Once Bitten sm-1
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Once Bitten
( Spellbound Moon - 1 )
Loribelle Hunt
Spellbound Moon 1:
Once Bitten
Loribelle Hunt
Spellbound Moon 1: Once Bitten
Copyright © February 2010 by Loribelle Hunt
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eISBN 978-1-60737-538-8
Editor: Mary Harper
Cover Artist: April Martinez
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Published by
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This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Chapter One
“Oh yeah.” It was more one long groan than two distinct words. “Just like that.” Teeth slid, just barely, along the underside of Caleb's cock before lips tightened around him, making his hips jerk up. Zach held him down easily, one arm pressed over his pelvis, the other hand wrapped around the base of his erection.
Zach knew just what Caleb wanted tonight, knew he had to expel the edginess, the unexplained neediness that had been riding him lately. Especially the last couple of days. He sucked Caleb hard. His mouth and tongue and teeth were punishing, demanding. Almost brutal.
But Caleb was a werewolf; he could take whatever Zach dished out. And more.
Caleb came like a rocket, but after one swallow, Zach pulled away. Using his cum, the other werewolf rubbed it around Caleb's asshole. Used it as lube before pushing the head of his cock inside. Caleb clenched his fists.
It was rare that he let Zach top him like this. Of the two, Caleb was more dominant, but Zach wasn't exactly a wimp either. Right now Caleb read too much concern, too many questions in his lover's eyes. He squeezed his muscles a bit, enough to distract him, and Zach's eyes yellowed, turning wolf as he slammed home.
The first few strokes were rough. Caleb was hard again by the time Zach slowed to a more steady, controlled rhythm. When Caleb met his gaze, he saw tenderness and tonight…that just wouldn't do. Wrapping his hand around the back of Zach's neck, he yanked him down.
“Maybe I should be fucking you.”
He growled when he got the reaction he wanted. Zach's mouth crushing his. His cock slamming in and out of him. Neither could last long this way. Neither really wanted to. As soon as Zach came, Caleb flipped him over and took him from behind. It was over in seconds. They lay next to each other for a long time. Panting and sweaty and quiet.
It wasn't until much later, after they'd showered and dressed, that Zach broke the silence.
“We should find a woman tonight.”
“Yeah.”
It sounded good. Anything to burn off the need still riding him hard. It was like his body knew something he didn't. Like it was revving up in anticipation. He looked up to catch Zach's thoughtful expression before he could hide it, and Caleb rolled his eyes. He really wasn't in the mood to be psychoanalyzed tonight.
“Did you call yet?”
Fuck. Zach wasn't going to let it go. “No,” Caleb answered curtly. Earlier Zach had shared his theory that something was wrong in Caleb's pack. That Caleb was experiencing some kind of weird sixth sense. It was a dangerous supposition to make about a werewolf even if his pack didn't have the same hang-ups about witches that the rest did.
The thought alone was enough to bring her image to Caleb's mind. Liza. He had the usual mix of emotions when remembering her. Lust and anger. Fury and possession. He took a deep breath to compose himself. He couldn't have her. Hell, she'd probably mated someone else by now. His wolf rose close to the surface of his mind and growled its displeasure.
“Well?” Zach asked.
“We'll find someone tomorrow.” He ignored the second question and answered the first.
He couldn't take a woman in his current state. Even with Zach around to rein him in, he couldn't be sure he wouldn't damage her.
“Stubborn,” Zach muttered. “I'm going to get a drink. You know where to find me when you snap out of this.”
He grinned. “And if I don't you'll start without me?”
“Exactly.” Zach left, but his chuckles still filled the air.
Caleb picked up his phone and started to dial, but hung up before he finished. If something was wrong in Redhawke, someone would have called him, right? Either his father, Grant, the alpha, or his beta, Henry. Or hell, even Liza. According to his sources, she was paladin now, a kind of cross between security expert, police chief, and gatekeeper. According to werewolf lore, the paladins were werewolf knights who protected Charlemagne. Not only were they heroic, they also could not be corrupted. Could not be turned away from their cause. Every modern werewolf pack had one paladin. They filled so many jobs that Caleb wasn't sure he could list them all.
Perhaps the most important was that as the pack's knight, the paladin was defender against not only pretenders to the throne but also threats from outside. Threats from other packs. No one would gain access to the alpha or beta without her approval first. Unless, like him, they had private numbers and family ties that couldn't be denied.
He had mixed feelings about her occupying the paladin position. Her devotion to the pack had never been questioned. She'd never endanger it. The future alpha in him approved. The man and wolf, not so much. He would never be as important to her as the pack. He would never be the center of her world. Yet, he was proud of her accomplishments too. He knew that of all the pack's senior soldiers, she was the best qualified. The smartest. The superior fighter. Hell, she ought to be. He'd helped train her.
