Hunter's Moon (The Witch Who Sang with Wolves Book 1)

by Kat Bostick

  “Maintain a collection—“ she repeated “—of history regarding all things supernatural. Initially my goal was merely to learn as much truth about werewolves as I could. Most of our history is kept by word of mouth—highly unreliable—and thus I sought to solidify the line between lore and reality. Unfortunately, many historical accounts are scarcely more dependable than verbal stories. It’s anecdotal information at best.” The book flopped open on the table with a thump. “The same can’t be said about your kind. Family legacies and the like are a treasure-trove of knowledge. It’s a shame our kind has not adopted a similar practice.”

  “Why would they? Our family trees are pasted together. There are not enough sons and daughters to pass such a gift to.” Charlie suggested.

  “Don’t make excuses, father.” Clem tsked. “We are lazy, short-sighted savages. That’s why we have no history.”

  Mari scoffed. “You don’t look like savages from where I’m standing.”

  The she-wolf trained her gaze on Jasper then, deep wells of blue studying him thoughtfully. “You seem to know my littlest brother well enough to understand that looks can be deceiving.” Jasper snarled at Clem, playfully it seemed, and she raised the heavy book threateningly. “Prove my point, Trev.”

  The sound of her own laughter, deeply rooted in her belly, startled Mari. Since the morning of Gran’s death, she was running on autopilot. Jasper did his best to keep her spirits high but it felt as if she’d been slowly sinking into black, suffocating mud. The easy laughter that Clem and Charlie provoked was the first breath of fresh air in weeks. Suddenly, the urge to cry choked out her laughter and Mari had to inhale slowly to wash away the feeling.

  Finding the pack was supposed to be an adventure, an escape from the mind-numbing mundane prison Mari was gradually building around herself. There was no plan for what came next, no thought of what would actually happen when she found them, because it was a game then. She could run away with Jasper and live as the person she wanted to be for a brief moment. As usual, Mari hadn’t asked herself “then what?” It didn’t matter.

  It didn’t matter then. It mattered a great deal now.

  As Charlie and Clem continued their back and forth, describing werewolf quirks and sharing their favorite titles with her, Mari got the feeling they were trying to woo her. It was working. Two days earlier, she had nowhere left to run. Home wasn’t safe. Home didn’t even exist anymore. Then here came the pack, appearing out of thin air in the most obscure place, right when she and Japer were reaching peak desperation. A wise witch would thank the divine, understanding a gift from Gods when it was handed to her.

  Yet, a wary voice in her head reminded her once again not to get comfortable. They were courteous hosts and lovely company but they didn’t want her. They appreciated what she’d done for Jasper and would reward her accordingly. Then, eventually, they would send her on her way. Deep down, Mari always knew there would come a day when she and Jasper said their goodbyes. It hadn’t happened that solstice night in the forest but it would happen eventually. They came from two different worlds.

  The best course of action was to take advantage of what the pack offered and learn about her kind. From there, Mari could make a more calculated move. She could find a coven of white witches and start fresh. Jasper would be safe, she would be safe, and whatever divine plan that guided her to perform her rites and find the pack would be completed. Perhaps that was the purpose all along. Jasper would come home, Mari would become powerful, as she was born to be, and then find a sisterhood better suited for her than Gran’s coven.

  “I would be happy to study this material with you and get some answers about your magic.” Clem interrupted her thoughts. “And you could teach me, too.”

  “I doubt there is anything new I could teach you.” Mari replied.

  “On the contrary, you are versed in the mundane. We wolves don’t get out as much as we should and as time passes, we lose track of the modern world. Culture and technology evades our understanding.” She shrugged. “That part doesn’t bother me. I’m more interested in learning what humans know about us. How have myths been twisted and what truths lie within them? This subject fascinates me and, if you are willing, I would love to speak to you about them at length.”

  An eager smile parted Mari’s lips. “Do you have a TV? I think I know just the thing to get you up to speed.”

  The tour ended in Charlie’s office, where three suspiciously fresh mugs of coffee waited on the desk. Either the pack had ghostly housekeepers or the house wasn’t as empty as it sounded. Mari accepted a mug and took a seat beside Jasper on the couch, listening intently as the alpha explained the inner workings of his pack.

  “Since you don’t have much experience with our kind you might not realize how different we are from a standard pack. The werewolf is an enigma, a blend of human and wolf that often gets confused by warring instincts. Many alphas choose to lead with the violence of the wolf and the domineering nature of man, a horribly oppressive combination in my opinion. It is my belief that a pack is meant to be a family. We may not be bound by blood but we are fiercely loyal to each other, as family should be.

  “Unfortunately, most werewolves are born of violence and therefore that is how they live. Each of the wolves here has suffered unimaginable pain of the body and the soul. As an alpha, it is my duty to protect any wolf seeking refuge from their torments. That has led to some intriguing pack members over the years but I can’t say it isn’t entertaining. We have our eccentricities and quirks.”

