{"id":2248,"date":"2020-03-05T13:54:58","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T18:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=2248"},"modified":"2020-03-05T13:54:58","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T18:54:58","slug":"alphas-hunt-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=2248","title":{"rendered":"Alpha’s Hunt excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you ready for Honor’s second adventure<\/a>? Be sure to read Moon Stalked<\/a> first since everything below this point is a spoiler….<\/p>\n

\"Alpha's<\/a><\/p>\n

All done? Alright, without further ado….<\/p>\n

Chapter 1<\/h1>\n

The second werewolf I\u2019d ever seen limped out of the forest. From a distance, his scent had been wild, bitter, terrifying. But the beast himself was grizzled and bleeding from deep gashes on his chest, belly, and flank.<\/p>\n

The stranger was barely able to shuffle, let alone jump us. I wouldn\u2019t have been surprised if he keeled over on the spot.<\/p>\n

My own lupine shoulders drifted downward. This wasn\u2019t the terrifying skinless I\u2019d been scared of since childhood. I\u2019d overreacted. Just like when I first met Luke<\/i>.<\/p>\n

I let my eyes skitter sideways, expecting the first werewolf I\u2019d ever seen to grace me with an amused smirk. Only…Luke\u2019s glare was so firmly fixed upon the older wolf that he seemed to have forgotten I was present. Not just his ruff but the fur along his entire back lifted up threateningly. Then the tiniest thread of a growl, more menacing for its quietness, rumbled out of his chest.<\/p>\n

My gaze slung forward in search of danger. The old werewolf stumbled then lurched another step forward. I cocked my head, struggling to understand how a shifter who seemed one second away from collapsing could be a danger to us both.<\/p>\n

Oldie might appear past his sell-by date, but I trusted Luke. So I braced my paws, preparing for battle…then whimpered as attack came not from the newcomer but from the skinless I\u2019d come to trust.<\/p>\n

Earlier today, Luke had presented me with a sword, the gift rife with unspoken promises. Later, he\u2019d accepted my refusal to be protected when the scent of werewolf came upon us. He\u2019d padded up to stand shoulder to shoulder beside me in a show of true partnership and strength.<\/p>\n

Now, Luke lashed out without warning. Well, no, that\u2019s not quite true. The old wolf barked out a bell-like tone one millisecond before Luke attacked me, the sound rubbing my nerve endings raw. In answer, Luke\u2019s teeth clamped down on the soft flesh of my neck, drawing blood before I understood what was happening. Lightning sparked hot and electric underneath my skin.<\/p>\n

Words emerged inside me at the same moment, silent yet fully understandable. \u201cHonor.\u201d <\/i>The syllables of my name reverberated in Luke\u2019s deep baritone. \u201cI\u2019ll fix this.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I pawed at the strangeness, trying to dislodge his voice from inside me. This was new…and not particularly palatable.<\/p>\n

Stranger yet was hearing someone else\u2019s words\u2014Oldie\u2019s?\u2014flowing through Luke and into me. \u201c<\/i>It\u2019s time for you to stand up and do your duty, son.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cDo my duty?\u201d<\/i> Luke\u2019s rejoinder was pure fury. \u201cYou killed my brother and <\/i>threatened me with death if I didn\u2019t leave my home and family<\/i>.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Oldie\u2014Luke\u2019s father\u2014shrugged. \u201cChanged my mind. Alpha\u2019s prerogative.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the bite?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

My ears perked up. My neck bled, but, strangely, the sensation was pleasurable. Like when Luke\u2019s fingers stroked through the long fur of my shed pelt.<\/p>\n

Still, the old wolf had forced the bite, whatever it represented. So I growled out unity with Luke\u2019s demand for further information. Took a step forward to match the one Luke had already taken.<\/p>\n