With a growl, he grabbed a beer from the fridge, twisted off the cap, and tossed it into the garbage as he paced. Alpha heirs often spent a few years traveling and living among other packs.
It helped cement alliances among the packs. But he'd been here in Maine for five years, and that was excessive. He was on borrowed time. Eventually he'd have to go home to Florida and take over the pack. He'd always known that. But eventually was drawing closer every day.
Not because anything was wrong at Redhawke, but because he and Zach were starting to make the pack nervous. They were the two strongest males, stronger than the alpha and the beta, and their heirs. There was a simple solution—a blood oath to Zach's father. But that easy answer was impossible. To do so, he'd have to forfeit his claim to Redhawke, his father's pack, and that wasn't happening. But it was clear his welcome in Maine was wear
ing thin. There'd been some pretty pointed hints after the last council meeting. It was only family ties that prevented him and Zach from getting tossed out since he was the alpha's and beta's youngest son. Which just further complicated the situation.
When Caleb went home, Zach would go with him as his beta, and he could let his dominant nature loose. It would be good for both of them. So why did they hesitate?
He poured out the rest of the beer and forced himself to be brutally honest. Two reasons.
Zach would have to swear a blood oath to Redhawke to officially take his place in the pack.
Caleb was loath to force that on him and he knew Zach wouldn't hesitate to do it when the time came. Caleb loved him too much not to feel guilty about being the cause of Zach's break with his family.
Then there was Liza. He'd left because of her, put as much distance between them as he could, and had hoped like hell to get her out of his system. The anger and bitterness and sense of betrayal hadn't left him the way he'd expected though. Was it idiocy to stay away so long because of a woman? Yeah. But it was the only armor his heart and soul had. Because if, when, he went home, he knew he'd want her, crave her just as strongly as ever. After tossing the empty bottle, he grabbed his keys. Maybe if he joined Zach for a little carnal fun, he'd quit seeing her in his mind.
Not fucking likely.
Chapter Two
Being a witch in a bar full of unfamiliar werewolves should have made her edgy. If they knew what she was, she wouldn't be welcome. Not that they'd greeted her with wide smiles and open arms. Sidelong looks spoke of caution and curiosity. Instead of worrying about possible hostilities though, she sat brooding into her beer at a small round table in a dark corner.
It's not that she wasn't uneasy. Hell, right now she could redefine the word. But for all the wrong reasons. The door opened, letting a burst of icy winter wind whirl through the room, and her head snapped up. Watching, waiting to see who would come through the opening. Her sigh of relief was misplaced considering her mission.
Find Caleb. Bring him home.
She remembered the alpha's order. Use whatever means necessary. Her heart twisted in her chest. She'd stood shivering on his front porch and tried to explain that she shouldn't be the one to go, that he'd left home because of her in the first place, but Grant refused to hear it, insisted she was the one to bring his son home.
The door opened again, and she shoved aside the longing to see his familiar face, reminded herself she was here to do a job. Nothing more. Nothing less. In and out, Liza, minimal heartbreak.
Around her, the bar filled up and the crowd got rowdier. She watched the females with barely restrained jealousy. Remembered the way Caleb had thrust her away from him after their only night together. His insistence, his furious vow, that he wouldn't risk mating with a human, and a witch at that, wouldn't take the risk his sons might be…less than him. Oh, he'd known exactly where to strike her with that. Right at her pride, right at the insecurity that drove her.
Usually a child of a human-lupine mating was wolf. Almost always. Occasionally one was born with latent abilities. Latency came in many forms, however. Some could only shift when the moon was close to full. Some could shift partially. Some had the strength and speed of a werewolf, but couldn't shift at all. Like her.
Her lips moved, a twisted parody of a smile. She knew all too well how rare those children were and was surprised at the bitterness that rose, sharp and piercing in her chest, thought she'd conquered it years ago. Being sent after Caleb Michaelson was bringing up insecurities she thought were in her past.
Even worse than being born human to a wolf were her useless talents, the powers she always felt just out of reach yet for some reason couldn't unlock. Her mother swore the dam would break one day, but she'd long since given up that hope and instead had molded herself into a person who could be useful to the pack despite her shortcomings. It didn't help that they should be sworn enemies. Witches and werewolves did not mingle. Her own mother had been banished for mating with a shifter.
She shook away the memories and concentrated on her job. It had been easy to track down Caleb. As the pack's paladin—the first ever female and not even a wolf—it was her job to know where everyone was at all times. She'd always known Caleb was here in this northern pack. He had a reputation as a playboy. That knowledge bit a little. Okay, a lot. She wasn't enough for him. But apparently no one else was either. That tiny bit of vindication had carried her through five years of lonely nights.
