Greyson - Part 1: An Alpha Billionaire Shifter Romance (The Silver Moon Pack)

by Cali MacKay

  “But a shifter’s fated mate can actually be a human?” She was sure that must go over well.

  “It does happen, though it’s not…ideal. Especially when some members of the pack want to keep the bloodlines pure.”

  “You realize that that sort of thing is often accompanied by hatred and violence, right?” Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as it were. She just couldn’t catch a break if she tried.

  “I’m afraid so—though you have nothing to worry about. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, Juno.” And yet his gold eyes darkened with concern, making her wonder if there was anything he wasn’t telling her.

  Suddenly it all felt so overwhelming. “But you can’t deny that I’ll be causing you problems, Greyson. I have from the moment you set eyes on me.”

  “And I’d happily do it all over again.” He pushed his seat back and got to his feet. “Come on, sweetheart…go pick out a movie while I get this cleared up. I refuse to spend the night worrying about things that don’t matter. Because they don’t. You’re all that matters, and people will need to deal with that—or I’ll make them find a new way to wrap their heads around it.”

  No doubt by wrapping their heads around Greyson’s fist as it made impact. “Let me give you a hand.”

  It took them all of five minutes to load the dishwasher, since there weren’t any leftovers that needed to be put away—and probably never would be. He then quickly made them a bowl of buttery popcorn as they settled in on the sofa with her nestled between his legs, his hard cock trapped against her ass as a constant reminder of what was to come.

  They threw on one of the latest blockbuster releases, and though it was good, it was damn hard for her to concentrate on the movie once Greyson’s hands started to roam. “Movie.”

  “What about it?” Greyson swept her hair away from her neck and shoulder, before nipping at the sensitive skin of her neck, making it so she couldn’t focus on anything but the sensation each bite had on her body, as if his mouth was mysteriously connected to her clit. Each nip, each kiss, was echoed with a tug that coursed right through her body, leaving her desperate for a bit of relief, even if her body was sore from him taking her rough. “Or are you trying to tell me that you’ll be sorely disappointed if you don’t find out whether or not Earth survives the alien attack?”

  As he reached up to cup her breast with one hand, his other slipped up her thighs to stroke her clit, making it so she could barely string together a coherent thought or sentence. “You have a one-track mind, Greyson.”

  “It’s hard not to when your scent makes me crazy.” He nuzzled her as if to make a point, taking a deep breath, when he quickly pulled away.

  “What is it?” With the bears so close, she couldn’t help but worry.

  After another deep breath, he gave her an easy smile that immediately had her heart slowing back to its normal rhythm. “We have company, sweetheart. No worries though—it’s just a friend.”

  Greyson padded over to the front door, and opened it just as a tall man—or rather a shifter, who was actually wearing some clothes—walked up the steps of the front porch and to the door. “Ryder—fucking hell, it’s been way too long.”

  “Bastard—you didn’t even fucking call to say you were back.” Ryder pulled Greyson into a hearty hug. “How long have you been here? And I had to hear it from my mom that you were finally getting hitched. No fucking respect.”

  Greyson shook his head with a laugh as he took in his best friend. “Nothing official on the wedding, though fuck—news travels fast. And you have every right to be pissed off at me—though I’m hoping you won’t mind being my best man when this finally happens.”

  “Who the fuck else would be at your side? After all the trouble we got ourselves into as kids, it’s only right that we’re standing next to each other as we finally pull our heads out of our asses, and grow the fuck up and do something responsible for once.” Ryder’s green eyes lit up with humor, when his gaze finally spotted her. “So, are you going to let me in and introduce me to the poor girl, or are you going to just leave me here in the doorway?”

  “Might as well, before she pulls a runner.” He glanced over in her direction with a teasing smile as she walked toward them. Greyson pulled her into his arms and shifted to face his friend. “Juno, this is Ryder, a very good friend of mine. Ryder, this is Juno.”

