Hunter's Blood Special Edition (Cursed by Blood Saga)

by Marianne Morea

  Sean’s elected position to Alpha Council of the Brethren wasn’t done by committee. The process had included everyone. One man, one vote—though his bloodline made him the obvious choice in the eyes of the wolves, a point his hunters made abundantly clear this evening.

  For the Compound to be considered a success, a resolution of this kind had to come from a majority rule. Otherwise, what was the point to the experiment of species? If they couldn’t agree on something as cut and dried as the situation with Lily, then how could they ever hope to overcome the serious issues facing them in the future—land rights, food resources, the freedom to hunt, etc.? It all hinged on how they worked together now. Parr may have forced a stalemate, but the battle was far from over.

  Sean placed his boots on the floor by the foot of the bed and unbuckled his jeans. He slid his shirt over his head and tossed it into the wicker hamper before heading into the bathroom. In the mirror, he took inventory. Dark circles and frown lines…Christ, this job was aging him fast.

  He turned on the tap to rinse his face and brush his teeth, and then slipped out of his jeans and hung them up on the chair next to his desk.

  “Hard run?” Lily asked from the bed.

  “I wish,” he answered, snapping off the light and then climbing into bed. “Believe me, I’d much rather have raced the moon than argued all night with Edward and his cronies. At least then, I wouldn’t have a headache.”

  Lily shifted, turning onto her side to let him spoon up behind her. Sean slid his arm over her waist and pulled her close, her warmth sinking into his tired limbs.

  “You’re the softest thing I’ve held tonight,” he murmured, kissing the top of her bare shoulder. “Aren’t you cold sleeping in the nude like that? You know you’re not a full Were, yet.”

  She chuckled, pushing herself further back into his warmth. “That’s what I have you for.”

  “Hmmm.”

  His sex grew hard against her wiggle, but he didn’t push the issue. As if she knew something else was up besides the obvious, Lily turned in Sean’s arms to face him, her eyes narrowing. “Are you just too tired to tell me what happened, or are you stalling because its bad news?”

  “Stalling?”

  She nodded, her eyebrows raised. “Yes. Stalling.”

  With a sigh, he rolled onto his back.

  “Sean…”

  He rubbed his face with his palm, muffling an exhausted sigh. “There’s not much to tell. Parr’s antics tonight were entirely premeditated. He was too schooled, too prepared in his arguments afterward for it not to be. He pushed, but I pushed right back. As alpha, the Hunters wanted me to force the decision as is my right, but I declined. I have to be clever about how I handle this, Lily. For both our sakes. The handwriting is on the wall. Parr will make this about me and the ‘object of my affection,’ if I give him the chance.”

  “Object of your affection?”

  The side of Sean’s mouth quirked up in a crooked smile. “That’s how Edward refers to you when he’s showboating.”

  “And…”

  “And nothing. I suggested a postponement.”

  Lily pushed herself up on one arm, her brows coming together nonplussed. “A postponement? Why? What for?”

  Sean turned on his side to face her. “Because, Christmas is in three days, and for Weres, the holiday season extends from Christmas Day straight into January and ending at the Wolf’s Moon. Traditionally, festivities last the length of a single moon cycle.

  “Parr timed his coup well, knowing everyone would opt for a quick decision just to wrap things up in time for holidays. I threw a monkey wrench into his plan by suggesting we wait. From the look on his face, he didn’t count on that.”

  Lily chewed on her lower lip, thinking. “Okay,” she murmured with a slow nod. “You know the situation better than me…so we wait.”

  She sank down against Sean’s chest, resting her head in the crook between his arm and his shoulder. He glanced across his chest at her still chewing on her lip. “What?”

  She shook her head, absently. “Nothing,” she replied. “I was just trying to remember something I read once about the Wolf’s Moon. It’s Native American, right?”

