Five Moons Rising

by Lise MacTague

  The ring of wolven moved in toward them, and Cassidy whirled on them, her teeth gleaming threateningly in the shadows.

  “It’s okay,” Ruri said, but her words were lost in the quiet voices of the wolven around them.

  “Alpha,” said one, then another until those still in human form chanted the word softly in overlapping murmurs. They reached Cassidy and touched her, running their hands over her pelt, those in full pelt rubbing their heads against her waist and thighs.

  Cassidy stared at her, mute surprise evident on her face.

  “Alpha,” Ruri said quietly. She should have been as surprised as Cassidy, but she wasn’t. Her wolf lay coiled quietly within her. She’d known all along.

  Not sure how to feel, Ruri separated from the pack, slipping quietly through its ranks. No one noticed.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The safe house on Sayre Avenue was vacant. Mary Alice turned in a slow circle inside the kitchen, trying to get a sense of what she’d missed, if anything. She’d been through it top to bottom once already, and Ruri and Cassidy were definitely not there. What the hell are they thinking? Things hadn’t quite started moving yet, but they were going to. Once they did, everyone needed to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. There was a sense of urgency in the air; something was pushing her. Cassidy’s transformation should have taken off the edge, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

  Stiletto was off checking out the final two hijacking locations. The first three had been useless for their purposes. Once again, Stiletto hadn’t said anything to Mary Alice, but she was acutely aware that five hijacking incidents were four too many. She should have known about them days ago, and she had no excuses to offer. Instead, she’d slunk off saying she would look for leads in other areas.

  “What is MacTavish up to, anyway?” This time she said the words aloud. It made the house feel a little less empty. For a second. Scent traces of the two werewolves still lingered, though they were fading rapidly. They hadn’t spent enough time in the safe house to imprint their scent onto the place.

  How long should she stick around, that was the question. Would they be back? If they weren’t, Mary Alice hadn’t the faintest idea where they’d gone. Or why. Her face colored slightly as she mentally amended the statement. She knew very well why Ruri would never want to see her again, though the werewolf had been less angry than she could have hoped. Cassidy was the one she couldn’t understand disappearing. Hadn’t she taken care of her? That she was still alive was thanks to her actions.

  A rhythmic thumping sound pulled her out of her own head and she glanced at the back door before realizing it was her. She was tapping her foot. There was no point in sticking around any longer. Stiletto wasn’t going to be occupied forever; she needed to get back to the loft.

  Mary Alice reached for the door handle, but it turned under her hand and was pulled away from her. Ruri stood on the other side of the door. The look on her face was impossible to decipher and Mary Alice held her breath, wondering what was wrong.

  They stared at each other for long moments before Mary Alice broke the silence.

  “Where were you?” That was too accusing and she shifted tacks. “I was worried about you.” That was no better.

  “Worried?” The unreadable look on Ruri’s face twitched into amusement. It was better than nothing, but not what she expected. She stepped through the doorway, pulling the door closed behind her. “Why would you do that?”

  “I meant Cassidy.” Why was she on the defensive? She’d done nothing wrong. It was perfectly reasonable that she should be checking on them.

  Why is Cassidy always your second thought, then? she asked herself. You can’t stop thinking about Ruri and you know it. Can’t stop thinking about how good she felt.

  Ruri’s smile widened, and she stepped even closer, reaching out to lightly caress the edge of Mary Alice’s collarbone where it peeked out of her shirt. “Sure you did.”

  The barest touch from Ruri was enough to send Mary Alice’s heart hammering high in her chest. She was certain her cheeks were about to catch fire and a full breath was suddenly a major accomplishment.

  When Mary Alice did nothing to stop or avoid the contact, Ruri moved so close Mary Alice felt the heat of her body scalding along the full length of her. It was all she could do not to lean in until they touched. A chance to be close to someone beckoned and she was tired of fighting it. This might be a werewolf, but she was no more a monster than Mary Alice was. In fact, in all the ways that counted, Mary Alice was the monster.

