Blood Moon

by Desiree Holt

  “Finger fuck yourself,” he told her, his own breathing uneven. “Do it.”

  She lifted her ass slightly from the bed as she slid two fingers inside her slick pussy, timing their in-and-out movement with the stimulation of her clit. Soft moans rolled up from her throat as her hands increased their tempo.

  “Take your fingers out,” Derek rasped. “Come wide open for me.”

  Hannah pulled her fingers free but continued to torment her clit until the orgasm broke over her, shaking her body, her hips thrusting up and up. Derek opened the lips of her cunt as wide as he could, watching the wet flesh spasm and more liquid seep out from her deep channel.

  Hannah’s moans grew louder as she sought the fulfillment only something inside her would bring. But Derek wasn’t ready to give her that yet. He loved watching her orgasm like this, until the last flutters died away. Then he bent forward and sucked the juices from her, bringing her another brief climax. She lay back on the pillows, exhausted but still panting with need.

  This was one of the things Derek liked best about being a shifter. The level of lust in each of them far exceeded that of humans and spurred them to a variety of acts of satisfaction. He removed his hands and rocked back on his heels.

  “Turn over, Hannah, and show me your ass. Have you been wearing the plug?”

  “Yes,” she hissed as she rolled onto her stomach. “But I took it out today and forgot to put it back in.”

  “That’s very naughty of you.” Smack! He brought the palm of one hand down on her ass. “Very naughty indeed.” Smack! He spanked the other ass cheek. “Now, let’s see how well you’re doing.”

  Slowly, she pushed herself to her knees, bent forward, and used both hands to spread the cheeks of her ass.

  Derek used one finger to scoop the liquid from her cunt and rub it into the tight ring of her anus. Then he gently inserted the finger, feeling the tissue give with very little pressure.

  “Good girl,” he praised. “You have been using the plug. Tonight I’m going to fuck you here and give you an orgasm greater than any you’ve had so far.”

  Hannah’s pussy tingled at the words, and a shiver skittered over her spine. She could still remember how timid she’d been the first time Derek took her to bed. Very unshifterlike. But he’d been very patient with her, tender while at the same time lustful, teaching her things she’d only dreamed about. And tonight! Tonight they would break the final boundary. She shivered again.

  Derek kneeled behind her, massaging the lips of her pussy in a way he knew made her blood heat. Her nipples were hard as diamonds and her breasts ached, but not as much as her cunt did, or her pulsating clit. And the orgasm, rather than giving her satisfaction, had only left her craving more.

  She heard Derek move and in a moment, she felt something cool at her anus.

  “Gel.” His voice was husky. “To ease the way. The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt you. I want this to be the hottest sex we’ve ever had.”

  She didn’t know how he could top what had happened so far. Their level of lust had risen with each session they’d had together. She was truly sorry the invisible link between mates did not exist for the two of them.

  Derek massaged the gel into the hot length of her dark tunnel, rubbing it thoroughly into her tissues. Then the broad head of his cock was probing her rectum, easing past the ring of muscle in slow increments.

  “Breathe,” he told her. “In and out. Come on, Hannah. You can do it. Breathe in now.”

  She drew in a lungful of air, he pushed in a little farther, and she exhaled slowly. His enormous shaft filled every inch of space as it pushed in farther and farther. Just when she was sure she couldn’t take any more, he gave one last thrust and seated himself completely, his balls slapping against her thighs.

  “That’s it, Hannah. Good girl. Just keep breathing in and out like that.”

  His hips rocked in a steady tempo, his rigid cock sliding in and out, igniting her nerve endings and sending jolts of lightening through her. Every pulse beat thrummed, her heartbeat raced, as he took her higher and higher to a plane she’d never reached before.

  “Chafe your clit,” he ordered in a rough voice. “Do it, Hannah. Balance yourself and do it now.”

