Hunted by the Moon

Shadows of the Hunt

✰Trenton✰

The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and death. I stood motionless beneath the cover of the towering trees, my sharp eyes locked on the crime scene just beyond the tape. The flashing red and blue lights cast eerie shadows over the riverbank, which illuminated the figures moving in careful, methodical motions. I had seen crime scenes before. Too many. But this one had my attention for an entirely different reason. Her. Detective Caitlin Jenkins. My mate. I hadn't expected it, hadn't been prepared for it. The moment our eyes met inside the precinct, something inside me shifted, pulled toward her in a way that was as primal as it was undeniable. But I couldn't act on it. Not yet. Not while bodies were turning up faster than we could contain the damage. Beside me, Milo – my Beta – shifted slightly, his posture rigid.

"This is the third one this week," he murmured. "And four more are still missing…or at least, that we know of," I sighed softly as I continued to watch the forensic team as they worked. They were focused, and efficient, but they had no idea what they were truly dealing with. Not that we did either. This killer’s dumping ground was far too close for comfort.

"I met with the Chief earlier tonight," I said, as I kept my voice low. "He knows nothing more than we do. My visit was just a routine check-in. Security updates, protocol reinforcement. That’s all," Milo grunted in response.

"That’s all? Because you looked spooked when you arrived at the packhouse. Do you want to tell me what is going on?” Milo was clearly a lot more observant than I had expected. Which is probably why I didn’t answer him right away. Instead, I watched as Caitlin crouched near the body, her sharp green eyes scanned every inch of the crime scene. She was focused, and determined. The way she moved, the way she carried herself – it was intoxicating. Milo must have followed my gaze because he let out a low whistle as he punched my arm. "No way. Her?"

“She’s my mate,” I said as I finally tore my gaze away from Caitlin and shot him a warning look. Milo’s eyes went wide before he cursed under his breath.

“A human? That’s…that’s not supposed to happen,” he murmured.

“Right, tell me something I don’t know,” I remarked. Milo dragged a hand through his hair and the look on his face said it all.

“Trent, this is bad. A human mate? Do you have any idea how complicated this makes things? She is a cop, for one, and we are dealing with something that isn’t just some run-of-the-mill serial killer…we already know that whoever is doing this isn’t human,”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” I snapped as I tried to keep my voice low but firm. “I was just as surprised as you are…but she is my mate. The bond is there. It’s pulling me to her and whether I like it or not…” my voice trailed off as Caitlin started barking out orders. Everyone scrambled to secure the area while they waited for more spotlights to arrive.

“I don’t know anything about it, Trent. I haven’t met my mate yet, but…she is human, and we are pretty private and secretive. So…just…be careful,” he said, and as much as I appreciated his concern, I wasn’t sure what to do about it yet. “I mean, she looks pretty smart…when did she start?” Milo asked and I shrugged. I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask about her yet, but I knew it would happen. Our paths were bound to cross again.

“No idea, but I will find out soon enough. Come on, let’s get out of here,” I said before I turned away. Milo was right behind me as we moved silently through the forest.

“I don’t think this is some human serial killer,” Milo then muttered, and I nodded in agreement.

“I know, but that’s what we think…we could be wrong,” I said.

“We could be, but I doubt it. There is no way a human is that fast,” he pointed out, and I stopped walking and looked over at him.

“You have given this some thought,” I said, and Milo blushed. He quickly ducked his head, but I stood my ground and waited for his confession.

“You know Milly has friends and…they talk a lot,” he said as he referred to his younger sister. Milly went to college and had a group of human friends that she was rather close with. While my pack was private and most definitely a secret, the members of my pack had integrated themselves into the town as much as possible. Some had day jobs, some went to school and others enjoyed shopping and eating out. I didn’t mind it, especially since I ran a billion-dollar business in the heart of the city.

“Well, then we need to sit down and discuss everything we know. If we can help the precinct with this, it will only add to our agreement with the Chief,” I said. Milo watched me for a moment before he finally nodded. We continued walking toward the pack and the silence was a bit deafening. I knew we both had a lot on our minds, but Milo had become my best friend. “Do you think she will reject me?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I have no idea, Trent. I wish I had the answers for you on that one…but I don’t. A human mate is rare,”

“Yeah,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure what more to say. A human mate was rare. Unheard of and pretty dangerous. But I didn’t want to think about that. I just wanted to get home, have a hot meal, and enjoy a few episodes of the fantasy thriller I was addicted to before I climbed into bed. I didn’t want to think about Caitlin or the people that had been kidnapped or those that had been killed. By the time we got to the pack, I was pretty beat. Milo went his way, and I went mine. And as I shut the door behind me, I closed out the rest of the world and sighed. Home sweet home.