Hunter Moon

by Joanne Mallory

  Last night was a lifetime ago, and standing here on the beach could be nothing more than a stolen weekend from London. If she wiped her mind she could believe for a minute that they’d snuck off, and they could go back to their normal lives.

  Just for a minute.

  But they couldn’t.

  His life had been ripped apart, and she’d stood with him, giving her loyalty to a man she hardly knew.

  He bent down to pick up a shell, turning to show her the intricate spiral, and as she touched its ocean-washed smoothness she looked up at him, seeing in his eyes the spark that had drawn her to him in the first place—kindness, laughter, a sense of integrity. There was something innate that drew her to him, and seeing him in danger had blown that wide open, leaving her unable to hide it. She’d fallen for him. She’d be afraid later, she’d panic about not wanting to be tied down later. She’d worry that it was all too soon, and too quick, later.

  But as she stared up at him, feeling the smooth shell beneath her fingers, and letting the magnitude of the last weeks pour through her, she knew all the fear and panic in the world wouldn’t change how she felt.

  Acknowledging her feelings had them swelling up inside her, static fissions dancing from her fingertips vibrating the shell in his palm. He laughed at the tiny shocks that danced across his skin, and the natural markings of the shell turned lavender, winding round the spiral, changed forever.

  Closing his hand, he put the shell in the pocket of his jeans. “I’ll keep it. It’ll be my charm.”

  Going on her toes, she pressed trembling lips to his, the act all the more intense from her self-admission. “It will always bring you luck.”

  Deepening the kiss, he threaded his fingers into her hair, making her shiver. His fangs were nothing more than little points as she twirled her tongue with his.

  His arms wound round her waist, tightening as he pulled her closer to him, as he nipped and tasted her.

  Gently easing away from him, she just stared, unsure of what she’d say if she spoke.

  As the wind picked up her hair, he reached up, tucking it behind her ear, and grinned. “Pretty thing you are.”

  Laughing at his unexpected compliment, she smiled back, wanting to draw his attention away from her, away from the emotion she was sure was plainly printed on her face. “Why, thank you. And what about my beach, that’s pretty spectacular too, huh?”

  Glancing behind her and then back up at her little cottage, he nodded. “It’s gorgeous. No wonder you like coming home.” And just that quickly the moment was gone, reality flooded back in. “Jess.”

  His voice cracked as his head dropped to hers and she cupped his face in her palms. She shouldn’t have taken off the damn cuffs. He’d convince himself that doing something stupid would be better for everyone, or some such crap. Just as she opened her mouth to threaten fire and brimstone if he tried anything, he lifted his head, his churning eyes alert as he looked around them, stiffening in her arms.

  Whatever it was he’d picked up on it seconds before her, and she looked around them with wide eyes, shocked that she’d been so idiotic as to think this was a good idea.

  She turned hurriedly, grabbing his hand, pulling him with her. They shouldn’t be this far out in the open.

  Picking up pace, they broke into a run, across the sand and up onto the decking. Ushering him in, she closed and locked the patio door behind her, turning to find Jason standing before them.

  A stunned shriek left her lips as she swept Seb behind her, power flying from her palms, capturing Jason with a bolt, lifting him from the floor.

  He hung suspended, unable to move.

  “Jess?” Seb had come to stand beside her. “Jess, let him go.” He was stoic next to her. He’d thrown his shoulders back, like he was going to do the right thing.

  She shook her head vigorously at his hushed words. Her hair was shaking around her, as she continued to keep Jason pinned. “I can’t. You don’t understand, Seb.” Tears stung her eyes as she looked at the face of her friend; his eyes beginning to change as he fought her hold on him. Fought the confinement. “He’ll have no control…” Her voice hitched, as her mind raced through ways to get them out of here without having to hurt Jason. “Once he scents vampire—”

  The strength of Jason’s beast was already pushing against her, desperate to rise up and protect him from her. She could feel her hold on him weakening with each second. She kept the beam as gentle as she could, not wanting to hurt him. But at her words his arms, head and shoulders broke free, his eyes narrowing with ferocity.

