by Lia Violet
When his head and face changed, he felt a big headache, but as it cleared, he realized a smaller, pretty brown wolf was next to him, and human Gary. Everyone else moved back.
“I can’t shift again until the bullet wound in my back is healed a bit, Hunter, but I’m here. I’ll wait until you and Corrine come back.”
Hunter looked towards the shifter hospital. He could see his muzzle as he scanned the windows. He could see Katrina standing near the doors to the back exit, watching them.
“Run,” Gary said. “But stay within sight of the hospital. When you are tired, come back and we’ll help you change back if you need it.”
The brown wolf nudged him. Hunter could sense it so clearly in this form. She was his mate.
He followed her for a bit, then led the way, his legs folding and stretching under him as he ran, enjoying the scents of the forest preserve. He could sense other wolves back towards the shifter hospital. He could see Aaron sitting by the back entrance with Gary and Tori, waiting for him. His family.
One of his families. He stopped, and Corinne caught up to him. She rubbed her face against his neck, and Hunter realized it was a sign of belonging. He sighed, feeling the beginnings of the tiredness Gary referred to.
Corinne helped lead him back, nudging him when he strayed from the path.
He wanted to sleep for a week by the time he returned.
Gary was standing there with Aaron, at the edge of the clearing.
“Come back to us, man,” Aaron said.
Hunter caught an odd scent from Aaron. He could smell different animals and shifters, he realized. It was part wolf, and part something almost fishy. But his hands and feet were turning back. He felt panic as he seemed to get stuck.
He turned and Corinne put a hand on his back. She was fully back in human form. “I’m here. Come back to me. You can do it.”
“Look at me,” Gary said. “Focus. Think about what you look like.”
Hunter felt himself continue to return to human form. He remembered Gary coaching him and Aaron through fight scenes when they hardly knew what they were doing.
“You did it,” Tori cheered from near the back door. She turned to give someone else a thumb’s up.
Katrina. He could smell her from here.
“Your senses will be more normal when it’s not full moon time,” Gary said, realizing what he was going through.
“Gary. Thank you.”
They knew what he meant.
Corrine handed Hunter his clothes, then paused to look at his back.
“What?” He asked, looking over his shoulder.
“That mark.”
“I had it checked, but the dermatologist said it was nothing.” Hunter caught a glimpse of the kind of jagged half heart on the back of his shoulder. “But it’s gotten a lot darker, and sharper. Do you think that’s from the change?”
Corrine shook her head slowly. She let the robe she’d just donned slip off her shoulder, and he saw the mirror image of his mark. “Two half hearts.”
“Why do we have the same mark?”
“Mating marks.” Gary said, patting Hunter on the back. “In case you two haven’t yet realized what all the other signs in the world are telling you.”
Corinne drove him to her hotel without either of them saying a word.
Hunter thought he would be getting another room, hopefully on the same floor as Corinne and Katrina’s rooms. But Corinne turned to him after she took her keys out of the engine, and kissed him. Hunter’s head spun, and he put a hand on her cheek when they ended the soft kiss, their foreheads touching.
“I want you with me, Hunter. I should have said it back then. I don’t need marks to let me know we are supposed to be together. I wish I’d been braver before.”
“Shh,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Let’s not look back. I’d rather look forward. Nothing could keep me from your side, Corinne.”
“I love you, Hunter. The fact that you could forgive me for keeping our daughter a secret, and for leaving you.”
“You were scared, and sick. I want to start fresh with you, sweetheart.”
She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Marry me, Hunter.”
Their arms were around each other as Hans led the way to her room, moving a little more slowly with his bandage.
“Call me if you need something,” Hans said to Corinne, smiling at her in a way he’d never smiled at Hunter.
Hunter scowled after Hans left and Corinne fixed the chain in the room. “You’ve befriended my security guard?”
She pushed him against the door. “How tired are you?”
Hunter heard his shirt rip more as she took it off of him, though this time it was from urgency and not claws.
He helped pull hers off.
“I’m older now, and I was always way older than you,” she said, looking down at herself.
He tipped up her chin. “You’re so beautiful. I’ve dreamed of you all this time.”
Her hands went to his waistband. “I tried to let you go, but no one else made me laugh, or turned me on like you.”
“Same. There’s no one for me like you, Corinne.” He kissed her, their hands continuing to undress each other.
When they lay on the bed, he just held her in his arms for a minute. “I can’t believe this is real, that it’s not another dream.”
“It feels real enough,” she said, nudging his erection with her body and smiling at him.
“Yes, it certainly does.” He rolled over on to his back, pulling her on top of him.
She sat up, straddling him, as he moved to kiss her nipples.
“I have surgery scars from the cancer,” she said. “I never felt desire like this since you, and I thought it was from the treatments. Turns out it was you.”
He bit her nipple lightly. “I won’t let you leave me again.”
She moved over his erection, and reached down to put him at her entrance. “I won’t leave you.” She sunk slowly down on him.
“Sweetheart, were you even ready?”
“Oh yes.” She tipped her head back, sighing in pleasure. “I belong here, with you, Hunter. We’re so different, but I know we belong. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhh.” He pulled her down to him, and kissed her deeply as he moved her hips on him, slowly. “Our future awaits.”
“I want you to marry us.” Hunter and Corrine came to Gary and Tori’s house the next day after spending nearly twenty-four hours in the hotel bed.
“Isn’t it enough that I turned you?” Gary still sounded angry about that. “I still can’t believe I did that. And I got shot for my trouble!” His bandaged leg was propped up on his desk.
“You saved Kat, Gary. You know that.”
