Moon Crossed (Werewolf Hunter Series): Season 1 (Episodes 1-6) (Crescent Hunter) (45 page)

My
head is pounding and I'm afraid to open my eyes. Inhaling a deep
breath fills me with Cole's scent, and comfort washes over me. His
warm body pressed against my back and his strong arms wrapped around
me feels like a dream. His relaxed breaths flow over my ear like a
peaceful breeze in summer. I nuzzle in closer and he tightens his
hold. Slowly, I open my eyes, hoping that this isn't a dream. We're
in one of the guest rooms. How did we end up here?

It's daylight.

My thoughts fracture.
Last night was the full moon, and I'm not downstairs with the boys.

Why is Cole here, and
why are we in bed?

Where the hell has he
been?

Could I possibly have
just let him waltz back in here without so much as a scolding for
being a shitty friend and disappearing on me? Especially after what
we did.

A group of hunters is
protecting my house, and I'm up here sleeping? How could all of this
have happened? What
did
happen?

Did Pike attack?

Is anyone hurt?

How is Brogan?

Cole feels my body
tense under the pressure of my zooming thoughts. He inhales a deep
breath, letting it out slowly over my neck. “Relax, darlin,'
everything's okay.” He strokes my shoulder with his huge hand.

“What the hell
happened last night?” I struggle to get out of the bed and
realize that I have no clothes on. Holy shit. “Where. Are. My.
Clothes?” I pull the sheets tighter around myself. There's no
way I had sex with him again after he went dark on me like that.

“They're on the
chair.” He releases me.

I look at him
expectantly. He doesn't get it. “Roll over or close your eyes.”
My tone is biting; I'm really unhappy about being undressed. When he
complies, I lunge out of the bed and quickly dress in the clothes on
the chair. “Okay, seriously, why was I naked?”

I'm so mad that I could
spit nails.

He looks at me,
astounded. “You don't remember?”

“No, the last
thing I remember...” I have to think about it. “I found
out that...” Oh my God. I look at the door, then turn back to
him, “I don't know. How did we get to the point of me being in
bed with you naked? I-I-.” I breathe out an exasperated breath.
“I have to go deal with something.”

Cole leans up on his
elbow with a stupid grin on his face. I'd like to scrape it off like
a barnacle from a hull. I'm not okay with him just disappearing and
not calling, texting, or so much as an “F” you. “What
are you grinning at?”

“You are so
adorable when you're angry, I may have to piss you off more often,”
he says, still smiling. He gets out of bed, and I'm surprised to see
that he has shorts on. Which makes me even angrier.

“Screw you! I am
not adorable, and you have not seen me really angry.” I start
for the door, but the question is nagging at me. I turn around with
my hand still on the doorknob. “Why are you wearing clothes and
I wasn't?”

He looks at me as
though he's gauging all of my reactions, heart rate, and probably has
determined what my blood pressure is. High. “You had a problem
and your clothes were ruined. That's why you were wrapped in a
sheet.”

I look down at the
floor, because I'm embarrassed to ask, but I need to know. “We
didn't have sex again, did we?”

He shakes his head with
a soulful smile. “No, I was a gentleman.”

“That's a nice
change,” I snap and fly out the door, not giving him time to
respond. I'm still upset about how he just blew me off after we had
done
it
. That is not okay.

I storm down the one
flight of stairs. Aunt Rain and Hayden are in the kitchen looking
very tired. Eyeing the door to the basement, I decide to check on the
boys first. Zane is talking with Locke about...I don't know. I think
it's football. I really don't care.

“Was everyone
okay?” I ask, alarmed.

Locke stands up in his
cell and gives me a worried look. “What happened to you last
night?”

“Are you okay?”
Zane asks, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“I don’t
know. I apparently got sick, but wanted to check on you guys before
getting some answers.” Seeing Locke softens the blow of all the
confusion. “How's Brogan?”

Zane hangs his head.
“He hasn't shifted back yet.”

“He took a long
time last moon.” I bite my bottom lip, nervous about him
shifting.

“He had a really
rough night,” Locke says with sad eyes.

“All night with
the howling. None of us could sleep. He finally quieted down about
two hours ago,” Trevor whines.

Trevor. The memory of
Aunt Rain telling me that Trevor is my brother resurfaces. I have to
get these guys out of here and get back upstairs.

