The front door swung open and a pair of college-age guys staggered in. The blond seemed to be drunk already—or still drunk from the night before. His friend looked rough, with messy hair and a crumpled blue shirt, but at least he could walk straight.
“C’mon, man. Let’s go,” blue shirt said.
“Hold on. Hold on. I need another beer.” Blondie swaggered up to the bar. “Gimme a Coors Light.”
An amused smile lit on Chase’s lips. “We don’t serve Coors here.”
“Why the hell not?” He cut his gaze over to Macey and straightened his posture as if he just noticed she was there. “Hey there, sweetheart.” He moved behind her and rubbed her shoulders.
Not another one. She stiffened as his fingers kneaded her muscles, and when he started to glide his hands over her shoulders and onto her chest, she grabbed him by the wrist. In one swift movement, she pivoted around and wrenched his arm behind his back, pinning his head to the bar.
“Ow.”
Without loosening her grip, she leaned down to speak to him face-to-face. Her years on the police force had taught her to keep her voice calm and steady—a whisper was much more intimidating than a shout. “I just got off work, and I really don’t want to haul your drunk ass down to the station right now. So I’ll make you a deal. I’m going to let you go, you’re going to take your friend and walk out of this bar, and we’ll pretend like this never happened. Go back to your hotel room and sleep it off. Okay?”
Fear widened his eyes as his gaze darted about the room. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”
She released him, and he grabbed his friend and scurried to the door.
“Go to your hotel.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Hot damn.” Chase gave her a slow round of applause. Stephen gritted his teeth and glared at her as she settled onto a barstool.
“Impressive.” The bartender nodded his approval.
Macey shrugged. “Not really.” She’d dealt with worse. “Why don’t you serve Coors Light here? It’s pretty popular, isn’t it?”
Chase chuckled. “Because it’s also called the Silver Bullet.”
It took her a moment to catch on. “Oh…Wait. That’s a real thing? Can a silver bullet really kill a werewolf?”
“A silver bullet can kill anything if it hits the right spot.” Chase grabbed a rag and wiped the counter where the drunk guy had been pinned. “But no. That’s a myth. Silver doesn’t hurt werewolves.” He held up his right hand to show her a silver ring on his finger. “Not serving the beer is part of the so-called joke.” He nodded to the cardboard Employees and Werewolves Only sign on the door.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Of course it was a myth. She was almost afraid to ask her next question. “What about full moons?”
Chase smiled wistfully. “Our wolves are more powerful under a full moon, and the urge to shift is stronger. Lunar cycles affect us, but they don’t control us like the movies would have you believe.”
“I guess I’ve still got a lot to learn.”
“Oh, yeah.” Stephen grumbled as he lifted the hinged part of the bar and headed toward the back. Luke stepped through the swinging door as Stephen opened it. “I thought you said she’d be useful.” He shoved past Luke to get through the door.
Luke’s face lit up as soon as he looked at her, and he strutted forward to greet her. “Hello, beautiful.” He swept her in his arms and spun her around. “How was work?”
“Fine. What did he mean by useful?”
He shook his head. “Ignore my cousin. He has an inferiority complex.”
“He’s your cousin?” The two men looked nothing alike. Their personalities were even more different. How could Luke be related to a guy like that?
“Unfortunately.” He trailed the back of his fingers across her cheek and planted a firm yet inviting kiss on her lips. Her head swam with desire. She slid her hands behind his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. She couldn’t get enough of this man. His tongue brushed hers, and a shudder ran through her body, weakening her knees.
Chase cleared his throat.
Luke smiled. “Sorry, man. I can’t seem to keep my hands off her.” He turned his smoldering gaze back on her. “Ready to go?”
Boy, was she. But once they made it to his house, she’d lose the ability to think straight. “Before we leave, there’s something I need to tell you.”
A crooked smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good. It’s not going to be the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech already, is it?” He said it jokingly, but she detected a hint of apprehension in his voice.
She laced her fingers through his to ease his concern. “It’s nothing like that.” She glanced at Chase, who stared at the ceiling, doing a terrible job of pretending not to listen. “There’s a spirit that’s been bothering me.”
The bartender raised his eyebrows and looked at Luke.
“I thought you couldn’t talk to spirits.” Luke eased onto a barstool and tightened his grip on her hand.
“I can’t, normally. But this one talks to me.”
His jaw tightened, concern etching lines in his forehead. “Is it the same one from the woods? When that tree branch almost…”
“Yes. And I know who he is, but I can’t figure out how he’s connected to all this.”
A vein in his neck throbbed, and anxiety tightened his eyes. “Who is he?”
“Do you remember that body that went missing from the morgue?”
The men exchanged a knowing glance, and Luke nodded.
“It’s him. He’s been following me to the crime scenes, but I can’t figure out why. Or how he’s communicating with me…trying to get inside me. I can’t talk to spirits.”
He took a deep breath. “He’s not just a spirit. He’s a halfling.”
“What’s that?”
“Half human, half demon. He should’ve reincarnated into that missing body, but he’s chosen to stay in spirit form instead.”