By this point, the old wolf was barely able to lift his head. But his voice in my mind was both smug and powerful. \u201cYour sister was <\/i>sufficient<\/i> sword maiden for me<\/i>, Luke<\/i>. <\/i>But y<\/i>ou\u2019ll need all the help you can get.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Rather than answering this time, Luke continued advancing upon his father. His world had narrowed, I knew, because my own sight was strangely doubled. I saw Luke before me, and I saw his father as if through Luke\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cA mate who\u2019s also a sword maiden,\u201d<\/i> Oldie continued. \u201cThat will calm the pack. Especially once you beget an heir.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Beget?<\/i> I would have raised an eyebrow if I\u2019d been human. But the archaism slipped past me as two more skinless slunk out of the summer greenery.<\/p>\n

Luke hadn\u2019t seen them. He was too intent upon his father.<\/p>\n

So I barked a warning…only to have it emerge as silent words spinning between us. \u201c<\/i>Luke, behind you!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

And Luke understood. Didn\u2019t glance around wildly. Just spun to face the oncoming wolves.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The newcomers were a male and a female, the former with dinner-plate paws at the end of skinny legs promising he hadn\u2019t yet grown into his adult strength. It was the female who led, however. The female who unfolded upward into a mid-twenties woman and speared Luke with eyes as stormy blue as his own.<\/p>\n

This was the aforementioned sister, I guessed. Not just because of the obvious physical resemblance, but because of her greeting. A single word, full of decades of shared knowledge. \u201cLuke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s sister was naked, of course, with no pelt to shield her. That\u2019s what it meant to be a skinless rather than a woelfin. They kept their lupine nature inside while transforming. Kept the wildness of the beast simmering behind their eyes even while walking upright.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been told that nudity was irrelevant to skinless, and this woman certainly made no effort to shield her privates. But her nakedness was far less shocking than the network of scars crisscrossing her body. It looked like she\u2019d fallen through a razor-lined net.<\/p>\n

I felt rather than saw Luke wince in reaction. \u201cRuth.\u201d He stepped past his father\u2019s slumped body, making connections faster than I was able to. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you call me? I would have prevented this.\u201d<\/p>\n

This?<\/i> The scars, I guessed. Which related to their father\u2019s mention of a sword maiden, maybe? I itched to shift upward and request further information, but it was too dangerous to share the presence of my pelt.<\/p>\n

While I puzzled together guesswork, Luke leaned forward as if he intended to hug his sister. But she was having none of it. Ruth straight-armed him away even as she replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s precisely why I didn\u2019t call you.\u201d Her eyes narrowed. \u201cThe pack didn\u2019t need your help. We have an alpha, a sword maiden, and an heir.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the final word, she gestured toward the young male, who was transforming into humanity far more slowly than the others had. \u201cOr we did,\u201d she added. \u201cNow we just have a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between Luke\u2019s failed hug and Ruth\u2019s words, the air grew even more electric with tension. I sidled forward until my forepaws landed one inch away from Luke\u2019s bare foot. If his family went furry and attacked him, I\u2019d be ready to drive them back.<\/p>\n

Instead of attacking, though, the boy emoted as soon as his wolf fur faded and human vocal cords settled. \u201cI\u2019m not doing it!\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked just like Luke might have fifteen years ago, before life hardened up soft edges. This had to be Michael, the newborn brother Luke had barely met before being cast out of his pack for the crime of trying to save their oldest brother from death.<\/p>\n

Tears glimmered on the youngster\u2019s lower eyelids. Luke, in contrast, appeared calmer than he smelled as he confirmed my guesswork. \u201cIt\u2019s the only way to become alpha, Michael. Do you want<\/i> to be alpha?\u201d<\/p>\n

For one long moment, Michael was silent. Then, he spoke through a sob. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the tense silence that followed, the wily old wolf leapt.<\/p>\n

Chapter 2<\/h1>\n

Oldie didn\u2019t go for Luke or Ruth. No, that would have been too obvious. Instead, he aimed for Michael…or tried to. I struck him broadside the instant all four of his paws came off the ground.<\/p>\n

