Hunter's Moon

by Loribelle Hunt

  “No,” she said softly, staring out the passenger window so he couldn’t see her expression. “It’s not going to be okay. It never has been.”

  He could hear the unshed tears in her voice. His heart broke for her. “Don’t do that, baby.” He could handle her yelling at him. Could handle the ice queen, too, if it came down to that. But he couldn’t take her hurting, especially when she wouldn’t even let him comfort her. It ripped him up inside.

  Chapter Five

  For years he was more crazy than sane. Grief could do that to a man. The only thing that had kept him from taking his own life was vengeance. Ironic that they’d circled back to where it all started.

  He remembered the day, sixteen years ago, clearly. The day he’d lost everything. He’d gone for a run, come home to find his beautiful Hattie dying. He’d known as soon as he entered his house another wolf had been there, and she’d lived long enough to describe the wolf who’d attacked her. It was a scent he’d never forgotten.

  He’d held her, covered in her blood, consumed with rage and grief, until Gia arrived home. She’d thought he’d done it. Killed his mate, her mother. He’d let her believe the lie. In a way it was true. Being part of her life was what had made her a target. It made Gia a target too, so he let her go also. Her human uncle would take care of her, watch over her. And some day, maybe, after he killed the rogue who’d killed his wife, he could return to his daughter.

  He laughed, a hoarse, rusty sound he hadn’t heard in years. Like that was ever going to happen. Too many years had gone by. He’d missed half her life. The chances she’d let him back into it were about nil and none. Still, he would at least be able to explain things once this was all over.

  But it wasn’t over yet. He entered the old abandoned house to wait. It was alive with ghosts. He avoided the front living room where she’d died and went to the back of the house. All of the old furniture was still there. It looked like Julian hadn’t removed anything. He dropped a backpack and sleeping bag on a couch, sending dust flying into the air.

  He stepped out of the cloud and went to explore the rest of the house. The time warp extended to the kitchen and upstairs bedroom. The only empty space was Gia’s. Her clothes and books were gone, though she’d left her furniture. He doubted a grown woman would want to keep her twin bed from childhood.

  He frowned. He should have made more of an effort to inform himself about her life over the years. She was grown now. Was she married? Did she have children? Shaking his head, he pushed the questions away and returned downstairs. He had to focus, and he needed to catch up on some sleep before he faced the rogue.

  He spread the unrolled sleeping bag on the floor, pulled off his shoes, and lay down with his arms crossed under his head. He’d dream of revenge.

  But sleep eluded him. Why had the rogue come back to Gold Falls? Why come back to the beginning? He couldn’t say how, but he was positive the rogue would find him. Maybe he was finally tiring of the run and hide game they’d been playing for so long. God knows Arthur was tired of it.

  And then he heard it. Bushes scratching against the windows, but there was no wind. Someone was out there. Careful not to make any noise, he rolled into the shadows and rose into a crouch. The back door opened, creaky on long unused hinges, and he waited patiently. A silent lure hidden in the gloom.

  The scent that came to him was the last he expected however. Not the rogue he was lying in wait for, but another loved one he’d abandoned. Declan entered without making a sound, and he realized his younger brother had intentionally made a little noise outside, a way of announcing his presence.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you.”

  Of course. His brother was a Hunter, and since he’d never bothered to clear his name, he was a target.

  “You’ll have to wait to kill me until later.”

  Declan shrugged. The gesture looked benign and easygoing, but Arthur saw the tension in his frame. “Sure. Why not? You’ve got some explaining to do first anyway.”

  “I didn’t kill Hattie.”

  “Gia thinks you did.” He’d seen her. Arthur didn’t know whether to feel jealous or sad.

  “How is she?”

  “Hard as nails. She hunts with the humans. And she’s mated to Anthony.”

  Damn it! He’d stayed away from her hoping she’d have a normal life. Whatever the hell that was. Not this. He’d given her care over to Julian, sure he’d protect her.

