THE BOUNTY HUNTER LUNA

CHAPTER 7 - AINE'S POV

We traveled throughout the day, reaching Blackstone near sunset, and walked past Saun's perimeter guards. The shadows stretched long and bruised across the dirt road.

''Welcome back, Aine!'' One of the boys waved, his youthful face bright in the fading light. I noticed Emmet glare at him, a low, possessive rumble vibrating in the back of his throat.

''Guys, Aine's back!'' Another called out as we walked past the stone path. The murmurs rippled through the dusk.

We moved through the main square, where vendors were hastily packing away their wares, casting wary, assessing glances our way.

When we reached the large three-story pack house, Saun and his mate, Lena, were waiting for us on the porch.

''Aine!'' Lena ran down the steps and pulled me into a fierce hug. She pulled back, hands on my shoulders, and narrowed her eyes. ''You look way too skinny. Have you been off fighting and forgetting to eat again?''

''I'm fine,'' I responded, ''How are the children?''

''They're in their rebellious stage,'' Saun said as Emmet finally climbed off Spike. Saun's eyes drifted to the Emmet and he stiffened. ''I've been grounding them for months, but nothings helping. Who's this Alpha? He's... powerful. I haven't felt this kind of power in a long time.''

''This is Prince Emmet, King Theodore's son,'' I answered.

Saun's eyes widened, the shock registering instantly in the set of his jaw. ''I thought Theodore's kids were dead?''

''He survived,'' I answered as Emmet moved closer to me, his presence a heavy, comforting warmth against the chill of the evening.

''How did you meet him?''

''It's a long story, but... He's my mate.''

''Really?'' Saun said, his voice flat with surprise.

Emmet leaned closer to my shoulder, his voice dropping an octave. ''You could make that sound less painful,'' He murmured, and I smirked.

He looked up, smoothing his posture. ''It's nice to meet you both.''

''And you,'' Saun said, his tone shifting to one of solemn respect. ''We've been waiting a long time for someone to bring Laric down, and I hope that's why you're suddenly revealing your survival.''

''It is,'' Emmet answered,

''Good.'' Saun nodded.

Lena crossed her arms, breaking the heavy tension. ''Seeing that you're together and, forgive me, your majesty, looking like hell, I guess you've come from some kind of adventure.'' She gestured toward the heavy oak doors of the pack house. ''Why don't you come in for dinner and talk.''

''Thank you. I'm starving.'' I said happily.

We all walked through the pack house, past the maids, most of whom were looking at Emmet, and making me angry.

I was glad when we reached the dining room, and there were only 2 male servers there, adding place settings for us.

"Forgive us for starting without you, but we didn't know we'd be having guests," Lena joked, "Come sit by me, Aine."

I smiled and sat down.

"So, what's this long story?" Saun asked, as he sat down and lifted his beer.

I explained about the abduction, and rescue, but only Lena understood why I enjoyed going after Emmet so much.

"So, it's over for you?" She asked me, and I nodded.

"Well, unless you count Laric." I added, but getting to him had always been impossible, at least until now.

"I count him." Saun said as a cloud of hatred washed over his eyes.

"Aine told me Laric had your sister killed." Emmet said, as a server brought in three more plates, filled with honey glazed ribs and roasted vegetables.

Yum! My mouth was drooling.

"Yes, he did." Saun answered, "She fought the bond for as long as she could, but in the end, no one can resist it forever." He said, and I looked at Emmet, only to find him already staring at me, but I blushed and lifted my fork, "When we heard patrols were coming, Katie decided they'd leave the Lycan territories and move permanently to the witch realm, but they were ambushed along the way. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret not going with them for the journey."

"It's not your fault." Lena touched his arm.

"It's really not," I added, and started cutting up my carrots, "You would have gotten yourself and Lena killed for harbouring them, not to mention lose your pack, and Goddess only knows what trash Laric would have assigned to territory then."