Human, I was slower than any of the skinless. Lupine, I matched them step for step. So when Oldie twisted midair to go for my jugular, I lashed out with one paw. His existing wound was a mass of exposed nerve endings. Four claws ripping into raw flesh was bound to slow him down.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t. Instead, Oldie ignored the pain. Wrapped around me so we came down on the ground tangled together.<\/p>\n

His teeth fumbled through fur, seeking my windpipe. But it was the rock biting into my hindquarters that made me yelp.<\/p>\n

Then Luke was between us. Human, he grabbed the old wolf\u2019s tail, ignoring the stupidity of such an action. One hand on the tail then the other on the ruff, he shook the injured wolf so hard his teeth rattled.<\/p>\n

A single word was all Luke uttered, but it was harsh as any wolf\u2019s growl. \u201cMine.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

So many blue eyes struck me at once that I took a step backward. The old wolf\u2019s nostrils flared. Ruth\u2019s eyebrows rose so high they got lost in her bangs.<\/p>\n

Michael was the one who demanded: \u201cIntroduce us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Now Luke\u2019s naked calves blocked my vision. He was standing between me and his siblings just as he\u2019d tried to do when we first scented werewolves. The gesture should have seethed with protectiveness, but instead it made me feel like our relationship had taken one long stride back.<\/p>\n

Especially when Luke changed the subject entirely. \u201cHow close is the pack?\u201d<\/p>\n

Misdirection didn\u2019t ease the ache in my belly, but it worked on Michael. The boy swiped hair out of his eyes as he rebutted Luke\u2019s assertion. \u201cNo one followed<\/i> us!\u201d<\/p>\n

An almost-smile from Luke. Calming words. \u201cWill you check for me? Scout your back trail? Howl if you see anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy was being sent away from the upcoming conversation for his own safety, and the scuffing of his feet among old leaves suggested he knew it. Still, he nodded. Forced himself through the laborious return to wolf form then slunk back into the trees he\u2019d emerged from not long before.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can see the problem,\u201d Ruth said once the boy was too far away to hear her. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t look like it, but Michael has what it takes to be alpha. He puts the pack first. He just needs to finish growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you want me to be alpha in the interim.\u201d Luke nodded. \u201cI told you when we were kids that I\u2019d come back any time you asked me to. Just….\u201d<\/p>\n

Now he did step out from in front of me. \u201cYou can shift now, Honor,\u201d he told me. When I hesitated, he added: \u201cI trust Ruth with my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

And his father? I spared another glance for the old wolf, noting the depth of his gut wound and the laboriousness of his breathing. I saw Luke\u2019s point now. He hadn\u2019t mentioned his father because the old wolf didn\u2019t have long to live.<\/p>\n

So I shifted. Inhaled wolf and exhaled human. My pelt slid off my back, but I caught it before it hit the ground.<\/p>\n

And Ruth exploded. \u201cYou really are an idiot, Luke. What were you thinking?\u201d Now she was the one advancing on her sibling, but with fists raised instead of a hug offered. \u201cA woelfin as a sword maiden? They\u2019ll gut her then the pack will fall apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s arm came around my shoulders, half protection and half restraint. As if he expected me to tear into his sister physically in response to her aggression.<\/p>\n

Which is probably what a werewolf would have done. But I was woelfin. I fought words with words and ignorance with questions. \u201cWhat\u2019s a sword maiden?\u201d<\/p>\n

