Moonlight

by Lisa Kessler

  “I’m going to find this guy, and he’ll pay for what he did to Gabe.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not what we’re concerned about.”

  I frowned. “Then what’s bothering you?”

  “We’re getting older, Adam. None of us can conceive children anymore. You’re my eldest son. I know you’re not inclined to take a mate, but it’s your responsibility to keep our bloodline going.”

  I rolled my eyes and tried not to crack a smile. “Do you have any idea how…medieval that sounds?”

  “Laugh all you want. It won’t change the fact that you are not a rebellious teen anymore. You need to settle down. Find your mate, Adam.” His expression was stern and unreadable.

  I stared at my father. What could I say? I wanted to tell him that I’d already found her. I wanted to tell him she was beautiful and brave and funny and intelligent. But then I’d also have to tell him she was a jaguar. I knew my father loved me, but he wouldn’t accept Lana as my mate.

  How could we keep the bloodline going anyway? We both needed to be wolves to have children. She was a jaguar—I didn’t know if I could even convert her. Or if she’d let me.

  These were all questions I couldn’t face. Not yet.

  Malcolm reached across the table and gripped my hand. “I’m not asking you to convert someone tomorrow, Adam. But I need you to stop staying out all night with girls who mean nothing. The rest of your generation looks to you. None of them has found their mate yet either. I want that to change.”

  I nodded, but I had no clue what to say.

  Malcolm got up. “I’m not asking for miracles, Adam. I’m only asking that you slow down and really look. When I met your mother, I knew from the moment my eyes met hers that she was my other half, and when we touched I felt recognition, like a web binding us together. The wolf inside of me howled, knowing her as my mate. I never doubted it or tried to run from it. Trust your instincts.” He got up. “I’m counting on you, Adam.”

  He walked out and left me staring at his empty chair. My head pounded. My instincts were leading me down an unknown path. I didn’t like where I was heading.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lana

  After a few hours on the internet I’d still turned up nothing on the Nero Organization, and all I had was Sebastian’s first name so that didn’t help me pick up any leads either. But there was a little progress somewhere. My contact came through with a PI in San Antonio. After a few emails and a phone call, he’d be sifting through the red tape at Children and Family Services.

  I tried to be patient while I waited and started searching through pages of web images for any sign of the Nero emblem. Similar lion heads adorned Roman breastplates, but so far nothing with an “N,” and nothing I could connect to me. Before I gave up my search for the night, I heard back from Chuck Seefut about his jaguar attack. The details in his email sounded like a shifter attack was highly possible. It happened during a new moon, and he hadn’t heard the big black cat coming before it was on top of him.

  How many other people out in the world were like me?

  Checking the clock, I closed up my laptop. Adam was supposed to pick me up at six p.m. for dinner and more investigating. Even though I shouldn’t, I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to see his barn, the horses, and pretend I had a normal life, whatever that was. Even if it was only temporary.

  I had to keep reminding myself I couldn’t stay in Reno. As much as we liked each other, the truth was his Pack would never accept me. And I would never ask Adam to leave his family. If anyone understood how precious a family was, it was me. I’d lost mine before I was a week old. Over the years, I would have given anything to have a family. I wouldn’t take that away from Adam.

  I got into the shower and shampooed, conditioned, and shaved. I got out feeling clean and quickly slathered on lotion. Just in case something happened with Adam, I wanted my skin soft and smooth. I couldn’t stay with him and live happily ever after, but I could enjoy what was left of our time together. That was my plan anyway.

  When I finished my hair and makeup, I dug around in my bag and sighed. I hadn’t been on a date since before my run-in with Bellevue. Living on the run left my apparel choices extremely limited, too. I finally decided on a pair of jeans and a clean pink T-shirt. Clean being the big selling point.

  I headed back into the bathroom for a final look-over in the mirror when I heard the lock disengaging. I turned around to see Adam in my doorway. My breath caught in my throat. He had on black jeans and a form-fitting, green T-shirt that made his eyes stand out even more than usual.

  He smiled. “You look amazing.”

