Marked By The Alpha (Blood Moon Book 1)

by Natalie Aejaz

  So that was Blade’s game? Getting Shaun laid tonight? He understood where the demon was coming from, but only Angie could banish this ache that raged inside him. “I’d rather get going.”

  The lion’s eyes flickered as he ran his fingers over his goatee. “He insisted that you need to check the app.”

  There was something so strange about his persistence that Shaun pulled out his mobile and logged onto the app. There was already a request in there. He had no intention of hooking up with anyone tonight, so he placed the phone in his pocket, but it bloody vibrated again. He swiped it, intending to get rid of the notification, but paused when he saw the name. Angie. It had to be someone else…he clicked, and it felt like forever as he waited for the image to appear on the screen. It was her. He swallowed, a million thoughts fucking with his head. She was here? But she’d left Manhattan…it wasn’t possible—was this a mistake or even worse, a joke? He accepted the request and then a room number came through—the suite he had booked on a monthly basis. He gulped the whiskey but damn, it didn’t calm the outrageous thumping of his heart.

  Was she really here?

  He stood. “Thanks for your help, Junaid.”

  The shifter grinned. “Any time. And good luck.”

  Damn that demon. If Angie was here, he owed him big time. For now, he pushed his way out through the masses of bodies. As he rushed through glass doors and hurried past rooms in wide corridors, it felt like it took longer than usual before he got there. A lot longer. When he reached the room, he didn’t bother to knock before opening the door. For a few moments, he just gaped. Like a dumbass.

  She really was here.

  She sat on the edge of the king-size bed, clutching the black silk sheet between her fingers and wearing a blue dress that rose above her thighs. When she stood, the burgundy wall a striking background as she stared at him, her made-up eyes were wide and those glossy lips quivered. “Shaun?”

  He closed the door behind him and then leaned against it, still unable to believe she was here. “What are you doing here?”

  “I-I came to meet you.” Her eyes shifted from his face to his chest and back up again. “I spoke to Shaz, and she figured it would be a good idea for me to come over here and find you, seeing as it’s a full moon and all that. Anyway, I was at the entrance and your friend—the demon?—recognized me. He arranged the rest.”

  Bloody hell. Blade really was something.

  But in an instant, as he stepped forward, he went from being damn pleased to irritated. Because she had just pissed off and left him without a word. “Why the fuck did you leave?”

  “I was about to leave.” She looked down at her clenched hands. “I couldn’t resist you if I saw you again”—did she mean that?—“so I had to pretend I’d already gone.”

  “So why are you here now?”

  “My solicitor heard from yours.” She paused, her eyes shining. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me, having the shop back.”

  “It’s all right.” His voice was gruff. “You don’t have to thank me.”

  She took a step closer. “I do. And also, I wondered if”—she swallowed—“that message you sent about wanting to be with me…did you mean it, Shaun?”

  “Yes.” Over the past few days, he had doubted just about everything in his life, but he had no doubts about that. “I need to be with you, Angie. I’ve never been in a damn relationship before, but you make me want to try.”

  She nodded. “In that case, I also want to try.”

  Relief swept through him as he stepped closer to hold her face in his hands. “I don’t understand what this is, but I know that when you’re not with me, it drives my bloody wolf mad.”

  Her smile lit a spark inside him. “I might not have a beast, but I’ve a good idea of how you feel, because I’ve been going through the same. I want to be with you—” He didn’t let her finish before he kissed her, hard, desperation driving him as he pressed her up against him until there was no space between them. She kissed him back, just as needy, making his wolf protest when she pulled her mouth away for a moment to look up into his face. “Shaun, I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Don’t you ever dare leave me again,” he growled.

  “I won’t.”

  He took her lips again, teasing the lower one with his tongue until she rubbed closer, moaning soft. He gripped her hips, bringing her tighter against him to assuage some of this painful heat. Dammit, he couldn’t wait.

  He tossed her onto her back on the bed and then removed his jacket, chucking it on the burgundy carpet before he kneeled above her. Her hands went to his tee shirt, tugging, and he helped her get rid of it. She lifted her backside so he could shove the hem of her dress over it and then held her arms over her head as he pulled it off her, jutting her bare breasts forward like an offering. She wore no bra, only a pair of panties. The sight of her sprawled across the bed in black lace and heels sent a rush to his head. She was a bloody spark, one that set his whole system and life on fire, burning away until there was nothing left of the shifter he had been. He growled, and as he gripped the bed sheet, his claws grew. He lowered his face when he felt his fangs push through.

  “Fuck,” he swore, moving back, but she held on to his arms to stall him.

  “I don’t give a damn about your fangs.” She extended her hand to stroke a claw. She ran her fingertip over a point, biting her bottom lip as her hips rocked. “In fact, they’re a turn on.”

  “You’re just saying that—”

  “I mean it.”

  It was a damn full moon and with her lying before him, naked and welcoming, it was impossible to keep his beast under control. He sighed. “I’m sorry, I can’t—”

  She leaned up to kiss him on the lips. “Don’t be sorry, shifter.”