  “I didn’t want her touched by this world,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Kinda hard to avoid that. She is the daughter of a werewolf. She’s convinced you killed Hattie. Did you really just expect her to walk away?”

  He had a point. The girl he remembered was stubborn as hell and just as smart. He’d started teaching her self-defense when she was very small, and by sixteen, she was an expert. What kind of woman had she grown into?

  “Who did it?”

  He was lost in his head and his brows drew together in confusion as he met Declan’s gaze. “What?”

  “Who killed Hattie?”

  “Tim Burns.” There was a surge of satisfaction at that knowledge. It’d taken years to track the wolf and learn his identity. One that was well known as a matter of fact. He was highly placed in the Society that harbored rogues.

  “You seriously expect anyone to believe that?” asked a hard, yet feminine voice.

  He’d heard the car pull up, of course. Followed by the front door opening and two sets of footsteps. Her scent hadn’t changed. He shouldn’t have been surprised by her appearance, but he was unprepared to see his baby girl all grown up and dressed for battle with her werewolf mate at her back. She was so like her mother. It was clear to him Anthony wouldn’t be able to control her any more than he’d been able to control Hattie.

  Gia hadn’t known that. Had never known that he sometimes gave in and let Hattie go hunting with him. Gia would go off to visit a friend or relative in the summer, and before he knew it, Hattie had conned him into tagging along. He’d never been able to resist her. Couldn’t deny her anything. God, he missed her. And here stood his daughter who, despite his best attempt, was probably just like her mother.

  He didn’t answer her question. “Hope you’re not the same sort of adrenaline junkie she was.”

  He surprised her, guessed from her expression she didn’t find the chase a thrill at all. Good. Maybe now that she’d found him, she’d quit. But what of the man standing at her side?

  He couldn’t read Anthony at all. He definitely was not the untried pup Arthur remembered, however. Anthony stood with confident ease, Gia’s hand held loosely in his. She, on the other hand, fairly strummed with tension and anger. While he watched, Anthony let her hand go and moved his to grasp the back of her neck. His thumb brushed over the mark on her neck and she calmed. He sensed their bond was new, the bite was definitely fresh, but they already seemed a strong team. Then her hand moved to the gun on her hip.

  Gia understood now why Anthony had insisted on doing this hunt by himself. Her fingers flexed around the butt of her pistol, but she couldn’t do it. She didn’t believe his story for a minute, but she couldn’t kill him. For the first time in years, memories of happier times intruded. She tried to ignore them. She didn’t want to remember anything that made him look less like the monster he was.

  No matter how hard she tried, however, the memories came. Him laughing at one of her mom’s stupid jokes. Teaching Gia to fight. Making breakfast and serving it to Hattie in bed on Mother’s Day. Damn it. This wouldn’t do at all.

  He was watching her carefully. Expectantly. Why? What was he looking for? She turned her back on him and met Anthony’s gaze. “You’re going to have to take care of this one,” she said softly even though she knew the other two would hear her.

  He watched her a long time before he moved. What did he see on her face? Was she at least hiding it from everyone else? He stepped to her side, hand gentle on her elbow as he prodded
her to move with him, farther away from Arthur and Declan.

  “What if he’s telling the truth?”

  She was outraged. Hurt he was taking up for the werewolf who’d killed her mother.

  “You can’t believe that,” she snapped.

  “I don’t. But we do have an obligation to be sure.” He didn’t sound happy about it at least.

  “So now what?” Declan asked when they turned back around.

  Anthony took a long time to answer. “Take him home. Check out his story.”

  Declan nodded. “Pack up.”

  Arthur rolled up his sleeping bag, grabbed a backpack from the corner, and was ready to go. She watched through narrow eyes. Did he always travel so light? And why the hell did she care? She followed the group outside.

  “You can ride with me,” Declan offered.

  “No,” Anthony ordered. “He stays with us.”

  Declan looked like he wanted to argue, but he kept it to himself. Arthur took the back seat, and Declan followed in his car.

