Run with the Moon (17 page)

And Valen ruined it by kissing him and sucking Aaron’s tongue into his mouth.

Aaron’s cock was hard in seconds.

“If I had the time, I’d lay you out and make love to you for hours,” Valen said in a low, heated voice. “When we return…”

“Life is unpredictable,” Lanaka said, apparently unconcerned about the rudeness of eavesdropping. “I wouldn’t pass on today what you might not be able to do tomorrow.”

Valen began pulling Aaron’s pants up. “That’s…depressing.”

“She’s right. We don’t know what will happen from one minute to the next.” Aaron would say no more on the subject. Valen did have responsibilities.

“We’ll make it through this.” Valen fastened Aaron’s pants. He kissed Aaron then sucked on the spot just below his left ear. “And I’ll make you feel so, so good, honey.”

Aaron wanted to lie down on the cave floor, on one of the colorful rugs, and beg Valen to follow through with his promise. Instead, he took the tea Lanaka handed him once Valen stopped making Aaron crazy with lust.

“Drink it quickly,” Lanaka advised. “It will help with mobility and pain as well as fight infection.”

“Thank you.” The liquid was hot but not unbearably so. It tasted sweet with a tart aftertaste once Aaron had gulped it down. He handed the cup back to Lanaka. “I appreciate you accepting me and treating my injury.”

“You’re a good man, Aaron Olsen.” She touched him right between the eyes again. “With an old soul. I think we’ve met before, long ago. Go now, and— Wait. Here.” She went to a different cabinet and began chanting as she moved around.

Minutes later, she put a leather necklace around his neck. It had a pouch on it, much like Valen’s did. “As does Valen’s, this contains a blessed talisman to help keep you safe. Do not remove it.”

“I won’t,” Aaron vowed, clutching the pouch in his right hand. Then he gave in to the impulse that sprung up in him, and hugged Lanaka. “Thank you.” Maybe it wouldn’t be as hard to belong here as he’d feared it would.

Chapter Twelve

“Look! I think she likes me!” Rivvie exclaimed as he led Tentin over to them. “I slept by her all night. Well, not
right
by her, but close enough that she and I are now best friends forever.” He stroked her mane. “Do you think I could ever ride her?” he asked wistfully.

Valen liked seeing Rivvie so happy. It didn’t erase the pain of loss that would always be with Valen. His father, some of the friends he’d grown up with, they would be missed. There would be more than one period of grief for them. Even now, Valen could look at Rivvie and see their father in his build, the same shining eyes.

“I think she would.” Aaron held out his hand for the reins. “We can give it a try when we come back.”

Rivvie wove his fingers together and bent over. “Need a leg up?”

Aaron accepted the offer. “Thank you.” He was mounted easily then.

“You’re welcome.” Rivvie dusted off his hands. “You know what I realized this morning?”

“What?” Valen tapped one foot, though he really didn’t mind Rivvie asking a question. Beal was gathering and organizing the hunting party, and there were a few minutes to spare for Rivvie.

Rivvie’s smile dimmed, and grief shone his eyes. “I realized I’m your beta. This just isn’t how I imagined it happening.”

Valen gave him a slow nod. “Yes, you are my beta. You always were going to be from the minute you joined me, Rivvie. I wouldn’t want anyone else at my side. This isn’t how or what either of us expected. We are still going to do our best in the situation.”

Rivvie’s expression flittered between sorrow confusion and hope. Finally, he asked, “Do you mean I’m your only beta? Because you said you didn’t want anyone else to have your back, and that kind of implies I’d be the only one then.”

Which was a huge honor. If an alpha only had one beta, it was a sign of his trust in that beta’s ability to do all the tasks two or more usually handled. Granted, some alphas had numerous betas because it provided safety in numbers. Valen didn’t feel the need for such a grandiose following. “Yeah, just you.”

Rivvie tackled him, hugging Valen so tightly he could hardly breathe. “Leggo,” he rasped.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry.” Rivvie released him then grabbed his cheeks and gave him a sloppy, brotherly kiss. “You are the best.”

“I try.” Valen wiped off his cheek. “What’d you do, lick your lips first?”

