Marked By The Alpha (Blood Moon Book 1)

by Natalie Aejaz

  JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, SHAUN ARRIVED at the place—a mini pleasure city, the local media called it. Tall walls ran around the venue, with gates granting entrance to various zones. He drove alongside the wall until he reached the large gates that opened onto Oasis. Inside the gates, he stepped out of the Porsche and then handed his keys to a waiting uniformed valet, along with some cash. He didn’t bother checking the denomination. Typical valet, the attendant was sycophantic, nodding as if he planned to knock his own head off his shoulders. Shaun kept his eyes on his vehicle as the guy drove it away, for long enough to know he wouldn’t smash it into something.

  The bloody queue stretched from the gate to the entrance and confirmed what he suspected. Anyone worth fucking was inside the club and only the bottom of the barrel was left out here. The clubbers, mostly mortal, shrieked as if they’d never been to an upmarket venue. Beer cans, pills and smokes exchanged hands as they waited. Many of them might as well call it a night and head home, because there was no way they’d get in with their desperate body language, bad hairdos and clothing bought off the rack. As a VIP member, there was no need for Shaun to wait, but as he walked past the queue, a human stepped in front of him and he bumped into her. Damn idiot.

  “I’m sorry—” She didn’t finish her apology, turning and then staring at him like a dumbass, all brown eyes and dark hair that curled and fell to her waist. She blinked, and her breath quickened as she ran her gaze over his shirt and fitted jeans, coming back up to land on his huge biceps, visible under the jacket.

  Did she really think he might be interested in someone as mousy as her?

  She took a step back, her brow furrowed and eyes wide. That dull pressure in his head told him that his eyes had flashed amber. She was with a group of women, and they giggled and whispered behind their hands like idiots, finding the light fascinating, but her face paled. Her first time here? Would explain why she stood out…for all the wrong reasons. She was lucky she was plain and so poorly dressed that there was no danger of any supernatural convincing her into an experience that might catapult her into some form of PTSD. If she was fortunate, she’d end up with a befuddled human.

  Gods, please let there be something better than her inside.

  He didn’t miss the envious glances of other customers as he sauntered toward the club entrance. The guards, tall and bulky in their black uniforms, acknowledged him with a nod before one of them hit the security panel at the side of the doors to open them. As he entered the premises, there was a loud beep, followed by a flash, indicating he had been scanned. The scanners didn’t only check for hidden weapons, drugs and the like; they also ensured that clubgoers were clean of any STDs and had taken a contraceptive implant that covered them for at least 24 hours. The scanners were active at various points throughout the zones, and few customers tried to elude the rules, because it could result in a lifetime ban.

  A VIP member, Shaun didn’t purchase tickets; the workers behind the ticket counter, a cute little witch and a dragon shifter, did not even blink as he walked past them and into the dark and moody corridor, lit with a few LED glows. How the hell did mortals, with their inferior sight, not break a bone or two before they got inside? By the time he entered Oasis through an upper landing, loud noise, music and the scent of raging hormones rushed around the place. Beneath this landing was another that stretched around the space, lined with bars and restaurants. Below, the three dance floors—two suspended and one on the ground floor—were packed, bodies writhing and slithering against each other. The zone was so massive that it would take anyone the best part of a night to navigate it. The mood was of downright fun and debauchery, emphasized by the moans and gasps that were blasted over the crowd with the EDM. There were three DJs on the suspended stages attached to the walls—one of them controlled the main track, the second provided backup with drum beats created on the spot, and the third DJ did little more than bang his head on the rail that prevented him from falling from the stage and onto the dance floor below.

  Eclipse…it was where he had started out in Manhattan, and since he first arrived here, the club just kept expanding. There were now over thirty zones in the club complex. Alongside some of Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurants were lounge bars for the more conservative. The adventurous customers could spend days on end in pleasure zones reserved for only sex—and where orgies took place on special occasions. There were also the private suites set up according to individuals’ requirements as well as bars where the most beautiful men and women danced and did God knew what else for the right amount.

