Fox, Morgan - Enticed by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Morgan Fox

  She immediately folded her arms over her chest and asked, “What are you two, Greyhound bus spokesmen, now?”

  Coming up behind them with a hearty laugh, Luken snickered. “You really do have a twisted and sarcastic personality, don’t you? I’ve never known someone as quick-witted as you. Does your brain process information at warp speed or are you naturally programmed to flip out comments as needed?”

  With a smirking smile, she teased, “You two seem to bring the devil out of me.”

  Ryken rubbed lower on her back just over the top mound of her ass. “Yes, I think we do.” He kissed her cheek and opened the door to let her crawl into the backseat. She swung her ass from side to side more enticingly than she meant to and realized her mistake the second Ryken’s large hands cupped her ass.

  “Nice. You can wave that cute little ass in my face anytime you want, baby. In fact I’ll even let you si—”

  Falling into the backseat with Ryken’s hand escorting her the entire way, she taunted, “Will you behave for one moment, Ryken?”

  Batting his thick lashes at her, he said, “What are you talking about, baby? I am behaving.”

  The long drive down the boring back roads of God knows where was weighing on her nerves. She needed to find a way to occupy her time or she was going to go stir-crazy. The backseat was cramped even for a woman of five foot seven, and there would be no possible way that either Ryken or Luken could fit without more misery than she was experiencing. All those years of dreaming of her favorite sports car, never had she imagined herself in the backseat—she was driving the fierce machine, moving through the gears with tuned precision.

  “Guys, I hate to sound like a whiny child,” she muttered.

  “Then don’t,” Ryken chimed in.

  “Funny,” she said, shifting her weight in the seat to cross her legs. “I’m hungry, and I really need to find a little girl’s room before this backseat turns into a swimming pool.”

  Ryken glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Can you hold it a little longer? We’re just outside of Fort Worth, and I was hoping to get to Dallas before dark. We only have a few more hours and we’ll be safe and sound at McCarthy Ranch.”

  With a grimace, she shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I had a penis so I could just flip it out the window, but I don’t so, no…I can’t hold it.”

  Ryken’s upper lip rose up, and the reflection of his disgust was present in the mirror, but to her surprise it was Luken who was the first to comment. “That’s just gross, Tabitha. I for one am extremely glad you don’t have a penis. Damn it, Ryken, find the woman a bathroom. And Tabitha, never say that kind of shit again. It just gave me the willies.”

  Giggling, she teased, “Oh what’s wrong my big brawny man? Does the idea of rubbing wieners with another man trouble that barbarian brain of yours?”

  Luken twisted in his seat to face her, his eyes narrowed with a wicked glare. “Keep it up, sweetheart, and when we get out of this car, I’ll paddle your ass just because I can.”

  Pouting her lips out at him, she teased, “Oh, promises, promises.”

  Then it hit her. She was flirting with them both, and it felt good to do it. She was truly enjoying spending time with them. They chatted like old friends, teasing and laughing. Natural, that’s how she felt in their presence, and that both warmed her heart and frightened her all at the same time.

  * * * *

  Ryken glanced back in the rearview mirror and watched as the smile vanished from Tabitha’s face as if they had said something that troubled her. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and then like a breeze blowing in, she went cold and frigid.

  Damn it if he didn’t understand women. They were an anomaly to him, and he would most likely die before ever truly understanding the woman who was making his heart beat a little different in his chest.

  Up ahead on the right was a gas station, and it didn’t look like the best place to stop, but it would have to do. Once they got further into the city, he could’ve found her a better place to freshen up, but after the penis comment, she deserved a little torture. The car came to a stop, and Luken popped out of the car and let Tabitha escape from the back.

  Ryken leaned across the front seat, calling out to her before she got too far away. “Hey, before you run off, did you want anything from the store?”

  “Sure,” she hollered back. “Get me something diet to drink and a bag of Doritos.

  “Doritos?” Luken asked, sounding surprised.