  Sean nodded. “It’s Sioux, although some of our academics say the term originated from the Algonquin. Either way the name refers to a time when winter was at its worst and the wolves came howling, looking for food. Among the Native Americans, my kind was revered, celebrated as living examples of nature’s magic. Folklore was passed down from generation to generation on how we protected the tribes. It wasn’t until the white man came that Weres became feared and hunted. The Wolf Moon is our way of remembering, of keeping tradition. Edward just loves to get in there during the festivities and stir up nostalgia for our glorious past.”

  Lily pushed herself up on her elbow. “Then postponing the decision on my acceptance to the pack can’t be good. There is only a couple of weeks until the Wolf Moon. If Parr spin doctors the whole time, won’t that make things worse for us?”

  Sean lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “It might, then again it might not. That’s why it’s crucial for you to be front and center at every holiday event. We need for people to see you, to get to know you. This way when Edward tries to label you a mere human, it won’t resonate with the Compound. By then you’ll just be Lily, a real person with a real face and a real heart.”

  Lily exhaled, concern etching her eyes.

  “What? Too much too soon?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m okay with being on display, but I think I need to go shopping. Everything I own makes me look like a hell’s angel biker babe.”

  Sean burst out laughing and pulled her on top of him long ways. “You can buy anything you want,” he said, sliding his hands down the curve of her waist, his fingers brushing the side of her breasts. “Except pajamas.”

  He crushed his mouth to hers, and she answered his need with her own. Neither was going to get much rest tonight.

  ***

  Lily walked into the breakfast room, squinting from the sun glinting in through the large portrait windows facing the expansive back property.

  “And how are you feeling this morning?” Rissa asked, looking up from putting two silver dollar pancakes on Stephanie’s plate.

  “Better, I guess,” Lily answered, pouring a cup of coffee from the silver carafe on the sideboard. She stood between the table and the spread of food long enough to feed an army. “I still can’t get used to this communal living. Don’t you ever just want to be alone?”

  “We do pretty much everything together. You’ll get used to it, I’m sure.”

  “All I can say is I’m glad you don’t all sleep together.”

  Rissa snickered. “I’ll bet.”

  Lily looked up, the creamer in her hand half way to her cup. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Rissa shook her head, a huge grin on her face. “Nothing, really. It’s just you smell…happy.”

  “Lily frowned pouring the cream into her coffee cup. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to what you people can and can’t smell. By happy, I’m assuming you mean as in X-rated, right?”

  Rissa just laughed

  “Mommy, what’s X-rated?” Stephanie asked, looking up from making swirls in her syrup.

  Rissa’s head whipped around toward her daughter. “It... it means a…a grown up thing,” she stammered over herself.

  “Oh,” the little girl said, glancing over at Lily. She sniffed, and then glanced back at her mother, a curious expression on her face. “Mommy, you smell happy like that too, sometimes. Whenever Mitch has a sleepover.”

  Lily choked, spewing coffee everywhere.

  “Who’s having a sleepover?” Mitch asked, walking through the breakfast room door.

  Rissa got up to help Lily mop up the table and wipe down her shirt. “Nothing, Mitch. Just forget it.”

  “Mommy and Lily smell the same when they’re happy,” Stephanie stated through a mouthf
ul of pancakes.

  Mitch looked at both women, his nostrils flaring slightly. His eyes widened. “Oh, for the love of Pete!” He cleared his throat and grabbed a mug from the shelf.

  “I think I’m going to go upstairs and take another shower.” Lily muttered, not making eye contact with either of them as she threw the wet napkins in the trash.

  ”Don’t leave on account of me,” Mitch teased, grabbing an English muffin from the tray. “Shower’s not going to help much anyway. It’s a Were thing,” he added with a shrug.”

  Cheeks flaming, Rissa’s head jerked in his direction, her expression mortified. Lily didn’t comment. Sean made it clear people needed to like her, so it was best she didn’t say a word.

  She leaned against the sideboard and plucked one of the sausage links from the tray next to her. Finger sized, she bit it in half, chewing while she watched Rissa compose herself enough to pour more syrup on her daughter’s plate.

  “Are you coming to the Christmas Ball?” Rissa asked, noticeably changing the subject.

  Lily shrugged. “I suppose. Sean said there were a bunch of holiday do’s over the next month.”

