The Hunt

Chapter One

A/N Thank you Maya_2011 for being my "all in one editor and cover maker."

Lying in bed with Mason was a rare event. He was always so busy that he was up with the sun most days. It wasn’t something I got to do often with him. When I could, I took full advantage of it, and him. I loved being tangled up with him. Even if he tried to get out of bed quickly, it would take him 30 seconds to unwind me from him.

Since I met him, I knew he was solid muscle and that hadn't changed. He still looked like he did the day I met him. That was the perk and the curse of being a werewolf, agelessness. His green eyes still drove me crazy when he smiled and I loved to grab handfuls of his hair when I kissed him. It was a few inches long and shaggy 90% of the time. He only put effort into his hair when he had to dress nicely.

I knew what his response was going to be before I even had a chance to ask the question. I’d brought the subject up on the same day every year. It was our anniversary. We’d been together now for almost seven years. It was the longest, by far, that I had ever been in a relationship and I knew it was for Mason too.

I had the itch most women get sometime in their life. My life… our life needed something. “I want a baby,” I whispered. I didn’t voice it loudly because I didn’t want it to turn into another argument.

His hand stuttered for a moment before returning to play with my hair. It was a lot longer after growing it out for the past five years. The pack had had a lot of time to adjust to the idea of being surrounded by nudity, but I felt more comfortable with long hair to cover myself with. Plus, Mason loved my long hair, so it reached halfway down my back now. That was the longest I was willing to go.

He sighed. “Why do you insist on always starting with that on this day? Last year and the year before I gave you the same answers. What makes you think I’ve changed my mind?”

I shrugged. “I want a family of my own Mason. Why can’t I have that just because I’ve become a werewolf?”

He groaned and started untangling himself from me. “We’re not going to have a baby Lex.”

It was a horrible feeling knowing that he could just reject my feelings so soundly.

He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I knew if I caught him in the shower he’d be less inclined to remember to pull out. So I waited five minutes to let him simmer down. He always got mad at me when I brought it up. Maybe it was the timing? Maybe asking on my birthday would bring better results.

When I opened the door to our bathroom he turned the water off and slammed open the door, nearly shattering it. Had it been made out of glass, I’m sure it would have.

“What are you doing?” I asked. Mason never took quick showers. This was out of character for him.

“Leaving,” he grumbled walking past me as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

He didn’t even bother drying off. There were puddles everywhere he stepped.

I felt hollow at his rejection of me. I wanted to sink to the ground and not go anywhere. He’d never just brushed me off with a cold shoulder before, not even when he was really mad at me.

Was I wrong to want a family with Mason? Was his brother’s family the best I was going to get as my family?

I wasn’t wrong. I decided. He was wrong. What was so wrong with me that made me unworthy of becoming a mother?

I slammed the bathroom door and locked it. I didn’t want him coming in here. I didn’t even want to see him for the rest of the day. Screw this anniversary, screw all anniversaries. They sucked anyway.