Hunter's Moon

by Angela Colsin

  Scarlet was nothing less than perfect, and she already had her parents wrapped around her little fingers.

  In the early morning hours, Caleb finally departed the hospital while Ashley was sleeping and Cade was sitting in a recliner next to the bed, cradling his newborn against his chest. The eldest Hodgins sibling looked as content and proud as ever, and it wasn't surprising. The delivery of his daughter was miraculous, and Caleb made sure to visit Scarlet again when Ashley took her home two days later.

  But one thing the delivery didn't do was erase his worry about a certain human photographer.

  Laying in bed that night, he stared up at the ceiling in thought. Nacho was sprawled out by his feet, fast asleep, and with everything so quiet, Caleb couldn't get Emily off of his mind. He wanted to believe she'd come to accept the truth over the course of the past two days, but she hadn't spoken with him or Joslyn about the revelation that they weren't human.

  His only consolation was knowing she hadn't abruptly left her home the night they'd admitted the truth to take some drastic measure. Instead, Emily had taken Conner's advice and sought a human perspective from Ashley, who'd told him all about their conversation between contractions on the way to the hospital.

  Instead of devastation, Ashley said she only seemed bewildered and skeptical, which was expected of any human dealing with the truth.

  But even though Caleb was nowhere near as worried as he could've been, he still felt guilty, wondering if he'd acted too swiftly after letting her know of his interest. After all, her safety wasn't all he wanted—he also desired her company, longing to hold her close the way he'd done by the lake, and promise to do whatever she needed to keep her happy.

  At the thought, he rolled onto his side with a low groan, reaching to his nightstand to tug the drawer open. From inside, he retrieved the calendar image, wondering how much longer he could stay away from Emily before his instincts had him impulsively dropping by.

  And gazing at her picture, he knew it wouldn't be long. She's so damned beautiful.

  Grumbling at the sense of longing the thought induced, he placed the image face down on the nightstand, questioning whether he should try to get any sleep. If it wasn't so late, he'd have no compunctions about calling Joslyn to ask if she'd heard anything yet, or just stopping by to pay a visit—and hell, he might do it anyway.

  But as he contemplated calling despite the late hour, he detected the faint sound of a car pulling up the driveway.

  Nacho's ears perked up simultaneously, the pup curiously lifting her head. Soon afterward, they heard the front door opening, suggesting his visitor had a key. That being the case, he knew it was one of his siblings, or maybe Travis, and Caleb glanced at the clock to see that it was one in the morning on the dot.

  Whatever the reason for such a late visit, he just hoped nothing was wrong, and grabbed his boxers to tug on at the same time footsteps sounded traveling up the spiral staircase outside his room.

  Curiously heading to the door, Caleb opened it to be greeted by the sight of …

  “Emily?”

  The blonde had her back facing him when he asked her name, and she jumped, then spun around at the top of the stairs while pressing a hand over her heart. “Oh crap! You scared me!”

  “Likewise. Well, sorta.”

  Indeed, his heart was pounding, but not out of fear. Instead, Caleb was excited, and extremely curious, opening the door wider to step into the hall.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to … um,” she trailed, questionably glancing down at her feet before continuing, “I just came to talk, but it's not gonna be easy if you don't at least put on some pants.”

  Realizing his lack of clothing was distracting her, Caleb grinned for what felt like the first time in days.

  In fact, his relief was too profound not to joke, “Don't like whatcha see?”

  She rolled her eyes—but also smirked in amusement. “Seriously, Caleb.”

  “Okay,” he conceded, returning to his room to find his jeans, then called her in as soon as he had them on, too eager to learn why she'd come to his house in the middle of the night to take any time to find a shirt.

  Walking through the door at his request, Emily asked, “I didn't wake you, did I?”

  “No, I haven't been sleeping well, and I heard you drive up. I just thought it was one of my siblings, which reminds me, how did you get in?”

  “Joslyn let me borrow her key,” she admitted sheepishly. “We thought it'd be a good idea if I came over, and just so you know, I tried calling first, but you didn't answer.”

  His brow wrinkled in confusion. “When?”

  “An hour ago.”

  At that, he turned to check his phone and realized why he hadn't answered. “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  Leaning down to fix the problem, he informed her, “The battery's dead. I hooked it up to the charger, but forgot to plug the charger into the wall.”

  Soft snickering hit his ears as he stood, looking to see Emily grinning in amusement.

  “Something must've been on your mind.”

  “Yeah,” he started, “you.”

  Still in the doorway, she offered a modest smile and asked, “Does that mean I can come in?”

  “I'd be disappointed if you didn't. Just let Nacho out.”

  The pup was at the center of the room now, obviously waiting for her chance to leave, and darted through the door the moment Emily stepped aside.

  Shaking her head, the human shut it and faced Caleb with the question, “So, is Nacho unfriendly with me because I'm human?”

  “Yeah, wild dogs are comfortable with us,” he explained absently, too distracted looking her over to pay much attention.

  Wearing a loose-fitting, plaid button down over a white tank top, he found himself staring at the way it stretched against her breasts. The pair of denim cutoffs showcasing her shapely legs to the top of her knee-high boots didn't help matters either.

