The Hunter's Mate

by Christina Benjamin

  Grey kissed the back of Etti’s hand. “This is why I love you. You don’t even know them and already you’re trying to protect my family. But I promise you, Etti, they can take care of themselves. They’re shifters and they’ve been a part of this world long enough to know the risks.”

  “I hate it. I hate all the risks,” Etti cried bursting into tears. “It all just feels . . . pointless.”

  Grey looked at Etti, hating what he saw. His strong, beautiful mate was being plagued by his hunter’s curse. None of this was her fault and it killed him to see her so upset. He pulled the car over and parked so he could hold Etti. He wanted to chase the fear away from her. She was his mate, it was his job to protect her.

  “What feels pointless, Etti?”

  “All of this! The wedding. The baby. It’s all going to be stolen away from us and there’s nothing we can do.”

  “Etti, I’m only going to ask you this one time,” Grey said firmly, looking into her dark eyes. “Do you want to marry me and raise our daughter together?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “No. No more excuses. If this is what we want, we will make it happen. We live for this moment. We take what we want and if we’re in it together, no one can stop us. This is our life to live, Etti. And it is not pointless.”

  Grey watched her swallow hard and nod her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Grey.”

  “Don’t apologize. I know this is a lot. But I’m in this with you. And so are our family and our friends. You’re not alone. You’ll never be alone again, okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispered wiping her tears.

  “Okay, now let’s go meet your mother-in-law.”

  “Izzi West! That’s a lovely name, dear,” Sara West crooned from the backseat.

  Grey glanced in the rearview mirror keeping an eye on the conversation between his mother and Etti. Sarah had insisted Etti sit in the back, saying airbags were dangerous for pregnant women. Grey knew better than to argue with his mother. It would only result in a lecture about how she knew better, having raised three perfect children.

  Grey loved his mother unconditionally. She’d raised him and his two brothers on her own after his father had been killed by rogues. It was only natural that she was more than a bit overprotective. That tendency had only increased after Grey’s older brother Reeve died—thanks to the hunt. That was a detail Grey wasn’t looking forward to sharing with his mother. But he needed to get everything out in the open if he was going to have a chance of protecting everyone he loved.

  “Have you chosen a middle name yet?” Sarah asked Etti.

  “Not yet,” she replied. “We’ve been a bit preoccupied.”

  “Oh, I bet! A wedding and a baby will do that! But I couldn’t be more excited! And I’m happy to help with anything you need, dear. I can even come back after the baby is born,” Sarah offered.

  Grey watched Etti’s brows furrow.

  “Or not,” Sarah said. “Sorry, that’s a bit in the future, isn’t it? I don’t mean to be pushy. We can just focus on today,” she added, smiling.

  “No, it’s not that, Sarah. Really, I appreciate the offer, it’s just we’re not really sure . . .” Etti trailed off and looked at Grey pleading for help.

  “Our future’s a bit up in the air, mom,” Grey said over his shoulder.

  “Up in the air? What do you mean? You’re getting married and having a baby. That sounds pretty nailed down to me,” his mother argued.

  Grey sighed and shared a look with his brother. Ethan only rolled his eyes, as if to say, don’t get her going.

  Grey had hoped this conversation could at least wait until he got his family settled into their hotel, but his mom was like a wolf with a bone. There was no sense trying to hold her off at this point. “Mom, Ethan, there’s some things we need to fill you in on.”

  Chapter 21

  Etti

  Sarah West’s eyes looked exactly like her son’s when she was angry—like molten quicksilver. “They get to her over my dead body,” Sarah growled. “No one is going to hurt my daughter or granddaughter.”

  Etti didn’t miss that Sarah had referred to her as her daughter. Her love for Grey’s feisty mother grew instantly. The tiny brunette had a will of steel and it filled the room as Sarah’s instinct to protect her family flared. Grey said he’d never seen her shift, but it was evident his mother possessed the gene. Etti could practically see Sarah’s wolf snarling from within.