  Yet another tall, muscular, good-looking man. She was starting to wonder if it came with being a shifter. “It’s a pleasure.”

  “The pleasure’s mine.” When he shook her hand, she was met with a killer smile that lit up his green eyes. “Now who wants to tell me what the hell’s going on?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Greyson shook his head, not surprised one bit that Ryder would get right to the point. “Not sure if you heard, but she got herself into a bit of trouble with the Black Ridge Clan.”

  “I did hear—saw Cullen this afternoon, and he mentioned it briefly, thinking you might like some help. It was that fucking asshole, Atticus. Right?” Ryder shook his head with a huff. “How are you holding up, Juno?”

  “As well as can be expected, given that I’ve essentially had my life hijacked into a crazy world I didn’t even know existed, and I’m being hunted by angry bears.” Juno gave them a sarcastic smile and stuffed her hands in her jean pockets as her lilac hair fell over her shoulder.

  “Yeah…I can imagine that was a bit of a shock. But at least you guys found each other. That’s huge.” Ryder followed them into the living room and took a seat as Greyson and Juno settled in once more on the sofa. “I get that the circumstances are less than ideal, though.”

  “We’re going to head up to my parents’ place until the dust settles. Try to keep the peace up that way.” It’d been years since Greyson stayed in his childhood home for any length of time, though it’d be different to head up that way with Juno at his side. “We’ll be leaving at first light if you want to join us.”

  “I might do just that—but I’ll have to catch up with you guys once you’re there. I need to wrap up some business before I can head up.” Like most shifters, Ryder had more than a few things going at once. Though the pack and its members had access to a large fortune that had accrued over the centuries, shifters weren’t known to sit still for long. They got antsy if they didn’t keep busy, and most shifters were pretty industrious in a variety of ways, even though they had enough money to not have to work if they chose. “I’ll try to get up there before the full moon.”

  The full moon…they were just a week away now. And that was yet one more thing he’d have to explain to Juno. He’d been holding off telling her about it, since she was already freaked out, and this would definitely have her grabbing for her running shoes.

  “Sounds good.” At least Greyson would have a bit of time to get Juno more settled in, and give her a chance to adjust before dealing with company.

  They chatted for a little while longer, but then Ryder excused himself, and with a farewell for Juno, Greyson walked him to the door. When Greyson spoke, he kept his voice low, not wanting Juno to overhear. “Listen…not sure if you’ve heard any sort of grumblings, but…it feels to me like there’s trouble brewing.”

  Ryder nodded, his easygoing demeanor now far more serious. “There’s been trouble brewing for some time now—and it’s coming from all directions. It might not come to a head, but it feels to me like it’s just a matter of time before things get ugly.”

  “And now we’ve got the Black Ridge bears trying to cause trouble.” Greyson was tempted to steal Juno away to some place far from all their problems, and yet he knew that there was protection in the pack, and staying within pack territory.

  “We’ll keep Juno safe. But you’re right—she looks skittish and I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t try to bolt.”

  With those final words rattling in his head, he saw Ryder off and headed back to Juno’s side, a newfound tension in him. “Juno…I know this is fucking scary for you, but I need you to promis
e me that you won’t try to take off on me.”

  “Now, why on earth would I do that?” She looked at him with such a matter-of-fact look—and it did nothing to quell his concerns.

  “Fucking hell, Juno. Promise me you won’t do anything asinine.” He ran a rough hand through his thick hair, no doubt making him look like the crazed person he was becoming since he’d first laid eyes on her.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not promising you a thing—not when my life is changing moment by moment, in ways I could never have foreseen.” She let out a growl of frustration and started pacing the floor. “I want my life back, Greyson. And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all you’ve done for me. But it’s impossible not to flip-flop between trying to be realistic about my current situation and let you take the lead, to outright panicking and wanting to dig my heels in to try to salvage what remains of my life. This situation is crazy—so I’m sorry if I’m not just rolling over to let a bunch of hairy-assed bears drive me into hiding and dictate what’ll happen to me.”

