Silver Moon (Hot Moon Rising #6)

by Merryn Dexter

  “I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me, kitten,” he snarled. Fastening his mouth on her clit, he teased the tender bundle of nerves and slapped her ass again, striking the same spot.

  “Kirk!”

  He smoothed his hand over the red mark, warming and soothing her abused flesh. Flattening his tongue, he massaged her clit in time with the motion of his hand. His name on her lips became a moan of pleasure. She rocked against his face, seeking her pleasure, and he couldn’t keep a grin from his face. There was no shyness left in his mate; she knew what she needed and went after it. It was time to raise the stakes. He dropped his head back against the pillows, ignoring her grumbles at losing contact with his mouth.

  “Turn for me, baby. I need to be inside this hot little pussy of yours,” he ordered, lifting and helping her to maneuver as he spoke.

  As eager as him, she no sooner found her balance before she pressed back, guiding his cock inside the blazing-hot heaven of her sex. He raised his hips, shoving up to meet her downward thrust, impaling her to the hilt with a shout of satisfaction.

  “You’re mine, baby. Don’t you forget it.” He slammed upward again, sending her sprawling over his chest.

  “Yours, Kirk. Always,” she panted.

  Nails digging into his shoulders, she scrabbled for purchase, found it, and rammed her hips back to meet his. Their flesh slapped together, the desperate thrusts punctuated by gasps and grunts of exertion. Bodies moving in a dance as old as time, they came together again and again.

  Heat built inside him, drawing his balls up tight against his body, warning him he was close. He thrust his hand between them, trapped her clit between thumb and finger, and pinched hard. “Come for me, Silver. Come for me now, baby.”

  She fell over the edge of bliss. He caught her. He would always catch her. Holding her close, he pumped his hips, filling her body with his seed, marking her, claiming her, owning her. Mate, my mate.

  A car door slammed, distracting Kirk, and he grabbed Silver by the hips, holding her still. “Someone’s here.”

  Lifting her head from his chest, she pushed the sweaty strands of her hair from her face. “Oh, that’s just the first of the pack arriving.”

  With a soft moan, she separated their bodies and climbed from the bed. He should probably close his mouth at some point, but her nonchalant words were struggling to register.

  “What are you talking about? They know the rules. No one comes here.”

  “Well, they do now. I had plenty of time to think about your rules, you know, when you were practically dead.” She planted her hands on her hips, glaring down at him. “I’ve made some new rules, and we’re having a party to celebrate.”

  “A party?” What the fuck happened in the last week?

  “They came to help us, Kirk. Every last one of them. From the alpha to the omega. They came to the warehouse and fought the gang. We needed them, and they saved us, so the least we can do is say thank you. Now, stop growling and get that sexy ass of yours in the shower.” She turned on her heel, leaving him stunned.

  My kitten has claws, and it’s hot as fuck.

  ***

  Kirk surveyed the noisy group invading his space. A row of parked vehicles stretched along the access road. Chairs and tables scattered the edges of the clearing, making the most of the shade from the overhanging trees. Alan and Shelley from the diner had set up a couple of grills and were busy flipping burgers and grilling chicken. Tables next to them groaned beneath the weight of side dishes other pack members had brought with them.

  He’d expected to feel awkward, a fish out of water. The proverbial bull in the china shop of their fragile, precious pack. Silver had other ideas, however. It was clear that in the week he’d been out of action, she’d established herself in the hearts of the pack. The handshakes and hugs he’d received had been tentative, but no less heartfelt than the more demonstrative embraces she’d been swept into.

  The alpha smiled down at his mate and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Separating himself from the group surrounding Silver, he made his way to where Kirk leaned against the side of the cabin. His attempts at hiding from the party had proven an utter failure. One member of the pack after the other invaded his self-imposed isolation.

