Black Moon Rising

Riley POV

The crimson moon hung like a bloodstained pendant in the night sky, calling to something primal inside me. I'd convinced Faith and Skye to trek up to Crescent Ridge with me under the pretense of "appreciating lunar phenomena from an optimal vantage point." What a load of crap. The truth? I was pathetically hoping to catch a glimpse of Hunter Blackwell without his mate.

Everyone knows the blood moon ritual is for wolves eighteen and older who've already shifted. It's when the Moon Goddess guides unmated wolves to their destined partners. At seventeen and a half, I had no business being there—but my heart had other ideas.

"This is ridiculous," Skye complained, brushing pine needles from her jacket. "We're climbing this stupid hill when we don't even have our wolves yet."

"It's about the experience," I insisted, trying to sound convincing. "Think of the view! The moon looks different from up here—more magical."

Faith snorted. "Right. Magical. Nothing to do with Hunter Blackwell's perfect ass in those jeans he always wears. You know he fills out that denim like it’s his fucking job, right?"

I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "Shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

"You know," Faith continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Jasper swears he walked in on Hunter and some omega from Silver Creek last month. Said the walls were still vibrating when he left."

Skye gagged. "That’s disgusting."

"Jealous?" Faith shot back.

"We’re almost there," I interrupted, ignoring the way my pulse quickened at the image. "I can smell the bonfire."

The scent of burning cedar grew stronger as we approached the clearing. Voices carried through the trees—laughter, conversations, the occasional howl of excitement. I hadn't expected so many pack members to be here tonight.

As we stepped into the clearing, I immediately spotted Hunter. The Alpha's son stood a commanding six-foot-four, the firelight catching the ripple of lean muscle beneath his fitted black tee as he leaned against his truck. His dark hair brushed shoulders that could’ve carried the weight of the world, let alone a Luna. Even from a distance, those piercing blue eyes made my stomach flip. Not that someone like him would ever look twice at me—five-foot-nothing with unremarkable brown eyes and dirty blonde hair that never cooperated. My only decent feature was my curvy backside, but that hardly made up for everything else I lacked.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," came a sneering voice. Victoria sauntered over, her perfect body poured into a dress that clung to every dangerous curve. "Isn't it past your bedtime, puppies?"

Faith stepped forward. "Nobody asked for your opinion, Victoria. We're just here to watch the moon."

"How adorable," Victoria cooed with fake sweetness. "Little girls playing grown-up. Hunter deserves a real woman as his Luna, not some pathetic child who follows him around with puppy-dog eyes." Her gaze raked over me like claws. "Though I suppose he might bend you over a log if you beg prettily enough. He does love a tight—"

"At least Riley has some dignity," Faith cut in, stepping between us. "Unlike you, who's slept with half the warriors in the pack."

I saw Victoria's face contort with rage as she lunged forward. Without thinking, I shoved Faith aside, and Victoria's fist connected with my eye socket instead of my friend's face. Pain exploded through my skull as I stumbled backward.

"What the hell, Victoria?" Hunter's voice boomed across the clearing. Suddenly he was there, kneeling beside me, his scent—pine and something darkly addictive—flooding my senses. "Are you seriously attacking unmated teenagers now?"

His hands burned through the fabric of my sweater as he checked for injuries. I tried not to notice how his biceps strained against his sleeves, the way his jeans pulled taut across thick thighs when he crouched. My traitorous body hummed despite the pain.

"Riley? Can you hear me?" Hunter's voice finally broke through my daze.

"Sorry, what?" I mumbled, mortified.

"I asked if you need to see Dr. Harper," he repeated, his thumb brushing the edge of my jaw. "That's going to be one hell of a black eye."

"I'm fine," I managed, though my face throbbed. "It'll heal."

"Slower without your wolf," he pointed out, his breath warm against my temple. "No broken skin at least. The swelling should go down in a few days."

His proximity was intoxicating. I could count the faint stubble shadowing his jaw, trace the vein running down his neck to where it disappeared under his collar. My fingers itched to explore what the rest of him might feel like under my hands.

"Why are you three up here anyway?" he asked, helping me to my feet. His palm lingered at the small of my back. "None of you have shifted yet."

I bit my lip, staring at the ground. "Astronomy project," I lied weakly. "Blood moon observation."

Hunter's skeptical expression told me he wasn't buying it, but he didn't push. "The moon reaches its apex in about twenty minutes. Stay out of trouble, and if things get... intense, head back down immediately."

We all knew what "intense" meant. Last blood moon, a newly mated pair had practically devoured each other right in front of everyone—all teeth and wandering hands and the kind of moans that still haunted my late-night fantasies.

"We'll leave right after the apex," I promised.

Hunter nodded and rejoined his friends by his truck. Jasper was telling some animated story that had Hunter throwing his head back in laughter, the column of his throat working as he downed a beer. The sound made my heart squeeze.

"Hunter is so freaking hot," Faith whispered as we found a spot to sit on a fallen log. "I wouldn't mind claiming that as my mate. Can you imagine him pinning you against a tree? Those hands—"

"Gross," Skye wrinkled her nose. "Mom says that kind of talk is unladylike."

"Mom also thinks we still believe in the tooth fairy," Faith retorted.

I tuned out their bickering, my attention fixed on Hunter. The firelight danced across his features as he tipped back another beer, liquid trailing down his stubbled chin. What would it be like to lick that drop away? To have those strong arms cage me against his truck while he—

The moon climbed higher, its crimson light bathing the clearing. One by one, wolves began to pair off—some with gasps of recognition, others with primal growls of approval. A brunette from the eastern territory had her legs wrapped around some warrior’s waist before they even hit the forest floor. I held my breath, watching Hunter anxiously, but he remained unmatched as the moon reached its zenith.

Thank you, Moon Goddess.

"Come on," I said, standing once the initial mating frenzy had settled. "We should head back like I promised."

We'd been walking downhill for about five minutes when a bone-chilling sound froze us in our tracks—a collective growl followed by panicked howls from the clearing above.

"Shit!" I grabbed both girls' hands. "That's an attack! RUN!"