Moonlight Menage

by Stephanie Julian

  Tira released her mother and ran after Tam.

  “What is it? What’s going on?”

  Tam had already grabbed her medical bag and was halfway to the front door. “I don’t know. But the code was 9-1-1. Four injured. That’s all Dr. Marone said.”

  The lucani army doctor, Gio Marone, had worked on his own for decades before Tam had mated Kyle. But Tam was an LPN who had almost completed her degree work to become a registered nurse and Marone had taken to the young woman like a father with a long-lost daughter. He relied on Tam’s help with the more serious cases.

  Tira grabbed Tam’s arm. “I need to come with you. Please. Give me one minute to find someone to take care of Mamma.”

  Tam just nodded and said, “Hurry.”

  * * * * *

  Tam peeled out of the boschetta’s village of New Tarquin in Oley Township with the gas pedal to the floor of her classic black Mustang.

  Clinging to the holy-shit handle above the passenger-side window, Tira barely noticed the passing miles.

  She kept her concentration focused on her breathing and on the continued steady beating of her heart. If she allowed the fear to consume her, she’d be curled up in a ball in the backseat crying. Or screaming.

  Tam didn’t speak, as if the other woman knew she wouldn’t answer. Couldn’t answer without losing control.

  Only when they pulled to a stop in front of Tam’s home in Alsace Township did Tira realize they weren’t headed to the lucani den.

  As soon as she slammed the car into park and twisted the key, Tam flew out of the car and raced for the house. Tira followed close on her heels but came to a stop on the porch.

  She heard Dr. Marone shouting directions to Tam. Most of what he was saying didn’t make any sense. She caught a few words—oxygen, concussion, bleeding—but her brain wasn’t making connections.

  Then she heard a voice that made her feet move.

  “No, I don’t know what the fuck happened.”

  Duke.

  She crossed the threshold, her gaze searching for only one thing. The man attached to that voice. She had to see him. She needed to see him. Right now.

  There was no one in the front room so she headed for the bedrooms on the side of the house.

  In the first, she saw a man she didn’t recognize sprawled on a bed that looked too small for him. He had dried blood on his face and bare chest but he looked to be breathing.

  She turned and headed for the next bedroom.

  Dr. Marone and Tam huddled over someone on the bed while Kyle knelt by a padded bench at the end of the bed and used a cloth to clean blood from the wolf lying there.

  The doctor shifted as she stopped in the doorway and she caught a glimpse of the man on the bed.

  “Oh no.”

  Nic lay there, still as death, his skin gray. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing or what the doctor and Tam were doing to him.

  She only saw the dried blood on his neck leading back to his ears.

  “Duke,” Kyle barked.

  As she froze, stunned and unable to think, a broad chest moved into her field of vision.

  “Tira. Out. Now. You shouldn’t be in here.”

  That voice brought tears to her eyes.

  She lifted her gaze to find Duke’s dark brown eyes dazed and almost unfocused as he stared down at her.

  Blessed Goddess, he was injured too. He had an angry bruise on the side of his face and dried blood at his ears. She was no doctor or nurse but she knew that was bad.

  Fear swept through her like a deep chill, followed by sorrow. They could have died. And she wouldn’t want to live if anything happened to either of them.

  “Tira, you shouldn’t be in here.”

  Of course he wouldn’t want her in here. Duke had always protected Nic as best he could. And he still thought she was the root of all Nic’s problems.

  She should leave. She had no healing skills at all so she’d be useless here.

  But Duke looked like shit too. He needed to be lying down or sitting down. And though she knew he didn’t want her anywhere near him or Nic, she was the only one left to take care of him now. Since she couldn’t do anything for Nic. Which she didn’t want to even think about now.

  “Fine. But you need to come with me,” she said. “You should be lying down.”

  His half-assed sneer made her worry even more. “With you on top, sweetheart? Figures you’re finally offering yourself up on a platter and I’m not in the mood to take you up on it.”