“Slobber kiss,” Rivvie said proudly. “Now I have to be serious, and convince everyone else in the pack that I am the best beta for you. Most of them were there when Father said I was—” He darted a glance at Aaron, who was pretending not to listen. “Vapid,” Rivvie whispered. “I’ll make them see that I’m not. No more slobber kisses or pranks for me.”

Valen sighed internally. “Rivvie, be yourself. That’s what makes you the best shifter to have at my side as a beta. Anyone who thinks you aren’t up to the task can have their ass kicked by you in a challenge.”

A howl rent the air.

Valen caressed Aaron’s calf. “Be careful. I think a pack of wolves will be too much for Tentin’s nerves, so if she is too stressed, pull back and wait for us. You can give one of those shrill whistles if there’s any problem, or you see something we should be aware of. Do you have your slingshot?”

“For all the good it will do me, yes, and a bag of rocks. I’d probably do better to just throw them at anyone threatening me,” Aaron said. “It was nice of Father to pack them in my bag, though.”

“It was.” Valen had other words that were on the tip of his tongue to say. Another howl cut them short. “Remember, whistle.”

“I will,” Aaron promised.

Valen and Rivvie waited until they were a dozen yards from Tentin, then they shifted and ran for the rest of the hunting party.

Normally, when they gathered as they were doing, it was to bring back food for the pack. Sometimes they had plenty, and stored it for later. Lanaka had some excellent recipes for dried meat. Other times, they caught just what they needed.

Today, they would take care of avenging their pack. It wasn’t about food, providing for one another. It was about ensuring that the humans who’d attacked them would never hurt anyone else again.

“I found their scents all over,” Beal said, “and I found where they ran like cowards once we were awake and out of our shocked states. They entered the stream.” She shifted, and looked to Valen for guidance. Beal may not have accepted Aaron yet, but she was honoring her new alpha.

Valen led the way with Rivvie beside him. He found the end of their scents—many of them familiar—at the stream, and knew where they’d likely come out of the water at.

By Aaron’s village.

Valen saw Lanaka drop back and knew she was keeping close to Aaron. Tentin had required rests on the trip over yesterday, and today she would likely be tired.

He should have demanded that Aaron stay with the pack. Then again, what safety did that guarantee?

Rivvie whined at him and Valen barked an order. No words, but enough feeling that his point was made. Rivvie turned back, yipping out directions. When he rejoined Valen, five of the shifters Valen deemed trustworthy had been sent back to guard Lanaka and Aaron. Since Valen had warned everyone against harming Aaron, and threatened them should they hurt Tentin, he knew they’d be careful.

Most of the shifters wanted a resolution, not war with all humans. At heart, as Valen had told Aaron, they were a peaceful sort.

As it turned out, Valen and the hunting pack weren’t moving as fast as he’d hoped. They stopped several times to sniff along the bank and make sure they hadn’t missed anything. He had to be certain that their prey hadn’t left the stream sooner than Valen thought they would.

Valen feared that Aaron’s village would be attacked, the next victims of the marauders. It was a relief every time that he couldn’t spot smoke in the distance.

Of course that didn’t mean the village was safe. There were many, many other ways to kill people.

What Valen couldn’t understand was why the humans had attacked. Shifters had nothing of value, save those intangible things like love and the ties of family, memories and loyalty.

Except, we had food stored. Meat from the last several kills as the elk and deer had been plenteous.
And the meat storage building had been demolished by fire. Valen hadn’t thought to look for burnt chunks of meat. He wasn’t sure there’d have been anything left even if the meat had not been taken. The fire had ravaged the place.

It was the only thing he could think of, though. Aaron’s village had been having a rough time of it when it came to hunting. Aaron’s lunch yesterday had been stale bread and some kind of flavorless, overly dried-out meat. He’d almost wept over the piece of cooked rabbit Valen had prepared for him last night, and he’d quickly devoured his breakfast of the same this morning.

So food was scarce for the humans. They either had no skill for hunting large animals, or the beasts weren’t coming close enough to be hunted.

And hunger could drive anyone to do horrible things, not that it was an excuse for murdering men, women and children. Had the murdering bastards not done such a sick thing and instead simply asked for help, surely Varex would have provided for them. He’d had a generous heart despite his harsh last words to Rivvie. Varex might even have offered them shelter and—

And Valen could do the same—not with the ones who’d killed his loved ones and friends, but with Aaron’s village. They were struggling, and perhaps it was long past time for humans and shifters to live together. It started with one person, one couple, like him and Aaron. It could continue until the fear and rumors no longer existed between them.

