Moonrise

by Ines Johnson

Jackson struck out his big hand and stopped the door from slamming with a thunderous boom. His eyes narrowed, silver glinting at the edge. "I'm with the PPU."

  The woman swallowed. "I still don't know where he is. Haven't seen him for fifteen years. He's a loner." There was disgust as she spat the word.

  "Excuse me," Lucia found her voice. "My name's Lucia Sierra—Lucia Serrano. I'm his daughter and—"

  "I'm sorry for you, pup," the woman said without sympathy. "My brother probably bred a litter all over the globe. He wasn't much for sticking around, not even when he was a kid."

  "You're my aunt?" It was the only thing that rang true from the woman's statement.

  "I'm nothing to you, puppy. And I have nothing to give you. If I'm not under arrest," she looked pointedly at Jackson, "then I'll get back to my own litter." She slammed the door in their faces.

  Lucia slumped back into Jackson. It was her last thread to anyone in the world and it had snapped. She had nothing left.

  Jackson caught her in his strong arms. His capable hands turned her body around. He tucked her head into his chest and gave her his strength. For the first time in her life, Lucia cried.

  "I thought he loved her," she sobbed into Jackson’s shirt.

  Jackson's big hand came to her cheek. He maneuvered her face into the crook of his neck and then he rested his nose in her hair. He sighed and then inhaled deeply as though trying to siphon some of her pain from the air around her head.

  "I thought he loved me, too," Lucia sniffed. "He said so. He said he'd come back, but he never did. I always thought the coven kept him away, but now I see; he never intended to come back because he never thought of us as family. And now I have no family left."

  "That's not true." Jackson stroked her hair with one hand and pulled her closer with the other. "You have a family who loves you; my family. In just one night, you've managed to make us all love you."

  No. Not all. And as soon as Pierce woke up they would all hate her. She'd have to leave. And that was the last thing she wanted to do. Not when she'd found exactly where she belonged.

  Lucia burrowed into Jackson's warmth. The smell of him was already so familiar to her. She remembered when Jackson had called her "mine." She'd sat next to Pierce on a train for hours and she'd never felt this depth of emotion.

  Why hadn't she waited a few hours more before declaring herself? Pierce had offered to take her to his house where she would've met his family, and Jackson. Jackson would've taken one look at her and staked his claim.

  He pulled her away now. He gazed down into her eyes, open as ever. He rubbed the tears away from her cheeks, his big hands gentle. He continued to stroke her face. His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips. She glimpsed his canines. She saw his mouth water.

  She leaned in closer. Jackson wasn't Pierce. He looked at her with hunger, with desire. She was sure of it. She just had to tell him... that she'd lied to him.

  Above her, Jackson's eyes closed, and a grimace set in on his handsome face. "I'm sorry, Lucia. This happens from time to time. Two wolves that are blood related will sometimes have an attraction to the same woman. Families have been torn apart by the fighting. I'm fighting my attraction to you. I won't fight my brother, not when you've made your choice."

  "I..."

  Jackson opened his eyes. "Let me take you home."

  He turned her, his hand on her elbow instead of entwined with her fingers. He opened the door and handed her into the car.

  Once buckled in, Lucia's wheels spun. She had to tell him. He'd said he was attracted to her, that he wanted her. She simply had to tell him she'd changed her mind. That she wanted him, instead of Pierce. She knew Pierce wouldn't mind. But how would she explain it?

  They stopped at a red light and Jackson turned to her. "Do you mind if we make a quick stop? I have to run by my place to grab some blue lights. My mother wanted to put up decorations in Pierce's room. The Blue Moon Festivals are his favorite."

  "No, I don't mind. I'd love to see your place." It would give her more time to be alone with him, time to figure out how to tell him her true feelings.

  The light turned green and Jackson pulled into traffic.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It wasn't until Jackson pulled up onto his unpaved driveway that his fingers uncurled from the steering wheel. It had been a tense journey. He'd been confronted with exit sign after exit sign that would've led him to his parents' house to deposit Lucia. He could've stopped at any number of convenience stores to purchase a string of blue lights for his mother to hang in Pierce's hospital room. But Jackson had sped past them all.