  His mind still reeled from their words. Everyone had a story to share with him, a memory, something Kirk had done that directly affected them. Every sin he had committed, every death delivered had been flipped on its head as they thanked him for a mate who’d been saved, for an escape hard won. Far from the devil he painted himself, they saw him as a savior.

  Taking the beer Derek offered to him, Kirk chugged half of it down. The alpha propped his shoulder against the wall, crossed his feet at the ankles, and surveyed his pack.

  “They didn’t stay away because they feared you, Kirk. They stayed away because of the guilt they carried.”

  “Guilt? About what?”

  “You took the strain. You shielded them from the worst of the horrors we faced, and they let you do it. I let you do it.”

  Kirk stared across the clearing toward his mate. She threw her head back, the bright cadence of her laughter floating through the air. As though sensing his eyes upon her, she turned her head and met his gaze. Love shone in her eyes. No fear, no doubt, only love and acceptance.

  His heart soared. Basking in her love, the broken pieces of his soul began to knit together.

  “She’s a remarkable young woman,” Derek said.

  Kirk lifted his beer, clinking his bottle against the alpha’s. “You have no idea.” Nor do I, but I can’t wait to find out. He held out his hand to Silver, unable to hide a grin of pride when she abandoned the group mid-sentence to come to him.

  “I have something I want to show you,” he said, curling a possessive arm around her waist.

  “You need to get some new material, buster. Don’t think that just because we’re mated you won’t have to work for it.” Laughter danced in her eyes, and he swooped down on her to press a kiss to her lips.

  He lost himself in the sweet temptation of her mouth, until the chorus of catcalls and hoots from the rest of the pack grew to a deafening volume. Flipping them the bird behind his back, he led his mate inside. He tugged her onto his knee, opened his laptop, and called up the plans for his new project. Silver studied the screen, a sweet frown of concentration on her face. Work it out, kitten.

  She looked up at him, cupping his cheek to make sure she had his full attention. “Is this for me?” she breathed.

  He nodded. “I wanted to make sure you could keep doing what you love. It will take a while to construct, but with your own space you can set up a virtual classroom. Alexa is a whiz online. She’ll be able to help you with a website. A lot of the others work in the virtual world, too. I’m going to take a couple of classes, learn about the right kind of setup for you—”

  She silenced him with a kiss. “It’s amazing. I love it. I love you. Thank you for helping me to find my place in the world.”

  Hot Moon Rising Book 1

  Wolf Moon by Desiree Holt

  Chapter One

  The rain always depressed Alexa Martin, underscoring the isolation she lived with. Scant moments ago, she’d returned from running through the trees behind her house. Concealed by the darkness, she’d given in to the urge she’d been suppressing for two days. Now, in a fleece robe, with a towel wrapped around her head, she sat curled up on the window seat in her living room. Thick drops of liquid ran down the glass like tiny waterfalls. If only there was a way she could wash away the problems in her life and make it clean and free again.

  Why did I think everything would be fine when I moved to Florida? Running from our clan’s alpha really didn’t change anything except to put distance between me and everything I’ve ever known.

  “You know I cannot allow your relationship with a human,” the alpha had told her in his forbidding voice. “He will turn on you when he knows the truth. Worse yet, he could expose you and the rest of us. I
s that what you want?”

  He was right, damn him.

  She had deliberately shape-shifted in front of Ray, hoping for acceptance, but she’d seen nothing but horror in his eyes.

  “What are you?” Disgust had filled his voice. “Some kind of freak? No, get away from me,” he’d shouted when she moved toward him. “Do not touch me.”

  “You should have listened to your elders,” the alpha told her afterward. “I have no objection to marriage, but only with our own kind. We must perpetuate our clan. Lance is ready and waiting to make you his wife.”

  “I will never marry Lance, old man,” she told him with vehemence. “He may be handsome and powerful, but he is well-known for his cruelty.”

  So, she ran as far as she could, tucking away in a hidden corner of the universe where she was sure the clan would never find her.

  The slam of a car door drew her attention to the driveway separating her house from the one next to it.

