Destiny: A Hunter's Novel, Book 3 Read Online Free Page B

Shadow, and found none. It didn’t mean it wasn’t hiding – I couldn’t be too careful. My life had been one long learning experience and I’d be damned if I was going to learn some lessons twice.
    But since I had no one else I could trust, I dove in head first, starting from the beginning, when my father had been taken over by the Shadow, and moving forward. Telling him everything about how I grew up and my life. The Black Shadow, Az, Anie, Cade, Fitz, Nolito, Alewar – every detail I could recall I gave him willingly. We had only paused to get our beer and food, but I continued to talk after Donovan had left us again.
    When it was all said and done it was three hours, eight beers (each), two pies and two bowls of pretzels later. I was exhausted, full and a little buzzed.
    Eight beers was nothing for a Hunter to drink. Our systems worked faster than normal humans. The only reason I had a buzz at all was because I had chugged four of the beers over the last twenty minutes of our conversation.
    I took a deep breath when I was finished and watched my Granddad’s face. He kept it carefully blank. I guessed hiding feelings ran on my mom’s side of the family. After what felt like an eternity, he turned to me.
    “I’m sorry. The last time I saw you I felt darkness around you, but I couldn’t place where or what it was. I told your Da but he cast it aside.”
    “Wasn’t me he was shadowing – it was Dad.”
    “Perhaps.”
    My Granddad was right. I didn’t know what the Black Shadow’s purpose had been in my life all those years. Was it to control the Hunters? Control me? Both? Neither?
    He ran his hands over his face then clasped them in front of his mouth. I could see he was struggling with what I’d told him.
    “Look how well you turned out. I’m surprised. And verra proud.” My Grandfather beamed at me.
    “Some kids grow up because of their parents, and some kids grow up in spite of them.”
    “Truer words were never spoken.” Donovan said from behind the bar. I jumped, grabbing my chest where my heart should have been, but since he was so damn quiet, my heart was now in my throat.
    “Jesus you giant! I need to put a bell on you,” I said.
    “Might work on him, the bell. But I doubt it.” My Granddad said, “He’s a shifter.” I turned and looked at Donovan again.
    “A Were?” I asked, dreading the prospect of having another wolf in my life.
    “No.” Donovan said. Now I was thoroughly confused. I only knew of Werewolves and Drovers being able to shift. There were myths about other shifters but none had ever been confirmed.
    “A Drover?”
    “No.”
    “A bat?”
    “No.” I figured I may as well roll with the twenty questions.
    “A bird of some sort?”
    “Nah.”
    “A snake?”
    “No.”
    “Warm blooded or cold blooded?”
    “Hot.” I could tell by the suggestion in his eyes, there was a double meaning in his answer.
    “A flying squirrel?” He just smirked at that. “A kangaroo?”
    “Nope.”
    “A kitty?”
    At that, my Granddad laughed. I then watched, wide eyed, as Donovan shifted into the biggest lion I had ever seen. I had seen Fitz shift into a wolf, it was seamless and easy, but with Donovan’s animal being a giant lion he seemed to need a few more seconds to shift.
    Of course, he was the first lion I had seen that wasn’t in a cage, but that was beside the point. He leaned his paws up against the bar, standing on his hind legs, and roared in my face.
    I stretched up, so I could reach his chin, and scratched under his chin. His fur was thick but soft. I didn’t think I could keep him, though the thought had crossed my mind. The cost of food would’ve been outrageous.
    “Awe, such a good kitty.” I said as he purred under my touch.
    My Granddad chuckled, snapping Donovan out of his happy state. He snapped his teeth at my hand and I smacked his nose. Donovan shifted back, pulling on a pair of basketball shorts he had stored behind the bar.
    “Do you bite all your