Moonlight Kin: A Wolf's Tale

by Summers, Jordan

  Twice Madie came upon fresh wolf tracks in the snow, only to brush them away with her heavy winter boots before her father could descend upon her. At least on those nights, the poor defenseless animals they’d been tracking had escaped death. Madie cherished those rare victories.

  Sadly, there were no wolves left now.

  Sarah nudged her. “Maybe he’d stop trying to set you up, if you met someone and told him that you were serious. Someone like Damon Laroche,” she said.

  “Doubtful,” Madie said. “Gaston is pretty insistent.” It took her a moment to realize that Sarah was staring at something behind her.

  An ominous hush fell over the tavern. Madie followed Sarah’s gaze.

  In the doorway stood Damon Laroche.

  And he was staring right at her.

  Chapter Six

  “Speak of the devil. If you don’t want him, I’ll be more than happy to take Damon off your hands.” Sarah smoothed her long, dark locks and applied a fresh layer of red lipstick.

  Madie leaned back into the shadows, her heart slamming against her ribs. What was he doing here? It made her angry that Damon had such an effect on her. She didn’t need any complications while she tried to figure a way to out-maneuver Gaston. Damon Laroche might as well have complicated tattooed on his forehead.

  Act upon your urges. The little voice inside her head taunted. What’s the worst that could happen?

  “A lot!” she said, knowing it was the truth.

  “Did you say something?” Sarah glanced her way, then back at the throng, not waiting for an answer. Her elfin-like face twisted into a scowl. “I’ve lost Damon in the crowd. No wait, there he is.”

  Was it too much to hope that he was here to meet someone and would leave them alone?

  Sarah straightened in her seat. “I think I’m going to ask him out...unless you want him.”

  Want him? “What? I don’t want Damon Laroche. Why would you say that?” Madie’s voice quivered as she lied and her stomach churned. If Sarah asked Damon out, there was no doubt that he’d say yes. Men didn’t turn Sarah down. Ever.

  “Wild guess.” Sarah teased, holding a note of challenge in her voice.

  Madie said nothing. Instead, she seethed inside. She clutched her hands together under the table as she fought the urge to reach over and strangle her best friend.

  “Last chance,” Sarah said. “Just admit that you like him.”

  “Sarah, this is crazy,” Madie said. “I don’t even know him.”

  “If wanting Damon Laroche is crazy, then call me crazy with a capital ‘C’.” Sarah made the symbol of a ‘c’ with her fingers for added drama.

  If Sarah went out with Damon, it would be only once—like all the other men Sarah dated. Just long enough to...Madie sighed. She didn’t want to think about what they’d do once they were alone.

  Her stomach continued to gnaw at her insides until she felt physically ill. Madie realized once again that she was jealous.

  “I knew it!” Sarah exclaimed. “You do have a crush on him. I can tell by the grimace on your face. You look like you sucked on a lemon.”

  “Do not,” Madie said defensively.

  ***

  Damon knew he’d find Madeleine here. He’d parked his SUV near her home and followed her sweet scent past the coffee shop, all the way to the old pub door. He’d been so wrapped up in her aroma that he almost missed the faint odor of werewolf lingering in the air.

  He fought hard to identify the wolf, but he was too late. Whoever had been there was long gone now. The mixture of cloying perfume, cigar smoke, and stale beer had effectively diluted the scent.

  Had to be one of the pack since strays had to come to him to enter their territory.

  Since there were no laws against Moonlight Kin hanging out in pubs, Damon dismissed the appearance as unimportant. The door burned his hand, thanks to the wolfbane in the stained glass.

  Everyone stopped talking the second he stepped inside. The hair on the scruff of his neck rose as his wolf sensed the danger. On the outside, he remained calm, but in a glance he managed to take in the whole room.

  One of the women he sought was seated toward the back in a booth. He didn’t immediately spot Madeleine, but he knew she had to be nearby, perhaps hiding in the shadows. Damon couldn’t decide if she was behaving more like a hunter or like prey.