“Well, that explains a lot.” The werewolves hadn’t accidentally killed a human criminal. They’d killed a monster.
“Are you certain it’s the same guy from the morgue?”
She nodded. “I saw his face when he got inside my head. Right before I forced him out.”
Anger flashed in his eyes before he softened his gaze. “Don’t worry, beautiful. I won’t let him hurt you.” He traced his fingers across her forehead and kissed her cheek. “I will keep you safe. Always.”
While the gesture was sweet, she certainly didn’t need coddling. “I’m not worried. He only got inside me once, and I know how to keep him out now.”
“Still. Just know that I’m here…that we’re all here…” He glanced at the bartender. “To protect you.”
Chase chuckled under his breath. “Like she needs it.”
Luke ignored his friend’s comment and wrapped his arms around her. “You’ve had a long night working. Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll take you to bed.”
Her heart pounded at the thought, and she slid her arms around his waist. “Okay, but I do need to sleep sometime today.”
“Oh, I know.” He nuzzled her neck, his teeth lightly grazing her skin and sending goose bumps running down her arm. “And I promise I’ll let you.” He moved to the other side of her neck and trailed his tongue up to her earlobe. His breath warmed her skin, raising goose bumps on the other arm. “After I have my way with you.”
“Here we are.” Luke led Macey through the door and into the living room. “It’s not much when you see it in the daylight, is it?”
She smiled as her gaze danced about the room. “It’s nice. Cozy.”
An empty beer bottle sat next to a crumpled chip bag on the coffee table, and he whisked them away to the trash. “Sorry about the mess.”
“It’s not messy.”
She was right. That was the only piece of trash lying out, but he straightened the pillows on the couch anyway. They’d already shared themse
lves intimately, but something about having her in his house made him feel more vulnerable. Her presence seemed to fill the room with warmth, turning his eating and sleeping quarters into a place he’d like her to call home.
Clasping her hands behind her back, she bit her bottom lip and gazed up at him. His cock swelled at the sight of those hooded emerald eyes, and when her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, his heart nearly beat out of his chest.
“So, about that way you wanted to have with me.” She untied the knot in her hair, and it spilled around her shoulders.
Dear lord, he could have taken her right there on the living room floor. Just watching the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed was enough to make him lose control. But he intended to make this moment last. “I’ve been out hunting all night. I could use a shower.”
She stepped toward him and ran a finger down his chest, stopping at the waistband of his jeans. He held his breath as she popped the button and slid the zipper down. Another wave of heat flashed through his groin as she slipped her hand into his pants to grip his shaft, his body shuddering at the feel of her soft fingers wrapped around him.
“I’m feeling a little dirty, myself. Mind if I join you?”
He cupped her face in his hands and slid his fingers into her hair. “Let’s go clean you up then.”
“Okay.” She smiled, keeping a firm grip on his dick.
“You might want to let me go, so I can walk.” He laughed and tugged her hand from his pants before leading her into the bathroom.
Leaving their clothes in a heap on the floor, they stepped into the shower. Rivulets of moisture rolled down Macey’s skin, sliding over her sensuous curves before falling to the ground. She was a hot, wet goddess standing before him, and all he could do was stare. “You’re so beautiful. I really could just look at you all day.”
A sly grin curved her pink lips. “And I really couldn’t let you do that. I need you to touch me.”
A low growl resonated in his chest as he lathered his hands and slid them over her body. Her soft skin was a stark contrast to his calloused hands, but the look in her eyes said she enjoyed his touch. Her breath hitched when his thumb brushed her nipple, and he cupped her breasts in his hands. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as he pinched the pink pearls between his fingers, hardening them with his touch.
He continued washing her, sliding his hands over her stomach, down one leg and up the other, and when his fingers reached the sensitive nub between her legs, she gasped. He slipped a finger inside her tight, wet warmth, and she moaned. Good God, how he loved this woman. He reveled in the sensuous sounds that escaped her lips as he caressed her.
She trembled as he rubbed her clit, her breaths becoming rapid and shallow. “Luke, I can’t…I can’t stand up.”
“Hold on to me, baby.”
She clutched his shoulders and pressed her head to his chest as she came. The sounds she made. The way her entire body shuddered with her orgasm. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. A sight he needed to see every day for the rest of his life.
Her breathing slowed, and she looked at him with mischief in her eyes. “You’re still dirty. We need to fix that.” The water beat down on his back as she lathered her hands and slid them down his chest, his stomach, his legs. Her skin felt like velvet rubbing against his, her magic energy mixing with the sparks of passion igniting in his core.
She knelt to the ground and took his length in her hand, circling her tongue around the tip. Fire shot through his veins as she took him into her mouth and gazed up at him. Never looking away, she moved her mouth up and down his cock, taking more and more of him in with each stroke of her lips. His stomach clenched as his orgasm built, but he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her.
“I need to make love to you. Right now.” His voice was raw with need.
She released her hold and ran her hot tongue from base to tip before rising to her feet and kissing him. Grabbing his neck, she hooked her legs around his waist and pressed her slick, wet body against him. He fumbled to turn off the water and carried her to the bedroom to toss her onto the bed. He needed to be inside her. To fill her. To feel her.
