Page 5 of Hunting for Love

JJ lets out the cutest meow, jumping on me and wrestling me to the ground. I could easily tackle him back and pin him to the ground, but I keep playing with him, letting him get the pent up energy from being stuck in an RV out.

Once JJ starts to peter out, I push him away with my paw. He lets out a giant yawn, finding a nice spot at the back of the RV to lay in the grass. He finds the perfect sunbeam and my chest warms at the sight.

The guys are all chatting together and one of the vampires comes out, holding his baby against his chest. He looks sohappy. More and more I feel like I’ve stumbled upon just what I need.

“You know we’re hunters, right?”

I startle, jumping to my feet and staring up at the guy I’ve heard people call Carlos. I completely freeze as he gazes down at me. He squats down so he’s even closer and I just barely stay standing where I am instead of running away.

“We’re not gonna hurt you. But I thought you’d like to know.”

Everything in me is screaming to grab JJ and run away. John used to tell me how evil hunters were. How they would hunt me down if I ever thought about running away. He told me he had hunter friends who would find me no matter how far away I ran so it was always better just to stay where I was.

Would Lady Fate truly see me escape one evil man only for my true mate to be a different brand of evil?

I don’t think she would do that.

I look up at Carlos and tilt my head. I take a deep breath and realize the reason he knows I’m a shifter is because he’s one himself. Some sort of canine but nothing I’ve ever smelled before. That fills me with a little bit of hope. If these hunters allow a shifter to hunt alongside them, maybe they’d be okay with JJ and I.

“We’re not gonna hurt you. We’re good. You’re not gonna screw us over, are you? I just have to ask because I’m rather protective of these guys and you’ve seemed to worm your way into Ronny’s heart already.”

I shake my head, needing him to know that I would never hurt Ronny. There’s no way for me to speak in this form but I hope Carlos will understand. He nods his head and I feel my body relax.

“Can you shift into your human form?”

I shake my head, holding up my paw. It’s better if I let it completely heal before shifting. I might be able to heal supernaturally fast compared to humans but that trap really did a number on my foot.

“Alright. Let’s go find your kiddo. I think I saw him run after Ronny towards the bathrooms,” Carlos says and my head raises. Fuck. How did I not notice JJ running away? I try my best to let my anxiety fade away into the background as I walk with Carlos towards the bathrooms. What John told me was a lie. These people aren’t going to hurt me or JJ. These hunters keep company with another shifter and two vampires, of course they’re not just hunting supernatural beings for being different. Everything is okay.

“Ronny?”

Terror fills my stomach for the second time in such a short period. Instead of freezing, I leap into action, putting myself between JJ and Ronny.

Instead of a small kitten in the grass, I find my son standing at his full human height wearing Ronny’s hoodie which covers him down to his shins. Oh gods. Why has he shifted?

I look up at Ronny, finding him staring at me, his eyes flicking between me and JJ. Carlos steps up beside Ronny, putting his hand on Ronny’s shoulder. The tiniest growl sounds through my chest before I can stop it.

“Hey,” Carlos murmurs, his voice gentle and calming. “What’s going on here?”

“I’m--” Ronny finally tears his eyes away to look at Carlos. “I’m really confused. My kitten just turned into a little boy.”

“Yeah. Shifters do that sometimes,” Carlos says with an amused smile.

I stand my ground, my eyes never leaving Ronny. Is this it? Is this the moment he rejects me and my son? Will this be too much for him to handle? The thought of Ronny rejecting me leaves me breathless but I’m strong, I can take it. If I can run away from John I can handleanythinglife throws at me.

“Shifters?” Ronny finally looks down at me. “Are you a shifter?” I nod my head, letting out a little meow. His face brightens with a blush. “Oh gods. That’s so embarrassing! I was chatting to you so much while I was driving because I thought you were just a cat!”

Carlos chuckles and I finally feel like I can breathe again. He’s not upset with me. I let out a mournful meow, my own way of apologizing. Somehow, Ronny knows exactly what I mean.

“It’s okay,” he tells me, squatting down and holding out his hand. I lean close, brushing my cheek against it. “It’s not your fault. I’m not upset. The plan is still the same, I want to help you get better.”

A pitiful meow leaves my lips without my permission. I can’t believe he still wants to help me, he wants to keep me. My brain whispersfor now, but I do my best to ignore that. Little hands reach down and pick me up. I dangle with his arms under my armpits. Gods, this is incredibly undignified. This must be payback for all the times I picked him up by the back of his neck.

“This is my Papa,” JJ tells Ronny and Carlos. “He hurt his paw so we had to shift. He told me I was supposed to stay in my cat form but I really had to use the bathroom so I thought it would be okay.”

“It’s okay,” Carlos tells him. “You and your Papa are safe with us. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” JJ says, puffing out his chest. My little alpha is fearless.

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