Hunter's Moon

by McKayla Schutt

  "What the hell am I going to do?" Hunter growled.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Luna

  LUNA OPENED HER MOUTH to call out for Hunter, but her voice didn’t work. No words described the ache throbbing in her chest. She took in a shallow breath trying not to cry. With all the cars zipping by, the cold asphalt sucked all the warmth from her body. Dominic grabbed her shoulders and tears slipped past her guard. Another had left her alone. What is wrong with me?

  "I'm sure he'll come around. For now, you can stay with me." Dominic's voice had a calming effect Luna hadn't expected. Luna adjusted her hair behind her ear and fumbled to her feet.

  "Thanks, but I have a hotel room." Luna couldn’t meet Dominic’s gaze. He may be her father, but she couldn’t confide in him how much pain she experienced in that moment.

  "Nonsense." Dominic placed his hand on her lower back and steered her back into the office where one guy continued to work on a car. The scents of motor oil didn’t affect her like before. The rev of a motor sounded similar to Hunter’s and she turned hoping he came back. Instead she saw a red Camaro.

  "You might need to work, Dominic. I unintentionally made two of your employees walk out." She waved her hand around the practically empty shop.

  "Luna." Dominic's voice had an edge to it making her look up and meet his gaze. "I want to get to know and protect my daughter. You need to understand most of my pack aren't fans of the witches, like Hunter's family. I don’t hate your mother, but your grandparents are a different story." Dominic shook his head and rolled his shoulders.

  "I can protect myself. After Angie rescued me, I have made sure I can protect myself." Luna regretted her words when anger flashed in his eyes.

  "Rescued you from what?" The way his voice boomed through the office made the windows vibrate. Good job, Luna. Piss him off when you first meet. The way his eyes studied her, Luna knew she wouldn’t be able to work around it.

  "I was told Kerine gave me up to a group of scientists. Angel, the elder told me but I'm not sure I believe her." Luna rubbed her hands up and down her arms. He bolted to his feet and stormed to the door. A low growl left Dominic's lips and then grabbed the door knob.

  "Thunder, close down the shop," Dominic yelled at the older man working on a newer pickup.

  "You've got it but this one is getting picked up in an hour." Thunder patted the fender.

  "I trust you know how to deal with them?" Dominic kept talking to Thunder, but Luna didn’t pay attention to the words. She turned in her seat and stared at the spot where Hunter had drove off. She didn't know if he feared his family or if he truly believed they weren't mates. Luna however felt the connection deep down inside of her soul.

  Dominic's hand wrapped around her shoulders. Luna looked up at her father, she was so glad she found someone. Now she needed to learn to trust the man who created her.

  "Where are we going?" She tried not to think of the pain in her heart.

  "We need to go talk to the alpha first. He needs to know you're off limits so the rest of the pack will know too." Dominic didn’t’ meet her gaze. They walked out but Luna stopped him.

  "Off limits?" Luna raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to become a social leper because Dominic over reacted. Luna had a feeling he would put the pack before his own daughter. He doesn’t really know me. She reminded herself.

  "If anyone tries to come after you because you're a witch I’ll kill them on site. After talking to the alpha, I'm pretty much clearing my ass before the crime if it makes sense." Dominic strolled over to a newer mustang GT, the black shined in the sun and the leather looked inviting. Luna liked the sound of him defending her no matter what. It would be a nice change of pace.

  "Come on." Dominic motioned for her to climb in. "Maybe one day I'll let you drive it." Dominic winked and moved into the driver's seat. Luna laughed and slid into the passenger seat. Heat returned to her from the leather and she tried not to think of Hunter’s face.

  "You might want to wait on the offer. I crashed two rentals on the way here." A year of driving hadn't prepared her for big city interstates. "One guy slammed into me in Denver and another happened right outside of Ohio." Luna shook her head. Considering the long drive from Nevada to Ohio, she thought she did a good job on her part.

  "How long have you been driving?" Dominic asked as he started the engine. It purred evenly, the machine had a masculine side to it, which gave her a peek into her father’s life.

  "A year give or take a few months."

