Hunters moon rebel wolf.., p.1
Hunter's Moon (Rebel Wolf Book 2), page 1
Hunter’s Moon
Rebel Wolf Book 2
Linsey Hall
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Thank You!
Acknowledgments
About Linsey
Copyright
1
Lyra
* * *
Prison sucked.
It was cold, silent, and smelly. I didn’t even have a damned window. My cell was on the bottom floor of a building in downtown Seattle, in a place that I was sure the police had no idea existed.
Worse, I was in a damned werewolf prison. A week ago, I didn’t know supernaturals existed. Now, I was in one of their jail cells.
As I lay on my bunk, I stared at the ceiling and counted the tiles for the millionth time. What really screwed with my head was the fact that I was one of them. All my life, I’d thought I was human. Nope. Apparently not. I was a damned mountain lion, which wouldn’t help my cause when it came time for trial among the werewolves.
The Olympia Pack had only held me captive for four days so far, but I was ready to do whatever they wanted to get out of this miserable cell. I swore I could feel the dampness of the Pacific Northwest in my bones, and the bed left a hell of a lot to be desired. And the food…
Not worth eating.
When the guard came to my cell, I expected him to push another tray of bland meat and potatoes through the slot near the floor. But when I spied the keys in his hand, I sat up straight.
“What are you doing?” I asked, watching warily as the broad man shoved the key into the lock.
“Time for your trial.”
My heart leapt into my throat, nearly strangling me. “Already?”
“We don’t dawdle. Not like the lions in the City Pack.”
I winced. I had no idea if the City Pack dawdled. It was a ridiculous insult, really. But clearly, the guy hated them.
A shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t going to go well for me.
As much as I wanted to get a trial so I could get out of there, I was actually guilty of the crime. Hell, I’d been caught red-handed giving a valuable book over to the wolves’ enemy. It didn’t matter that I’d done so to save my friend’s life or that I’d had no idea how dangerous the book was—the wolves were going to find me guilty. Because I was.
I sucked in a deep breath and stood. I wouldn’t cower.
The guard held the door open, and I approached, my head buzzing with fear. It took everything I had to keep my expression bland, and I wasn’t even sure that I succeeded.
I had no idea who was on the council that ruled the werewolves in the Pacific Northwest. Would I see Garreth?
My fated mate was the alpha of the werewolf pack that I’d betrayed, and I’d only seen him once since I’d been in prison. I’d confessed all, but it hadn’t softened him to me.
My mind raced as I followed the guard down the hall and up a flight of stairs. He led me into a large room, and I winced at the sight of all the people inside.
No, not people.
Werewolves in human form.
At least some of them. Others probably turned into other types of animals.
There was a long table against one wall. A dozen people sat at it, each looking powerful and confident. Garreth sat in the middle, his devastatingly handsome face set in a stony expression. His gleaming dark hair brushed the collar of his plaid shirt, and I’d forgotten how magnetic he was.
As soon as my gaze met his, it was like an invisible wire tightened between us. I could feel the connection to him like it was a physical thing drawing us together. My heart raced, and my skin heated.
Though his full lips tightened, his gaze turned hot. Memories of the kiss we’d shared exploded in my mind. I shouldn’t be thinking of that right now—not while my life was on the line—but there was something about him that dragged me right back to that moment.
He was the first one to look away, and I was grateful. I wouldn’t have had the strength.
If I’d had to guess, I’d have said the table was occupied by the alphas of other packs. I recognized several of them from the Winter Gathering that I’d attended with Garreth. Everyone at the table radiated power, but he was the most intense of them all. Still, I wouldn’t want to run into any of them on the full moon.
Fortunately, there wasn’t an audience like there was at human trials. I really liked a lot of the people I’d met in Garreth’s pack, and it was easier not to see them after I’d betrayed them. It didn’t matter that I’d done it to save Meg—not when I’d screwed them to do it.
A lone wooden chair waited in front of the table. The guard led me toward it, and I sat. As I did so, I realized that I wasn’t wearing any kind of handcuffs or restraints. Didn’t the accused always wear restraints?
Actually, what the hell did I know about werewolf trials? All I knew about trials, period, came from what I’d seen of human ones on TV.
Considering the fact that I was facing a group of massively powerful supernaturals, it probably didn’t matter that I wasn’t restrained. What could I do to them, anyway?
The woman who sat next to Garreth stood. She was about forty, with a strong jawline and brilliant blue eyes. Her dark hair swept back from her head in a severe style that only emphasized her beauty and power.
When she spoke, her voice vibrated with strength. “Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, the City Pack has gone rogue. For years, they’ve been growing in size and power, poaching members from our own packs to inflate their ranks. They’ve hit the Olympia Pack the worst, though.”
