Seducing a Wolf
Moonbound Series, Book Five
Krystal Shannan
Camryn Rhys
Contents
The Moonbound Curse
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Other Moonbound Books
Krystal Shannan
Camryn Rhys
Copyright
Chapter One
Choaca, Mexico
* * *
Alejandro Sureda hated dance clubs. Damn stupid suit he had to wear, on top of annoying ass music, and it was too dark to see anything, except for the pulsing lights working on his headache. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, every time he even thought he saw her.
He was there for only one reason.
“What can I get you?” one of the skinny, white-clad bartenders asked him in Spanish, fluttering big eyelashes up and down his body. A slow smile painted its way across her face. “You’re a tall drink of water, aren’t you?”
Was it possible to roll his eyes any farther back into his head? Would the bartender notice and back off?
“Get me a…” Alex glanced around the intermittently-lit rows of alcohol bottles. He’d never been in a bar in Mexico. Did they have the same stuff as they did in Miami? “Shit. I don’t know. What’s good?”
“What’re you in the mood for?” She purred at him.
Like, an actual cat sound. What the fuck?
“The harder the better.”
“That’s my poison, too.” Cat sound again. Deep in her throat.
“If you have something hard enough to clean rust off a blade, it’s probably right up my alley.” He reached in his pocket for some cash and froze. A pulse that wasn’t part of the thrumming music made its way through his body. It hit highs where the music hit lows, and had a slow, languid wave.
Magick. Unmistakable. Only, this was a kind of magick he hadn’t felt before. He knew what his parents felt like, and his siblings, his alpha. This was something different.
Alex put up a hand and stopped the bartender’s pouring. “Hold on.”
“Querido, for you, I’ll wait all night.” She leaned forward and flashed the tops of her breasts.
“No need to wait. I won’t be back.” He moved in the direction of the pulse, like something drew him, leaving her with her jaw down almost to her cleavage.
Hell no, he wouldn’t be back. Not ever if he could help it. The monkey suit and the alcohol and the loud music. It was too much.
But he’d been the one who wanted to do something. Tomás had taken Lani to the alpha council for protection, but Alex hadn’t wanted to wait for another summit. He needed to do something.
As he walked through the crowd, he flexed his hands. This wasn’t what he’d had in mind when he’d told Maggie he wanted to help.
He should have seen Adrian shift.
Should have shifted.
Should have stopped him.
One of his knuckles cracked under the pressure of his own grip and he stopped his progress, waiting for a group of screaming blonde girls in cowboy hats and bikini tops to pass him, shot glasses raised, whooping like football fans.
There.
When the group cleared away, the magick wave felt more substantial, like it finally had a source.
Julianna.
Only, it wasn’t the Julianna he’d seen in pictures. He’d expected staid and stoic, with a tight bun and a long-sleeved business suit. This woman was…a sex bomb.
His first instinct was to reach for his phone and text Maggie, but the downside of wolf magick was that it went two ways. Julianna absolutely felt his presence, and the way her pupils dilated told him she hadn’t been expecting to feel it, either.
Alex reached with his wolf to calm hers—a way his father had taught him of submitting to other wolves on their own territory… Only he didn’t receive any touch in response. In fact, she straightened and her eyebrows knit together. Was she resisting the magick?
Just in case, he reached out again. I’m feeling magick. She has to be, too.
A thick lump caught in his throat. No. If she’d been a wolf, he would’ve sensed it.
Her eyes locked onto his and her mouth dropped open and he could tell she was panting, though she may not have realized it. Beneath the silky, purple material of her dress, two points of her nipples stood out.
She was aroused.
Hell, he was aroused.
Alex stalked around the perimeter of the low, round table and grabbed the back of the empty chair.
She leaned forward just enough that the low dip of her dress revealed ample and lickable cleavage. All of it, nearly to her rib cage. “I’m sorry,” she said in a low voice. “That seat is taken.”
“I know.” He pulled the chair out. “I’m taking it.”
“No, I mean, I’m meeting someone.” Julianna’s eyes traveled down his thick tie and stopped at his crotch. She bit the side of her tongue inside her mouth, in the sweetest, most unconscious way she possibly could have.
“You’re meeting me.” He dipped his chin and waited for her gaze to return to his. Blood rushed through his chest at a thundering speed when she kept chewing and staring. “I’m Alex.”
When she finally brought her eyes up, a deep flush swathed her cheeks and went down her neck.
She was all conundrum, this woman. For hours, he’d studied everything about her, and he thought he knew her—thought Maggie knew her.
They’d even found her secret digital hookup profile, but even that’d been the stoic businesswoman on the outside. All aggression, all alpha.
But this.
This woman wasn’t wearing a bra, and her luscious breasts strained against the thin fabric of her dress. She blushed and shuttered her eyes like a neophyte, even though her profile had been aggressive. Curves that wouldn’t stop and cleavage that made him forget about everyone in the club, all the music and the noise, all the gyrating idiots…but Alex couldn’t let her distract him from his mission.