  She knew if he wasn’t so badly injured, that dig would hurt more than it did now. Instead, her heart stuttered at the weakness of his voice. “You’re not in any shape to take me up on it.”

  When he opened his mouth to respond, she shook her head. “No. Shut up, Duke. Just…not now. Come with me.”

  He stared down at her extended hand as if it might turn into a snake and bite him. It was a measure of just how bad he must feel that he didn’t argue when she put her arm around his waist and his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to help him out to the living room.

  So many questions raged through her mind but she bit her tongue. Now wasn’t the time. He leaned so heavily on her, she thought he might pass out before they got to the large U-shaped sectional couch. They both released a sigh of relief when he sank onto the cushions. His head immediately settled back and his eyes closed.

  For several seconds, she just stood there, trying not to think how close she’d come to losing him today. How badly Nic must be injured.

  Her hand froze halfway to sinking into his beautiful black hair, the ends curling almost to his shoulders. Longer than the last time she’d seen him when they’d added another nail in the coffin of their tragic little story. The visions she’d drawn from one of the men who’d tried to kidnap Tam a few months ago had nearly made her mad. They’d been such a jumble of pain and despair and destruction that she still struggled to make any real sense of it.

  That day, she’d collapsed in a dead faint at the man’s feet and Nic and Duke had been there to carry her out of the room.

  She’d regained consciousness only to see Nic and Duke hovering over her. She’d been horrified to have them witness her breakdown. She didn’t want them to think of her as weak. Even if she thought of herself that way.

  Then she’d started to sob uncontrollably. And Dr. Marone had been called to sedate her.

  She hadn’t seen either man since.

  She pulled back her hand before she touched him and hurried to the kitchen to find a bowl and fill it with hot water then headed for the bathroom to get towels so she could clean him off and tend to his injuries.

  It only took her a few minutes but when she came back, she saw Duke staring at her. That intense dark gaze had always drawn her, even when he seemed to be looking right through her.

  “Are you in pain?” she asked. “I’ll get some medicine from the doctor or Tam.”

  He didn’t say anything, just continued to look at her for so long she started to worry he was in shock.

  Finally, he shook his head. “He’s gonna be okay. Doc’ll make sure of it.”

  Nic. He was talking about Nic and she wasn’t sure if he was trying to make her feel better, or himself.

  The murmur of voices from the bedroom was muffled and she’d noticed on her way to the bathroom that they’d closed the door. Probably for the best. She didn’t know if she’d be able to function if she could see and hear what was going on in there.

  Putting Nic out of her mind for the moment, she focused on Duke, curving her mouth in a cool smile.

  “Why don’t you take the shirt off so I can see your injuries? We need to get you cleaned off.” The heavy stench of smoke from his clothing made her stomach roll. “Actually, why don’t you just strip everything off and you can wrap a towel around your waist.”

  His mouth curled into his default expression of a sneer. “Why don’t you come over here and do it yourself, babe. You know you want to.”

  The fact th
at she did made her fingers clench around the towels and the bowl in anger. “And maybe I should just let you lie here in pain on the couch. Is that really what you want?”

  No, what he wanted was for her to get the hell away from him. She saw it in the flat line of his mouth and his cold stare. Why was she so damn attracted to a man who hated her so much?

  And why was the man who loved her unconditionally the one man she couldn’t touch?

  Tears sprang to her eyes but she turned to set the bowl and towels on the coffee table so she could blink them away before Duke saw them.

  Duke sighed, as if he barely had the strength to fight back, something he seemed to live for, and fear rose again.

  “What I want is a shower.”

  Her gaze flicked back to his. “You’re not strong enough. You’ll fall.”

  “Fuck that.” He lifted his head off the back of the couch and inched forward, as if getting ready to stand. “I need to wash this crap off me and I can’t sit here while you do it. Just help me to the bathroom.”

