With Sassy and Buggy following behind me, I made my way to the area in the woods where I’d dropped it when my werewolf stalker showed up. Fortunately for me, I found it exactly where I left it. I picked it up and started for the barn when a sudden cracking noise startled me. I turned as soon as I heard it but I saw no movement anywhere.
Buggy and Sassy were on high alert. Their ears stood up, their tails pointed upwards. But after a few seconds, they just dropped their heads and continued sniffing the ground as if all was well and there was nothing for me to worry about. Their lack of alertness left me a little confused. Perhaps there was nothing out there and I was just being paranoid because now I knew what lurked around my father’s property.
Afraid, I held the pitchfork closer to me to use as a weapon if anything came at me. No other sounds originated from anywhere, so I started to feel confident I was alone. Not wanting to stay out in the open for longer than necessary, I made my way to the barn. The two dogs stayed behind, near the barn’s entrance, and I continued down the long hall toward the back where the first two stalls were located.
As soon as I reached the last stall, I felt an arm encircle my waist, bringing me back hard against a strong, firm body while a hand came up to cover my mouth.
Terrified for my life, I began to struggle. My survival instincts started kicking in and I wiggled and pushed backwards trying to dislodge my attacker. I couldn’t see whether my assailant was friend or foe so I didn’t treat the incident lightly. I couldn’t use the pitchfork so I began raking my nails over his hands. As the hand covering my mouth lowered, I bit down hard, drawing blood. I could taste the coppery liquid in my mouth almost instantaneously.
“Marjorie…it’s me.”
Surprised, I stopped struggling.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
He removed his hand from my mouth and I turned to look at Kyran. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the fact that I’d bitten him hard enough to draw blood.
“What’re you doing here, Kyran?”
He appeared relieved to see me and I was more than happy to see him.
“I had to see you.” The haunted look in his eyes touched my heart. Kyran really did look upset and I could only guess at how worried he must’ve been to defy his family by sneaking out to come see me.
“This isn’t a good idea.” As much as I appreciated the visit I knew his family would be pissed if they found him with me. “Your family is out there somewhere keeping watch over the house.”
“They’re not here yet but they will be soon.”
“Then why did you take the risk?”
“After I heard about the attack, they wouldn’t let me come and see you. I wanted to make sure you were all right.” He took my hands in his.
“I’m fine.” I glanced down as he lifted my hands up.
He took one good look at my hands and frowned. The backs of my hands were covered with tiny cuts where the minuscule glass missiles had scratched them. I’d had one hell of a time trying to explain the cuts to my father and Vicki.
“It should’ve been me there protecting you, not Alexis,” he replied with some resentment.
“It doesn’t matter—”
“It matters! I should’ve been there, but because of…my weakness, I wasn’t allowed anywhere near you!”
He sounded so lost that I felt the extent of his pain deep in my heart. I had no idea what being a werewolf felt like, but I could imagine how tough it was for Kyran. He wasn’t just a werewolf. He was a werewolf with a very dangerous defect. One that he had to battle with every day. As bad as I thought things were for me, they were probably nothing compared to what he went through daily.
Without pausing to think about my actions, I brought my hands up, cupped his face between them, and pulled his face down to mine. I kissed him and he took advantage of the moment to pull me closer to him and deepen the kiss.
After a moment, he drew back and whispered my name. “Marjorie…” His breath feathered over my face.
“You should leave, Kyran.”
He nodded but made no move to leave.
“Your family will be here soon.” The last thing I wanted was for him to get in more trouble. But Kyran didn’t seem in a hurry to leave.
Instead, he pushed me gently toward the empty stall behind us and backed me up into a corner where, because of the bad lighting in the barn, we couldn’t be seen unless someone set foot inside.
