Hunter's Moon (The Witch Who Sang with Wolves Book 1)

by Kat Bostick

“What happened?” Charlie demanded from the bedroom doorway. Clem and Deak peered over his shoulder with sleep-heavy eyes and baffled expressions.

  “The witch…” was all Mari could croak out. That was the only explanation. The change was wrong, unwilling and excruciating. Lyse did this.

  “Is she here? Mari, speak to me.” Charlie approached her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  “I…I felt something wrong so I came to check on him. He was changing and he didn’t recognize me.” Or that was what she had to tell herself because the alternative made her dizzy.

  What if he did recognize her and Lyse somehow turned him against her? What if Jasper hated her? That look on his face haunted her. She wanted the real him back, the smiling, charming, adoring Jasper. No, not wanted but needed him back, needed to see that he was still in there.

  “Where are you going?” Charlie’s grip tightened as she raced for the hallway.

  She jerked her arm away. “To find Jasper!”

  “Slow down, witchy woman. At least put some pants on first.” Cash slipped around her to block the top of the stairs. Mari looked down at her bare legs and realized she was only wearing a t-shirt and panties.

  There was no time to worry about that. She ran at Cash, hoping to duck under his arm, but the big man caught her around the middle and held her back.

  “Get out of my way, Cash!” Mari snapped.

  When Cash refused she bit down on his bicep until he growled. “Damn, she bites hard.”

  “Enough!” Charlie wrapped thick fingers around the nape of her neck and squeezed. Mari yelped and tried to squirm from his hold but the alpha was stronger than he looked. “You are out of line. Settle yourself and we will all find Jasper. You’ll have better luck tracking him with a wolf by your side. We can follow his scent.”

  “And what if they put him in a cage again? What if they drug him and drive him away? We need to go now, Charlie!” She begged.

  This is my fault! She wanted to scream. Can’t you see this is all my fault and I have to fix it before it’s too late?

  “Clem, help Mari get dressed. We’ll convene in the study.” Charlie ordered.

  Cash and Clem guided a resistant Mari back to the guest room. Instead of closing the door, Cash turned his back and stood sentinel in the doorway. She numbly accepted the jeans and bra that Clem handed her, mentally clambering for any kind of plan. Charlie was going to drag his feet and Jasper could be slipping through their fingertips.

  And the pack was at risk, too. Did Charlie realize that? If they went after Jasper, they might fall right into a trap. Mari was the only one immune to the rare brand of magic that Lyse was capable of.

  Of course Charlie realized that. It was why he was stalling. He knew they couldn’t go retrieve Jasper and he was keeping Mari from going on her own. The alpha intended to lay out some lengthy, time consuming plan that wouldn’t actually guarantee they got Jasper back. Mari couldn’t accept that. Even now she could feel Jasper through the fading tendrils of the connection they shared. He was gaining distance.

  “I’m going to change in here.” Mari pointed to the bathroom. As she spoke to Clem she flicked her gaze over to Cash with what she hoped was a nervous look. Clem nodded sympathetically and waved her on.

  I’m sorry, Clem. I have to do this.

  The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, Mari was yanking jeans on. She grabbed the hem of the extra-large t-shirt and tied it in a knot behind her so that the excess fabric wouldn’t catch on anything. There was less than thirty seconds to shove the bathroom window open while the flush of the toilet disguised the noise. Just like the window in Jasper’s bathroom, a net of vines covered the brick below. Unfortunately they were much thinner and browner on this side.

  Please carry me to the earth without breaking any of my bones. Mari begged the vines as she slid feet first out the window.

  It was a miracle that she was a short three feet from the ground when one of the vines snapped. Mari quickly took inventory to make sure nothing was injured. She hadn’t been able to grab shoes without alerting Clem of her escape plan and now her bare feet seemed wholly inadequate. A new idea formed in her mind as she caught sight of the barn. Hitching a ride would be much faster than walking.

