But Michael had turned to her, his eyes hard. “There’s nothing there for you. Don’t come back. France is your home, not America.”
Vicious tears had welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. “Fine,” she’d whispered, her voice raw with undiluted pain. “I know where I’m not wanted.”
Draining his glass, Michael had slammed it on the bar, causing others to turn their heads, but neither he nor Luna paid them any attention. Their eyes remained locked on each other. “It’s not about being wanted or not wanted. It’s about what’s best for you. And that’s here. Get your education, grow up, do something you love. There’s nothing in America for you.” With that, Michael had stormed upstairs to his room.
Luna could still feel the sorrow crushing her heart in its vice-like grip even ten years later. She couldn’t remember the taxi ride back to school. For the next six weeks, she’d refused to talk to her brother before she finally relented.
But it had been the last time she’d begged to go home. Oh, she’d thought about it, time and time again. She’d made plans and then dropped the idea at the very last minute. Once, she’d even booked a flight but cancelled it the next day. Michael had been right; nothing waited for her in America. Instead, she’d graduated and applied for dual nationality.
She’d lived with the pain, lived with not being wanted by her family. But now she knew the truth.
She had been wanted after all.
Would it have been easier to know everything years ago? Luna couldn’t come up with an answer.
Michael’s voice brought her back to the present. “Mike’s good with research. I’ll see if he knows anything more about the situation with the Crescent Moon pack.”
Luna lifted her head and offered him a tired smile. “I think our first priority should be trying to find this artefact Lyulf wants.”
Reluctance spilled across Michael’s face. “Yeah, but I haven’t got a clue what this artefact is or where to start looking for it.”
Luna glanced around the study. The light had died, and the sky glimmered in hues of reds and golds as the sun set. Whatever this thing Lyulf wanted, he thought they had it. An idea sprang to mind. “What about the safe? Could it be in there?”
Rising to his feet, Michael strode over to the safe. He twisted the dial and a few seconds later, they heard the tell-tell sound of a click. “Dad gave me the combination when I took over as beta from Jerry six years ago,” he explained, pulling the door open.
Getting up off the floor, Luna glanced over her brother’s shoulder. Nothing screamed magical artefact or seemed anything extraordinary. Instead, she saw two leather-bound journals, the pages threatening to spill out with age and wear. Then a glint of silver from the back caught both their eyes.
Frowning, Michael reached in and pulled out a small key, the metal dull with years of handling.
The shrill of the phone caused them both to jump. Michael pulled out his phone from his jeans, his face breaking out into the biggest grin when he glanced at the screen. He quickly handed her the key and answered the call.
The only time he ever smiles like that is when he’s talking to a girl he wants to sleep with, she thought, shaking her head.
As Michael chatted softly on the phone, Luna turned her attention back to the key. Questions danced within her head. What does it open? It had to be something important, otherwise why would her father keep it in the safe? Its heaviness suggested considerable age, its size that it opened something small, like a jewellery box.
A soft chuckle caught her attention. She spun around to see Michael’s face split in a massive grin, his eyes lit up. “Sis, that was Misty, one of my pack. She’s offered to nurse me back to health. After all, an alpha should be looked after properly,” he told her, his tone laced with excitement. “Can you start searching and I’ll help you in a bit? After I’ve had a bit, of course.”
Luna stared at her brother, disgust etching across her face. “You’ve been in a car crash, attacked by a wingless fairy, we have some kind of artefact to find, not to mention there’s a creature in the woods that looks like it’s a horror movie reject, and I’ve been ambushed by a flock of crazy birds, but you want to go out and get laid?” The words tumbled out in a breathless rush. She threw her hands up in despair. “Are you sure I’m not adopted?”
Michael just laughed at her. “Don’t be such a prude. Besides, Misty is hot. She transferred here from another pack back west a few months ago and she’s been trying to get in my bed since then. I think I’ll finally let her take my pulse and see if she can do something to my temperature.” He wiggled his eyebrows and up and down suggestively, causing Luna to roll back her eyes at him.