  Obviously, this was difficult for her, and though he could understand where she was coming from, it didn’t mean he was going to let her get hurt just to appease her and ease her worries. “Don’t you think I get it?”

  “No—I don’t think you do.” She shook her head with frustration, and looked away for a moment as her eyes filled with threatening tears. “You’re on some fated mate high, and though you’re certainly worried about me and you’re doing all you can to protect me, a big part of me thinks that the fact that you’ve found your mate, not to mention the fact that you’re not the one having to abandon your life, doesn’t make this as big a deal for you as it is for me.”

  “Fair enough, love. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not worried about you. You’re my only priority, and I’m just trying to do all I can to keep you safe. And that means if you’re planning on doing something stupid that’s going to put you in harm’s way, then I’m not going to let that fucking happen.” Close as she was, he could hear her pulse pick up its beat, and could smell the change in her scent as a jolt of adrenaline pumped through her veins.

  “Let me guess—you’re going to handcuff me to your bed?” She crossed her arms in front of her and glared at him.

  He tilted her chin up so she’d be forced to look up at him. “Keep it up, sweetheart, and I’ll get a hell of a lot more creative than just handcuffs.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” There was venom in her eyes—but there was also a good dose of passion and desire there, too.

  “June bug…I know we haven’t known each other long, but I think you know me better than that by now.” After all that time working at a BDSM club, he’d not only have her completely bound but looking like fine art, since he was capable of the most intricate knot work.

  “Try it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Juno screamed and cursed as Greyson hauled her up over his shoulder with speed she hadn’t anticipated. Carrying her off to his bedroom, he plunked her down on his bed and pinned her down as he straddled her. Gripping her wrists in his massive hands, he raised her arms above her head, as a jolt of adrenaline raced through her—a precursor to her energy building. “Let go of me.”

  “Promise me you won’t try to pull a runner, and I’ll think about it.” His eyes had that feral glint to them even as he gave her an easy smile, since he clearly had the upper hand.

  She struggled to free herself, even as she felt her nipples harden with arousal, her clit throbbing and heavy. “Fuck off, Greyson.”

  “Sweetheart, there’s a part of me that thinks you’re enjoying this far too much.” He stole a kiss and then, shifting her wrists into one hand, reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a length of cording.

  “Don’t you dare…” She was trying not to panic, but she was feeling trapped and it had the energy buzzing in her veins. The last thing she wanted was to zap Greyson dead, and yet the energy inside her wasn’t something she had much control over. “I swear, you’re asking for trouble. Just let me go, and you have my word I’ll stay put.”

  “Promise me, Juno.” He paused in his attempts to bind her and waited for her to give him his word, his gold eyes locked on hers as he took her in.

  “I promise.”

  This time when he kissed her, it was slow and sweet, her energy fizzling out as his tongue found hers and their kiss deepened.

  However, he’d yet to let go of her wrists, even as his hips rocked against her heat as if searching her out. And then he pulled away, grabbed the rope, and with a few swift moves, had her wrists expertly bound.

  “What the hell, Greyson? I promised.” And yet, the energy didn’t surge back, threatening to kill the one man she’d been intimate with in ages.

  “You may have promised, June bug, but I also think you’re far too skittish not to change your mind. And then there’s the other small detail of you actually liking the idea of being tied to my bed and at my mercy—just the way I like it too.” He kissed the tip of her nose, bound her to the rails on his bed—his headboard no doubt chosen for this exact purpose—and then made quick work of the buttons on the flannel shirt she was wearing. When she glared at him, he sat back and gave her a charming laugh. “Come on, love…you can’t tell me you don’t like this.”

  She wanted to scream. “I fucking hate you, Greyson.”