  The barn was never locked and because luck was on her side, the keys to each vehicle were hanging on hooks just beside the door. Mari grabbed the set she knew belonged to Cash’s SUV. The Yukon was bigger than anything she’d driven before but it was better for the gravel roads than her Toyota. And it happened to be closest to the door.

  Mari sucked in a deep breath before pushing the garage door opener and starting the SUV. If the pack hadn’t already noticed her disappearance, they definitely would now. She slammed into reverse and pulled out of the garage as fast as she dared. The SUV was passing in front of the house when the door flew open, Cash and Deak charging her way. Mari revved the engine and raced for the gate. She knew one of three buttons on the dash opened it but had no idea which one.

  The metal gate was unresponsive the first two times she selected a button and she was forced to slow so that she didn’t hit it. In the rearview she saw Cash gaining on her. The moment the gate opened enough she squeezed through and quickly pressed every button on the remote until the gate swung shut. It closed just before Cash could slip through and see where she was going. Mari needed a head start to keep the pack away.

  She couldn’t explain how she knew which direction Jasper went. Inside of her chest there was a tugging, like an invisible thread was tied between her heart and his. It reminded Mari of the spell she’d used to find him but it came with no effort. Intuition told her to turn right and take the road toward Downey Cemetery.

  Though the moon was nearly full, the road was frighteningly dark under the looming arms of trees. As she drove through the weathered metal archway Mari decided that nothing in the world was quite as creepy as a cemetery at night. The shadowy tombstones scattered through the clearing looked like dark faces peeking above the ground to watch her. Those silent judgements of the dead followed her to the end of the road where several large statues filled a nearly vacant field.

  It occurred to Mari that she was making one of her infamously stupid moves right now. Charlie was a seasoned alpha. That probably meant he had reasonable strategic skills. Would it have killed her to hear what he had to say before running off into what was probably a trap?

  Guns blazing. Mari told herself as she slipped out of the SUV and stepped into the field at the end of the road.

  There he was, right where she felt him. It was almost too easy. Make that definitely too easy.

  Jasper stood between statues of angels, looking like a demon among their delicate stone features. Scintillating stars and the light of the waxing moon brightened his fiery coat. When she came into view his eyes lifted to her but there was nothing there, no recognition, only cold indifference.

  “Jasper?” She whispered. No response, barely even a breath. “Jasper, it’s Mari.”

  The wolf lifted his lips in a vicious snarl when Mari approached him. A growl rumbled from him, echoing off the eerie stone figures and filling the night air. She chanced another step anyway, stopping when he snapped his teeth at her.

  “He cannot understand you.” A husky voice called from somewhere in the trees. “I have eagerly awaited our meeting, Mariella.”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “Only what I was built to do. A better question would be what did you do to him? I have never seen magic quite like what you’ve cast. It took such strength and time to wind my spell back around him after what you’ve done.” The disembodied voice of Lyse answered.

  “I haven’t done anything to him.” Mari whipped her head around, searching the darkness for the other witch. “Why did do this? How did you even find us?”

  “Magic, dear sister.” She chuckled. “This was the only way to see you. The wolves would not let you leave freely. They would follow you and discover us. We have watched them
stalk your every move.”

  “How long have you been watching?”

  “Long enough.”

  Mari squared her shoulders and glared in the direction she thought Lyses’ voice came from. “You’ve made it clear that you aren’t a luminary I want to follow. I told Henrick that I would never respect a leader that robs others of their will.”

  Two shadowy figures slipped into the light behind Jasper. Mari was surprised by what she saw on both counts. Lyse was tall and trim, soft waves running through her lovely auburn hair. Her pale complexion stood out in the night, giving her an otherworldly glow. The luminary couldn’t be more than a decade older than Mari. She seemed too young for such a position.

  Even more shocking was the woman that stood proudly at her side. “Patricia?”

  She’d only met Patricia twice in her life, yet she’d seen her face every time she visited her grandmother for years. It was plastered all over the wall in smiling pictures of coven members. She’d aged since the last few photos were taken but her round face and deep set brown eyes were unmistakable.