  He ignored the curious glances darting his way and moved farther into the pub. Rumors of dark magik and monsters had surrounded the pack ever since they’d settled in the area a few hundred years ago. Damon was amused by the superstition given New England’s history with witches. Of course none of the rumors were true.

  The Moonlight Kin weren’t monsters. They were a separate species. Fortunately, they appeared human enough to blend in…most of the time. As for dark magik, the pack wouldn’t know the first thing about spells, other than to leave them alone.

  The dark-haired woman he’d seen talking to Madeleine in class continued to stare at him. Damon had seen that look on women’s faces many times. In his younger years, he would’ve taken her up on the unspoken offer, but not anymore. Fortunately, the look did give him one thing—an open invitation. All he had to do was smile and he’d be welcome at their table.

  Humans truly had no sense of self-preservation.

  Werewomen knew better than to blatantly flirt with him like the brunette was doing. The women in his pack accepted him for what he was: aggressive, sexual, dominant—Alpha. They wouldn’t dare tease him, knowing that such a deliberate act could challenge the wolf inside him to come out and mount them.

  Damon looked at the brunette and grinned, then slowly made his way across the crowded room.

  ***

  Sarah started to rise to go find Damon, but stopped midway.

  Madie watched Sarah’s expression abruptly change to one of surprise. “What’s wrong?”

  She straightened out her clothes. “Do I look okay?”

  “Why?” Madie asked.

  “Because I think he’s coming over here.” Sarah looked at her and winked. “May the right woman win.”

  They both knew who that would be. Madie slumped, wishing the cushions in the booth would open their stuffing-filled mouths and devour her.

  She peered into the crowd. Sure enough, Damon made his way toward them. Madie’s stomach somersaulted as she tried to think rationally. Was it too late to run? She could always tell them she needed to use the restroom and then slip out the back door. Madie dismissed the idea as quickly it surfaced. She may be a lot of things, but she wasn’t a coward.

  Sarah hummed ‘The Wedding March,’ loud enough for the surrounding tables to hear. A few men raised their eyebrows and smiled encouragingly, hoping to catch her attention, but it was too late. She already had her eye on her next conquest. Madie doubted it would take long before Damon was groveling at Sarah’s feet like a dog wanting treats.

  Not that it mattered. Not that she cared.

  And she’d keep telling herself that until she believed it.

  ***

  Damon knew Madeleine registered his presence, but she feigned indifference. When he stopped in front of their booth, he could hear her heart jump. She continued to stare at the scratched up table as if she’d never seen one before. Madeleine wasn’t going to make this introduction easy, which was fine with Damon. He loved a good chase.

  Unduly pleased with himself, it took a moment for the treacherous thought to register. When it did, Damon stilled. What was he thinking? This wasn’t about a sexual chase.

  She was a human female, far inferior to her wolf counterpart. He was here to get information and gain her trust, nothing more—nothing less.

  “You were in class today, weren’t you?” he asked the dark-haired woman, while applying just the right amount of shyness, a tactic he knew from experience made human females fawn.

  “Yes,” she gushed, obviously pleased that he remembered.

  “I’m Damon Laroche.” He stuck out his hand to shake hers.

>   “My name is Sarah Ann Gilbert,” she said coyly, then quickly shook his hand. She flipped her long raven hair over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes. The move looked practiced and well used. “And this is Madie Valois.” Sarah waved a delicate hand toward his prey.

  “A pleasure to meet you.” Damon smiled at Sarah. He only spared Madeleine a quick glance. He didn’t want her to know that he recognized her last name. For now, it was better that she thought he was interested in her friend. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all.” Sarah made a big show of scooting over.

  Madeleine made no effort to move.

  Damon sat down beside Madeleine, almost landing in her lap. She let out a surprised yelp as he scooted into the booth, forcing her over. He settled his hard thigh against her leg, before dropping his jacket next to Sarah.

  Madeleine shot him a frosty look, then slid farther away until she was pinned against the wall. She rubbed her leg where he’d accidentally touched as if that could somehow wipe him off her clothing. Her fingers continued to worry the spot, but he pretended not to notice.

