Luna of the Golden Moon

The Hunt

"Follow me, be quiet, and trust your instincts." Caleb's voice was soft as I followed his effortless steps, having shifted after he did.

The big black wolf was incredibly light for his size, putting me to shame that I was hitting every branch and leaf, making creeks that made him sigh, and I knew it even if he didn't say a word.

"I'm sorry..." I couldn't help it. I didn't like the dark, and there were no roads here. When we weren't playing, keeping track of where to put my paws on the ground was hard!

I was just about to tell him we should give up, go back and sleep, find an open market, or eat grass; we were not getting deer tonight.

Caleb was walking first, showing me the way with his paws, making me stumble less to my gratitude, I still sucked at this, but at least he was helping me.

"Luna, look..." I had my head down only to see his own one staring at the deer in the distance, looking around for predators, us.

"Stay here; I'll circle around." He got up and stepped silently away from me where I was crouched down, I knew this was not normal for wolves, but we were just two of us; wolves had a whole pack with them. We could have had that, but most Delta wolves preferred the freezer in front of hunting deer in the woods.

"Luna, focus." the deer was closer, I broke off my thoughts, and my body started to tense up impatiently. I wanted to leave now; it was there, right in front of me! What were we waiting for? I writhed as I tried not to whine with anticipation.

"Don't move." His voice was even lower now that I could not wait any longer; the dear was right there before me! I could take it; I knew I could! Ignoring his voice in my head, I took charge and jumped out.

The deer must have smelled me long before I arrived at the three jumps I had made because it was already gone. I saw in amazement how it ran further away from us, and he sighed that I couldn't help but attack too soon.

"Luna! You are supposed to listen to me!" Caleb came forward, angry at me, but it was right there! I had been absolutely sure of it! I got up again, whined at him with my wolf as he grumbled, and sat beside me, tired and hungry.

"Looks like the menu today will be canned beans." His voice was amused now instead of just annoyed when I whined. Beans. Yuk. I coughed, hearing him chuckle as he turned around and walked back towards the cottage with me, following his trail hungrier than ever.

Beans. I stared at the can on the small shelf above the stove, making faces at myself; I hated beans.

I was sitting at the small table, waiting for Caleb, who had told me to stay put. This time, I listened, hearing my stomach rumble when I heard the door to the cabin open. I saw Caleb holding something in his hand, my eyes dilating from the smell of blood.

"Have I told you I love you?" I stared at the rabbit on the small counter when he smiled proudly. It wasn't a deer, but I was not complaining. Seeing him twist the head off fast and rip the skin off the dead animal to my kisses, holding him from behind, he had no idea how much I loved him right now!

"Not enough…" He snorted, starting to carve the meat when I sighed happily, leaning myself closer against his muscular back. I did love him, especially when he was providing me with food.

"Good, because you're stuck with me." I giggled at his sarcasm, knowing he was beaming; even if I couldn't see his face in the morning sun, he was relaxed here, and I loved every second.

"Emilia, don't..." Caleb was warding off my hands, trying to get some of the chopped-up meat on the counter, still smiling. I was playful, but I was so hungry and like a wolf. Was it so wrong?

"Yeah, I wished someone had told me that when I first shifted, ate half a lamb raw... didn't end well..." Caleb smirked when I lost my own smile, gawking at his superior one, still having his eyes on the counter, heating up an old iron pan knowing where it had been before I even had tried to help him find one.

"Wow...." I snorted, impressed when he smirked more. Yeah, he was proud; I would have loved seeing him do that and then laugh when he had been sick for at least a day.

"Oh... it was more than one day, trust me..." I nodded while pushing the meat down the pan, sizzling to my happiness, not only being here but seeing him love this every second, the same as me.

"...and I wouldn't have laughed... well, not that long..." I smiled more; he believed me, looking at me for a second and showing me those playful charcoal eyes. This was not the wooden palace, Caleb; that was for sure.

"Told you that I wasn't just that..." He was done taking two plates, serving up more on one the second, to my frown; what the heck!? Why was he getting more when I was starving??

I was just about to start grumbling about it when he smiled and placed the plate on the side of the table I had been sitting on before walking up to me. His love made me want to start crying.

"I love you..." I was stuffing my face when he sat on the other side, smirking that I had no table manners. I didn't even realize it was gone before seeing Caleb scrap his portion over to my plate. I had not even focused on it when I stopped, feeling bad.

"It's fine... I'm stuffed; you eat it..." I was pushing the plate back when he stopped me, having his arms casually crossed, just observing me like he always did since we had been mated.

"No, you're not, Mila. I told you that I went through this phase myself after shifting, so don't try to tell me that you aren't hungry. I bet it's even worse with the heat; that's a lot of calories burning, baby." He smirked when I took the plate back, hating that my cheeks were hot. I was still starving, and he knew it.

"Tell me... when you first shifted, did it hurt?" I was trying to cover up my embarrassment, eating everything he had hunted, cooked, and served me; I would learn to do this for him. I swore on it.

"Yes." Caleb lost the casual pose when I was still chewing, knowing that I had said something he didn't want to discuss. I was licking my fingers when he started to frown, not wanting to tell me anything when I sighed, pushing away the empty plate; so much for getting to know each other then... I was getting up, tired and wanting to sleep, and since he had lost his good mood, so had I.

"I was with Katerina." His voice made me turn back from where I stood and glared at him, still seated on the old chair, wanting to kill him for even saying that to my face. He could have just said it hurt, which would have been enough!

"Well, isn't that great...." I was too tired to start yelling like I wanted to. His first shift was with the same girl, his chosen mate, who had tried to kill me; that was just what I wanted to hear!

I growled when he was up, looking hurt and sad at the same time. He seemed to know this was the reaction he would get, but he still told me. So stupid!

"Emilia, please... I wanted to tell you she and I were close; we have known each other all our lives, and her father..." Caleb stopped looking even more confusion into my angry eyes.

What? Her father was what? Some freaking Alpha, unlike mine? My father was a great man, Delta or not! I couldn't stop the growling coming up my throat, knocking over the chair and walking to the bedroom. I wanted some damn space and heard my mate talk with tenderness about another girl; that was hurting me!

"Yes, her father was an Alpha before mine killed him!" Caleb was still standing inside the kitchen when I was in the bedroom, feeling the tears falling over my face, not caring if I was being selfish. I didn't care. Did he hear that? I didn't care if her father was dead. I couldn't even see my own parents!

"I am working on that part. You were the one that wanted to know, and I am telling you!" I couldn't believe him; this was my fault? I just wanted some conversation that didn't involve the same discussions we had had since we mated!

"Not that! Not that she was there, and you miss her!" I shrieked, having had enough of what he was telling me, all the stupid rules that surrounded us, and still, they just seemed to apply to me!

Knowing he would catch me, I went for the door but didn't care. I couldn't stand one more second in this cabin with him telling me that he missed his old mate!

"Emilia, wait!" Caleb's voice was desperate when I was slamming the door, already starting to shift, not caring about the clothes on my body, and feeling hurt more than I could describe; that was why he didn't even try to save me. He still loved her!