His Secret Love Child (Book One of the LOVE CHILD series)

Chapter Twenty-Six "NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON"

HUNTERS' POV..........

I woke up with a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I refused to acknowledge. I had gotten in late last night after my wasted visit to see Bethany, to try and talk some sense into her. But as usual, when it came to Bethany it was a waste of my time. She wasn't going to back off. She had no intention of losing what she saw as her rightful place, being "MY QUEEN." Or rather just being Queen.

I have been doing a lot of investigations since Rafe dropped the bomb about her possible involvement in the attempts to kill Cameron and Liam. Non of them know this, however. I need to keep it under raps until I have all the evidence. I need to know who else has been helping her. Because for sure she is not alone in the plot to kill my mate and son. So far the information that I have gathered has proven to be very enlightening.

The mere thought of what both my mate and son have been through over the years, because of Bethany makes me want to rip her apart. But I won't, not yet. Killing her now will not get me the others that are involved and I want them all. It's been difficult controlling my wolf and the rage boiling inside over this. But I have to, especially for Liam. He needs me now and I have to save him at all cost.

Tonight is the night of the full moon and I plan to take him up to the mountains. There I will call forth his wolf. It's dangerous what I'm about to do. Shifter's don't shift before their Thirteenth birth day. Liam is only nine, not only is he too young, he's also very sick. Even though I've spent the last couple weeks feeding him energy from both myself and my wolf, it may not be enough. The forced shift could still kill him.

I'm counting on his grandmother, my true mother to help me save him. After all he is her first born grandson. A secret about me that only my family knows is that my parents didn't conceive me the normal way. I am actually a gift from the Moon Goddess herself. I am her child. She took me from her body and placed me inside the body of my shifter mother. The blood of the Moon Goddess herself runs through my veins. If I was to start getting technical, you could say that I'm a God in my own right.

It's because of this and the fact that my blood runs through his veins, why Liam has survived for this long. Whatever they gave him would have killed any other shifter long before now. As a matter of fact any other shifter would have died within days. But because Liam is my son, it makes him what you would call a Demi-God. It's that power within him that is fighting the poison. But he won't survive for much longer without the full powers of his wolf unleashed.

Taking a deep breath I head to take a shower. I have to go downstairs and confront Rafe. I've changed my mind, I don't want him accompanying me and Liam up to the mountains. Something is telling me that one of us should stay here with Cameron. But Rafe is stubborn, he will refuse to back down and insist on going with me. But I have to try and get him to see reason. That leaving Cameron without one of us here to protect him is not such a good idea.

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Getting downstairs I went in search of Rafe and found him and Cameron in the Training Room or rather Danger Room. I smiled a little to myself, I had taken a lot of inspiration from my favourite human cartoon "The X-Men" when I designed and outfitted this room. It's a pity that humans don't even realize just how close they are to the truth of super-humans and supernatural creatures that live among them.

I sober quickly as another more unpleasant thought surfaced. That if some of these super naturals had their way, not only would the humans know about us, but the human race would find themselves quickly enslaved and possibly facing extinction. There were super naturals that believed that not only are we the superior race, but that we should enslave and rule the humans. Stop living in hiding, and step forth boldly and take control of the world and assume our rightful place.

Gerard is one such supernatural and he had gathered many followers over the years. The only thing standing in his way is me. But as Rafe said last night a war is brewing. Truthfully it has been brewing for a long time, it just needed something to set it off.

I guess my mating with Cameron, who is human and producing a half-human heir will be what will set it off. Gerard knows about them. My information revealed that he is also involved in the plot to kill them. As a matter of fact both he and Bethany are at the heart of it. Everyone else is just their minions doing their bidding. But it makes them no less guilty. So they will all suffer my wrath when the time comes.

Rafe thinks that I'm not aware of what exactly is going on and also what's going through Gerard’s mind. I know him and I know how he thinks. I know he plans to use Cameron and Liam against me, by rallying his followers who believe as he does, that humans are good for nothing except to be enslaved or exterminated, to support his challenge for the Throne. They will not want to see a human sitting on "The Throne of Wolves." And they most definitely will not want a half-human heir.

At first he will start a propaganda war among the supernatural community. Using it to blacken my name and reputation. If my sources are correct, this has already started on the down low. Eventually he will ramp it up. Then he'll try Diplomacy, reason and the power of the High Council to get me to abdicate the Throne in light of the situation that he himself had created. Which of course I have no intention of doing. Then he will try brute force, feeling that he has enough super naturals supporting him to win an all out war.

But he is highly mistaken. I will not lose to that worm. I will not subject my mate and son to be tortured and eventually killed by him. Because make no mistake, if Gerard gets his hands on Cameron and Liam, he will vent the many centuries of hate that he has for me on them. I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.

"Hunter, Hunter. Earth to Hunter" I am brought out of my thoughts by Cameron shouting my name. I focus on him and summon a smile. "Sorry. Got lost in thought." I shrugged my shoulders, trying to play it off. But I should have known that, that wouldn't fool him.

