Shattered

by T. L. Reeve

  “Guess in this instance it sucks to be the Sheriff,” she said to Mackenzie once he returned to the truck.

  He turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s the full moon, and he’s working.”

  Mackenzie snorted. “Kal comes off as a hard-ass iceman. There’s no denying it. But under all his bluster, he’s got a heart of gold. He willingly works the first day of the full moon every month to allow his younger, unmated deputies the opportunity to have fun and possibly find their mate. Caden usually does the second night, and Jace does the last night—when the pull of the moon isn’t so bad.”

  “That’s sweet of the brothers.” Mackenzie smiled and Aurora wondered why. “Is it because the older you get, the less intense the pull of the moon is for the male?” She wondered out loud.

  “It’s just as intense if not more because you experience the knot with your fated mate. It’s different, more acute with the pleasure off the chart. At least that’s what my siblings tell me.” Mackenzie winked at her, and Aurora realized in a couple of hours they’d both know and be able to compare it. “According to Kal, he’s got more control of his need, and his wolf knows Keeley is at home, taking care of their pups, waiting for him. He tells me it trumps any pleasure he gets during the full moon.”

  “Do Jace and Caden say the same?” she asked, her curiosity piqued at all things dealing with mating.

  Mackenzie shrugged. “Caden and Jace aren’t as verbally forthcoming with their sex life as Kalkin is. Kal will tell a ninety-year-old, little old lady, in detail, how he nailed Keeley the night before, given half the chance.”

  “He’s blunt,” she said.

  Mackenzie snorted. “That’s an understatement.”

  “It works for him.”

  Mackenzie agreed before he started his truck and began to drive back towards the Raferty homestead. It was silent during the short drive, and Aurora didn’t mind it. She used the time to study the sky. The last bit of the sun had set right after they pulled away from dropping the kids off, and the night sky had taken over, revealing the twinkling stars and a full moon, peeking in and out from between the clouds.

  It was a bit chilly out as well. Aurora had assumed, wrongly, being out in the desert, didn’t mean it couldn’t get cold. It did, mostly at night once the sun set. It could be eighty degrees during the day and drop to thirty overnight. Tonight, was proof. The gauge on Mackenzie’s truck showed the current temperature in the low forties, and Aurora knew it was also windy out there, making it feel even cooler.

  By morning, they’d get into the mid to high thirties and although it wasn’t a huge deal for the shifters, it was for her. She didn’t have a coat of fur to keep her warm. It was yet another negative against her being a human and not a shifter.

  “Having second thoughts, Aurora?” Mackenzie asked when he eased into an empty spot in the large parking area at the Raferty homestead.

  She shook her head. “The only question I have is, how the hell am I supposed to stay warm during the run?”

  Mackenzie chuckled. “Not going to lie to you, it’ll be cold, nippily night.”

  Aurora giggled.

  “It’ll shock your system for sure. If you keep moving, running, it’ll help. Once I catch you, I promise I’ll warm you up and keep you that way all night.” He wiggled his brows, and the last bit of her worry and fear dissipated into the night.

  “I’m ready,” she said, her tone a bit husky.

  Mackenzie groaned, then reached down to palm the bulge he was sporting. “I know, star, I can fucking smell your sweet, little pussy. It’s driving me nuts.”

  Her cheeks flushed, not in embarrassment but with desire. “Mac...”

  “Can’t wait to get a taste of you and knot you, my little star,” he growled, low and deep.

  Aurora swore she could feel the vibrations in her core, and she moaned.

  “I need to get out of the car, otherwise I’m going to end up knotting you here and now,” he stated before throwing open his vehicle door with such force, Aurora worried he’d done permanent damage to the innocent door.

  For once, he didn’t come around to assist her out, instead, he leaned against the hood of his truck, bent over, taking deep breaths.

  “Mac,” Aurora asked pensively as she got out of his truck, “everything okay?”

  Mackenzie growled. “No. It’s not. The fucker wants out. Wants to mark and knot his mate.”