  “Yep, Cool Ranch to be specific. They’re my favorite,” she said with a crooked grin then turned and hastened to the bathroom.

  Ryken followed Luken into the gas station. Slapping his brother on the back, he told him, “I’ll find the chips, if you find her something diet to drink.”

  Luken nodded and headed towards the large glass refrigerators located in the back of the store. Ryken returned his gaze to the row of chips. For a store in the middle of nowhereville, this place had a boatload of chips. He quickly grabbed two bags off the shelf and glanced over his shoulder to see his brother coming around carrying two large bottles of water and a diet soda.

  “Ready?” Ryken asked.

  Luken stared in the direction of the bathroom and asked, “Tabitha come out yet?”

  Ryken’s mouth creased into a frown. “Nope. Give me the drinks and see if she needs anything.” He held Luken’s gaze and said, “Hurry, now is not the time for mating heat to win over the functionalities of your brain.”

  Luken grinned, handed the bottles over to him, and within a few commanding strides was standing in front of the bathroom door, knocking like a protective giant. He shook his head with a grin. Ryken took the items to the counter and paid. He smelled Tabitha approaching before he saw her. Damn, how he loved the wild and sweet scent of his mate. Just knowing she was coming closer to him fired his blood and kick-started his pulse into overdrive. Keep it together, buddy. We’re almost to McCarthy Ranch. Then you can show her all about mating heat and the wild and exciting side of being a lycan.

  Tabitha leaned around him, her breast pressing against his hard back. He groaned.

  “I’ll take that,” she said, grabbing the bottle of diet soda and a bag of Doritos. “See you back at the car.” She spun around and stepped through the doors, not looking back to see if either he or his brother were following behind her.

  She still didn’t comprehend what kind of serious danger she was in, but Luken was on the same page and charged out the door after her. One thing they both forgot…he had the keys. Grinning, he strutted his way towards the car slower than molasses, where both Tabitha and Luken glared at him with obvious annoyance.

  “What?” He shrugged. “You should’ve waited for me if you wanted back in the car.” He winked at Tabitha, tossed a water bottle over the hood of the car to his brother, dug into his front jean pocket, pulled out the keys.

  Ryken was quick to get back on the road. They still had a few hours before they reached McCarthy Ranch and if he had to grow wings out of his ass, he would get Tabitha there, and soon.

  A strange feeling had his gut twisting, churning with acid. The hair at the back of his neck tingled and itched like he was being watched. The feelings made his wolf antsy, twitching just beneath the flesh, ready and willing to emerge. Something was off, and he couldn’t tell exactly what, but something was definitely off.

  Do you feel that? Ryken telepathically linked to Luken.

  Yes, what the hell is it?

  I have no idea, but I’d give anything to be wrong with whom I think it might be. Ryken knew that the only thing that could make his wolf so ready to egress was the immediate threat to his mate. Protecting Tabitha was everything to him. For Luken as well.

  Fuck, was Luken’s first reply. What do you want to do? Should we get off this road? Try a different direction?

  It won’t matter, Ryken said matter-of-factly. If they’ve caught our scent, they’ve got us where they want us.

  Damn it! Luken roared.

 
Ryken’s foot pressed down on the gas just a little harder, and the car quickly accelerated. His eyes moved from mirror to mirror, scanning around for the possible owner of the ill feelings. Luken seemed to be doing the same.

  Tabitha’s cheery voice cut through him like a nervous shudder. “Okay, guys. What gives? Why the sudden silence?”

  Telling her that he thought they were being followed by Mason Levi’s men would only upset her, and remaining calm was essential.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, trying his best to sound unaffected by his concerned thoughts.

  Arching a brow, she folded her arms over her chest. “Don’t do that, Ryken. I can feel that something’s wrong. I may not have spent a lifetime getting to know you two, but I think I’m pretty aware of your habits after spending so much quality time with you recently. So, do us all a huge favor and don’t give me the runaround. Tell me what’s wrong. Why the silent treatment? And why do you look as if you’re ready to murder someone?”

