Page 5 of Wolf Hunted (Rejected Moons 1)

Maybe it would have if we hadn’t gone this way.

He’s standing right in front of us, and when he sees us, he starts to rise up off the ground, hovering in the air. Freaky. I hate seeing them do this shit. So it’s very satisfying to see what happens next.

Victor is on him in a second, jaws clamped around his ankle, tugging him back down to earth. I stand back and watch the fight because that’s my role in this—the women help with the tracking, but not with the actual killing. That’s the way the ritual is set up.

It sucks, though. I don’t like standing back here and watching. Iwantto help. I want to be in the thick of things, showing my new mate what I’m capable of. I’ve never killed a Moon Caster before—nobody does until after age 23, only those who are of age go on the hunts. But I’m sure I could do it.

Victor doesn’t have any trouble without me, though. The fight only lasts a minute. Then the Moon Caster is on the ground, blood pooling beneath him, eyes staring at nothing.

I look at him dispassionately.

He got what he deserved. I’m glad to see him dead.

Victor shifts back to human form. I do the same, and for a moment, we size each other up. I know he’s taking in my body, just as I’m taking in his. We both know what’s next.

“We better get thisthingback,” he says, nudging the corpse with a toe.

I nod. The hunt is over early. There’s only one thing left for us to do tonight, and we have hours and hours left to do it, but I don’t want to wait any longer. I want him now.

Chapter 4

EMLYN

“Nicejob,”Brucesays,clapping us on the shoulder. “You’re the first back. I knew you would be a good pair.”

I beam with pride as we drop our kill by the fire—the older members of the pack will dispose of the body; that isn’t work for new mates to do tonight—and make our way to our tent. It’s on the other side of the clearing from the tent where I got ready with the other women. This tent is smaller, and it’s just for the two of us.

“How did you know where he would be?” Victor asks.

“I don’t know,” I say. And now that we’re here, I really don’t want to waste time talking about the hunt. We’re still naked from our shift. I’m running my hands all over him, and he’s already hard, no doubt helped along by the exertion of hunting and killing a Moon Caster.

Still, he stops me. He holds me away at arm’s length.

“You didn’t follow the scent,” he says, his eyes narrowed. “The scent turned to the side, but you went straight on.”

“Why are you complaining?” I ask him. “It was the right call, wasn’t it?”

“It’s just weird,” he says. “How did you know?”

I don’t know how I knew. I don’t care how I knew. I pull him closer, pressing my body against his.

“It’s the full moon,” I say softly. “It’s our mating night.”

“You believe that stuff? About it being good luck to conceive under the full moon?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I do. The moon has power, Victor. If it didn’t, the Moon Casters wouldn’t be such a threat.”

“But wolves don’t use moon magic,” Victor points out.

“Sure,” I say. “We don’tuseit. That doesn’t mean it can’taffectus. We don’tusethe energy from the sun, either, but it still helps us live.”

I free myself from his grip, and this time he doesn’t stop me. He lets me press myself close to him, inhale his scent.

“I’ve been wanting you for years,” I tell him shamelessly. “Ever since I was old enough to want sex, I wanted you. If we weren’t mated tonight, I was going to seek you out anyway.”

“I’d have given it up for you,” he says. “You’re the hottest woman in the whole pack, you know.”

“You think so? Even though my hunting style isweird?” I trail my hand down the flat plane of his torso as I say this, teasing him.

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