Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  Morgan’s wolf trotted back to where the other two men stood, dropping the dead rabbit at Deacon’s feet. Your prize, O Mighty Hunter, he sent to the others as his wolf bowed down on his front paws. He then hopped up on his hind legs as he shifted back to his normal, muscular size, shaking his head. “Remind me never to make that bet again.”

  Logan slapped the other man on the back. “And yet, you look so adorable, prancing around the woods, fetching dead rabbits for our friend here.”

  Deacon shrugged. “You’ve been falling for that bet since we were in fourth grade. Why would you want to break a tradition now?” He chuckled softly under his breath. He missed this as well, the three of them in the woods, hunting, letting their wolves run as the sun climbed higher in the sky. He had been gone too long, away from his friends, away from his family.

  “Some traditions need to be broken,” Morgan mumbled with a sigh as he slid his hands into his front pockets. “Now that we have enough rabbits to feed us for a few days, what are the plans for tonight?”

  Deacon shrugged. “We could head to Summermire. On my way into town, I noticed a club that wasn’t there before I left, a place called Cheaters. Looked like my kind of dive.”

  Logan shook his head. “Not this boy. I step into a bar like that, Madison will have my nuts hanging from the front porch or stuffed in a canvas bag as a chew toy for Dax. You two have fun and try not to get into too much trouble.”

  Deacon laughed. “That’s why I’m taking Morgan with me,” he said. “To keep me in line. Or from crossing a line. Either way, he’s the designated driver.”

  “What’s the fun of going if I can’t drink?” Morgan asked as he started gathering their kills into a heavy canvas bag after pulling the arrows out.

  Deacon just rolled his eyes, ignoring his friend. Wolves could out-drink any human around and still not catch a buzz. Morgan would drink, Deacon had no worry there, and they would both drink a lot. Deacon needed to unwind now that he was out of the Army, now that he had his own life back.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Deacon noticed Logan staring at him, and by the look on his face, Deacon knew what was on his friend’s mind, and Deacon didn’t want to hear it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said, hoping to head off the conversation marinating in Logan’s mind for a while. “You know, when Dusker was killed by that rogue idiot.” He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I should have been here to help you through that.”

  Logan gave a weak shrug, and Deacon knew the man tried to put up a brave front. “Morgan was here, as well as the rest of the town, Levi, Elias.” He shook his head. “No one could help me through it. I never let anyone even get close.” He shrugged again. “Doyle got what he had coming to him in the end.”

  Morgan laughed. “And now our boy’s a whipped puppy. I swear, I think he might have been better off living like a hermit in the woods. Madison even has frilly curtains on the windows.”

  Deacon watched as Logan stared off into the distance. He knew he shouldn’t have brought up the painful past just to divert his friend’s attention from what was on his mind, but Deacon wasn’t ready to deal with the heavy issues he knew he needed to face. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

  However, he should have known his friend wouldn’t be distracted for long. “Where are you staying?” Logan asked, his hands in his back pockets as he stared off into the treetops, doing his best not to look at Deacon, treating it as another casual conversation among friends.

  It wasn’t casual.

  “I’m staying out at the motor lodge,” Deacon replied as if it wasn’t odd for him to be staying there. He took a deep breath. “And before you ask, no, I haven’t spoken to my father.” He sighed as he slung his bow over his shoulder. “To be honest, I’m not sure I will. The last time didn’t exactly go as planned.”

  “Elias was all right with that?” Logan asked as the trio began to walk back to their car.

  “Not really,” Deacon admitted. “But, he’s giving me time to screw up the courage to talk to him.”

  “And what better place to screw up courage than a strip club called Cheaters?” Morgan said, grinning.

  Logan laughed as he shook his head. “I’m sure courage isn’t the only thing that gets screwed there.”

