Hunter's Secret

Hunter’s POV

“Hey,” Raine whispers, placing a soft hand on my arm.

“Hey,” I reply, placing my hand over hers.

“There is someone who wanted to see you. She was awfully impatient…” Raine says, and I hear a small giggle come from behind me. I slowly move my eyes away from Cameron’s marker. He died five years ago today and this day never gets easier.

‘I love you, Locks.’

My mind-link to him will forever be met with silence but I say it every year anyway. Even if he can’t respond, maybe he can hear it. I just hope he knows how loved he still is. A gentle tug on my free hand makes me turn around. I look down and my beautiful daughter, Willa, is standing there, her arms now outstretched as she reaches up for me. I smile, and pick her up, holding her in my arms.

“Awfully impatient…hmm?” I ask, tickling the little girl in my arms. Her shrieks of laughter float up to my ears, making both Raine and I smile.

“Daddy! No tickles!” Willa says in between bouts of laughter. I stop my tickling assault on her and look at her. Her green eyes are an exact mirror of mine but unlike myself or Raine, she has beautiful honey blonde hair.

She places her little hands on my cheeks before giving me a little kiss and snuggling her head into my neck.

“What’s wrong, Bug?” I ask my adorably cute daughter.

“I needs a hug from you,” she responds, moving her little arms so they are around my neck.

“I like your hugs,” I reply, rubbing her back. I look over at Raine who is focused on Cameron’s marker now.

‘You okay?’ I ask Raine over mind-link.

‘Yes. I am also missing him today and it is hard to keep a rambunctious three-year-old occupied long enough for me to even feel sad.’

‘She’s the cutest little rambunctious three-year-old I ever did see though,’ I respond, smiling down at the little girl in my arms, who is still hugging my neck.

‘It’s a good thing too. I love her but man she wears me out.’

‘Well, you look as beautiful as ever.’

‘You are a flirt,’ she says, amusement in her tone.

‘But you love me for it.’

‘I do.’

She walks over to me, and I shift Willa so I can pull Raine in for a hug. She curled into my side, tilting her head up at me. I bent down to quickly kiss her and Willa squirmed in my arms, protesting at my display of my love for her mother. My ears catch the sound of small footsteps barreling toward the three of us and I lift my head only to see two curly headed children appear over the hill.

An exasperated Emma appeared behind them, offering a small wave to Raine and I. Willa squirms in my arms, and I set her down. She stood at bottom of the hill, hands on her little hips as she frowned at the incoming boy.

“She is definitely your daughter,” I tell Raine, and she shakes her head in amusement at me.

CJ reached Willa and launched himself at her, the two of them rolling on the ground as they wrestled. Despite her small three-year-old self, she easily overtook his five-year old body, pinning him to the ground.

“And that,” Raine gestures to the continued wrestling in the grass, “is definitely your daughter.”

We both laugh as Emma and Meredith reach us. Meredith has her curly brown hair tucked behind her ears as she warily watches her brother and my daughter play in the grass. She goes to sit down at a safe distance, of course, and twirls some blades of grass around her fingers. Her blue eyes track every movement her brother and Willa make. Her quiet nature seems to calm the other two down and they break for a moment to come and sit next to her.

I look at Emma next, her focus also on her children in the grass. Despite the tiredness on her face, the light that used to shine in her eyes has started to come back and the air of brokenness that used to surround her has started to retreat. She looks…better. More like herself, even on a day like today. Her eyes flicker for a second to mine and she gives me a small smile which I happily return. She moves a little closer to me and I pull her in for a side hug while we watch our children. No words are exchanged; they aren’t necessary. I know what she is thinking, and I know what she is feeling; Cameron isn’t here.

The three kids giggle about something, and Meredith stands up and shyly walks up to me.

“Uncle Hunter, can we please play with River?” her little voice asks me as she looks up with puppy-dog eyes. I glance down at her mother who shrugs her shoulders and laughs. I feel Raine poke my in the side, encouraging me to fulfill Meredith’s request.

‘You up for some more playtime, River?’ I ask him and he only huffs in response.

“Sorry, Meredith. River is feeling grumpy today. Maybe he needs a nap,” I tease River and he huffs again, more forcefully than the last time.

She sighs but nods her head and walks back over to the other two. I see Willa’s head pop up when she hears the information and she gets up, walking up to me. CJ trails behind her.

“Daddy….puh-lease?” She asks, jutting her bottom lip out and blinking up at me. I crouch down in front of her and she taps my nose, just like her mom does. I shake my head, knowing full well that as much as River and I love Raine, we might just love this little girl more.