He grabbed a condom from the drawer, and she yanked it from his hands, ripping open the package. “Lie down.” Her command thrilled him, and he did as he was told. She straddled him and gave his cock a final lick before sliding on the condom and guiding him to her folds. Sweet elation engulfed him as she sheathed him.
Beads of water dripped from the ends of her hair, falling onto his stomach and rolling toward the place where their bodies joined. His gaze followed the trail, and he memorized the look, the sensation, of becoming one with the woman he loved.
“You feel so good inside me, Luke.” She rocked her hips, gliding up and down his shaft, slowly at first, but increasing steadily as she held his gaze. Her hooded eyes. Her soft moans. He could feel her need as if it were his own—passionate, lustful, full of emotion. She ran her hands over his chest, her gentle caress making his entire body ache for her. For them. He belonged to Macey…in this moment and forever. Though neither of them had said the words aloud, she loved him too. He could see it in her eyes. Feel it in the way she touched him.
Her movements quickened, her breathing growing shallow, and she tossed back her head and cried out as the climax overtook her. Seeing her writhing in pleasure as she rode him sent him over the edge. His own orgasm exploded, and he ground his hips against her, thrusting deeper and deeper inside her.
As their rhythm slowed, she leaned forward, laying her breasts to his chest, touching her lips to his. His heart swelled with so much love for the woman in his arms, and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, she was meant to be his mate. His wife. A satisfied mmm escaped her lips as she rolled off him and snuggled into his side.
As she started to doze, he slid out of bed. She reached for him, and his chest tightened at the gesture.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to throw this away. I’ll be right back.” He tossed the condom in the trash and closed the drapes.
She rolled onto her back. “Don’t do that. I can barely keep my eyes open as it is.”
“Then close them.” He slid back into bed and held her in his arms. “Sleep here today. With me.”
She snuggled her back into his front and tugged his arm around her chest. “I have to see my sister this afternoon.” The sleepiness in her voice had him hard all over again. He could imagine falling asleep with her in his arms every day. Waking up wrapped in her warmth.
“What time do you need to get up? I’ll set an alarm.”
“Noon?”
“Consider it done.” He kissed her neck as she relaxed in his arms and slipped into blissful sleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Macey shuffled into Jackson Square and found her sister sitting on a bench facing the St. Louis Cathedral. Alexis smiled tentatively and lifted a hand to wave. She wore beige cargo pants and a fitted green tank top that revealed her muscular arms. Her nails were short, but clean, her hands calloused like she worked a manual labor job. Macey returned her smile and sat next to her.
She’d only texted her sister, not having the courage to speak to her on the phone. Now that they were face to face, she still didn’t know what to say. She stared up at the eighteenth-century church and collected her thoughts. The shock of seeing Alexis after all these years had subsided, and now she wanted answers. “Why did you come here?”
Alexis stared straight ahead. “To find you.”
Macey examined the cathedral façade, with its triple steeples towering over the square. She stared at the clock below the middle steeple, ticking away the hours, and contemplated all the years they’d lost. So much time gone. Their relationship had crumbled into nothing. Could they rebuild it? “How long have you been in New Orleans?”
“A few weeks.”
She inhaled a deep breath and held it. A few weeks…and her sister hadn’t bothered to contact her. “H
ow did you know I was here?”
“I saw you on the news.” She finally looked at her. “Macey, I came as soon as I learned you were here. I was going to talk to you myself. I just needed time to figure out what to say.”
It had been twenty years; a few weeks didn’t make much of a difference. She had her sister back, and that was the important thing. So why did it still hurt so much?
A bead of sweat rolled down Macey’s neck, and she wiped it away. “You abandoned me. Why come back now?”
“I changed, Macey. I turned into a werewolf, for Christ’s sake. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know what was happening to me. Mom and Dad never prepared me.”
Her jaw tightened. “They died.”
“I…” Alexis sighed. “I know. I’m not blaming them, but put yourself in my place for a second. Imagine being thirteen years old, having no knowledge that any type of magic exists, much less flows through your own veins. I freaked. I’m sorry.”
She had a point. At thirteen, Macey’s biggest concern was getting rid of the zit on her nose before taking her yearbook picture. Her sister turned into a werewolf. Still… “You could’ve come back for me once you figured it out.”
“I did.” Alexis rested her elbow on the back of the bench. “By the time I found some help and came back, you’d already been adopted. I tried to find out where they’d taken you, but I couldn’t get to your records. I was only thirteen. I was a child too.”
Her chest tightened. “You came back for me?” All these years Macey thought her sister had abandoned her without a second thought. But she hadn’t. Not on purpose, anyway.
Alexis smiled. “Of course, I did. You’re my little sister. I love you.”
“I love you too.” A glimmer of the bond they’d shared as children sparked in her core. Perhaps they could rebuild their relationship.
“Yoo hoo. Macey.” A melodic voice drifted on the air. Macey looked up to see Roberta, dressed in a long brown skirt and a colorful blouse, sitting at a small folding table and shuffling a stack of tarot cards.
Werewolves Only: Crescent City Wolf Pack Book One Page 17
