Keeping his eyes down, Dutton began to speak. “One of my scouts returned this morning from Palmetto County.” Where Nikolas acted as their father’s protector, Dutton served as his eyes and ears. His spymaster controlling the information flowing across the sprawling state of Florida and beyond in a network covering the neighboring states. Not much happened that didn’t make its way across Dutton’s desk sooner or later.
“It appears a new pack has established themselves outside of Sarasota. They are small and very tight-knit. My scout had to leave before he drew too much suspicion, so my data about them is sketchy at best.” He paused, giving Troy time to absorb the information.
Other packs existed in Florida and the surrounding states, but they all fell beneath the dubious shelter of the Brighton pack. Clark sat as reigning alpha over all them, demanding fealty and service, in both practical and financial terms. Every pack paid a quarterly tithe, and the strongest members were either killed or assimilated under Clark’s direct control. Troy, Quinn, and the others had been forcibly removed from their own packs as children when Brighton overran them.
“They have established themselves in a community and look to be putting down roots,” Dutton continued. “New businesses have opened, all run by members of the pack.”
“And yet they have failed to approach me for permission,” Clark snapped.
And there it is. If the new pack was small and inwardly focused, they might not even be aware of the existence of other packs in the state. Most wolf packs steered well clear of each other, keeping large neutral buffers between their territorial lands. Shifter packs traditionally followed the same strictures. Unless their alpha was a megalomaniac, like Clark.
“Troy.” His father’s sharp tone scattered his musings. Failure to pay attention at the alpha’s table could get you in serious trouble. “You will go to this backwater town of….” Clark snapped his fingers at Dutton.
“Moonlight.”
“You will go to Moonlight and explain to their alpha the error of his ways. Take your time; I want to know everything about them.” The alpha stopped, waiting for the submissives to clear their empty plates and serve the main course. A savory aroma rose from the steaming plate of shrimp, a particular favorite of Troy’s. His stomach turned as the scent of the familiar spices hit his nose. Knowledge of what lay ahead destroyed his appetite. He’d trodden the same path before. Guilt weighed heavy, dropping his shoulders.
“It won’t be easy,” Dutton cautioned. “Samuel is one of my best scouts, and they closed ranks on him. He’s played the lone wolf before and eased his way into other packs, but they moved him on within hours of him entering the local diner.”
Forcing himself to eat the shrimp, Troy considered his options. Refusing to go was out of the question. He trusted Dutton’s opinion. If one of his team couldn’t infiltrate Moonlight, then a different tactic would be required. After draining the last of his champagne, he folded his napkin and placed it next to his empty plate. “I’ll approach the alpha directly, offer him the hand of friendship.” A glimmer of hope beckoned, and Troy held his tongue until he knew he could speak without revealing any hint of excitement. “A female would be useful to help break the ice. Would open doors more likely to be closed to a single male.”
An indulgent chuckle from the alpha dragged him back to reality. Shaking his head, Clark fixed a hollow smile on Troy. “Ah, son. You know how hard it is for me to part from any of my children. I will feel your absence every day you are away from my side and will rely on our dear Quinn to keep me company.” He held his hand out across the table toward Quinn, beckoning her to approach.
With a bitter twist of her lips, she rose from her seat, circling the table to assume her position at the alpha’s left side, resting her hand on his shoulder. Shit. If it were only him, Troy would run as far and as fast as he could. He respected Dutton, tolerated Nikolas, but would leave them both without a backward glance if he could. They had nothing holding them to Clark’s side other than their own fucked-up sense of loyalty.
An image of a five-year-old Quinn burying her tear-stained face into his lap taunted him. She may be all grown up and capable of defending herself, but Troy owed her an unrepayable debt. If he’d been quicker, smarter, braver, they wouldn’t be in the mess they were now. The destruction of their pack was on him.