  Her general disregard of his charms certainly gave her the appearance of an Alpha female, but not her other behavior. Alpha’s never cowered. And they definitely didn’t back down when challenged in any way.

  None of this made sense.

  “Were you in the art class today, too?” he asked.

  From her stunned expression it was obvious that the question had shocked her. “You looked right at me,” Madeleine said in a strangled voice.

  “Really?” He shrugged. “Hmm, I don’t remember seeing you.”

  For a second, Madeleine allowed the surprise and disappointment to show on her face. She shot Sarah a quick look of disbelief, before carefully blanking her expression. A rich shade of pink rose up her neck and her jaw firmed. As he watched, Madeleine’s shoulders drooped and she caved in upon herself, diminishing her size and her presence.

  Damon had hoped his question would rattle her. Tweak her temper. Instead, she’d deflated before his eyes. He hadn’t expected her to react so…out of character. She was the Hunter. Confident. Strong. Fearless. What was going on? He inhaled. The sweet scent of excitement that had been there only moments before had soured in defeat.

  For some reason her reaction disturbed him deeply. He wanted the fire back that he’d sensed in class, not the false serenity and retreat. Damon gave Madeleine his best wolfish smile, one guaranteed to melt hearts and loosen inhibitions.

  Her brow furrowed and she looked away, studying the table once more.

  Maybe he wasn’t as charming as he’d thought.

  Chapter Seven

  The waitress paused at their table, delivering a pint of beer to Sarah and a mug of cocoa to Madie, who wondered if she’d left town to get their drinks given the time it had taken her.

  The woman leered over Damon for a few minutes, doing everything to catch his eye. When it became obvious that he wasn’t interested, the waitress took his wine order and walked away.

  “Hope you’re not thirsty,” Madie muttered.

  Damon laughed.

  “So, how long have you been a model?” Sarah lifted her pint and sipped the foam off the top of the drink.

  “Not long,” he said. “Modeling is only one of my many interests. How long have you ladies studied art?”

  Sarah swallowed the beer and delicately patted the side of her mouth with a paper napkin. “A couple of years. We graduate next Saturday, then it’s back to the real world. Right, Madie?”

  “Right.” Madie brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, trying to keep her discomfort from showing as she attempted to ignore the fact that Damon’s strong thigh continued to touch hers. The warmth was so distracting she barely kept track of the conversation. “I’m sure Mr. Laroche isn’t interested in our big plans for the future.”

  He inclined his head. “On the contrary, I’d love to hear more. I have a strong interest in art,” he paused, his voice lowering an octave, “among other things.” His eyes flicked to hers.

  An odd tingle skittered through Madie’s belly and she gripped her mug of cocoa tight. Damon was playing with her. She didn’t understand why, since he’d made it blatantly clear that he was interested in Sarah. Maybe he wanted to make her friend jealous or maybe he had dreams of a ménage. Either way, he needn’t have bothered.

  Sarah tucked one leg under her. “So tell us about your other interests.”

  Damon’s heated gaze locked onto Sarah’s face. Her eyes widened. For a moment, she appeared rattled, then Sarah gave him a secretive smile that Madie could’ve done without seeing.

  The waitress delivered Damon’s glass of wine in record time. Figures. He lifted the glass to Madie and Sarah in mock salute before taking a sip. He swallowed the wine and set his drink on the table. “As I mentioned, I have many interests, but mainly I deal in priceless art.”

  “You’re an art dealer?” Madie asked, incredulity filling her voice. She couldn’t help it. She hadn’t expected him to say that.

  “Collector and dealer, yes.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Sarah said. “Isn’t it Madie?” She kicked her under the table.

  Madie rubbed her shin. He had to be lying. No way was Damon Laroche an art collector. She’d have heard of him before. Madie had made a point of researching all the serious dealers and collectors in the area. “You don’t have a gallery in New Salford, so where do you keep your pieces?”

  Damon cocked an eyebrow.

  Madie back peddled. “If it’s not too personal a question.”