  She slipped her tongue inside his mouth and licked a fang, making him draw a sharp breath. “Sure about this, Angie?”

  “Yes,” she murmured. “Now shut up and fuck me.”

  She didn’t need to tell him twice. He covered her body with his own and claimed her lips again, biting the bottom one with his fang until she whimpered. God, the noise she made undid him. He kissed his way down, pausing at her neck to nip—making her shiver—and then moved over her navel to that lacy material. He hooked it over his fang and pulled; the sound of lace tearing sent heat shooting through him. As for Angie, she moaned even louder as her hips bucked against his mouth. She did like the shifter side of him.

  They might be from two different species, but they were compatible; they really could make this work. He stood to step out of his jeans, grinning as she cursed and ordered him to get back to her. He joined her on the bed again, lying back before he held her by the shoulders and flipped her so she straddled him. “I want you on top,” he said. “I can’t guarantee that I won’t go out of control.”

  She rocked her core against him. Shit…“But I want you to—”

  He shook his head. “No.” He was not going to risk scaring her away, not after just getting her back.

  She lifted an eyebrow and then pulled her arms above her head, her lips parted as she displayed herself to him. Damn it, those pink peaks jutted out, making him growl and nearly lose it. He moved both his palms to her breasts, cupping them as he pinched and squeezed her nipples. Her head flung back and she arched as she bent her elbows so her hands went behind her, her hair wild as it fell down past her shoulders. God, he couldn’t take his eyes from her face as she moaned, her lips trembling as she rubbed her wetness against him. He moved his hands to her hips to lift her so she hovered above his erect cock and then brought her down with a hard movement. A whimper left her lips, and she pressed her hands to the sides of his waist, her nails digging into him. “Shaun. You feel so damn good…”

  He gripped her hips and pressed down so he filled her. Her head fell back again, her mouth open as she panted. Damn, she was so fucking gorgeous…so responsive that it was a chore restraining his wolf. He shifted her to push her down again
around his cock, just to watch those luscious lips moan. “God, you’re so perfect, Angie.”

  She pressed her palms against his waist, slick as she slid up and down his shaft. He clawed at the bed sheet, telling his beast to calm the fuck down and let her take over—willing himself to keep his hands off her as she rode his cock. But then, damn it, she moved her palms up and cupped her breasts. She stared at him through hooded eyes, a small smile on her lips as she played with her nipples, teasing them until they were erect peaks. She wanted him out of control. Something inside him took over, and he turned her so he was on top, his body between her legs as he pounded his force into her. “I can’t hold back,” he groaned.

  “I want this,” she whimpered. He grabbed her hips tight as he plunged into her. Her muscles gripped his cock, pulling him in deeper, and she was now soaked as she pushed her core against him, matching each of his thrusts. Those whimpers that escaped her parted lips were so wanton they sent his beast wild. She thrashed her head from side to side as her fingers clawed the bed sheet, spreading her legs wider as he moved inside her with long, hard strokes. “More, Shaun.” His human wanted more? He gripped her shoulders, using them to shove deeper, filling her with each plunge. Moaning against her ear, he told her how much he needed her as he moved his mouth down until his lips rested against her neck. His fangs ached, and the urge to bite and mark her became stronger with each thrust. Don’t do it.

  “Mark me,” she whispered. “I want it, Shaun.”

  He lost the fight and broke her soft skin with his teeth. And then he remembered she was human.

  I don’t want to hurt you.

  As he pulled his teeth away and shifted back, her legs wrapped around his waist to pull him in deeper, her eyes bright as she stared up at him. He pushed inside her again as he licked the mark he had left on her skin. As if guided by instinct, she lifted her chin and extended her neck in invitation. Fuck, he could not resist. As his hips moved faster between hers, he pressed his teeth into her neck, taking care not to go too deep. “Yes!” she gasped.

  He’d marked her. She was his.

  And I am hers.

  As her moans became louder, the sensation of his cock and teeth inside her sent ecstasy rushing through him, one that twisted every inch of him. The urge to thrust harder took over, and her whimpers grew more desperate with each shove of his cock, intensifying the need burning inside him. She came around his shaft, her muscles squeezing his length as if she hadn’t had enough. The pressure in his ears drowned out her cries as he also let go, releasing inside her as every damn muscle in his body clenched, every inch of his being rocked by an orgasm that just went on. He collapsed onto her, his head resting against hers.

  “Angie,” he whispered against her ear, “I fucking love you.”

  He lifted himself up to rest on his elbows so he could look into her face. Her soft lips were swollen and those brown eyes bright: her dark curls clinging to her damp forehead. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “It’s the truth. I love you.” He rolled off her and took her in his arms, pulling her to him. “Do you believe me?” he murmured against her hair.

  She smiled. “Yes. Because I love you, too.”

  He kissed her long and hard before taking his fingers to the mark he’d left on her neck. “Did it hurt?”

  “A little.” She grinned. “But it felt damn good. This means that…”

  Her naked skin felt just right against his. “We’re together. No other shifter will come near you.”