  I started to make an excuse for my lack of a hot outfit, but his smile was gone in an instant. I followed Adam over to the bed. He stopped by my discarded clothes and spun around.

  “He was here. I smell him. What happened today? Why didn’t you tell me he was here? Are you okay?”

  I held my hand up shaking my head. “Slow down. He wasn’t in here. I met him down at the buffet.”

  “You what?” I could see the muscles in his arms tense, and he was staring at me like I was insane.

  “It sounds worse than it was. I found out his name is Sebastian and I confirmed that the Nero Organization sent him after me.”

  Adam shook his head. “What part of stay in your room did you miss?”

  Okay, now my smile was gone too. “I didn’t miss anything except maybe your new job title as my jail warden.”

  He shook off my verbal jab. “Why did you go downstairs to eat in the first place? You could have gotten room service.”

  “I knew what I was doing. If I could get him to come find me, then our meeting could be on my terms. I was ready for him this time.” His jaw dropped a little so I jumped back in before he could interrupt. “He doesn’t know I’m staying in this hotel. He thinks he tracked me to the restaurant. Besides, he couldn’t get me out of there or hurt me in such a public place. I just wanted to talk to him.”

  “Jesus, Lana.” He raked his fingers back through his hair. “Do you know how dangerous that was?”

  “He doesn’t want to hurt me.”

  “No?” He let out a sarcastic laugh. “Then why did he kill Gabe and leave him dying at your feet?”

  “Because he wants me to stay away from you and the Pack. He figured Gabe dying from a jaguar attack would make it impossible for me to stay in town.”

  “He knows I’m protecting you.”

  “He knows some wolf is. He caught the scent while he tracked me. I don’t know if he ever saw your face.”

  Adam nodded slowly and blew out a pent-up breath of frustration and maybe a little relief. He shook his head and held his hand out toward me. I took it without thinking, and he pulled me another step closer. His stare was intense and demanding as he lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of my fingers.

  “I’m glad you’re all right. I’m sorry if I jumped all over you, it’s just that…”

  “You need to keep me safe.”

  He nodded, lowering my hand, but not releasing it. “Yeah. It’s the wolf in me. I can’t help it.”

  “Can we call a truce and go see the horses now?” I gnawed at my lower lip. “I promise I’ll tell you everything I’ve found out so far.”

  He finally smiled, and my heart skipped like I was a teenager again. No one should be allowed to be that cute, angry, and sexy all at the same time.

  Can’t stay in Reno. I reminded myself for the millionth time.

  But my heart was deaf to my head’s warnings. Instead, I grabbed my jacket and leaned up for a quick kiss before I even realized what I was doing.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Adam

  Bruce and Lana hit it off instantly. He nickered and shook his head every time I started to pull Lana away to meet the other horses. She laughed, holding out her empty palm while the stallion’s upper lip twitched back and forth against her skin.

  “That ti
ckles!”

  “Bruce is definitely a ladies’ man.” I grinned.

  Lana looked over at me with a playful sparkle in her dark brown eyes. “Just like his trainer, huh?”

  “Me?” I pointed at my chest, doing my best to look shocked by her accusation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh please.” She rolled her eyes. “You have ladies’ man written all over you. I knew it from the second you walked in that café. You were hot, and you knew it.”

  I laughed. “Is that what you thought?” She walked toward me, and I stared down at her with a crooked smile. “Because I thought I was hunting.”

  “For dates or jaguars?” She grinned.

  I raised a brow slightly. “Maybe both.”

  She tipped her chin up. “No wonder you were so pushy.”

  “I was not pushy.” I gave her a little wink. “Just tenacious.”

  “Oh, is that what you call it?”

  She walked farther down the barn aisle, and my gaze slid along her back, taking in all her curves. Deep inside I could feel the wolf in me growling, needing to claim her in a very primal sense. My voice was low when I replied. “When I know what I want, I go after it.”

