Moonlight Keeper (Return of the Ashton Grove Werewolves Book 1)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  Lucas pulled into a parking space near the stairs to the apartment and looked around before getting out of the truck. A few wolves were sitting on a patio not too far away, playing a hand of cards. One of them waved, and Lucas waved back before helping Aria out of the truck.

  “We’re on the second floor,” he told her before taking her hand and leading the way.

  When he pushed open the apartment door, he wondered what she would think of the place. Compared to her childhood home, it was cramped. She deserved so much better than what he could offer her.

  Aria explored the area and paused in the bedroom doorway. She turned to face him, her cheeks flushed, and he knew she’d seen the rose petals. Aria held out her hand and beckoned him to come closer. Lucas locked the door before joining her in the bedroom doorway. She gazed up at him with complete trust in her eyes, and it humbled him.

  She guided him into the bedroom and motioned to the candles. “Would you light them?”

  Lucas picked up the lighter he’d bought earlier and lit the candles he’d scattered around the room. The flickering flames lent a romantic atmosphere to the bedroom. Aria licked her lips, looking uncertain. Slowly, she lifted her dress over her head and let it fall to the floor. Lucas was fairly certain his heart was going to beat out of his chest as he took in her gorgeous curves. The lacy cups of her bra cradled her breasts in an enticing manner. They weren’t overly large, but to him, they were perfect, just like her.

  He stripped his shirt over his head and tossed it in a pile with her dress, before kicking off his shoes and socks, and shoving his jeans down his legs. He knew his underwear couldn’t conceal how much he wanted her, and he hoped his excitement wouldn’t scare her. He still wasn’t certain about everything she’d endured at the hands of her uncle, and he wanted to move slow.

  Aria stepped closer and lifted her hands, placing them on his shoulders. Her touch was light and soft. Lucas kissed her, needing to feel her lips against his, to have her taste explode in his mouth. He needed to breathe her in, wrap his arms around her, and just feel that curvy body pressed close to him. Aria leaned into him, making Lucas lose his balance, and they toppled to the bed. She giggled as she broke the kiss.

  “Guess I’m stronger than I thought,” she said.

  Lucas leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. “So, now that you’ve conquered me, what do you plan to do with me?”

  Her smile turned bashful as she leaned back and took in the lines of his body. Her fingers skimmed over his pecs and abs, stopping at the waistband of his boxers. Lucas remained as relaxed as possible, giving her time to explore. As much as he wanted to feel her hands on him everywhere, he wasn’t going to rush her or make demands. She’d claimed to have been with other guys, but he didn’t know how much experience she had. She was almost shy in her exploration, which made him think she was still damn near virginal, despite what she’d said at dinner.

  “Do whatever you want to me, Aria,” he said softly. “I’m yours, and you’re mine. I can promise that I’ll enjoy whatever you have in mind. I’ve wanted you for so damn long.”

  His words seemed to embolden her, and she skimmed his hard cock, making it jerk in response. When she tugged at the waistband, he lifted his hips and let her remove the boxers. She seemed to have a permanent blush on her cheeks as she studied his body. It was damn hard to hold still, but he was determined to give her whatever she needed, and it likely wasn’t him tossing her on the bed and having his way with her.

  Slowly, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his shaft, giving it an experimental stroke. He groaned at the feel of her silky hand on his skin. Aria slid off the bed, onto her knees. His head jerked up, his eyes wide, as he wondered if she was about to do what he thought she was. Aria licked her lips, her focus solely on his cock, and before he could utter a word of protest, she wrapped her lips around him and stroked his shaft with her tongue.

  Lucas nearly ground his teeth to dust to keep from shouting and startling her. Her mouth felt like heaven as she sucked and licked, bringing him close to the edge. His control nearly snapped when she deep throated him, and with a growl, he pulled away from her. Aria looked surprised when he reached for her, rolling her beneath him.

  “You deserve the world and then some, but I don’t think I have enough control left for that,” he said.

  “Just make me yours, Lucas. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  He helped her out of her bra and panties, taking in her beauty. As much as he wanted to bury himself in her, Lucas took a breath and kissed and caressed Aria from her toes to her lips. The curls between her legs were damp with her arousal and he vowed to make love to her properly, after the claiming was over. His wolf was fighting for control already, and he knew he didn’t have much time before the beast would win.

  “I’ll try to go slow,” he told her, but she shook her head.

  “Don’t hold back.”

  With a growl he thrust deep, feeling her silken walls close around him. It was heaven and hell as he thrust into her sweet body, a joining, unlike anything he’d experienced before. As his wolf rose inside, his fangs lengthened and dented his lower lip. Aria kissed him hard before turning her head.

  “Do it,” she said.

  He snarled as he fought his beast for control, and bit into her shoulder. She cried out, and he hated that he’d caused her pain, but as the tang of her blood hit his tongue, he felt her body tighten. Aria called out his name as she milked his cock dry, both of them coming together in a magical moment that he wanted to last forever.

  His hips stilled against hers and then he tossed back his head and howled. Scrambling off Aria, he’d barely hit the floor before his wolf took over. White fur sprouted along his limbs and then his body contorted into that of his beast. He howled again once the transformation was complete.