  Ryken’s eyes darted up to the rearview mirror, catching Tabitha’s gaze. Shit. He’d been so concerned with what was clawing at the back of his mind that he’d done a piss-poor job of masking the emotions on his face. Keeping things from her was going to be a bitch.

  Staring at her, he explained, “We think someone’s following us.”

  She gasped. “You mean, Mason’s men?”

  “Yes,” he said dryly.

  She twisted in her seat to look out the back window, “Oh, God. What are we going to do?” When she turned back around her eyes were as large as silver dollars, and the lines around her mouth, nose, and eyes were more defined.

  Ryken held her gaze as he calmly told her, “We’re going to keep driving and put as much distance between us as possible. Surely, those freaks can’t outrun a Camaro.”

  “But what if they can?” she asked in a tone that revealed just how nervous she was about the idea of being caught by Mason’s men.

  “Babe, you can’t think like that. Luken and I won’t let them hurt you.”

  Sighing heavily, she said, “I’m grateful for that, but who is going to protect you from them?”

  Her question took him by surprise. No one other than Luken had ever showed true concern for his well-being. Luken always had his back, but never once had he considered a time that he and his brother would be stuck in a situation like this either. Swallowing hard, he prayed he wasn’t going to have to find out what it would be like to need another form of backup.

  Ryken sucked in a deep breath. “Our best option right now is to remain calm and keep our eyes open. If you see anything strange, let us know.”

  “But it’s getting dark, and I won’t be able to see as well as you guys.”

  “That’s not true,” Luken corrected. “Your wolf senses are going to be stronger now that you are a few days away from your first full moon.”

  She clutched the sides of her head in her hands and muttered, “Oh, God, not that shit again.”

  The wolf growled. “Tabitha, this is no time to test our patience as far as the wolf shit is concerned. You are a wolf, you’re going to turn into one, and Luken and I will be there to help you adjust to the new you. Stop resisting the idea because as soon as you turn, I’m going to fuck the hell out of that sweet body of yours, and I doubt you’ll ever have a problem with being a wolf again.” As he spoke to her, there was a raw, commanding fever in his voice. One he reserved especially for his mate.

  Speechless. That was what he rendered her. He gazed at her in the rearview mirror where he saw her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide with heat. He could smell the arousal flowering out of her, and it was driving him mad with lust.

  Ryken’s voice was still husky with the growl of the wolf as he said, “Now, be a good girl and keep an eye on anything that might look suspicious.”

  She nodded, turning immediately to glance out the windows around her. Getting his mind back on the task at hand, he whipped his gaze back to the road ahead and pressed a little firmer down on the accelerator, breaking every speed limit law on the long stretch of open road. His body tensed and filled with nervous energy as he gripped the steering wheel hard, twisting his hands around the firm leather.

  One thing he truly hated was being stalked, being someone’s freaking plaything. He was the one who did the hunting, and the fact that he was now the one being hunted was seriously pissing him off.

  Then it happened. Several sets of bright lights beamed in his rearview mirror as if they had somehow dropped right out of the sky. The darkness of night had finally fallen, and under the mask of darkness the suspicious feelings he and Luken had sensed were finally confirmed.

  “Shit, we’ve got company,” Ryken growled through clenched teeth.

  “How many are there?” Luken bit out.

  “I count three cars, possibly trucks,” Tabitha said with calmness in her voice that impressed the hell out of him.

  “You all right, babe?”

  “Yes, Ryken, but if I mean anything to you, you’ll get us all out of here in one piece. Please.” The plea in her voice twisted his gut into a million knots.

  “I’ll do everything I can to make that happen, babe,” he assured her.

  “Me, too,” Luken added, turning to face her with a soft smile, pulling his pistol from between the seats.

  Eyes wide, Tabitha breathed, “What are you going to do with that?”