  The Blue Moon took its seat in the sky. The pull of the moonbeams weakened the chain around his wolf's neck. The beast methodically slashed through every one of Jackson's carefully constructed restraints.

  The smell of Lucia's hair tickled his nose. It had somehow permeated his beard and with every inhale he took in more of her scent. Holding her in his arms had felt like the rightest moment of his life. It felt like it was always meant to be that way. She'd fit so perfectly. Her trust had undone him. Her pain had nearly crushed him.

  He wanted to rail against a world that could be so unfair. Here she was alone in the world. She'd lost her mother, and now she learned that her father was in the wind. To top that off, she'd mated a man who would likely do the same to her. His family could deny it all they wanted, but they knew that Pierce was a lone wolf. Whatever promises he'd made to Lucia would be temporary.

  Jackson's wolf licked its chops and sat back on its haunches, waiting patiently for its moment to strike. Jackson listened as the beast reasoned it could wait for the moment when Pierce got the itch to roam. Then he could swoop in and take Lucia back into his arms, but for good this time.

  No, Jackson shook his head. She'd made her choice.

  But had she even known that she had a choice? Jackson hadn't put up a fight. Didn't she deserve a fight? He should take her now, his wolf howled in his ear.

  Jackson gave another shake of his head, restraining the beast with all the control he had left—which wasn't much. On this matter he would not budge. He'd seen what mating fights did to families. He couldn't tear his apart. Not only for the sake of his family, but for the sake of Lucia.

  He hadn't missed the way her eyes lit up around his family. The way she reveled in the affection that often stifled him, Pierce, and Kayla. He knew that, just as much as she wanted to mate Pierce, she wanted to be apart of his family. And she couldn't do that if he began a fight that would tear the familial bonds apart.

  "Jackson?"

  He turned to see Lucia eyeing him with concern. He gazed into those lovely eyes of hers wishing she would spell him like a coven witch on her Rumwicca. He'd submit with eagerness.

  "Is everything all right?" she asked.

  Jackson's hands gripped the steering wheel. He knew she'd seen his fingers shaking. He opened his mouth to make excuses, but no lies would come forth. "You should probably wait in the car."

  He knew that if he got her alone out in these remote woods, he might not be able to keep his wolf under the tattered leash around its neck, especially not with the Blue Moon at its peak. He also knew he didn't want her scent in his home, not if he wished to ever return there himself. But the disappointment in her face had him relenting.

  "It's just that..." He couldn't lie to her about being afraid of his intentions, but he also couldn't tell her the truth. "It's a mess in there," he said. "I haven't shown it to anyone in my family."

  "No, I understand."

  But her eyes told him she didn't. It reminded him of the first time he'd seen her. She'd looked small to him, lost. He knew she was strong and capable, another reason he was so drawn to her. It made his wolf want to work more fiercely to earn her trust, to prove himself worthy of safeguarding her strength. He saw her call on that strength now at his rejection.

  Jackson got out of the car. He went to the other side and opened the door. Lucia looked up at him with surprise, and then a quest
ion on her brow. Jackson offered her his hand, and she took it. He held onto her hand as they crossed the driveway. He entwined their fingers as they took the steps that still needed to be repaired. He pressed his palm into hers as he unlocked the door and crossed the threshold.

  "Oh Jackson.” Her hand squeezed his as the door opened and revealed his inner sanctum. "It's beautiful."

  She stepped further into the room and he let her go. He closed the door behind him and wasn't surprised to hear the click of the lock.

  He'd gutted much of the area, knocking down walls to make it an open concept. He knew that when he had cubs he didn't want any walls baring them from the family room to the eating area. The kitchen was spacious with a bar so he and his mate could cook at the same time as they watched their cubs play, or entertained their friends. A huge, brick fireplace took up much of the den with a wide circular couch that would seat a small army.

