Under Cover of the Moon

by Loribelle Hunt

  She pulled out the two steaks she’d left marinating in the refrigerator that afternoon, not even trying to fool herself into thinking her reason for marinating two was because they came two in the pack. After wrapping two potatoes, she put them in the oven to bake then started for the stairs so she could take a quick shower. She’d love a long soak, but she wanted answers out of Darius first. Somehow she doubted she’d get them in the hot tub, and he’d be at her house soon.

  Before she could get to the shower, his car turned into the drive and her pulse kicked up. She met him at the door and opened it wide for him to enter. Words of greeting lodged in her throat., and with a questioning look, he stepped inside and looked around.

  “So, this is it,” he said, his voice low as if he felt her need to adjust to his presence in her space. “I wondered what the inside looked like.”

  He walked through the living room, running his fingers down the back of her leather sofa. Remembering the feel of those fingers on her skin just hours ago, she shivered. Her nipples tightened and her pussy clenched in need.

  He paused by the docking station on a table next to her tv, looking hot and sexy, and peered at her over his shoulder.

  “Do you mind?” He turned the mp3 player on. Still rooted to the spot by the door, she shook her head. “Every Breath You Take” flowed from the speakers. “Aren’t you coming in?” he teased.

  She forced a smile, shocked and bothered by his effect on her. It was more intense than earlier, but maybe that's because he seemed so at home in her living room. Like he belonged there.

  “Of course.”

  He resumed meandering through her space, his presence filling it up. Finally he stopped at the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. She had left the steaks on the counter along with a salad bag and several tomatoes.

  “You’re planning on feeding me?” He grinned. “So I’m making progress here, right?”

  The grin transformed him from dangerous hunter to sexy bad boy. She was no longer amazed at her body’s intense response. Her pulse jumped and butterflies took flight in her stomach. He was definitely making progress, but there was no reason for her to admit it. Her earlier werewolf suspicions seemed ludicrous in the face of that grin, but better safe than sorry.

  “I haven’t eaten much today. It seemed rude to make you watch me eat,” she said. “Unless you aren’t hungry, of course.”

  She saw that her comment was a mistake as his eyes became heated and lazily studied her. The tension coursing through her body went up another notch. She was primed and ready, her sex wet and throbbing.

  “I could eat,” he said. He was still and quiet, alert and watchful like he was just waiting for the right moment to pounce. She was again reminded of a wolf.

  “Good.” She aimed for a breezy tone that sounded strangled, instead “Why don’t you fire up the grill? I need to grab a quick shower.”

  Taking the stairs at a fast clip, she was impressed she hadn’t run from the room. She felt his eyes boring into her back as she walked into the large bathroom, pulling her shirt off as she entered. She turned on the water and shimmied out of her jeans before remembering to close the door. Naked, she turned to do just that and found herself pressed against Darius from shoulder to knee. As she moved to step back, his arms snaked around her, pulling her hard against him.

  “I thought you were going to start the grill,” she said, hating the breathiness in her voice.

  “It can wait,” he murmured. His hands feathered over her back. “I can’t.”

  She caught her breath. His simple touch curled her toes. With one hand grasping his shirt and the other cupping the back of his head, she pulled him down for a kiss. She meant to keep it light, a gentle exploration with her tongue. She hadn’t counted on the fire he lit in her veins. Would she ever get used to it? Nipping her bottom lip with his teeth, he seemed to inhale her in an aggressive mating of tongues and lips and teeth.

  She liked it and wanted more. Reaching for the edge of his shirt, she tugged upward. He released her and with a few jerky tugs removed his clothes.

  *

  He couldn’t believe he had found her. His mate. And she was giving her body to him. It was infuriating. He was supposed to have her body, and her heart and soul. She was withholding what was rightly his, though he knew it was too damned soon for him to expect her to just hand it over.