  Head down, she braced herself with one hand while using the other to chafe her clit, her motion increasing in speed as Derek increased his. The climax grew within her, building and building, spreading its heat through every part of her. His cock seemed to fill every space inside her, driving her higher and higher. Icy heat flashed through her, chilling and burning her at the same time. Lost in a fog of desire, she could no longer think, no longer do anything except thrust her hips back at Derek to meet his motion and rub herself faster and faster.

  Derek’s fingers dug into her hips with almost bruising intensity as he pushed harder and harder into her hole. Every muscle in her body tightened as the climax grew and grew.

  “Pinch your clit, Hannah. Hard.”

  When she did, the wave inside her crested.

  “Now, Hannah,” Derek shouted and took them both over the edge.

  Hannah shook with the ferocity of the orgasm, falling into a black space, fireworks exploding against her closed eyelids. She shuddered and shuddered as Derek emptied himself into her, the heat of his cum searing her sensitive channel.

  Weak and spent, she collapsed forward, Derek following her, catching his weight on his forearms. She wasn’t sure if the thundering heartbeat shaking her was hers, or Derek’s pounding against her back. The only sound in the room was their breathing as they drew in great ragged gulps of air.

  Derek’s lips brushed against her shoulder, and his tongue licked the edge of her ear. “You did well, Hannah.” His voice was raw and ragged.

  “You, too,” she breathed, her lips curving in a smile.

  “We would make a great pair if we were meant to mate with each other,” he told her.

  “I know.” She sighed. “But I’ve learned since I was very young that the connection is either there or it isn’t. That we’ll know in an instant if someone is our mate, and if it isn’t there, you can’t force it.”

  Derek nodded. “Very true. That includes mating with humans, too, you know. Look at Alexa and Jesse. Liana and Charlie. And others in our group.”

  “I just hope I find my own mate soon. Sometimes I think….” She bit her lip.

  Derek raised an eyebrow. “Think what, Hannah?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. Just maybe wishful thinking. But I want to thank you very much for helping me reach a point where I’m ready to come out of my shell. Ready to mate with someone.”

  “I think the pleasure is mine.” His eyes darkened with lust.

  She grinned. “And I definitely think I’m ready to face the others tonight.”

  He chuckled in her ear. “If not, I’d be willing to work on this again.”

  Hannah laughed, a low, thready sound as she tried desperately to gather herself. “Sacrificing your body, are you?”

  “Any time.” He pulled out of her and rolled to the side. “However, we’d better think about getting ready. I expect this to be an intense meeting.”

  And once again, Hannah was plunged into the anxiety of her situation, one she had caused herself.

  Chapter Two

  The pack gathered in Derek’s living room, his house being the largest. There were twelve in all, lounged on the couch, in chairs, and sprawled on the floor. The atmosphere might have been casual, but the attitude was one of high alert. When the alpha called a meeting, it was for something important. Maybe dangerous.

  Rand Molina, Derek’s second-in-command, leaned against the wall, arms folded, body tense. Derek had given him no indication of the subject of tonight’s gathering, and he was irritated for a number of reasons. They’d been very lucky to have a place to live at last, he and the other survivors of a slaughter of his former village. Most of them had found jobs, saving money until they could open businesses of their own, maybe s
earch for other orphan shifters. The humans that some of the pack had mated with were of great help and very supportive. He’d hate to find out it was all about to fall apart.

  Besides that, he bitterly resented Derek’s role in Hannah Raines’s life. Rand wanted the shy, sweet little red wolf for his own. He had been cautious about approaching her, aware she was unusually inexperienced for a shifter. But before he could make his move, Derek had stepped in as the alpha and assumed the role of trainer. It pissed him off even more because he knew Derek didn’t want to mate with her. He’d been matter-of-fact about the lack of mating attraction between them.

  But Rand felt it every time he was near Hannah, and he was sure she felt it, too. Why had he been such a fool and waited so long? Why hadn’t he objected when Derek took her for training?

  Because no one argues with the alpha, no matter how fair-minded he is.