  “Vampire.” He dragged his hands across his body, trying to physically push off her binding, as he bellowed at her. “Vampire!”

  A sob caught in her chest, his burning anger sweeping over her. It was taking everything she had to hold him.

  When he realized she wasn’t going to answer he whipped his eyes to Sebastian. “Where is it, Seb?” His voice was a low growl, as he repeated the words.

  Seb hung his head, his hand on his chest. His words were barely a whisper as they scratched from his lips. “It’s me, Jase. It’s me…”

  Holding him got suddenly easier as he abruptly stilled, staring at Sebastian, his movements wolf-like as he scented the air, leaning forward as best he could.

  Jess’s heart was pounding in her chest, fear tripping along her nerve endings as she waited for the eruption. Knowing she’d have to strike him down.

  But none came.

  Jason’s head reared back, confusion furrowed his brow as he shook his head. “You’re a… You’re a…” His voice trailed away.

  Lifting his head, Seb gave him a sad smile, saying what his friend could not. “A vampire.”

  Jason’s eyes widened in shock, and as Jess watched she knew she was missing something.

  “What? No—”

  “Jase.” Seb’s hushed voice cut of his friend’s denial. “Please, Jase, I know we’re sworn enemies or…” Seb floundered for the words. “But I need you to help me.”

  Jason angled his head to look at Jess, and she could see his eyes had completely shed their wolfy rage. “Jess, for gods’ sakes, will you let me bloody down.” She hesitated. He seemed to have total control, but if she released him and he changed, she’d never hold him off…

  “I can’t, Jase. I can’t let you hurt him, I know he’s a v—”

  Stopping her words with a huff, he crossed his arms. “Vampire—yes, I know that’s what you two both think. But he’s not.”

  Seb’s head snapped up, as he walked across the room.

  Jess gasped, drawing Jason closer to her, yanking him across the room away from Sebastian. “Seb! Will you get back!”

  Jason’s arms jerked out to steady himself, and he glared at her. “Bloody hell, woman! Will you stop spinning me around? I’m liable to throw up.”

  Seb turned on Jess, raising his hands in exasperation. “Jess, will you please just put him down.” Turning to Jason, he looked questioningly at his friend, his eyes full of hope. “Then what am I?”

  A raw grin split Jason’s handsome face. “Buddy, you’re a wolf.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What!” Jason hit the floor as Jess abruptly dropped her palms, her voice incredulous. “He’s a what?”

  Staying on the floor, Jason chuckled, staring at her. “You thought he was a vampire.” Pushing his hair away from his forehead, he whistled. “Man-oh-man, that’s a good one. Clearly, I need to explain a few things to you guys about vampires.”

  Jess looked over at Seb, who seemed rooted to the spot, his hands on his hips as he frowned at Jason. “I’m,” he patted his chest as he spoke, “a wolf? Me?”

  Jason raised his brows, gesturing at the window. “You don’t think it’s odd that you’re standing here in the daylight, having just come back from a cozy walk on the beach?”

  Jess inwardly cringed. “Of course we did.” Her tone waspish as she spoke. “But you and I have never hashed out the truth and myth of it all. You only have to
hear the word vampire, and you’re all raged up. So everything I know comes from the movies.” Throwing her hands in the air, she turned away, muttering, “Maybe they can day-walk, for all I know. Wesley Snipes managed it.”

  Jason roared with laughter, pushing himself to his feet. Crossing to Sebastian, he stopped in front of him, looking at him, lifting his head, he tested his scent. “You’re a wolf. No doubt about it.” Wrapping him in a hug, he slapped his back.

  Jess looked on as Seb slowly hugged him in return, laughing, his shoulders shaking as they broke apart.

  “Oh, man.” Bending over, Seb braced his hands on his thighs, heaving in a huge breath, the releasing sigh full of relief. Shaking his arms out at his sides, he rolled his shoulders, his slightly delirious laughter pulling a bewildered smile from her.

  He turned shocked eyes to her, still shaking his head in wonder. “I’m not a vampire.”

  Still unable to process exactly what was happening, she gave him what she hoped was a positive nod. “Apparently not.”