  “Now, now…” He gave her a scolding look, full of sexy playfulness as he pulled out a folding knife and cut her free of her bra as she screamed in protest, before tucking the knife away and moving on to the button and zipper of her jeans. “That’s no way to speak to the man you’ll soon be marrying.”

  “You just ruined my favorite bra.” But then he was yanking her jeans off, and trailing kisses up her thighs, so she couldn’t help but squirm. “Do you really think I’m going to marry you?”

  “I’ll buy you another bra—and you will marry me. Because I know that shortly, I’ll have you agreeing to whatever it is I want, given that you’re not going anywhere, I have plenty of patience, ample skill, and the night’s still young.” He nipped at her inner thigh as if to make his point, her hips tilting toward him, even as she cursed him to a million hells. “So feisty… Does that mean you’re also in the mood for a spanking, June bug?”

  She groaned in response, knowing that any sort of denial would be a lie he’d see right through, especially when he was running his thumb over her clit. The thin fabric of her panties was doing little to dampen his touch, and only served to get in the way when she was desperate to have his fingers slip deep inside her. “Why won’t you just let me go, Greyson…I’m nothing but trouble.”

  “I like your sort of trouble, sweetheart. It’s the kind that makes me go hard, so I can think of nothing but ravishing you and claiming you as my own. The kind of trouble that stokes my needs in the most primal of ways.” He hooked the sides of her panties and slipped them down her legs, his touch lingering on her skin so she felt her need for him grow into an aching desire.

  “You can’t just keep fucking me each time I protest or say I want to leave. We have real issues that need to get seen to—and sex isn’t going to solve them.” Although it was a damn pleasant distraction despite all her protests—especially when he was running his tongue up her thigh, pausing just long enough to nip and rake his teeth against her sensitive skin.

  “It might not solve them, but it’s a damn good start, as far as I’m concerned.” He nestled himself between her legs and parted her slick lips with his tongue as he ran it up to her clit, as any soreness from their earlier encounters disappeared. “You taste so fucking good, June bug. Like saltwater and honey.”

  He was making it so she couldn’t think any more. All she could do was tilt her hips toward him, silently begging him for more, as she wrapped her legs around his shoulders. He sucked on her clit and flicked it with his tongue, as he reached up to tease her nipples. Her breath was now coming in needy gasps, while she struggled against her bindings, desperate to get free when he slipped tw
o fingers deep inside her, thrusting into her slow and deep as he continued to tease her nipples and suck on her clit.

  It was impossible to ignore the energy of her building orgasm, and she swore, he’d already made her come so many times, she may very well be on her way to making up for her drought of a sex life before Greyson. But then he stopped and looked up at her with that killer smile of his, leaving her teetering on the edge of coming. “Are you truly going to marry me and not try to run away or are you going to just tell me lies?”

  Fucking hell, she was going to strangle him. “Yes. Okay?”

  “Yes to marrying me and not trying to run—or yes to telling me lies?” With a sarcastic smile, he ran his tongue over her clit, swirling it around before nipping at it, her legs tightening around him as she let out a needy cry—and he pulled away yet again, leaving her to curse him. “I’ll admit, that’s some pretty creative language there, June bug.”

  “If you think you’re going to bully me into agreeing to what you want, you can guess again.” He might have the upper hand, but she was damn stubborn, and would happily dig her heels in.

  “Bully?” He gave her a look of mock horror. “I’m not bullying you, Juno—I’m trying to keep you alive while trying to give you a bit of pleasure along the way.”

  “Then could you please get on with it?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Greyson just had to laugh, loving these sorts of games. “No, sweetheart. I won’t just get on with it. I’m going to take my sweet time and you’re only going to come once I get my way. But first…”

  He’d left some slack between her bound wrists and the bed for just this reason. Sitting up, he grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her stomach before slipping an arm around her waist to pull her onto all fours, so her delicious ass was now up in the air as she knelt on the bed, while propping the rest of her weight on her elbows.