"So what were you thinking about? You looked about ready to kill someone".

I briefly met Rafe's eyes over the top of Cameron's head in a silent conversation. Rafe's eyes narrowed at me in puzzlement. This of course annoyed Cameron no end. "Could you two stop with the silent conversation for once and tell me what the hell is going on?"

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the explosion that was about to come from both Rafe and Cameron. "Tonight is the night of the full moon. I intend to take Liam up to the mountains."

"Yeah, so?" This from Cameron sounding slightly puzzled.

"Alone" I dead panned.

Silence. They both stared at me for a long moment. Then Rafe seemed to recover. "We agreed that I would go with you." He gritted out.

"No. You said that you would go with me. I made no such agreement. Besides I think it's best that one of us stay here with Cameron to protect him."

My statement seemed to snap Cameron out of his shocked daze. His head snapped up, and before Rafe could respond to me Cameron gave out angrily through gritted teeth, "What the hell Hunter? First of all I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I don't need anyone to protect me. And second if you're so worried about protection then all four of us are going up the mountain together. There is no way you're taking Liam up the mountain alone. Capisce." His eyes narrowed at me. I can see that he has no intention of backing down from this.

So I did. "Be ready at six." I said turning away from the sight of my angry mate.

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A journey that I had intended to make alone with my son has some how turned into a family road trip. I still have no idea how that happened as the convoy of cars pulled up in front of the Cabin. Everyone was here, my parents, Cameron's parents, the twins and of course my brother, Thorne.

I sighed heavily as I got out of the car. I haven't been up here, since the night I broke Cameron's heart and destroyed not just his trust in me but our entire relationship. It was still well maintained and had been prepared for our occupancy, however brief that it may be.

I gently lifted Liam out of the car and into my arms. The twins flanked me on each side as I walked towards the cabin. The three of them have only been together for a few days, but the bond between them was growing stronger each day.

I was extremely happy for that. As much as I'm not the twins biological father, as far as I'm concerned they are my children and I love them with every fibre of my being.

Once we're all inside the cabin I set Liam down in front of the fireplace. Conversations are going on around me, but I'm too on edge to pay attention or even participate. I walk away from it all and head outside to the back patio and pool area. I look up at the night sky and see that I have just under an hour left until the moon will be at it's highest peak, or zenith as some would say.

I close my eyes, quiet my mind and slowed the beat of my heart and summoned my mother to me. I needed her reassurance. I needed her to be here. As I concentrated on calling her I felt the gentle brush of the wind against my cheeks, like a caress. "I am here my child. Always. Do not fear all will be well and as it should be."

I stood there and just basked the in the comfort of my mother's presence and allowed her peace to wash over me and to flow through me. I could sense her communing with Ares, my wolf. Time passed and then "Go. Bring him to me. It is time."

In a trance like state I turned and walked back into the cabin. I was aware, yet unaware of everyone around me. All fell quiet as I walked into the cabin. I caught sight of myself in the mirror above the mantle place. My entire body was aglow from within. You could literally see the core center of the power within me as it pulsed rhythmically and spread outwards.

I walked directly to Liam and took him once again into my arms and walked back outside and away from the cabin. My power enveloped Liam as I continued to walk, I did not stop until I reached the place my mother waited. It was a clearing about a mile away. It was shaped in a perfect circle and in the center was an alter of pure stone. As I stepped into the area I could feel the magic of the place pulse. A barrier of light erupted around the area sealing us in and keeping everyone else out.

This was the place in which my mother dwelt whenever she visited me, or I sought her out. She rarely appeared in her physical form, but tonight seemed to be an exception. She stood there beside the altar in all her magnificent glory. I looked just like her. Same blue-black midnight hair, except hers went down to her waist and was currently waving gently in the breeze. Same sparkling emerald green eye, the aquiline nose and sharp cheek bones. The same perfect symmetry to the face.

She said nothing. She didn't have to. She waved her long elegant hand towards the altar and I laid my son down. He had fallen asleep or into a trance himself. I wasn't sure which. I stepped back and as I did so my mother looked up to the moon and raised her hands, seeming to be not just calling to the moon but also directing it's light. She directed it directly unto Liam at a perfectly vertical line of light that engulfed his entire body in such a brilliant and bright white light, it was almost blinding.

She whispered into my mind " Release Ares. He will call him. He will call forth his wolf now."

And I did as I was told. I released Ares and allowed him full control. A rumbling growl began deep within the core of my being, which built steadily until it turned into a howl of epic proportions that erupted from the very depths of Ares soul, our shared soul. The howl went on and on. It was the howl of a parent calling their lost child, a brother calling a brother, a friend calling a friend.

Such is the nature of the pack. When one is lost, the others will send up a cry calling him home. Giving him direction until he finds his way back.

How long Ares kept up the howl for. I didn't know. Time seemed to have stopped and lost all meaning. And then suddenly there it was.

The answering howl in return. The true heir to "THE THRONE OF WOLVES" had been awakened.