Call me Luna

8 - Hunter

“How on earth do you have so much authority over the townspeople that they will believe everything you say?” I cannot help but wonder, eyeing him suspiciously.

“My family is the founding father of this community,” Mason explains without blinking an eye. “It just ran down from generation to generation.”

“And nobody has ever challenged you?” I find it hard to believe that no one questions him or his decisions.

“No,” he shrugs. “There is a council, it’s not just my word that counts. But I do have some sort of status that people respect.”

“Always an answer for everything,” I mumble as I rub my eyes, suddenly exhausted to the bone. “Let’s say I go along with this madness, what then?”

“You come and live with me, and we figure out who you are and where you’re from,” Mason smiles like he just won the lotto.

“Alone with you in a house?” My eyebrows flip upwards. He makes this sound way too easy, and I seriously doubt that it would be the case.

“Only at night,” he shrugs. “During the day there are servants.”

“You have servants?” I gape at him. “Do you live in a mansion or something?”

“No, it’s a normal house,” he smiles at me. “And I have help because I’m too busy to get everything done myself.”

“Cora, are you as spoiled as him?” I look at her and she is red in the face as she is suppressing laughter.

“I do have a cleaning lady,” she admits laughing.

“Well, in your case it makes sense,” I cover for her. “You’re working here all day.”

“I work too,” Mason protests and he grabs his heart as if I stabbed him there. “I have my own brewery.”

“We’re getting off track,” Cora steps in. “We must decide on a story on how you’ve met and so forth. Things need to be airtight if we want it to work.”

“We’ve met in the woods,” Mason smirks at me, “and it was love at first sight.”

“Please,” I roll my eyes at him. “Only if your name is Alpha.”

Cora and Mason share a look and I was about to ask what it is about when a light goes on for me.

“Alpha is your wolf, right? That means I will see him regularly,” excitedly I look at Mason. I know it is just a pet, but I cannot explain it. I am connected to that animal in ways that I am unfamiliar with.

“You two are hopeless,” Cora throws her hands in the air. “At this rate, we are never going to get the story straight. Mason, I know it’s the safest way to stick to the truth as far as possible, but you can’t mention the woods. One word to the wrong person and they might add two and two correctly. The two of you met when you went to California six months ago. Luna, you were a waitress in a bar that he visited. You’ve been in contact since then but kept things secret until you were both sure a future together is what you wanted. Agreed?”

Cora looks sternly at me and then at Mason. I feel like a child being scolded, so I just nod in agreement. Who would have thought sweet, patient Cora could get this fierce?

“Now, Luna is in the clinic because she was bitten by an unidentified spider and was kept here for observation. Any questions?”

“Nope,” Mason shakes his head and puts his hands in his pockets.

“What about the doctor?” I frown. “He knows the truth.”

“That’s our uncle, he won’t breathe a word,” Cora assures me.

“Can’t I rather go home with you tonight, Cora?” I try my luck, giving her the most innocent, pleading look. Well, at least in my mind I think I am.

“No,” she shakes her head firmly. “I have plans with my husband tonight that does not involve a third person. But I will be able to discharge you into the care of your fiancé.”

Suddenly we are interrupted by people screaming and shouting down the hallway. They found me, is my first reaction and I freeze where I stand. Questions of how they found me and what the hell is going to happen next, bombard my brain. Mason takes me by my arm and pulls me behind him, shielding me if anyone should enter my room.

“Alp … Mason,” Mira storms into my room, nearly breathless and with eyes wide. “A hunter.” And just like that, she takes off again.

“I have to go, stay here.” Mason’s soothing voice from earlier is thick with authority and he takes off.

“What’s happening?” I whisper and turn to Cora. She is pale as death.

“Cora, are you okay?” I go to her and lead her to my bed and help her to sit down.

Stunned I look to the door where the sound of chaos is still loud and back at Cora. She is quivering.

“Sh*t,” I mumble as I scurry to my bedside to pour her a glass of water. By the look on her face, she needs way more than water. But this is a clinic and not a hotel with a minibar.

“Drink, Cora,” I demand and put the glass by her lips, forcing her. Maybe she will get out of her trance if her body has something to do, like swallowing. But Cora makes no effort to drink. So, I did the next best thing. I slap her across the face. Stunned she looks at me and I am relieved that she is not spaced out anymore.

