Black Moon (Colors of the Moon #4)

Chapter 3

I can already smell him, Edria purred inside my head. He smells delicious.

I shook my head at her words, but was unable to stop the smile that crooked the corners of my lips. No matter how ridiculous her words sounded, I thought the same way. Our mate smelled exquisite.

Half a minute later I dug my toes into the frozen earth. I stopped three steps away from the lone figure standing in the middle of an otherwise empty forest. To a human his position might have come off as funny, but I knew exactly why he was standing there.

Half a step away from the Blue Moon border.

He extended his arms to catch me, but I stopped before that would be necessary. I straightened my spine and didn't even try to stop a sunny smile from spreading my lips even wider apart.

"You're back." His shoulders slumped and the smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Of course." I glanced to his left and right, and even behind him, but there wasn't a single sign of anyone else there with him. "Where are Ren and Blake? Did something happen?"

"Ren thought the Blue Moon Luna might come with you, so they left. She said, and I quote 'I'd rather face a legion of rogues then be around her'. Is your Luna not a kind person?"

"What? No." I shook my head, while trying to stifle the grin still eating at my face. "Naia's a wonderful Luna. She and Ren are even good friends. Something I never understood because Ren isn't the kind of person I'd imagine Naia to bond with."

"Then why is Ren avoiding her?"

"Our Luna is with pup, so her hormones are all over the place. Things aren't all that bad, but she cries more often now. And since you're familiar with Ren, you already know how she and tears work."

"Yes." He shook his head. "Ren avoids tears like wolfsbane."

"Exactly." I wanted to reprimand myself for continuing to smile like a simpleton, but I couldn't bring myself to. "Anyway, I talked to my brother. As the Alpha of Blue Moon, he gave you permission to enter our land."

Hunter nodded and without wasting another second he crossed the border. Or more exactly he diminished the distance between us and stopped less than half a step away from me.

"You changed."

His warm breath tickled my skin, while his eyes traveled from my white pullover, to the pair of green pants and my thick winter boots. On his way up, however, he stopped at the black jacket that was nestled in my hands.

"Yes." I handed him his jacket and watched as he snuck it back on. "Naia's maternal instincts have already kicked in. She refused to allow me out of the pack house before I changed into something warmer."

"Did you tell them who I am?"

"Yes." I grabbed both sides of his open jacket and pulled them closer together. "They know you're my mate. It's why Jared wants us to immediately come to the pack house. He's eager to meet you."

On my third tug against his jacket I finally realized what I was doing.

"Sorry." I let go of him and clasped my hands behind my back. "I saw the open jacket and thought you might be cold. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay."

He took me by even more surprise than my move as he slid his fingers down my right arm and pried my hand from behind my back. Then he wrapped his warm hand around mine.

The electrifying sensation that ran up and down my arm made me feel like my senses had been asleep up until now.

"Let's go."