  Jason shrugged, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “No, you’re not. But I will tell you what you are. A bloody liar. What didn’t you tell me about what happened in Canada?”

  As Seb opened his mouth to speak, Jason held up his hand, cutting him off. Moving to him, Jason walked round him, taking in his scent once more, his eyes wide. “Holy crap—before we get to that, I can smell your hunger. Have you eaten since you began the change?”

  “No. I…” His voice trailed away as he nodded at Jess, lowering his voice. “I didn’t wanna worry her.”

  Jason’s look was one of horror. “Mate! You must be starving. A newly-turned wolf has needs.”

  At his groan of agreement, Jess released a huff, her own voice rising. “I asked if you were hungry! Why did you say no, Seb? I just—”

  Their words layered across each other.

  “Jess, I thought being hungry meant I’d have to feed…and you know I wouldn’t…” He trailed off awkwardly as he looked between her and Jason.

  Flipping her hair back from her face, she grimaced. “That’s why I asked! We’d have worked something out. But enough. If you’re hungry, for gods’ sakes, let’s eat.”

  Walking into the kitchen, she went through the side door that led to the garage, opening her chest freezer. Knowing how greedy Jason’s appetite could be after a change or a night run, she rummaged around, loading things onto a tray. Cooking wasn’t her area, but she’d figure something out.

  Laying them out in order of cooking time, she turned on the oven, sliding in a couple of pizzas.

  “I know pizza is a pretty poor offering, but it’ll cook quickly, and we’ll work from there.”

  Jason had slid onto a stool next to Seb at the breakfast bar, pushing a carton of milk at him.

  He looked quietly happy with himself. Every time she caught his gaze, he was nonchalantly grinning or throwing her a wink, until eventually she lost her ability to ignore him.

  Rolling the pizza cutter through the bubbling cheese, she carried the plate over to them, dropping it onto the side with a thump. “Alright, go on. Laugh all you like. Yes, I thought he was a vampire. Crazy me.”

  Seb groaned at his first mouthful. “Food.”

  Grinning at Seb, Jason turned his amused gaze to her. “Oh, come on, Jess, you’ve got to admit, it’s pretty funny. Sod the daylight, but the fact that he hadn’t torn you limb from limb should’ve tipped you off.”

  The microwave pinged, having defrosted a stew that Thea had made, and Jess put the crockpot in the hot oven, and dropped half a dozen frozen rolls into the warming drawer below.

  “Would I have done that? Would I have lost control of myself?” Seb’s solemn question left Jason serious, chasing the laughter away as he faced his friend.

  “Yes. You would have been driven by blood lust, controlled by an overpowering urge to hunt and kill. As a turned vampire, it’s unlikely you would ever be able to control that urge. Which is why they don’t turn humans.” Taking a breath, Jason clasped his hands in front of him, visibly controlling the icy fury at just having to speak about them. “Vampires see all other creatures as nothing more than sport.” Reaching for the milk, he poured himself a glass, and refilled Seb’s empty one. “Except us. We are the only thing they actively fear.”

  Jess swallowed as both Jason and Seb’s eyes glowed as they spoke, the lighter ring that had been creeping into Seb’s gaze, now virtually eclipsed the black. It had the same intense blue hue as Jason’s eyes when his beast woke.

  Picking up his glass, Seb gave a curt nod. “Good. They should fear me.” His words were low and deadly.

  Desire burned through her as she watched him speak. She turned away, busying herself. It would seem she most definitely had a thing for danger. Rolling her eyes, she wondered what else she’d discover about herself as this little escapade continued.

  As they continued to talk, she pulled out plates and set to preparing more food.

  She was tending him, feeding him, making him happy, and it felt good. Strange but right. Not mundane…

  Yes, because having two werewolves in your kitchen is so ordinary. Wondering if any sort of spell could shut out her little voice, she ignored it, blithely returning to her thoughts.

  She’d never imagined herself playing the little woman, but she’d been horrified at the thought of his hunger. She couldn’t tolerate the thought of him being in danger…and she was desperate for him to bite her.

