Cursed by the Moon (Shifter Rising Book 2)

by Rebekah R. Ganiere

  He took the stairs two at a time and found her in her bathroom, scrubbing her teeth. Sliding behind her he let his hands roam over her skin. Her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into him.

  He kissed her shoulder and traced his hand down her hip to her thighs. He tangled his fingers in the soft curls that were already moist and slid his fingers over her sensitive nub. She coughed and almost choked on her toothpaste. She bent over the sink and spit.

  "Noah."

  "Cara."

  He bit her shoulder and her breath hitched.

  "Cara. I want you."

  "I want you too."

  "No." His gaze met hers in the mirror. "I want you for myself. Not just to make love to you but to have you as mine. Forever."

  She blinked several times. He turned her to face him.

  "I know why you did what you did and I understand."

  "You forgive me?"

  "I have no right to forgive you because you didn't do anything to me. I forgive you for not telling me and I called Jefferson and forgave him as well. Do you forgive me for not telling you about Brigette?"

  She nodded.

  "I love you Cara. You and only you. You're the only one I want to be with for now and forever."

  "Are you asking me to marry you?"

  "I'm telling you I want to marry you and be with you forever, but I still have issues. A lot of issues. I'm going to do whatever it takes to become the man you deserve and I'll wait for you for as long as it takes. I know about the bond that werewolves can have between each other. The bond that connects them forever. I feel like we already have that. That we've had it since we first met."

  "Me too. But there's another step to complete the bond. Is that what you want?"

  Anxiety traipsed over him. "Yes. But not until you're sure that is what you want too."

  She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you but once we take that step there's no going back. And with everything you're working on, you don't need that pressure right now."

  He nodded. "So we wait until I'm better."

  "Know that when you're ready. I'm ready."

  He kissed her lightly, sucking her lip into his mouth. She moaned and dug her nails into his shoulders. He grabbed her around the waist, picked her up and stalked to her bedroom. Setting her on her bed she spread her legs beneath him and he slid inside her in one fluid movement.

  He fought to hold out as he buried himself inside her again but she flipped him over and straddled his hips.

  "Sorry Jarhead. Slow isn't how we're going this time."

  EPILOGUE

  "Holy crap you live here?" Cara asked.

  Noah chuckled and pressed the remote, opening the large gate to his parent's beach side house.

  "It's not as big as it looks," he said.

  "It looks like a freaking hotel!"

  "Okay maybe it is as big as it looks." Noah rolled down the driveway toward the front. Cars lined both sides of the cement. A valet jumped to his feet as Noah pulled up. He tried to drive past but the valet waved him to a stop.

  "So is this how you afford everything?"

  Noah shrugged. "I have a trust fund and the money I earned as a Marine."

  The valet rounded to the driver's side window. "I'll park it for you, sir."

  "It's fine. I'll park in the garage."

  "Oh. Okay." A look of confusion crossed the valet's face.

  Noah pulled to the side of the house and opened the garage.

  "You told them you were coming right?" asked Cara.

  Noah gave her his most confident smile. "Of course."

  She frowned and punched him in the arm. "Liar. Dang it Noah you promised you'd tell them."

  "What does it matter? It's not like they'd tell me not to come."

  "So they don't even know about me?"

  He pulled into the garage, next to his father's Porsche, and turned off the car. "They're gonna take one look at you and fall in love, just like I did."

  Her expression told him she wasn't as sure.

  He leaned over and kissed her. "Trust me."

  She stroked his cheek. "I do. But if this goes south, you're so screwed when we get home."

  He wiggled his eyebrows. "Promise?"

  She twisted his nipple, sending a shooting pain up his chest. "Not the good kind of screwed."

  "Okay, okay." He laughed.

  They walked into the house, through the mudroom, and his gut clenched at the thought of seeing his parents, but Cara clutched his hand tight and he led her on. The sounds of laughter and water splashing hit Noah at the same time the smell of barbeque did. As he walked into the kitchen, stomach tight as a snare drum, he knew what he'd find. Fourth of July décor hung from every surface like a white house inaugural ball.

  A feeling of normalcy washed over him at the sight. His mom, dressed in a red and white, Jackie O inspired cocktail dress, ordered around the maid, cook, and wait staff. Food covered every counter being prepared to go out.

  Outside, his father stood at the grill, pretending to cook. A hired chef stood at his side, ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

  Cara wrapped her arm around his waist and he finally found his voice.

  "Mom?"

  His mother’s perfectly shaped, brown hair didn't so much as move when she showed a maid how to plate the hors d’oeuvres.

  "Mom," he said louder.