  Jesse’s home.

  From where she sat, she could see Jesse Farrell’s lean, muscular body running through the rain to his porch.

  One a.m.

  She could set her clock by him.

  His shift with the Palmetto County Sheriff’s Department ended at midnight. Unless paperwork kept him longer than usual, he’d stop for coffee and a hamburger on the way home. At one o’clock, he’d be pulling into the driveway. Alexa never failed to notice the fatigue that slowed his steps or the tension in his posture.

  What bothered her the most were the feelings she was developing for him, feelings that went far beyond worries for his safety. She’d thought hiding away in this small Southern town was the answer to her problem. A top researcher, her website brought her many clients and allowed her to work from home.

  Then I saw Jesse, and I was right in the fire again.

  She found herself wandering out into her backyard when he was working in his, carrying a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade. From there, it was nothing more than a short step to inviting him to dinner. Or over to watch television on his nights off.

  Fool! Stupid! Idiot!

  Little by little, she found herself pulled more and more to him. At night, she dreamed about him in her bed. Naked. Hot. His big hands touching every part of her body. His hard shaft plunging into her. His sensual mouth devouring her. She would awaken in a state of high arousal, her nipples painful points, the pulse in her cunt throbbing, and liquid seeping onto her thighs.

  The last thing I need is to fall in love with another human.

  Love! The forbidden word.

  Yet, she felt it barreling down on her like a steamroller, and she didn’t know how to get out of the way. She was lost, either way.

  Alexa shivered.

  Can it, girlfriend. You were in trouble the moment you first talked to him. Go make yourself a cup of tea. Chamomile. Nice and soothing. Something to stifle these feelings that are definitely going to get you in trouble.

  Sighing, she unfolded herself from the seat and headed for the kitchen.

  The sound of the doorbell startled Alexa. On tiptoe, she peered through the peephole. She was stunned to see Jesse on her porch, dripping wet and shifting from one foot to the other.

  She yanked the door open. “What’s wrong? It’s pouring rain. Why aren’t you inside?”

  “Can I come in, please?”

  “Oh, sure. Come on.” Yes, bring your fantastic body into my house.

  “Sorry to bother you. I left my key on the counter this morning.” He raked his wet hair back from his forehead. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

  Jesse always carried his car keys separately.

  “In case I’m ever attacked,” he’d explained, “I don’t want anyone having a key to my house. I can keep an extra one of yours, too, if you want.”

  Another link to him she should avoid.

  “I’ll get it,” she told him, “but come into the kitchen. You look like a drowned rat, and you must be freezing. At least get that wet shirt off and let me make you some coffee.”

  “I’ll drip all over your place,” he protested.

  “Tile floors are easy to mop.” She took his hand. “Come on. I’d feel terrible if you got pneumonia and I could have prevented it.”

  In the kitchen, she flipped the switch on the coffeemaker while he took off his shirt. Then she handed him a large towel from the stack in the laundry room.

  “You look exhausted. Bad night?” Her heart pinched at the weary sight of him.

  Jesse scrubbed a hand over his face. “Every night’s bad with the gangs. We’ve got a couple of new ones out there ramping up their so-called initiation requirements. That makes it pretty tense on the streets.”

  He was a member of the sheriff’s gang task force, a thankless and dangerous job. On the night streets, he was a shadowy figure in jeans and T-shirt, looking to stop trouble before it started. Even in a county as small as Palmetto, gangs were a big problem, many of them migrating south from Tampa.

  She’d taken to waiting up for him, knowing she’d be unable to rest until he was home safely. If only she could find a way to protect him. Well, there was one, if she transformed. But she had no idea how he’d feel about a giant wolf following him around the county.

  She ran a critical eye over him, noting his soaked jeans, and pulled out another towel. “You’d better take off the rest of those clothes and let me put everything in the dryer. Coffee should be ready in a minute.”

  “I’m all right, Alexa. Honest. The only thing I need is to get some sleep.”