  She touched everything, marking the territory as her own. He couldn't tell her to stop. He knew that there would never be another woman in this place.

  Lucia turned to him with a little jump, her shoulders tense, her eyes narrowing.

  "What is it?" He was on her, blocking her body from the unseen threat.

  But she was staring up at him. Her hazel eyes had gone a deep shade of silver.

  "You're growling," her voice was little more than a whisper. "And your eyes have gone completely moonglow."

  Jackson's arms came around her. "My wolf is very near the surface."

  "Why is he near the surface? Are we in danger?" She looked towards the windows, but did not move out of his embrace.

  "No, we're not." But you are. "He won't hurt you."

  "Who?"

  "My wolf."

  Her hands rested on his biceps, completely unaware she stood inside a trap. "I know," she said.

  "Of course you know." Wolf and man chuckled which made the sound come out as a high-pitched growl. "You're a witch. You could spell me into doing whatever you wanted so long as I give you my eyes."

  "I would never spell you into doing anything," she said as though the idea were preposterous.

  Naive girl.

  "Why do you keep referring to your wolf as something apart from you? I thought man and wolf were one in the same," she said. "Witches don't separate themselves from their power. Neither do fae. Why do wolves do that?"

  "Wolves are of two natures, human and wolf. Sometimes one is closer to the surface than the other."

  “And your wolf is closer to the surface right now.”

  "Just as your powers are stronger when the Blue Moon is at its peak, my wolf is stronger than my human nature with the Moon's pull."

  "Should I be scared?"

  Jackson's wolf blanched that she could imagine he'd hurt her. The slip allowed the man to regain control over the beast.

  "That was a joke." She reached out a hand and ran it down his chin; the thick hairs there prevented her from skin to skin contact. "I'm not afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me."

  Jackson clamped his mouth shut to keep his tongue inside. He wanted her fingers in his mouth. Lucia's hand brushed his lips and Jackson lost control. He turned into her palm and licked.

  All his life Jackson had kept a tight reign on his wolf. But he felt the beast pulling the man down now. He ceased to remember why he was fighting his animal. Lucia tasted like heaven. She tasted like his.

  "Can I see?" she asked.

  "What is it you want to see?" She could ask him for anything and he would fetch it for her.

  "Your wolf?"

  Jackson's cock throbbed. His wolf had his mind and his dick had his blood.

  "When I was a little girl, I thought I would undergo the change if the Moon rose high enough. But it never happened. I have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, but those are the only gifts I received aside from my ability to spell. I've never seen a wolf. Well, I've seen a wolf, but not a werewolf."

  Jackson swallowed. It was the last conscious act he did as a man. With the Blue Moon in the sky, Lucia's scent in his nose, and her request dominating his ears, the wolf seized the last thread of control. Jackson managed to get out one vital bit of information before he surrendered.

  "Whatever you do, Lucia, don't run from him."

  "Why not?"

  Her words were garbled as he pulled his shirt over his head. The change took him before he could unbuckle his pants. Damn, that was too bad. He liked those pants.

  The change wasn't pretty, but Lucia didn't shy away. He was sure to keep eye contact with her, knowing that was her only defense if she got scared. She could spell his beast and subdue him.

  But she didn't. She watched in fascination, awe, envy.

  When the change was complete, she bent down on her haunches and ran her fingers over his head. The wolf bowed its head to her.

  She laughed with delight. "Jackson, you're beautiful."

  He licked her face.

  She startled and then she laughed again. She laughed so hard that she fell backwards. But the laughter died when the wolf came over her. Jackson saw the intensity of his desire in the reflection of her eyes.

  "Jackson?"

  But Jackson was no longer in charge. The wolf was, and the wolf didn't care about his brother, or his family, or human decency. The wolf only knew possession. And Lucia was his.

  She must have sensed that she was in danger because she crab walked backwards. The wolf bent its head in submission, but Lucia was a smart woman. She would know when a predator was playing with its food. The wolf gave her just enough time to get to her feet.

  "Jackson?" she asked again once she stood.

