by Michelle Fox
"When was this?" The sheriff gave her a sharp look.
She blinked, stunned to realize the Sheriff was suspicious. He didn’t seriously think she had murdered old Bob? Sure, she was a big girl, but not big enough to take on Bob. The man had been well over six feet tall with muscles hardened from all the hiking he did searching for evidence to support his latest whackadoo theory. "Yesterday. I filled out a workman’s comp report and my partner witnessed the attack." She drew herself up to her full height and jutted her chin out, daring him to accuse her of murder.
"Sheriff," bellowed a loud voice from inside Bob’s house. "Get in here. You gotta see this."
"Excuse me, Miss Levine. I’ll be right back." The sheriff strode off with a curt nod. Apparently, he wasn’t suspicious enough of her to stick around.
Audrey wrapped her arms around herself. Day was passing into dusk now, and a pre-autumnal chill filled the air. August this far north meant the heat of summer during the day and the crisp cold of fall at night.
The idea of being outside after dark made her nervous. Normally, the biggest nighttime menaces were mosquitoes. Locals joked they were Michigan’s state bird, big and bloodthirsty enough to carry off babies. Now she wondered what else might be out there lurking in the shadows.
She shivered. Poor Bob. He’d been crazy, but he hadn’t deserved to die.
The sheriff appeared in the doorway. "Miss Levine, would you come inside please?" He waved her forward. "I think we found something."
Audrey hesitated a second and then trudged into the house, where the Sheriff led her through a dingy living room filled with old, sagging furniture and a pile of cryptozoology books on a battered coffee table. From there, they passed into a grimy kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes and out to the garage, where the smell of feces and urine hit her nose.
She scanned the room for the source and found a large cage to the right. Inside laid a wolf, beautiful despite the filth he was trapped in. She guessed it was a he based on his size; females of most species always ran smaller than the males, and this wolf was not small. The wolf’s dark fur looked lush as black velvet. The animal looked at her with keen intelligence in his sky blue eyes and whined softly.
"Oh wow," she breathed. He was...she cast about for the right word and settled on majestic. She’d never seen a wolf like this. The blue eyes alone made him unique.
"What is it?" asked the sheriff, pen poised on his note-pad, ready to write down anything she said.
"This is not a wolf species I know." Northern Michigan had gray wolves, not midnight black ones. He was huge too, easily as big as a Great Dane, but with a deeper chest. Bob had really found something this time. Not a werewolf, but something just as special.
Sheriff Martin nodded as he wrote on his pad. "Is this the wolf that attacked you by chance?"
Audrey shook her head. "No." While the wolf that had bitten her had also been larger than normal, it had white fur that marked it as a probable albino. She frowned. What were not one, but two strange wolves doing up in the sand dunes of Michigan?
"Should we put him down?" asked one of the deputies, his hand going to his gun.
"I’ll defer to the park system on that one, deputy." The sheriff nodded to Audrey. "Miss Levine?"
Audrey’s breath hitched at the idea of killing such a beautiful animal, but she couldn’t deny that the wolf probably should be put down. A large gash ran along his shoulder. It appeared to be healing, but the angry red color at the wound’s center meant he probably needed antibiotics. It wasn’t a fatal injury, but the state of Michigan didn’t rehabilitate wolves. Not anymore.
The wolf had come off the endangered species list a few years ago, and now the state had so many wolves, the laws allowed them to be hunted. No one wanted a mega pack like the one that hounded a Russian village a few years ago. Three hundred hungry wolves circling a town would be a disaster.
She sighed and debated what to do. The caged wolf looked at her unblinking, as if trying to speak with his eyes. She imagined the message would be ‘save me.’ He would be easy prey in the wild, too weak to fend for himself with a festering wound. Putting him down would be a mercy.
At the same time, he was no ordinary wolf. In light of the wolf who attacked her earlier, she wanted to take this one back to the ranger station and see if she could figure out why these strange wolves were in the area. Then she could decide his fate properly. Maybe she could even take care of his wound so that he might one day be released in the wild again.
"I’ll take him," she said with a firm nod. Her mind was made up. She would save this wolf and set him free.
***
Tao worked hard to look like a dumb animal as his fate was discussed amongst the authorities. Inwardly, he cursed the injury that kept him from shifting back into human form. Nick had caught him by surprise, the bastard. Worse, their fight had landed Tao in a crude pit trap and his current home, a large metal cage. Now his wound was healing slow enough to get him into serious trouble.
Nick might just kill him yet.
He could only hope the pretty girl who had come in with the sheriff would buy him some time. If he died, she would suffer too.
He’d smelled Nick’s essence in her skin even before he laid eyes on her. Judging from the bandage on her arm, he’d bitten her. If Tao didn’t get out of his current mess, there would be no one to stand between her and Nick come the full moon.
His nose also caught something else, a sweet scent that made him want to bury his muzzle in the girl’s lap. It carried the flavor of strawberries mixed with the dryness of sand and the aroma of summer heat on sun kissed skin. He sniffed, savoring the smell, and a little tingle went through him as she filled his senses.
