Hunter Moon (The Moon Series) by Jeanette Battista Read Free Book Online

the old lady made up her mind. Finn was beginning to think the arctic ice floes were going to melt and refreeze by the time she made her decision when she finally invited them inside. “I’m Finn, ma’am,” he said, as he entered the small foyer.
    “I didn’t ask,” she returned, leading the way into the house. “Audra! You got company!”
    “Be nice,” Rafe whispered, digging an elbow into Finn’s stomach.
    “I am being nice,” he countered, rubbing the spot absently. “It’s not my fault she’s an old crank.”
    The sound of uneven footsteps echoed against the tiled floors at the back of the house. Rafe gave Finn some kind of pointed look that the werewolf didn’t understand, then took a seat at the kitchen table that Ms. Colleen waved him to. Finn followed.
    A girl, probably only a little older than Finn, limped into the room. One leg was shorter than the other, explaining the limp. But her problems didn’t end there. She also had scars that swiped along her jaw and neck, disappearing underneath the collar of her t-shirt. Again, she had the supermodel looks of the other werehyenas Finn had run across, but they were overshadowed by what had been done to her.
    “Hey Audra,” Rafe said quietly.
    Audra turned stiffly to look at the two of them seated at the table. She made no move to join them, just kept standing in the doorway of the kitchen and the back hall. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice full of suspicion and not a little bit of menace.
    Rafe raised his hands. “I just came to talk, that’s all.”
    “I don’t have anything to say to you. You betrayed your own pack!” she sniffed, her flat gaze turning to Finn. “Is this one of them? One of those leopards you sucked up to and sold your pack out for?”
    “Hey now,” Finn said, looking from Rafe to Audra, “I don’t know what’s got your panties in a bun—OW!” Rafe had kicked him under the table.
    “He’s not a leopard,” Rafe interrupted. “AND, he’s not important.” Rafe sent a sideways glare in Finn’s direction. “Look Audra, I just came to see if you’d heard anything about anyone disappearing from around here. That’s all.”
    She cocked her head. “Like you care.”
    “I do. Believe it or not, I don’t want anything else to happen to the people who live here.”
    What exactly was between these two? Certainly nothing romantic, but there was a history there. One that Rafe was trying to trade on to get information. Finn nodded to himself. Maybe he’d misjudged the kid.
    Audra lowered herself carefully into a chair, wincing in pain as she awkwardly folded herself up to fit. “Still hurts like a bitch.”
    “Teresa didn’t do anything by halves,” Rafe replied.
    “Neither did your mother.” Audra’s eyes glittered in the little light that filtered in from the window. She nodded at the scars that ran down Rafe’s cheek.
    Finn stared, amazed. Teresa had been Rafe’s sister, and Samara’s second in command. He was amazed the old lady had even let them inside the house if Teresa had been involved with Audra’s scars. Finn wished he could have a talk with Rafe about what the hell was going on, but figured he would just have to wait.
    “So you hear anything?” Rafe leaned forward. “People going missing, and not like in leaving town, but missing like in gone?”
    Audra looked down at her hands. She was quiet for a few minutes, as if debating whether or not to talk to Rafe. Finn nudged the werehyena, but Rafe ignored him. When she spoke, her voice was soft and almost had a hint a vulnerability to it. “I’ve heard some things. Rumors mostly.” She looked around for her grandmother; finding her gone, she continued. “A few of the tougher hyenas that moved in after Samara left haven’t been seen around. And one of the independents hasn’t been seen in at least a week.”
    “And you’re sure they couldn’t have left town?”
    Audra shook her head, a lock of brown hair falling into her face. She