, needed to know she was safe.

  The moon glared at him, as if it knew he’d somehow fucked it all up. Not even the night air and freedom that came from being away from the den could help him right now.

  Hell, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if Becca would be ready to go home or not.

  He didn’t even know if she still considered the den home.

  Fuck.

  What the hell had he done to scare her away?

  Ambrose and Balin had told him that something must have happened to trigger her freak-out. Throughout everything, Becca had been strong and resilient.

  Something must have changed, but he had no clue what.

  “Hunter?”

  Becca’s voice broke him away from his thoughts, and his eyes shot open. He hadn’t even been aware they’d been closed. Without second-guessing himself—at least for now—he strode toward her and lifted his mate into his arms. He buried his nose against her neck, needing to take in her scent to calm his wolf, to calm himself.

  It wasn’t that she’d been out of his sight; no, he wasn’t as crazy as that. It was because they’d left each other on uncertain
terms—something he’d rather not do again.

  Ever.

  He’d find a way to make everything better for her, make sure this worked. He wasn’t about to let her walk out of his life.

  She was his.

  Forever.

  Her arms wrapped around his waist and held on tight. His body relaxed against her, loving the way her body sank into his.

  He could scent the other two women near them, but they’d stayed in the house, watching over their friend. Hopefully Becca had confided in them so she wouldn’t have to bear it all on her shoulders, though he’d have preferred if she’d talked to him as well.

  After a few more minutes of just holding each other and letting their bond settle over them, he pulled back and framed her face with his hands.

  “Are you ready to go home?” He fought to keep his voice even and unassuming. He didn’t know what he’d do if she said she wanted to stay with Faith or go back to her old apartment.

  Alone.

  If she’d wanted to go back to her old place with him by her side, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Liam and Alec could take care of his duties for a little while. After all, that was what he’d wanted to do in the first place when he was deciding how to have him fit within Becca’s life as much as she’d given up things to fit within his life. He’d even told her that, but now he wasn’t sure if she understood or even believed him.

  Hell, he wanted, no, needed, to make sure that whatever happened now wouldn’t ruin everything for the future. If only she’d talk to him.

  He had no idea when he’d turned into a man who needed to talk and vent his feelings, but at this point, he’d get over it. He might have grown up within a Pack that prided itself on the fact that they weren’t human and didn’t abide by all their human laws, but right now, he needed Becca.

  It wasn’t like before she’d come into his life in that alleyway. Before he could have just walked to any female’s dwelling and gotten his rocks off if he wanted. No, now was all about Becca. Other Pack members might have been okay with random, hardcore fucks whenever they wanted, but he needed the woman in his arms.

  He needed to kill anyone who harmed her. The three council members’ lives were forfeit. Or at least they would be soon. Hunter would have to deal with the fallout later from breaking the oaths and sanctions of the Pack. Those men had tried to kill his mate, his future.

  It was past the time of words and prayers. Now he’d have to deal with the actions of others and the consequences of his own.

  The leprechauns were also on his list. They might have been quiet for now, but Hunter had a feeling it wasn’t over. No, not by a long shot. For all he knew, they were planning something right now and ready to catch him and Becca unawares.

  That was not something he would let happen.

  He looked down at his mate and fought to keep the warring emotions and thoughts off his face.

  “Are you ready to go home?” he repeated.

  “Yes. I’m ready.”

  Her soft words slid through him, and he almost fell to his knees.

  Thank the gods.

  He wasn’t ready to let her go. No. Scratch that. He’d never be ready to let her go, and she’d just have to learn that. He was a dominant wolf, and he couldn’t let go of the one who was meant for him by fate, biology, heart, and so much more.

  She’d just have to get used to it and tell him why she’d reacted that way in the first place.

  Right now, though, he just wanted to get her home, behind the walls of their home, in their bed, and under him.

  His wolf needed to reaffirm the bond.

  The man was right there behind his wolf.

  Hunter gave a nod to the two women in the window then opened a portal to take Becca and him home. Thankfully Faith had a full coverage of trees in her backyard, so it made things easy. If they hadn’t been in such a hurry in the first place, he would have brought Becca here on his bike. He loved the way she laughed when he went faster and hugged him tight, her body pressed against him, her pussy hot against his back with just the little amount of clothes they wore between them.

  Becca slid her small hand in his, and he relaxed even more.

  It never failed to floor him how her touch could make him react.

  There was no way he was letting that go.

  No way was he letting her leave him.

