#7 The Twins of Satin Moon

Chapter 4: Hunter

“Matt!” I grinned at the arrival of my old friend. He cheered and gave me a hug.

“Hunter, this is my brother, Nick.” He introduced me to the man standing behind him. He had Matt’s dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. They looked identical other than their obvious age difference.

“Glad you could come, Nick.” I shook his hand. It was clear that Nick was ready for the party and had a head start on the drinking, “Go, enjoy yourself.”

Nick dove head first into the crowd. Matt shook his head at his brother before turning to talk to me,

“Do you have anything to do with Greyback Industries?” He asked me suddenly. I chuckled,

“Well, yeah, I own it.”

“My sister just got a job there, that’s why we’re here.” Matt admitted and a thought hit me like a ton of bricks,

“Oh? What’s her name?” I tried to sound casual.

“Maizey, Maizey Grace.” Oh s**t.

“Why didn’t she come?” Watcher was nipping in my head, making it hard to keep my voice level.

“She was afraid of what people would say if they saw her partying with her boss. She has this thing about her age and being a woman in the tech world.” Matt chuckled at his sister’s expense and I felt anger rising in my chest.

“I heard about her, she is young but with a very impressive resume.” I said, sounding defensive. Matt narrowed his eyes at me,

“Yeah, she is very impressive. She’s also been a victim of douchebags and their idiocy. I don’t blame her for being concerned.” I immediately wanted to kill every single person who ever wronged her.

“What happened?” I clenched my hand into a fist so I wouldn’t growl.

“Obviously she was younger than everybody else at school, and smarter, so she made a lot of enemies. In her last year a rumor went around that she was sleeping with her professors and that’s how she got in. People were so nasty she almost dropped out. I never got her to confess, but I’m pretty sure that at least one of the professors tried to make a move on her.” Matt sounded pissed and Watcher was growing furiously in my head.

“That will never happen here, I can assure you of that.” I snapped.

“Man, are you alright?” Matt was looking at me strangely.

“We need to talk.” I put my arm around his shoulder and led him away from the crowds. Once we were farther into the woods, and it was more quiet and secluded, I let him go.

“What’s going on, Hunter?” Matt asked.

“You remember what you found out about me in Chicago?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Kind of hard to forget learning that your best friend is a werewolf.” Matt scoffed.

When I was in my third year at the university in Chicago, there was an incident in the woods with a pack of rogues. I had to shift to protect myself and my friends who were out camping. Matt was the only one who saw me well enough to be a threat to my secret, so I told him the truth. He took it surprisingly well. I left school then, after the rumors of wolf attacks started taking form, and came back here.

“You know that my pack is here, that almost everyone at this party is a werewolf and your in my pack territory right now.” I said and Matt nodded,

“Listen, I swear this is just a coincidence. If you’re worried I’m here to rat you out or something, I’m not.” Matt started rambling and I quickly shook my head,

“No, no, I’m not worried about that at all, I know you’re a good man, Matt. But, it being a coincidence is precisely what I’m talking about.”

“What do you mean?” Matt asked.

“I didn’t get to tell you a lot about being a werewolf before I had to leave school. One of the most sacred parts of being a lycan is finding your mate, a person who is made just for you, like a soulmate.” I tried to explain. Man, I had to get better at this before telling Maizey.

“Okay?” Matt was looking at me like I was crazy.

“I told you how we believe in the Moon Goddess and that she’s the one who created us, well she also gives us our mates. A mate is like the missing puzzle piece to our soul. For an Alpha, like me, she’s an important part of leading a pack. She’ll become the Luna, the only person whose rank levels with the Alpha. She soothes the Alpha wolf, keeps him from going murderous and feral. Mates are so sacred that nothing else is more important than them.” I spoke from my heart, trying to leave nothing unsaid.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Matt felt uncomfortable with my intimacy. I couldn’t blame him.

“I’ve been looking for my mate since I was 18, when wolves are first eligible to find them. I will protect, safeguard, love, and cherish her more than myself, more than anything or anyone. Nothing is more important to me than her.” I continued with my ramblings.

“You’re freaking me out. Look, I’m flattered, but….” Matt was backing away from me slowly. I doubled over with laughter,

“No, dumbass, you’re not my mate. Maizey is.” Matt froze,

“What?” He said abruptly.

“Maizey is my mate.” I stifled my laugh as my tone grew serious.

“How could you possibly know that, you’ve never met her.” Matt was glaring at me.

“We find our mates by their unique smell. When I showed up to work today I smelt her, she had just left. I tracked her down with HR and discovered her name. I had no idea she was your sister until just now.” I explained.

“Hunter….” I could tell he was getting ready to threaten me.

I didn’t know much about his family, but I knew he became responsible for his siblings while in school and that he left Chicago three years later. I could only imagine what would cause three children to end up orphaned or the responsibility it took for him to care for a younger brother and sister. The fierceness of his protection towards Maizey was unimaginable and admirable, but it was also going to get in my way.

“Matt, you don’t need to worry about her safety with me. I don’t know how to explain the depth of the mate bond to you or how much Maizey means to me, even though I haven't met her, yet. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust, and yours, and to make her mine.” I spoke with passion and longing, but tried to reign it in so I wouldn’t freak him out too much.

“Maizey’s life isn’t about to be controlled by some freaky wolf connection you think you have with her.” He warned.

“I wouldn’t dream of controlling her, ever. She’s my life, now, Matt. I’ll earn her trust the old fashion way, whatever it takes.” I said. Matt stared at me for awhile longer before shaking his head,

“Maze isn’t easily won over, so I wish you luck, Alpha.” Matt laughed at me, offering me his hand.

“Oh I am quite persuasive.” I smirked, shaking his hand.

“Just don’t hurt her or you’ll die, I don’t care what you turn into.” Matt said in a serious tone, roughly gripping my hand.

“I will let you kill me if I ever hurt her.” I replied just as seriously. We shared a nod.

“Now, are we going to party, or what?” Matt changed the tone of the conversation, throwing his hands out wide and nodding towards the party.

“Hell yes!” I agreed, following him out of the woods.