  “Charlie’s Home for Wayward Werewolves?” Mari mused.

  “Aye, that’s exactly it.” Charlie laughed heartily. The uplifting sound coaxed another smile out of her. “You, Miss Mariella Sowka, are the strangest newcomer we’ve had to date but I imagine that means you will be the most interesting as well.”

  “That’s not necessarily a compliment.” She said with lips pressed to the warm brim of her mug. Despite the building summer heat, the house was freezing. Werewolves loved their air conditioning, as it turned out.

  He ignored her remark. “I hate to end this tour on a grim note but I feel I should warn you that the outcome tomorrow night might not be satisfactory. My experience with witch magic is limited. Trevor will be in my prayers tonight but we should not fool ourselves into thinking that God will offer an easy solution.”

  Jasper prodded Mari’s leg. He’d done that each time the topic of the impending full moon was broached. At this point, she didn’t need words from him to understand the message. Jasper believed she could repeat what she’d done on the summer solstice. Maybe she could with another boost from her ancestors but she didn’t know how to actively call them to her. And that would require her to cast in front of Charlie, exposing herself to the alpha as…whatever she was.

  If Alexander, Lyses’ coven member, was telling the truth, Mari was capable of a curse like Jasper’s. The cordial atmosphere in the pack house would swiftly evaporate if Charlie knew that, even if she could only do it in theory. Perhaps tonight she should fast track that plan to find a coven and get the hell out of pack territory. Perhaps Gran was wrong to send her here in the first place.

  A familiar pang spread through Mari’s chest and she knew that no matter the risk, she couldn’t leave Jasper without helping him.

  Chapter 28

  Mari

  Twilight bid its final farewell as the Blue Goddess drifted across the sky, awaiting her cloak of darkness. Was it fair to blame the smothering tension between Mari and Jasper on the moon? It shouldn’t have been possible for things to get awkward with someone that couldn’t talk and yet, she could barely look at him. She kept a steady pace between the window and the door, which wasn’t reducing Jasper’s mounting agitation.

  Moon magic was like alcohol to werewolves, according to Charlie. Inhibitions were lowered and any behavior they had a previous inclination to, like violent outbursts, might surface. Mari could relate. Her last experience with moon magic was worse than drinking tequ
ila. Tonight the intensity was milder but she hadn’t stepped under the open sky yet.

  The forest on pack property was brimming with power. Hopefully that wouldn’t lead to a repeat of the solstice. It was embarrassing enough to strip naked in front of just Jasper. Then again, without the guiding hand of ancestors and the intoxicating power of the moon, Mari had little hope of helping him.

  As soon as Charlie excused them back to the bedroom after his tour yesterday, she got to work scouring the family legacy for any scrap of knowledge written in English. Two pages with artful depictions of wolves caught her eye in the middle of the book but the scrawled notes were in Swedish. Any attempt at translating with the internet proved fruitless.

  There was one more option. A terrible one. One she shouldn’t even consider. One that made her legs itch with anxiety, hence the pacing. That was the real reason she couldn’t meet Jasper’s eyes. Guilt over what she planned to do once he joined his pack for their hunt. Even if it helped her bring him back, he wouldn’t be happy if he knew.

  Mari wasn’t particularly thrilled about it either.

  A thump rattled the door, followed by a booming “You ready to howl at the moon, little brother?”

  Jasper hesitated when Cash came to collect him. Mari knew how much he longed for these nights and didn’t want him to miss any of it for her sake. She forced a reassuring smile and waved him on. Eventually he left but only after an embarrassingly long farewell, with a very amused Cash taking in the show.

  Mari closed and the locked the bedroom door with an exhale. Three days surrounded by strangers and this was her first moment alone. The pack kept their distance but even as she drifted in out and of sleep, Mari could feel them lingering near the door. Their curiosity was a living thing that buzzed about the house.

  Calling her father was the last thing she wanted to do tonight but his threat to report her missing if he didn’t hear from her probably wasn’t empty. It wasn’t exactly out of character for Mari to make spontaneous bad decisions but even for her, disappearing the day her grandmother died and her home mysteriously burned down was crazy.

  On the bright side, it wasn’t enough to make her a person of interest in the inexplicable fire that melted her house all the way down the basement. It helped that the fire department detected no accelerant or any other proof of arson. Hard to find evidence of magic. That had to be how Henrick did it. His motive was still a mystery but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  Okay, honestly, she really wanted to know. She also wanted to know why Lyse cursed Jasper. Assuming it was her, which seemed a safe assumption since she had her wizards kidnap him. Mari wouldn’t be disappointed to discover why they were so persistent in their pursuit of her as a coven recruit either. Gran claimed that witches and wizards alike would be drawn to her power and want to use it for themselves but it’s not as if they could take it from her. If Mari didn’t do as she was told, what use was she to any coven, black or otherwise?