Chapter Two
The familiar masculine scent of her alpha reached Belinda Thomas a moment before he knocked on the frame of her open door. His tall outline filled the doorway, cast in shadow by her screen door. Humidity lay thick in the air, a damp weight she could taste on the back of her tongue. The slightest movement sucked sweat from every pore. Her once-crisp white blouse clung to the base of her spine, and she’d shoved her hair back off her face with a glitter hairband more suited to a young teenager than a grown woman. Bel didn’t care. Pretty things drew her like a magpie, and no outfit could be called complete without a glittery accent.
“Come on in, Derek,” she said, turning toward the refrigerator to lift out a huge jug of iced tea. Drops of condensation formed on a pair of tall glasses the moment she filled them. She slid one across the counter toward him, raising her own to press it against her cheek. The cold kiss of the glass brought a modicum of relief from the oppressive heat.
Derek drained his drink in one long gulp, smiling in thanks when she poured him a second. “This heat is going to kill me,” he grumbled, taking a more modest sip this time.
Strands of dark hair clung to his forehead, and she clenched her fist against the urge to brush them away. The alpha was happily mated now, and she had no touch rights anymore. Riesa suited him. Her insightful nature soothed and comforted Derek in a way Bel had never been able to. Had never wanted to, in truth. Wolves were highly sexual, and the unmated members of the pack relied on each other to serve their needs. Less aggressive than most, Bel had been fortunate when Derek took her into his bed, treating her with gentleness even if it didn’t give him the levels of satisfaction his dominant nature craved. A good alpha understood each individual member of his pack and worked hard to deliver what they needed to be safe and secure. To be alpha meant to put all things before your own personal requirements.
She might miss his familiar weight between her thighs, but she knew Riesa and Derek were wholly devoted to each other. Her own loneliness seemed a small price to pay in the face of their happiness. There were available males in the pack, but few wanted to get close enough to Bel. Being omega of the pack gave her insights into the deepest reaches of those around her. She couldn’t blame a casual lover for wanting to guard their secrets. Thanks to the ever-expanding range of sex toys available online, she could take the edge off her needs. She didn’t lack for orgasms, but it would be nice to experience the scents and sounds of shared intimacy once in a while.
Derek growled low in his throat. “You’re not happy, Bel. What can I do to help you?”
Shedding her little cloud of self-pity, she gave him a sunny smile. “I’m fine, Derek. It would be nice to be able to do a few chores around the place without needing to take a damn shower, but other than that….” Shrugging one shoulder, she dismissed his concern. “It’s lovely to see you, Alpha, but I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.”
Derek frowned at her for a few moments more before he accepted her switching the topic of conversation. He wouldn’t let it go for long, but she’d avoided the inevitable awkward talk for another day. “There’s a new wolf in town.”
Her head snapped up. Personal concerns took a backseat when it came to any potential threat to the pack. Given the struggles they’d been through to escape their old life, nothing was more important than peace and stability for their small group. Settling in Moonlight had offered a chance at normality after years of strife and pain. They would do whatever it took to protect it.
“Another one?” She folded her arms, resting her hips against the counter behind her. Derek wanted to expand the pack. A number of new members, including humans, now lived among them. Word went
out that lone wolves had a place of safety here, provided they could make a positive contribution to the overall well-being of the pack. It meant more work for Bel, and not all the newcomers proved sincere in their motives. The last stranger who’d walked into the convenience store a few weeks before raised her hackles so high Bel had dropped her basket and sprinted the half mile to Kirk’s remote cabin. The strongest wolf in their pack, Kirk was their first and last line of defense. His once fierce outer shell shattered now by a sweet, curvy human determined to draw the big wolf into the center of pack life. His utter capitulation in the face of Silver’s love surprised many, but not Bel. She’d seen the gaping void in his soul, the noble truth in his heart regardless of the poor opinion he held about himself. Thankfully, he no longer avoided her like the plague, and his mate was becoming a great friend.
Kirk and Derek had escorted the stranger out of town, but she could still feel the echoes of his malevolence in her mind. And now, the alpha stood in the kitchen, needing her to test her ability against another unknown wolf. A shiver of foreboding sent goose bumps racing up her arms.