  “Hello, Mariella. I’m happy to see how you’ve grown. Your mother would be so proud of you.” The old witch responded in a grandmotherly voice.

  “You left your coven for this one?” Her head spun as she remembered Gran’s warning about her sisters. “Are you practicing black magic?”

  “There is no such thing as black magic. All magic was created by the divine. All magic has a purpose.” Patricia explained. “And what coven did I leave, Mari? They were all dead. There was nothing left.” Her wrinkled face fell into sadness. “I wanted to take hold of my life and my power, as Lyse will teach you to. I believe she is the luminary that will bring us back to glory.”

  “You abandoned your sisters for glory? What about Gran?”

  “Your grandmother was afraid of magic. She was afraid of you.” Her words became venomous. “A glorious coven is a strong one. It’s so easy for you to toss the idea aside. You’ve completed your rites. You’ve taken your magic into you. You are strong and yet you criticize the weak for wishing to be strong too? My daughter was slain by one of these monsters.” She pointed to Jasper. “If she had half the power you do, she would have survived. She could have protected herself. If we had that kind of power, we could have protected all of our sisters.”

  Mari couldn’t argue with that. Patricia’s stance made sense. Mari hadn’t considered what life was like for a witch with abilities as subtle and faint as Gran’s. It would infuriate her to know she could have wielded great magic if only there were others to guide her into it.

  “I will forgive you your ignorance, child. Your father is to blame for that.” Patricia calmed. “But your grandmother never tried to teach you our ways. She feared your strength and what you could become without proper guidance. Lyse can be that guidance. Accept her as your luminary and you will bloom into the beauty you were made to be.”

  “I can teach you how to do what I’ve done. I can show you the ways of the Wolfseggner.” Lyse added.

  An image flashed in Mari’s mind. She stood under the moon, wolves pacing behind her with teeth bared. Blood glistened on her outstretched hands. This was another road that might fulfill the future her father saw.

  The luminary settled kind blue eyes on her. “It is a tragedy each time we lose another of our kind. So few are we witches and so weak, too. I am truly sorry for the loss of your grandmother. That is why I am doing this, Mariella. For her, for you, for all of us.”

  “I have no reason to trust anything you say.”

  “The divine brought us together for a purpose. Can’t you see? We are the last of our kind. Our gift is rare and precious. Together we can protect it, strengthen it, and even share it with generations to come.”

  Mari hesitated. This was what she’d wanted: connection with other witches, knowledge of her heritage. Desperation for the truth warred with outrage at what Lyse did to Jasper.

  “Let him go, break the curse you have on him, and I’ll consider your offer.” She said to Lyse.

  “If I release my hold, the creature will kill me.”

  “Only because you took control of his mind! You robbed him of his memories and stole him away from his family. You can’t do that. We can’t do that. It’s wrong.”

  “No, it is because these creatures are violent in nature and without the strong will of a Wolfseggner, they destroy everything in their path. Us included.” Lyse countered.

  “He’s not a creature, he’s a person. You’re no different than any other hateful witch.” Mari was genuinely disappointed to realize that. Yes, Lyse cursed Jasper but a part of her hoped there was some worthwhile justification behind it. She longed for sisterhood and for a teacher but she would never accept one that treated the wolves as inferiors.

  “Please, hear me, Mariella. He’s a beast. He was created to be a beast. They all were. It was the ancestors from my father’s bloodline who made the very first werewolf to serve and defend witches.” Lyse came further into the clearing and rested a bony hand on Jasper’s shoulder. Another growl thundered in his chest. Lyse quickly removed her hand. It appeared some conscious part of Jasper was still in there.

  “You mind has been poisoned against your own kind. The modern witch is taught to hate herself, to be meek.” Lyse spat. “They tuck themselves away and sully their bloodlines with mundane men. They speak of witch trials from hundreds of years in the past with fresh fear on their tongues. They cower and in doing so, make themselves vulnerable. Someday soon, the power of witches will be nothing more than a tale of the past, a fable to enchant the minds of children. The power and magic that once belonged to us will be lost. Our sisters have become complacent in their own destruction. They roll over to accept death.