  Tired of fighting a losing battle, she bridged the last of the distance between them. She covered Ruri’s mouth with her own, molding her lips to the wolven’s. After a moment of startled inaction, Ruri returned her kiss with interest. Arms came up and glided around her back, pulling her in tight. She moaned aloud at how good it felt to be held.

  Ruri took advantage of her open mouth and gently slipped the tip of her tongue inside, teasing gently, almost questioningly. With a start, Mary Alice realized all she was doing was standing there like a lump. She was never the passive one, but it felt right to let Ruri take the lead. She skimmed her hands up over Ruri’s hips, marveling at the coiled muscular power she felt, even through jeans. Her hands came to a rest at Ruri’s waist for a moment before she took the opportunity to slide them beneath her shirt, touching soft skin she’d hungered after since seeing Ruri nude in the moonlight.

  It was Ruri’s turn to sigh at the contact, and Mary Alice pressed her advantage. A thrill shot through her at Ruri’s arousal and she wondered if the wolven was as wet as she was. If this went on much longer, she was going to wish she had a change of underwear at the house. She moved her hands over silken skin, circling Ruri’s waist; then moving back around to the front. Sculpted abs were hers to dance fingertips over. Ruri inhaled deeply in response to her touch.

  Fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her head back and exposing her throat. Mary Alice bit her lip as a flood of wetness was released between her thighs. She was at Ruri’s mercy. It would be the work of less than a second for the wolven to rip her throat out if she felt so inclined. It should have bothered her, but instead she yearned to be taken, to be wholly Ruri’s, even if only for a little while. Warm breath caressed the sensitive skin along the side of her neck, followed by quick licks of Ruri’s tongue. It was so hot that Mary Alice thought she would soon feel the pain of burning flesh. Instead, goose bumps broke out along her neck and down her left arm, spreading across her torso and all the way to the tips of her toes. She became aware that she clung to Ruri’s waist and forced her knees to lock before she humiliated herself by collapsing in the kitchen.

  “Maybe we should move somewhere more comfortable?” Ruri whispered the amused question in her ear.

  Mary Alice quivered, trying to keep herself from flying apart. There was an appropriate response to Ruri’s question, she knew it, but the answer was swimming just out of reach of her fogged brain’s grasp. “Mm hmm,” she finally managed.

  “I’m so glad you agree.” Ruri hooked her hands under Mary Alice’s rump and squeezed.

  “Oh god,” Mary Alice said, throwing her head back. She was dimly aware of being lifted and wrapped her legs around Ruri’s waist.

  The wolven wasted no time once Mary Alice had limpeted herself to her. Ruri kept her safe within her grasp without any visible effort, and Mary Alice wondered if she could keep it up forever. The rest of my life would be long enough. The contact was thrilling, but the chance to rely on somebody else’s strength for a while was more than she could resist.

  She intercepted Ruri’s mouth for a blistering kiss, one that probably curled Ruri’s toes if her own reaction was any indication. Their tongues dueled and danced around each other as they each explored the mouth of the other. Mary Alice drank in the flavors of Ruri’s mouth, savoring and memorizing each one. Ruri was breathing hard, matching Mary Alice’s exhalations with her own. Finally, after what seemed like hours but still hadn’t been long enou
gh, Ruri pulled back reluctantly.

  “Standing in front of the stairs wasn’t what I had in mind for our first time.”

  “Then you’d better get us to bed quickly, or I’ll have you right here.”

  “Pushy much?” Ruri laughed, a touch breathless when she met Mary Alice’s eyes. She started up the steps as Mary Alice nibbled and sucked her way up one side of Ruri’s neck and down the other. Mary Alice had no other thought except the warm skin beneath her lips and the arms cradling her securely, so it was a surprise when she was being laid down upon the woven cotton blanket on the house’s only bed.

  Ruri leaned above her, arms braced on either side of her shoulders. She smiled wickedly; then licked her lips. “You look good enough to eat.”

  Mary Alice couldn’t stop the snort that escaped her. “Big bad wolf are you?”

  “You have no idea.” So quickly that she couldn’t register the movement, Ruri was nose to nose with her. Her pupils were ringed with gold, but the rest of her eyes were still soft honey brown.