“I’m Julianna.” She offered her hand and he took it.
When their skin touched, he felt the pulse of that magick again. He’d never felt anything like it—drawing him forward, over the table if he could have, and right into her arms.
“I know.” He pulled on her hand until she leaned forward more, and Alex pressed his lips to the top, dipping his eyes obviously to her cleavage.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. You look…different than your picture.” She rubbed her skin where he’d kissed her, almost absently. Julianna had to be feeling the magick, but for her to not be a wolf…he wasn’t sure what to do with that.
He should text Maggie. Make sure they had the right woman.
How could Adrian Rossi’s daughter not be a wolf?
Unless…
Alex reached for his phone. “Let me just tell my friend that I’m here and you’re not a serial killer.” Through his eyelashes, he fixed her with a hot gaze. “You’re not, are you?”
“Please.” She reached for her purse and pulled out a thick black notebook with a folder shoved inside it. “This is everything I’ve managed to gather on you, Alejandro Sureda. If I am a serial killer, I’m the stupidest one in history.”
Her long, graceful fingers ended in purple polished nails that glistened in the pulsing light as she flipped the folder open. “Mixed martial arts? Runs an MMA
program for inner city kids in Miami? Holds a regional champion belt in his weight class for cage fighting?” She turned a few pieces of paper and his gut tightened as he recognized newspaper articles and personal pictures.
“How did you find this?” Alex picked up the picture from the Miami Star showing him with his belt over his head, back when he’d had a beard and longer hair. Before he’d been sent to Mexico. Even he didn’t have this picture.
Her features lit with a slow smile. “I do my homework.” Julianna leaned across the table, and her breasts rested on the black and white image of his victory face. “I run a multi-national corporation, Mr. Sureda. I can’t take any chances.” Julianna closed the folder and returned it to her purse, leaving the notebook sitting between them. “Now. Do you still want to text your friend?”
He shook his head. What had Maggie put in his profile? It probably hadn’t been the truth. The fact that Julianna knew him, knew his background…his stomach churned.
She knows who I am. Stay close.
He cleared his throat and glanced at her purse. “You don’t want to text a friend to tell them I’m not a serial killer?”
Julianna pointed to her left. Two tables away sat three large, black-suited men, all with eyes scanning the entire club. They studiously avoided looking at her, or at Alex.
Bodyguards.
“Smart woman.”
With a wry smile, she reached into the notebook and pulled out a neatly typed piece of paper. She slid it across the table and placed it in front of him.
His phone buzzed in his lap and Alex swiped at it. A text from Maggie popped onto the screen. Should I send in Donovan?
“These are the guidelines for the weekend,” Julianna said, ignoring the fact that he’d just checked his text. “I would’ve preferred to email these to you ahead of time and discuss them over the phone, but as I said, I just learned I had an unexpected free weekend, so I’ve brought them with me.” She folded her hands and rested her chin on them. “I’ll let you read through them and you can tell me if you have any questions.”
This was the Julianna he had expected. Even with the sex kitten dress and the blushing, she’d managed to find her inner CEO.
Rules for the weekend. The sheet had two columns. What is permitted and What is not permitted. Alex skimmed both sides and raised his eyebrows.
“It says I am not allowed to leave the penthouse. What penthouse?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I have a penthouse at the Puerto Villa.” She slid a gold keycard from the black notebook and placed it on the table near his empty hand. “This is a key to the private entrance. Show this card to the valet in the parking garage and he’ll help you find it. If you’re interested, meet me there in two hours. If not, it’s been nice meeting you, and no hard feelings.”
He turned the keycard over and saw the logo for Adrian Rossi’s hotel in silver swirls against the gold. She had to be the right woman. Not to mention the fact that the magick was pulling at him.
As she gathered her things and rose from the table, Alex grabbed her hand. “Wait.”
Her intake of breath was so loud, it drew the attention of her bodyguards, but she calmed them with a reassuring swipe of her arm.
She met Alex’s eyes. “What?”
“What about the list I have for you?”
The magick slid around them while their skin remained in contact, and Alex could feel his dick hardening. Damn. I need to fuck this woman—that was his list.
Julianna pulled her hand out of his and a wrinkle of fear crossed her features, but was quickly gone. She smiled and clutched her purse close to her side. “Bring your list with you.”
She was gone before he could respond, but Alex could watch her walk away. The sway of those hips, the casual stop and the glance over her shoulder. The smile.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the magick that seemed to stay wrapped around him, pulling him toward her.
The bodyguards stood one at a time, taking different routes through the club so that one of them eventually ended up exiting before her, no doubt, checking out all the crazies on the outside.
Alex swiped at the screen on his phone and typed a text to Maggie. She’s taking me to the PV. Penthouse. Could still work out.
In only a few seconds, she texted back. Text when you have it. We’ll wait.