Derek raised an eyebrow. “This one is different. He’s come as an emissary for another pack. Their territory is a couple of hours from here based in the Brighton Reservation.”
She pressed a palm to her chest, trying to calm the sudden racing of her heart. Driven from their home by the encroachment of hunters and then the vicious attack of another pack which decimated their numbers, they’d settled in Moonlight after months of hiding in an abandoned orange grove. Plans to regroup and move on were put aside when Alexa joined the pack and brought with her the opportunity for the pack to settle in the rundown cottages they now called home. Quiet relief slowly replaced the constant pall of fear hanging over them. It would break her heart if they had to run again.
Derek closed the distance between them. She wasn’t aware of the tears falling down her cheeks until they dripped from her chin. She longed to indulge her need for touch for a moment, but mated wolves couldn’t tolerate the scent of another female on them. Settling for the next best thing, she reached out to him with her gift. His emotions were as familiar to her as her own. She sorted through the strands, soothing his tension and boosting his confidence.
“Don’t tweak me, Bel,” he growled, although there was no anger in his tone. “Moonlight is our home, and I’ll do whatever it takes to defend it.” He reached out, catching her pointed chin between his fingers to make her meet his gaze. “I need to hear what the Brighton pack wants from us, and I need you to be there. Can you do this for me?”
Her alpha needed her; the pack needed her. “Yes,” she whispered, cleared her throat, and tried again. “Yes, Derek, I’ll help in any way I can.” She tucked her worries and fears away in a corner of her mind. If things went wrong, she would have plenty of time in the future to indulge them.
***
“Stop fiddling with your apron, you look fine.”
Belinda blushed under Hannah’s gentle admonishment. The pack second’s mate worked in the Moonlight Diner part-time, and she’d agreed to an extra shift to guide Bel through the unfamiliar role. Derek had decided offering a meal to the emissary would present an impression of cooperation. By posing as a waitress, Bel could get close to their table without drawing attention to herself. People tended to overlook servers, treating them as part of the fixtures and fittings. Several members of the pack were scattered around the room, including Hannah’s mate, Rand. He perched on a stool at the main counter a couple of feet from where they stood, sharing coffee and pie with Kirk. Between the two of them and Derek, any threat from the Brighton emissary would be neutralized in seconds.
“Hey, baby, you got something hot there for me?” Rand jiggled his coffee cup at Hannah, grinning at the blush rising on her cheeks.
“Give me a fucking break,” Kirk rumbled from the other side of Rand. “You’d better get him a jug of ice water, put out the fire in his pants.”
Bel snorted, clapping her hand over her mouth at the undignified noise. Rand laughed, the easy warm sound teasing more giggles from her. She turned her back on the room, trying and failing to stem them. Her shoulder’s shook and tears sprang up in her eyes. The joke hadn’t even been that funny, but it helped to break the bubbles of nervous tension in her stomach. Taking a few deep breaths, she settled herself, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin from the counter dispenser.
“Feeling better, Mix?” the second asked, and she nodded. He’d given her the nickname years ago, when she’d been trying to get to grips with her omega abilities. Rand had compared her to a mixing board, damping some emotions, amplifying others, helping members of the pack to find the perfect balance they needed to broadcast at optimum levels. It was a bit more complicated than that, but the analogy worked enough to help the rest of the pack understand what she could do.
The phone next to Rand’s plate vibrated, and he glanced at the screen. “He’s here.”
Bel sobered in an instant. She picked up a couple of menus, put them back down, and fiddled with her apron again until Hannah gave the back of her hand a gentle slap.
“Relax, Bel,” she murmured before moving away with the coffee pot to do a top-up round. The door to the diner opened, letting a sultry gust of air into the temperature-controlled atmosphere. The low evening sun dazzled through the open door, obscuring her view of the two men as they entered. Gathering the menus, she moved away from the counter toward the center of the room. The welcoming smile she directed at Derek froze on her lips when the man behind closed the door and turned toward her. She’d heard the term breathtaking, had used it herself before, but had never actually experienced it until that moment.