  "I see." He eased into traffic and Luna clenched up when a car inched to close.

  "I had thought about using a travel bag but since I didn't know the exact location I didn't want to risk ending up in a human's home." Luna shrugged. Travel bags were great tools for witches so they didn’t have to use magic for moving from place to place. It took a good three days for the mixture to solidify to get someone across the country. She still remembered the travel bag that took her to the stupid scientists. Part of her didn't trust them to be accurate. Kerine sent you to them. She reminded herself of the betrayal.

  Dominic drove in silence leaving Luna to listen to the purr of the engine. He weaved in and out of traffic like a pro. Her mind continued to bring up a question bugging her since she’d heard his side.

  "Dominic, did you ever try and move on when you thought I died?" Luna wasn't ready to call him dad just yet, but Dominic seemed close enough for now. His shoulders stiffened, and he glanced her way.

  "No. I've lived for the pack ever since. I've refused to be with another woman or even fathom the idea of another child." Dominic's grip on the steering wheel tightened. She didn’t know what to say next. Every answer he gave her, threw her off balance since she expected to find some monster who didn’t want or love her.

  "I would understand if you had moved on but part of me is glad you still thought of me." She wanted to know if Hunter would be the same if he got his head out of his ass. Crap I shouldn’t be thinking about him.

  "Soon I hope you will be able to call me dad, but I know it will take time." Dominic rubbed her shoulder and smiled. He turned the car onto a gravel driveway toward a large ranch style home. Luna took in a shaky breath. She hadn't met an alpha before and heard they can be very intimidating, especially if they see someone as a threat.

  "Are you sure you want me in there?" Luna rubbed her hands over her pants. He put the car in park and turned off the engine.

  "Yes. Come on." Dominic climbed out with Luna. A tall man about Dominic's age smiled at them when he opened the overly large door. His blonde hair waved in the wind while his gray eyes narrowed on Luna. She swallowed hard and part of her wanted to race back to the car and lock the freaking door.

  "Brauc I would like you to meet my daughter, Luna," Dominic said. A younger guy sauntered out onto the porch, same blonde hair as Brauc but his eyes were bluish-gray.

  "Welcome Luna. Xavier, it appears Dominic and I need to talk. Why don't you show Luna around?" Brauc pointed toward the large trees to the right.

  "Luna needs to stay, Brauc. There are some things she's involved in."

  "Very well." Brauc motioned to come in as Xavier strolled into the yard and toward the back of the house. Luna followed Dominic inside, her stomach full of knots.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Hunter

  LUNA'S FACE KEPT COMING into Hunter's mind while he drove through the city. Before he realized where his wolf led him, he parked his car and shuffled up the gravel road to the alpha's home.

  "Dude don't go in there right now." Xavier, the alpha's son strolled up toward Hunter. He needed advice from someone who didn’t mind witches.

  "Why not?" Hunter shoved his hand through his hair. He had a few years on Xavier and when the alpha died he would be the next leader. Hunter wouldn’t say they were friends, but they never fought.

  "Brauc it talking to Dominic about pack business." Xavier rolled his bluish-gray eyes.

  "Dominic is in there? Did he bring his daughter?" Hunter looked
toward the house trying to listen for Luna's voice. He knew he fucked up by walking away from her, but he had no clue how to deal with a witch as a mate. His brother had already freaked out and with his phone buzzing like crazy, he knew his parents were told.

  "Oh, Luna is here. Damn the little witch is hot," Xavier whispered. A low growl left Hunter's mouth before he managed to stop it.

  "She's mine." Hunter spoke low, and Xavier put his hands up. He lurched forward without thinking. His wolf bared his teeth inside.

  "How do you even know who she is?" Xavier raised an eyebrow which vanished under his long hair.

  "We imprinted a few hours ago." Hunter backed away from Xavier.

  "You imprinted with a witch?" Xavier laughed and patted Hunter's arm. "Do your parents know?" Hunter resisted the urge to punch him while he pulled out his phone. He lifted it up to show Xavier the ten missed calls from each parent plus another five voice mails.