  Realizing she was running out of air, Mary Alice forced herself to breathe. Ruri’s eyes had drawn her in, guaranteeing delights she couldn’t imagine, but she wanted to feel what was being promised. She wanted to feel Ruri. There were too many clothes between them.

  “Maybe not,” she whispered. “But I’d like to.” Ruri’s eyes flared fully golden as she reached beneath her shirt again and skimmed her hand up over Ruri’s abdomen. She stopped just short of her breasts.

  “Don’t stop.” Ruri’s voice was rough. “Dear god, don’t you stop now.”

  Mary Alice closed her hands over the soft mounds. They filled her hands perfectly, a little more than a generous handful. The points of Ruri’s nipples poked into her palms. She ran her fingertips over the sensitive buds, coaxing a growl from Ruri’s throat. Her hips ground into Mary Alice’s pelvis and twin moans filled the air at the sudden friction. Mary Alice felt as though she were about to come alight or fly apart. Maybe both. Incredible heat and pressure had built up in her core and were still building.

  Ruri fell upon her, hands roaming everywhere, mouth kissing, nipping, biting at whatever bare flesh she could reach. With each second that passed, more of Mary Alice’s skin was exposed to the cool air. Stitches popped when Ruri yanked open her shirt at the shoulder, uncovering her left shoulder and upper arm. That too was pleasantly mauled; pools of expanding heat scorching her skin with each nip, bite and suck.

  Before she knew it, she was almost completely naked from the waist up and Ruri was contemplating her bra.

  “I’ll get it,” Mary Alice said. Or tried to say. All that came out was a soft rasp. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’ll get it.”

  “Not a chance” was the murmured response. With agonizing slowness, Ruri lifted first one side of the bra then the other, allowing each of her breasts to pop free of their fabric prisons. The sensation of cool air on her nipples was enough to send a fresh flow of liquid to her already dripping pussy.

  Ruri quirked an amused eyebrow at her shuddering intake of breath and whipped off her shirt in one motion. Now her breasts were deliciously free and Mary Alice was free to roam. She ran the pads of her thumbs back across the buttons that still stood at attention on the peaks of Ruri’s breasts. Ruri threw her head back and her hips jerked into Mary Alice again. The pleasure that rampaged through her groin was almost too much to be endured. She was so close and Ruri seemed determined to take her time.

  Gentle hands removed her fingers from Ruri’s warm chest. She made a small moue of disappointment.

  “Don’t pout, sweetheart,” Ruri whispered. She lowered her head until her scalding breath caressed Mary Alice’s nipple.

  The tension that coiled in her belly was beyond belief. Never before could she remember being this turned on and this ready for release. She needed it more than she’d needed anything in her entire life. When Ruri finally closed her lips around the nipple that ached so much to be touched, it was more than she could bear. She flew apart, her consciousness fleeing in the explosion of light behind her corneas. For a moment or a thousand, she floated in blissful lack of awareness.

  Bit by bit, she came back to herself. Her body was limp. It felt like her bones had drained out of her as she lay on the bed. Ruri was still there, hot along her body. She opened her eyes and Ruri smiled down at her before brushing a strand of hair back from her forehead.

  “Welcome back.”

  “Thanks,” Mary Alice whispered. “It’s good to be here.”

  “Ready for another trip?” The gentleness was gone from her smile. What replaced it was wicked in the extreme.

  Warm fingers combed through the curly hairs covering her most secret of places. With a shock, Mary Alice realized she was naked from the waist down. Ruri hadn’t wasted any time while she was recovering from the massive orgasm.

  She couldn’t answer, couldn’t say anything; her throat was too dry to be believed. Ruri’s questing fingers reached slick flesh. The entirety of Mary Alice’s universe was focused on the fingertips that parted her folds, sliding over the dripping flesh to skate over her proudly erect clitoris. She bit her lip in response to the exquisite sensation; saltiness filled her mouth. There was no time to dwell as Ruri gave up her thrilling exploration. Her magic fingers were poised barely inside the entrance to her pussy.

  Her hips twitched, trying to force the fingers deeper inside, but Ruri just grinned and shifted with her. The groan that escaped her was sharp in her ears, but Ruri’s smile only widened at the frustrated noise.