“Fine, fine. Go, you pervert,” she told him. “But it’s already getting dark and we don’t have long until our twenty-four hours are up.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long. A few hours and I’ll be back.” Planting a quick kiss on her cheek, Michael rushed out the door, his motions less stiff than before.
Great. He gets sex and I get to do all the hard work.
But where the hell did she start? The key had to open something important. Luna headed towards the desk. Perhaps she’d find more information or, better still, the box which it opened.
The trill of her phone stopped her before she could pull open the first drawer. A quick glance at the screen showed a familiar number.
“Salut,” she said.
“Luna, my little love, I have the information you seek, but there is a price you must pay.”
“Oh?” she asked, slipping the key into her jeans pocket.
“Yes. You must let me take you to dinner when you return, otherwise I shall not give it to you.”
A warm smile spread across her face, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “I think that’s a price I can just about afford. What did you find out?”
For a moment, Luna thought the connection dropped as silence stretched between them but then Pierre’s honeyed tones came down the line. “I spoke to Adam as soon as we hung up and he is shocked that there is a painting of Lyulf. He is an early character in Celtic mythology, ancient, even by ancient standards, although not well known.”
“Really?” Luna asked, sitting down. Trepidation snaked through her.
“Legends tell that Lyulf was the grandson of the creator goddess, Eiocha, who fashioned both humans and giants from the bark of a tree. The humans worshipped the gods, who would then reward them for their devotion. Sometimes it was a bountiful harvest; sometimes it was an enchanted weapon, or even being granted their blessing when clans went to war.
“Thousands of years ago, long before the birth of Christ, the king of one clan wanted to go to war and asked for the god’s blessing. They refused and he became angry with them. He ordered his men ready and marched toward the enemy’s lands. The two clans fought each other, soaking the land in the blood. Eventually, the king faced his enemy and they fought with each other. The fight went on for a long time, with neither king overcoming the other. After so long, exhaustion had weakened the enemy and the king plunged a dagger in his stomach, before ripping his throat out with his teeth.
“The battle was over, but the loss of life had been great. The gods mourned for the amount of blood spilled and so Eiocha went to the king, demanding that he make amends for his savagery. But he refused to do so. In anger, Eiocha transformed him into a wolf. She told him he could transform back into a human only when he had performed enough good deeds.
“No one knows exactly what happened next or what deeds he performed, but after seven years the goddess returned and partially removed the curse. He continued to transform into a wolf on the nights of the full moon. The king married and had children, with the eldest child sharing in his father’s abilities.”
Luna gasped. “The first werewolves.”
“That’s right. The dagger he’d used to kill his enemy with became full of power and quickly grew into a symbol of what he’d turned into. Eventually, werewolf packs stretched throughout I
reland and Britain. They possessed great magic and strength, often helping the gods and the fae with tasks. But one fae wanted the magic of the werewolves for himself, so that he could rule over the land and the humans without the interference of his brethren.”
“Lyulf,” Luna breathed. That white-robed man in the woods, he really is what he claims.
“Oui. Lyulf ordered the werewolves to submit to him. With the power of the werewolf king, the alpha, he could control the wolves. Somehow, he managed to possess the dagger, and the wolves had no choice but to obey him. Blood drenched the land, the rivers ran red, and the human population dwindled dramatically. His wife, Halfryta, betrayed him and convinced the other fae to stop him before he killed the entire world. A trap was set, Lyulf was captured, and his powers imprisoned within him since they were unable to remove those powers. Lyulf was banished and never heard from again.
“The first werewolf king died soon afterwards, but not before he entrusted his son with the task of hiding the dagger from potential danger. There was always the possibility that Lyulf, or another like him, would return and steal the magic for themselves. Agreeing, his son took it and it was never seen again, preventing another blood bath.”