  His gaze automatically searched for Blade and the other partners—a group of supernaturals who owned the club and were good friends of his—but no luck. No idea which zones they were in, and as it was a full moon, they would be busy as hell. In any case, he was not here for them. Not tonight. Using his shifter instinct, he narrowed his eyes and scanned the zone for potential. But barring a few non-starters, the venue was packed with couples and groups. Shit. Nearly everyone had hooked up—apparently he was not the only one in need of a full moon fucking—and that raised the tension a few notches. The club’s hookup app it was. He opened the Hooked software on his mobile and then clicked on the supernaturals tab to check who was still available. What the hell? Nobody was, because damn it, the full moon was a time they got into full-on party mode. And the shifters’ diaries filled up first, because his species could fuck long and hard during this period, and the supernaturals after a rough experience got in there straight away.

  His shifter senses were suddenly on alert. The cat he had wanted to meet was here on the dance floor, pressed between two male shifters and a female, their hands and bodies all over the place as they dry humped whatever part of each other’s limbs they could. He would have joined their party but his damn ego wouldn’t allow it, not after she sent him that message. He glanced at his phone instead. A fae, blond hair and blue eyes, popped up as available, but before he hit the button to send her a request, her image faded. One hell of a fast match. He swiped the screen, but every supernatural who appeared as available disappeared as suddenly. If he wanted to get laid tonight, he might have to settle for a damn human. It would not be his first time hooking up with one, but he had hoped for some supernatural action so his wolf could go out of control.

  What a waste of a bloody full moon.

  He adjusted the settings on Hooked so it switched to the available humans. What the hell was going on? Many of them had hooked up, too. Quite a turnaround in attitude from when the idea of supernaturals scared the shit out of mortals. A few years later, and mortals flocked to this club to get their taste of the supernatural, and judging by the low availability on the app tonight, humans were also getting into the full moon vibe. Had he left it too late? His phone vibrated, and a request came through from a human female called Angie, a few years younger than him at twenty-eight. At this point, he didn’t give a damn and accepted without clicking on her image. One good fuck was usually enough for him, and during a full moon, a couple of times did the trick. He had booked the room for the whole night but as usual, he would get out of there once he was done.

  CHAPTER TWO

  * * *

  INSIDE THE HOTEL, SHAUN GRABBED a key from the uniformed staff at the ornate reception area, all red walls and comfy sofas. He got rid of the assistant who tried to guide him to the room—he’d been in here often enough to know his way around with his eyes glued shut. The app had already sent the human an update, telling her where to meet him.

  He opened the door to the luxurious room. A gigantic bed with silk sheets dominated it. Large LED screen, laptop, hairdryer—you name it and they’d thought of it. The attached bathroom boasted of a huge bathtub and a cubicle fitted with three shower heads. Some customers went for the more intense experiences and booked special rooms with restraints and BDSM equipment, but he was never inclined toward that direction. He shoved his jacket in the oak wardrobe and then threw his body on the comfortable bed, resisting the urge to l
ie back to take a much needed rest as he waited.

  What would she be like?

  When the door opened, he snapped his head around.

  What the fuck?

  It was the human from the queue—the mousy one. Hell, no. She closed the door and then paused before it, lips trembling and eyes wide, as if she did not know what to do next. Her jacket was over her arm, and she had dressed as if she was at a damn office, in a red fitted blouse and black pants. That curly hair was as much of a mess as it had been when he saw her outside. Couldn’t be bothered to run a comb through it? If possible, she was less exciting than she had appeared in the queue. He ran his gaze over her, trying to feel something. Her brown eyes were large and almond-shaped, and although her face would not stand out in a crowd, she had even features. She was pretty, at a push. But still nothing. She just stood there, staring at him without saying a word, and her nerves did not help matters. If she planned to play the demure maiden, what the hell was she doing at a club like this?