  She froze and the metal bowl filled with water slipped out of her hand and landed with a thud on the table. Water sloshed over the sides but she couldn’t move. She felt like he’d slapped her, his meaning as clear as if he’d spelled it out for her. He didn’t want her to touch him. He didn’t want—

  “Vaffanculo. Don’t look like that. Uni’s ass, Tira, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  “Of course you didn’t.” She struggled to keep all emotion from her voice. “I’ll just help you to the bathroom.”

  She didn’t let their gazes catch as she stood then waited for him to push to his feet. He made it, but not before she thought she might have to catch him as he fell. And if he had to rely on her to keep him upright, he was out of luck. He had at least eighty pounds of muscle on her. If he went down, they both went down.

  And even though he made no bones about the fact that he didn’t want her to touch him, she couldn’t let him be hurt any more than he already was.

  She wrapped her arm around his waist once again as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they stumbled off to the bathroom.

  “Do you want me to get Kyle?” she asked. “You can’t be alone. I’m afraid you’ll fall.”

  He snorted, the sound weak enough to make her arm tighten around him. “What? Afraid of a little nudity? Never figured you for a prude, Tira.”

  Her back straightened, even as she knew he was trying to get a rise out of her. “I just didn’t figure you wanted me in here.”

  His hand clenched on her shoulder for a bare second before he released her to grab hold of the toilet and lower himself onto the closed seat.

  “Shit, babe, can we call a truce here? Just for a few minutes? I really need this shower. And I know I’m gonna fall flat on my face without you here. So can you please just give me a fucking break?”

  She’d give him a break. She’d break a few plates over his head, the arrogant bastard. Anger began to burn away some of her fear and she opened her mouth to blast him…

  Until she took another look at his face as he bent to take off his boots. It took a lot for Duke’s perpetually tanned skin to look as pale as he did now.

  Stupid, stubborn SOB.

  With a huff, she knelt and pushed his hands out of the way so she could unlace his boots and yank them off his feet along with his socks. Above her, she felt his breath brush against her hair before he leaned back to pull his shirt over his head.

  Blessed Goddess.

  The man’s body was a work of art. Ripped didn’t adequately describe him. Sculpted might be more on the mark. He didn’t bulge obscenely but each and every muscle was lovingly defined.

  He looked like he could play defensive tackle for a pro football team. And she loved it. Loved the sense that if he ever enclosed her in those strong arms, nothing bad would ever happen to her.

  But the chances of that happening were slim to none.

  Duke hated her.

  Standing, she turned away to start the shower when he went for the button on his jeans.

  Blinking back more tears, she thought maybe hate was too strong. He disliked her. Intensely. Sometimes he merely pretended not to know she existed.

  And that could cut just as deeply.

  It hadn’t always been like this, the distance between them. She’d known since the first time she’d met Duke and Nic that she had strong feelings for both of them.

  But when she’d kissed Nic that first time…

  When everything had gone to shit and she’d pushed Nic away and Duke had cut her out of his life…

  “Not that I don’t appreciate the view, babe, but you need to move.”

  She turned to find Duke on his feet. And naked.

  Oh Sweet Mother Goddess…

  She’d never seen him completely nude and now her gaze tried to take in as much of him as she could. From his broad shoulders and chest to his six-pack abs and trim waist.

  And lower, to his impressive cock, which started to fill as her gaze stopped to watch. Blinking, she forced herself to turn away and move so he could step into the shower.

  Luckily, it was a stall and not a tub because she didn’t think he’d have the strength to lift his feet over the rim. As it was, he nearly stumbled over the lip of the stall but caught himself just as she reached out to steady him.

  His groan of relief as he stood beneath the water heated her skin and made her think of sex.

  Tinia’s teat, she was losing her mind.

  “Are you going to be okay?” She managed to force the words past the lump in her throat but only because she focused on the tension in his arms. “Do you want me to leave?”

  With his arms braced against the wall and his head and body under the showerhead, Duke let the water fall over him, soaking into his hair and plastering against his head until it fell past his shoulders.