So it was a problem the council had known about then.
“The shifter packs of the Pacific Northwest live in harmony,” she continued as if giving a speech. “Each of us on our own land and respecting the laws of our kind. And yet, we’ve long suspected that the City Pack alpha, Sam Montblake, wanted to disrupt that balance. Now we have confirmation.” Her gaze moved to mine, and it took everything I had not to look away. “Lyra Crane, you have been accused of colluding with the City Pack to steal the land of the Olympia Pack.”
“What?” Shock lanced me. “No, I—what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her mouth flattened. “Do you deny stealing The History of the Wolves of North America from the Olympia Pack and handing it over to Montblake?”
“No.” They’d seen me doing it, for God’s sake. I couldn’t deny it. “But it was just a book, and my friend’s life was on the line.”
“Hmm.” Something flickered in her gaze, and I desperately wanted to interpret it as mercy. “You didn’t know what the book contained?”
I shook my head. “I had no idea.”
“Lies.” A large, older man at the far end of the table spat out the word.
I glared at him, my spine icing at the sight of the venom in his eyes. I had no idea who he was, but clearly, he hated my guts.
“I believe her.” Garreth’s voice was emotionless, but his words warmed me like a fire on a cold winter night.
Though I shot him a grateful glance, he didn’t meet my gaze.
Whatever.
Sucking in a deep breath, I looked at the woman who was leading the meeting. “I just thought the book was valuable. Hell, when Montblake forced me to work for him, I didn’t even know that shifters existed.”
She pursed her lips and tapped her fingers on her arm. “Would you be willing to take a truth potion and state all of this again?”
“Absolutely. Give me the damned thing.” I was willing to pay the price for the crime of stealing the book, but there was no way in hell I wanted to go down for trying to steal the Olympia Pack’s land from them. My actions had been wrong, but my motive had been pure. I’d thought I was just doing a little bit of thieving to save Meg.
The woman nodded toward someone who stood near the door. It was the first time I’d noticed the small man who held himself with the quiet confidence of someone who knew how to get shit done. He approached me on silent feet and handed over a small vial of liquid. A truth potion, clearly. I’d already taken one of them when Garreth had been interrogating me, and it was no big deal to take another.
Quickly, I uncorked it and threw it back. I met the woman’s gaze, careful not to look at Garreth. “I had no idea what was in that book. The City Pack threatened my best friend’s life, and I only worked for them to save her.”
I heard a few murmurs from people at the table. Garreth said nothing.
“Why didn’t you go to the Olympia Pack for help?” she asked.
What kind of stupid question was that? I bit back the words, though. “I didn’t know who to trust.”
“It’s not the worst reasoning.” The softly spoken words came from an older woman on the left side of the table. Her gray hair was pulled back in a long braid, and her dark eyes gleamed with wisdom. “How was she to know who was good and who was bad?”
“The City Pack threatened her friend’s life,” Garreth said. “Clearly, they were the more dangerous ones.”
“How was I to know you weren’t just as bad ?” I demanded. “You threatened my job in order to get me to work for you at the Winter Gathering. Everyone was threatening me.”
Garreth had the good grace to look slightly chagrined, and the leader of the meeting shot him a glance. “Hmm. Is that so?” she asked.
“It wasn’t my finest moment,” he said. “But I caught her snooping in my hotel room and knew she was up to something. I wanted to find out what she wanted.”
“Understandable.” The leader turned back to me. “This isn’t a cut-and-dried case of wrongdoing, but you clearly weren’t acting maliciously.”
“I really wasn’t.” Hope flared. “And I want to help fix this. Please, let me try.” I meant it. Desperately. The last thing I wanted was for my new friends to lose their home. I’d do anything to fix it.
“Give us a moment.”
The guard led me from the room, and I waited out in the hallway, my heart pounding fiercely in anticipation. How long would this take? What were the options for punishment? Would they let me try to fix it?
I had no idea how many directions this could go in, and the uncertainty was killing me.
Finally, the door opened again.
“You may return.” The guard nodded toward the door.
I walked through, my skin cold with fear. The council members were still seated in their chairs. Some looked annoyed, others pleased. I supposed I’d have to hear the verdict to know who was on my side.
My legs nearly gave out as I sat in the chair.
The leader stood. “Lyra Crane, you have been found guilty of stealing from the Olympia Pack.”
Fair enough—they’d all seen me do it.
“However, you have not been found guilty of colluding with the City Pack. You’ve done wrong, but you didn’t have malicious intent. You are also a new shifter, and as such, we have a responsibility to you.”
“Responsibility to me?” I repeated the words back at her, dumbstruck.