My effort to defuse the tension worked, ironically as it turned out when Luke explained. \u201cShe\u2019s a pressure-release valve for the pack.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rumble of his voice sank into my skin even as a burst of his signature cinnamon surrounded me. \u201cBut that\u2019s not what my bite made you, Honor. It\u2019s half of the mating ritual. A form of protection.\u201d He glared once at his father, then returned his attention to me. \u201cAlbeit a weak one. Ruth is the only one I trust to see you this way. When Michael howls, shift back.\u201d<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t a request, but rather an order. Still, I gave him a pass on his wording. It wasn\u2019t every day a dying father showed up on your doorstep along with a sister demanding you drop everything and accept the reins of a werewolf pack.<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t time to take offense, anyway, with Ruth snorting out disbelief. \u201cYou\u2019ve been gone too long, Luke. Have you forgotten that a mate is the first choice for sword maiden?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mother….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas pregnant with Michael when the role opened up, and she didn\u2019t last long afterwards. Even so, the pack wasn\u2019t pleased to have a daughter be sword maiden when I started. That\u2019s why Father had to kill off so many competitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot enough.\u201d The rusty voice rose from beneath us. No longer lupine, the old shifter lay on his back, eyes closed and one hand pressed against a wound in his belly that looked even worse with no fur to shield its extent. \u201cI didn\u2019t kill enough competitors\u201d\u2014his breath caught for a moment, then he pushed through the pain\u2014\u201cor I wouldn\u2019t be in this state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho did it, Father?\u201d Ruth dropped to her knees beside the old man, Luke and I forgotten. It wasn\u2019t love passing between them, precisely. But something powerful linked the two nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Her father shook his head rather than answering. \u201cSomeone too weak to call an Alpha\u2019s Hunt.\u201d His eyes closed as he dredged up the memory. \u201cI couldn\u2019t see who in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been trying to keep quiet and let Luke deal with what was clearly a family problem, but that was bullshit. \u201cYou\u2019re skinless. You could smell them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruth tensed as if she wanted to slap me, but the old man just shrugged as best he could. \u201cIt\u2019s irrelevant now. The pack needs an alpha.\u201d His eyes latched onto Luke\u2019s. \u201cTag.\u201d His smile was full of wolf-sharp teeth. \u201cYou\u2019re it.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do this, Luke.\u201d Ruth didn\u2019t return to her feet, but her back lengthened enough that she gave the impression of being in command anyway. \u201cYou\u2019ve missed a lot, but I\u2019ll act as your sword maiden and advisor. We need to find whoever injured Father and execute them publicly. Not just in front of our pack. We\u2019ll invite the neighbors also. Make it a public spectacle….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Luke\u2019s interruption struck me the same way his father\u2019s bark had, like a physical blow rocking me back onto my heels. His arm was barely enough to hold me upright.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo what?\u201d Ruth demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I won\u2019t govern the way our father did.\u201d<\/p>\n

The veneer of civilization that had clung to Luke as long as I\u2019d known him seemed to slip aside the same way my pelt did when I shifted. Was this the real Luke taking advantage of his superior height to glare down at his sister?<\/p>\n

Abruptly, I remembered my father\u2019s warning. \u201cSkinless are all about power,\u201d <\/i>he told the four of us when we were eleven. \u201cTheir lives revolve around dominance.<\/i> <\/i>Don\u2019t be lulled into thinking they\u2019re<\/i> like us.<\/i>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The lesson had never felt more true than when Ruth sprang to her feet and took a step closer. She and Luke were nearly eye to eye, Ruth only two inches shorter. \u201cYou won\u2019t<\/i> govern the way our father did,\u201d she bit out, \u201cor you can\u2019t?<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that why you begged me to leave after he killed Gabriel?\u201d Luke rebutted. \u201cBecause you don\u2019t believe an alpha can lead with justice and compassion?\u201d<\/p>\n

I opened my mouth to break into the sibling\u2019s argument, but their father got there first. \u201cTry if you want, boy.\u201d His voice started low and quiet, then gained momentum once he had both of his children\u2019s attention. \u201cTry ruling this pack with peace and love. By the end of the first season, lone wolves will be circling like jackals. You\u2019ll end up killing half your pack mates in an Alpha\u2019s Hunt. All-out warfare. No rules. Just one surviving dominant\u2014you, if you\u2019re lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man shook his head. \u201cSo much work to prove you\u2019re powerful enough for the role you could take now easily. Smart move, son. Very smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s arm fell away from my shoulders as his fists clenched. \u201cI won\u2019t be you, Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think?\u201d The old shifter coughed once, so hard I thought he was finished. Not just speaking, but possibly also living.<\/p>\n