  I watched her in front of Bubbles’s stall, her slender fingers sliding down the mare’s satin coat, and my heart twisted in my chest. Seeing her with the horses—my horses—only made the bindings of the inexplicable connection between us that much stronger. She reached up under Bubbles’s forelock to stroke her forehead and leaned in close to the bay mare, whispering to her.

  My keen wolf senses could pick up every word as she told the mare that she was lucky to have such a cute trainer, although she also mentioned he could be stubborn and cocky.

  I started to respond when Lana looked over at me and grinned. “You could hear every word, couldn’t you?”

  I shrugged with a smile.

  “Good. That last little bit was just a test.” She turned back to Bubbles, kissing her soft muzzle. “No telling secrets around Adam. He hears everything.”

  The bay nickered in answer, and Lana strode back over to my side. Something about the way she looked up at me, how her full lips parted as she smiled, made the animal inside of me howl with desire. I wanted her, but more than that, I needed her. The wolf had never reacted to a woman like this before. Just like Malcolm had described. It was unsettling and damned distracting.

  “Thanks for introducing me to everyone.”

  I nodded and took her hand, my fingers twining with hers as we started up toward the house. “I’m pretty sure the pleasure was all theirs.”

  When I opened the door for her, the smell of fresh spaghetti sauce wafted out to greet us.

  “Wow! It smells great. I didn’t know you could cook.”

  I chuckled. “I brought you here for dinner, remember?”

  “I know, but I figured you’d just grab pizza or something.”

  “I don’t mind cooking.” I passed by her to enter the kitchen and lifted the cover of the Crock-Pot. Grabbing a wooden spoon to stir the bubbling sauce, I smiled over at her. “Just need to boil some spaghetti, and we’ll be ready.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lana

  While Adam cooked the pasta, I wandered around his living room. One entire wall was full of championship ribbons, photos of winning rides, and plaques. I guess it was like a resume for a horse trainer. When I took a closer look, I could feel the corners of my lips start to curl. Adam looked really good in a cowboy hat and chaps. Who knew?

  I glanced back over my shoulder at him. He was busy putting Italian bread in the oven. How did I manage to run into a hot guy who could cook and ride a horse? Was there nothing wrong with him?

  I turned back toward the photos and sighed. Well, during a full moon he did shift into a wolf, not to mention the fact that his family would kill me if they knew I was anywhere near him.

  Okay, maybe he wasn’t so perfect.

  I kept moving around the room, enjoying the peek at the real Adam, the one tucked under all the bravado that I met that first night at the café. His coffee table was home to five different remote controls, which made me smile. Even werewolf guys were freaks for technology.

  He had a big flat-screen television and surround sound, a Blu-Ray player and a few other gadgets I couldn’t identify. Beside the TV was a shelf stuffed with CDs, DVDs, and pictures. I couldn’t stop myself from looking at them. Mostly of horses, and one picture of Adam with shorter hair in a college cap and gown. Strange. You didn’t need a college degree to run a horse ranch, did you? Then I noticed a younger Adam, grinning with a missing front tooth. He held up a string of fish beside an older version of himself. The resemblance was uncanny.

  “Is this your Dad?” I called pointing to the photo.

  He looked over and then came out of the kitchen. “Yeah, that’s him. His name is Malcolm. He’s our Alpha, the leader of our Pack, and also runs an investment company in the city.”

  “You look a lot like him.”

  He stared at the photo and then smiled at me. “I’ve heard that before. We do have the same color eyes.”

  I’d never meet his father. Or anyone else he knew.

  I moved away from the pictures. “Is dinner ready yet? I’m starving.”

  He met my eyes. His expression made it clear he knew I was changing the subject. “Yeah, just about.”

  “Perfect.”

  I walked over to the dining room table and smiled. He had it set for two, complete with placemats and cloth napkins. Adam stood behind me, reaching over to light the candles. I closed my eyes, feeling his body pressed against my back. He smelled good, too, I realized. Not like cologne but clean, with a slight musky scent that was just pure Adam. Maybe all werewolves had it. Gabe had been too covered in blood for me to really pick up his scent.

  Gabe.