With his phone in his pocket and the keycard in one hand, Alex followed Julianna’s path out of the club, happy to be leaving the loud, craziness behind.
He hadn’t considered she might actually invite him to her penthouse for the entire weekend, but if it was the only way to get at whatever information she kept in that black notebook of hers, then it was worth it.
Alex would just have to take one for the team.
Chapter Two
Julianna stepped into an elevator at the Puerto Villa and rode it up to her suite. She might be the CEO of the hotel and resort, but she didn’t need to steal away one of the penthouse suites when she rarely ever spent time in her rooms except to sleep.
The elevator doors slid apart and she smiled at her right hand woman. Diana Cortez was Julianna’s personal assistant slash everything else she might ever possibly need. The willowy brunette never ceased to anticipate her every move. It made Julianna’s hectic life just a little easier.
“Ms. Rossi, the rooftop suite in the lower tower is prepped and ready. Housekeeping has already stocked it with your preferred list of wines and beverages for your guest.”
“Thank you.” She gestured for Diana to follow her to her door. “We need to discuss a few things before I disappear for the evening.”
“Of course.”
The door opened on a softly decorated oasis. Plush white carpets. Seascape paintings. Chunks of coral and vases filled with seashells were meticulously arranged throughout the rooms. The pastel blues and greens always soothed her after a long day running the hotel. “Please have a seat. I’m going to change clothes and then we can talk.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Diana walked to one of the white leather couches.
Julianna entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Her lips curved into a smile as she recounted the handsome man at the bar—Alex Sureda. The website photo hadn’t done him justice. In person, his black hair, steel gray eyes, and take-charge attitude had warmed her skin from the second he’d told her he was taking the chair. The short stubble on his chin hadn’t hid the strong lines and angular face.
He’d been a little surprised by what Diana’s background check had pulled up, but he wanted her. And that was what this weekend was all about.
Her assistant hadn’t found anything that flagged him as dangerous or creepy. He ran a martial arts school for under-privileged children. That’d certainly put a big gold star by his name on the website she’d signed up to find a compatible man to share her body with this weekend.
Julianna pulled off her heels and arranged the expensive shoes gently on the built in shelf in the back of her closet. The entire wall was a rainbow of heels. She loved shoes. It was one of the only areas she indulged herself.
She changed out of the purple dress she’d worn to the club and slipped into a special corset bodice, stockings, and garters before climbing into a sexy little red strapless dress that fit her bodice and flared at the waist and just brushed the tops of her knees. Picking out a pair of black patent leather stilettos, she slid her feet into them and flipped the light switch as she returned to her bedroom.
Next, makeup. Julianna took a seat in front of her antique vanity and mirror in the bedroom and re-applied a coat of dark red lipstick. Running her hands through her wavy dark hair, she sighed. The red dress accentuated her voluptuous hourglass figure, but if her father ever saw her in it, she’d never hear the end of how she needed to watch what she ate or exercise a little more. She was the face of his company. Blah. Blah. Blah.
He always had a cutting remark about her clothing choices or her hips, to put her in her place.
; She glanced at the clock on the wall. Alex would be arriving soon, she needed to wrap up things with Diana. She grabbed the suitcase standing at the foot of her bed. She’d packed in advance this morning, hoping the meeting with Alex would go as desired.
He hadn’t disappointed.
Diana looked up from the tablet on her lap. “You look fabulous. Mr. Sureda is a lucky man.”
Julianna smiled and sat in one of the armchairs facing her right hand. “I’m looking forward to relaxing. Especially after the stress of the last few days.”
Diana’s face tightened and she glanced at the floor.
The pit of Julianna’s stomach turned. “What?”
“Some of the staff are talking.”
“About what exactly? No one on the inside saw anything. That’s why we used an outside clean up crew.”
“Apparently someone in maintenance saw the crew and the bloody carpet. It’s been spreading through the crews like fungus on toenails.”
“Fire them. Every single employee here had to sign an NDA. If they can’t keep their mouths shut, then they’re out. I’ve already hired five new employees in the last three days.” She pressed a finger to her temple and rubbed. “Do not let this ruin my weekend. Please, just fire and hire. Do whatever you need to do to control the situation tonight.”
Diana nodded. “Will do.”
“If it comes out anywhere that those carpets came from my father’s penthouse, it’s both our asses on the line.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Julianna stood. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’m unplugged while I’m with Alex in the evenings, but if an emergency arises, you come get me personally. Don’t call on the room line.”
“Of course.” Diana stood and followed her out of her suite, and into the elevator bay at the end of the hall.
“Thank you,” Julianna said as they stood, waiting for the doors to open. “I really appreciate your help with this whole set up.”
“You deserve more time to yourself, Ms. Rossi. You work too many hours.” The metal doors opened and Diana gestured for her to enter first. “You should take a real vacation out of town sometime.”
Seducing a Wolf: Moonbound Series, Book Five Page 1