Page 67 of Moon Tamed

According to Calden’s expression, he worried about the lengths I would go to pet a wolf.

I didn’t blame him.

When the kettle provided sufficiently heated water, I filled both tea pots and grinned at him. “You’re now worried I will go to all lengths to pet wild animals.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Are the other Hunters wild animals?”

“Absolutely. They are dangerous wild animals, and you should run away from them during the hunt,” he replied in a serious tone, although his mouth twitched as he fought to hide a smile.

“Are there any other animals besides wolves in the Hunters?”

“There are at least thirty different shapeshifting species in our faction. There are members with other genetic variability, but they aren’t shifting yet. They’re carriers until they mature their gene so they can shapeshift. Some people are born like that. Your family is blank. You’re not born with the genetic potential to shapeshift without exposure to someone else’s genetics. There are those who have the genetics in place, but also require exposure to shapeshifters to awaken their inherited abilities.”

Curiosity ate away at me, and I checked the tea to make sure it had finished brewing before serving us both. “What’s the coolest species of shapeshifter in the faction?”

“Wolf, of course.”

I laughed. Right. Of course. Silly me. “Rarest?”

“We have a unicorn.”

My eyes widened. “The Hunters have a unicorn?”

“We have a unicorn.”

“Like a horse with a horn?”

“He’s even white. His hooves are cloven, he doesn’t have a lion’s tail, and the horn is meant for dispatching prey rather than protection. He is an omnivore disguised as a horse. We think the species hid among wild horses, protecting the herd and eating the predatory species that bothered their herd mates. He doesn’t tend to view horses as dinner, and he keeps wanting to find out if wolves taste as good as we look.”

“Oh. And his view of humans?”

“Men are snacks. Women are delectable treats to be savored, but he’s really picky about the women he’ll date. He plays for keeps, unlike horse stallions, who will sleep with anyone moving and consenting basically. We have a few horse shapeshifters, and they’re the players of our faction.”

“So, unicorns are dating material, horses are studs for a good time and little else?”

Calden bowed his head, and his shoulders shook with his laughter. “Pretty much.”

“What other interesting species are there?”

“Wolves.”

I giggled. “I see you believe wolves are the most interesting and beautiful of shifter species.”

“Wolves are the most interesting and beautiful of shifter species. I am far superior than my father, who is a boring gray wolf. I am not a boring wolf.”

“What color are you, then?”

“I am obviously slightly tarnished silver, shining in my magnificence,” he informed me in a solemn tone.

“So you’re a gray wolf who is not boring.”

“I seem to have inherited a significant amount of gray in my fur, and I am never boring.”

I nodded. “You obviously can’t be boring. You enjoy reading books, you don’t mind when I’m reading books, and you like hunting rabbits almost as much as I do.”

“I am sorry we are both having a rough morning, though. I should have at least tried to get us to drink some water before we passed out.”

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