  I opened my eyes again, hoping to avoid seeing his mauled body flash through my mind. Gabe would still be alive if I had never stopped in Reno. Sebastian was tracking me. I’d brought him here. Not on purpose, but that didn’t change the outcome.

  “Are you all right?”

  The sound of Adam’s voice broke through my thoughts. I nodded. “I’m fine.”

  He rested his hands on my shoulders gently and turned me toward him. His fingers slid across my skin, along my collarbone and up the curve of my neck until he lifted my chin. I stared into his eyes, and for a rare moment, I felt complete, accepted. I didn’t need to pretend to fit in or be someone else. He knew my parents abandoned me, that I had no family. All the secrets I usually did my best to hide from the world. But none of that was reflected in his eyes. All I could see was acceptance.

  And, God, I never realized it could feel so good.

  But I wasn’t worthy of it.

  “You look sad.” His voice was low and intimate like his touch.

  “I just realized it’s my fault Sebastian came to Reno.” My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. “Your friend Gabe is dead because of me.”

  I fought to blink them back, but a single tear escaped down my cheek anyway. Adam caught it with his thumb and brushed it away. His lips pressed against mine, hard. I skimmed my arms up his chiseled chest and around his neck, and he pulled me in closer until my body molded against his.

  His hands roamed over me, one moving up between my shoulder blades while the other gripped the curve of my buttocks. Our tongues wrestled, tangling together with a passion I never knew I had inside of me. I couldn’t get close enough to him. Adam caught the back of my leg, pulling my knee up along his hip. I could feel him, rock hard against me, rubbing until my body was on fire.

  I lifted his shirt, moaning when my fingers touched his bare chest. He growled into the kiss, his hips thrusting harder against me. If I could have made our pants vanish, I would have. I’d never wanted a man so urgently in my life.

  His other hand roamed up underneath my shirt until he cupped my breast, kneading it in his large palm until my knees went weak with d
esire. My back arched into his touch, and I gasped as he kissed and nipped at my neck.

  “Lana, I need you,” he whispered as my fingers tangled in the back of his hair.

  “Yes,” was the only word I could find to reply.

  He lifted me off the ground in an instant, and our lips were fused together once again. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me through his house. He laid me down on his large bed, and I moaned into his kiss when I felt his weight resting over me. My skin tingled, hot, eager, and aching for his attention. When he finally pulled back from the kiss, his hungry eyes met mine with an unspoken question.

  “I want you,” I said, and the corner of his mouth curved up.

  God, he was too sexy.

  I smiled back at him, my lips pleasantly sore from the urgent kisses. He sat up and pulled his shirt over his head. His stomach rippled with chiseled muscles that dared me to touch them. I reached up to run my fingertips down his skin, tracing the fine trail of hair leading down past the button of his jeans.

  He caught my fingers.

  “Not yet,” he whispered, pinning my hands over my head as his lips claimed mine over and over, slowly lingering, tasting. Hot kisses melted along my neck, sending electricity all the way down to my toes. He slid his hands down my arms, my sides, and under my shirt again, pushing it up until he finally removed it. His eyes moved over me, and instead of feeling awkward or exposed, I felt sexy. Wanted.

  Without a word, his arms moved around me, unclasping my bra as our lips brushed. He pulled back from the kiss, eased my bra free, and dropped it off the side of the bed. His chest felt hot against my mine, sending flares of desire licking through my entire body. My back arched as his hands moved to knead my breasts, his fingers sliding over my taut nipples. His mouth devoured my skin, moving along my neck and collarbone until I gasped his name.

  Adam looked up at me from beneath his thick lashes, his eyes heavy with desire as he slowly licked across my nipple. My heart raced, my fingers tightening in his hair.

  He nibbled his way across my skin, taking my other breast into his mouth while his free hand moved lower, unfastening my jeans. He wiggled his fingers inside my pants, gliding underneath the lace, until his fingertips were exploring past my curls to the heat of my core. My hips writhed, and I pulled him back up to my lips, kissing him with all the urgency my body demanded, my teeth nipping at his lower lip until he growled against my mouth.