Derek had always turned her head with his dark hair and intense golden eyes. The stranger beside him looked lighter, brighter—the sun peeking out from behind Derek’s dark cloud. His warm smile, shining green eyes, and relaxed demeanor drew her like a moth to a flame. She wanted to touch him, pet him, attract his attention in any way she could. A shudder rippled through her, and she folded her arms across her chest to disguise the sudden hardening of her nipples.
The alpha steered his guest toward the prearranged booth. The rest of the diners had been positioned to give an impression of privacy. With their enhanced shifter hearing, any conversation at the table above a whisper would carry to everyone present. Detailed discussions about the emissary’s reason for visiting would not be held in public. This meal was for show and to give both parties the opportunity to size each other up.
Derek raised an eyebrow at her, and she tried to shake off her shocking reaction to the strange wolf. Licking her dry lips, she fixed her smile and approached the table. She had a job to do. The alpha needed her focused on the task he’d set her. Hot damn, he smells incredible. The sensitive flesh between her legs prickled in awareness. Fur tickled beneath her skin, and her wolf senses went on point. Something flashed through the visitor’s eyes—an acknowledgment he schooled into friendly blankness.
“I’ll take an ice tea please, Bel,” Derek murmured. She dragged her eyes away from the emissary and focused on the alpha. He gave her a quizzical glance then switched his focus to his guest. “What would you like to drink, Troy?”
“Ice tea sounds perfect. I think I sweat a pint walking from the car to the front door.” His voice stroked against her skin, like a brush of dark promise. She glanced at his perfectly crisp linen suit over a white button-down shirt. Not a strand of his sandy-brown hair lay out of place. He looked clean and fresh. She swayed closer to draw in another lungful of his eucalyptus scent. She wanted to climb in his lap and rub herself against him until she carried his tangy essence on every inch of her skin.
“Bel?” Derek closed his hand around her wrist, pulling her back to awareness.
She closed her eyes, concentrating on his familiar touch, grounding herself in pack. Get a damn grip, Bel. Nodding once, she placed the menus on the table. “I’ll fetch those drinks for you, gentlemen.”
Derek relea
sed her, and she forced herself to walk slowly to the service point. The simple task of fixing the tea settled her further, and she took the time to examine her reaction to the man. Troy. Her visceral attraction to him had blinded her omega nature. Everything she’d taken from him was superficial, the easy smiling façade he’d presented. She hadn’t felt this out of control for years. Meditation had helped her through the roller coaster of puberty when the roil of teen hormones sent her haywire. Thankfully, the mental exercises came to her the moment she reached for them, and she guided herself through each step. She scooped ice, mixed the tea, and arranged a selection of citrus slices and individual sweetener packets on a plate, making each motion a mindful act.
By the time she carried the laden tray back to the booth, she had regained her equilibrium. The two men chatted, exchanging superficial information. They paused to thank her when she served their drinks before returning to their conversation. She moved into the background, drawing a notepad and pen out of the front pocket in her apron.
“And is your sister older or younger than you?” Derek asked, tipping the contents of two packets of sweetener into his glass. He stirred the dark liquid, added several orange slices, and took a sip.
“Younger.” Troy fixed his tea to his own taste, giving Bel the chance to study him. A confusing mix of pride, worry, and distress swirled around him. He shielded well. His easy body language and open countenance would fool anyone other than an omega like her. Settling back into the well-worn leather of his seat, he lifted his menu to study it. “So how long have you been in Moonlight?”
The deliberate casualness of his question sent her mental alarm bells ringing. The cloud of emotions around him vanished, swallowed by a sense of all-encompassing determination. The force of it struck her like a physical blow. Bel dropped her pen, giving herself the chance to crouch down and disguise the sudden weakness in her knees. Her heart fluttered beneath her rib cage like a trapped bird as her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. The tips of her fingers itched, and the bones of her jaw rippled.
Hunger Moon Page 2