  “Where are we going?” she asked when they passed the welcome sign on the outskirts of their town.

  “Home.”

  He didn’t elaborate, and she almost asked which one. His, hers, or Julian’s? She didn’t bother. There was no point in giving Arthur any knowledge not absolutely necessary. The logical choice would be Anthony’s house, which doubled as Hunter headquarters. As a former Hunter, Arthur already knew its location. Anthony wouldn’t go to her place; he’d never expose her to danger he believed could be avoided.

  No one spoke for the remainder of the drive.

  At the house, they all entered his office. She could see her father’s surprise when Anthony seated himself behind the desk. Arthur hadn’t known Anthony was the leader of the Hunters then. Declan, Asa, and Clint followed them in. The four werewolves were good friends but there was no doubt who was in charge.

  Anthony crooked his finger, beckoning her to come to him. Under normal circumstances, she would have laid into him and accused him of being presumptuous and sexist. But these were not normal circumstances, and she desperately needed the support she knew she’d have at his side. She needed to borrow some of his strength.

  She wanted to blame it on his bite, but admitted the trust had been building for months. He’d teased her. Flirted shamelessly. Driven her crazy with need. She finally realized he hadn’t been tormenting her for his own amusement. He’d been working up to claiming her for months. Letting her adjust to his presence in her life. She wasn’t sure if she was pissed or touched. Probably both.

  She walked to his desk and perched on one corner. He took her hand and nibbled on her knuckles, giving her a wicked grin in the process. Her stomach dropped like she was on a roller coaster.

  He reached up and pulled her into his lap so her back was no longer to the room with four werewolves behind her. He never allowed her to feel vulnerable with anyone else. It was one of the things she loved about him. Holy shit. Was she really ready to go there? Admitting that depth of feeling for anyone? Much less a bossy werewolf who was going to do his damnedest to run her life.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

  She shook her head, bit her bottom lip. “Nothing.”

  “Not nothing.” His gaze narrowed. “But I’ll let it go for now.”

  She rolled her eyes. That was exactly what she was talking about. Thankfully he turned his focus from her, and she didn’t have to punch him.

  “Explain,” he demanded, pinning Arthur under his gaze.

  “Gia should leave first. There are things she’s not ready to hear.”

  “Like hell,” she snapped, anger pulsing through her again. Even Anthony’s soothing hands didn’t make it abate. She didn’t want to hear any of it, not one of his lies, but there was no way he was running her off. She really just wanted him gone and she didn’t care who took care of making him disappear anymore. “I have a right to hear your lies.”

  Arthur looked to Anthony for a decision, acting as if she had no choice in the matter at all. “She doesn’t leave my sight.” His voice was implacable, making it damned certain Arthur didn’t have anything to do with her decisions while also making it clear Anthony considered her his. She was no longer sure how she felt about that. Besides, if he’d tried to send her away, it would have felt like a betrayal of her trust, like he believed she couldn’t handle herself. She needed some room and time to think, but it would have to be later.

  But later…they would be alone, and he would touch her again and her brain would stop functioning. Fuck. She was screwed. She bit her lip to stop a frantic giggle. Or she would be at any rate. He’d promised her a bed next time, and damned if she didn’t want to experience that.

  Arthur sighed. “Your call, of course.”

  No, it wasn’t, but he’d never get that, would he? He’d tried to rule their every move when she was a child. No doubt he expected other werewolves to behave just as badly. “Just get on with it.”

  “I didn’t kill your mother.”

  He looked straight at her, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t look away. Couldn’t respond either.

  “I loved her more than anything. You have to know that, Gia. You must remember it.”

  She refused to remember it. “You were covered in her blood. You said, I did this. That’s what I remember.”

  He sighed and shifted in his seat like he was uncomfortable. Good. He deserved it. “I meant that I was responsible. It was my fault. I was so afraid whoever it was would come after you so I sent you to Julian.” He shook his head. “That’s true, but you couldn’t have stayed with me then if it was a car accident and not an attack that killed her. The grief“—he took a deep breath—“was too intense. For a long time, the only reason I kept on was vengeance.”

