In retrospect that might have been the wrong decision because it kept him from his Becca for too long.
He knew he was paying for that now. Maybe not consciously, but he had a feeling it was on her mind.
He shook off his slight doubt and howled to the moon. Liam and Alec joined him, their own howls melding into a perfect harmony. Others howled as they found their conquests, their hunts ending.
He trotted past other wolves eating their dinners in animal form, and they lowered their eyes, their power not as dominant as his. Grunts and slaps reached his ears, and his wolf perked up at the smell of sex in the air. Pack members in human form fucked in corners and shadows, their partners in ecstasy. Some were with their mates, others with random men or women. Most wolves were bisexual, considering there weren’t that many women, and sex was a natural process, not something to be looked down on. Hunter himself had been with men, but preferred women.
Well, woman, now, thinking of Becca.
The woman who, as a wolf, had shown her eagerness to him currently knelt on all fours as Dorian plowed into from behind. The other male wolf didn’t much mind that the woman wasn’t getting off but rather faking the noises and movements so Dorian could enjoy himself. The man was a sadist in every meaning of the word, and Hunter was just glad he didn’t have to see all of what went on behind his closed doors.
As the three of them—he, Liam and Alec—passed, Dorian lifted a lip and snarled, his grip tightening on the woman, Sandra. She rolled her eyes but otherwise looked as though she was fine.
Hunter wasn’t in the mood to get in a fight with the man, but he’d protect Sandra if she needed it. Instead, he, Liam, and Alec made their way back to his home then shifted back, the tearing of tendons and breaking of bones a sweet pain. He shifted faster than the other two, but not by much. There was a reason Liam and Alec were council members.
Hunter threw on some jeans but didn’t bother with a shirt. Though he’d let his wolf play, his skin was still too itchy to deal with the fabric.
“Council meeting in five minutes,” Liam called from the other room.
“Didn’t we just have one?” Alec said with a grunt.
“No, that was the Beta ceremony,” Liam explained as Hunter walked in the living room.
The two men were sitting on Hunter’s couch in jeans but hadn’t put on shirts either. He’d have to make sure they dressed for when Becca came to live with him. There was no way he’d let the two of them walk around so freely in front of her. It was true that the Pack didn’t bother with modesty unless they were in the den center or near were the pups played, but he didn’t think Becca would think the same way.
Plus he wanted to keep her for himself.
His wolf nudged at his skin again, and he held back a growl.
Waiting for her was taking too long. He’d have to go to her home again and ask for another…date, as she put it.
“What’s got you looking like you’re ready to tear out someone’s throat?” Liam asked.
“Nothing.” He hadn’t mentioned Becca to them yet for some reason, and he didn’t want to deal with the matter now. She would be there soon enough.
“You’re lying, but I’ll let you pass on that for now,” Alec said. “Now we need to leave, or we’ll be late for the council meeting.”
“The council shouldn’t have the power to call the Alpha and Beta in whenever they want,” Hunter grumbled as they made their way to the council chambers, away from their homes.
Liam held up both hands in mock surrender. “Josiah agreed to it, so we’re having the meeting. Don’t get on my ass for it.”
“I want nothing to do with your ass, Liam,” Hunter said. “I’m just pissed that on the night of our hunt I have to go sit and listen to the other three members of the council bitch and moan about something that has nothing to do with them.”
Alec nodded solemnly. “I agree. Why do you think Liam and I stay on the council? Without us, who knows what the other three would do?”
Hunter held back a shudder at that and reached out to squeeze Alec’s shoulder, ignoring the odd look on Liam’s face. They’d deal with the latter later. “I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you for being here. Thank you for taking care of Samuel when I could not.”
That familiar stab of pain echoed through him at the mention of his brother’s name, but he put that away. He didn’t want to think about the boy who’d been too young to lead by Josiah’s side and had lost his life because of it.
“We weren’t enough,” Alec whispered.
Liam growled. “No, but we’ll find out who did it—and who sent you to hell.”
Hunter started, looking at the wolf he called friend. Though they’d all tiptoed around the fact that a member of the Pack had betrayed him, they hadn’t outright stated it. The fact that Liam and Alec were on his side almost sent him to his knees.
Hell, he wasn’t alone.
Overcome with an emotion he didn’t want to name, he gave the other wolf a nod then walked into the council chambers. The room was in a horseshoe shape with five seats surrounding a center where someone could stand and bare witness or counsel. There were two seats higher than those of the council members for the Alpha and Beta.
According the some of the council members, those seats were just for show, but Hunter would be damned if he’d let the council meet without him. The council was supposed to only advise, not govern.
The Pack wasn’t a democracy. The Alpha held the power to rule over the Pack, and in return, their wolves would gain the power of knowing they were protected by not only Josiah, but the Beta as well.
The council, however hard they tried, would not be able to change that.
Hunter would make sure of it.
Fate and the gods had ensured it for generations before him.
Dorian, Gregory, and Alistair already sat at their places. Gregory and Alistair whispered to each other about mundane things. Silly to whisper when a wolf was around, but those two seemed to want to be human no matter the insanity of the issue.