The door opened at the same time someone sat at her table blocking her view. He set a beer down in front her, and she realized with a jolt of shock that she'd actually finished hers. Maybe that explained the tightening in her throat, the sudden dryness. But there was also alarm. Maybe a little fear. He'd approached without her noticing. She hoped the magnolia that masked her natural scent was enough to conceal her genetics from him. Get with the program, Liza.
“Now what's such a pretty lady like you doing in our out-of-the-way little bar?” he murmured.
The interest in his tone was unmistakable. Under any other circumstances, she would have flirted with him, might have taken the time to see if he shared his species' suspicion of witches, even powerless ones. But not now. Not when she felt Caleb's presence close by, knew despite the dark corner she hid in that he saw her.
But maybe that worked to her advantage. Knowing that Caleb watched, she leaned forward in her seat, exposing her too-ample cleavage. She glanced around, bit her bottom lip as she mentally prepared herself to flirt with the stranger. Her gaze fell on Caleb though and his eyes snared her, pinned her in place. She sucked in a deep breath, determined not to fold to that icy disapproving glare.
She swore she could smell him. Feel him around her. The sudden memory of him thrusting inside her, claiming her, had her sucking in deep breaths. Wrenching her eyes away, she saw the other man had followed her line of sight. His fingers covered hers as she gripped the neck of the beer bottle.
“You're going to ignore me for Caleb?” He put a hand over his heart dramatically. “You wound me, sweetheart.”
He startled a laugh out of her, and she wished circumstances were different.
“I don't think that's possible.”
His hand was big and hot on hers. She looked up into his eyes. They were warm and inviting, his smile slight but oh so sexy. She wished she could take him up on his invitation, certain she wouldn't regret a night in bed with him.
“Back off, Zach. This one isn't available.”
Astonished, she jerked up her head to meet Caleb's gaze. He sounded possessive, territorial. The other man, Zach, leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.
Indolence and self-assurance oozed from his pores. If her soul didn't already belong elsewhere, she'd jump him and never look back. Zach arched an eyebrow.
“Changing the rules, Caleb?” All the teasing left his voice as he studied her. “Isn't that interesting? I don't think you should get to keep her all for yourself.” She caught her breath at the implied proposal, but before she could think about it, Caleb leaned over her shoulder and got in Zach's face. The air charged, electricity arcing among the three of them. She should speak up, get Caleb to back down, but his chest rubbed against her back and the contact she'd longed for for so long held her frozen in place.
“Off. Limits.”
He growled and she wondered what the hell was going on. Zach just cocked his head to the side and gave them both a considering look while he sniffed the air.
“Like that is it?”
“Yes. It's like that.”
Zach held up his hands, his arms spread wide. An appeasing gesture, but his body was tense and his eyes were hard. Dangerous. He obviously knew Caleb well. She wanted to question him. Find out who he was. He met her gaze briefly, and she wondered if it really was pain that flashed through his eyes. What kind of relationship did he and Caleb have?
“This isn't like you.”
“I know. Doesn'
t change anything. She's mine.”
Zach stood and jerked his head to the side for Caleb to follow. Already engaged in a heated conversation, they stopped a few feet away. Too far for her to listen in. Both turned to glare at her a couple times, and as they spoke, they edged closer together until they brushed against each other. It wasn't until they didn't separate that she realized what she was witnessing. A lovers' quarrel. No wonder Caleb was never linked with anyone for long. Zach had implied they shared women. For Caleb to deny him that must have bit. Hard. He was jealous and she wondered if he'd believe that was a bond of kinship between them. How many times had she been jealous of one of Caleb's women? And she couldn't even call Caleb hers. Poor guy. She needed to say her piece and get the hell out.
They both stopped speaking abruptly when she approached. “Listen, I don't mean to cause any problems. I just need a minute of Caleb's time,” she told Zach.
“Go sit down. I'll deal with you in a minute,” Caleb ordered.
Zach rolled his eyes and she narrowed hers. “There are two people in the world I take orders from and you aren't one of them.”
Zach barked a laugh. “Well, isn't that interesting. Your little human has claws.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell you what. Why don't you deal with her first; then I'll deal with you.”
Oh hell no. She was not getting in the middle of that. Caleb gripped her shoulder when she spun around to leave. The look he gave her and Zach was furious, eyes glowing yellow, the wolf so close that she was surprised she didn't feel his claws on her shoulder.
“I'm not setting anything of mine free.”
She didn't notice Zach's reaction to that statement, Caleb's words pissed her off so bad. She didn't belong to him. He'd made damned sure she understood that when he walked out on her.
Before she could protest, he was leading her to the small dance floor. His arms were around her, pulling her into his tight embrace. His arousal was hard against her belly, and her nipples tightened in response. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was not happening. He didn't want her really. Before she knew it, they were swaying to the music and her body was heating up despite how she fought it.