Hunter s Moon - By Lori Handeland Page 0,79

there were a lot of crows and wolves. But when werewolves move in - "

"Real wolves move out."

"And the regular folks don't notice the difference. Until it's too late."

"You're saying that Crow Valley has a higher than average population of shape-shifters."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Which would explain why the power eater was here.

"Tell me how you get more powerful from killing them. How can you eat your own kind?"

"Eat my - What?"

"Don't bullshit me, Damien. I'm here because there's a werewolf killing other werewolves - "

"Me."

"And eating them."

His face went blank. "Not me."

"You said you no longer crave human flesh."

"That doesn't mean I crave werewolf meat."

"Well, what do you eat?"

"Cheeseburgers."

I'd think he was kidding, but he so rarely was.

Damien glanced away as if embarrassed. "The blood-lust seems to be satisfied by killing them."

"You're saying you aren't trying to become the supreme alpha on the night of the hunter's moon."

His gaze returned to mine. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right. There are two of you running around these woods killing other wolves."

Something flickered in his eyes.

"What?" I demanded.

"There've been a lot of disappearing lycanthropes. More than I've killed. I figured some of them were scared off, or just took off, but..."

"But what?"

"A few times when I've been hunting I could swear there was another wolf following me."

Was he lying again? I had no idea.

"I'd circle around, try to get a scent, but it would change. Appear. Disappear. Lap over other scents. I couldn't catch up to him. I never saw another wolf, except the ones I killed."

Had the power eater been trailing Damien, eating his kills, stealing their power? Or was Damien working with him and lying to me?

I didn't know what to believe. I didn't know what to do. Could I kill him - right here, right now, when he was doing nothing but talking to me? I didn't think so.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"No."

"Maybe I can help."

"Maybe you can kiss my ass."

"Leigh." He got to his feet and started toward me.

I aimed my rifle at his head. "Stay over there."

He stopped walking, but he didn't sit down. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Us."

Suddenly I was out of my chair, the barrel pressed to his throat. Stupid, really. Werewolves, in both forms, can move more quickly than the human eye. He could take the gun away from me. He had before.

He only had to want to.

I was angry, scared, hurt. I'd dreamed things about him and now those dreams were as dead as all my others.

"There isn't any us, Damien."

"I'm still the same man you slept with."

"No, you're the monster who lied to me."

A flicker of hurt passed over his face and for an instant I almost felt bad. Then I remembered something I'd chosen, for a little while, to forget.

"The last time we - " I broke off. I couldn't make myself say it.

"Made love?"

"That wasn't love."

"It was for me."

"What did you do to me?" I gave him a little shove with the barrel of the gun.

"I thought I made you come."

He was pissing me off. Shooting him didn't seem so bad anymore, but I needed some answers first.

"You didn't use a condom. Does this mean I'll have puppies? Cubs? What?"

Damien sighed. "I meant it when I said I couldn't get you pregnant. Cross-species impregnation is impossible. I'd think you hotshot Jdger-Suchers would know that."

I frowned. Yeah, why didn't we?

"You didn't give me what you have, did you?"

"Lycanthropy?"

"Or anything else disgusting?"

"The werewolf virus can only be passed through saliva while in wolf form."

I knew that.

"Any disease I might have would be healed the first time I changed. Just like any wound that wasn't inflicted with silver."

Huh, learn something new every day.

"If that's the case, then why did you use a condom in the first place?"

"Wouldn't you have wondered if I didn't?"

Maybe. If I'd been able to think beyond having him inside me.

"I was trying to pass for human," he said. "Especially with you."

"Why especially?"

"I didn't care too much about living, but I didn't want to die. I've got too many of them to kill yet."

I remembered the sentiment, from my own head. That we thought alike disturbed me. I lowered the gun from his neck. "Move back."

He did, but not far enough. Right now, Venezuela wouldn't be far enough.

I sat down. My legs didn't want to hold me upright much longer.

Werewolves have evil hearts, possessed souls. They'd kill their own mother. Lying would be kid stuff. I couldn't believe anything Damien told