Dorian, on the other hand, draped himself over the chair. His pants were zipped, but not buttoned. The sated look on his face only made Hunter want to claw him more because he knew Sandra was probably still wanting—something that could be dangerous for a wolf, male or female. He himself didn’t have his Becca, leaving him aching just the same.
Josiah sat on his throne, a carefully blank, yet just as fierce, expression on his face. No matter what people thought, what Hunter himself had once thought, Josiah was stronger than them all. He played the soft ruler when it was needed and killed when others would not in the name of peace. His wolf could shift the fastest, and his own strength outweighed the strength of any other.
The only downfall to a strong Alpha was that they needed an even stronger Beta to balance that power.
When Hunter had been gone, Josiah had looked weakened. He might have been Beta before all this had happened, but when he’d come back, he had to prove himself all over gain. It made no sense to some, but to wolves, proving one’s self never ended.
When Hunter’s brother Samuel had stepped in when no other could, it hadn’t been enough. As council members, Liam and Alec hadn’t been able to become Beta, even if their power and level of dominance would have made it easier. Samuel might have been a dominant wolf but hadn’t had the power to take care of his Pack. Nor had he known the politics enough to keep himself alive.
Liam and Alec took their seats while Hunter made his way to his.
“Wait, Hunter,” Gregory drawled. “You need to stand in the middle.”
His wolf clawed at him, pissed at the command in the man’s tone. “Did you just order me?”
Gregory paled slightly but didn’t say anything.
“We’re not ordering you,” Dorian said, the lie evident in his voice. “We’ve summoned the council to talk about the Beta. It would behoove you to stand in the center.”
“Summoned?” Hunter raised a brow.
Be
hoove? Who knew the other wolf knew such big words.
Dorian rolled his eyes. “It’s a council meeting. You know what I mean.”
“Why I am I the subject?” Hunter growled, glaring at Liam and Alec.
His two friends shook their head, and Hunter tensed. If they didn’t know the topic of the council meeting, then something was up, though with each recent council meeting, something was always up.
Josiah growled from his perch but didn’t say anything.
Fuck, this couldn’t be good.
“You need a mate,” Alistair commanded.
Hunter blinked. “Excuse me?”
“By law, as Beta, you need a mate,” Dorian said, a slight edge to his tone. “Because your Alpha decreed you to be Beta again, it was past time to ensure the laws are followed.”
Hunter growled. “First, he’s your Alpha as well.”
Josiah let out a small snarl, the power leaking through and sending shivers down Hunter’s back. Fuck, the man could be deadly if needed. The others in the room looked even more pained.
Good.
“Second, I didn’t have mate before, so why bother forcing the agenda now?”
“You dare question the authority of the council?” Gregory sneered.
“I’m the Beta. I’ll question who the fuck I want,” Hunter replied, his voice calm.
“Why should we force the issue?” Liam asked, interrupting the growing tension.
“Just because you’re fuck buddies with the Beta doesn’t mean he gets special treatment,” Dorian sneered. “He should have had a mate before.”
“Watch your tongue, wolf,” Alec whispered, his voice a lethal blade.
Dorian only smiled. “I have a few wolves for you if you can’t find a mate. My sister for one.”
Hunter growled. The man was actually bargaining off his sister? For what?
“I already have a mate.”
He saw Liam and Alec tense slightly but didn’t say anything. He knew he’d hurt them by not saying something sooner, but it hadn’t been time yet. Becca was still new…still his.
“Convenient,” Alistair spat. “Where is this mate of yours, and why haven’t we heard of this before?”
“I only met her when I got back from hell. You know, the place that I spent four years nearly dying in? Let’s make sure we discuss that at some point soon, shall we?”
Gregory waved his question away. “We’ll talk of that later. Who is this person who is suddenly your mate?”
“She’s in the human realm.” Technically, as wolves, they were also in the human realm, they were, in fact, hidden from prying eyes, which helped distinguish the difference.
“A human?” Dorian’s lip curled, and he spat on the ground in clear disgust. “I won’t be having a human coming into the Pack and diluting the bloodlines.”
“She’s not just my mate,” Hunter growled. “She’s my true half, and you have no authority over fate, me, or my mate.”
Again, Liam and Alec started but didn’t say anything. Hunter knew they’d have plenty to say in private, but now was not the time.
Josiah, on the other hand, broke out in a grin. “This is the best news I’ve heard since you came back to us, Hunter, my son.” His gaze traveled around the council. “Fuck your thoughts on the bloodlines. You all have something else in your family tree. Fate has degreed Hunter a mate, and so it shall be.”
“I say we celebrate this new mating and call this meeting to an end,” Liam said with a smile and moved with an athletic grace to the center of the room.
“This isn’t over,” Dorian said.
Alec disagreed. “It’s over. The Beta will have his mate, and our Pack will be stronger for it. You know true halves are rare. This should be a time of joy, not a discussion on bloodlines.”
Josiah stood and left the room, his head held high. Hunter prowled out of the room, making sure his Alpha’s back was safe. No matter the feeling racing through his veins, Hunter would always protect his Alpha—especially from council members who didn’t get their way.