  “What the hell do a pack of rogues want with you anyway?” Sarah asked pacing the small living space of her hotel room.

  “Mom, let me finish,” Grey muttered. “The hunt isn’t some unorganized group. They’re a kill squad sworn by an ancient blood oath to cull the herd. They’ve been around for centuries and when they first started out they only sought retribution against the humans who hunted shifters. It was their way to level the playing field. And for one month a year they were granted absolution on the killing field. But now, they’ve lost sight of things. They kill for sport and they have our family in their sights.”

  “Why?” Ethan asked, furrowing his brow. It made him look unnervingly like Grey. Ethan had his mother’s silver eyes too, but his hair was lighter, more the color of sand than chocolate, like Grey’s and Sarah’s.

  Etti felt her mate’s despair and took Grey’s hand to offer him the strength to continue. She knew this wasn’t easy for him.

  Grey took a deep breath before continuing. “Because I’m one of them. Or I was before I met Etti and broke my vow.”

  Sarah gasped. “You made a vow to these maniacs?” she hissed.

  “Why?” Ethan probed.

  “I had to,” Grey said, his voice barely a whisper.

  “Why?” Ethan demanded, his voice venomous, and Etti wondered if he knew the truth about what really happened to his brothers.

  “Because I had to protect you, Ethan,” Grey said pleading for understanding. “Because they recruited Reeve and got him killed before he could fulfill his debt. If I didn’t step up and take his place they would have come after you.”

  “I knew it,” Ethan yelled. “I knew Reeve didn’t die in a car accident. Why did you lie to me?”

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  “I’m not a child anymore, Grey. And keeping us in the dark isn’t the same as protecting us. We’re stronger together. You taught me that.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” Grey said in a voice Etti didn’t recognize. It was sad and broken. “I failed you. But I was trying to do what was right, trying to clean up this mess Reeve started.”

  Sarah moved so fast Etti didn’t know what happened until the sound echoed through the room. Sarah had slapped her son, anger simmering in her silver-rimmed eyes. Etti knew that look—she’d seen it in her own mother’s eyes too many times, but she would not let her fate be her mate’s. She would not let anyone hurt her family.

  Instinct drove Etti as she lunged, shifting into her onyx wolf in midair. She slammed Sarah and Ethan to the ground before they knew what hit them. Etti’s wolf was back on her feet, pacing a line between Grey and his family, her hackles raised, snarling and snapping, daring them to lay a hand on him again.

  Ethan moved to get to his feet but Etti growled at him, baring her teeth and prowling closer, muscles coiling to pounce if she felt threatened. He wisely stopped moving. Even Sarah held her breath.

  Grey called Etti’s name, but her laser focus was on the woman who dared lay a hand on her mate. Etti’s eyes glowed with rage as she stalked closer to Sarah. The tiny woman raised her hands in surrender and when her eyes met Etti’s, Sarah seemed to understand some unspoken command.

  “I’m sorry,” Sarah whispered.

  “Etti,” Grey called again, this time touching her bristled black coat.

  At first, she flinched at his touch. But then she backed into it, craving the connection of their mating bond. He was the only one who could calm her.

  Her mate was safe, and she intended to keep him that way.
/>   Greyson

  “Etti, it’s okay. We’re safe.” Grey repeated the phrase, sending it through their mating bond. “We’re safe. I’m safe.”

  He stroked her silky black coat until she retreated back to him, away from his terrified mother and brother who cowered on the floor of their hotel room. Grey tried to get Etti’s attention, but she refused to take her eyes off of them. Wisely they remained still, sensing Etti was moments from snapping like a cornered animal.

  “She didn’t hurt me,” Grey said reassuringly. “And she’ll never touch me again, right?” Grey shot his mother a pleading glare.

  “That’s right,” Sarah sputtered. “It-it was a mistake.”

  The wrath smoldering in Etti’s eyes made Grey’s wolf cower.

  How could his mate ever doubt she’d be a good mother?