Tao’s eyes narrowed and studied her through the bars on his cage. Anyone who hit his nose like that bore a closer look. She was tall with a softly rounded shape. Her drab uniform was ugly, but did a nice job of outlining her natural curves. Her light hair kept falling loose from its ponytail and she swept it out of her eyes with the faintest expression of frustration on her heart-shaped face. Humans wouldn’t have caught it, but Tao didn’t miss the emotional nuance.
As they spoke, his ears swiveled to hone in on her voice. She spoke in a pleasant alto, the tone low and husky. When she looked at him, her eyes widened in awe and he could hear her pulse quicken, even from across the garage.
Tao found himself preening under her gaze, doing his best to attract her attention. He wanted her to like him, to let him get close so he could fill his lungs with her scent. She smelled so good.
It worried him how much he wanted her. His mother—may the moon shine bright on her soul—always used to say, "Trouble starts with a smell." He’d found this to be particularly true when it came to women.
You’re not here to find a mate, Tao, he growled at himself. Don’t forget what happened the last time. His heart gave a little lurch. Love hadn’t been very kind to him lately. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever find a mate. His pack didn’t consider him to be prime mate material.
And this woman who smelled so good wasn’t even pack or a natural werewolf. She was wolf made. Worse, she’d been made by his pack’s number one enemy. Not exactly mating material.
Unfortunately, his nose begged to differ, and as sensitive as the organ was, it had no common sense. It kept filling his head with bad ideas. Things like romance and wild lovemaking under a full moon. He wondered what it would be like to peel off that uniform and run his tongue over her generous body, to hear her scream as he took her. He almost groaned, but caught himself and quickly swallowed the sound.
Quit acting like a pup who’s smelled his first woman in heat.
The deputy offering to kill him brought a much needed dose of reality, enough to keep Tao’s nose in check. Barely. His focus returned to his present predicament and, with rising apprehension, he watched the deputy finger his gun.
Tao whined softly and blinked at the woman. She was the only person in the room who wasn’t a pol
ice officer. More importantly, she didn’t have a gun she was itching to shoot.
When she said, "I’ll take him," joy leapt in Tao’s heart. His nose quivered and he gave a soft yip of excitement. No one noticed, which was a small blessing. There was nothing worse than a grown wolf acting like a love-sick puppy.
Down boy, Tao reprimanded himself. Remember the mission. I’m here to protect the pack, not roll in the hay.
His nose twitched as if to say, ‘We’ll see about that.’
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Need to be bitten?
Moon's Law is part of the 'Bite of the Moon' project which features books that follow heroines and heroes as they are turned into shifters. Other books in the series include:
~Between Two Wolves by Catherine Vale~
Two wolves are twice the bite...and pleasure.
Recently single, Risha Reynolds wants nothing more than to escape for a weekend of hiking in the mountains. Burned by her ex, and angry as hell, she desperately needs the peace and quiet. Far, far away from the jerk who left her.
Besides, what better time to climb a treacherous mountain, and say goodbye to the world below, than after a rough breakup? What's the worst that can happen?
What Risha doesn't know, is that peace and quiet isn't the only thing she'll find when far away from civilization. She's heard the campfire stories of the beasts that go bump in the night, but Risha isn't the kind of girl that believes in myth and magic. Yet when she comes face to face with two wildly handsome strangers, she has to admit that they aren't like any others she's ever known.
If there's one thing she's certain of, it's that Colt and Jericho are hiding a secret, but when she is given the opportunity to uncover the truth, will she be willing to see what they really are?
If she opens her mind, her heart will follow...
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Lyric's Accidental Mate by Elle Boon
A bad boy on a motorcycle and a shifter with bite...when they collide, everything changes.
A Woman In Need Of Saving...
Lyric Carmichael is a shifter in trouble. When a pack of rogue wolves attacks her, she knows she will have to fight for her life.
A Badass Soldier...
Rowan Shade was a member of the Special Forces, and has fought many battles, so wading into the fight to save a gorgeous woman is second nature. But being bitten by Lyric in order to save him from a fate worse than death, and finding out that there are supernatural beings, takes a backseat to the bond he feels for the alluring woman.
A Love Beyond Reason...
As Rowan and Lyric explore their new relationship, the danger to the pack intensifies. When they find out one of their own has betrayed them, they'll need the strength and help of Rowan's entire MC in order to survive.
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Where on the web is Michelle Fox?
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About the Author
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Michelle Fox lives in the Midwest with her husband, kids, the occasional exchange student, and two sweetly disobedient dogs. She loves fantasy and romance, which makes writing paranormal romance a natural fit. Occasionally, she goes through a maverick phase and writes contemporary romance. In her spare time, she's been known to shake her bon-bon at Zumba, make spectacular cheesecakes, hoard vintage costume jewelry, and eat way too much ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s Karamel Sutra for the win!).