  She brought a hand to his chest, and when her fingers played with the dark hair, his wolf growled with comfort. “Shaun. About the shop…returning it to me won’t cause you trouble? Because if it does, I don’t want it back—”

  “It’s yours.” But inside he rejoiced because this human cared so much about him that she would give up something that meant everything to her. “I should never have taken it in the first place. This is the right thing to do.”

  “If you’re sure.” She shifted so she lay on top of him, and the feel of her breasts against his chest made him impatient to be inside her again. But another part of him wanted to enjoy the sensation of having her rest against him. Her brown eyes were bright as she lifted her head to stare at him. “When the bank loan has cleared, I’ll pay you for the shop—”

  “No,” he growled, “It’s a gift.” When she frowned, he took his hands to her hips and pulled her against him, relishing the lust that darkened her gaze. “We talk about this later, Angie, not tonight.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  He pulled her face in for a kiss, and as his tongue entered her mouth, she spread her legs, warm and welcoming as her knees rested on either side of him.

  “From now on, I’ll treat you right,” he promised. “I want to take you to my apartment, take you for nights out at those places you deserve, court and date you—do those things human love.” Those things he had known she wanted but always avoided. He glanced around the room—it had just been an excuse to keep a distance between them, hadn’t it? “We don’t have to come here anymore.”

  She kissed him again. “All those things you said—they sound amazing, but I wouldn’t mind coming here sometimes”—her lips curled up in an impish grin—“just to spice things up.”

  Her words undid him, and he had her on her back again as he kissed her. When he first met her, she’d been all nerves and fright…he had never imagined that this human had it in her to harness him—and his beast.

  But for once, he was loving being under a female’s control.

  ###

  Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, please could you take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer site.

  Want more of Shaun and Angie’s romance? Click here for the epilogue.

  The next book in the series, DEMON’S SOUL, is now available for purchase. Continue reading for the first chapter of Blade and Alyssa’s story.

  Thank you.

  Natalie Aejaz, Author

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I love making things up!

  I am Natalie Aejaz, an author who enjoys travel and make-believe.

  While managing a plethora of other activities, I focused on a series of social novels over the past few years. I wrote my first fantasy romance a year ago, unexpectedly becoming addicted to the fun and freedom of creating universes. The opportunities for play were as limitless as my imagination and since then, I write in this genre.

  Aliens, shapeshifters, vampires and witches … they are on their way in my future books.

  CONNECT WITH ME:

  Twitter: www.twitter.com/natalieaejaz

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieaejaz

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/natalieaejaz.writer

  BOOKS BY NATALIE AEJAZ

  Blood Moon

  (Adult Paranormal Romance)

  Book 1: Marked by the Alpha

  Book 2: Demon’s Soul

  Book 3: Bitten and Twisted

  Book 4: Lion’s Heart

  Shifters Unleashed

  (Adult Shifter Romance)

  Book 1: The Wolf’s Bride

  Otherworld Warriors

  (Adult Fantasy Romance)

  Book 1: Hela

  Book 2: Zhinghaas

  Standalones

  Blood Rose: A Vampire Romance

  Starstruck: A Paranormal Romance

  Lost and Found (Part One)

  Lost and Found (Part Two)

  Forbidden (Part One)

  Forbidden (Part Two)

  PREVIEW—DEMON’S SOUL

  * * *

  The demon Blade has little time for females, because maintaining a truce between mobsters and supernaturals in Manhattan is one hell of a job. As an owner of Eclipse, the most popular club in the borough, it’s also in his business interests to prevent territorial gang warfare. After a chance meeting with the sex worker, Alyssa, an unexpected attraction pulls him toward her, making his soul long for a mate…until he discovers that the mob boss Ja
mes has claimed her as his own.

  Alyssa came to Manhattan to escape an abusive past, only to fall into a murky world of prostitution and vice, but the demon Blade brings hope among the misery. He might be a ruthless business magnate, but after being with him, she learns what it’s like to have someone care for her. She dreams of a better future, but she has to escape the clutches of a sadistic mobster first.

  When Alyssa turns to Blade for help, will he risk a turf war to protect her?

  * * *

  SOULLESS. THAT’S WHAT THEY called him. Yes, part of him had been shut away for long, with nobody allowed in. Lovers, friends or associates—no one came close enough to disturb his isolation. Did he even want a mate? Sometimes his body and mind raged to connect to someone, but most times, like tonight, he was reminded that there would always be something else more important. The urge to mate did not consume him, even if he was a damn demon—his duties did.

  Being alone suited him.

  Blade took another shot of whiskey, but the slow heat was not enough to dispel the anxiety that burned at the pit of his stomach. What the hell did the mobsters want now?

  The night had started off as any other. After frying his brain on admin work at his villa, he headed to the adjoining club that he part-owned. Eclipse was a sprawling venue with over thirty zones, and he managed Oasis, a dance area. An hour later, he was bored with going through the same shit every evening as he sat at a table on the upper landing, looking down at the three dance floors. The venue pulled in supernaturals and humans night after night, and this zone tended to attract those interested in no-strings attached sex. Just as he considered moving to the lower landing for a change of view and some food at one of the restaurants, he received a message on his phone from none other than the mob boss, James.