  No way was he letting her keep whatever was bugging her away from him.

  They stepped foot in their own backyard as the portal closed behind them. Night had fallen when he’d been at the triad’s home, and it was even darker within the den, as the tall trees blocked some of the moonlight.

  He smelled the smoke from someone’s fireplace, and he could hear the gentle sounds of his Pack members relaxing for an evening. He kept Becca close as he used his senses to see if there were any intruders or anything out of place, but he didn’t catch anything.

  It seemed Liam and Alec had done as they’d said and watched over his home, as well as the Pack. Hunter could still smell the faint traces of the duo as they’d run over his land, keeping outsiders, if there had been any to begin with, away.

  “Ready to go in?” he asked and looked down at his mate.

  She tilted her head up and gave him a small smile, but he could still see the sadness in it. It broke him that he didn’t know why she was acting this way, why she’d needed space.

  They’d have to talk about it soon because there was no way this could go on, not even for a full night. He was too wired to protect and care for those he loved to stand idly by and let things fall apart.

  He’d already had to do that when he’d been in hell.

  There was no way he’d do it again.

  They walked inside, shucked their shoes and her purse, and then walked into the living room.

  “Tell me what upset you, Becca,” he said as soon as they were both on the couch, her tucked under his arm.

  Right where she was supposed to be.

  She took a deep breath and leaned against his shoulder. His wolf paced, loving the way she felt against him but needing to know what exactly was going on.

  “I think it was just everything.”

  “Everything.” Shit. What did that mean?

  “I mean, gods, Hunter. Everything that has happened lately is freaking terrifying if you look at it all together. We met because I was mugged and almost raped in an alley.”

  He clenched his jaw, forcing back the rage at that memory.

  “I almost died when that piece of wood sliced through me as the djinn attacked.”

  This time the rage mixed with the horror at what had happened. If it hadn’t been for Jamie’s wish…

  She moved so they could look at each other’s faces. He tried to school his features to avoid scaring her, but he didn’t think he was doing a good job.

  “I can still remember the way you howled. At the time it was like an echo, so far away, but something I could still hold on to. I know Jamie’s wish is what saved me, but if you hadn’t been there on the other side, pulling me through…” She shuddered. “You were the one for me then, even if we didn’t know exactly what to do about it.”

  He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear then traced his finger down her cheek. He didn’t speak, knowing she needed to let her words out and find a place.

  “Then, when we finally became a couple, or at least were trying to, considering my own pig-headed human way, the council changed all of that. Ever since, things have been crazy, Hunter. It’s like it’s one thing after another, trying to test us or break us apart.”

  He frowned, knowing she was right, but still not liking the words. He hadn’t done enough to protect her from his own past. He knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

  “I’m sorry I’m not a better protector,” he whispered. “I should be stronger than I am, and yet, you keep getting hurt.”

  She shook her head quickly then framed his face with her hands. He placed one of his own on top of hers, needing the t
ouch.

  “It’s not your fault the world is out to get us. Okay, maybe not the world, but enough people with ego trips that it feels like the whole world. You’re doing all you can, and I know you want to do more. You can’t without endangering others, Hunter. I know that.”

  “It’s why you needed to leave though.”

  She shook her head again. “No, maybe, I don’t know. I think it was all too much, and I just needed to breathe again. I hid away here from my own past and decisions, leaving my friends worrying about me. That was selfish.”

  He frowned. “They knew where you were and how things where. You weren’t selfish.”

  “I feel like that now, and from now on, I’m not going to be. I’m going to have to find a way to blend both worlds.”

  He nodded. “Done. I’ll help. Anything you need.”

  “You’re just what I need, Hunter. I hope you know that.”

  She smiled, though he felt as though there was something else he was missing. He kissed her forehead, needing to touch her again, and stiffened.

  There was something different about her scent. Something…sweeter…softer.

  His eyes widened and he dropped his jaw.

  “Holy shit. You’re pregnant.”

  She pulled back, her eyes wide, but not full of the surprise he’d have expected.

  “You knew.”

  She winced. “I found out this morning. I think that’s what caused the whole freak-out. Not that I don’t want this baby, because, oh gods, I do, but because everything is going so quickly.”

  He blinked, his mouth opening and closing. He wanted to say something, but he hadn’t the words.

  Pregnant.

  His mate was pregnant with his child.

  An image of Becca large and round, naked with her hair covering her full breasts and her hands resting on the place where she grew their future filled his mind, and he smiled.