  Aria beckoned to him, and Lucas bounded onto the bed. He sniffed every inch of her, giving her soft licks here and there. Her fingers brushed along his fur, making him shiver in delight. The beast was thrilled that their mate accepted both his wolf and human forms.

  He finished exploring her body, and she twitched and trembled before shifting into her rabbit form. Despite his wolf-y tendency to give chase to anything small and fluffy, he nuzzled the rabbit and gave it a lick. Aria hopped off the bed and went racing around the room before coming back to him.

  They shifted together and fell onto the bed. Lucas wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss over the bite he’d given her.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said.

  “It only hurt for a second, then it felt really good.” Her cheeks flushed. “But I guess you knew that already.”

  “I love you, Aria, and I’m so glad you’re my mate.”

  “I love you too. Always have and always will.” She smiled. “Thank you for claiming me, Lucas. I know you probably wanted a bonding ceremony, or even a wedding, but I think tonight was absolutely perfect.”

  “Every night with you will be perfect,” he said, kissing her softly.

  He’d always known that claiming Aria would make him feel complete, but he hadn’t been prepared for the emotions that came with it. He felt full to bursting and hoped that every day would be just as intense as this one. But first, he had to make sure she was safe.

  Chapter Six

  Aria spent the next three days in a state of bliss. And then disaster struck. As Aria left the apartment and went down the stairs, two strong arms wrapped around her and jerked her off her feet as the man backed into the bushes. Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth.

  “Don’t even think of screaming,” her uncle whispered in her ear. “Nod, if you understand.”

  She nodded her head, and he released her mouth.

  “How did you find me?” she asked, fear snaking down her spine. A quick look around showed they were alone. Of all the times for the wolves to not hang out around the complex.

  “We traced the phone records when you disappeared. It
wasn’t hard to find you once I got to town. It’s amazing what shifters will talk about to a complete stranger.”

  Gabriel would be furious that his own pack ratted her out. They’d known someone was after her, that she needed protection, so why had someone run their mouth? She hadn’t made any enemies that she knew of. She’d barely even met anyone in the pack. The last few days she’d been holed up in the apartment with Lucas, but he’d gone back to work today, thinking the danger was over. She hoped he didn’t take it hard when she disappeared.

  “Did you come alone?” she asked.

  He snorted. “My faithless pack turned me over to the council, but I slipped away before they could grab me. I had to steal a damn car to get here, just so they wouldn’t find me right away. Fuckers probably put a tracker on mine.”

  If the council was looking for him, then maybe they had notified the alpha about the situation. She looked around again, hoping someone was going to come to her aid, but the area was still empty. It was only a matter of time before she would be missed, and yet, she hoped her uncle would drag her off somewhere else. Autumn was coming to pick her up, and Aria could only imagine what her uncle would do to the pregnant alpha’s mate.

  “If we’re going somewhere, we’d better go,” she said. “This area won’t be empty for long.”

  His grip tightened on her. “You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? I bet there’s someone watching from a window, waiting to see if you make it to the parking lot. You were meeting someone. Tell me who the fuck you’re meeting!”

  “No one!” She gasped when he nearly bruised her arms with his iron grip. “I swear! I was just going for a walk.”

  “Then let’s start walking. Just remember, if you shift and run, I can catch you. And wolves love the taste of rabbit in the morning.”

  She swallowed down her fear and nodded her understanding. When he released her, she slowly walked out of the bushes and started across the parking lot. She wanted to put as much distance between the apartment and them as possible before Autumn arrived. Her uncle was close behind her, his presence dark and threatening. Aria saw Autumn’s SUV turn into the parking lot and prayed she would stay in her car, or better yet, just keep driving.

  The SUV slowed, and she glanced over, making eye contact with Autumn. She hoped the shifter caught on that it was best to run. When Autumn kept driving, Aria breathed a sigh of relief. Not only was the alpha’s mate and unborn child safe, but maybe she would send help.

  They cleared the parking lot and started down the sidewalk. She didn’t have any idea where to go. Her uncle didn’t seem to care, as long as they kept moving. She knew she was on borrowed time though. Either someone would come to her rescue, or her uncle would get tired of playing games and just outright kill her. He wouldn’t care that they were out in the open. The council was after him, so there was no place for him to hide. He’d signed his death sentence; it was just a matter of when it would be carried out.

  There were a series of growls closing in on them. Her uncle tensed and looked around, a wild look in his eyes. While he was preoccupied, Aria shifted. She kicked and thrashed to untangle herself from her clothes and made a run for the nearby shrubbery. She scurried under a bush as she heard the howls of wolves getting closer. If any humans were nearby, the pack was going to have a lot of explaining to do. Unless they knew of the pack’s existence. Some towns knew of the supernatural, and others still lived in ignorance. She’d never thought to ask which category Ashton Grove fell into.

  There was a yelp and more snarling. Aria inched closer to the edge of the bush and peeked out between the leafy branches. Her uncle had shifted, but the pack had him pinned. He wasn’t going down without a fight though, as he latched onto the leg on one of the pack members, drawing blood and making the wolf howl in protest.

