Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love (27 page)

They could have been friends. “Hunter has been searching for your children and you for years. Losing those kids broke his heart.”

Melody swiped at the tears running down her face, angry all over again at not being able to control her tears in front of the enemy, but she hurt so for Hunter.

Going to him, she laid a hand on his arm and the other brushed the side of Blair’s face.

The toddler was awake, eyes wide and fearful. Hunter and she didn’t make a habit of arguing around him. This screaming match, their raised voices weren’t good for his nerves.

“Let’s go home, honey. I’ve acted atrociously, and for that, I apologize to you, not to them. You deserve a fiancée who remains ladylike even in the worst situations. Maybe you’ll get one in the next life, because I don’t see me changing anytime soon.”

Hunter didn’t look at either Kevin or Alison. “I wouldn’t want you to change. I love you just the way you are ... willing to fight for me if you think it necessary. Thank you.”

Arm-in-arm, they headed for the door. As they passed the Morrisons, Melody paused.

“Alison, it was nice to meet you. I wish it could have been under better circumstances.” She turned to Kevin. “As for you, Kevin ... You’re a sad, sorry specimen of sub-species human.

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Someone should have beaten the shit out of you when you still had an asshole -- before you became one!”

146

Camille Anthony

Hunter put the car away while Melody took Blair next door to Rosa. She handed the toddler over, along with his diaper bag. “He’s ready for a nap I think. Soon as he finishes a late lunch, which we were supposed to have and didn’t.”

Rosa’s face fell. “Went badly, did it?”

Melody sighed. “As bad as it could get. I didn’t help any. Girl, I went off the deep end -

- told the man someone should have kicked the shit out of him while he still had an asshole.”

Rosa gasped, and then laughed. “No, you didn’t!”

Melody nodded glumly. “Yes I did. Then I went on to say he didn’t have an asshole anymore because he was one. It went downhill from there.”

“Yikes, Mel, that sounds horrible.”

“It was worse than horrible. That Morrison moron called Hunter all kinds of names, practically accused him of devouring babies, verbally cut his heart out. My poor baby just stood there, hurting. I swear to god, I couldn’t stand it, Rosa, I really couldn’t.”

“I would probably have done the same thing,” Rosa admitted. “If someone bashed Fortrayn like that, I’d be ready to fight.”

Melody smiled. “You don’t know how badly I wanted to hit that bastard.”

“You mean you didn’t?”

“Naw, Hunter hauled me outta there before I could punch his lights out.”

Rose glanced toward the other garage. Melody turned too, saw Hunter had put his favorite baby to bed and was heading toward their front door.

“I feel so sorry for Uncle Hunter. I know how much he was looking forward to seeing those twins again.”

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“Well,” Melody drawled, “you don’t have to feel too sorry. I’m about to lighten his load ... if you know what I mean!” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Get out! Now ...?”

“Right now,” Mel said, grinning. “You have the baby and I’m going to shut off the phones -- including Hunter’s cell phone. Let Morrison answer his own paranormal calls for a couple of days.”

“Finally!” Rosa waved her hands in the air. “Godchildren!”

Melody couldn’t help laughing with her. “Idiot ... but speaking of finally ... how’s Andrea doing now that Chase has returned to Georgia?”

Rosa sobered. “She’s moping a bit over all the excitement leaving with him. For a moment, she was the center of attention, and what teenage girl doesn’t crave that?”

“Huh! What adult woman doesn’t?”

“True,” Rosa agreed. “Anyway, he came over before he left and talked with her and Fortrayn. Fort says he pretty much showed throat to Andi, begged her forgiveness again and practically groveled at her feet.”

“Serves him right, the dog!”

“Oh, I agree with you. Once Fort convinced her that course would be the safest for all of us, she did decide to accept his claim and let him bite her.” Rosa paused and pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. The result was a blend of a cough and a bark. “You know how the mark is set, right?”

Melody’s face heated. “It has to be dabbed with the wulf’s semen to set it.”