“Is everyone else
still asleep?” I ask.

“Yeah, we're the
only three up,” Locke says, gathering up the trash in his cell.

“Okay.” I
start to zone out, thinking of what questions I'm going to ask first.

“Claire?”
Locke asks, concerned.

“I'll explain
later,” I tell him, unlocking the door to the main corridor,
then tell Zane how to open each cell door on the way to Brogan's
cell. He's laying panting on the floor in wolf form. “Zane,
don't open cell six please.”

Locke appears by my
side. “What happened to you last night?” He says it
quietly, looking in Zane's direction.

“I don't know,”
I snap at him, and immediately feel bad. “I'm sorry. It's just
been...I'm sorry.”

He wraps his arms
around me. “It's okay, it's been a rough night. Did Pike show?”

“I don't know.”
My eyes widen. What part of “I don't know” did he not
get?

“Claire, you're
worrying me,” he says, tilting his head in question.

“Yeah, me too.”
I start to walk away. “I need you to have Zane's back if Brogan
breaks out.”

“But –”

“Please, just do
it. I have to talk to Aunt Rain, Hayden, and Cole. Help Zane if he
needs it, but stay away from Brogan.”

“Cole? He's
here?” Surprise and anger clouds his expression, peeking my
paranoia. Is this why he hasn't been coming around, because Locke
told him to stay away?

“Yeah, is that a
problem?” I gauge his reaction closely.

“It could be.
First, why wasn't he secured? Second, you know he and Zane have a
lifelong blood feud.” He whispers that last part.

“A lifelong blood
feud?” Skepticism bleeds through in my tone. “Don't you
think that's a little dramatic?”

“If Cole sees
him, he'll kill him.” His seriousness hits a nerve.

“Great, I didn't
know that.” I shake my head. “How did everything get so
complicated so fast?”

“You know the
answer to that.” He tilts his head with a hint of judgment in
his voice.

I blow out a hard
breath and look upward.

“It's okay,
Claire. I'll stay down here.” Zane joins Locke and me. “And
so you know, I don't harbor any ill feelings against Cole.”

“Well I'm glad to
hear it, but let's keep you safe nonetheless.” I hug him and
wish that I had the words to apologize for leaving him stuck down
here.

“Agreed.”
Locke nods into me.

“Why does Cole
have an issue with you, Zane?” Trevor asks, coming to stand in
front of Brogan's door.

Zane and Locke exchange
an uncomfortable look. Trevor's face lightens. “Wow, I didn't
know I was opening up a can of worms with that kind of magnitude.”

“You guys discuss
this amongst yourselves. I don't have time right now.” I start
down the corridor.

“Claire, I'd like
to spend some time with you later. If you want to know the story, I'd
love to be the one to tell it,” Zane says with sincerity.

“That's fine.”
I really can't be bothered with this shit right now. “I've got
to go.” I round the corner and head for the stairs.

Zane follows behind me.
“I was worried when you didn't come back.”

“Thanks, I really
appreciate that. Cole will be gone soon, and I'll let you know when
the coast is clear.” I take the stairs two at a time.

Hayden and Aunt Rain
stop talking as I enter the kitchen. “How are you?” She
intercepts me on the way to the coffee pot.

“I wish I knew.”
I pull my lips into a tight line.

She offers a consoling
smile. “It's going to be okay.”

“Brogan hasn't
shifted yet, and I have no idea what happened last night. It's kind
of freaking me out.” I feel so lost right now.

Aunt Rain hugs me
tightly. “We'll figure it out.”

“Hayden, can you
come into the study please?” My tone is serious.

“Sure.”
Dread riddles his expression.

Aunt Rain follows
closely behind. I turn to her. “I'd like to speak to Hayden
alone.”

Her expression falls to
hurt. “Claire, you have to understand –”

“No, you've been
keeping this from me for too many years. I'd like to be able to hear
the truth from someone who is likely going to be more objective and
won't give me a candy-coated version of my life story.” I try
to give her a kind look, but I'm just too angry.

“Claire.”
The hurt in her voice can be felt in the air.

“We'll talk
later, when everyone clears out.” I continue to the study
doors, walk in, and slide them together, closing Aunt Rain out.