  She turned and a confused look flashed across her features, but then her eyes widened and she smiled. "Noah!"

  She rushed around the counter to him, her heels clicking on the limestone floor. She pulled him into her slender arms and hugged him tight.

  "You didn't tell us you were coming." She pushed him to arm’s length and swiped tears from her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us?"

  "I thought I'd surprise you."

  "Well you sure did." She patted his cheek. "A wonderful surprise." Her gaze travelled to Cara. "Well, hello. I'm Missy Davis."

  "Wonderful to meet you Mrs. Davis, I'm Cara."

  Noah put his arm over Cara's shoulder and kissed her on the head. His eyes locked with his mom's and she gave a small nod.

  "It is a pleasure to meet you my dear. I'm so glad you could come to our little Fourth of July party. Noah, take your friend outside to meet your father."

  "Cara isn't a friend Mom." He laced his fingers with Cara's and she squeezed his hand hard.

  He lifted Cara's left hand, revealing the large, three carat, princess cut, diamond ring.

  His mother's smile faltered and she twirled the pearls at her throat. Noah was afraid she might say something horribly polite and formal. But she swallowed hard, then nodded.

  "Well I… Noah, that's wonderful. In that case, you'll have to stay the night so I can get to know Cara better—without having to entertain other guests."

  Noah nodded. "We'll see."

  "Mrs. Davis?" one of the maids called.

  "I must go, but I'm very happy to meet you Cara." His mom bustled off, telling the maids to head out with the first course.

  "That wasn't so bad," said Cara.

  "Yeah, well she's the easy one." Noah stared out at his dad through the kitchen window. Kids jumped in and out of the pool while parents lounged with cocktails and chatted. Wouldn’t some of his old friends be there? Might be awkward if Brigette is there…

  "We could skip seeing your dad. You could take me upstairs to your bedroom and we could live out one of your high school fantasies instead."

  Noah laughed so hard his belly ached and he kissed her. "Let's get this over with, then I'll show you my room."

  They walked out the French doors onto the patio. When his dad spotted Noah he stopped talking and turned. He looked down at Noah's leg, then back to Noah's face.

  "I didn't know you were coming today."

  "Would I have been uninvited if you had known?"

  His dad's gaze flicked to Cara and he snorted. "Of course not."

  Noah nodded.

  "So who's this?" his dad asked.

  "T
his is Cara. My fiancé."

  "Fiancé?" His father looked Cara up and down and Noah gritted his teeth knowing exactly what his father was doing. Assessing her worth. Assessing her risk. Trying to decide if this was real or some passing fancy. It didn't matter what his father thought though because at the end of the day, he had no say in the matter.

  Cara stepped forward and offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Davis."

  His dad shook hands with her. "Call me Carl."

  She nodded and Noah pulled her into a hug.

  "So where have you been?" His dad finally pulled his gaze from Cara.

  "Malibu."

  His father raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Lounging around and doing nothing of consequence I suppose."

  "Actually, I've been healing, going to therapy, and interviewing with the FBI."

  "Really?"

  "They have a Wounded Warrior Internship I'm looking into."

  "An internship? Noah, you have a degree from an Ivy League college. You don't need to intern. If you need a job––"

  "If it doesn't work out with them I'm going to become a pyrotechnical engineer and blow things up in Hollywood. I have a friend whose dad offered me a job."

  His dad's mouth snapped shut and he clutched the spatula so tight Noah was sure he'd pitch it into the pool. Instead he turned to talk to the chef.

  Noah shook his head and they stepped away.

  "I'm sorry." Cara squeezed his hand.

  Noah stared into her beautiful brown eyes. "I didn't come here for his approval. I don't care what he thinks. You're the only person whose opinion matters."

  "Then why did we come?"

  "Because I wanted them to meet you. That way, when we send them an invitation to our wedding, they won't be shocked."

  A smile spread across her face and she kissed him.

  "Besides, planning a huge wedding, like the one we're gonna have, on top of school, and work, you're gonna need some help and as you can see, my mom is great with parties."

  "Huge? How huge is huge?"

  "Just a couple hundred or five."

  "Five? Hundred?" Her face paled.

  Noah smiled. "Don't tell me I scared you off already."

  "I'm not scared of anything with you by my side."

  The next thirty minutes were spent socializing with everyone at the party, greeting them, hearing them tell Noah how sorry they were about his leg, and how much they appreciated his service. He endured every sympathetic look and sad apology with a straight spine and a ‘thank you sir’.

  After that, he took Cara up to his room and she showed him just how much of a man he still was.

  Thank you for taking the time to read

  Cursed by the Moon

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