I move out from between Raine and Emma, over the side and with the sounds of little cheers coming from the three kids, I shift into River. He obediently lays down, resting his head on his paws as the three come running over to him. He glances at Raine who just brightly smiles before turning her attention to Emma.

Raine’s POV

“How are you doing?” I asked Emma, turning my attention away from our joyfully shrieking children.

“I am okay. Ryan and Emery have been a huge help so far. But they are grandparents, they aren’t supposed to be raising children again. And as much as I know they love my two little terrors; they don’t have the energy to keep up with them all day every day.”

“I only have one and she is a constant non-stop flow of energy all day. I was trying to keep her occupied while Hunter came to pay his respects and nothing, I mean nothing, I did seemed to satisfy her. All she wanted was a hug from her dad.”

“I know that feeling all too well,” Emma says, a flash of sadness crossing her face, disappearing as fast as it came and she continues, “He is good with them, you know?”

I look back to where our children are currently climbing all over River who is patiently laying in the grass.

“Which one? Hunter or River?”

“Both,” Emma replies and we both let out a small laugh before we both take in the view before us.

Meredith is sitting on River’s shoulders, after she was boosted up by CJ and she is playing with the fur on the outside of his ears. He keeps flickering his ears away in annoyance but does not make any move to get her down. CJ is chasing River’s tail as River continues to move it side to side, occasionally brushing across CJ’s skin, making him explode into fits of laughter.

And Willa is sitting on the ground, right in front of his face, gently petting his nose. Even from the side, I can see the love that River has for his little pup. He will always be a fierce protector of her, just like he is with me and that is just how it should be.

“He really is. He loves being a dad. And I love his love, not just for Willa but you and CJ and Meredith too. Anytime you need a break, just let us know. We are happy to take your kiddos for as long as you need us too.”

“Thank you, Raine. You are the sister I never had, and the friend I always needed. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. For everything.”

“I feel the same way. Even though I know we didn’t *exactly* get along when we first met, I am glad we are friends now.”

Emma chuckles at my statement and I laugh too. The sound catches River’s attention, and he looks in my direction, checking just to be sure I am okay. I give him a nod and he turns back to our daughter, licking her face.

“I hope she takes after them more than she does me. Hunter doesn’t have to tell me for me to know that River gets lonely sometimes,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice down so they don’t hear.

“So does Amira. She misses Xavier as much as I miss Cameron. We go on walks with Ryan’s wolf sometimes, but it is not the same. And that is okay, it is just something I am still having to work through,” Emma whispers back and I pull her into a hug.

“We are here for you. Anytime,” I whisper into her ear.

She pulls back and looks over my shoulder, pointing, “Uh oh. It looks like your wolf is begging for your help.”

I turn around and sure enough, River is practically pleading with his eyes to come help. All three kids are tickling his feet, and I can tell his patience is wearing thin. Emma and I both walk over to River, calling our kids off of him. He sends me a thankful look, standing up now that the kids are away from him. He shakes his entire body before trotting the few steps to me. I tousle the fur on his head and Hunter shifts back, my hand now in his hair as he bows to me.

I move my hand to his neck, and he stands up, pulling me in for a searing kiss. A chorus of ‘ewwww’ rings out from all three children and Hunter dips me in response, never taking his lips off mine. His strong hands against my back send toe-curling sparks through my body. We stand back up and I look at him in slight confusion.

‘What was that for?’ I ask him over mind-link.

‘Do I need a reason to kiss you?’

’No,’ I reply, ‘Just curious.’

‘I missed you. That’s all.’

I smile at him, and he beams at me before placing another, gentler, kiss on my lips. Willa tugs on my hand and I look down at her and she reaches up for me, so I pick her up and then she reaches for Hunter, so I pass her to him. He swings her up onto his shoulders and she places her hands on his forehead for balance. CJ and Meredith run to him too, and CJ clings to a leg while Meredith clings to his arm. Hunter lifts his arm, sending Meredith into a fit of giggles. He laughs too and dramatically starts walking to the house, making the CJ-shaped leech attached to his leg giggle as well. Emma and I link arms as we follow behind Hunter, smiling as we watch him treat the children with such careful consideration.

My husband, Alpha, and mate is the best person I know. Him coming into my life has been the craziest and most perfect thing all at the same time. Seeing our daughter laugh on his shoulders has completed my life in a way I didn’t even know was possible. I want her to stay little forever but at the same time, I just have a feeling she was made for greatness. I guess we will just have to see what fate has in store for her.