  Black tinged the water on the stall floor as soot and dirt washed off him.

  Tira watched, waited and prayed he didn’t fall and hurt himself even more.

  After what had to be ten minutes, with her entire body tensed and ready to reach for him should he pass out, he finally sighed and lifted his head. With a visible effort, he pushed away from the wall and Tira had to clench her hands at her side to stop from grabbing him when he swayed on his feet.

  “I hate to fucking ask because I know you’re gonna hate this but…I’m gonna need help.”

  “What do you need?”

  He snorted, as if he found the question funny, and her spine went rigid again. The implication that he didn’t want to need anything from her was loud and clear. She should leave. Walk out and let the bastard fall and hit his head—

  “I don’t… Fuck, I don’t think I can wash myself and I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to stay on my feet. I need you to do it for me.”

  Chapter Two

  Duke knew he must be ready to keel over because he couldn’t decide if he wanted Tira to tell him to fuck off and leave him to fall flat on his face or if he should embrace the crazy and let her put her hands on his naked body.

  Considering he, Nic, Kaine and the eteri should’ve died in that house, he thought maybe he could be excused for going a little crazy.

  The place literally should’ve landed on their heads. If they’d been seconds later walking out the door, they’d all be buried under the pile of rubble the house had become.

  But somehow, they’d gotten here. He’d managed to get Nic and Kaine and the eteri in the car and drive them to Kyle’s. He barely remembered the time behind the wheel. He’d been on autopilot the entire trip and he still couldn’t believe he hadn’t driven off the road or passed out along the way.

  He only knew that the next thing he remembered was Kyle and Dr. Marone ripping open the car doors, pulling out bodies and taking them into the house.

  The doc had examined Kaine first and declared her injuries superficial, unconsciousness her body’s way of healing. The eteri had also been o
ut cold by the time Duke got them to Kyle’s. No one had been too worried about him.

  But the doc had examined Nic and his entire vibe had changed. Duke had scented anxiety pouring off the veteran lucani doctor.

  That had been bad. Tira walking in with Tam had almost been worse.

  Duke had wanted to howl.

  Her overwhelming fear for Nic’s life had made him sick to his stomach. He’d wanted to comfort her but his default asshole had kicked in. Combined with coming off the adrenaline high, Duke felt like he’d just ended a ten-day bender.

  Tired, angry, aching all over and terrified that his best friend was about to kick it, Duke had latched on to Tira’s fear for Nic and her anger at him and let it fuel him.

  He felt like he was gonna fall over at any second but he needed to wash the dirt and grime off his body. And since she was handy, she’d have to suck it up and do it for him.

  Didn’t matter that she hated him, that she thought he was demon spawn and the root of all evil.

  Or that he wanted her hands on his body so badly he shook with it.

  He could just imagine her reaction if he pulled her close and kissed her like he was dying to do. She’d freeze in his arms then pull away. Her gaze would go cold and she’d hightail it away from him as fast as she could go.

  And he’d only have himself to blame for her reaction. The way he’d treated her since her vision…

  Shit, he was crazy.

  He hadn’t had the strength to close the shower stall door and when he heard Tira moving around, he figured she was leaving.

  So when she stepped into the shower with him, he nearly fell on his ass in shock.

  Shorter than him by almost a foot, Tira’s white-gold curls looked like moonlight against her pale skin. Wearing a white lace bra and plain white cotton bikini panties, she didn’t meet his eyes as she stuck the washcloth in her hands under the water.

  “If you fall, I won’t be able to get you back up,” she snapped, her tone cold.

  Duke couldn’t help himself. He nearly laughed at her unintentional sexual undertone because she sure as shit could get him up.

  Hell, he would’ve bet the house, the farm and his life that he wouldn’t have been able to get an erection right now but he would have lost that bet. He knew when she started to rub that wet cloth on his skin, his cock would start to harden and she’d have even more reason to think he was a prick.