Hunter's Moon

Copyright © 2023 Jean Stokes All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Hunter’s Moon Saybrook Wolf Shifters Book 1 Jean Stokes Preface New from bestselling romance author Jean Stokes… Love and violence clash as old hatreds reemerge to challenge the future… Natalie Haynes was born to the light, but that doesn’t make her perfect. She has spent her young life straining against the rigid structure of her clan. Despite her best efforts, Natalie remained trapped and unable to move forward. Unless she finds the strength to leave her family. But for ever action, a darker reaction lies in wait. Unbeknownst to Natalie, she is already a pawn in the brewing war between light and dark. The only way out is by uniting with a natural born enemy. Marko has battled his entire life and its never enough. Now, with Natalie at his side and in secret, he sees the opportunity to finally come into his own. Fate forced them together. Their hearts kept them there. The deck is stacked them. Growing forces on both sides threaten their future, but should they win, Natalie and Marko stand to gain everything. Can their fledgling relationship last against the rising tide of opposition or are they doomed to fail and play the roles they were groomed for? Hunter’s Moon is the first book in the exciting Saybrook Wolf Shifters series. Author Note Be prepared for a standalone steamy wolf shifter romance with an independent heroine, a hunky alpha, a dash of humor, no cheating and a guaranteed happily ever after! You will love it! Steam & language alert 18+ only: I don't want your angry vigilante mama after me! If you aren’t eighteen then go read Harry Potter, mind your language and eat your broccoli! If you're looking for contemporary steamy romance with military veterans or paranormal alphas, then you've found your new favorite author! Claim Your Free Books! To get ‘Hero Of The Heart’ (Witmer Book 1) & ‘Fire Rekindled’ (Borden Falls Book 1) completely FREE instantly (both are $2.99 on Amazon!), please subscribe to my free VIP Newsletter at JeanStokes.com! Be prepared for steamy passion in small towns, smokin’ hot alphas and feisty heroines! Standalone romances with steamy scenes, a dash of humour, no cheating and a guaranteed happily ever after! You will love them! Click here to get your instant free books -> JeanStokes.com Contents Preface Author Note Claim Your Free Books! Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Claim Your Free Books! Prologue Natalie “I’m sorry, but I can’t go through with this!” I scream as I rip the wedding dress off of its hanger and throw it clear across the room. Beautiful diamond-white fabric and pearls spiral through the morning sunlight, its rays catching on each and every sparkle like the sun on morning dew. This should be the happiest day of my life. “Nat... Natalie, don’t do this, please...” My mother scrambles behind me, hands clawing for my shoulders to keep me rooted to one spot so that she can look me in the eye. But I refuse to remain. That would make me second-guess everything. My father remains by the door, as thick as a brick wall and just as imposing. His arms are folded over his chest, reminiscent of the time he used to work as a bouncer at a local club in his younger years. No one could ever get past him. I could never get anything past him as a teenager either. His expression hasn’t changed much since my initial outburst twenty minutes ago when I told them that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with this anymore. His eyes only say one thing: disappointment. I’m not surprised. He has always been a hard man to please, and he has been counting on this day, on me, to make everything better. Today should be the start of my new life. And I want no part of it. “No, Mom, I can’t do this. I can’t keep going along with this plan just because you and everyone else want me to!” I finally whirl around to face her and feel the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Dressed in just a bathrobe, I feel both physically and emotionally vulnerable. Because I don’t want them to ask why. I don’t want them to know the reason why I’m choosing to ruin their lives and the lives of everyone else still waiting out in the family living room. “And why’s that, Nat?” my father’s booming voice finally chimes in, almost as if he’s reading my mind. Sometimes, I think he actually can. I shut my eyes against the sudden tightness in my chest and feel the hot trickle of a tear down my cheek. As if things couldn’t get any worse... “Because... because I love someone else...” I try my best not to sob, afraid that there could be eavesdroppers on the other side of the door, ready to spread the news of this conversation. “Who is he?” he asks. Please. “Natalie...” I feel a tender hand on my elbow and my eyes shoot open to the sight of my mother’s weepy face, her cheeks slightly red and puffy. Her eyes are filled with all of her hopes and expectations. How things should be. But it’s not what I want for myself. Oh God. I have to tell them