  Aurora knew who the fucker was, it was his wolf. Whereas Mackenzie wasn’t fully comfortable with letting the beast who shared his psyche out to play, Aurora was okay with it, since she’d gotten to know the wolf thanks to all the nocturnal visits. And, of course, the first time they were intimate together, it hadn’t been Mackenzie but the wolf who’d taken her virginity.

  “Let him out,” she said softly, knowing he’d hear her.

  His intense, blue eyes widened in shock. “I’ll have no control. He could hurt you.”

  “No, he won’t. I’m connected with your wolf as much as I am with you. He’d never hurt me,” she murmured.

  Mackenzie groaned. “It’s different this time.”

  “How?”

  Mackenzie gestured to the bright light source of light in the night sky. “Because of that fucking thing. I’m afraid of what he’ll do.”

  Aurora snorted. “Nothing he hasn’t already done before.”

  “He’s ahh, shit, Aurora. The fucker wants to dominant you in the worst way.” Mackenzie snarled.

  Aurora could sense, almost like a sixth sense, the wolf lurking close to the surface. “How does that happen?” She’d been curious to see how much more dominant he could be, considering the times they had already had sex, Mackenzie or the wolf always took and maintained control.

  He swore. “I should’ve prepared you more for this. If you were a wolf, I’d force you to shift and fuck you as a wolf.”

  Aurora gasped. The image had been kind of hot.

  “Fuck me running,” Mackenzie grumbled. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Being fucked as a wolf? Taking our knot.”

  She whimpered. “I—Ye—”

  “Hey, Mac, everything okay?” Keeley’s light, bubbly tone broke through the heaviness of the conversation as she strolled toward them.

  Mackenzie growled low and long at the interruption, his upper lip curling as he bared his teeth to his brother’s mate. It didn’t even faze the smaller woman. Keeley glared at him. “Knock it off, Mac.” The warning tone in Keeley’s voice was something Aurora had never heard the other woman use. It was light, lyrical, and commanding all at once.

  “Go prepare a mating bed,” Keeley ordered, her voice still firm and held a siren-like quality to compel whomever she was speaking with. In this case, Mackenzie. It was the first time Aurora had ever heard this lovely, hypnotic sound coming from Keeley. “Not too far up the trail path, though, it’s going to be a cold night.”

  Mackenzie nodded and stomped off toward the woods. A flash of bright, white light filled the area where he stood. Aurora blinked and there stood his wolf who rushed up the trail.

  “You okay?” Keeley asked as she leaned up against the hood of Mackenzie’s truck.

  “Wait, what just happened here? He listened to you,” Aurora said in disbelief as she stared at the area where Mackenzie disappeared into, in his wolf form. “How’d you get him to follow your instructions?”

  Keeley giggled, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief and amusement. Aurora blinked, trying to clear her confused brain. This wasn’t the woman who’d just ordered Mackenzie away. “Become the Alpha female, and he has to listen to me.” Keeley shrugged.

  Maybe she hadn’t been paying attention, because the petite female stood strong, self-assured, and with a power Aurora couldn’t explain, except, it was as if a switch had been thrown and the other Keeley was gone. How the hell had Aurora missed that?

  “But he’s stronger than you,” Aurora stated still somewhat shocked Mackenzie had disappeared so easily and wi
thout much fuss.

  “I don’t pretend to fully understand it or even how it all works. I just know it does and has a lot to do with the fact I’m Kal’s mate, bear his mark, and I smell strongly of him. Kal tried to explain it once. From what I gathered it’s encoded in their very DNA to follow the order of an Alpha. I’ve found—over the years—mimicking my mate’s actions works wonders. Kind of cool, huh?”

  “Yeah, kind of, I guess.”

  “I think it’s more fun for me when I use it.”

  Aurora agreed.

  “Let’s have a quick conversation. I figured Mac wouldn’t adequately prepare you for what’s about to happen, and once I became mated to Kal, it seems to fall on my shoulders.”

  “Ahh, Keeley, we’ve had sex already,” Aurora said, grateful it was dark outside, and the other woman couldn’t see her embarrassment.

  “He’s knotted you then?” Keeley prodded.

  Heat filled her cheeks. “Yes, this morning.”