  “We can only hope,” Deacon said as they reached the car. “It is hump day after all.” He opened the trunk, placing his bow and quiver inside as Morgan added the bag of rabbits. The truth was, he wasn’t really going to the club to get laid or even drunk. He was going to avoid dealing with what he needed to deal with now that he was in town, to forget what he could never forget, to hide from the pain of mistakes that drove him into the arms of the Army, instead of the arms of his family or friends. There was no way he could face his father after failing his sister so badly.

  Deacon closed the trunk, both palms pressing down on the top. Yeah, I can only hope. He took a deep breath. At least a few minutes of escape will break the monotony of the pain, something ten years in the Army failed to do.

  Chapter Two

  Purity Atwood stared at the back door of Cheaters, her hands shaking. She didn’t want to go inside, didn’t want to get up on that stage one more time for a bunch of singles she’d have to give over to Damien Croft. Again. Like she did for the last few months, and of which she was sick of doing. She took a deep breath, her chest a twisted mess of anxiety. She couldn’t keep doing this, but had yet to figure out how to escape.

  “Staring at the door won’t get you inside,” she heard the woman say.

  Turning, Purity watched as Sasha Winters crossed the parking lot to where Purity stood, her five-inch heels clacking on the asphalt as the wind tugged at her skirt which barely covered her pale ass as it was. “I hoped if I stood here long enough, the whole place would just disappear.”

  Sasha laughed off the idea with a wave of her hand, her bright red nails almost an inch past her fingers, as she raked the strands of fake-blond hair out of her eyes with her other hand. “Oh, sweetie, Damien made a deal with the devil himself to keep the darkness of Cheaters going, didn’t you hear?” She ran a hand over Purity’s shoulder as she passed Purity on her way toward the back door of the strip club.

  Purity watched the other woman leave, vanishing into the morass of sexual tension that kept the club’s doors open year after year. Purity sighed as she shifted her purse on her shoulder. Might as well get it over with. She gave a sad shake of her head as she made her way inside Cheaters.

  The interior was already a cacophony of loud music, men cheering, and waitresses calling out to the rowdier clients who grabbed their asses as they passed by. The lights were dim, except for the ones shining on the girls sashaying their asses on the stage, their hands gripping the golden pole that ran from the floor to the ceiling, a girl already swinging from it as her round ass waved at the men in their chairs.

  Purity shook her head as she slipped into the back where the girls got dressed—if dressed is really what you could call it—weaving her way through the women who either left or entered the dressing room, most with more flesh revealed than covered, regardless of which direction they went. She dropped her bag on the empty tables in front of a long mirror and plopped down into one of the chairs.

  “Ten minutes, Purity,” Jayson yelled at her as he ducked his head through the door. “Shake that ass of yours and don’t be late. There’s a wild bunch out there tonight.” He disappeared just as fast as he appeared, not even staying long enough to see her wave of acknowledgment.

  Purity blew out an exasperated breath as she turned back to the mirror to put the rest of her makeup on, not that it really mattered; most of the men never really looked up that long to even notice. Once her makeup was on, she stood, yanking her top off her body and over her head, leaving her in a red, silky bra with her ample breasts spilling out the top, straining against the material. She then slid her sports shorts off her lengthy legs, kicking them off and piling them on top of her shirt. She glanced at herself in the mirror, turning so she
glimpsed her red lace panties over her round ass. A smile started to decorate her face as she checked herself out, admiring how sexy she looked in the outfit, but then she frowned, wishing for once, she was dressed like she was for someone special, instead of a drunk with a fistful of dollar bills. She turned back around, sighing, her shoulders slumped. She had to get away from Damien Croft.

  She turned, heading for the door, and it was as if just by thinking of the man, he appeared. She stopped abruptly, almost running into him. As it was, he reached out, catching her with his firm grip before she could back too far away, his smile more of a leer than an actual smile.

  “Two minutes to go,” he said, leaning in to sniff at her perfume, making her shudder at how close he was to her. “Is that the perfume you bought at the mall today?”