  “Imagine a world where witches could defend themselves. Imagine a world where we are not ruled by the mundane. With the Wolfseggner line rekindled we could fight battles with wolves at our whim and conquer enemies. We could protect our sisters.”

  The air crackled with magic as Lyse spoke. Mari could feel the power in her passion like pop rocks on her tongue. This witch was powerful, probably far more powerful than Mari. Perhaps she’d gotten her spell wrong last time because this time, her hold on Jasper was solid and if Lyse asked, he would walk across the clearing and kill Mari.

  “So you want an army of werewolves to help you take over the world?” She snorted, unable to hold back her blasé tone. “Don’t you think world domination is kind of an overused villain motivation?”

  To her surprise, Lyse laughed too. “Of course I don’t want to take over the world. I only want to strengthen our world. I want influence in the world of magic. I want to carve a place for us. And yes, I will gain that with an army of wolves. They are mine. They were made for me. If you join my coven, they can be yours too.

  “I know what you must think of me but you’re wrong, fledgling. Everything I have done is for our kind, for witches like you, who have not been taught to rule their magic. I only want to see a better life for us all.” Her voice cracked, betraying emotion too strong to be faked. “I ask that you forgive my methods of coercion. They were too heavy handed due to my urgent need to find the wolf again.”

  “I can only forgive it if you can promise that you’ll stop. No more charming spells. No more curses. I can’t be a part of a coven that does either.” Mari responded firmly.

  “You would be my apprentice and when you are well-taught, my second. Such things could be debated between us. My heart is open to your words, Mari.”

  “What if I don’t want to join your coven? What will you do then?”

  “Consider my offer. I will give you time to decide for yourself. All I ask is that you don’t trust what these creatures have to say about witches. They hate us because we’re stronger than them.”

  Mari shook her head. “They only hate us because we hate them.”

  “Oh, it would seem his pack has discovered us.” Lyse cocked her head and looked beyond Mari to where he
adlights were glowing in the distance. “I will release the wolf as a show of faith to you, Mariella. It’s clear that you are attached the beast so you may have him, for now. Affection for my forefather’s creation runs in your blood, it would seem.” She smiled wistfully at that. “I want only what is best for you and I know that my coven can give you that.

  “I expect a decision in a fortnight, seven days after the harvest moon. Be well until then, Mariella.” Lyse took Patricia by the hand and quickly scurried to the forest. An ink black cloud whirled around her feet and then they were shrouded in smoky shadows.

  “Great, one more person giving ultimatums about my life decisions.” Mari exhaled her first breath since arriving.

  Jasper blinked at her, the first sign that he was aware of himself and his surroundings. Mari took two cautious steps forward and crouched before him. “Jasper? Can you hear me?” He sneezed, shaking his head and backpedaling away from her. The distance he put between them and the mistrust in his eyes hurt but she resisted the desire to pursue him.

  This was her fault, after all. Jasper might have heard the conversation with Lyse, assuming he could understand in his cursed state. He had every right not to trust her, to feel betrayed.

  Behind them tires crunched on gravel and headlights filled the open area of the cemetery. Mari wondered if she should send them away. Everything Lyse said could have been a lie and the witch might be lurking in the dark. She was powerful beyond anything Mari had ever felt. Could she hold more than one wolf? If she planned to build an army of them, she would have to.

  “Jasper, it’s okay. Come to me, please.” She crept closer. Jasper’s eyes darted between the nearing vehicle and her. He lifted his lips and snarled but no growl accompanied the vicious look. “It’s you in there. I can feel you.”

  She swallowed her apprehension and closed the space he’d created. What Mari did was stupid and it hurt him. There were a million other ways she could have figured this out without putting Jasper in the middle. No matter her decision, not matter which way this ended, Mari wouldn’t let that happen to him again.