Then he inhaled a raspy breath and his voice grew stronger rather than weaker. \u201cThreat of an Alpha\u2019s Hunt not enough to deter you? You\u2019ll change your tune when the neighbors catch wind of pack rot. Remember the Vanguards? Remember how their new alpha failed at consolidating control after stepping up as pack leader? We seized their women, their territory, and burned down what wasn\u2019t worth seizing. You think that can\u2019t happen to us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pack needs you to step up to the plate, Luke,\u201d Ruth said once it was clear their father was finished. The air between the siblings sizzled. But Ruth\u2019s eyes drifted downwards, the gesture easing the tension in Luke\u2019s shoulders a bit.<\/p>\n

Only then did Ruth continue. \u201cAfter the pack settles, you can make changes slowly. Designate Michael as your heir. Soothe the pack until you can speak to each member in their mind. Then it\u2019ll be safe enough to bring back your woelfin. Or Michael can become alpha and you can leave if you want to. We just need to unite the clan first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke was still beside me, but his face was unreadable. The wound in my neck throbbed once, hard.<\/p>\n

Ruth took a step closer and Luke turned until they were toe to toe, leaving me outside their tiny circle. Her voice was low but firm as she reeled him in. \u201cYou\u2019ve had a decade to live your own life, but Michael has had no time. You have to choose, brother. Pack or mate.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were going to thrust Luke into this morass of skinless. Force him to emulate someone he\u2019d worked his whole life to differ from. That was just wrong.<\/p>\n

The pang in my shoulder said it was wrong for us to separate as well.<\/p>\n

So I forced my way into their conversation despite there being no obvious gap for me. \u201cI can help you with your family, Luke, the way you helped with mine.\u201d My hand rose until I could finger the bite on my neck. The pain there felt strangely good. The notion of living among skinless, daunting an hour ago, no longer seemed impossible. Being Luke\u2019s backup was the right choice.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t my decision to make, though. It was his.<\/p>\n

Luke inhaled slowly. I waited for his blue eyes to meet mine, but they remained trained on his sister when he answered. \u201cI have to deal with this on my own, Honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruth\u2019s muscles relaxed even as mine tightened. Still, I remained silent, allowing Luke to choose our path forward.<\/p>\n

And he did…in such a way that no one could forget he was a skinless.<\/p>\n

Kneeling down, he lifted his father\u2019s panting body in human arms. The motion was gentle, but the old man moved restlessly as if trying to break free of his son\u2019s grip.<\/p>\n

The non-verbal complaint didn\u2019t deter Luke. Neither did the puddle of blood on the leaves and the new stain of red on his own skin.<\/p>\n

Brushing wrinkled fingers aside, he wrapped both hands around his father\u2019s neck, at first gently then harder. And harder<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Veins stood out on Luke\u2019s forearms. His father\u2019s heels beat furiously against the leaf litter.<\/p>\n

It took a solid minute for the old man\u2019s eyes to glaze over. Apparently, the first step in solving the family dilemma was patricide.<\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/h1>\n

Michael howled at the same moment the old shifter\u2019s head thunked down, lifeless against the soil. Had the boy felt his father\u2019s passing?<\/p>\n