He would discuss the plan with Aaron once this was done. Valen was excited about the future, but to get to it, he had to finish his task.

By nightfall, he knew that Aaron was a few miles behind them, and safe. It’d only taken a callout to check on him. Lanaka had howled back to him. All was well on the tail end of the hunting party.

Valen slowed down and trotted to where he’d scented the attackers before. He didn’t smell anything at first, then it wafted downwind to him, and he spied the canoes hidden in the brush.

Valen growled as softly as he could, flicking his tail. It was the signal for extreme caution to those with him. He slipped silently around the bushes that would have warned anyone of his approach had he gone through them. Ears pricked forward, he heard no patter of voices or jarring snores.
Where are the humans?

The silence was unnatural, even considering their presence. There should have at least been sounds in the distance, night hawks and bats, other animals—

Unless there are predators, and what other predators are out tonight?
He very much suspected it’d be the two-legged kind. There would only be one reason for them to be skulking about so quietly. They were lying in wait until the people in the village were asleep for the night.

Valen wasn’t having it. He wouldn’t let them slaughter Aaron’s family and friends. Backing away from the canoes, he began to plan. It wasn’t a brilliant plan, just one he hoped would work.

Not wanting to risk being heard, Valen shifted, signaling the others to do so too. He could hear hoof beats and knew that Aaron would arrive soon. “Go meet him, and lead him in quietly,” Valen said to Rivvie. “Bring everyone here so I only have to go over this once.” He didn’t want to have people repeat it to one another, either, because somehow in the end, what one said never matched up to the beginning. It was best to fill everyone in at once.

Valen gestured for everyone to come close. Within minutes, Aaron rode up on Tentin. He dismounted with Valen’s help. Valen noted the circles under his eyes. “Did you eat?”

“Did you?” Aaron retorted.

“I’m not going to suffer if I miss a few meals,” Valen pointed out, then shook his head. “Let’s not argue.” Because he could see that Aaron would if he pushed. “I think the people that attacked our pack are going after your village tonight.”

Aaron’s features hardened after a flash of fear crossed his expression. “Marco gave me a knife. I’ll use it. I can slip into the village and—”

“No,” Valen said in a tone that brooked no argument. “They are watching, and we are a pack. We work together.”

Aaron rolled his lips in between his teeth, then bobbed his head once. “Okay.”

Valen took his hand and held it while he explained who would be work together in groups of five or six, and where he wanted them to go. “Basically, we will be surrounding the village. What time do most of your people sleep, Aaron?”

Aaron looked up at the sliver of a moon. “I’m afraid many of them are in bed now.”

“Then there’s no more time to spare. Be alert, let each other know if you encounter the humans, and under
no
circumstances are you to kill anyone from Aaron’s village. If you have any doubt at all, don’t attack. Look for familiar scents of the humans that attacked our pack. They have all had an acrid odor to them that is unlike Aaron’s, so that might be crucial in distinguishing who is the enemy. If we get to these monsters before they attack the village, then we know who the guilty parties are.” Valen helped Aaron back on his mount. “Spread out before shifting. Don’t spook Tentin.”

Beal didn’t glare, which Valen took as progress with her. She would eventually see that Aaron and the people from his village weren’t to blame for what had happened to Varex.

Once he believed it to be safe, Valen shifted. He had Rivvie and three other shifters with him, including his mother. The west side of the village was clear, with no murdering humans lurking around. Valen hesitated, but heard no sounds—at all, which meant that there were predators about.

“Valen,” Aaron whispered. “I can ride in. It wouldn’t be suspicious. I’m from here, and I—”

Valen growled. He was not going to agree with Aaron’s plan.

But Aaron jutted his chin out. “You can get mad at me all you want. My family is in there. If I have a chance to warn them, I will. So would you.”

How could he argue? Valen would just have to ensure that nothing happened to Aaron. He would enter the village in stealth, keeping to the shadows, shielding his eyes when in wolf form as much as he could so they didn’t give him away.