“I do. But still.”
“I’ll marry you.” They heard a voice from the kitchen, followed by Corrine’s throaty laugh.
“Thanks, Tori. I’ll show you how to get certified online.” Hunter grinned. “That’s awesome. I love you guys.”
“Yeah, yeah. Make sure you run over here every full moon for a while. It’s fenced in and safe. I hired the firm Rex suggested full time.” Gary said.
“Yes, Dad, I will.”
Gary looked at his watch. “Looks like Aaron is here. You said he was bringing Kat?”
“Yes, they were shooting stills. The studio wanted her as his love interest even though he still thinks he’s too old. You know the movie business.”
“It’s going to be hot,” Tori called. “I love the final script.”
“Are we still going to be able to include Elise?”
Elise was going to have twins, and couldn’t do much of the fight or action scenes she usually did during filming.
“Of course. I have a plan.”
“She always has plans,” Gary said, rising. “I’m going to get Van up so he can visit with you guys for a while. Tire him out. He has so much energy.”
“You were like that,” Hunter said. “Now you’re an old man. Hey, when can I g
et headshots of Van?”
“My child will not be an actor!” he heard Tori call. “I won’t be a stage mom!”
Hunter went out to meet Aaron and Kat. He was still getting used to moving differently now that he was turned, and had actually shifted. He was out the door before he even thought about it, and was striding towards Aaron’s red SUV.
The passenger side door was open, and Kat had Aaron pressed up against the opening between the door and the truck, kissing him passionately.
“Hey!” Hunter said as Katrina’s hands slid towards Aaron’s butt. “What the hell are you guys doing?”
They pulled apart.
“This is not what it—”
Katrina laughed as she walked into the house.
Hunter hit his friend in the back of the head. “You’re way older than her.”
Aaron shook his head, a stunned expression on his face. But then he grinned. “Are you really going there?”
Something moved out of the corner of his peripheral vision. As Hunter turned, this time he pulled Aaron down with him. The shot went into the still open door of the SUV.
“Are you kidding me?” Hunter said. “I’m sick of this.”
“Me too,” said Aaron.
They waited, and saw the glint of the gun from the bushes at the end of the drive.
“I’m going to get this asshole,” Hunter said, shifting without thinking about it.
He could smell the man from here, and carefully walked behind the cars as much as possible. When he got to the end, he saw Aaron crawling towards the house to get help. Hunter would have to go out in the open now, he knew.
He sprang up, surprising the shooter and knocking the rifle out of his hands. It was Tom Parter. The urge to bite him, to tear his throat out, filled him.
“You filthy mutt, get off of me.” Tom reached for his gun. “That you, Gary? I’m not letting you all ruin my legacy. You’re coming with me.”
Hunter put his teeth around the man’s neck, and could hear his heartbeat. It would just take a second. This man had hurt so many young boys.
“Don’t do it, Hunter,” Rex said, off to the side. “I’ve got him now. Get off of him.”
Hunter didn’t want to get off of him. This sick asshole caused young actors to kill themselves. If he hadn’t had Aaron, hadn’t found his Full Moon family, he would likely have been one of them. And he was still trying to sign young men, like Marcus.
“Don’t make me shoot you, Hunter.”
Hunter walked backwards, and saw Parter’s hand go for the gun again, to shoot him or Rex, he couldn’t be sure. He yanked Parter’s hand at the same time Rex’s gun shot Parter.
“Did you bite him?” Rex was coming closer, his gun trained on the man, who was shot in the neck.
“No, I don’t think so.” Hunter lay on the grass, naked, trying to catch his breath after shifting back.
“Why now?” he asked Rex.
“Not sure. We had a tail on him but lost him. He’d been grooming the kid who tried to shoot you for months, building up his rage. I think there was going to be an expose story about him, and a few other Hollywood agents and directors. There was quite a bit about you and Aaron on his computer.”
“He blamed us?”
“He did lots of drugs too, maybe mixing up the past and the present. You turning away Marcus right at the time he was cornered was the last straw.”
Gary and Aaron ran out, and helped Hunter into the house as the police arrived. Corrine was waiting in the doorway with Katrina.
He looked back, at the man on the grass who was his past, before going in to be with his future.
Aaron Presley got some surprising news about his heritage while trying to donate bone marrow. But when he is kidnapped, he realizes his history might be more complicated than he realizes. Full Moon Everlasting is coming soon!
About Lia Violet
Lia Violet is the pseudonym for an author of a bestselling Amazon mystery series with recipes who enjoys heat in and out of the kitchen. She writes humorous, sexy stories with author Ginger Leone, especially ones with hot shifters. Enjoy book reviews from her and Ginger Leone at https://www.facebook.com/QuickieRomanceReviews/ or find her on Twitter @LiaVioletAuthor.
www.liaviolet.com
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Other Stories by Ginger Leone & Lia Violet
Seasons of Three series
Three Hearts
Summer Heat
Autumn Fever
Winter Blaze
The Seasons of Three Collection
Hot Hearts Café
Cougartales (prequel to Hot Hearts Café series)
Sweet Hearts
Shifted Hearts
Spooky Hearts
Foolish Hearts
Rockin’ Hearts
“Delicious Hearts” story in Dangerous Curves Ahead collection
Merry Buns
Magical Holiday Fruitcake Rolls by Trinity Blacio
The Cupid Competition
Raffle of the Heart by Trinity Blacio
Full Moon Werewolves
Wolf Training (Prequel)
Full Moon Dangers
Full Moon Shimmer
Full Moon Foretold
Full Moon Everlasting (February 2020)