No. When Luke and Ruth exchanged glances, the latter nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll slow them down. Get rid of the woelfin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonor,\u201d Luke interjected. \u201cHer name is Honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t argue with the \u201cgetting rid of\u201d part. Instead, he shimmered down to four legs, his voice echoing inside my head as I used my pelt to follow suit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I wish we\u2019d met a year ago. Or a year later. But I have to do this. My family needs me.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The cascade of images that followed were like scenes from a movie condensed to the point where the montage of actions made little sense. I caught the emotion beneath it, however. Luke was terrified of bringing a woelfin into a world where strangling wounded fathers was the wheelhouse of the good guys. He was walking into a hornet\u2019s nest and couldn\u2019t handle the notion I might get stung.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Luke knew a shortcut that returned us to Wolf Camp\u2014Luke\u2019s seasonal gathering place for confused skinless, currently nonoperational\u2014in minutes rather than hours. Because I didn\u2019t trust this new telepathy between us enough to use it for a difficult conversation. Instead, I shifted as soon as we reached a roofed picnic area. Here, no one but Luke could see the pelt curl away from my shoulders as I donned my human skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to protect me.\u201d Without waiting for Luke\u2019s reaction, I strode naked across the courtyard, heading into the closest cabin to gather up weaponry. Adrenaline exploded through me more powerfully than ten shots of espresso. I was ready to do battle as Luke\u2019s partner. I was ready….<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s hands on my shoulders stopped me in my tracks before I could push back outside. \u201cI won\u2019t ask you to be my sword maiden,\u201d<\/i> he told me silently, tapping his ear in warning that skinless could hear conversations from quite a distance away. \u201cIt\u2019s too dangerous. The pack won\u2019t react the way I did to your <\/i>pelt<\/i>.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m willing to take that chance.\u201d I countered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not. You can\u2019t be here when they come.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tectonic rift opened in my stomach. That was the only explanation I could give for why I suddenly found it hard to keep my body erect. Three words were all I could manage. \u201cI get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I did get it. After all, Luke and I had been acquainted for just over a week. He was skinless; I was woelfin. The only physical intimacy we\u2019d shared was a theatrical, fake kiss.<\/p>\n

Of course his family would call and he\u2019d leave me to rejoin them. What had I expected? A vow of his undying love?<\/p>\n

Luke growled rather than answering. He yanked me in closer, fingers biting into my biceps. Even with human nostrils, I could smell his barely restrained rage.<\/p>\n

Then, he spat out his own three words. \u201cNo. You don\u2019t.\u201d Added on four more: \u201cYou don\u2019t<\/i> get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His lips pressed hard and sweet against mine, forcing me to admit that he might just be right.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The kiss\u2014our second, the only one shared without the intention of convincing an audience\u2014would have been earth-shattering all on its lonesome. But the images that flowed into my mind along with the physical sensation weakened my knees.<\/p>\n

Scenes from our shared past, but filtered through Luke\u2019s memories. Our first meeting, when I literally fell from the sky…and for one split second he rethought his disbelief in angels. The instant bond that drew him to me, the sure knowledge that I was his pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m yours.\u201d<\/i> His lips didn\u2019t have to leave mine to make the claim. Still, he pulled back so he could see me, his breath feathering finger soft across my skin.<\/p>\n

I wanted to draw him back in and kiss him forever. To suck up Luke\u2019s sweet cinnamon and wrap my arms so tight he couldn\u2019t get away.<\/p>\n

But we were interrupted by a long, hard series of knocks. \u201cAre you in there?\u201d Ruth demanded.<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s eyes closed, his lips curling into a reluctant smile. \u201cPatience has never been your strong suit, Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be patient,\u201d she countered, \u201cwhen I\u2019m dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they bantered, I forced myself to twist out of Luke\u2019s grasp and clothe myself. Whether I stayed or went, I needed to maintain the illusion that I was one of the skinless. So I wrapped my pelt around my waist before pulling a shirt over my head. Tucking the shirt into jeans, I turned to face Luke once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes this outfit make me look fat?\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes squinted into a sunset half-circle for one split second. He understood what I was asking and was amused by my wording. Then he reassured me with a single shake of his head.<\/p>\n

There, that felt normal. So normal, in fact, that I opened my mouth to reopen the debate he\u2019d staved off with his stealth kiss attack.<\/p>\n

Luke was way ahead of me. \u201cThis will get much worse before it gets better. If you..<\/i>.<\/i>.\u201d<\/i> His words broke apart as a howl outside reminded us we were far from alone. I caught only bits and pieces of the rest of his explanation. Something about \u201cchoice\u201d<\/i> and \u201cscars\u201d<\/i> and \u201cmore death.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I wanted to pin him down and demand a real explanation. Or even to get the explanation he was trying to hurry through, unaware that the link between us was broken.<\/p>\n

