SECRETS OF A SILVER MOON: RISE OF THE ARKANSAS WEREWOLVES

by Jodi Vaughn

  “What? Surely she’s not getting… you know.” He shifted in his seat, his eyes suddenly focused on the scene on the screen.

  She giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You are. You have to know she’s getting some. Or will be later tonight.”“Nope. I definitely don’t think Granny will be getting…anything.” Shit. Now he had that image stuck in his head.

  “Wrong. Number one, it’s Valentine’s Day. Number two, she’s a werewolf. I don’t think just because you get old you lose your sex drive.” She popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth.

  “Can we stop talking about Granny’s sex drive and just watch the movie?” He felt a little sick to his stomach.

  She leaned over, pressed her lips to his neck and sucked, sending a delicious shiver through his stomach.

  “Sure, if that’s what you want to do,” she purred. “You sit there and relax. You’re too tense. I know something that will make you feel better.”

  Her hand moved up his inner thigh. When she reached his crotch, she cupped him.

  He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. His body warmed under her teasing touch.

  “Catty, what are you doing?” He wrapped his hand around her neck and cupped her cheek with the other, forcing her to look at him.

  “Just giving you a preview of what will happen once we get home.” She pressed her lips to his.

  Lust surged through his body and he opened his mouth deepening the kiss. “Let’s go home now.”

  “Not now. We haven’t seen the movie.” She pouted.

  “Well, you’re making it hard to watch the movie with your hand on my dick,” he growled.

  Several shushes from people in front of them had him thinking of standing up, throwing her over his shoulder, and getting the hell home so he could make love to her all fucking night.

  “Sorry, maybe this will be better.” She flicked his button open and shoved her hand down his jeans. Her hand wrapped around his cock and he gritted his teeth against the pleasure.

  “Catty,” he warned.

  “Shush,” she murmured against his ear. She laid her head on his shoulder and worked her hand up and down his hard length. “Just relax and let me play a little bit.”

  He white knuckled the armrests and panted with each torturous stroke of her warm hand. They were only a few feet away from couples that had no idea what she was doing to his body. They only had to turn around in their seats to see her jacking him off in public.

  “Does that feel good?” she whispered in his ear and flicked her tongue along his neck.

  Shivers shot through his stomach, fueling his desire.

  He reached over and palmed her breast through her sweater, but she pulled out of his reach.

  “Let me touch you,” he whispered against her mouth.

  “No. Not yet. I want to see you come. Right here in front of everyone.” She nibbled on his earlobe and nearly had him bouncing in the seat.

  “You’re so going to be in trouble when we get home.” He managed to get the words out between pants and the white noise buzzing in his ears.

  “You better make good on that promise.” She laughed. “But right now I want you to come for me.”

  “Fuck.” The combination of her talented hand, the taboo experience of pubic sex and her dirty words had him thrusting hard against her palm. Pleasure streaked out low in his stomach as he came, stifling a growl that nearly undid him.

  She tightened her grip as he came in her hand, bucking his hips and spilling his seed.

  When he was done he slumped boneless in his seat.

  She grinned and grabbed some napkins and cleaned them both up.

  “That was just a warm up.” She gave him a quick kiss. “For what’s ahead tonight.”

  “Catty.” He cupped her face. Despite the dark theater he stared into her eyes. “I love you.”She smiled and nuzzled his hands. “I love you too.”

  “I want to be with you forever.”

  Surprise flickered through her eyes. “Forever? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, there is no other female for me.”

  “You have me for life, Lucien. I’m forever yours.” She leaned in and kissed him long and deep. “So I guess we need to tell Barrett that we are going to be mated.”

  He grinned. Joy and love filled his chest. “Absofuckinglutely.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Robert glanced at the modest house on the quiet street. Granny pulled into the driveway, killed the engine and tugged the key out of the ignition.

  “We’re here.” She gave him a smile.

  “Yes, we are.” His mind was already at work, on how he could take her out silently and quickly. He could take her down before she got her door open, but some neighbor might see. No, it would be best to do this once they were inside and away from potential prying eyes. Then he’d grab the car keys and make his way into Missouri. Once there, he would be home free.

  He grabbed the umbrella and went around to her side of the door. The rain was now only a drizzle, but he knew how old women were about their hair.

  They walked silently to the front door illuminated by small porch lights. He surveyed the distance from her house to the closest neighbor. It was an older neighborhood and the houses were fairly spread apart from each other. There was a security light at the end of the cul-de-sac and he noticed she didn’t have any motion sensor lights. That was a plus.

  He didn’t see a security sign or cameras so it was a good possibility she didn’t have an alarm system.

  It couldn’t have been a more perfect set-up for a criminal.

  “I hope you like Wild Turkey. It’s the only hard liquor I keep in the house. My late husband was a fan of the stuff so I keep it on hand for company.”

  “Sounds good.” He followed her into the house.

  He shut the door, turned the lock. And smiled.

  He turned around ready to grab her by the neck, but she was gone.

  “I’ve got some leftover pot roast. Since we didn’t get to eat, how about we have some of that?”