  How about in my bed?

  “I told you. Go to sleep like that and you really will get sick.”

  “Alexa, I….”

  She grinned at him. “I finally have a chance to get you naked in my house. Don’t give me a hard time.”

  Something primitive flashed in his eyes at her words, and the muscles of his face tautened. He took his wallet out of his jeans and flipped it onto the counter. Still holding her gaze, he undid the snap, lowered the zipper, and slid the wet denim down his legs, along with his boxers.

  In seconds, he was unselfconsciously naked. Alexa’s face flushed. She quickly handed him the second towel and turned toward the laundry room. “I’ll go dump all this stuff in the dryer.”

  Her hands shook slightly as she dropped the clothes into the dryer and set it on the spin cycle.

  Am I out of my mind? Jesse Farrell naked in my kitchen, wrapped only in two of my towels?

  Correction. One towel—slung low on his hips and knotted at the side. When she came back into the kitchen, he was still using the other one to dry his hair.

  He winked at Alexa. “I’ve sure waited a long time for you to get me naked, darlin’.”

  “Don’t get any ideas,” she tried to joke. “I’m just doing my Good Samaritan thing. Want a shot of something in your coffee to take the chill off?”

  “No thanks. Sounds good, but straight from the pot.”

  When she turned to hand him the mug, he was so close behind her the hot liquid nearly sloshed over the rim. “S-Sorry.”

  His scent drifted past her nose, musk and citrus and the clean smell of the rain. Her wolf sense of smell went on high alert. She tried to inch away from him, but he had her trapped between his body and the counter.

  Oh my God! His body!

  Exactly as she had imagined it. Lean, hard, muscled, with thick curls of dark hair covering his chest and narrowing to a point beneath the top edge of the towel. And his face. Lines of exhaustion carved into the rugged planes accented the sensuous mouth and the slightly crooked nose. But his eyes dominated everything. God, she could get lost in those dark whiskey-colored eyes fringed by thick lashes.

  Alexa had to stop herself from licking her lips.

  He’s not for you.

  But oh, how she wanted him. In her heart as well as her bed. Most definitely in her life.

  He’s not for you.

  The words echoed again in her head.

  “You must be exhausted,”
she murmured, searching for conversation. “Your clothes should be dry in a minute. Why don’t you take your coffee to the table and sit down.”

  “I like the view better from here.” His voice was like warm syrup sliding over her.

  “Jesse, I—”

  “You what?” He set his coffee mug on the counter and leaned forward, his hands on either side of her. “Do you know how many times I’ve watched you out there in what passes for a backyard here? Seen you in those shorts and T-shirts that hug this round little body? How many times I’ve stood and talked to you hoping you wouldn’t notice what a hard-on you gave me? How many nights I’ve dreamed of taking your body into my bed and doing the most exciting things to it? With it?”

  “Y-You have?”

  “Sitting in your house eating dinner with you and watching television has been an exercise in self-control worthy of an award. You have no idea how I’ve been fantasizing about you.”

  She placed her palms on his chest and realized instantly what a mistake that was. Electricity sizzled through her fingertips and shot its way through her body. Her nipples, already hard, were now like tiny granite pebbles. Liquid dripped from her cunt and trickled down the inside of her thighs. Embarrassed, she squeezed her legs together.

  “Don’t fantasize about me, Jesse. There are things you don’t know.”

  Don’t give me the chance to love you.

  His eyes were like twin flames, all signs of teasing gone. “Afraid of me, Alexa?”

  His words sent shivers skittering along her spine. She swallowed twice before she could answer him.

  “W-What should I be afraid of?”

  “Maybe this.”

  He bent his head and captured her mouth with his, a soft kiss that gradually turned hard and demanding. His tongue swept the warm, wet cavern of her mouth like a flame, scorching her everywhere it touched. His hands held her firmly to him, crushing her breasts against his bare chest. The length of his erection pressed into the softness of her belly.