But the howls outside were growing louder. So I only asked: \u201cYou have to deal with this? For the sake of your family?\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd would my presence here make things worse?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another, even more reluctant, nod.<\/p>\n

I inhaled once, closed my eyes and wished the world was different. Then I exhaled and let dissatisfaction disperse along with the outflow of carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, then.\u201d I started packing. Not that I had much here in the first place. Some clothes, my sword, my cousin\u2019s letter. Electronic odds and ends.<\/p>\n

And, apparently, a set of keys. Or so I discovered when Luke\u2019s scent enveloped me a second time.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake my car. Go as far away as you can. I\u2019ll call you when it\u2019s safe. It might be…a long while.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long while like days? Weeks? Decades?<\/i><\/p>\n

Luke didn\u2019t need those questions however. As I squelched them, a pang ran through me. Starting at the bite in my neck and slithering lower. It felt both right and severely wrong at the exact same time.<\/p>\n

Outside, a wolf yipped. Something told me this was neither Ruth nor Michael.<\/p>\n

There was no time left for explanations and promises. No time for anything except reaching up and pulling Luke\u2019s chin down until I could reach him.<\/p>\n

Then I gifted him with a farewell kiss.<\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/h1>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re washing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words were so full of disappointment that I turned from my spot in front of the bathroom sink to see who was speaking. Luke had left one moment earlier, and I\u2019d granted myself what I sorely craved\u2014a few seconds to wipe away the pain of parting with running water. Now, though, I released the liquid cupped in my hands. I\u2019d been intending to splash it on my face. Instead, water gurgled down the drain as I twisted the faucet shut.<\/p>\n

\u201cWashing is a problem?\u201d I asked the stranger who stood in the open doorway of my cabin. She was naked and sagging in the breast and belly areas, but wrinkles didn\u2019t quite cover up pale lines criss-crossing her skin.<\/p>\n

So Ruth wasn\u2019t the only scarred female in the pack that had once belonged to Luke\u2019s father. Was this the real reason he was sending me away? Did he think I was afraid of physical imperfections?<\/p>\n

There was no time to ask those questions, however, when the woman in front of me was already answering my first one. \u201cOf course not. It\u2019s your choice.\u201d She sighed. \u201cPerhaps you wanted romance? You must understand why my grand-nephew was in such a hurry. I assume he asked your permission before he bit?\u201d<\/p>\n

My finger slipped down beneath the collar of my t-shirt, feeling for the wound that Luke\u2019s teeth had created after his father barked at him. I couldn\u2019t quite touch the raw flesh because my shed skin had pressed up against the affected area. As if my pelt was protecting the wound from my tentative fingers. As if my pelt liked<\/i> the fact I\u2019d been bitten.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he didn\u2019t ask my permission,\u201d I answered the stranger\u2014Luke\u2019s great-aunt?\u2014while trying to figure out why I\u2019d accepted the bite without question. Why, if I was honest, I agreed with my pelt.<\/p>\n

The trickle of sticky dampness on my neck didn\u2019t feel wrong, even if its creation hadn\u2019t been entirely Luke\u2019s decision. Instead, it felt very right.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d The woman\u2019s features pinched together. \u201cWell, that\u2019s unfortunate. But you must understand why he chose the old way. The pack will think twice about touching you if you smell like their alpha.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could explain that Luke\u2019s father had intended the bite to do more than protect me, my companion laughed the dry chuckle of someone who\u2019s put their foot in their mouth. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m telling you things you know already. I\u2019m sorry. Bad impressions all around today, I\u2019m afraid. I\u2019m Aunt May. Acosta, obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wiped my hand on my jeans and accepted her shake. \u201cHonor Warren.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wanted so badly to request more information about this bite that I was already supposed to know about. But Aunt May\u2019s head cocked to one side, then she abruptly changed the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