  Rand looked at Hannah sitting on the couch, Derek standing close to her, bending down to speak with her quietly. The rosy flush on her face was a good indication they’d had a “training session” not long before this meeting. Jealousy flared through him, and his cock hardened. He shifted position to conceal the evidence. That was all he needed, for everyone to see he had an erection.

  He’d made up his mind on the way over here. After the meeting, he would speak to Derek, tell him how he felt, and then approach Hannah. It was long past time for him to do so. His lust for her had been unsatisfied for too long.

  As he shifted his gaze to her again, he noticed something else—a strain on her face that wasn’t usually there and tension in her body. What the hell was going on? Had Derek asked something of her she didn’t want to do? If he had, alpha or not, Rand would take him on.

  Before he could dwell on it any further, Derek straightened and raised his hand.

  “Could I have everyone’s attention please? Thank you. I’m sorry to get you all out of your homes after dinner but we have something in the nature of an emergency to consider.”

  Emergency? Rand frowned. What kind of emergency now, just when they were all getting settled. As he listened to Derek explain what had happened with Hannah at the convenience store, his gut tightened. Forget about the fact the rest of the pack could be endangered. Hannah herself was at grave risk, and that was all he cared about.

  Rand narrowed his eyes at Hannah who sat scrunched into a corner of the couch, tensed as if waiting for retribution from the group for what she had done. He couldn’t stand it anymore. Pushing himself away from the wall, he maneuvered himself into a place on the couch next to his mate. With a casual movement, he draped his arm across her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  “So that’s what we need to do,” Derek finished. “We need to be hyperaware ourselves, especially when any of us are out there beyond our little enclave here. At work, shopping, whatever. Check to see if anyone’s following you. If anyone’s loitering around where you are. If we see strangers in the cul-de-sac. And Hannah is not to be left alone for one moment.”

  “I’ll take responsibility for Hannah.”

  The words were out of Rand’s mouth before he realized he was saying them. He hadn’t planned to stake his claim this way, but he didn’t want the kind of situation Derek was setting up. Did the alpha plan to keep her in his own house most of the time? Not if Rand had anything to do with it.

  Derek turned to him. “I don’t think it’s your choice. Besides, as the alpha, I determine whose care she’ll be under.”

  “Maybe you just want to save her for yourself,” Rand sneered.

  “Stop it. Stop right now.” Hannah jumped up from the couch, tears running down her face. “I will not be talked about as if I’m not here, or as if I were a possession to be argued over.” Swiping at her wet cheeks she looked around the room. “This was my mistake, and I will not endanger anyone else. The best thing for me to do is to leave.”

  She was through the front door and out of the house before anyone could stop her. Rand raced after her, shoving Derek away from him as he ran after Hannah. She stood on the porch, arms wrapped around herself, the street light reflecting on her tears. He pulled her against his body, his arms tight around her, and stroked her back.

  “Hush.” He pitched his voice low. “You did the right thing. Any of us would have done the same. It was just dumb luck a stranger happened to be there. We’ll make it right, though. I promise. And no one blames you for this, I promise you.”

  The front door slammed open, and Derek walked to them. “I told you I’d take care of her,” he told Rand in a tight voice.

  “And I told you I was taking responsibility for her.” He tilted Hannah’s face up so he could see her eyes. “I want you, Hannah. As my mate. I feel the tug. I didn’t want to have to tell you this way, but I can’t let you stay with Derek.”

  Derek turned his gaze to her. “And you, Hannah? What do you want?”

  She wet her lips nervously. “I-I want Rand.”

  The alpha looked at the other man again. “Why have you never spoken to me of her? Why wait all this time?”

  “I wasn’t sure she would want me, and I didn’t want to claim her and force her to a mating.” His eyes raked Hannah’s face. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

  The look on her face was a mixture of anxiety and pleasure. Did she want him? Did she feel the mating tug as he did? He held his breath as she looked from Derek back to him, wondering what she would say.