  Aria hopped out of her shelter and approached the pack. She dashed into the fray, ducking under the wolves and chomping down on her uncle’s ear with her sharp teeth. He howled and thrashed, knocking her loose, but she took a chunk of his ear with her. She spat it out and dove back in for another go at him. A large black wolf pinned him to the ground and Aria did her best to scratch his eyes.

  Two hands reached out and plucked her out of the skirmish, cradling her close to an impressive chest. She snuggled closer, recognizing the scent of her mate, and hoping a few bunny snuggles might keep him from getting angry with her. She knew Lucas well enough to know that he’d want her safe and out of harm’s way, not joining in the fight, especially in her tiny animal form. He kissed the top of her head and started carrying her back toward the apartments. She heard the alphas’ booming voices as Lucas muttered something about brave ass rabbits who didn’t know when to quit.

  At the apartment, he pushed open the door and set her on the floor, then slammed the door and planted his hands on his hips.

  “Shift,” he commanded.

  She twitched her nose at him before shimmering back to her human form. She licked her lips and wondered if there was anything she could say to take the anger out of his gaze. Even being naked didn’t seem to distract him.

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Anyone could have bitten you accidentally, or your uncle could have latched his jaws around your furry little ass and killed you.”

  “I’m fine, Lucas. I needed to help bring him down. Don’t you understand? After everything I’ve been through, it was my fight. I might not have been able to handle it on my own, but I needed to get in my shots where I could.”

  He sighed and stared at the ceiling as if asking for divine intervention.

  “Lucas, you know I’m a fighter. I’ve never backed down from a challenge, even once, in my entire life. Did you really think I would just meekly hide and let everyone else fight my battle for me?”

  “I could hope. I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d lost you, Aria. You’re lucky Autumn called the wolves who live here before calling Gabriel and then me. She saved your life.”

  “And I will thank her. I was careful, Lucas. You know I wouldn’t have done something to put myself in danger. I had five wolves out there ready to defend me. Do you really think they were going to let something happen to me?”

  The fight seemed to go out of him and he shook his head. “It doesn’t stop me from worrying. You should get cleaned up. I’ll see if someone will bring your clothes back from wherever you left them.”

  “Thank you.” She stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss against his cheek before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. And her toothbrush. She could still taste her uncle’s blood in her mouth.

  After she was cleaned up and dressed, she found Lucas sitting on the couch watching TV. She snuggled next to him and put her head on his shoulder. His arm came around her and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he breathed a sigh, probably from relief that she was in one piece. She wanted to ask what was being done about her uncle, but she didn’t want to remind him that she’d taken part in the fight.

  “You know you want to ask,” he said.

  Damn it. He knew her too well.

  “All right. What’s being done with my uncle?”

  “Gabriel and Connor called the council and have permission to do with him as they see fit. The sorcerer has been called in. Stripping him of his ability to shift won’t be enough. He’s a nasty, vile man, and not being able to change into a wolf isn’t going to fix that. They may do a complete mental wipe, or they may decide to put him to death. Will that bother you?”

  She shook her head. Honestly, knowing he was gone for good would make her rest easy. Did that make her a horrible person? She knew the kind of evil that lived in her uncle’s heart, and she worried that even a mental wipe wouldn’t be enough to change him. Eventually, he would either start to remember, or his true nature would come out, and he’d end up hurting someone else. She didn’t want anyone to ever live through what she’d been through over the last few years.

  “He needs to die,” she said. “It’s the only way
to stop him for good.”

  “It’s not our call, Aria. I’m sure the alphas will do what they think is best for everyone. We’ll just have to live with their decision.”

  “Call Gabriel,” she said. “I want to talk to him.”

  Lucas didn’t look happy with her demand, but he pulled out his cell phone and made the call, handing the phone to her when it started to ring.

  “Lucas?” Gabriel asked when he answered.

  “It’s Aria. I know you have my uncle and you’re deciding his fate.”

  “We’re wrapping things up now.”

  “He needs to die,” she said. “I know him better than anyone, and even if you wipe his memories, the evil that lives inside him will come out again, and he’ll end up hurting someone. You can’t change him, no matter what you do. You can take away his ability to shift, and his memories, but the evilness in his heart will still find a way out at some point.”

  Gabriel was quiet for a moment. “You’re sure that’s what you want?”

  “Yes. I’m not saying it because I want revenge. I’m telling you to kill him because it’s what’s best for everyone. Wolves, humans, and anything in between. No one is safe as long as my uncle draws breath.”

  “Then it will be done.”

  She thanked the alpha and hung up the phone, passing it back to Lucas.

  “So, what does a bunny shifter do after the bad guy is caught and she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore?” Lucas asked.

  Aria grinned a little and slid her gaze his way. “She tries really hard to get knocked up by her super sexy mate.”

  Lucas nearly choked on a laugh. “You want a baby?”

  She swung her leg across his lap and pressed her lips to his. “No, I want lots of babies…but one at a time would be ideal.”

  He looked a little startled. “Just how many can you have at one time?”

  “Three or four, but Mom only ever had me.”

  “Four?” His eyes went wide. “We need a bigger place.”