  "I haven't talked to them, but they keep calling." Hunter shoved his phone back into his pocket as it started buzzing again.

  "Well what the hell are you going to do? I mean did you complete the bond?" Xavier kept asking questions, but Hunter caught something in the window. His wolf perked up wanting to see Luna again. He had been sulking in the back of Hunter's mind ever since Hunter raced away from her.

  "I completed the bond with her, but my dumb ass told her we didn't." Hunter spoke over Xavier’s questions he didn’t freaking hear.

  "Why the fuck would you do that?" Xavier grabbed his shoulders and made Hunter look at him.

  "Because I panicked. My family hates witches with a passion and I don't want to put her life in danger. I couldn't forgive myself if she died because we’re mates." Hunter rubbed his face. He hadn't spoken the words out loud but once they were out he knew why he ran away from her. Luna wasn't safe with him and his family. His wolf whimpered.

  Her safety was important to him and if his family hurt her, he didn't know what he’d do.

  "From what I've been hearing, she's had it rough for years when those scientists took her and killed a bunch of wolves with her blood." Xavier’s words broke him away from his thoughts.

  "Wait what?" Hunter turned to Xavier to make sure he didn’t crack a joke.

  "Dude, what do you know about your mate?" Xavier shook his head. Anger coursed through Hunter and he grabbed Xavier’s shirt.

  "I met her this morning and when we imprinted we completed the bond quickly. Come talk to me after you find your mate and see how you react." Hunter shoved Xavier away. Hunter knew he needed to learn more about his little mate, but it scared the hell out of him to be mated to a witch.

  His wolf perked up as her scent filled his lungs. Hunter turned and found Luna watching him.

  "How much did you hear?" Hunter asked.

  "All of it. I may be a witch, but I have some wolf traits like good hearing." Luna tapped her ears. Dominic hovered by the door. The disappointment in his eyes broke Hunter even more.

  "Can we talk alone?" Hunter took a large step toward her, he wanted to be closer to her.

  "Are you sure? I mean I don't want you to think you have to stay with me because we imprinted." Luna shoved her hand through her hair. "I'll leave you alone if it's what you want."

  "It's not what I want Luna. I just panicked."

  "Man, you're a dick." Xavier chuckled. Hunter glared at him and flipped him the finger.

  "You should think about what you really want. I'm staying at Dominic's house tonight." Luna shuffled away leaving Hunter's chest aching. She climbed into the car and the guy who he looked up to drove away with his mate.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Luna

  I NEED TO BE STRONG. I can be strong. Luna took in a shaky breath and tried to center herself. Her body buzzed with energy and lights flashed from her hands.

  "Damn it all to hell." Luna hissed and focused on her magic. Dominic tensed in the driver's seat and the light turned green. He slowly eased into traffic and Luna managed to calm herself down. Her magic had been wired very close to her emotions, even from a young age and she wanted to know if this had been the reason Kerine tossed her away. Yet she would never get the answer.

  Dominic pulled up to the hotel and she packed her bag in two minutes with magic. Dominic stared at the items floating around but he kept quiet. When they climbed back into the car the lights sputtered again and Luna groaned.

  "Are you ok?" Dominic glanced her way.

  "Yea. When I get overly emotional it happens. When they took me, they weakened my magic and it's been hell getting it in check ever since." Luna shook out her hands and tried her best not to think about Hunter or the fucking scientists. They sat in silence for a few blocks.

  "Why did the freaking goddess give me a mate who hates me?" Luna ground her teeth and Dominic chuckled as he pulled up to a medium cream home.

  "At least you’re more open to it than your mother." He shook his head and climbed out.

  "Why didn't she just fight to stay with you. We could have been a family. I wouldn't have been taken." Luna let go of the words eating at her.

  "You would have to talk to your mother. I would have been happy to raise you by myself, but you weren't shifting after birth." Dominic scratched the back of his head. He grabbed Luna's bag and glided into the house. Luna pulled her purse closer to her body and followed. The sensation of being watched tickled the back of her neck.