  Etti was one of the most fiercely loyal and protective shifters he’d ever met. But beneath that anger, he felt a deep-rooted pain and fear wrapping it’s way around Etti’s heart, and in that instant he knew what had caused this drastic reaction. It was why she never wanted to talk about her parents . . . why she didn’t want them near the baby . . . why she was afraid of being a mother. Etti had been abused.

  She hadn’t been able to fight back then. All she’d had was Wes, and who knew if he’d even known. Grey had a feeling he did. It would explain their unbreakable bond. If Wes had known, he would have protected her—been her escape, her lifeline.

  And now . . . now Wes was gone.

  But Etti was a shifter now, and she wouldn’t let anyone get away with hurting her or those she loved again. Grey had seen the fear spark in her eyes as she reacted after his mother slapped him. It was all perfectly clear now—the truth of Etti’s childhood snapped together in Grey’s mind to form a clear picture. His heart broke for his mate and it was his turn to be her protector.

  “Etti, sweetheart?” Grey kept his voice soft. “I need you to shift back.”

  Etti still kept eyes locked on Grey’s mother.

  He needed to get through to her. “Remember what Cali said. This isn’t good for the baby.”

  Etti finally looked at him, understanding in her glowing lupine eyes.

  “You need to shift back,” Grey urged.

  Etti nudged him toward the bathroom, unwilling to leave Grey alone with his family. He moved obediently, shutting the door behind them and catching Etti as she shifted back. He wrapped her in a hotel bathrobe and steadied her. She was hot and breathing hard. Being so far into her pregnancy, the shift had probably exhausted her. “Are you alright?” he whispered, lightly kissing her.

  She nodded.

  “Okay, then let’s get you home.”

  “Grey . . . I’m sorry,” Etti whispered, clinging to him.

  “Don’t apologize, babe,” Grey murmured pulling her closer. She was shaking. Whatever adrenalin she’d been running on was ebbing. He needed to get her home before she collapsed. “Come on. I’ve got you now,” he said scooping her into his arms.

  When Grey emerged from the bathroom, with Etti in his arms, Sarah’s features crumbled. He knew their mother wanted to embrace him, but he could scent her fear as well. Ethan stood next to his mother, his hand clutching her arm, ready to hold her back or pull her behind him if necessary.

  “I’m taking Etti home,” Grey said striding toward the door. “We can talk more about this tomorrow.”

  “I’m sorry, Greyson,” his mother called. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you . . . I just-I won’t lose another member of my family,” she said fiercely.

  “I don’t intend to let that happen,” Grey replied.

  Grey’s mother had tears in her eyes but her cold strength radiated through her.

  “Neither do I,” Ethan added standing resolutely with their mother.

  Though he was years younger, Ethan looked every bit as fierce as Grey. Anger, determination and protectiveness overpowered Grey’s senses and he knew Etti could feel it too. He hoped it gave her reassurances about his family—they could hold their own in this brewing war, and she was their family now too. They would be on her side.

  “So what are we supposed to do?” Ethan asked, anger still edging his voice.

  Grey felt Etti growl in his arms and he shot his brother a warning glare. “We wait,” Grey replied.

  “Wait?” Ethan challenged. “That’s your grand plan?”

  “Ethan,” Sarah hissed.

  “We can’t do much more than that,” Grey replied. “The hunt isn’t free to attack us without retribution until the next hunter’s moon. And we can’t live our lives in fear until then or they win.”

  “You’re right,” Sarah said. “We have to live in the moment and be grateful for each one we spend together.”

  “We’ve notified the Wolfes. Their clan is in charge of this region,” Grey added. “They’ve defended us against the hunt before. There’s no reason to think they can’t do it again.” Grey squeezed Etti’s a little tighter, hoping his calmness would wash over her as he spoke the words he’d told her earlier. “This is the safest place for us,” he added, addressing his family. “So we go about our life. The shower is tomorrow and the wedding the day after.”

  “Good,” Sarah replied. “We’re all here together and we should celebrate that, because I intend to keep it that way.”