  Keeley chuckled. “Well, then, you’re ahead of the game. Most mates get a crash course from me or Danielle before the big night.” She led Aurora over to the massive bonfire in the backyard, illuminating the area. “Do you have any questions?”

  Tons, most of them, though, she didn’t think Keeley could answer for her, except maybe one. “He won’t, you know, havesexwithmeinwolfform, will he?”

  Keeley slowly turned her head. The look on her face would have made Aurora laugh at any other time, but right now, not so much. It was a look between humor and confusion along with horror, but not. It was hard to explain. “Uh, no.”

  “Oh, thank you,” Aurora said on a sigh.

  Keeley laughed then. “So, here is the long and short of it. You’re going to strip down and run naked down a dark path. Mac will be following behind you, in his wolf form. He’ll drive you to the area where he’s built his mating bed for you. At some point, he’ll reveal himself to you, in wolf form, and then transform back into a human. The sex you’ve had with Mac this morning, it’s nothing compared to what happens during the full moon. It’s amplified, a thousand times better for both you. Male wolf shifters are more aggressive, so avoid being overly snarky with him. Wolf shifters can also fuck all night.”

  Aurora had no doubt this Alpha female had given this lecture more than once. It reminded her of a mother, giving her daughter the ‘sex talk.’ “Okay.”

  “No one will interrupt you. It’ll just be you and Mac. Tonight is intimate and special, so enjoy it.”

  Aurora gazed out the open gate in the direction Mackenzie had headed. She swore the light from the fire glinted off his eyes, causing them to be two iridescent orbs. “He might get a little rougher and more dominant than normal.” She blinked and returned her attention to Keeley. “Anal sex is a high probability also. Don’t panic, go with it, if you’re into it; if not, tell him no. He’ll respect your wishes.” Keeley clapped her hands together, and Aurora figured this was the signal that Keeley had said all she was going to say.

  “Hold up.” Aurora threw up her hand. “Anal? People really do that? Mackenzie will want to stick his thing—dick in my butt?”

  Keeley chuckled. “I can’t speak for humans since all I’ve ever known is Kal, but it’s a big thing with wolf shifters. The men, if you ask them, will give you some mumbo-jumbo story about it being the ultimate pleasure and building of trust between mates. Showing domination—whatever.” Keeley’s hand waved back and forth. “I call bullshit on all of it, and will state they just do it because one, the wolf likes it, and two, they’re still guys, and they fucking like anal.”

  Aurora was dying to ask Keeley if this was something, she did with Kalkin and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but when she thought about it, she realized Kalkin did, otherwise Keeley wouldn’t have brought it up.

  “So, you’re saying, Mac’s going to want to do it… To me?”

  Keeley nodded. “Most assuredly; if not tonight, then at some point during the three days of the full moon.”

  “Fuck me,” Aurora muttered.

  “Oh, Mac will. Don’t you worry,” Keeley snickered, clearly amused.

  “I think I’ve gone from slightly nervous to scared shitless,” Aurora admitted. “Do you give all humans who mate wolves the same spiel.”

  “Yeah, I do. I know what it was like to run up the path with little to no idea of what was about to happen to me. Knowledge is power, and I don’t want others in our pack/pride to be blindsided.” Keeley gave Aurora’s hand a squeeze. “You’ve got this, Aurora. Mac is a Raferty, and if I know anything about these Raferty men, it’s that every single one of them knows exactly what to do with a female in and out of the full moon.”

  Aurora had no doubt.

  “When the full moon is over, we’ll have another chat about the added benefits of being fully mated to a wolf shifter,” Keeley said.

  Aurora wondered why she’d have to wait. “Why not do it now?”

  Keeley smiled. “I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

  “Right? Heaven forbid you’d want to take an already freaked-out woman and just amp it up tenfold and inundate her with even more information,” she said, her tone filled with sarcasm.

  Keeley narrowed her eyes and smirked. “Get all the snark out of you now, before you start the run, otherwise Mac will do you dirty.”

  Aurora snickered. “Yeah, we wouldn’t him to do that, in the woods, at night, in cold temperatures, now would we?”

