Page 116 of The Fated Hunter Wolf

“Fuck.” I spat the taste away and forced my feet to move. The walk home was long and my head too clear. I was struggling even to hold a buzz these days.

The keys bit into my palm as I fumbled to get the right one. This mind-fuck of a memory was getting to me. There had to be people out there somewhere. A family. But damned if I knew where they were or why we weren't together anymore. The questions circled like buzzards, picking at the rotted carcass of my past.

There had to be more than this. More than neon and shadows and gut-rot whiskey. I could almost hear the words, calling me home.

And her.

In every dream, it was her. Dark hair, eyes sharp enough to cut through bone. Wild, untamed. She haunted every blink, promising I’d be whole again. She’d find my missing pieces and stitch me together with those clever hands, that sinful mouth?—

The door creaked open.

“About fucking time,” came a voice from inside.

I hadn’t even crossed the threshold when two small arms and a head of messy curls latched onto my legs. "Daddy's home!"

I scooped her up, buried my nose in her hair, and inhaled deeply, wholly sober. Beneath the bubblegum toothpaste was a scent that lit up every instinct I had. It was well past bedtime, and her weight went slack in my arms as sleep settled over her.

A breeze blew in, and for a second, I swore I caught a different scent. Of her, the dream woman. But I blinked hard, and it was gone.

I held on tight to my little girl instead.

"That’s right. Daddy's home," I said into her hair, the words thick in my throat. For a second, the ache in my chest eased. It was replaced by something primal and fierce and ready to raise hell to keep her safe.

This was it. My life. The only one I got. And no amount of wishing for greener forests would change that.

So I pushed the ghosts down, locked them away, and carried my daughter inside.

I hope you enjoyed reading Rhys and Sable’s story. It’s not over for the Shadow Moon Shifters! The series continues withThe Lost Wolf Guardian…

If you want to know when The Lost Wolf Guardian is coming out, join Harley’s Den for early access, or follow her on Amazon (click +FOLLOW by her name).

I built a life out of ashes for my little girl. Then the woman who lit the fire came back.

I thought I knew who I was—a father, a protector, a man with whiskey in his veins and a void in his heart. Then she walked in and changed everything.

Hair wild as a storm, tongue so sharp it’s a miracle she’s made it this long. She looks at me like she knows every secret I've ever buried, every sin I've ever committed.

And when she tells me I'm not who I think I am, I almost believe her.

Almost.

I've got a daughter to protect, and a life to keep from shattering. I can't afford to chase ghosts from a past I don't remember. Even if a voice inside me insists that Kenza is my destiny.

Except the shadows are gathering, ancient and hungry, and they’ve followed Kenza right to us. My daughter and I are caught in a curse that won't stop until it's devoured us whole.

I'd walk through hell to keep my little girl safe. But the secrets that could save us are tangled up in the one thing I can’t face—the woman who broke my life before I ever knew her.

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