  It was just a stroke of luck that he managed to retain enough logical thought to ask, “But what about you? Is that why you came? To talk to me?”

  Emily strolled over to stand a few feet from his bed, nervously shoving her hands into her pockets with her response. “Yeah. See, I just spent the past few hours talking with Joslyn, and she told me a lot about lupines and the reasons why you wanted me to know what you are. She said you're bonding with me, but that only means we could become mates if the connection got strong enough.”

  Caleb nodded. “Yeah, but you'd have to be a lupine first.”

  “I know. You turn me, then mark me, and until then, we'd never be able to have children, right?”

  “Right,” he confirmed, and the more they spoke, the harder he found it to stand still. If Emily had been talking to Joslyn about this, could it be that she was more comfortable with the truth now? That she'd accepted what her friend was, and wanted to do the same with him?

  If so, she might be afraid of getting closer while knowing that turning her into a lupine was the only way they'd ever have something truly significant. The thought had him hurrying to add, “But you need to understand that I could live without that, Emily. Lupines might crave something stronger, but we never have any urges pushing us to turn humans. So I'd only turn you with your permission, and if you wanted to remain human, I'd have no problems letting you.”

  “Yeah, Joslyn explained that, too. But I'm not really worried about it right now. I just don't know what to do. We haven't even known each other that long, but … “

  Letting a low sigh, she confessed, “I can't stop thinking about you, Caleb, and wondering.”

  He almost moved closer, yet managed to hold himself back at the last second in favor of asking, “Wondering about what?”

  “If we'd be good together, and how good.”

  Finally, he drew in two steps, his heart fluttering urgently. “Do you wanna find out?”

  “I … ,” she trailed, and Caleb held his breath.

&nb
sp; If Emily said yes, if she'd come back to accept him after everything …

  Words alone wouldn't be able to express how thankful he was, but he'd damned sure find a way to show her.

  Chapter 20

  Emily had misgivings about visiting Caleb that night, but she'd be a liar if she said she wasn't ecstatic to see him again.

  The past two days were full of nothing but confusion, doubt, and an undeniable longing for answers. But she hadn't been able to sort through any of her thoughts well enough to know what kinds of questions to ask until that evening, and finally found herself knocking on Joslyn's door.

  Like always, her best friend invited her in with a warm smile, ready to sit and talk about everything over drinks. But what Emily expected to be a serious conversation was extremely lighthearted. They'd joked together, laughed, and chatted until midnight, and through it all, she realized that Ashley was right; Joslyn was the very same person she'd known growing up, it was just a matter of waiting for her shock to fade before she'd realize it.

  And the more it faded, the more she wanted to see Caleb again.

  Yet, it was late, and wouldn't she seem desperate if she showed up at one in the morning to talk?

  Joslyn didn't think so, stating with complete confidence that not only would Caleb be glad to see her no matter the time, but a visit would benefit them both for various reasons.

  Not that Emily was fully convinced showing any interest wouldn't be a mistake. She still didn't understand precisely how this bonding thing worked, nor did she know if it meant Caleb's interest in her was only instinctive, or if he actually cared. Yet the way Joslyn explained it had Emily extremely curious to find out, and the only way to know how Caleb felt for sure was to talk to him herself and see where things went.

  So she'd made up her mind, borrowed Joslyn's key, and drove over to tell him the truth.

  Now, he looked hopeful, holding his breath as if needing to hear her express a desire to find out how good they'd be together. Was that just instinct, too? Or something more? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

  With the thought in mind, she finally answered his question. “I really do, Caleb, and I wouldn't—oh!”

  She gasped when he tugged her into a tight embrace—and he was actually trembling.

  “Caleb? Are you okay?” she asked, shivering when he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

  “Yeah,” he groaned, hugging her until her feet came off the floor. “I just … I was worried, afraid of what knowing the truth would do to you.”

  “That makes sense,” she whispered, having trouble focusing on anything except how big and warm his body felt against hers as he set her feet on the floor again.

  She also wondered if his muscular build had anything to do with the fact that he wasn't human. She'd never witnessed Caleb exercising during her stay in his home, but he was even more toned than several of the models she'd known in Arizona.

  Additionally, where most of those guys were waxed, Caleb's chest had a dusting of dark hair leading down across his rigid abdomen into his pants that she found highly appealing.

  Still, and whatever his workout regime entailed, what truly mattered was getting to know him, and his concern for what the truth had done to her was indeed touching.

  So she qualified softly, “I guess I should've called to let you know I was okay at least. Everything just knocked me for a loop.”

  Kissing her neck, then her jaw, Caleb lifted his head with a smile that was just as warm as it was sexy, making her stomach flip-flop. “You didn't have to. I saw you at Ashley's, and she told me you were just shaken up.”

  Emily nodded, recalling his relieved look as she'd driven away—and she still had no idea what that was all about. But he didn't give her the chance to ask before he sat on the bed and mentioned, “So, I guess you've got a lotta questions.”

  “Oh yeah,” she admitted, pausing to let him pull her into his lap the same way they'd been on his motorcycle by the lake. The thought put a smile on her face that Emily knew was as stupid as they came—and Caleb was smiling right back. Damn that look … .