  Keeley laughed. “The rest of the family is going to hang out inside for a bit longer, give you guys some alone time. Feel free to get loud because anyone who is going to participate tonight, they’ll be in the opposite direction to give you some privacy.” Keeley gave her a saucy wink.

  A movement to the right, followed by a yip drew Aurora’s attention to where Mackenzie had disappeared.

  Keeley glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, relax, old man, she’s coming now.” Keeley then leaned in and dropped the tone of her voice to a whisper. “Go get him, Aurora. Show him what he’s been missing all these years.”

  Keeley flounced away toward the house as if she didn’t have a care in the world, and Aurora bet she didn’t. Keeley Raferty was well-loved by her mate, children, family, and pack. Aurora wanted the same thing so badly; she could almost taste it. She started toward where Mackenzie waited for her, maybe one day, she’d feel the same type of security the female Alpha of the pack experienced daily.

  “Hey, handsome,” she cooed to Mackenzie’s wolf.

  His wet nose nuzzled her hand. Aurora dropped to her haunches and gave him a good scratch behind his ears. Mackenzie whined, then butted her knee with his head so hard she tumbled to the ground. Like the first time Aurora had seen Mackenzie’s wolf, he stuck his snout right between her legs.

  “Easy, Mac. I know what I need to do. I’m not like you and comfortable going naked where others can see me.”

  Mackenzie trotted off to the small wooded area, his gaze followed her as she got up and made her way toward him.

  Once Aurora arrived at the little alcove, she toed off her sneakers first before removing the rest of her clothes. Within moments she stood, naked and proud before her future mate.

  Mackenzie moved behind her, giving her a nudge with his massive head. Aurora ignored the cold breeze brushing across her skin, causing her nipples to bead and goosebumps to pop out on her skin. It was an odd sensation since she was both hot and cold at the same time.

  Mackenzie nudged her again, and Aurora began to run up the cleared path, the wolf hot on her heels the entire time. In the beginning, she’d been worried about finding her way along the path, but the brightness of the full moon filtered through the trees, providing an ethereal glow and giving Aurora the ability to see clearly.

  They ran for ten or fifteen minutes, Mackenzie panting behind her, driving her where he wanted her to go. When they reached a small meadow where the moon shone bright and true above, Aurora stopped, knowing this was the spot where he planned to mate them. A warm hand
wrapped around her shoulders and Aurora bit back a moan of pleasure at his touch. He pulled her toward his big warm, chest, wrapping her in his security. His big body shuddered, and she laid her head against his pectoral muscle.

  “Fuck, Aurora,” Mackenzie growled into her ear as one large hand captured her breast and giving it a hearty squeeze.

  The gravelly sound of his voice had Aurora’s sex clenching in need and her cream covering the slit of her pussy. She should be embarrassed by her body’s reaction, but she wasn’t, she basked in the beauty of it.

  Aurora wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to feel more of his body pressed to hers. She tingled from head to toe with awareness, and she thought she’d go insane if Mackenzie didn’t make a move.

  “I need you so bad, star,” he groaned, nipping at the overly sensitive area where her neck met her shoulder. He grasped her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and rolled the hard point while brushing his fingertips along the sensitive skin on the underside of her arm.

  Instinctively, she understood this was his way of asking permission to mate her. Mark her for the world to see. “I need you, too, Mac. I ache.”

  “You need my knot and my cum to help ease you, star.” He bent his head and licked her, right where he’d bitten her on Halloween night. His cock pushed into the cleft of her ass and throbbed. The wet stickiness of his precum against her skin sent a thrill through her.

  “I want it, Mac,” she said, not recognizing the raspy tone emanating from her.

  His dark chuckle was filled with promise. “You’ll get all of me tonight.”

  The hand caressing her arm, moved down her chest, pausing briefly to cup her belly before thick, blunt fingers pushed the lips of her sex open.

  “We’ve barely started, star, and you’re already fuckin’ soaked,” he murmured. “You want the wolf’s dick, don’t you? Want me to take you to the ground, mount you, and fuck you until we’re tied together.”

  “Mac…” she whimpered, rubbing her ass across his groin.

  “Come. Show me how much you want and crave my knot,” he demanded while rubbing her clit.