  “I thank you for everything, Derek.” Her voice trembled as much as her body did. “But I believe I am meant to be with Rand. He’s the one I was thinking about when we…talked…earlier. You’ve brought me so far, but he’s the one to take me the rest of the way. For the rest of my life.”

  For a long moment, Derek said nothing, his face stoic. Then he nodded. “Fine. I give you my permission as alpha. But be sure to keep her safe, or I’ll be after your ass.”

  “No problem.” Keeping his arm around Hannah, he walked her toward the steps. “I think we’ll be leaving now. Tomorrow, you and I can go over the rest of the details.”

  Hannah stood in the middle of Rand’s house and looked around. This was the first time she’d been inside. She knew all the cottages had the same basic floor plan, but each person had decorated in his or her own style. Rand’s was very minimalistic, the furniture and the carpeting in basic earth tones, the furniture definitely masculine in design. But on the walls he’d hung prints of landscapes with vivid splashes of color.

  Rand did a walk-through, checking all the locks, then came back to where she was standing. He cupped her face with his hands and studied her face as if memorizing every detail. She could see the banked fires of lust flickering in his dark silver eyes.

  “I want to be sure you’re okay with all this, Hannah. I didn’t mean to spring it on you so abruptly.”

  Her cheeks burned where he touched them, the warmth spreading through her body. She wasn’t good at expressing her feelings or emotions, so she needed to choose the right words.

  “I have always wanted you,” she told him. “Even when we were still living in the grove. But I was so young when we all came here and totally without experience.”

  “I would have helped you.” His voice was firm yet soft. “You didn’t need to go to Derek to teach you the ways of mating. You could have come to me instead.”

  She wet her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. “I was afraid you would turn me away. You were so strong and powerful and others lusted for you. You should thank Derek, not be angry with him. If he hadn’t drawn me out of my shell, I might still be afraid to make my feelings known. Even now, I worried…”

  “Worried that I would reject you?” He brushed his lips against hers. “Never, my little wolf. I, too, worried the age difference would be a problem. That you would think me too old for you.”

  “Ten years is not so much now.” She smiled. “We are both older.”

  “You know lust drives our pack, but what I feel for you goes far beyond that. My cock only st
ands at such painful attention for the wolf I claim as my mate.” He dusted her face with light kisses like feathers on her skin.

  “I feel it, too,” she whispered.

  He lifted his head and studied her face. “We didn’t get any of your things from the house you share with Sascha. Are you all right with getting them tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” She smiled up at him. “But let me call her and tell her I’m okay. We just walked out of Derek’s, and I don’t know what he said to the group. She could be frantic with worry, and I’d hate for that to happen.”

  “I’m sure he’s told them you’re with me and you’re safe. But go ahead and call. You’ll feel better.”

  By the time she finished speaking to her housemate, Rand had returned to the living room with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He set the glasses on the coffee table, filled them, and handed one to Hannah.

  “To us.” He touched his glass to hers, his eyes filled with heat.

  “To us,” she echoed.

  The wine was mellow on her tongue, and its warmth flooded through her veins. After all the times she’d hungered for him, all the times she’d wrestled with the feeling she now knew as lust, all the times she’d been so sure Rand would have no interest in her, she couldn’t believe she was actually in his home and about to be fucked by him. More than that, the mating signal between them was so strong she wondered how she’d ever missed it. Had he known and just been waiting all this time?

  She was grateful to Derek for training her and bringing her out of her shell. Now she had to hope what she’d learned was enough to please Rand and not make him regret his choice.

  His fingers trailed down her arm, and he linked them with hers.

  “Come with me, Hannah. Let me love you. Let me show you how good I know we’ll be together.”

  He led her down a short hall to a large bedroom, furnished as sparsely but strikingly as the rest of the house. An oversized king bed sat against one wall on a platform, a chocolate brown-and-navy quilt covering it. Above it hung another of the vivid landscapes. The rest of the furniture consisted of a nightstand and wide dresser in golden oak and a comfortable-looking chair upholstered in navy leather.