  “Are you ready?” Ruri asked again.

  “Damn it, Ruri! You know I am.” The wolven didn’t move a muscle; she seemed to be waiting for something. Mary Alice panted in desperation as her clouded mind searched frantically for what it could be. “Please, Ruri. I need you to take me. Oh god, Ruri. Please!”

  Ruri’s grin shifted from wicked to voracious. She had the upper hand, and Mary Alice knew she was hers. There was nothing she could do about it, and nothing she wanted to do. All that mattered was Ruri and the fingers nestling at the entrance of her pussy. Fingers that finally moved deliberately into her. She was being filled, but with such agonizing slowness that she couldn’t stand it. She threw her head back and screamed, shifting her hips forward, drawing Ruri inside her. Three fingers slammed into her, filling her as completely as she needed. Her inner walls gripped Ruri, holding her deep within. Every inch of her being focused on those fingers, every twitch sent a shock through all that she was.

  Ruri drew her fingers out with the same agonizing slowness with which she’d entered her. She penetrated Mary Alice again, faster this time, building speed with each thrust. Each repetition drove Mary Alice higher. She was dimly aware she was babbling, but what she said was lost to her. All that mattered was Ruri and the sensations the wolven was pulling from her.

  Everything crested and for a moment Mary Alice was suspended at the top of that wave before it broke over her. A million points of light rippled across her skin and she was blind to everything except the golden of Ruri’s eyes staring into her suddenly bared soul. The wave receded and left her, limp once again.

  “I guess you were ready.” Smugness understated the self-satisfaction in Ruri’s voice.

  “Mm hmm.” Mary Alice didn’t trust herself to talk.

  “You don’t have to say anything.” Ruri pulled Mary Alice to her, cradling her in strong arms. They would keep her safe.

  Chapter Thirty

  Cassidy’s wounds were almost completely healed, with some livid scars where the gaping rents in her flesh had once been. She was starving and her inner wolf kept turning their thoughts to food and shelter. That had only gotten worse when they got to the house. Her wolf seemed equal parts ravenous and nervous. If a squirrel had dashed across the backyard, she wasn’t sure that she would have been able to keep from going after it. As it was, she twitched at every noise.

  The house was almost silent when Cassidy and the other wolven entered. She re
membered to avoid the front door. She’d had a moment of pause when they got there. Her sister had only left one key. Ruri had it and she had gone ahead, claiming she needed to get things ready at the house for the rest of the strays, as she’d affectionately called them. No one had objected. One or two of the wolven had even laughed, though Lewis had seemed less than amused.

  For a moment, Cassidy wondered if the house really was empty, though her nose told her that both Mary Alice and Ruri had been there recently. She could almost see their scent traces, gold and shadows. As usual, they wound around each other. It was funny how their scents seemed to seek each other out.

  A gasp from upstairs perked her ears up, and hers weren’t the only ones. Almost every head in the kitchen looked up at the soft noise.

  “Ruri’s blowing off some steam,” one of the female wolven said. She seemed very casual about it. She might as well have mentioned that Ruri’s eyes were brown.

  Cassidy laughed lightly, though her insides clenched at the idea. “Lucky Ruri.” Her answer was met with easy laughter. The wolven spread out. There were nine of them all told and they easily filled the first floor. There weren’t enough seats for them all, but they didn’t seem to mind, occupying floor space as willingly as they did the chairs.

  She could feel them. All of them. They burned in her mind like bright stars, each one an individual. Cassidy didn’t know all their names yet. The three who’d driven her over in their car had introduced themselves. It had involved a lot of smelling. She knew she’d be able to pick their scent out of almost anything going forward, and she’d gotten their names, but the rest of who they were was still a mystery. Naomi, Carlos and Harold. He’d been adamant that it was Harold, not Harry. The other two had seemed to be on the edge of giving him a hard time, but some remaining apprehension stopped them. Cassidy had smelled their nervousness and had worked to keep herself open and approachable. The approach had worked; by the time they were halfway back to the house, they’d started chatting amongst themselves.