  Mitch laughed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “Are you two planning to go? I mean, are you up to it?” she replied, indicating Rissa’s burgeoning belly with the second half of her sausage link.

  “Ha! Not if Mitch has anything to say about it. That man would have me in bed with my feet propped up being spoon fed if he could manage it,” she said with a huffy laugh, her eyes warm as she touched the big wolf’s shoulder. “But yeah, thanks to you, I’m good. The baby is growing, and I’m healthy, and were both glad I’m back to being a full time mommy, aren’t we Stephie?”

  The little girl looked at Lily over the rim of her double handled cup. Her blue eyes crinkled as she nodded, flashing a quick smile at Lily.

  Surprised Lily glanced at both Rissa and Mitch.

  “We’ve been telling her about you, about how you’re helping everyone here get better, and how you helped me and the baby, especially.” Embarrassed, Rissa picked up a napkin and busied herself with wiping one of Stephanie’s sticky hands.

  Stephanie nodded, putting her cup down next to her plate. “Are you coming to our house for Christmas?”

  Lily looked at the adults again, not knowing what to say.

  “Of course she is sweetie. Uncle Sean wouldn’t have it any other way.” Rissa answered for her. “That is if you’re not going home for the holidays,” she added.

  Lily shook her head. She had a hard enough time facing Beverly and Carl Hess after Terry’s funeral and on the days that followed. She’d already missed Thanksgiving, as Terry didn’t want to go home in her ethereal state, not trusting herself to be around her parents.

  It was distressing enough that Terry felt their grief; she didn’t want to see it firsthand. At the time, Lily was relieved, even grateful, especially since she was caught up in vigilante mode.

  Beverly was already on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Having to watch Lily walk around like a character from the movie Death Wish, and overhear her talk to her dead daughter’s ghost would have certainly pushed her over the edge. Terry’s parents knew Lily well enough to realize she needed to be away, that she needed to grieve alone. They’d understand.

  “No. I don’t have any plans for Christmas, and New York is just too sad a place for me right now.”

  “I know, honey, and I’m sorry for that. Sean told us about Terry. You shouldn’t be alone. Why don’t you come for Christmas? We all have something to grieve, but we also all have something to hope for, to be merry about.”

  Lily smiled, but it was tinged with a sad, empty feeling. “You’re right, and I’d love to come. I guess I just need a little help in getting to the merry.”

  “Mommy, I’m done. Can I go outside now?” Stephanie asked, pulling on Rissa’s sleeve.

  Rissa turned toward her daughter. “Sure.” She nodded. “But only for a little while, and only if nanny goes with you.”

  “Yay!” The little girl slid out of her chair and hugged her mother and then bounced out the breakfast room.

  “Bundle up!” Rissa shouted after her, and then bent to clear her plate. “If only I had her energy,” she chuckled.

  “I’m heading out too,” Mitch said, putting his cup down next to the large, silver coffee carafe and giving Rissa’s cheek a peck. “I’m running drills with the new recruits, so I’ll keep an eye on Stephie.” He grabbed his jacket from the end of the sideboard. “And don’t worry about finding the merry, Lily. Sean’s great at directions.”

  Lily grinned after him as he walked out of the breakfast room. Who would believe that just weeks ago he wanted to rip her throat out.

  “So, new recruits and holiday parties…exactly how busy is it going to get around here over the next month?” Lily asked, topping off her coffee.

  Rissa straightened, grimacing a bit, one hand going to the small of her back. “The festivities start right after Christmas with the Yule Hunt. It’s pretty exciting, and it’s the first hunt for many of the adolescent Weres. Sort of a rite of passage. After that, the Hunters host a massive game dinner where the men actually cook whatever they’ve caught.”

  Lily’s brows hiked up. “Game? As in deer?”

  Rissa nodded, carrying Stephanie’s dishes to the sideboard. “Deer, elk, bear…”

  “Bear?”