Pierre paused. “The wolves fled in all directions across the world. Stories are found throughout Europe of humans being able to transform into wolves under the full moon. There are even some that tell of a tall, silver-haired man searching for something that will make him strong once more. Adam tells me the last time Lyulf was painted was in fifteenth century Russia. He wishes to see this painting of yours, Luna. He would like to see your Lyulf.”
Fifteen
Fifteen minutes after hanging up with promises of speaking soon, Pierre’s words still swirled around Luna’s head like a fog she couldn’t escape from. She’d attempted to sound normal as much as she could, but she didn’t think Pierre would buy the act. Yet she couldn’t force herself to dwell on it right then.
There were other things worth worrying about.
Like stopping this creature from harnessing the power of the werewolves to take over the world.
Could such things even be possible?
Luna sighed. Anything seemed feasible right then. How could it not be with her brother being a werewolf as a fae roamed her family’s property looking for something he thought belonged to him.
Something that would make him strong enough to enslave werewolves and humans alike.
Her brow creased into deep lines. The dagger – was that the artefact he was after? But why would he think her family possessed it?
“More to the point,” she whispered to herself, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes. “Where is it now?”
“Where is what?”
Luna jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. Her hand clutched at her chest as adrenaline rushed through her. She twirled around, fixing Chase with a piercing look. How long had he been standing there for? “For crying out loud, I’m going to put a bell around your neck or something. Why do you have to be so quiet?”
Chase leaned against the doorway, a smirk stretched across his face. “Did I make your heart go bump, princess?” The smirk faded and his eyes narrowed. “What are you talking to yourself about?”
Luna quickly recounted Pierre’s words and what they’d found in the safe. Chase’s eyes darkened and his jaw hardened, but he remained quiet until she finished. “So Lyulf is a fairy with a god complex and wants to steal our power to take over the world. Is that right?”
Luna shrugged her shoulders. Exhaustion washed over her. “That’s what Adam told Pierre. Adam loves anything to do with the supernatural. He’s like a walking encyclopaedia on the subject, but he seems to prefer vampires.”
“And what do you prefer, princess?”
Luna’s head snapped up at the question. Dark and hungry, Chase’s eyes stared back at her with an intensity that penetrated straight into her soul. The heat which had seared her earlier now simmered to life. “I don’t know,” she whispered, the words coming out huskier than she had intended.
Soft footsteps sounded in her ears and then suddenly he was in front of her. The scent of pine swirled on the air. Gentle fingers cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
Why does his lips have to look so damn tempting?
Chase brought his face closer, his mouth mere millimetres from hers. His lips were just the right size to sink one’s teeth into. “I’d prefer it if you weren’t here, princess. It’s too dangerous and you’re far too fragile for this life. People get killed all the damn time.” A groan slipped out of his mouth. “You’re human, Luna. You shouldn’t be able to tempt me like this. I’m the big bad wolf, the stuff of legends, and yet you’ve bewitched me.” His thumb trailed over her bottom lip, a caress as soft as silk. “Why do you have this power?”
Luna tried to swallow her heart back into her throat. Any breath contained in her lungs evaporated, her body immobilised by his words. Time stood still as she stared back, endless moments just watching each other.
Chocolate eyes saturated with naked passion seared her. Tiny amber flecks peeked through. His wolf lay behind them. The realisation sent shivers along her skin, but not of fear.
A second later, those lips descended onto hers.
Chase groaned against her mouth, his tongue seeking hers. This time there was no hesitation. Luna wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed him inside. His hands slid down her sides, settling on her hips, drawing her body closer. Luna melted against the heat of his mouth, exploring and savouring his taste.
Logic dissipated. Sensation conquered.