  She stood before him, her perfect breasts heaving, with lust and trepidation in her eyes. He was amazed at how beautiful she was. Her hair spilled down her back in rich brown waves and her lips were rosy and swollen from his kiss. She would love him. He would find a way to make her open her heart.

  She tried to step back and hit the counter, where she halted and crossed her arms over her chest. Stepping forward, Darius uncrossed them and turned her to face the mirror. He held her gaze in the glass and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

  “No. Look how beautiful you are.” He pressed his erection against her butt. “Don’t you feel how much I want you?”

  Passion darkened her eyes as he rolled one nipple in his fingers, while his other hand traveled down her flat stomach. Her breath caught when his thumb found her clit and he tested her wetness with one finger. She rocked forward and forced it deeper. He pushed a second finger in, reveling in how welcoming and wet she was for him, as she rocked against him, faster and harder. An orgasm ripped through her, and her pussy clenching on his fingers drove him crazy.

  Gently he pushed against her back so she was leaning across the counter, resting on her elbows. He nudged her legs apart and guided his cock into her still-convulsing core. Holding her gaze in the mirror, he began to move in and out, one hand rubbing circles on her bottom, the other matching his thrusting rhythm on her clit.

  He loved her delirious expression. She was holding nothing back, giving herself to him. He saw lust and wonder in her eyes. In his effort to claim her completely, it was a start. He wanted to throw his head back and howl as the orgasm took him over. She came with him, the shudders traveling from her body to his. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest, trying to catch his breath.

  “The water’s probably getting cold,” she said after a few minutes.

  “Yeah,” he grunted. He picked her up and set her in the shower before stepping in with her.

  She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall as he lightly soaped her up. It was a trusting pose, relaxed and languorous, and he assumed they’d just made a breakthrough. God, he hoped so. He liked her sated and compliant. He ran the washrag up one thigh, and she shifted slightly, opening her legs and edging forward. He grinned. He might like her a little pushy too. He turned her to the wall and pulled her hands high above her head.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered in her ear.

  Starting at her ankles, he explored every inch of her, his tongue often preceding the soapy rag. Up one leg and down the other. She shivered as his touch turned from gentle exploration to sensual. She was intoxicating spread out, open and available for him. He marveled at her and nudged her thighs apart, slipping a finger into her pussy, while his other hand explored the rounded curves of her ass. Her breathing hitched, and he growled when she tried to move.

  “Don’t.”

  When she remained motionless, a second finger joined the first. He worked them in and out in slow motion, rubbing the sensitive spot on the front vaginal wall. The scent of her arousal grew heavy in the air, and he dragged it deeply into his lungs. Sensing she was close to release, he abruptly withdrew his hand. She moaned a protest, but stayed immobile and satisfaction surged through him.

  Drawn to her butt, he palmed each cheek, spreading them and imagining burying his cock there too. He dipped a finger into her pussy and, gathering her wetness on it, worked it into the tiny hole of her ass. Had to squeeze his eyes shut as he forced himself to go slow. So tight. Her breathing turned ragged, and her muscles clenched in an effort not to move. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating.
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br />   With restraint he couldn’t believe he possessed, he gently eased his finger higher into her. His cock pulsed in demand and, using his feet, he nudged her legs farther apart. With his other hand, he guided it into her slick channel. Her head fell back and she shook in the throes of orgasm as soon as he lodged himself inside her. His wolf howled in triumph. She was completely his.

  Grabbing her hips with both hands, he pounded into her in a steady rhythm. The feel of her body clenching around his cock was an ecstasy he didn’t want it to end. He was sure he could stay here just like this forever and be perfectly happy. He came too soon, the orgasm rising from nowhere to overtake him.

  He didn’t come back to himself for several minutes and panicked when he realized she was limp and silent, pressed between his bulk and the slick wall. Withdrawing, he then spun her around. She smiled dreamily and leaned into him. Closing his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief as guilt knifed through him. He was afraid for the first time he could hurt her. He had to remember to be careful, to remind himself how much stronger he was, but even now need overwhelmed him.