  “Relax,” he said, but at the sound of his voice, she backed up against the door. For fuck’s sake. He avoided eye contact with her, taking in the coffee maker and wide-screen television as if he had never been inside one of these rooms. “I won’t bite.”

  “I’ve heard that you guys do bite, when you—” She struggled with her words, staring at the carpet.

  It was supposed to be a bloody joke. “I definitely won’t bite you.” His kind did bite during sex, but only when they wanted to mark someone as their own, so it would keep other shifters away. In her case, no chance.

  She clutched her hands together, her voice soft. “Sorry. It’s my first time—”

  “You’re not a fucking virgin, are you?”

  Her cheeks flushed pink, an unexpectedly cute look on her. “No, I don’t mean that. I have…lots of times…” She was so flustered, she was making him nervous. Could tonight get any worse? “I mean, I’ve never had a one-night stand before. And I’ve never, you know—”

  “Fucked a shifter?”

  She swallowed. “My friends said that your kind, when you get excited, you show your claws and fangs?”

  “It’s the first part of the change.”

  “The change? That’s when you guys become beasts?” Was she here to fuck or get a lesson on shifter behavior? “I’ve looked it up on the internet. You turn—”

  The good old internet. If he had a dollar for every shifter-bashing article that appeared on those anti-supernatural sites…“Yes, we take our full beast forms but never in front of humans.” He allowed his wolf out to run a set number of times a month. Apart from that, he kept a tight rein on the beast, and the only time it overcame him was the rare occasion when his anger was uncontrollable. The beast’s rage, his kind called it.

  “But I’ve heard that shifters can also sprout fangs and claws while they, you know—”

  Seriously, if she was so shit-scared of his kind, what the fuck was she doing here? Typical human, couldn’t help but come to take a look at the beast. Would probably make a social media post about it tomorrow, about how close she’d gotten to a shifter and survived. “Yes, our beasts do partially emerge during sex sometimes.” But only when with a particularly good lay. “Believe me, there’s no danger of the claws or fangs coming out around you.”

  “Well, if you’re sure.” She gulped, staring at the carpet again. “When you showed up on Hooked, my friends…they egged me on and, well, here I am.”

  There was no way he would stick around to struggle with this weeping willow. “I don’t think this will work.” Her eyes grew even wider, emotion toying with that lovely color. “How about you order yourself dinner on me—the room service is great here. I have to get going.” He sure as hell would not waste his time hanging out and having dinner with her, making empty conversation when there was no promise of dessert at the end. She could spend the night here if she wanted or piss off somewhere. It made no difference to him.

  He got up to grab his jacket from the wardrobe before approaching the door. How could he have been stupid enough to accept her request without checking who it was from? As he reached past her to the door handle, he caught a whiff of vanilla scent. His wolf approved, but he ignored it.

  She placed her hand on his arm. “Please don’t go. I—I want to try this—”

  He sighed, turning to her. “Look, I said I’m not up for it—”

  But her lips landed on his, sending a jolt to his libido. The human…knew how to kiss. Her breathing was shallow as she pressed her body against his. Her sweet scent hung around him, titillating. He moved his mouth away, separating her from him. Those pretty eyes of hers had darkened, hinting that she wanted him, but there was still hesitation there. He should walk out right about now. Instead, he brought his lips back on hers. Damn, but she tasted good. He ran his tongue along her plump lower lip. When she moaned, soft, he ached to be inside her.

  Where the hell did this reaction come from?

  Who the fuck cared? He pressed her against the wall and then trailed his fingers through her hair, twisting it into a knot around his hand, lifting her mouth for a deeper kiss. His other hand went to her waist to bring her body back to meet his. She had switched from hesitancy to full-on passion, one that drove him wild. Her tongue entered his mouth, exploring, driving his primitive hunger until he pulled at her hair, his fingers gripping her waist and lips hard on hers as he took what he wanted. She melted into him and when she squirmed against his throbbing erection, it sent aching shots through him. Damn, it was too much unexpected pleasure. He left her mouth to whisper in her ear, “Stop it.”