  Briefly her gaze flitted to a small pocket on her backpack where Henrick’s crumpled business card was tucked away. Not yet. She shook her head and grabbed her cell phone, resuming her pacing as she dialed Dad’s number. By some miracle, he didn’t answer.

  “Hi Dad, it’s Mari…” she paused, unsure of what she wanted to tell him. “I just wanted to let you know I’m alright. I hope you’re alright too.” She paused again when her voice unexpectedly cracked. She swallowed and continued. “Anyway, I’ve stopped in a cute little town near Ely. I’ve got a place to stay and a job.” Not a lie if Mari made it true, which she fully intended to. “I think I’m going to stick around for a while, see what opportunities come up. I’ll call you if anything interesting happens. Love you.”

  It didn’t feel like enough. It never did when she talked to her father. Maybe because ever since Gran revealed the story of her mother’s death, Mari could barely stand speaking to him. She knew she wasn’t his favorite child before, but now? She wouldn’t be surprised if he hated her.

  Sometimes, Mari kind of hated herself too. She took her own mother’s life so that she could live, so that she could have the power humming beneath her skin. She’d been terrified that her grandmother was deserting her just as everyone else did, tired of Mari’s exhausting existence, but in the end, it was she who abandoned Gran. And Aubrey and Samuel and Dad. Even if he hated her, she still loved him. She still wanted him to call, to worry about her. Mari couldn’t figure out why the hell he did but she was glad he hadn’t stopped.

  A bone chilling howl echoed through the trees. A chorus of piercing voices answered in a song that promised death. Mari opened the window and leaned out to listen. There was magic in their song, distinctive from the call of a normal wolf. The breeze carried the sound to her and it seemed to caress her like a warm hand. Longing surfaced—fierce and rooted deep in some elusive part of her soul—and she wanted nothing more than throw the back door open and join them.

  The itch returned to her legs but this time it was a hunger for movement. She slammed the window shut and hurried to fish Henrick’s card from her bag. If Mari wasn’t careful, she would let herself get drawn into the magic of the moon without doing what she needed. The number stared mockingly up at her from the wrinkled card. What would she say if he answered?

  The first ring sent her pulse spiking. She doubted the wisdom of her decision when Henrick’s surprised voice said “Mariella?”

  Thirty seconds ticked by and she did nothing but breathe into the phone. Finally, she blurted the first thing she could think to say. “Guess that tranquilizer dose wasn’t fatal after all.”

  “Father Above had other plans for me.” He sounded amused. “If Alexander hadn’t been worried about overdosing the beast, I wouldn’t have lowered the dose. Funny how that worked out.”

  “Hilarious.” In truth, Mari was relieved that she didn’t kill him. Until she called, she hadn’t even remembered that she shot him.

  “Have you decided you want to know more about your kind? Or perhaps you’d like to worship with us. We’ll be gathering under the moon any moment now.”

  She ignored his suggestion. “Why did you burn down my house? What game are you playing?”

  “I’m not playing any game, fledgling.”

  “Enough with the pet names.” She hissed. “Alexander said your luminary was like me. What did he mean? Is she the one who cursed Jasper?”

  “You’ve named it?” Henrick scoffed. “It’s not a curse. Lyse holds him with her magic. That is her power. That is also yours.”

  “She holds him?”

  “His will.”

  Heat exploded in her belly, roiling fury that made her hands shake. “And you would do the same to me.”

  “Of course not—“

  “How do I undo it?” she cut him off.

  “The wolf belongs to my luminary. You can’t take him from her. If you were to join us—”

  “I won’t practice black magic. I won’t rob people of their will.”

  “What Lyse does is for the good of witches and wizards everywhere. It’s not black magic. Her power is as pure as her intentions. Do you think yourself evil?” Henrick’s voice was smooth and confident. “Because you are capable of the same, with the right training. Mother Moon herself crafted your gift. How could the goddess of light, she who illuminates the darkness, create wicked magic?”

  “You want me to trust you? To join your coven?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me how to free Jasper. Then I’ll talk to your luminary.”

  “She won’t compromise on this. The wolves are vital to our ascension.” He sighed. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Lyse will have the wolf back, quite soon if all goes well.”

  “She can’t have him!”

  A knock sounded on the door seconds before the handle twisted and it pushed open. Startled and suddenly feeling immensely guilty, Mari shrieked and flung the cell phone onto the bed. In her haste she forgot to hang up. If she could hear Henrick saying her na
me, she didn’t doubt that Charlie did as well. She dove for the phone, rapidly tapping the screen until she successfully ended the call.

  Charlie’s forehead crinkled in surprise. “Is everything alright?”

  “You scared me.” She muttered, resisting the urge to hide her phone behind her back. That would only make her appear suspicious. As if she didn’t already look like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.