Bunching Chase’s t-shirt in her fist, every inch of her ached to touch that golden skin. She could barely breathe against the need. Sensing it, Chase removed his mouth and pulled the black material over his head, revealing a tightly corded chest. It took everything she had not to drool over it. Tracing her fingers over those sculptured abs, she savoured the warmth rising from it. Hard muscles lay beneath soft smooth skin, and the urge to trace them with her tongue consumed her.
When her fingers rose higher and brushed against a nipple, Chase let out a groan and reached for them hem of her tank top. He lifted it above her head, quickly discarding it to one side. Pulling her closer, his mouth trailed down the side of her neck and collarbone as his fingers worked on the clasp of her bra.
Breasts now exposed, Chase lowered his head, peppering the creamy mounds with soft kisses before finally taking a pale pink nipple into his mouth.
A rush of pleasure jolted her, fierce and searing. Each tug by his mouth caused her core to twist, as if his tongue had a direct link to her groin. Fire charged in her veins, the sensations leaving her breathless and eager for more.
A groan slipped from Luna’s mouth as he released her nipples. Chase dropped to his knees, kissing his way down the flat expanse of her stomach, flicking the button of her jeans as he pulled them down. His fingers soon made quick work of her underwear and within seconds, Luna’s entire body was naked. Chase’s hands spread her thighs as he planted a line of scorching kisses up them, right to that sweet spot she ached for him to explore.
Her hips buckled as his mouth closed around her core and a cry escaped from her throat. Clutching his hair, Luna gave into the sensations he created. Fire streaked along her veins with each flick of his tongue, fireworks dancing behind her closed eyes. He rolled that tender ball of nerves around his mouth, gentle sucks that morphed into harder nips causing her to cry out. Luna gripped his hair so tight she thought she’d pull it all out. Between her thighs, the throbbing need drowned out all rational thought.
Chase’s tongue continued its magic and the waves of pleasure intensified to soaring peaks. On the crest of that final wave, Chase pulled away. Luna cried out, her body aching to crash into ultimate pleasure. She glanced down, her breathing heavy, to see him smiling with satisfaction at what he could do to her. The bastard had deliberately stopped just before she fell over the edge. Within seconds he was naked, his clothes a discard
ed pile next to hers.
“Is this what you want, princess? If not, tell me now because this is the point of no return.” His voice was low and thick with a hunger that matched her own.
Luna swept her gaze over his body, his cock thick, hard, and long. Need swelled within her. She glanced up and met his eyes. “Yes. I want this.”
Chase’s hands reached for her waist, lifting her off the ground and setting her on the edge of her desk. Luna spread her thighs, and he moved forward, his member positioned at her entrance. With a deep groan, Chase thrust inside her.
Gripping his shoulders, Luna arched her back and gasped. The scorching heat of him seeped into every pore with every plunge. Chase lowered his head, claimed her mouth, and devoured her completely. The taste of wild herbs grown in the deepest part of the forest drizzled with honey filled her senses. His flavour and the pressure of his mouth was exquisite.
Tearing his mouth from her, Chase stared down at her, his eyes shining like molten jewels. His thrusts grew harder, settling into a fast rhythm that stole her breath and sanity. Moans swirled on the air, but she lacked the ability to distinguish who they belonged to. She cried out as Chase drove inside her, harder, deeper, the top of his cock reaching the end of her channel, filling her with that exquisite sensation of pleasure bordering on pain.
Still connected, Chase lifted her from the desk and laid her on the floor. Luna wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and urged him back within. Chase plunged himself into her, as if he couldn’t get enough. Every ounce of air faded from her body as he filled her once again, inch by delicious inch. He sank into her harder than before. Luna arched backwards, crying out with the sensations that seared every part of her body.
Waves of pleasure built up, scorching the ends of every nerve, and with one last thrust, sent her cascading over the edge. Screams of intense pleasure ripped from her mouth and Chase shuddered in her arms as his own release exploded from his body. Heavy breaths echoed within their ears.
House of Wolves (Silver Moon Series Book 1) Page 13