“Sorry, sorry,” I apologize as I go sit next to her. “You were spacing out and it was all I could think of to get you back.”

“It’s fine,” she shakes her head as if she is shaking off a bad memory. “It was just unexpected. Hunters … they …”

“What about the hunters?” I ask urgently as it seems she is going back into a trance.

“They killed my brother,” she whispers hoarsely.

The Hunters

Emmet’s breath is panting as he runs into the woods. That did not go as planned. All he wanted was something to eat. How the hell was he supposed to know there is a very healthy, very big young man with them? He has been scouting the place the whole afternoon and not once did he see any activity there.

Wolves are howling behind him and his panic is rising. He must get to his backpack before they get to him. All his weapons are there, and it is his only hope if he wants to live and tell the story.

From out of nowhere heavyweight presses on his back and he stumbles forward, loses his footing and lands face-first in the dirt. Desperately he starts squirming to get away, but the paw on his back is pressing down harder until it is almost impossible for him to breathe. The wolf lowers his head and Emmet can feel the beast’s breath on his neck. With a whimper he closes his eyes, waiting for the inevitable … death.

“Austin, don’t,” a voice shouts and Emmet recognizes the authority immediately as the pack’s alpha.

Austin obeys and releases the pressure on his back just enough for him to breathe, but not enough to escape. Without warning, the wolf gets hold of his jacket and flips him over like a pancake. Helpless, he just lays there and stares into the wolf’s furious eyes.

“What’s your name?” The alpha demands as he kneels beside him.

Emmet looks pleadingly at the blond man with piercing blue eyes. Should he throw away his dignity and beg or should he just hold up his chin and bite the bullet? Neither option sounds appealing, so he just remains silent.

“You know,” the alpha smirks at him. “I don’t really care about your name. It is not like we’re going to honor you and put up a tombstone. I am more interested in why you would kill an old man and wound his wife and son. And of course, how you found us.”

“It … it was an accident,” Emmet stutters as the wolf increase the pressure on his chest. “I only wanted something to eat. Their son … he … he.”

“He only protected his elderly parents when you decided to barge in and hold a weapon to his mother’s head,” the alpha cuts him off furiously.

“How did you find us?” the alpha growls as his fingers get hold tightly of Emmet’s neck, squeezing slightly.

Emmet starts squirming as he grabs the alpha's arm trying to pry away the fingers that are cutting off his oxygen. But the more he struggles, the tighter the alpha’s grip gets around his neck. His chest starts burning and just as he thought his eyes are about to pop out of their sockets, the alpha releases his grip.

Savagely Emmet starts coughing and he fills his lungs desperately with air.

“Okay, okay,” he coughs as tears escape his eyes. “I found the village by accident. I swear.”

“Who did you tell?” the alpha demands and his grip is getting tighter again.

“No one, I swear,” Emmet panicky sobs. “I noticed that this place is not on the map as indicated, so I went closer to look.”

“I don’t believe you,” the alpha shouts. “Hunters rarely travel alone and you’re pretty far from home.”

“No, I swear, I swear,” Emmet pleads. “I am alone. I was looking for the girl.”

The alpha’s head jerks up, and Emmet knows instantly. The alpha has her. He found the girl and she is in that village. He was right and he was so close. If he only contacted Felix, he would not have been alone here. Not only did he find the girl, but he also found a pack. The Boss would have rewarded him generously.

The alpha stands up and calls two wolves over.

“Get his scent and trace it back,” he orders. “Wipe out every piece of evidence leading this way. Make sure to destroy his scent and yours.”

The wolves give a short bark and Emmet must control himself to not scream as they start sniffing him for his scent. When they are done, they take off. Straight in the direction of his backpack.

“I won’t tell, I promise,” Emmet pleads. “If you kill me, you’ll never know who’s after her.”

“You’ve killed and wounded innocent people,” the alpha’s eyes are blazing at him in the dark. “You’re a threat to us.”

“Take him to the dungeon,” the alpha orders and walks away.

Terrified Emmet starts screaming and squirming as the wolf on top of him starts growling and baring his teeth. The wolf bites into his arm and drags him away.