  Chapter 22

  Greyson

  Etti was silent during the short ride home. She insisted she was fine, but Grey carried her up the stairs to their apartment anyway. He drew her a bath and made a cup of tea for her while she soaked. He came back in to check on her, gazing lovingly at the sight of her beautiful curves peeking through the water. He knelt down next to her and kissed her temple. “How are you feeling?”

  She sighed. “Tired . . . big . . . a hot mess.”

  “You’ve never looked more beautiful to me.”

  “Grey . . .”

  “I mean it. You’re carrying my daughter and you’re fearless when it comes to protecting us.” He slid a hand along Etti’s round belly and she made the soft moan of approval his wolf loved so much. “Does that feel good?” he asked.

  “It always feels good when you touch me,” she admitted.

  Grey couldn’t fight his urge to slide his hand lower until it was between her thighs, slipping into her warmth. “How about when I touch you here?”

  Etti moaned again and Grey had to grip the side of the tub to keep from jumping in with her. Instead he leaned further over her and kissed her as he moved his fingers deeper. Her breaths became gasps for more. She arched her back and Grey hardened as her swollen breasts called out to him. “I want you, Etti, so fucking bad,” he growled.

  “Then take me,” she panted, pinning him with a dark gaze of desire.

  Grey pulled the drain from the tub and hoisted Etti out. She was dripping wet but he didn’t care. He wanted her—needed her. After the pain he’d seen in her a few hours ago all he wanted to do was bring her pleasure. That was something they’d never had trouble with.

  He stomped to the bedroom, only setting Etti down long enough to tear off his clothes and kick the chair from Etti’s vanity to the spot in front of the full length mirror. He sat down pulling her to his lap so she was facing away from him. His steel length blazed in his hand as he guided Etti onto him. She gasped as he filled her.

  “Fuck,” he muttered. The feel of her sheathed around him was nearly his undoing. He watched her in the mirror, grabbing her breasts as she spread her legs wider to take him. He traced kisses down her neck to her shoulder, grazing his canines against her warm golden skin. She smelled like his. Like water and lilacs and arousal. He could never get enough of her. “I love you, Etti,” he murmured against her neck.

  Grey wrapped his fist in her long wet hair and gently tugged her head back so he could kiss her throat, the corner of her mouth. She moaned while he moved inside her. He could feel her body ratcheting around him, pumping to find release. The ache inside him was building rapidly, but he wanted to put he
r first. He pinched her sensitive nipple and her nails dug into his thighs in ecstasy.

  “More,” she pleaded.

  He teased her nipple again and slipped a hand between her legs. She gasped, her head falling back against his shoulder while he drove her to the edge, and over it.

  Etti

  Etti lay in bed, wrapped in Grey’s arms. She pushed her back into his muscled chest and let him cradled her. She loved the feel of his warm skin against hers. It settled her to be so close to him. And the mind-blowing orgasm he’d given her a few moments ago didn’t hurt either. She’d needed the release and already felt the day’s tension fading away.

  “I love you, babe,” Grey whispered into her neck, trailing sweet kisses down her shoulder.

  “I love you, too.”

  “Etti . . .” Grey paused, like he was trying to choose his words carefully. “You know, I would never hurt you or our daughter, right?”

  Etti tensed, turning in Grey’s arms so she could look at him. “Of course. Why would you even say that?”

  “Today, with my mother . . . it wasn’t what you think.”

  Etti bristled, her eyes wide with shock. “So, she didn’t hit you?”

  “She did, but—”

  “No buts, Grey. Parents should never hurt their children.”

  “She didn’t. My mother never hurt us. She might have swatted us to get our attention a time or two, but she was raising three male shifters on her own. She did what she had to do . . . but she never hurt us, Etti.”

  Etti was silent, watching Grey’s features soften as he tucked her hair behind her ear. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to keep her own childhood memories at bay.

  “Babe, I saw your face today when she smacked me. Someone did that to you, didn’t they?”

  Etti looked down, picking at a stray thread in the pillowcase until Grey took her face in his hands.