Birthright (Pale Moonlight Book 1)

by Marie Johnston

  He’d heard rumors of the mark, how it increased the power of the orgasm.

  Sweet Mother Earth, his eyes were closed but he saw stars. When his jaw slackened, he realized they both had slumped to their sides, chests heaving, their sweat-slicked bodies still interlocked.

  For once, he wasn’t hard around Maggie.

  Never mind.

  He was gaining his wits, meaning his brain registered the naked female in his embrace who carried his mark.

  Sexy as hell. Blood pooled back into his shaft, prepping for another bout of eye-crossing orgasms.

  Maggie stretched and carefully extracted herself to turn in his arms. “That was unfucking real.” She exhaled a boneless sigh, crumpling against him,

  “I’ll give you a few minutes before I have my way with you again.”

  “No, Porter,” he frowned at her refusal, “you’ll wait until I’m rested so I can have my way with you.”

  Hell yes.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Like this?” Maggie, wearing only a blue flannel shirt of Porter’s, positioned the handsaw.

  “Go for it.” Porter stood behind her, hands resting on her waist.

  She pulled back, skipping the saw over the wood. “Oh, shit.”

  “Use your strength, don’t be timid.”

  She tried again, this time cutting a nice line through the wood. He angled down to nibble along her neck. Leaning back into him, she finished the cut, dropped the saw, and spun in his arms.

  “We just got done,” she said between kisses on his chin. “You were supposed to show me what you do for a living.”

  He caught her mouth, nipping her lip, knowing it drove her freaking crazy.

  “I’m going to do you for a living.” His hard length pressed against her belly through his jeans.

  He wore no shirt and she preferred it that way. The bunch of his muscles and the scattering of hair on his broad chest captivated her. To conceal, that was a shame.

  “Sounds like a good time.” Oh it would be. He’d proven it many times. “But Jace will be here soon and we need to get dressed.”

  Her brother had met with the other leaders again. After they saw proof with their own eyes that Seamus was gone, albeit temporarily, and heard his three brutes were either dead or had been transported to Synod custody, they’d started talking. They spilled secrets of blackmail and produced evidence of threats held against them and family members. Jace had also put in a request to search Sigma’s records that had been obtained by their new government to determine how Seamus had worked with the vile organization.

  “I’ll let you go.” He nipped her ear, sending shivers to places that made her want to squeeze in one last quickie. “This once.”

  Maggie danced away from him, throwing a teasing grin over her shoulder. He growled and lunged for her. She squealed and sped up, laughing into his bedroom.

  He didn’t follow her which was good because they’d both end up in bed. Or against the wall. Or in the shower. Again.

  She smiled to herself as she sorted out her shirt and pants from the tangle on the floor. She liked him. A lot. After their night together, she went dreamy-eyed whenever she thought about him. The way the tendons in his neck strained as he reared over her, how he grunted her name—her real name—when he came, the way his butt flexed under hands as he drove into her. How talented he was with his hands.

  Yeah, she had it bad. And he was a good guy. He worked hard, loved his village, and always made her feel special.

  Her stomach fluttered. In several ways.

  It was all coming together. Her history had been revealed and her relationship with her brother was on the mend. He and their mom were actually talking. Maggie was discovering her true identity, her shifter capabilities, and she had a wonderful male to do it with.

  Her whole life she’d felt incomplete and, for the first time, she imagined herself whole, or as one half of a whole with Porter.

  A knock on the front door spurred her into action. She was dressed within minutes and bounding out to see if it was Jace.

  It was.

  She slowed, not at all liking the heated expressions on Jace and Porter’s faces. They spoke quietly, but Jace was shaking his head and Porter was gesturing. He was angry about something. They fell silent when she entered.

  Jace cocked his head toward her, his nostrils flaring. Her face went crimson. She was an adult, but having a wall of pheromones greet any visitor who walked through the door just seemed weird. Until she noticed Jace studied her and it had nothing to do with her and Porter.