  He tugged her hair back so he could look down at her face. Her pupils had dilated, and she panted as she squirmed against him. This was not the human who had pressed herself against the door a few minutes ago. He trailed his tongue behind her ear, before bring his mouth to the lobe. As he sucked, a moan left her mouth, waking up any inch of his body that had not yet reacted to her. He had guessed she would be sensitive there. His hand still wound through her hair, holding her in place as he lifted his head again to stare into those brown eyes, which were now only full of need. What a transformation.

  All he wanted was to rip off her clothes and fuck her right there: on the floor, against the wall, anywhere, yet a strange sensation passed through him, one that urged him to ignore his own throbbing ache and take his time with her

  He jerked her head back and then moved his lips to her neck, sucking in his breath as he shifted lower. One hand remained on her waist and he released her hair to bring the other down to open her blouse buttons. Slow, he had to go slow. But when she leaned back to give him access, that resolve nearly went out of the window. The red lacy bra was a surprise, and his fangs protruded as he tugged at the lace with his teeth and pulled it down to reveal a creamy breast. Back, wolf. As he took a moment to control his inner beast, she pressed against him again, but he held her hip to keep her in place.

  “I said stop,” he growled. Her hips stilled. He drew her nipple into his mouth, circling it with his tongue before testing her reaction with a gentle stroke. A small cry left her throat. He needed to hear that sound again. He sucked and licked that sensitive pink peak as he moved his hand to her other breast, freeing soft flesh from sexy red lace. As he kept his mouth on one bud, sucking, he flicked the other with his fingers. When a shiver ran through her body, he nearly came just from knowing how much she was enjoying this, but he held back. He wanted to take it slow with her, savor every moment. Savor her pleasure.

  He shifted to watch how her lips parted as his hand fondled her breast, teasing and circling the erect bud. When he spoke, his voice was unbelievably deep. “Before we make it to that bed, I’m going to get you off.”

  ANGIE STILLED. THIS WAS NOT what she expected when she sent a hookup request to the shifter. Well, strictly speaking, it was Shaz who sent it on her behalf. Her friend had not missed Angie’s reaction to the male as they waited in the queue. And what was there not to be attracted to? Sharp f
eatures, a towering frame, dark long hair and a muscular body that made her wonder how it would feel to be held against it. But then his eyes had flashed, giving her a hint of the beast underneath and pulling her out of the stupor she’d fallen into.

  When she first stepped inside Oasis, the loud music and throbbing ecstasy was overwhelming, but it soon became apparent that not every clubber was here to get laid. Some of them were just here to dance and mingle. So she’d gone with the flow and hit the drinks. It didn’t take long before she realized what she’d been missing out on. Being out with the women, downing cocktails as they flirted with other customers…it was as if she was a student again. Before she knew it, she was enjoying herself, and then Shaz’s blond colleague had pulled her to the dance floor.

  That was when Shaz decided it would be a grand idea to set Angie up with someone on Hooked. When the guy Angie had seen outside popped up—turned out he was a shifter—Shaz sent him a request. Angie couldn’t believe it when he accepted…a male with those killer looks must have had no shortage of women hankering after him. The idea of a hook up was suddenly tempting. Shaz and her colleagues had egged her on to go through with the hookup, giving her the push she needed. After a lifetime of being sensible, a one-night stand with a shifter would be the most outrageous thing she’d done. So she’d pushed away her reservations and gone for it. It did not hurt that he looked like a clichéd character straight out of a romance novel. Appearances had never been a big thing for Angie, but if she planned a one-night stand, it might as well be with someone hot…

  Except that this male, with his towering height, angular face and brooding eyes, was beyond hot, sending waves of aching anticipation shooting through her as he pulled her against his muscular body. And his promise to get her off? Just his words almost did the trick. She was a woman who believed in getting to know a guy, but for once, she’d left behind the Angie who considered the consequences of every action.