Luna Junction 2 Forbidden Mate (W) (11 page)

Michael’s voice was mocking. “You mean
they didn’t tell you, oh great watcher of Luna
Junction?”

My father paused. “I can assume that
they know. About Gideon and Artemis. But I doubt they would travel
here just to deal with an errant huntress.”

“
Then what the hell do they
want?” Cade asked.

“
That,” said Max, “is what
I don’t know.” He offered the bow to me once more and I took it,
casting a sideways glance at Gideon. He nodded soberly. Whatever
the case, we were all stronger with two armed hunters.

My father handed me a pile of arrows.
“Artemis,” he said. “Can you hit target if you have to?”

“
I can,” I assured
him.

At first it seemed as if the wait would
be anticlimactic. Our tiny army stood at the ready, joined even by
Claire. Only Tatum remained in the house, holding the baby and
occasionally peering at us in gaping terror from the
window.

I stood at the mouth of the narrow dirt
road, my werewolf mate on one side, my hunter father on the
other.

“
Should we head into town?”
I asked, but Max shook his head.

“
No, they’ll come to
us.”

Sure enough, just as the sunlight began
to dapple and fade while the moon commenced its slow rise, we saw
the headlights. It seemed odd to me that the feared Western Council
of Hunters would arrive in a silver hybrid car, but there they
were.

I heard several spontaneous growls as
the werewolves sensed the hunters’ approach. My breath caught and
out of the corner of my eye I saw movement at the rim of the woods.
There, in a fearsome mute line, stood dozens of werewolves. Their
sizes and colorations were various. They were uniformly tensed,
waiting for the slightest sign of conflict.

Max raised his bow and I did the same,
drawing back and feeling oddly clear headed. I’d never thought
there was real violence within me, but I knew I would not hesitate
to release an arrow into the heart of whatever threat lurked in
those shadows.

A slim cloaked figure exited a small
silver car and glided over to us. “Disarm.” Max recognized her
voice a split second before I did. I registered his gasp just as
she peeled back her hood.

“
Mom,” I whispered at the
same instant Max said, incredulously, “Rachel.”

She looked at me sadly and I realized
it had been nearly six months since we had stood face to face. She
had grown thinner, her features sharper. Gideon’s arm went around
me and my mother glared at him. “How could you let this happen?”
she asked Max.

“
Hello to you too, sweet
wife.”

“
Wife,” her eyes narrowed.
“I was never your wife. It was an arrangement.”

Max drooped, wounded. “It was more than
that.”

She faced away. “It doesn’t matter now.
I came for my daughter.”

“
Your daughter is a woman
grown. And she’s made her choice.”

She sniffed with distaste. “I won’t
allow it.”

That did it for me. I threw down the
bow and shouted in my mother’s face. “Who the hell do you think you
are waltzing in here with your cloak and your criticism? You lied
to me my entire life. I was an abused ruin as recently as a few
days ago. So you can just get fold yourself back into that there
Prius and take the I-10 West.” Gideon pulled me closer. His firm
touch calmed me down.

“
Rachel,” boomed a warning
voice, “we aren’t here to fight. Least of all for your adult
daughter.”

My mother shrank back into the folds of
her cloak. Max was incredulous. “How’d you rank as
Council?”

She closed her eyes. “I’m not on the
Council, Max. They sought me out because of my connection with Luna
Junction.” She cocked her head and looked around archly, her voice
rising. “Haven’t you all been paying attention to what’s going on
out there?”

The man with the loud voice stepped
forward. He was very tall and very dark skinned. “It started in the
northeast. Upstate New York as best we can tell. It began as a well
organized movement of blood wolves.” He paused. “They’ve been
biting. Intentionally and with design. The bitten have been packing
together and wreaking havoc.”

“
How bad?” Cade Landon
asked.

“
There are far too many of
them to track.” The hunter sighed. “For five generations we’ve
watched the wolves of Luna Junction, ever since your families
settled here. We know you live peacefully and do no harm. And so we
seek something of a coalition. With you and with similar
communities.” He paused again, striving to choose his words
carefully. “If we cannot halt the spread and violence of the
bitten…”

“
Then we’re all fucked,”
Michael finished sardonically.

“
Yes,” said the hunter
gravely. “It would be blood wolves against bitten, with humans
serving as the collateral damage in the middle. As for the
hunters…” His dark eyes stared directly at me. “We’re apparently
not immune. The Southern Council has been eliminated.”

Max gasped. “Sweet Jesus.”

“
Unconfirmed, but they have
not been in communication for a week.”

Max addressed the dark hunter. “Acton,
what is it you need?”

Michael interrupted with a sneer. “Let
the fools fend for themselves in a world of wolves.”