  “What?”

  “I just came to update you guys.” He gave away nothing about what had been going on behind those ice blue eyes.

  Okaaay. “What were you and Porter arguing about?”

  “Your boyfriend thinks you should lead Lobo Springs.”

  Not this again. She glanced at Porter. “I don’t want to. I’ve told you that since we met.”

  “It’s your duty, Maggie,” argued Porter. “Just like you and I were destined to be, this place is yours.”

  Facing Jace again, she asked, “And you were telling him it’s a bad idea, Jace?”

  “I discussed the options with Commander Fitzsimmons who consulted with the Synod. It’s his recommendation that the colony votes in their next leader.”

  “And like I told Jace,” Porter countered, “there’s no way to know who we can trust. There’s no telling who Seamus corrupted, or who holds such a big grudge they want their chance to rule with an iron fist. Your blood trumps all that.”

  “We’d give it a few days to settle,” Jace explained. “Time for someone else to make their intentions known. Denlan, you’re seriously invested in the good of the colony, why don’t you run?”

  Porter threw his hands up. “Because it’s not mine to run. It’s Maggie’s.”

  She needed to put the brakes on Porter’s thought train, be clear and firm. “Porter, I’m not taking over. Period. I don’t even know if I want to move here.”

  His hands dropped to his hips. He glared at the floor before lifting his blazing gaze to her. “Did last night mean nothing to you?”

  “Of course it did, but you’ve had my future decided since before you met me. You keep throwing the word destiny around, but no one decides my destiny but me. I’m not leaving one relationship where I was told how to live to dive into another one where nothing’s changed!” Her voice had risen until she was shouting.

  “I met you when Lobo Springs needed you the most.” His volume matched hers. “I’ve had the colony’s best interest in mind my whole life and when I met one of its ruling bloodlines, she happened to be my mate. What else would I call it?”

  “Selfish!” It was the first word that came to mind and in her opinion, it fit Porter perfectly. “It’s my life, not yours.”

  “I’m not the one being selfish! You didn’t have to live among the constant terror that Seamus would target you next. Everyone here did, and you’re abandoning them—for your own reasons.”

  “My dad was killed. His heir was killed. Maybe that’s destiny telling the colony to move on! I’m just discovering who I am. I’d think my mate would be supportive, but you’ve had ulterior motives the whole time.”

  “Because you belong here!”

  Fuck! They’d gone full circle and Porter still couldn’t get it through his thick, obstinate skull.

  “Not necessarily.” Jace said, his tone dead serious.

  Porter scoffed. “Of course you’d say that. Even after what she did to you?”

  Maggie gasped. “How dare you throw that in my face.”

  “Enough!” Jace roared. “I’m saying her scent has grown and developed since she’s been reaching her full shifter potential. I’m saying I know why the commander allowed her to join us when we came here for Ma.”

  Porter’s breathing slowed as he took in a measured breath. Maggie wanted to sniff under her arms. What about her smell?

  “She has a destiny all right,” Jace
continued. “One she’s been working her way toward even as a human.”

  Porter’s face fell. It was like Jace yanked the fight right outta him.

  “That’s right, Denlan. She’s a Guardian.”

  Jace drained the fight right out of Maggie, too.

  Guardian. Her?

  “Born Guardians have a unique scent.” Jace could’ve been talking through a bullhorn, she barely heard him, stuck on the change this meant for her life. “It’s so we know and can begin training young. With the growth in population and our people spreading out, the Guardians have recruited shifters who’d be a good fit for the life, like me. But you were born for it.” He threw a pointed look to Porter. “Destiny.”

  “Is that something you want to do, Maggie?” Porter’s voice was quiet, the direct opposite to less than a minute ago.

  It didn’t make her any less angry with him. “Now you’re asking what I want?”

  He winced. Was it dawning on him how obtuse he’d been?