No one had ever had a responsibility to me. Not my father, who’d sold me out to the City Pack. And not my mother, who’d chosen heroin over me. Not that I blamed her for her addiction, not logically, of course. It had been an illness. Still, it was hard not to feel abandoned.
I dragged my thoughts away. “What do you mean, responsibility?”
“You’re a shifter. You should have a pack. It’s rare that someone transitions as an adult—incredibly rare—but all the same, you are one of us. We owe it to you to help you find your way in the world.”
All right, maybe this wasn’t going so bad.
“Normally, you’d be assigned to a pack that was comprised of your own species. Since you’re a mountain lion, that would be the City Pack. Though they are a mixed group, they’re primarily lions. That’s obviously not an option, however. You will be assigned to the Olympia Pack.”
I felt my jaw drop. “You’re giving me to the people I betrayed?”
She shook her head. “Not giving you, no.”
“And you wouldn’t be a full member of the pack,” Garreth said, his voice hard. “But we would help you find your footing in the magical world. In exchange for fixing what you’ve broken, of course.”
It was more than I could have hoped for.
The leader held out a hand to quiet him. “But in return, you will help defeat the City Pack. They clearly want more land. On one hand, I can’t blame them. It’s not easy to live in the city as shifters. They were pushed off their territory farther south and found a place in Seattle. But the way they’re trying to fix their situation is untenable. They can’t be allowed to steal the land from the Olympia Pack.”
I wanted to make amends, and I couldn’t bear the idea of the Olympia Pack losing their home. “Of course I’ll help.”
2
Garreth
* * *
She would do it.
Relief rushed through me. Not because I wanted her to fix what she’d broken or get the book back—I could handle that—but because I didn’t want her out in the world on her own.
Well, the council wouldn’t let her be on her own, of course. They hadn’t told her the alternative to their offer was death. Not as punishment for her crime, though it had been severe, but because they couldn’t allow an uncontrolled shifter to roam. We were still in hiding from humans, and the last thing we needed was for the secret of our existence to get out.
I wouldn’t have let them kill her, though. Everything in my soul revolted at the idea of something bad happening to her. It didn’t matter that I didn’t trust her.
She was my mate.
And I liked her. I liked her strength and her determination and her humor.
Not that it mattered.
“The meeting is adjourned.” Lorraine, the leader of this session, stood and nodded to either side of the long table. I inclined my head in acknowledgment then moved my gaze over the people who’d wanted Lyra put down. There were only three of them—the strictest alphas on the council—and I wouldn’t forget their names.
As the council members stood and filed out, Lyra remained seated with the guard at her side. Her gaze moved over everyone in the room, calm and controlled. If I looked closely, I could spot the slightest hint of fear beneath it, and the sight twisted my heart.
I wanted to make it go away.
No, I needed to.
Nothing should frighten her. Ever.
I stood and approached, nodding at the guard to dismiss him. He exited the room on silent feet, and Lyra stood to meet me.
She moved with an otherworldly grace, one that seemed to have increased since I’d seen her last. Her new powers?
“Come on.” I strode from the room, and she followed.
We didn’t speak as we exited the building and climbed into my car. The tension that tightened the air between us only increased as we shut the doors and I started the engine.
“Thank you.” Her words were stiff, but the tone was genuine. “I appreciate the leniency.”
“There’s nothing lenient about it.” My voice came out harsher than I’d intended, but I rolled with it. Just standing near her made desire heat within me. I needed to ignore it. Making her hate me would be the easiest way to keep things from happening between us.
“Whatever,” she said. “I’m just glad to be alive.”
“You’ll stay that way.” It was my top priority. “We’re going to consult a seer about the book. She’s the same one who told me that I should seek it out at the auction. She couldn’t say why at the time, but I’m hoping she’ll be able to provide more information now that we can give her something to go on.”
“A seer? Like someone who can read the future?”
I nodded.
“Where is she?”
“In the old part of town.”
“Near the Windracer?”
I nodded. The hotel Lyra had worked at wasn’t far away, actually.
“If the book was so damned valuable, why the hell did you have it in the hotel room?” she asked.
I grimaced, keeping my gaze on the road instead of looking at her like I wanted to. “I didn’t know it was that valuable at the time. The seer wasn’t clear about why I’d find it interesting, and I’d just purchased it at an auction. I was still reading it when I realized you were after it. At that point, I read faster.”
“And you saw what it could do, so you locked it away.”
“Yes. Inside a room you shouldn’t have been able to enter.” It was one of the most interesting parts of all this.
She shrugged. “It was just glass.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was enchanted.”
“I felt an enchantment on the door lock, but I didn’t feel one on the glass.”
“And that’s what I want to get to the bottom of.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have skills that you shouldn’t have,” I said. “Using your claws to cut through that glass for example.”
“How did you know that’s how I did it?”