Saun nodded, but I knew it didn't extinguish his guilt.

While I was talking, Emmet reached over to my plate, and put some carrots there. How had he noticed in the small amount of time we'd spent together, that I liked carrots? But I frowned when he took a rib. Oh I see how it is, it was a transaction!

"How did you all meet," He asked, as he sat back.

I smiled and Laric laughed, "She saved my life, and made me pay for it too," He complained in an amused tone.

I laughed and looked at Emmet.

"A Cyclops had come into the territory and was attacking his pack," I explained, "I was just coming back from a bounty hunt and saw him on the ground, the Cyclops was about to finish the job, so I took it down."

"And I'm beyond grateful she did," Lena smiled at me.

Alex reached over to take one of my ribs, and my hand shot out, locking around his wrist, ''Do... Not... Ever.. Touch... My.. Food.''I said slowly in warning, ''Do you hear me?''

''Yes, Luna, sorry,'' He said and pulled back, pouting, ''You let Emmet take one.''

Did I? I thought back, and remembered that I did let him take one from my plate and start eating it, and I hadn't kicked up a fuss.

''He's the exception,'' I responded, and Emmet smiled.

Saun laughed, ''I've never seen you share food before,'' He commented and leaned towards Emmet, ''Your majesty, you're lucky you didn't lose a hand. I remember when we first met, after Aine saved me from the Cyclopes, we were eating deer she caught by the fire, and when I went to take more from her plate, she warned me to leave her food, but I ignored her, and she stabbed me!''

He held up his hand where a small silver dagger scar rested on his palm.

''You actually stabbed him?'' Emmet asked me, sounding shocked.

''What?'' I shrugged and lifted another rib, ''I warned him.''

"But he was already injured from the Cyclops."

"As I said, I warned him."

''She's a greedy little thing,'' Saun said, as he placed his arm over Lena's shoulders, ''I'm surprised she's not the size of a Dragon.''

Everyone laughed as I glared at Saun, and continued eating.

"So tell me Prince Emmet," Saun said, changing the subject, "Are you really going to challenge your uncle?"

The mood of the room shifted, becoming more serious, but Emmet looked at ease.

"I am, I'm going to start building my army and I hope you can be part of it."

Saun leaned back in his chair and eyed Emmet, "I won't commit my soldiers to death for no reason, if you can build your army and prove you will be a better King than your uncle and that you actually have a chance against his army. then we'll talk. Though I must say, that if the Goddess has given a mate like Aine to you, you must have a pure heart. I'll start my soldiers training and ask for volunteers, but I won't order them to fight."

"That's all I can ask for." Emmet smiled and Lena quickly changed the subject.

After dinner, we had a few drinks while the men played darts. Emmet was actually really good.

''Did you see that?'' He nudged me, gloating about hitting the bullseye, ''Your mates pretty impressive, isn't he?''

I rolled my eyes, and put my glass down, ''I'm tired, I'm calling it a night.''

''Great, me too.'' Emmet said quickly, ''Let's go.''

As Emmet walked ahead of me with Saun, I lifted 3 darts, and threw them, each one hitting the target dead centre and splitting the previous dart in half, before I followed, smiling to myself.

Lena showed us to our rooms, putting Emmet and Alex together, while I went to my own room that bathe, but when I came out of the bathroom in my slip, and drying my hair. Emmet was in my bed.

Frowning, I tossed the towel onto a chair, "What are you doing in here?"

"Alex snores."

"No, he doesn't."

"Fine," He pouted at me like a little kid, "I wanted to sleep beside you, but I'll go if it bothers you."

He didn't make a gesture to move and I shook my head. He's such a child.

I walked over and leaned down until our lips were inches apart.

"If you're staying, then get off my side of the bed."

Emmet's eyes looked down at my Lips, "If I don't move will you sleep on top of me?"

"Sure," I said, as I slipped onto his lap under the covers, but Emmet blushed, "Your move, Alpha." I said, calling his bluff.