  Purity felt her body tense. “You really need to stop having me followed. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Funny,” Damien said, one eyebrow cocked as he stared at her, his dark eyes threatening. “Your sister said the same thing, but I don’t see her here.” He shook his head. “Nah. I think my men will keep an eye on you just to make sure you show up here every night until your sister’s debt is paid off.” He leaned in, inhaling her scent. “You smell good. Now, your opening song is all set up and ready to go.” He raked her with his gaze one more time, nodding his appreciation. “Girl, you look damn fine. You are definitely hanging out with me after hours tonight.”

  She pulled herself from his grasp, disgust filling her. “No, I’m not,” she snapped. “Now, let me get out there, so I can get my set started. The boss hates it when I’m late.”

  Damien winked at her, and it made her shiver. “Good thing for you I know the boss,” he told her, leering as he bounced his eyebrows at her.

  Purity sucked in a sickening breath as she started to push past him. “We are not getting together, Damien, so forget it.”

  He snatched at her arm, jerking her back around to face him as he sneered at her, his fingers digging into her flesh, hurting her. “You’re acting as if you even have a choice, bitch. Your pretty little ass belongs to me and never forget it. Your sister raked up a hefty debt and then split, leaving you here to pay it off. I’ll collect that debt any fucking way I want.”

  Purity just stood there, shaking, her breathing shallow.

  Jayson’s voice came from the DJ booth in the back of the club. “Okay, men, let’s pull those bills out—keep everything else tucked in while you do—for Purity Atwood. She’s going to show you that Purity is merely a name and not a standard.”

  The men cheered, but Damien still held onto her for another second before he shoved her toward the doorway and the stage beyond. “Go wiggle that ass of mine,” he snarled.

  Her body shook as she forced herself to walk to the stage. There was no way her headspace would allow her to wiggle her ass. Not now. She sighed as she forced a smile onto her lips, nodding at Candy as she stepped past Purity and down onto the floor.

  “Careful,” Candy said as she touched Purity’s shoulder. “They’re a little grabby out there, so don’t lean too far to the edge of the stage unless you’re ready for men to grope you.”

  Purity nodded. “Thanks,” she said as she climbed the two steps that put her crotch just above the men’s eyes, ensuring they’d all be staring up into her sweet valley. Jayson played The Chemical Brothers’ Got to Keep On as Purity reached for the pole, sliding her backside up and down the golden rod as she reached above her, gripping the pole as she stared out at the crowd of men, some nursing beers, others gawking at her, and some just talking to their friends as if a half-naked lady wasn’t dancing ten feet away from them. Who comes to a strip club to ignore the girls?

  Having danced at Cheaters for almost five months, the one thing Purity became skilled at—besides wiggling her ass and tits to men who probably couldn’t keep it up for longer than two or three half-assed thrusts—was multitasking while she danced. She was good at flirting with one man, coaxing a few ones or a five out of his hand, while checking out another. Usually they were marks for lap dances later, men she knew she could flirt her way between their legs. She tried to pick the easiest way to a quick yes, so she could make her money and get out of there.

  She turned, keeping her hands on the pole as she pushed her ass out at the men on the other side of the stage, grinning at the ones in front of her. As she glanced up, she noticed two muscular men walk through the front door, quickly paying the fifteen-dollar cover charge to gawk at naked women, and sliding deeper into the darkness of Cheaters. Damien—or maybe it was Jayson, but Purity doubted it—preferred to keep the lights low, so the men could grope the women without being seen or satisfy their throbbing issues without people freaking out about it. There had been too many times she almost twisted a man’s pecker off because he thought a private dance gained them entrance to her privates. If it was up to Damien, however, he’d allow them to get whatever they could, and Purity knew girls who gave it to them at retail prices.

  Purity watched as the two men found a table a few feet away from the stage. Both had dark hair and muscles that stretched their shirts, begging for a woman to just run her hands up and down their chests. One was a little taller than the other, but both had mischievous grins etched onto their faces. She could tell by looking at them that, while they’d be fun, they wouldn’t be easy marks.