  He cleaned them both, dried off first, and returned to turn off the water and wrap her in a towel. Guiding her into the bedroom, he sat her on the bed and looked around with interest. It was not the neatest place he’d ever been. One side was a rail overlooking the downstairs, and one wall backed up to the bathroom. A large sleigh bed was pushed against that wall. The adjacent wall contained a closet and a large dresser, and the wall opposite the bed held an armoire. Opening it, he discovered a television in the top half and overflowing drawers below it.

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to try and take over my life?” she asked lazily from the bed, suspicion giving her a voice a testy edge he found endearing instead of annoying. He laughed, a soft sound in the open air of the loft.

  “Because I am,” he said, leaning over to steal a kiss.

  She leveled a steady gaze at him.

  “What is it?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “You have too many secrets to just barge in and try to take over.”

  He studied her a minute. “We’ll talk about those later. I’ll go start dinner while you get dressed.”

  Chapter Six

  She took her time, for once fussing with her appearance. At some point through the night, she’d accepted Darius would be a part of her life. The thought occupied her while she primped, both surprised and bemused at the effort. It worried her as much as it amused her. He was dangerous, a definite threat to her independence, but for the first time in forever she didn’t feel alone. She felt safe and cherished. Her parents had retired to Florida years ago, and it was sort of nice to be taken care of a little. The urge to lean into Darius and let him have his way was irresistible.

  Her stomach somersaulted at the revelation. This was not normal for her. This was some crazy hormonal imbalance she had been struck with all of a sudden. She didn’t do relationships. So why was the idea so tempting?

  She sighed and rubbed the mark on the back of her shoulder again. All night her fingers had been drawn to it. The mark of his possession, and her traitorous body was all for that. Moving to the closet, she dragged out a clean pair of jeans and opted for a baggy T-shirt. Maybe if she hid her assets, she could strike up a real conversation with him.

  Say, on werewolves. She remembered her grandmother’s romantic tales of the creatures and wondered about their reality. Grandma Tinnie’s wolf stories were always “star-crossed lovers live happily ever after” affairs. She grinned, thinking about Darius and sex and how heavily those stories must have been edited. Dinner was on the bar when she came down, and she picked at her food in silence.

  “If you aren’t going to eat that, stop mutilating it and give it to me.”

  She looked up to see Darius scowling at her while she pushed a piece of steak around on her plate.

  “Take it,” she sighed and handed it over. “Guess I’m not that hungry after all.”

  “You have to eat,” he said, exasperation plain in his voice. “Here. Try this. I grill a mean steak.”

  He popped a small bite in her mouth and she arched her eyebrows. A man feeding her dinner--literally. This was a first.

  “Why did you do that?”

  He smiled. “You’ve lost weight since I first met you. I like my women with a little meat on their bones.”

  Oh really. Anger and jealousy knotted her stomach. “Your women?” she asked. “I’ve got news for you, buddy. There can be only one. I don't share either. Ever.”

  His grin could only be described as triumphant, and too late, she sensed the trap closing over her head.

  “You’ve decided to keep me around, huh?” He arched an eyebrow. “Just remember that’s a two-way street, sweetheart.”

  He fed her another piece of steak and she sat back, confused. Most men would have run from the house screaming at her possessive outburst. He seemed to relish it.

  “What’s going on here?” she asked. “I don’t invite strange men into my house and fuck them in my bathroom. Twice.”

  She felt her face burning, figured she was an unlovely shade of red.

  “I should hope not,” he said. “I might have to kill someone.”

  She sucked in a hard breath at the certainty in his low voice, and met his steady blue gaze.

  “That would be bad,” she muttered.

  He laughed. “Yes, it would.”