  She turned her face into Anthony’s shoulder. He immediately wrapped an arm around her, rubbed her neck until she went limp against him. God damn, Arthur. If he was telling the truth, he’d abandoned his daughter. If he was telling the truth, he’d let her believe the worst for sixteen years. Then in one night he expected to turn it all upside down. Like she didn’t have enough problems right now dealing with Anthony.

  “What happened later?” Anthony asked. He must have realized she couldn’t find her voice anymore. She didn’t turn around as her father answered, knew she couldn’t hide all the emotions from her eyes.

  “It was a long time before I could think clearly. You’re new to the bond, right? It’s very hard to live without the other half of your soul.” His voice broke at the end but she refused to feel any sympathy for him. He took a minute, seemed to compose himself before going on. “When I could function again, I went searching. I must have gotten home that day right after the rogue left. His scent was strong. I’ve never forgotten it.”

  “And you think it was Tim Burns?” one of the others, Asa, asked. Declan had obviously filled him in during the drive back.

  “I know it,” Arthur practically growled. “It took me a long time to get close enough to him to be sure, but he’s always protected. For some reason, he’s gone back to Gold Falls.”

  “Could be he knows you’re following him, and he figured it would be the right lure,” Anthony drawled.

  She sat up then, turned around to look at Arthur. He nodded. “That’s my guess.”

  Shit. He was using himself as bait? Before she could protest, Anthony spoke. “It’s late. Let’s continue this in the morning.” He caught Clint’s gaze and gave a slight motion with his head. What was he up to now? “Under the circumstances, I’m sure you understand you’ll be under guard in this house.”

  “Is that really necessary?” Declan asked.

  “Yes,” he answered with his best alpha tone. Its effect on her had always been carnal and she shivered. His hand stroked absently up her back.

  Clint moved forward. “This way.” Arthur stood and followed him out, so did the rest. Suddenly, she was nervous. Alone again. She scrambled out of his lap and around the des
k. He just smiled and walked to the door where he stood and held his hand out.

  “I believe I said something about a bed earlier.”

  Chapter Six

  Gia trembled and he hadn’t even touched her yet. His gaze swept her body, and it felt like a hot caress. Molten. She felt an answering desire. One of them might combust when he touched her.

  He cocked an eyebrow when she didn’t move. “I guess we could try out the desk first.”

  She couldn’t help it. She looked over at the desk, considered it and discarded the idea. Nope. She really wanted that bed. Forcing her feet to move, she stepped forward. But he didn’t lead her from the room. He took her in his arms and kissed her.

  It started out gentle. Tender. A soft kiss against her lips and another until she opened her mouth for him. His tongue brushed over hers and his moan filled her mouth when she touched his in return. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers tunneling into his hair, and pressed her body as close as possible. His cock was hard against her belly and she rubbed against it. He abruptly broke the kiss.

  He was breathing hard, and she felt a surge of exhilaration. She did that to him. She made him lose control.

  “Any more of that and it will be the desk.” He stepped out of the doorway and ushered her through, slapping her ass when she passed him.

  “Anthony,” she protested, but she didn’t really mean it, and he knew it. He growled, and why did that turn her on even more? Hell, why keep trying to figure this out? Just go with it, Gia.

  “Upstairs,” he ordered.

  She was only too happy to oblige and jogged up the stairs unafraid of letting her eagerness show. He opened the last door on the left and nodded for her to enter first. She walked in, suddenly overcome with nervousness, and looked around.

  It wasn’t a bedroom. She guessed it would be called a living room, but den would be a better description. Like the rest of the house, the floors were a lightly stained wood. But that’s where any lightness stopped. The couch and chair were black leather, the coffee and end tables a dark mahogany. A flat screen TV was hung on one wall next to a bookcase. It was definitely a man’s room.