New Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon) by SM Reine Read Free Book Online

and slabs of pork. Blood and human flesh.
    He led with his gun as he eased around the corner into the living room.
    That was where he found the werewolf.
    The body was spread-eagle in front of the fireplace. The bearskin rug underneath was ruined with his blood. Seth wouldn’t have been able to find it—he could only sense living werewolves, and this one was definitely dead. He’d probably been dead for days.
    Abel wiped the blood off of the face of the corpse using a blanket from the couch. His features were sunken and pale, but it definitely looked like the picture he had seen of Isoba. He was starting to decompose.
    “Damn,” Abel swore under his breath.
    He did a quick check for the source of the blood and found a bullet wound on his chest. Whoever killed him must have smeared it everywhere. There were red footprints on the carpet and a smear on the wall.
    Abel followed the smear into the kitchen and found something written on the counter.
    It was hard to read—finger-painting in werewolf blood wasn’t exactly the most legible way to leave a message. He squinted at it but couldn’t read past the first word: “this.”
    A silver bullet had been left on the counter, and a dried red rose. Abel pocketed them and took another look at the bloody message. When he finally made it out, a chill settled over him:
    This is for you, Rylie. Sincerely, Cain.
    The fireplace in Seth’s hotel room crackled with merry flames. Rylie crouched in front of it, warming her chilly fingers as Seth talked on the phone.
    “It’s definitely a hunter,” he said. He had called Scott Whyte after taking a shower with Rylie, and his hair was tied back with a bandana. It was also the only thing he was wearing. Orange firelight danced on his bare skin. “She was armed with silver bullets.”
    She listened carefully to pick up Scott’s end of the conversation. “ Have you found Isoba yet ?”
    “No, but Abel is looking.”
    “ Let me know as soon as you find him. I’ll book flights for all of you. We need to stay close to the sanctuaries and protect our packs. Look after Rylie .”
    “Yes, sir.”
    He set the phone down, and Rylie watched as he dressed. When had he become so confident, so self-assured? When had he become such an adult ?
    She found herself rising to her feet and rubbing her hands down his bare back, enjoying the feeling of his muscles under his skin as he zipped his jeans. He had a tattoo of the moon and a wolf’s paw on his shoulder.
    “I’m not going to get dressed very fast if you keep doing that,” Seth said.
    “I’m okay with that.” Rylie pressed her face between his shoulder blades and took a deep breath. He smelled so familiar, so warm.
    But not like pack.
    She stepped back, disappointed, and he faced her. His smile faded when he saw her expression. “You okay?”
    Levi’s mention of Alpha wolves mating almost spilled off her tongue. But she bit it back and forced herself to smile. “I’m worried about Pagan.”
    Seth pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.
    “You’re safe,” he whispered into her hair. “I promise.”
    Rylie didn’t like having to think of such dire things when she was finally with him again, after so long. She nestled her head under his chin. “I got your present.”
    “My letter?”
    “No, the box and the flower,” she said. “It was weird, but… sweet? I guess? I don’t really understand it.”
    He took her by the shoulders and held her at arm’s length, brow furrowed. “I didn’t send you a box and a flower.”
    Her stomach flipped. “But you said you had a surprise for me.”
    “That wasn’t it. What was in the box?”
    “I brought it with me. Here…” Rylie opened her carry-on bag and pulled out the present she had received at the ranch. She handed it to him.
    Seth opened it. His face darkened. “Was this all you got?”
    So it wasn’t from him. She felt like she could have thrown up. “There was also a note. It said…” She swallowed hard. “It