Page 105 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

Hunter’s Moon

TL REEVE

Prologue

“Have you ever heard of the wild hunt?” Kalkin Raferty leaned in toward the fire pit, coloring half his face in shadow while the other half flickered with shades of orange, yellow, and red from the flames. “Or the Gods who ride upon the backs of demon steeds forever chasing an unseen prey?”

The chill of the night air was a welcomed relief from the warm days, leftover by the tentacles of summer latched to the autumn solstice. The cobalt summer skies transitioned to robin-egg blue, denoting the changes in the seasons and the coming winter.

That was still weeks away, though.

Until then, spooky season was upon the pack, Keeley and Danielle’s favorite time of year. Which meant fewer tourists, more time with family, and some of the best damn comfort food Kalkin ever tasted. He swore some days his mate and her sister were witches. Between the two of them, Keeley and Danielle kept them in warm breads, crock pot meals, soups, and homemade candies.

Kalkin tipped his mug of warm spiced apple coffee with heavy cream and toffee drizzle to his lips and swallowed some of the brew. He wasn’t a frou-frou coffee drinker. He liked his plain and black. Strong enough to grow hair on his chest and make his butthole pucker. But once a year, he indulged his mate when she tried new concoctions.

This year’s flavor was his favorite.

He’d have to thank her later.

For now...

His gaze returned to the group of children. Their ages ranged from five to then, as they shook their heads, enthralled by his tenor and tone. Two weeks to go before Halloween and the coming Hunters Moon. The time for stocking up and securing the pack through the winter was upon them. In a few short weeks, the temperatures would drop dramatically, and the sky would become a dreary shade of gray.

Kalkin smelled the chill in the air. Noticed the changes in the sky days ago. The coming winter would be their worst yet. He could feel it. He grabbed a skewer beside him, then pushed a marshmallow onto the stick, before handing it to the child to his right. When all the children from the orphanage had one in hand, he dipped his toward the fire and waited for the kids to do the same.

“Would you like to hear about the wild hunt?” he asked, keeping his voice low and conspiratory.

The children nodded and a soft rumble of encouragement filled their circle as Keeley and Danielle came out of the house to join them. They each had a set of twins on their hips, the youngest members of their pack and their family. His chest expanded with pride. His love for Keeley increased every day. Sitting there as he did, ready to tell a group of children a scary Halloween story, put his life into perspective.

Had it not been for those two women, this...

No, he didn’t want to think of how his life or the lives of his brothers and nephew might have turned out. It got him nowhere and only served to sour a moment he’d been looking forward to. The tradition started after the Orphanage settled down and the town went back to “normal,” whatever that meant to most. For him, it was when PBH, Raymond, or others finally stopped attacking his loved ones. The first year they he told scary campfire stories, there’d been three children. By the second year, half of the children participated. Now, all these year later, all the small children joined.

Occasionally the teens, too.

Kalkin’s mate sat beside him while Danielle went to Caden. He offered Keeley a piece of his toasted marshmallow before he began the story with a loud howl, causing the kids to scream then laugh. Yes, he had the wildling group on tenterhooks.

“It all started long ago,” he said pointing to the sky, “in the stars. A pack of wild dogs, howling and barking. Their high-pitched cries of finding their prey, catching the scent, and giving chase echoed so loudly, people in the small surrounding villages grew scared and hid in their homes afraid of what was to come.”

He handed out another marshmallow to each child and repeated the steps, lowering the skewer to the flame. “Night and day those thunderous noises continued. Shadows followed wayward travelers deep into the forest. They were never seen again. But the sky...” Kalkin lowered his voice, as if afraid to speak aloud about the hunting party. “The booming rattle caused the shutters of homes and shops to slam against the windows and the ground to shake, like an earthquake. Then the eyewitnesses stepped forward with their stories. So many villagers swore they’d seen a ferocious beasts lurking within the darkened spaces of the forest surrounding them on all sides. When the townspeople couldn’t take the frightful sounds, theywent to their town’s leaders, begging for help. Wanting to know what they could do to calm the wicked dogs.

“We’ll throw them our meat,” Caden said, sounding like an old man.

“Catch them, and fight,” Royce added from farther away.

“Kill them,” Mackenzie shouted, raising his voice to a shrill pitch.

Wide eyed, the children glanced at each other while nibbling on their freshly charred treats. From the door, Hayden appeared, carrying a tray of drinks. Kalkin inhaled deep and grinned. Apple Cider, fresh too. His niece was learning some of Keeley and Danielle’s recipes, something that helped calm her after the trauma she’d experienced. But that story was for another night. Once she passed each child a mug, Hayden handed him a stein. The smell of cinnamon and maple, orange peel, nutmeg, and of course, apples assailed him.

Kalkin placed his empty coffee cup on the tray and nodded to her.

He then took a sip and sighed. Perfect, like always. Although Hayden had learned from the best. “The towns folk poked and prodded the mayor. They shook their fists at the sheriff. Make the noise stop, they all said. Make it all go away.”

“But they couldn’t see them, huh Uncle Kalkin?” Mikey asked, swinging his feet while he took a drink of his apple cider. “On account they were stealthy wild dogs.” When he brought the cup down, he licked his top lip. He glanced at Emmeline who wore an expression of pure concentration. Mikey whispered something to her, and she nodded, giving Kalkin her strongest look yet. Again, pride welled inside of him. Hisperfectfucking family. All of them.

“No, they couldn’t see them, Mikey,” Kalkin replied. “So, they sent party after party into the woods, trying to find those damned dogs.”

“Language,” Keeley teased, giving him a stern look of disapproval while the others, including the children laughed. Oh well, he’d spank her later. They’d both enjoy that.

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