My body was now pinned against the wooden wall by Kyran’s heavily muscled frame. I shivered due to the close contact and moaned when he caressed my back with those big hands of his. His kiss was sweet, hot, and surprisingly gentle. My hands came up and clasped together behind his neck as Kyran shifted his attention from my lips to my jaw, which he then showered with soft kisses. His lips moved further down my neck where they continued touching and nipping at my delicate skin.
“So…sweet.”
“Kyran…” My voice held a hint of warning. We were short on time and if his family showed up and found us like this they’d probably keep us apart indefinitely. I didn’t want that.
He moaned and shifted his weight so that he could bring one of his legs up between mine. He unclasped my hands from behind his neck and lowered one of them, placing it just above his heart. The rapid beating of his heart matched the rhythm of my own.
“You told me once you would never change who you are for anyone.”
It was hard for me to break through my lustful haze. “I remember…”
“Do you still think that way?”
I had no idea how he could talk and kiss me at the same time. I was having trouble forming thoughts, let alone words, and I wasn’t the one doing the kissing.
“I…don’t…know… Maybe.”
His kiss intensified. Kyran’s lips brushed against my cheeks, jaw, and neck. When he lowered his head to kiss me just above the cleavage of my tank top, I nearly lost my balance and had to grab hold of his forearms to keep from falling sideways.
“You’re not playing fair.” I protested.
I heard him chuckle. “All is fair in love and war.”
“Maybe so, but you are taking advantage of my stimulated state.”
He shook his head. “I only asked you a question.”
I actually heard the smile in his voice as he lowered his head once again to nip at my neck.
“I can’t think straight with you kissing me like that.” Trying to push him away so that I could concentrate on our conversation was proving to be just as difficult.
“You want me to stop? Just say the word and I’ll stop.”
Did I want him to stop? I shook my head, and a big smile crossed his features.
“I have to…get…my chores…done.”
He nodded but instead of letting me go, he kissed me again. His hands freely roamed my back, arms, and even my thighs. A moan escaped my lips when he started kissing my neck again, his lips brushing kisses up and down the length of it.
Kyran’s lips lingered on my neck for what seemed a long time. Had I been more focused on the potential dangers instead of how he affected my senses, I would’ve noticed he was lingering around my neck for too long. My hands were too busy caressing his broad back when I felt a sharp sting on my neck. I didn’t notice it right away. What I did notice was how tense Kyran’s body got in a matter of seconds.
“Kyran…are you okay?” No answer.
He stopped kissing me and was just standing there, immobile.
“Kyran?” Still no answer.
I began to cool off immediately, which brought me to the realization that something was wrong with him.
“I…have…to leave.” His voice sounded too brusque. He let go of me and began backing away slowly. His irises were now so gray they appeared almost black. Hunger! That’s what the change in eye color signified.
“Kyran—” I started to reach out to him.
“No! Don’t get close, Marjorie!” He didn’t raise his voice but his
tone told me to stay clear of him. “I have to leave before…”
It was then I noticed the small droplet of blood on his chin. My hand flew to my neck and when I brought it up to my face, there was a small amount of blood smeared on it.
“What did you do?” I was hardly able to speak above a squeak. I was scared, horrified, alarmed.
“Nothing, I did nothing!” His eyes widened considerably.
“You bit me!” My eyes darted from my hand to his face. “You bit me!” My entire body shook with the force of my shock.
“No! It is only a graze! You’re fine.” His eyes expressed the level of distress he was in and probably mirrored mine. He started backing away from me.
“I just got my answer.” It was a mere whisper but I heard it.
“Don’t! Don’t you do this! If ever I’m to change into anything other than what I am, I would like to be asked first!” I glared at him. How could he do this to me? How could he expect me not to be angry.
“I did ask!”
The word shock wasn’t strong enough when it came to describing how I felt. So that was his true intent: he wanted to try and turn me. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to ram the pitchfork into his head.
“You were trying to bully me into it!” I was livid.
“No, I was only trying to make it easier.”
“By seducing me, then throwing me down on the stall floor to mount me?”