  “Mainly in my home.” He gave her a sexy smile that would’ve made any woman’s panties wet. “Would you be interested in seeing them?”

  “Me?” Madie pointed to herself to make sure she understood him correctly. She would give anything to see his private collection, but knew that going to Damon’s home was a bad idea…for many reasons. Not that she could think of any right now, but those reasons would come to her eventually.

  His earlier nakedness flitted through her mind. They were discussing art, not sex. Madie grimaced, shaking her head. She couldn’t even handle sitting next to him, much less spending time alone with him. Of course, he hadn’t said that they’d be alone. Maybe he was referring to them both? Asking for clarification would only emphasize her lack of sophistication. When in doubt, decline.

  “Sorry, I can’t,” Madie said. “Thanks for the offer though.”

  Damon shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  “I’d love to see your collection,” Sarah said.

  It was Madie’s turn to kick Sarah under the table. Her friend yelped, then scowled at her.

  “Drop by anytime.” Damon pulled out a business card and handed it to Sarah.

  “Oh my god!” Sarah’s eyes goggled. “You own the Mathis Collection?”

  “Yes,” he said modestly.

  Madie’s eyes widened in shock. Like all serious art students, she’d seen the Mathis Collection in books. It was famous because it contained all five paintings by Zachariah Colbert Harley Mathis, a nineteenth century impressionist, who’d been inspired by Monet’s works. The collection never toured and had only been glimpsed by a select group of art historians. To get invited for a private viewing was tantamount to receiving an invitation to visit the President of the United States.

  “He’s Madie’s favorite artist,” Sarah said. “Isn’t he, Madie?”

  “I wouldn’t call Zachariah Mathis my favorite, but his work is very nice.” Okay, so he was her favorite. Had been for years. Madie had no idea that the collection was housed in New Salford. Until a minute ago, the town’s biggest attraction and claim to fame had been a giant clamshell.

  Madie mentally kicked herself. She should’ve said yes, when Damon offered to let her see his art. Now she was going to miss out on being one of the few people in the world privileged enough to view the collection.

  She tried not to sulk over the fact that Sarah was going to get to see it without her. You�
��re the one who told him no, the little voice inside her taunted. It was probably for the best, she told herself.

  Damon was out of her depth both personally and professionally. She’d had her doubts when he posed nude in class, but his announcement about the collection alleviated them all. She was a newbie to the world of art and in life, eventually he’d figure that out and not want anything to do with her.

  Despite his down to earth persona, Damon was cultured, wealthy, and sophisticated. He was the type of man who’d eventually expect things. Perhaps not as a condition for seeing his collection, but definitely later. Things that Sarah was well versed in and that Madie only knew in theory. As long as she stepped back now, there was a chance she’d save face.

  ***

  There was no mistaking the longing in Madie’s eyes, when Sarah mentioned his collection. Damon had seen in clearly. Had he been in doubt at all, it was confirmed when he caught whiff of her scent. Madie brimmed with the sharply citrus aroma of excitement. The Mathis Collection was her favorite. She wanted to see the art, but pride prevented her from saying so.

  He considered inviting her again, but decided against it. Damon didn’t think it would take much to change her mind, but it was too soon to push the idea. He’d give Madie time to come around. Perhaps he’d drop into Berta’s Diner tomorrow. It would give her a night to think about it. Dwell on the fact.

  If that didn’t work, he could always plant the idea in Sarah’s mind. It was so open and pliable that it would take nothing to manipulate her thoughts. It didn’t hurt that she was willing to do just about anything to please him.

  He and Sarah talked personably for the next hour, exchanging bits of information about themselves. Madie added a few words here and there, but severely limited what she shared. Given her history, he wasn’t surprised.

  By the time Sarah finished chatting, Damon knew all about the gallery that Madie planned to someday open. The news surprised him, even with what he knew about her family. Had Gaston Valois changed that much over the years? He thought about his brother, Jacque. Not a chance. Madie was dreaming if she thought she could escape her destiny that easily.