  The wolf heard her heartbeat racing, but it didn't scent any fear. It watched as this woman, his woman, narrowed her eyes at him. She cocked her head to the side. She inched her way to the door.

  The wolf heard the knob turning. He saw her face tilt up. And then she took off out the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lucia ran through the forest. Her feet pounded the rich earth in tempo to her racing heart. Low-hanging branches from trees and bushes slapped against her wrist in time to the flutter of her pulse. She'd always been the fastest of the novices with lycan blood running through her veins. It had never felt like a race with her Sisters. Tonight, under the full Blue Moon, Jackson's wolf was closing in on her.

  This would be the first time she would lose, and very soon. A moonbeam brightened the side of her face and she heard a whisper in her ear; slow down.

  Lucia laughed at the thought of surrender, of yielding, of submission. She was a witch. If he wanted to win he'd have to—

  The wolf nipped at her heels. Startled by the snare of his teeth, she tumbled to the ground.

  It was an inelegant tumble. She'd never lost her footing before, never went off balance. She went head over heels and landed ass first in the grass. By the time she rolled over, man and not wolf was over her.

  "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" Jackson's handsome face blocked out the Moon. His eyes were no longer silver, they'd returned to their deep hazel and the golden flecks burned his iris with concern.

  The pain in her ass and the bruising of her pride were lost in that churning pool of gold and brown that was Jackson's eyes. "You caught me," she stated the obvious. "No one's ever caught me before."

  In an instant, the concern burned away from his eyes and was replaced with a fire brighter than the sun, stronger than the rain of moonlight falling down from the sky.

  Jackson's eyes dipped to her breasts, and they narrowed. She cast her eyes down to see that her shirt had ripped on the fall. But the gaping hole didn't give his eyes access to her breasts. The ripped bodice of the fabric showed her collarbone.

  Jackson's fingers touched the bone and Lucia gulped. She pressed her thighs together and her back arched up.

  "You're not marked." His voice was unrecognizable as the wolf rose to the surface once more.

  "What?"

  Jackson's eyes came back to hers
. His voice, when he spoke, was not human. "Why didn't he mark you?"

  Lucia's hands came to the base of her neck where Jackson's eyes bored into the area just above her chest. She wasn't sure if the move was meant for protection from his scowl, or relief from the heat of his stare. With her throat under a blazing attack, she only managed to get out a single word. "Who?"

  "Pierce."

  Lucia blinked, trying to place the word Jackson growled at her. Then she realized who he meant, what he meant. Wolves marked their territory and that included their women. Her fingers splayed out as though she could cover up the evidence. But then she pulled her hand away, leaving herself bare and vulnerable. It was time to come clean.

  "He didn't claim me," she admitted.

  Lucia held her breath as Jackson's eyes finally left her bared skin and met her gaze. The dense glow of his eyes out-shined the Moon.

  "Say that again," he said.

  They were only three words, but each felt like an entire paragraph: a beginning, a middle, and an end. It was their story, hers and Jackson's. She hadn't realized that it had begun, but it had. And now they were in the middle of it with an end stretched out before them.

  It was then that Lucia noticed Jackson's naked form stretched out overtop hers from head to toe. She'd seen him take off his shirt before the change. She'd seen his slacks turn to tattered pieces of cloth as the wolf replaced the man. Her eyes traveled the length of him, from the top of his head, to his defined torso, down to his throbbing manhood that was staring straight back at her.

  "Say it again, Lucia."

  "I lied," she forced out and then the floodgates opened. "Pierce never claimed me. He only offered me his friendship and his help. They wouldn't let me ride with him in the ambulance because I wasn't family. So I let them believe I was his mate, and then I kept on letting them believe it so I could be with him in the hospital. I didn't want him to be alone. And then you showed up and you... I didn't know how to take it back. And then your family showed up, and they were so wonderful and I wanted to be a part of it."

  She was mumbling by then. She felt the wetness run down her cheek from her eyelids, but the tears went no further. Something warm and velvety soft stopped the flow of her anguish. It was Jackson, licking her shame away.