His eyes flashed with anger. “I would never do that! I told you once and I tell you again, I’m not that kind of person. I would only do it if you said yes.”
“Then why—”
Suddenly, he came at me and placed a hand over my mouth to silence me. I raised a questioning gaze to him.
“Your father,” he whispered in my ear.
Damn! I thought he was sleeping.
“Marjie! Are you in here? Are you okay?” My dad’s voice sounded far away so I knew he had to be near the entrance.
I shoved Kyran’s hand away. “Yeah, Dad, I’m here.”
“I heard a scream.”
“I’m fine, I just…” I was having trouble making something up. “I fell, but I’m okay.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” He sounded closer.
“No. The only thing injured is my pride.”
I looked at Kyran, who averted his eyes from me. I tried not to let anxiety consume me and determine my actions so I waited inside the stall without moving so much as a muscle, hoping my father wouldn’t be able to tell where I was hiding.
“Do you need any help finishing up?” His voice sounded even closer and I began to panic.
“No! I…I’m fine. I’ll get done in no time.” I hurried to say.
“All right, don’t take too long, it’s getting late.”
“I’ll be in soon, Dad. You go get some sleep. I’ll take care of everything around here.” I prayed he would just go back into the house and not step closer. It was bad enough that Kyran had defied his family, but being caught in a stall alone with a boy would land me in serious trouble.
“All right then.” He seemed to be moving farther. “Oh, and be careful where you step.”
“I will.” I listened for his retreating footsteps. “Is he gone?” I asked when I couldn’t hear him anymore.
After a few minutes, Kyran answered. “Yes, he’s inside the house now.”
Immediately, I moved away from Kyran and walked out of the stall just in time to bump into Gage. “Ouch!” My head had crashed against his chest. “Damn! That hurt!”
“What’re you doing here?” Gage asked angrily.
I looked up at him and scowled. “I live here, remember?”
“Not you.” He looked at Kyran. “You!”
Kyran remained quiet for a few seconds before answering. “You wouldn’t let me see her, so I broke out,” he walked out of the stall to join Gage and me.
“We told you she was unhurt!” Gage practically snarled.
Kyran rushed forward, grabbed my hands, and brought them up to Gage’s face. “Unhurt?”
Gage acknowledged the tiny injuries. “It could’ve been worse.”
Kyran shook his head angrily but said nothing.
“Go and meet with Marquis, he’s patrolling the area. You’re lucky I caught your scent before Alexis did.” Gage pointed to the barn’s doors.
“Alexis isn’t my ruler or my alpha!” Kyran spat angrily.
“No, but it’s his duty to protect this one.” Gage pointed at me.
A new surge of anger flashed through me when I heard him refer to me as “this one.” “Hold on a minute!” They both turned their attention to me. “This one has a name. Its Marjorie. If any of you want to keep hanging around here, you better start calling me by my given name or I swear I’ll use my pitchfork to knock your damn heads clean off your shoulders. I mean it!”
Gage’s expression changed from anger to one of amusement. Kyran rewarded me with a half-smile. Gage’s humor died the minute he spotted the blood on my neck. He rushed forward and ran the tip of his index finger over my injury, which stung a little. He turned back, facing Kyran, eyes blazing in anger.
“You want to kill her? Is that it?”
Gage was so angry I started to shrink away from him. There was something about seeing such a huge man angry that could scare you in a very real way.
“It is a graze, not a bite, a graze!”
“Damn it, Kyran! You could’ve killed her!”
Kyran held his chin up high, his expression matching that of Gage’s.
“Can’t you keep it under control enough to spare her this?”
“Wait! Does this mean I’m going to become all furry and grow canines?” My eyes widened in fear.
Gage snapped his attention away from Kyran to look at me. “No, Marjie, you’re fine. It’s not an actual bite, it’s just a graze.” He turned his attention back to Kyran. “Did you…You know...?”
Kyran’s face changed from anger to embarrassment in five seconds flat. “No, nothing happened.”