  She turned to find a woman staring at her from the house across the street. Her dark hair fell around her face and her eyes reminded Luna of Hunter. Yet the hatred burning in the stranger's eyes threw Luna off. Luna squared her shoulders and strolled into Dominic’s house and closed the door. She wouldn't show weakness to anyone other than family.

  "Dominic?" Luna looked around the large living room. A set of stairs rested to the right, her bag sat on the bottom step. A kitchen connected to the living room in an open floor plan, she could see a counter and the stove from her spot near the door.

  "In the kitchen." He waved his hand near the fridge and Luna veered toward him.

  "Does Hunter live across the street from you?" Luna kept her voice a bit lower than normal, she knew wolves had amazing hearing.

  "Actually, you might have just seen his mother. Hunter lives right next door to me on the right. Most of the pack owns this neighborhood. It's a way to keep each other close without all living together." Dominic shrugged. "The only exception is the alpha but as you know he doesn't live too far from here."

  "Interesting." Luna snatched a cookie from the counter and nibbled on it. The peanut butter melted with the chocolate chips.

  "Are you hungry?" He lifted his bushy brow.

  "A little." Luna picked up another cookie. She needed something to do. Eating seemed better than over thinking.

  "I’ll make us lunch then." Dominic opened the fridge and tapped his foot for a second. After a few minutes he had two things going. Pork ribs sunk into a BBQ sauce and rested on the counter top while he cut up chicken and deep fried it on the stove.

  "It smells wonderful." She snatched up another cookie as images of Hunter’s face filled her mind.

  "Nah. Your grandma is the best chef in the family." Dominic pointed the knife at Luna like he wanted to make a point and then turned back to his cutting.

  "Tell me about your side of the family." She hoped hearing about her family would be a good distraction.

  "Let's see, you have two aunts but neither stayed here. Both moved and mated with seven pups between them in Florida. June had three kids running around all a few years younger than you." Dominic pulled out a bag of potatoes and sliced them into fries. "My youngest sister, Pam, passed away a few years ago from a nasty fire. She saved her grandkids but didn't make it herself." Dominic's voice tightened with pain. Luna licked her lower lip.

  "I'm sorry about Pam." Luna paused and tried to think of something else to say. "Grandkids? Dang, looks like I'm having a late start on those things." Luna tried to lighten the mood and Dominic gave he
r a half smile.

  "I'm just happy to have my kid back, anything past this is just an added blessing." Dominic placed the cut-up chicken in the oil. They popped and sizzled, the aroma made her stomach grumble.

  "What about your parents then?"

  "My dad Brian died a few years after you died, no missing. My mom Welma has a house a block north of us and one in Florida. Once the summer hit's she'll come back here till the fall again."

  "Maybe when I come back from seeing Mom I can meet her." Luna liked the idea of meeting the rest of her family.

  "She would love that. Spoiling grand-babies is her favorite thing to do." Dominic shook his head and plated the fried food. The smell coming off the fries made Luna's mouth water. He sprinkled salt on the fries with a hint of flare.

  "Well then I definitely need to come back." Luna winked, and they laughed for a moment, while he handed over her plate. They ate in comfortable silence and a few times she swore she heard someone outside, but a knock never came.

  "Dominic, I want to thank you."

  "For what?" He stopped himself from putting a fry in his mouth.

  "Wanting to protect me even though you barely know me. It's different for me but I really do appreciate it." She popped a chicken bit in her mouth and the skin melted against her tongue. Luna glanced around the clean and simple kitchen. Nothing screamed feminine to her.

  "You'll learn something quick about family, we stick together no matter what. You're my daughter and I’ll kick anyone's ass who tries to hurt you. Which includes Hunter’s ass too." Dominic winked and placed his plate in the sink.

  The doorbell rang, and Luna turned in her seat. Did he hear someone out there too?

  "Come on in, Hunter." Dominic called out and the door opened. Hunter shuffled into the living room, his eyes completely focused on Luna.

  "I'll leave you alone for a few hours. If you need me here's my number." He pointed to a dry erase board with his number scribbled onto it. Dominic nodded toward Hunter then exited out the back door. A small garden caught Luna’s gaze and Dominic headed right for it.