  “Use it,” Luken said plainly.

  “Right, makes sense,” she said with a slight nod of her head. “I’ve just never been around guns before. They make me a little nervous.”

  Smiling, Luken said, “Well, I promise not to shoot you, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  “And as soon as we’re out of this situation that is an issue that will be quickly resolved,” Ryken said.

  Brows lifted, she gasped, “What issue? Shooting me?”

  A soft chuckle thundered from his chest. “That fact that you’ve never used a gun,” he reminded her. “My mate will be able to defend herself at all costs. You will learn how to fire a gun, and you will have good aim when doing so.” He met her wide-eyed gaze in the rearview mirror again. “Do you have any problems with that, mate?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “No, I’ve actually always wanted to learn. I don’t like being afraid of things. I think I’d enjoy having you teach me how to use a weapon.”

  “Good,” he said flatly, glancing back to check his mirrors and the fast-approaching vehicles tailing after them. “Then, it’s a date.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Twenty minutes later, the three vehicles were still close enough to make the hairs on the back of Luken’s neck tingle and dance like crawling spiders. Damn, he hated that feeling. He cocked his head, glancing over his shoulder at the wide-eyed expression blanketing Tabitha’s face. She didn’t look scared, but she did look worried, and who wouldn’t be considering the unease of the situation.

  His chest tightened as the words of his potential lie fled his lips. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise.” Shit, couldn’t he sound more convincing? He scowled himself.

  Arching a brow, she snickered. “Are you sure you want to make that promise before you even know what the vehicles tailing us want?”

  He groaned at her, hating that she was probably right and too observant for her own good. But his pride wouldn’t allow the unknown to overrule his need to reassure his mate that she would be safe. “Sweetheart, honestly, we don’t know if those vehicles behind us are even chasing after us.”

  “No?” she questioned with layering surprise. “Then why is it that when Ryken speeds up the car, the distance between us and them doesn’t increase? I’d say that’s a pretty good indication that they’re tailing us.”

  For as long as he lived, this woman would always keep him on his toes, and more than that, she would always keep him honest. “You’re right. They’re tailing us, but I still don’t want you to worry.”

  “Sorry, honey, but that’s what us females do
. We worry.”

  Ryken snickered. “She called you honey. Must be the gold in your scraggly hair that she’s referring to.”

  His brow furrowed. “Really? Well, twin brother, if you haven’t noticed, you sort of have the same scraggly hair.”

  Giving his head one sharp shake, he said, “Nope, I have golden blond hair that flows magnificently around my broad lycan shoulders, toward my sleek, narrow waist that our mate loves to rub her nimble fingers over.” His voice purred as he joked and teased.

  Luken frowned as his brother waggled his eyebrows up and down several times. Glancing back to look at Tabitha, he saw the slight pink in her cheeks and a warm glow to her eyes. He’d never get tired of seeing her blush from their playful banter.

  Just then, a stray bullet busted through the back window, shattering the glass into hundreds of pieces. Tabitha screamed. Luken twisted, reaching for her head.

  “Get down, Tabitha,” Luken hollered, pushing her head down below the line of fire. “Stay down, sweetheart, until I say otherwise, okay?”

  Not waiting for her response, he picked up his gun and swung his weight around in the seat, and Ryken’s driving went on the offensive. With his left hand palming his Springfield 9mm, he used the headrest of the back seat to hold his aim steady while he opened fire on the vehicles still closing in on them.

  “Ryken,” he shouted. “This is a fucking brand-new Camaro for Christ’s sake. Can’t this thing move any faster?”

  “I’m driving the shit out of this car, Luken. Do you think you could do any better?” Ryken snapped, his voice harsh and deep.

  “Yes, feel free to get the fuck out of the driver’s seat and I’ll show you,” Luken announced with an air of cockiness he hadn’t realized he’d harbored inside himself.

  “Fuck you,” Ryken snarled. “Just keep shooting and shut the hell up and let me drive.”