  A Guardian. How awesome did that sound? No more sneaking around to hunt degenerates, she’d be trained and given weapons and it would be her job. Hunting perps like Wally, watching detective shows, being a Guardian fit. It was her.

  Sneaking up on sexual predators was certainly less dangerous than facing down feral shifters like Seamus, but her soul rejoiced at the danger. For the first time, her life had a purpose and she knew what it was. She knew who she was. Her life had detoured all those years ago, but Mage Troye’s birthright would be fulfilled.

  Her delight poured through room. Porter dropped his head in defeat.

  “What does that entail?” Her anger at Porter hadn’t quite dissipated. He’d get over it. Once he accepted his mate was a badass Guardian!

  “We’d train you and then assign you to a section in the area. It might not even be with the West Creek pack.”

  Her gaze flew up to Porter, who refused to lift his off the floor. It had to be a shock for him, and she was still pissed about his behavior, but he’d come to accept the news and be thrilled for her.

  “When do I start?” She’d call her two employers, out of courtesy only, to tell them they’d never see her again. Giving up her apartment was next, selling her car. Would she get a SUV like a Denali or a Yukon with just shy of legally tinted windows?

  That was it. She had no more ties to her old way of life. Not even to Freemont unless her mother went back, but she doubted it.

  Jace cut into her ponderings. “I’m heading back today, with Ma, until she decides what she’s going to do.”

  A grin broke out. She wanted to jump up and down and squeal, but she was pushing her thirties and going into law enforcement. Play it cool, play it cool.

  His jaw set, Porter still hadn’t raised his stare off the floor.

  “Porter?”

  When he did, she wished he hadn’t. Hit with loss and anguish, she struggled to make sense of the emotions pouring off of him.

  “My place is here, Maggie.”

  “I don’t understand, Porter. I’m not asking you to move today.” But if he didn’t accompany her…she didn’t know what that meant for them.

  “Without you, I’m going to have to step in. Encourage the vote…and put myself on the ballot. Seamus is still out there; the colony is vulnerable.”

  Was…was he breaking up with her? “What about us?”

  His expression hardened. “You’ve made it clear you want nothing to do with my home, and I can’t leave. I don’t see how there can be an us.”

  Stunned. His declaration hung between. They’d only had a fight, how could he just give up?

  Jace gently pulled her toward the door by her elbow. Her feet moved, but her brain had checked out.

  “Goodbye, Mage.” The sorrow in Porter’s words crumbled her already broken heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  One month later…

  “Come on Maggie. Watch your left side.” Jace feinted again.

  Maggie twisted to protect that side of her abdomen. Jace lashed out, nailing her in the right flank instead. She flew back on the mats, rolled backward, and jumped up into a fighting stance, but Jace stood with his arms crossed, wearing a frown.

  She relaxed and blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. Her braid contained most of her thick mane, but some always worked loose during her training sessions. The training gym was empty and she was grateful it was just her and Jace. No witnesses for the lecture she was about to get.

  Jace let her grab a drink before he started in. “You should’ve seen that coming.” Yeah, she should’ve. Just like she should’ve predicted the last five hits he’d landed. “Keep your head in the fight, or the fight will take your head.”

  Maggie dropped her head back, rolled her neck. Fuck, she was tired of that phrase.

  “Cassie will talk with you…anytime.”

  Fuck, she was sick of that offer. She loved her new sister. Cassie was perfect for Jace and it was fun to watch her brother cater to the woman’s every whim. Not that she had many. The girl was the most practical, down to earth being Maggie had ever met.

  “Jace—”

  “I know, Maggie, but you need to talk to someone. We can train you all we want but if you can’t perform in the field…”

  She lobbed towel at him. “I know, I know. I’m stuck working in the daycare.”