If I\u2019d been one of the skinless, I would have heard something. A howl maybe? Or a voice in my head?<\/p>\n

As it was, I had to trust Aunt May\u2019s senses and Luke\u2019s analysis of the situation. Grabbing up my duffel and Luke\u2019s car keys, I pushed past the old woman and into the summer sunlight.<\/p>\n

Hopping off the porch, I landed on driveway gravel just in time to be caught up in a tide of running wolves.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

They streamed into camp. Furry heads, backs, and tails packed so close together it was impossible to tell where one ended and another started. I thought I caught a glimpse of Ruth\u2019s scarred muzzle at the edge of the crowd, but Luke and Michael were lost in the midst of the skinless.<\/p>\n

Until, that is, something fist-sized and furry flew out of the pack\u2019s center, smacking to the ground an inch from my toe.<\/p>\n

Aunt May\u2019s arm slid around my waist as she tried to steer me away from the wolves. \u201cI suspect he wouldn\u2019t want you to see this part, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Luke had been the one to toss the thing<\/i> toward me. I\u2019d caught the gleam of his black fur one second before the furry lump arced through the air.<\/p>\n

Now speech emerged in my head, staticky yet familiar in Luke\u2019s deep rumble. The intrusion smelled faintly of cinnamon as select syllables materialized into words. \u201c…Alpha\u2019s Hunt…sword maiden…tokens….\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t tell what he was getting at, but I could <\/i>twist out of Aunt May\u2019s grip and kneel down to see what Luke had thrown in my direction. At first, the object was unidentifiable through the blood and mud caked around it. Then I turned it over and caught my breath.<\/p>\n

This object was a paw.<\/i><\/p>\n

Something else flew out of the center of the pack now, floating feather-light onto the top of a nearby cabin. There was no way I could climb up to examine it, but I understood what I was seeing. That second object was an ear. And based on the paw\u2019s scent, both came from the wolf\u2014the father\u2014who Luke had recently killed.<\/p>\n

Aunt May was right. This<\/i> was what Luke hadn\u2019t wanted me to be part of. Lunch tried to make a run for it and I swallowed down the sharp tang of bile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a kitchen in this place?\u201d Aunt May rested one hand on my shoulder, as if her joints were unwilling to let her join me near the ground but she wasn\u2019t quite ready for frailties of age to determine her behavior. \u201cYou could use a cup of tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tea.<\/i> The notion was unbearably strange while skinless frolicked around a carcass. An entire leg flew off to thunk wetly against a porch post. The yips of the pack resembled coyotes\u2019 laughs.<\/p>\n

And, in my head, Luke\u2019s voice continued to whisper. \u201c…Away…danger…I need…choice….\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

I shivered. Luke had wanted me absent before this awfulness started. I turned…then froze as it became obvious that I\u2019d been noticed by another member of his pack.<\/p>\n

A gray wolf curled away from the roiling mass even as Luke\u2019s voice in my head went silent. The stranger raised his snout, nostrils flaring. Then his lips drew back into a toothy snarl.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh dear,\u201d said Aunt May. The expression on her face was all I needed to understand the situation.<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t just chagrined. She was frightened.<\/p>\n

Without hesitation, I drew my sword.<\/p>\n

Keep reading on the retailer of your choice….<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you ready for Honor’s second adventure? Be sure to read Moon Stalked first since everything below this point is a spoiler…. All done? Alright, without further ado…. Chapter 1 The second werewolf I\u2019d ever seen limped out of the forest. From a distance, his scent had been wild, bitter, terrifying. But the beast himself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,158],"tags":[14,7,27,23,8],"class_list":["post-2248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-excerpts-aimee-easterling","category-series-moon-crossed-wolves","tag-paranormal-books","tag-shifter-books","tag-urban-fantasy-books","tag-urban-paranormal-romantic-fantasy","tag-werewolf-books","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2249,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248\/revisions\/2249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}