  “I’m not really …”

  “I’ve also got some potato salad, green beans and corn.”

  He tapped his hand on his pants, irritation flaring in his gut. The need to make her shut the hell up was overwhelming.

  Anger and rage boiled inside his veins and he stalked to the kitchen. This old bat was going to be sorry she ever ran across him.

  “Oh, well look at that.” Her eyes widened.

  He followed her voice into the dining room ready to overpower her.

  “What?” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “I got a new shipment in. I guess Jayden saw the package by the front door and set it inside so no one would steal it.” She looked at him and shook her head. “You would be surprised how many people tell me my business is immoral and corrupt. Some have told me it’s against the law.” She snorted. “But it sure doesn’t stop them from stealing my shipment right off my front porch. Bunch of hypocrites. That’s what they are.” She shook her head in disgust. “The world isn’t a safe place anymore.”

  “What’s in the box?” If people were stealing it off her front porch it must be worth a lot of money.

  “Oh, well…” She gave him a shaky smile. “I’m afraid I’ve said too much. I like to keep my business ventures private. If you’ll excuse me I’ll just go warm up the leftovers.”

  “Of course.” He watched as she walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen. His smile fell the second she was out of sight.

  “She’s acting very strange. Maybe the old bird is doing something illegal. Drugs maybe.” He listened to make sure she wasn’t coming back before easing closer to the box. The large box sat on the middle of the table. He glanced at the return address. It was shipped from Miami, Florida, but there was no return name.

  Odd. And very nondescript.

  Drugs were pouring in from Florida all the time. Drugs would fit.

  He opened the drawer o
n the buffet and found a butter knife. He quietly eased the drawer shut and turned his attention back to the mystery box.

  He carefully slid the knife under the tape and cut the box free. He set the knife down and pulled the top open. He frowned at the enormous amount of tissue paper stacked on top.

  “What are you doing?”

  He spun around at the sound of Granny’s voice.

  Her eyes were wide and she swallowed nervously. Apparently whatever was in the box was not meant for his eyes.

  “My dear, forgive me. I couldn’t help myself. It seems you have some secrets and there’s no way to start a relationship off on secrets,” he said softly.

  Her eyes widened and she uncrossed her arms. “Yes, well, my secrets are my own. And I don’t know you well enough to be telling you my business. I mean I’ve not really asked any questions about your business.”

  “Sales. I’m in sales,” he reminded gently. “I’m not judging you. I have my own secrets as well. The world would be a boring place if we didn’t have a little secret or two to hide.” He arched his brow.

  She snorted and a small grin crept across her lips.

  It worked.

  “I suppose you’re right.” She laughed a little.

  “How about I go first?” He sat down at the dining room table and pulled out a chair for her to join him. “I’m in sales. A lot of people look down on what I do, but it’s work and it’s making me a great deal of money.”

  Her face lit up and she reached over and touched his hand. “My word. You just took the words right out of my mouth. You have no idea the persecution I’ve gotten over my line of work. Even family members are horrified.” She shook her head. “You would think your own family would support your dreams of making money instead of acting like you’re selling your soul to the devil.”

  “We are both adults and there is nothing wrong with creating an empire. If people want to talk then I say they’re jealous.” He shrugged.

  “Walter, you are like a breath of fresh air. You really understand where I’m coming from.”

  “Oh yes, my dear. And I’d love for you to be comfortable enough to feel like you can tell me anything. I promise not to judge.” He took her hand and lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

  “Oh my.” She took her hand and pressed it in the middle of her sagging chest.

  He grinned. “Trust me.”

  ***

  Granny’s heart sped up and her lady parts gave a little tingle.

  She sure wasn’t expecting that. She’d thought her lady parts had been closed to the public for decades.

  Maybe this was fate’s way of bringing some excitement back into her life after all these years.

  Never one to back down from an exciting challenge, she decided to go with her hormones, or what few hormones she had left.

  She eased up from the table and stood. He frowned and stood, seeming unsure of what she was about to do.

  “You’re right. Relationships can’t be founded on secrets. Give me a few more minutes and I’ll be right back and I’ll show you everything.” She gave a nod.

  “I’ll be waiting on pins and needles.” Walter’s smile grew and something, probably excitement, twinkled in his eye.

  Poor thing. She bet he had no family and had no one to talk to. She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring. But she knew that tonight she was going to walk on the wild side and let her hair down. Tonight was all about what she wanted.

  She hurried down the hallway to her bedroom and closed the door. She flung open her closet and pulled out several boxes. She wanted to make sure that Walter understood clearly what she did for a living. And he was right, secrets would kill a relationship. She opened a box and fished around inside until she found what she was looking for.

  She smiled, stood and began changing clothes.

  When she was done, she stood in front of the mirror and eyed her work.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The hair on the back of Barrett’s neck stood on end and his gut twisted. Something was off, something was way fucking off.

  He’d had this uneasy feeling for about an hour now and it had only gotten stronger with each passing minute.

  Trouble was near. He could almost taste it.

  He picked up the phone to text his Guardians when Jayden burst through the door without knocking.

  He wasn’t alone.