  It wasn’t exactly punishment, but it’d feel like it despite the adorable kids. Mercury’s children made up half the daycare and they were a delightful handful—a pudgy toddler and even chubbier babies. The experience would be pleasant enough, but Maggie’s instincts weren’t satisfied with herding children. The urge to hunt bad people, whatever the species, filled her.

  Jace wiped his sweaty head down and tossed his towel in the laundry bin. “Meet you for target practice in the morning?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  He had taken it upon himself to conduct extra lessons outside of her normal training hours.

  Her first week, she’d crawled back to her room in the lodge, spent from sessions getting worked over by the Guardians’ resident trainer, Master Bellamy. Then the heartsick questions seized the opening, plaguing her, and she’d readily agreed to getting her butt handed to her by Jace day after day.

  She waved to Jace as he left, wanting just a few moments to herself before she went to the locker room to clean up.

  Why didn’t Porter ever try to contact her?

  What was he doing?

  Had he moved on?

  How could he move on after what they’d shared?

  That bastard—

  Ack! She clutched her head. The same questions and never any answers. Porter let her go, didn’t come after her. He didn’t call, didn’t try to contact her in any way. He’d marked her! And thanks to Master Bellamy’s lessons, she knew what the hell that meant. Heading into her second month without him, she didn’t know how it would get any better.

  Her broken heart remained a large, gaping mess, affecting her work, her training… Some days, she found herself alone at the table after a meal, having spaced out. Twice the showers ran cold on her because she may or may not have broken down sobbing in the shower.

  Maggie jerked her head up. Someone was coming. Grabbing her water bottle and tossing her towel in the basket, she turned to leave only to meet Kaitlyn storming in, grumbling under her breath.

  “Motherfucking cocksucker. Arrogant fucking prick. I want to snap his dick off.”

  Kaitlyn pulled up short when she noticed Maggie. “Oh, hey.”

  “Chayton?”

  The redhead’s face clouded over. “I came to pretend the punching bag is his asshole.” She assessed Maggie, likely reading the loneliness and despair she felt on a daily basis. “Want to pretend I’m an idiot mate with his head shoved up his ass, and I’ll pretend you’re a jerkoff with an inflated ego?”

  Maggie grinned for the first time in a month. “Sounds divine.”

  ***

  Two more weeks…

  Porter�
��s hammer slipped, hitting the two-by-six. Metal clanged on the cement floor as the nail he’d been aiming for skidded across the room.

  With a heavy sigh, he found the nail, bent at an atrocious angle.

  Fuck.

  He flung it onto the pile he’d started of mangled nails—from just today.

  It was no use. Porter gave up on his weekend of remodeling of the library’s basement. Three of the walls had been erected yesterday. It had felt good to perform hard labor after sitting so many hours poring over old laws and policies Seamus had either ignored or developed to suit his own needs.

  Being the new mayor of Lobo Springs sucked ass some days.

  Most days, he actually enjoyed it. Residents were coming out of their shells, optimism ran high despite the fact that Seamus was still at large. They were making headway, developing new procedures for peak function of the colony.

  Trudging up the stairs, he wandered through the quiet library, marveling how its silence rivaled his home.

  That sucked balls, too.

  Outside, he was greeted by his beat up truck. It had been sitting right where he left it in the cheap motel’s lot, looking like no one would want to steal it. Luckily, no one realized his toolbox held tools worth way more than his beater.

  He was locking up when another pickup pulled up next to his.

  “Denlan,” Sanders greeted. “I saw you were here. Was checking to see if I could lend a hand.”

  Porter rubbed the back of his neck. “You always seem to know when I’ve put all my tools away.” Actually, he was glad Sanders had missed him. He hadn’t been good company for anyone lately. “I called it a day. I have some projects at home to get to. Did you get the bookshelves and end tables I dropped off with Betha?”

  “Uh, yeah.” Sanders shoved his hands into his jeans. “About that…We have more product than we can move in a month. Can you find another retailer to sell to?”

  “What do you mean? Before I couldn’t supply furniture fast enough.”