  It was turning into an illuminating twenty-four hours.

  “Now you’ve polished off two whole pizzas you need to start talking. What happened in Canada?”

  Jason’s question had her turning, leaning against the breakfast bar, facing them.

  Seb dropped a crust to his plate, his gaze solemn as he looked between the two of them, his voice quiet. “I don’t remember much.”

  Lacing his hands behind his head, Jason leant back against the wall. “I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me. And I know it was something more than frost that bit you.”

  Nodding jerkily, Seb pushed to his feet. “Oh, it bit me alright.”

  Standing before them, he dragged the hoodie over his head, dropping it on his chair, before unbuckling his jeans.

  Despite her confusion, Jess felt her mouth dry at the glorious site of muscle and skin. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what he was doing. She’d seen him naked, what had she missed?

  Turning his back to them, he dragged the waistband lower over the left side of his hip.

  Jess caught her breath as he revealed the viscous scar that marred the skin of his lower back.

  Four large incisors had caused the most damage, tearing into him, leaving long deep rips.

  Unaware of what she was doing, she walked to him, placing her right hand on his back. “Seb.” As she whispered his name, she gently laid her left hand against the still healing scar tissue.

  She felt him tense beneath her palm, and she unconsciously murmured praise as she touched his searingly hot skin.

  Her stomach churned thinking about what he’d gone through; the creature must have been huge, the bite spread longer than the length of her hand. “You must have been so afraid. I wish I’d been there.”

  Turning to her, he cupped her jaw, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “Thank you, Baby, but I’m glad you weren’t.”

  His eyes swirled, the black becoming bluer each time they changed, and she stayed locked within his gaze, until Jason’s words broke the silence.

  “Okay, then, so that answers more than one of my questions. But Jess, I gotta ask, when you guys were,” he coughed into his palm, “you didn’t think the scar was a little off?”

  Turning angry eyes to explain that she’d been a little busy at the time, she opened her mouth to speak, when a rough growl rumbled from Seb.

  As Jess looked up, his canines lengthened before her eyes, looking longer and more lethal than she’d ever seen them. “Sebastian?”

  Rearing back in shock, Seb pu
t his hands up, backing away from them as his breathing deepened. His brows raised in shock, the blue had almost eclipsed his irises, leaving only a thin ring of black remaining. “Christ, I’m sorry, I don’t know…”

  Chuckling, Jason got up, heading for the oven, pulling out the crock-pot. “I wondered what would happen if I brought up Jess.” Nodding towards her, he locked eyes with Seb. “You’re going to have to learn to control that.” Lifting the lid, he stirred the contents, letting the heady smells of meat and gravy fill the kitchen. “A wolf is always irrational when it comes to his mate.”

  “His what?” Jess was tired of sounding like an idiot. She was also sure she’d didn’t want to know the exact details of what that meant. “Jase, there’s a lot that you’re not telling us.”

  ***

  Setting the bowl of warm rolls next to the stew, Jess came to sit down next to him, as Jason sat across from them.

  Jase pointed at the stew. “You eat. You need it. And I’ll talk…and eat. I’m hungry.”

  Ladling the delicious food into his bowl Seb looked at Jason, waiting for him to begin.

  “You’re going to have to tell me if you feel angry, or if you’re going to lose it. Some of this discussion is going to involve Jess, and your wolf isn’t going to like me talking about her in that way. It’d be easier on you if she wasn’t here, but it’s important that you both know what you’re dealing with. So, it is what it is.”

  Listening to the nervous edge in Jason’s voice, trepidation trickled through Seb. The rage had risen from nowhere, the only thing that had stopped him lunging for Jason before had been the fact that Jess stood between them.

  As if reading his thoughts, she laid her palm across his thigh, softly rubbing, easing his tension. “I’ll try. But if it was like just now, I didn’t even see it coming.”

  “It won’t happen like that once you’ve made your first change. You’ll have more time to get control, but rage and lust are the two biggest problems we battle with.”

  Jess’s spoon halted halfway to her lips, and he gritted his teeth at her discomfort.