  The taller one winked at her as he took his seat while his friend waved down Brandie, the server.

  She grinned back at the man as she gave him a slight finger wave. Perhaps tonight called for more fun and less easy. She could use the break from the normal, and this man looked like anything but normal.

  Chapter Three

  Deacon set his third beer back on the table as he waved the waitress down for another. Morgan sat beside him, getting his third lap dance as the girl ground on his rising cock straining against his jeans. Deacon ignored his friend, although it was difficult to ignore the big-busted brunette dry-humping him. She wore a tight thong, grinding against him as her giant tits bounced with her movements, Morgan running his hands along the sides of his legs when Deacon knew his friend wanted to touch more than just his jeans. Unfortunately for Morgan, the house rules forbade touching the girls, even though, as Deacon glanced around the place, he could tell quite a few men broke that rule often. Morgan, on the other hand, would dance around the line, but not cross it.

  The serving girl put another beer on the table in front of him as the blond woman, who was on stage when they walked in, appeared from the back. She had slipped her top back on in order to cover her tight red bra, but the top was practically see-through, so it hid nothing. She still walked around in her matching thong.

  Deacon smiled as the two of them made eye contact. He tapped the chair beside him, one eyebrow cocked.

  The girl smiled back, nodding once as she talked to a couple of the men who sat between them, promising to stop back by later as she ran a hand over their shoulders, continuing on to Deacon. As soon as she reached his side, she slid into the empty chair he indicated as he picked up his beer, smiling at her as he glanced down at her ample breasts pushing up out of her bra. He cocked an eyebrow, nodding as he turned his gaze up to meet her pale blue eyes. He stared into them a moment, the lights from the stage twinkling in her eyes.

  The dancer took the beer from his hand and took a sip before handing it back, bouncing her eyebrows just a bit.

  He chuckled as he nodded. “Please, help yourself,” he said, still chuckling. He liked her sassiness. Too many women were too nervous to be themselves. He liked a lady who was comfortable in their own skin. Confident.

  She ran her tongue over her lips as she smiled back at him. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before. Usually, we get the same people night after night.” She shrugged. “There’s the occasional bachelor party, of course, and college kids come in; a few tourists driving through to see the wolves out at Dark Moon Falls.” She cocked her head a little as she raked him with her gaze.
“But, you don’t look like any of those.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah, I’m not any of those. Although, I am from Dark Moon Falls.” He took another sip of his beer, setting the bottle on the table when he finished. “Actually, I just got to town the other day. The Army was finished with me, so I decided to come home for a bit before moving on to the next adventure. I’m one of those wolves people tend to gawk at.” He stuck his hand out to shake hers, and she looked at him curiously before taking his hand. “I’m Deacon, Deacon McKay; pleased to meet you.”

  She nodded, shaking his hand as she giggled a little. “A handshake. Well, that’s a new one, Deacon. I’m Purity, in case you missed Jayson screaming it through the PA system. Welcome to Cheaters.” She smiled, her laughter touching her eyes in the way her lips curled upward.

  He stared at her a moment, finding himself lost in the way she glanced back at him. Most of her hung exposed for everyone to admire, and yet, it was her eyes that drew his attention.

  “You should get her to give you a dance,” the girl grinding against Morgan said, nodding as she pointed to Purity. “Doesn’t she have a hot ass? Imagine that rubbing all over you.”

  Morgan glanced over at her, nodding his admiration. “Yeah, Deek, why don’t you get a dance?” He glanced back at the woman on his lap. “It definitely perks a man up.”

  “Candy has that way with men,” Purity said as she stood and moved over in front of the other woman, running her hands up and down Candy’s arms. The rules between the dancing girls were different than with the customers, and they could touch where the men couldn’t. It helped to pry the money out of the men’s wallets, sometimes getting them to pay for two dances, instead of just one.