  Taking her hand, he led her to the couch and handed her a box from the coffee table. She settled back against the cushions and he draped an arm across her shoulders. A smile spread across her face as she opened the box and pulled out the wolf, beginning to understand why it appealed to her so much.

  “You don’t miss much, do you?” she asked. “It reminded me of you when I saw it.”

  “Me? Why?” he asked, a wary note in his voice.

  “You. Regal and strong and lonely.”

  “You think I’m lonely, baby?” he asked, a smile giving the corners of his eyes a sexy crinkle.

  Tilting her head back to look at him, she considered her answer.

  “Maybe solitary would be a better word, which is kind of funny because I usually see you with a crowd of people.” She shrugged. “You still seem alone to me.”

  He looked at her strangely.

  “What? Did I grow horns?” she teased.

  He chuckled. “Most people don’t see what you see. A lot of people depend on me. They always say it’s lonely at the top, right?” he joked. “Besides, I’m not alone. I have you.”

  For now at least. He didn’t strike her as the type of man who might be tied down for long. The pain in the vicinity of her heart at that thought was sharp but not surprising. She could get used to having him around. Learn to crave him, need him, like she already wanted his body.

  She quickly changed the subject, and they rehashed local gossip, growing accustomed to each other’s company, before the attacks came up.

  “You have to promise me you’ll be careful until they catch this animal,” he said, tightening his arm around her.

  “I don’t wander around in the woods by myself, so I’m thinking I’m safe,” she said, attempting to keep her tone light and casual. “It’s strange, though. There haven’t been wolves in this area in decades.”

  She paused, wondering how to bring up werewolves without sounding insane. What if she was wrong?

  “Stranger things have happened.” He shrugged. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “Sure. Some of my regulars were speculating about it tonight. They came up with some wild ideas.” She took a steadying breath. Just say it already. “One of them thinks it’s a werewolf.”

  He went rigid next to her. Bingo.

  Exhaling slowly, he asked, “What do you think?”

  With her head resting on his chest, she heard his heart kick up a beat as he waited for her answer.

  “My grandmother was an honest-to-God witch, you know. More of a witch than me. Better than me,�
�� she said, ignoring his question. “She used to tell me all kinds of stories, said there were werewolves here when she was a child.” She paused. “She believed in them. The world is a strange place, and I’m not exactly normal myself.”

  She cradled the carved wolf in her hand and waited for him to answer. Long after Darius was gone from her life, it would remind her of him. She knew with a certainty she couldn’t begin to explain that he was a wolf. The question was how much of it he was going to share with her.

  “You realize people would think you were crazy if you let on you believe those old myths?”

  She stiffened in his arms and he tried to soothe her, rubbing circles on her arm. Maybe she was wrong. She stood and paced across the room. She’d spent her entire life proving to this town she was a good witch, steady and dependable, and he had to go throwing the word crazy around.

  “Thanks,” she said, covering her hurt and disappointment with sarcasm.

  Chapter Seven

  What the hell was going on in this town? He shoved a hand through his short hair. Was she trying to draw him out? His mate couldn’t betray him, could she? He wouldn’t believe it. The ties between them were too strong. He watched her pace the room, agitation clear in every step, and was struck by his need for this woman and how natural that seemed. He liked women, but had never wanted to keep one around. He’d certainly never wanted to share his life with one.

  She looked at him sharply. “Well, maybe I never wanted to share my life with a man either. Especially with a bossy, arrogant, overbearing one. Feel free to leave any time.”

  Stunned she had read his thoughts but infuriated by the order to leave, he bolted up, stopped her in her tracks and grabbed her by the shoulders. “What did you say?”

  “You were thinking you didn’t want me in your life. Pay attention, Darius. You’ve been in town long enough to hear the gossip about me. I. Am. A. Witch. I told you I know things. Sometimes I catch people’s thoughts. Sometimes I know what they’re feeling, especially if it’s strong emotion. That’s why I live way out here in the woods. For the buffer.”