“Right,” Rosa said, grinning. “Since Andrea is too young to legally have anything to do with him sexually, Chase ended up masturbating in a cup. Only thing was, whenever he left Andrea’s side, any desire he felt faded. Away from her, he couldn’t get it up, let alone keep it up. You should have heard the way Fort told it. That thing was the funniest story I’ve heard in a while.”

The sound of the other woman’s merriment was contagious, and Melody laughed right along with her. “You know, Rosa, I can almost feel sorry for poor Chase. For a proud wulf, he’s had to tolerate some mighty aggravating actions on our part.”

Rosa sniffed. “Humph, maybe so, but I think he deserved everything he got.”

“I won’t argue that,” Mel said, still chuckling. “So, how did he finally resolve the problem? He did resolve it, didn’t he?”

“Andrea did. She got tired of waiting and huffed, ‘Men! They can’t do anything for themselves!’ She went to her room and came back with a picture of herself, drenched in her scent, and slapped it in Chase’s hand. The picture and scent did the trick, because Chase came back less than two minutes later with the needed ingredient.”

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Melody hooted with laughter. “Oh heavens, wait until I share this with Hunter! He’s gonna scream with laughter. Chase will never live this down.”

Rosa snorted. “Andrea intends to make sure of that!”

“You know what puts the icing on that particular cake?” Mel asked tongue-in-cheek, wiping away tears of laughter.

Rosa gave her an inquisitive look. “No, what?”

“As true-bond mates, Chase is going to find it very difficult to uh ... work up ... the desire to have sex with any other female. If and when he does, though, Andrea is going to know about it.”

Rosa’s eyes widened. “Ho! I know my daughter and I can safely say his balls won’t be worth the string she cuts them off with if he cats around on her. Four years is a long time to be celibate, but he better resign himself to that state right now.”

On that note, Melody exchanged a smiling goodbye with Rosa and set off across the yard toward home. Halfway there, she stopped and stared, startled to find Hunter waiting for her. “Oh, honey, I thought you had gone inside. I wouldn’t have stayed talking to Rosa so long if I’d known you were waiting for me.”

Hunter smiled down at her. “I never mind waiting for you, babe.” He heaved a pensive sigh. “The truth is I didn’t feel like going inside without you.”

She held her hand out and Hunter took it and entwined his larger fingers with hers.

They stepped up on the porch and Melody turned to Hunter, halting him with a hand to his chest. “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything. You know that.”

Still holding one hand, Melody went down on her knees. “Will you marry me?”

Hunter’s smile took up half his face. “Bitch, are you trying to steal my lines?”

She smiled back up at him. “No. Besides, remember you already proposed to me that first night at the restaurant, when you showed me your driver’s license.”

“That’s right, I did,” Hunter said. He cast a quick glance up and down the street, and then gazed down at Melody, a frown gathering between his heavy brows. “Get up, Mel. You shouldn’t be down on your knees out here. No telling what’s on the ground.”

Melody shook her head. “I’m not getting up until I’m finished saying what I have to say.”

“Okay, get it said, then ...”

“My darling, will you marry me in a human church before all my friends and family?”

Hunter blanched, but nodded.

She patted his hand. “Don’t worry, there’s not that many -- only my late husband’s congregation. They’re a small group of lovely people who helped me all they could when Gerald stole Blair.”

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“Whew, that’s a relief!”

Mel watched Hunter realize what he’d just said. She stifled a grin when he rushed into speech, and dug himself a deeper hole. “Not that I wouldn’t be glad to do it in front of a crowd, but the idea of all those people, people I don’t know, who’ll be judging my right to a place in your life ...” His words petered down and out. His eyes grew round.

Melody squeezed his hand. “Sound familiar ...?”

“Too familiar. Damn, Melody, I’m sorry.” He lifted her to her feet, bent down and brushed the grit off her knees. “You’ve been saying the same thing all along. I simply didn’t hear you. Wanting to be with me was never in question, was it?”

“Never.”

“You’re just shy.” He gave that gruff, barking laugh she loved. “About as shy as I am.”

Melody gazed up into Hunter’s hazel eyes, hoping he could see the love spilling out of hers. Throat growing thick with the emotions welling inside, she took both his hands in hers and kissed the backs of each.