  Emily was so distracted by the handsome expression that she forgot she was supposed to be asking questions until he finally prompted, “The bonding?”

  “Huh?”

  His smile turned into a grin. “Is that what you wanna know about?”

  “Oh! Sorry,” she rushed out, embarrassed by her dim response, and decided it was all his fault for distracting her. But rather than let him tease her for it, she asked how the bonding started, knowing a description of how this all began would help her to understand the way he looked at things between them.

  “Usually, it starts with a scent. I first caught yours at the garage the day I found Nacho, and it told me you'd be a good … prospect, I guess. Then, the longer we were around each other, the more I felt like I could inhale it all day and still not get enough.”

  “Why?”

  “It's a sign that you're close,” he explained, giving her a pointed, and altogether suggestive look when he added, “and we like being close.”

  Emily bit her lip, so lost in his gaze that she only heard herself asking, “Because the scent gets stronger?”

  “That, and we crave physical contact.”

  His description brought to mind the way he'd nuzzled her neck, making her curious to know, “What's it like? I mean, my scent.”

  Caleb thought for a moment, then described, “Kinda like earth after a rain, and sometimes there's citrus?”

  “Oh, that's my body spray,” she explained with a smile, having no idea her natural perfume was so nice.

  But then, her smile faded. “Wait a second. You said you caught it at the garage.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “You walked away without even looking at me there.”

  At her reminder, he groaned, admitting, “Yeah, I was scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of you. I promised myself I'd never hook up with a human again after my ex … left. So when I noticed your scent, I didn't wanna make matters worse by sticking around and getting to know you. That's also why I acted so weird about letting you stay with me. I was afraid history was gonna repeat itself.”

  Emily pursed her lips, easily recalling his mystifying reactions, such as crushing a carton of lo mien, or just dismissing her entirely. Finally, it all made sense, but it wasn't quite as surprising as it would've been if Joslyn hadn't brought Fiona up during their conversation at the duplex.

  Though she'd never met Caleb's ex and didn't know terribly much about her, she did say that things between them ended more tragically than anyone had previously suspected. That fact, combined with his resulting promise to never date another human, gave Emily a rough idea of what happened.

  “Caleb, Joslyn told me a little about Fiona, and I was wondering if she left because she found out the truth.”

  Immediately, Caleb tensed, his gaze growing haunted, proving beyond a doubt that he was still affected by her memory. But he soon offered a slow nod. “Fiona was—”

  Emily pressed her fingers over his lips, shaking her head. “You don't have to talk about it. I was just curious about why you broke up.”

  In response, Caleb took her hand, kissing her fingertips before pulling them from his mouth to state grimly, “She committed suicide, Emily.”

  As he went on to explain the situation, Emily stared with a slackened jaw, realizing exactly why he'd looked so relieved to see her at Ashley's as he summarized, “Because of what happened to her, I was worried about telling you what I am. I just couldn't go through it again.”

  “Oh my god, and … and I left. Caleb, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to worry you like that. I—mmm!”

  She let the soft moan when he caught her mouth in a kiss, effectively silencing her—and it quickly deepened. Their arms latched around one another in a rush, hands gliding across each others' backs in an intense give and take that reminded her of their kiss at the lake.

  There, he'd
kissed her as if starved for something only she could offer.

  And it felt the exact same way now.

  Quickly growing dazed from his intensity, she slouched against him when he finally broke the kiss and murmured at her ear, “That doesn't matter to me, Emily. All I care about is that you're actually safe, and I can barely fucking believe you're here now.”

  With that said, his grip around her tightened like he thought it might've been a dream. So Emily whispered back sincerely, “I don't wanna be anywhere else, Caleb. I just needed to come to terms, and honestly, Ashley's labor helped a lot.”

  One of his brows narrowed in curious confusion. “How?”

  “Well, when it started, I helped your mom and brother get her to the car. Oh, and,” she snickered, “you should've seen Cade. Ran out of his bedroom in nothing but his boxers, forgetting things left and right.”

  Caleb grinned in amusement as she continued, “But the point is that I knew the truth the entire while, and I didn't feel any differently about them. It was just normal. You guys have a family together, a community, and you seem pretty tight.”

  “We are,” he confirmed. “So I guess if you can learn a little more about the way we work, it'll all come together.”

  “That's why I'm here.” She smiled, and a thought came to mind, prompting her to exclaim, “Oh yeah! And that was you, wasn't it? I mean, the big wolf that chased the others off before they could attack me.”

  Caleb smirked, nodding his head. “Yes ma'am, that was me.”

  Emily bit her lip, hesitantly inquiring, “Then … can you turn into a wolf anytime?”

  “Whenever I feel like it. Why? Do you wanna make my leg kick again?”

  She had no idea what he was talking about at first, but laughter soon burst free of her chest when she recalled scratching his ear.

  “I forgot about that!”

  “Knee jerk reaction,” Caleb chuckled, lifting her out of his lap to stand and undo the button of his jeans.

  Emily watched, her brows arching high above her eyes as he tugged the zipper down. “What are you doing?”