I could’ve sworn I saw the beginnings of a blush cross his features. I wished I knew what they were referring to.
“Good.” Gage said.
“Um…care to fill me in on the joke?” I lifted my chin defiantly.
Kyran and Gage exchanged glances but neither spoke.
“I’m getting really tired of you guys always exchanging looks but not saying anything. It’s so damn annoying it’s not even funny!” I protested. The amount of secrets these people had was ridiculous. And annoying.
“We have to get back to work. There has been recent activity around the area and we need to stay on guard.” Gage said, changing the subject.
“Recent activity?”
“A small group of people were reported missing this morning.” Gage was angry, I could tell by the look on his eyes.
“You do know that the police are investigating these disappearances, right?” I asked.
“We know, but they won’t find anything.” I couldn’t help but stare openmouthed at him. “The rogues might be unconcerned, but they’re not stupid. They won’t leave evidence behind for humans to find. They might want to ruin their alpha but they don’t want to be discovered.”
“Why can’t you guys stop them? I mean, you should know how to track them, you’re werewolves.”
“The problem is that they don’t stay in the area for very long. We do track them, but we end up losing their scent at the road. They are masking their scent by using vehicles to get them in and out of the area. Like I said, they aren’t stupid. They know we’re following them so they do what they do best—hide. But they are bound to make a mistake soon and when they do, we’ll catch them.”
I knew the Rousseau’s tried as hard as they could, but I was still worried. Until they found out where the rogue ones were hiding and until they figured out a way to stop them, innocent people were dying and I was still in danger.
“Let’s go, Kyran.”
Hesitant to leave, Kyran took off his b
lack shirt and cleaned the side of my neck with it. “I’m really sorry, Marjie, I didn’t mean to—” He sighed and handed the shirt to me. The moment I took it, he fled out the barn’s wooden doors.
“You really must learn to stay away from him.” Gage’s soft tone stopped me from starting after Kyran like a lost pup looking for its mama.
“It’s not like I follow him or anything,” I replied, a little annoyed that he made it sound like I followed Kyran around.
“I know that. But what I mean is that whenever he comes to you, avoid him.”
“Like it’s that easy,” I murmured.
“Maybe not, but it’s in your best interest that he stays away from you and you away from him.”
I held on to Kyran’s shirt like it was a lost treasure. Kyran’s wonderful aroma clung to it, providing me with the illusion of his presence since we could barely see each other.
“I know that.”
“Oh, here,” Gage reached into his pocket and took something out. “I found this. I believe it’s yours.”
My cell phone! That cell phone must have had a guardian angel or something because every time it got lost, someone found it and brought it back. I smiled as he handed it to me, and to my relief I found that it was undamaged and still working.
“Well, I have to get back to my chores.” Draping Kyran’s shirt over my shoulder, I leaned down to grab the pitchfork to resume my chores.
“Here, let me do that.” Gage grabbed it from my hands and rushed into the stall.
“I appreciate that, Gage, but that’s my responsibility.” I called after him.
He turned and smiled at me. “I’m going to be here all night anyway, and besides, you look tired. Go get some rest. I’ll finish up for you. I can finish in here in less time than you can, anyway. This way I have something to do besides run around in circles on your father’s property.” His expression made me laugh.
“Thank you, Gage.”
He smiled then turned to pick up where I’d left off. “No problem.”
I was in fact feeling tired, exhausted really.
Vicki was busy putting the girls to sleep so I headed straight to my room. Plugging in my phone so that it would charge, I ran to the bathroom and showered. After I was all dressed for bed, I brushed my teeth, turned the light off, and hurried to my bedroom. Picking up the hairbrush from the nightstand, I started to brush my long hair when I caught site of my neck in the mirror. I peered at the long thin scar between my neck and shoulder area. How was it that I barely noticed when Kyran’s teeth grazed my skin? Did he hypnotize me and I didn’t know it?
Secrets of the Moon Page 30