I sit at my father's
desk and motion for Hayden to sit in the leather chair on the other
side. With as much authority as I can, I ask, “What happened
last night?”

“It was actually
pretty quiet.”

“Pike didn't
show?”

“No.” He
can't look me in the eye for some reason.

“Do you think
that's odd?” I certainly do.

“There were
several threats. We had intel from the inside, and then nothing.”
He shakes his head. “It's possible they got wind that you were
going to be well protected.” He shrugs.

“How am I going
to get him off my back? I can't have a hunter security detail here
twenty-four seven,” I ask.

“We're really
hoping the council will be willing to step in.” He doesn't
sound hopeful.

“Yeah, that's
what I thought.” I steeple my fingers and ready myself for the
next part of this conversation. “What happened to me last
night?” I lean my forearms on the desk and notice how dirty I
am.

“You had a
breakdown.” He gives me a consoling look. “We took you
upstairs and laid you down.”

“I don't have
breakdowns.” I say it with a touch of malice in my tone.

“You did last
night.” He sits back in the chair, crossing his hands one over
the other on his lap. “What do you remember?”

“I remember you
telling me my mother was wolf-borne and that Trevor is my brother.”
I purse my lips in anger.

“Okay, that's
good. You really lost it when we told you about Trevor.” His
eyes are full of pain.

“Why had no one
told me before now?” My voice is pleading.

“There are many
things that have been kept from you. Your father had sworn us all to
secrecy.” He hangs his head.

“Whoa, wait.
There are more secrets?” Hopelessness floods my heart.

“Yes, but they
will be revealed when you're ready. Claire, for right now you're just
going to have to trust me.” He shakes his head.

“How can I trust
anyone?” I ask with a pang of sadness running through me.

“Because we
didn't know how to tell you.” He shakes his head, looking me in
the eye. “We needed to know that you were going to be able to
handle it.”

“Well, apparently
I didn't handle it well. But maybe that's because it's something I
should have known my whole life. The last thing I remember is finding
out that my cousin is my brother, then I wake up in the guest room.”
I sit back in my chair, having left out the part about Cole being
there.

“Claire, most
hybrids are kept secret. You and Trevor are no different.”
There's an air of concern about him that isn’t sitting right
with me.

“But I'm not
secret.” My gears are turning, and it's starting to become a
little clearer. “Pike knows I'm a hybrid.”

Hayden seems pleased
that I've figured it out. “Yes, I'm certain he does.”

“How is it that
he
knows, when
I
didn't know?”

“Because your
mother was a part of the Amicalola pack.” He pauses a moment.
“She left her pack to be with your father.”

Then it hits me all at
once. “So wait, hold on. If my mother was wolf-borne, does that
mean...?”

“No, you're a
hunter.” He stops to think for a moment. “Hybrids are
either shifters or hunters.”

“So Trevor got
shifter, and I got hunter?” I state the obvious out loud and
pray that the pain of what I just said isn't carried through in my
tone. Had I been born a shifter, Cole and I could be together.

“Right,” he
confirms.

“Wait, does
Trevor know?” This is going to shatter his world. “And
why was Trevor raised with Aunt Rain? Why didn't he just stay here
with Dad and me?”

“Trevor doesn't
know. Your father had a hard time just raising you.” A sad
smile spreads across his features. “Also, Rain was more
equipped to raise a wolf-borne. He didn't want you to grow up
accustomed to having your power on a constant basis.” He huffs
an ironic laugh. “Yet that's how you choose to live your life
now.”

I shake my head at the
perceived judgment. “This is how we should live. I'm not sure
this isn't how the elder shamans wanted things to be.” I think
for a moment. “Wouldn't it be nice if that's how it was,
instead of us all avoiding one another? All of us are constantly
fighting the draw inside of us. There's always a war going on.”

“That's part of
what we're trying to do.” He leans forward, and his eyes
sparkle at his own vision of how things could be.

“Wouldn't it be
better if we were all united, not just hunters or wolves?” I
stand and go to the window,
watching the flurry of activity outside.
Tor, Trevor, Kyle, and Rabbit are outside, hanging out with the
hunters who are still here. “If we weren't packs against
hunters. If we could all just understand that we have the same
challenges, and at least we can be honest with each other about what
we are.”