  “You didn’t knock,” Barrett growled at the drenched Guardian. It had been storming for hours and hadn’t let up. He dragged his gaze to the civilian werewolf standing beside him.

  “This is Walter Meadows. And he has something very interesting to tell you.” Jayden swiped the rain off his face and nodded at the older man to talk.

  Walter was in his early to mid-sixties, if Barrett had to guess. His salt-and-pepper hair gave him a distinguished look while his eyes remained pensive.

  “Your highness.” The guy bowed and then nervously looked up. “Or should I call you my Master of Arkansas? I’ve never met a Pack Master of a state before.”

  Barrett cringed. “Barrett will suffice.” He was a wolf, not a lion, and he sure as fuck wasn’t the king of anything.

  He glared at Jayden. “Jayden this is highly irregular for you to bring civilian werewolves into my office.”

  “I know, but you’re going to want to hear what he has to say.” Jayden crossed his arms over his chest and cut his eyes at Walter.

  Barrett dragged his gaze back to the middle-aged Were.

  “Yes, well, you see my car was stolen.”

  “Then you should probably go to the police. We don’t monitor things like that here.” He shook his head and walked around his desk to his chair.

  “It was stolen by that criminal on the loose you’re looking for.” His eyes got wide.

  “Robert Waldon?” Barrett froze midway to taking a seat and stared. “How do you know it was him?”

  “Well, you see I was at the gas station gassing up my car. I had a date tonight. First date in twenty years. Was going to meet her at a restaurant here in Little Rock…”

  “Can you get to the point faster?” Barrett leaned over his desk and glared.

  “Well, I went inside to talk to the attendant. The card reader wouldn’t accept my card. Anyway, and I passed this fellow. Gave me a weird feeling. Had soulless eyes. He was a Were too. Anyway, when I came out he was driving away in my car.”

  Barrett narrowed his eyes and opened the file on his desk. “Could you identify him if I showed you a picture?”

  “I think so.” He nodded eagerly.

  Barrett pulled a photo of the suspect out of the file and held it out. “Is that him?”

  “Yep. That’s him all right.” He glared at the picture like he wanted to rip it into a thousand pieces. “My nice cream-colored striped jacket was in that car along with my wallet.”

  “So he’s headed in this direction.” Jayden looked at him.

  “He’s going to hit Little Rock and then go up to Missouri.” Barrett nodded. “Thanks for the info. I’ll be sure you’re compensated for your loss.”

  “What about my date? I haven’t had a date in twenty years. I finally found the woman of my dreams and now she thinks I stood her up.” He looked at the floor and shook his head, his expression one of despair.

  “There’s a lot of fish in the sea,” Jayden assured him.

  “Not like this fish. She was different.” His eyes glazed over. “I even saved her picture off that dating site just so I could stare at her.” He brightened and pulled out his phone. “Want to see a picture?” He looked at Barrett.

  “Not really.” He picked up his phone and dialed Damon’s number. Robert was probably in Little Rock by now.

  “But she’s a beauty,” Walter insisted.

  “Hello?” Damon answered.

  “Robert’s been spotted. He’s stolen a car and was last seen headed towards Little Rock. You need to get out on patrol and start searching.” Barrett looked at Walter. “What’
s your license plate and the make and model of your car?”

  Walter rattled off the information and Barrett repeated it back to Damon. “Start searching for that car. It could be anywhere.”

  ‘Well, not exactly,” Walter said softly.

  “What do you mean?” Barrett cut his eyes at the civilian Were.

  “I only had one fourth tank of gas when I pulled into the gas station. I never got to fill it up. I took my debit card with me and I only had a few dollars in my wallet. Not enough to fill his tank up. He wouldn’t make it to the city limits of Little Rock before he runs out of gas.”

  “Damon, I want you to patrol the outskirts of Little Rock coming in from the east. He might not have made it to the city. He probably ran out of gas. If that’s the case then he’s on the run, on foot until he finds a victim who has a car.”

  “Got it. We were done eating anyway.” Damon hesitated. “There’s something else… never mind.”

  “What? If there’s something you need to say, spit it out.” He didn’t have time for games. Time was of the essence.

  “Just something weird,” Damon said.

  “Weird? What do you mean?”

  “Well, Granny. She came into the restaurant,” Damon said.

  “So?” He rubbed his temple.

  “She came in with a date. Dude was an older Were, looked jumpy.”

  “Well, he was on a date with Granny so…”

  “Something was off,” Damon finally said. “He was wearing pants and a jacket that didn’t match. In fact the jacket was the wrong size.”

  “So what…” Barrett cut his eyes at Walter and dropped his gaze to his pants. His gut twisted. “Was his jacket a cream color with a stripe?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “Because I’m standing in front of the guy he stole it from.” His gut twisted and anger boiled over into his chest. “Listen, when I hang up I’m going to text you a picture. Tell me if it’s the same guy Granny was with.”

  “You got it.” Damon cut the call.

  “What about Granny?” Jayden edged near the desk. “Barrett, what is it?”

  “Give me two seconds.” He held up his hand. He snapped a picture of Robert Waldon and sent the text to Damon.