“Hunter, I have to say this just once. Please don’t interrupt me or try to argue with me, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“I grew up thinking I was ugly because that’s what everybody in the foster care system told me. They told me I was fat and ugly. When I was thirteen, Gerald raped me and told me I should be grateful because no man would ever want me, ugly and fat as I was.” Mel stopped, looked up. “I should have said, no growling, either.”

“Sorry,” Hunter grumbled. “Will you at least let me hold you?”

“I’d like that.” Mel sighed as his arms came about her.

“I don’t have the healthiest self-esteem, and the last thing I’d volunteer for is flaunting my naked insecurities before thousands of perfect physical specimens -- as many as I’ve seen, anyhow -- of wulfdom. Hunter, I love you. I finally figured out that I love every aspect of you. Guess what else I realized?”

Hunter’s arms tightened about her. “I don’t know. Tell me.”

She laughed. “I figured out you’re not human. You don’t see me like every other human does. It only makes sense for me not to see you the same way, either.”

Melody stroked his back. “Your wulf form is beautiful -- strong and majestic. I want you to fuck me when you are at your best. I want you to give me children, give us both children, because you are a wonderful person and you deserve to live on in the form of progeny.”

“Oh, Mother Moon, Melody ... you mean this!”

“Every single word, lover, for all time”

150

Camille Anthony

Hunter placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. “Thirty years ago, my father tried to force me into a bonded marriage, but I knew you were out there -- the Breed or wulf bitch that was my perfect mate.”

“Oh, Hunter ...” Melody wept at the beauty of his words, her heart overflowing with love.

“So I left the pack for the right to keep searching for you. I’m so glad I didn’t stop looking. I’m so glad you were on that corner that one particular night in October. Melody, the worst day we’ve had since we’ve been together is better than all the long, lonely ones I lived through, before you. Every beat of my heart, every throb of my pulse urges me to mate you, to take you and make you completely mine.”

“Then do it, because that’s what I want, too, Hunter -- to be completely yours.”

“I had to give you the time, all the time you needed. Wulves mate for life. I couldn’t bear to have you come to resent me some day, to think I’d pushed or rushed you into this decision.”

“Well, you certainly can’t be blamed with that!” Melody pointed out tartly.

Hunter’s grin lit up his face. No, that was the light pouring from his incandescent eyes.

“Now that you have come to that decision ...” He went down on one knee. “Melody, mine, will you do me the greatest honor known to wulf and become my only love, allow me to seal our true-bond mating?”

“Yes, Hunter, I will.”

“Wait!” He cautioned. “Consider well ... I am the Prime-in-waiting. I will one day rule the Western-American Pack and become the Pack Prime. As my mate, you will rule by my side as the Pack Prima. The responsibilities will be great.”

Melody tried to draw Hunter up off his knees. “I’ve never wanted to rule anything but my own life. However, if the alternative is living without you, not having you in my life, then I promise to become the best Pack Prima your people have ever had!”

With a glad cry, Hunter swung Melody up in his arms.

“Wait! Put me down!” Melody smoothed her dress and hair. “Not yet.”

Hunter groaned.

Melody laughed. “It won’t take that long, I promise. You just wait right here on the porch, give me a few minutes to get some things ready. I’ve been planning this special occasion for some time, now. Oh, and don’t do like I did that first night ...”

Hunter’s brows twitched together. “What was that?”

“You don’t remember? I got scared and started to leave.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

* * * * *

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“You can come in now, Hunter!”

Melody’s voice reached him through the closed door. Cock already hard and leaking, Hunter eased the front door open and stepped inside, his nostrils immediately assailed by the delicious scent of herbal candles mingled with the heady aroma of his aroused bitch. Besides the candles, all the lights were dimmed and the curtains drawn. “Are we playing hide-and-go-seek?”

“I’m through hiding. You know where to find me. Come in your natural form!”

Hunter stood still, heart pounding at the promise in her words. Much as he loved Melody and usually could find contentment fucking her in his other two forms, he was wulf.

To deny that form was to deny his true self. He closed his eyes in spine-loosening thanksgiving that the love of his life was ready now to accept him as he was.