I could already feel him hardening beneath me, and he quickly, pushed me up and slid over to the other side.

I giggled and laid down, "Chicken." I whispered, but he growled in response.

"I'm not chicken, I just don't want to touch you in someone else's bed."

"Sure." I yawned and rolled over onto my side, and Emmet moved closer.

"Can I hold you?"

I nodded, and his hand slid over my waist, before moving to my hip, where he gently started to move his hand around that area, stroking my thigh and backside.

"What was it like growing up in the Temple?" I asked to distract myself.

Emmet smiled and shrugged, "Strict, boring, fun at times," He answered, "We'd get up, do morning prayer, clean the Temple, have breakfast, train, have lunch, doo lessons, have dinner, pray, bathe and go to bed. The only day off I had was Friday for Goddess day."

"Fun." I rolled my eyes.

"What was it like for you growing up?"

I tensed, and he saw that his question was hard for me to answer.

"You don't have to tell me."

"It was... survival," I answered anyway, trying to find the right word, "I was found by a man called Carrington. He collected children, mostly half-breeds like myself, and built a little army. We were taught to fight, to steal, to kill, and if we didn't, we didn't eat, and even then it was survival of the fittest."

"Which, I'm guessing, is why you don't share food."

I nodded, and Emmet leaned his forehead against mine.

"Thank you for sharing with me then," He said softly, "I'm sorry you grew up like that, but I swear, from this moment on, you'll always have enough to eat."

I smiled, he was clearly falling for me and hard, but I had to make sure who he was actually falling for.

I leaned back, and he stared into my eyes.

"There's something you should know before you decide to truly accept me."

"What?"

"I can't have children."

"What do you mean?"

"Elf women have a heat once a year, and I never got mine," I told him, "So, I figured my reproductive side came from my Lycan half, and as my Lycan died, I never went into heat. So I can't give you an heir. Which, as King, you need."

Emmet went quiet for a moment, before touching my cheek.

"Then we'll adopt," He told me, "And we don't know for sure that your Lycan is gone, she might just be dormant. I will find a cure for the poison my uncle gave everyone."

"So innocent," I told him, and he frowned, "She's gone and there's no bringing her back, I can feel her inside me, she there, in her void in my mind, but her body has never moved, she's dead and rotting and I'll feel her there, just outside my reach until the day I die."

"No, I refuse to believe it, I can save her."

"Enough, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

I pushed his hand away, and rolled onto my other side, but Emmet hugged me.

"Please have faith in me, I'll wake her up, I will."

I didn't respond, I just closed my eyes and tried not to let myself have hope.

Emmet was still fast asleep when I woke up. He was curled around me like an extra quilt, and I had to extract myself from his limbs, before going to shower and change.

I was glad we'd go home today, I was now out of clean clothes.

As I began to pull my hair into its usual braid, it occurred to me that I had a mate now, and Elf woman always wore their hair a certain way after finding their mate, so I did that hairstyle today, smiling as I touched the braids. This was just how my mother would wear her hair.

When I left the bathroom, Emmet was still asleep, and mumbling something about chores and that it was Alex's turn.

I laughed and shook his shoulder.

"Emmet, get up."

He groaned and rolled onto his back, "Just a few more minutes."

"Quick, get up!" I shouted urgently, "The head Priestess is coming and she's mad!"

Emmet's eyes shot open and he jumped out of bed, looking around frantically before he paused and frowned.

I doubled over laughing, "You should have seen your face."

"That's not funny!" He complained as he lifted his pillow and hit me with it. "Priestess Eva was crazy strict if you slept in!"

His words only made me laugh harder, "Just go wash up, we need to leave. I'll ask Saun for some clothes for you."

An hour later, we were saying goodbye to our friends, and we rejoined Avalon who'd been grazing in the forest.

"Time to head home, my friend." I smiled at him, before climbing onto his back.