  A large grin spread across Rissa’s face. “Don’t look so shocked. Bear is actually pretty good, and before you ask, the answer is no, we don’t eat it raw! You’d be surprised at how gourmet the recipes can get. After that, it’s New Year’s and there are too many parties to count. We give it a few days to let everyone recover before starting the next round of events, but the biggest one next to the Yule Hunt is our Ancestor’s Dinner, which is followed by the Wolf Ball at the end of the month. We try to have the ball coincide with the Wolf’s Moon, but sometimes the calendar doesn’t cooperate.”

  Lily slid into a chair, her fingers tapping the edge of her cup. Sean wasn’t kidding when he said there was a need for her to be front and center. From what Rissa described, over the next month Lily would literally meet and greet almost everyone in the Compound.

  She glanced up from her cup. “Sean told me a bit about the history behind the Wolf Moon. Sounds like a remarkably rich and poetic story.”

  “It’s a long standing tradition, and it truly helps solidify our heritage, especially with the kids,” Rissa replied, pouring a cup of decaf. She slid into one of the chairs across from Lily. “Although, there are some blowhards who like to use the event as a soapbox for their own agendas. You know, like celebrities sometimes do at the Oscars.”

  Lily didn’t comment, but Rissa’s face told her exactly who she meant. Edward Parr. She wondered if the man’s posturing was just part of his everyday persona, or if Mitch shared what was going on, with Rissa.

  “The Oscars, wow. That’s some comparison. I guess it’s safe to assume you plan on going, then, huh?”

  Rissa chuckled. “I’m going, whether Mitch likes it or not. Now all I have to do is find a dress large enough to hide this bump,” she said tugging on her maternity top. “I wouldn’t miss the Wolf Ball for the world.”

  Lily put her cup down and leaned her elbows on the table, her hand clasped. “So, since you’re feeling better and you said you needed a dress, are you up for a little retail therapy? All I’ve got in my repertoire is either leather or denim, and that’s not going to cut it. What do you think about a little shopping?”

  Rissa beamed. “How soon do you want to leave?”

  ***

  The weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. Christmas and New Year’s had come and gone, and though they were cheerful for the most part, a somber note lingered at the core of holiday events. Too many people had lost loved ones to the virus over the past months to ignore.

  Decorations that had graced the great hall had been taken down, along with the twenty foot Christmas tree t
hat had held the spot in front of the vaulted windows where a full orchestra now warmed up. It was time for the Wolf Moon Ball.

  Streamers in bright, jewel tones replaced the holiday décor; the colors signifying each Were assemblage represented at the Compound. Standards had been hung from the beamed rafters earlier that day, each one depicting a different group’s crest, and the great hall looked regal.

  Two hundred people milled around just as they had two months earlier at the Blood Rites ritual. Only this time, everyone knew more than just Lily’s face and name. They knew her.

  The ball was set on such a grand scale, that dozens of round tables had been arranged along the room’s perimeter to accommodate the crowd. Each table was decorated in red and gold, the primary colors of the Alpha Council of the Brethren. The gesture was a nod to Sean and his leadership, but also to Lily. On the whole, things looked encouraging, but then again the night was young.

  The room seemed to sparkle. From the blood red tablecloths to the long, tapered candles and crystal vases filled with sprays of holly and winter flowers. Gold trimmed dinnerware gleamed in the candlelight, as did the crystal champagne and wine glasses set at each place setting.

  “The room is just beautiful!” Lily exclaimed as she and Sean walked in hand in hand through the arched entry, her eyes scanning the expanse and the stunning decorations.

  “No. You’re beautiful,” Sean replied, his eyes glowing with pride and unspoken desire as they swept Lily’s petite frame.

  Lily squeezed his hand, and then went up on her tip toes to touch her lips to his. “I’m glad you think so.”

  Mitch and Rissa were toward the center of the dance floor. He chatted away with one of the hunters while Rissa scolded Stephie for turning cartwheels in her party dress.

  “Would you look at how cute that kid is,” Sean said with an expression as soft as butter.

  Lily met Rissa’s frustrated plea as Mitch caught Stephanie by the arm, swinging her up onto his hip. “I’m not so sure Rissa would agree with you at the moment.”