“
No,” said Gideon, stepping
forward. His voice was strong and even, the confident voice of a
leader. “You all know who I am. As there is a union between my
huntress mate and I, so it exists between the hunters and the
wolves of Luna Junction.” He stared down the Council. “You have my
word as blood wolf.”

Michael laughed. “Step down, little
cub. You don’t speak for the rest of us.”

“
I think he does,” called
Cade Landon. “And Michael, I’d sit still if I were you or we’ll be
voting in a new sheriff by moon fall.”

The other members of the Council had
long since emerged, watching silently. One of them snickered
softly. Michael threw a murderous look in their direction but
didn’t utter so much as a growl.

Acton stared thoughtfully at the two of
us standing side by side. Me, with my bow still firmly in hand,
Gideon with his wildly torn clothing, his powerful form rigid as
the moon rose higher, calling him to nature. “This,” the hunter
mused, “is the first promise that a great alliance is possible.” He
held his empty hands out. “I regret not having any wisdom to offer
you. We have entered a strange and dangerous era.” He gazed out at
the silent line of wolves. “The packs will search you out, I’m
afraid. It’s already happening.”

“
Luna Junction will be a
refuge,” Gideon declared. “For blood wolves and hunters
alike.”

It was a bold pronouncement. I heard a
commotion among the wolves and Michael spat in the dirt. But all
four of the Landon men stepped forward and stood firmly behind my
mate. And with them, from the shadows, the wolf who was Abe
Casteel. It was a silent confirmation, one that would not likely be
challenged.

The Council chief called Acton nodded.
“And so it will be,” he said and turned abruptly, heading back to
the car, apparently considering the matter settled. My mother was
the only one of the cloaked figures who did not follow right
away.

“
Acie,” she pleaded. “Come
with me.”

“
You know I won’t. And Mom,
Acie is a child’s name. Learn to call me Artemis.”

Rachel Jaeger wore the look of utter
defeat. I felt a pang as she trudged away, wondering why it always
had to be like that with her. With or against, no room for
compromise. She did not glance at her husband as she returned to
the car.

“
Goodbye,” I whispered
softly. When Gideon’s strong arms circled around me I inhaled the
musky scent of him and felt whole.

We watched the Prius drive away. As the
headlights faded I stared up into the colossal face of the full
moon. Several of the wolves took up a mournful howl which
reverberated in my bones.

“
Michael,” said Gideon, “It
has to be this way.”

Michael looked away and stalked in to
the clearing where he promptly tore off his clothes. He crouched as
rose as a full wolf, bounding away without a backwards
glance.

Tatum emerged from the house and handed
the fussing baby to her mother. She clutched at Cade as he smoothed
her hair and whispered endearments. Then she suddenly backed up and
jerked her head toward the woods with a smile. “Go ahead,” she
said. “I know you want to.”

Cade kissed her gently and spoke loudly
to all present. “Run only in groups,” he said. “Mind what the
hunters told us.” He was somber. “It may be the last carefree full
moon for a while.”

I turned away, blushing, as Cade Landon
abruptly removed his pants. I heard Zane’s laughter. “Aww, she’s
shy!”

“
Shut up,” said Tatum. “And
don’t leave your dirty laundry here for me to pick up.”

My father cleared his throat, clearly
embarrassed by all the casual disrobing which had begun. Tatum
brightened at him. “You’ll get used to it!”

Max seemed uncertain. “Just the same,
think I’m going to head over to the store, try to get a hold of
some of my contacts around the southwest to see what else I can
find out.”

“
Daddy,” I said. “Thank
you.”

Max nodded and then grinned ruefully at
Gideon. “You’re better than I thought you were,” he said and left
without another word.

Gideon folded me back to his chest. I
listened to the virile thud of his heart for a moment, knowing it
was selfish to deny him this night. “I’ll be waiting when you get
back,” I said.

He ran a hand over my cheek. “I know
you would be.” His hand wandered lower, grazing my breasts and I
shuddered. “But I can’t wait.”

As the wolves of Luna Junction shifted
and howled all around us, Gideon Casteel carried me into the woods.
The trees offered a canopied darkness from the eye of the moon. He
undressed me slowly, letting his fingers trail sensuously over
every curve of my flesh. By the time he spread me apart with his
large thumbs, I was slick and open, ready for him. The violence of
our strange world and forebodings of future dangers were forgotten
as I whispered “Gideon” in desire, in love, in the soul rending
want which demanded to be satisfied. My best friend, my lover, my
werewolf mate, answered with a plundering thrust which shook the
world. And filled me like no man ever could.

When we were both temporarily spent we
lay still, listening to distant rustle of wolves in the woods.
“Tomorrow,” he said, “I’ll make you a dandelion crown.”

***