Their Alpha paused and turned back toward them. “Congratulations, boy. We need to talk soon.”
“Yes. I’ve missed too much.”
Josiah nodded then went back to his home while Liam and Alec fell in line beside Hunter.
“You’ll explain?” Liam asked.
“She’s human and needs time.”
“You have any idea what you’re going to do about her?” Alec asked.
“Find a way to bring her into the Pack and keep her safe,” Hunter said, knowing it would be easier said than done.
The council wanted his mate pure in blood, and Becca was far from that.
He’d just have to make sure she was safe.
No matter the cost.
Chapter Six
“I’m ready. I have to be.”
Lily blinked at Becca’s seemingly random outburst then raised a brow. Damn, Becca would have to learn to do that. She could raise both brows and look surprised, but that was about it.
“Care to elaborate on what you’re ready for?” Lily asked as she placed another domino down on the table.
Becca had gone over to Lily’s place under the guise of wanting to spend time with her friend, when in reality she wanted to see how a paranormal relationship would work. Okay, that wasn’t quite true. She wanted to hang out with Lily anyway, but having Shade there with his black wings, tipped in blue, spread out behind him as he walked around the house helped.
Lily and Shade had been together for over a year, and already, their home looked like theirs rather than a mesh of a thousand-year-old angel and an OCD human-turned-brownie. Everything was in its place and at a perfect angle, but there were also antiques and other touches that must have come from Shade. In retrospect, though, those things might not have been antiques when Shade had purchased them.
It was odd and kind of exciting to hear about Shade’s and Ambrose’s pasts. Even Balin was much older than the girls were—just not as old as the angels. All of that made her think of Hunter and his past. She only knew the bare facts about him, his past, and his Pack.
That was something she’d have to change. Gods, she’d been so selfish. So what if fate had decreed them perfect for each other? Did that mean she had to run away from it because it hadn’t been her choice?
Hell, it was her choice.
Hunter was making sure of that.
“Becca? Where did you go?”
Becca shook her head to clear her thoughts at Lily’s words. “Sorry. What did you say?”
Lily raised that brow again then tilted her head. “What exactly are you ready for?”
“Hunter.”
A smile broke out over her friend’s face before she rubbed her belly. “Yay! I’m so excited for you. I know you’ve been trying to hold back because you weren’t sure, but I know this will work out.”
Becca held her hand out at her friend’s enthusiasm. “I’m not saying we’re going to…mate, or whatever he calls it. I only meant that I’m going to learn about who he is.”
Lily tilted her head, her brows bunched. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m saying that I’ve been selfish. We’ve spent all this time together, and all we’ve done is be near each other. I don’t know anything about him. Not like I should.”
“He’s a wolf, Becca. Remember that,” Shade warned as he walked into the room, his wings trailing behind him—a bad habit of his. He leaned and kissed his mate, his wife, then knelt behind her, his hand possessively on her stomach.
Gods, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted that until she witnessed it firsthand.
Could she have that?
“What do you mean about Hunter being a wolf?” she finally asked.
Shade kissed Lily’s temple, as if he couldn’t stop himself from touching his mate. That little ball of warmth turned into jealousy, and she pushed it away.
“I know you’re feeling a bit weak physically because of the lack of a bond, but Hunter i
s feeling the mating urge too,” Shade explained.
Becca sat up straighter. “He’s in pain too.”
Shade grimaced as Lily elbowed him in the stomach. “Shade, stop trying to sway her.”
“I’m not, baby, but Becca needs to know the facts.”
“Yes, Becca needs to know the facts,” she echoed.
Gods, had she been hurting him because she needed to know more about what she wanted? Had she done exactly what she’d promised she wouldn’t do?
“Hunter is a wolf,” Shade continued. “He isn’t like Ambrose, me, or even Balin. We might be supernaturals, but we’re not human at all. We’re…one with our other half.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Hunter’s wolf is part of him, but also rides him. While Balin might have the demon ride him and try to turn him, or at least that’s how it was before, he was always in control. Sometimes Hunter needs to let his wolf out front and be in control. Shifters are different than other paranormals.”
Becca nodded, soaking in everything she could about who Hunter or, rather, what Hunter was. She’d pretty much already decided to be with him, but she needed to know more.
“With that need, though, comes another side of him. He not only has to force down the bond and pull toward you with his human half, but with his wolf half as well.”
“I’m hurting him?” Becca whispered. Voicing it too loudly would make it all that more real.
Shade looked pained but nodded.
Becca stood and threw her hands in the air. “Why the hell didn’t he say anything?”
Shade raised a brow in similar fashion to his Lily, and Becca growled. Yes, growled. Just like the wolf-slash-man she was supposed to mate. Or, rather, wanted to mate.
“What was he supposed to say? Have sex with me and bond so we both can feel better?” Shade snorted, and Becca wanted to slap the angel who had moments ago been so nice. Not so much now. “The unfortunate side effects on both your parts suck, I know, but really? There wasn’t anything he could do. Unless you were ready for the bond, you would have just resented him the entire time. Was that really something you wanted to do?”
An Unlucky Moon Page 6