Wolf Moon (Moon series)

by Lisa Kessler

  “Not yet. This Pack won’t head north until Vance gets back. Until then, I’ll be watching Caldwell”—I rolled her over, grinning down at her—“and doing my best to sweep my mate off her feet.”

  She wrapped her arms around me. “Your mate has never been swept off her feet before.”

  “She’s way overdue, then.” I kissed her lips long and slow.

  When I opened my eyes, she was staring up at me. I cupped her cheek. “Everything okay?”

  “I wish I was better for you.”

  I frowned. “How so?”

  She shrugged. “Until I met you, I survived and I thought I was tough. Sex was a manipulation tactic. I just…” She shook her head. “Being with you is different.”

  “Good.” I clenched my jaw, fighting the anger gnawing at my gut. “You’re a survivor. You did what you had to do.” I brushed my lips to her forehead, wishing like hell I could go back in time and save her. “And just because we made love tonight doesn’t mean I expect anything from you.” A smile curved on my lips. “I’m not saying I don’t want to do it again, because I do, but…”

  I searched for the right words. “I can’t go back and fix the past—all I can do is promise you that from now on, your consent, your wants, and your needs will always come first with me.”

  A tear rolled down her face as she pulled me down to her. Her kiss was needy, her fingers tight in my hair. My tongue passed her lips, as I cradled the back of her head in my hand. She moaned, coaxing a growl from deep in my chest. When she broke the kiss, we were both breathless.

  Her voice was tender, no sign of the bravado she usually hid behind. “I hate this fear that creeps up on me, because I do want you. And even though we haven’t known each other very long, there’s this certainty in my heart that you would never hurt me. But the uneasiness eats me up sometimes.” She swallowed, her cool fingers tracing my lower lip. “I know tonight on a sleeping bag outside in the cold was far from ideal, but being in a bedroom…bad memories.”

  “I’m okay if we never get busy in a bed.”

  Laughter bubbled from her lips. “With you, it could be fun.”

  “I’m all about the fun.”

  “Good to know.” Moonlight sparkled in her eyes. “We should get out of here before we freeze.”

  I couldn’t have agreed more. After I helped her up, we collected our gear and hurried back to the car. Back at my place, I put water on and opened the cupboard. “I have coffee or hot chocolate.”

  “Hot chocolate sounds great.”

  She turned on the TV while I took out a couple mugs. We watched a movie, sipped cocoa, and although she snuggled in close to my chest, we kept our clothes on. When she dozed off, I nuzzled her hair, breathing her in.

  Until now, I’d been living to protect my Pack and my family, fighting battles for them. Everything was changing. The woman in my arms, my mate, was my focus. I wanted to make her happy and keep her safe.

  I clicked off the television and rested my head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. In the dead of night, doubt crept up on me. This was my first job as a head trainer, my first time away from the safety of my Pack, my first time losing a fistfight, and the first time my heart ever engaged with a woman.

  What if I couldn’t protect her? What if I lost everything?

  With my Pack at my back and nothing to lose, I’d been bulletproof. Now I had something precious, and I’d fight with my life to defend her. But what if it wasn’t enough?

  In the darkness, my fingers trembled in her hair. This was fear.

  And I fucking hated it.

  …

  Snow dusted the ground overnight, decorating the red rock mountains surrounding the ranch. Just when I thought Sedona couldn’t get any more beautiful. Damn.

  Like back home in Reno, this was a polite snow. Enough to look stunning, but you didn’t have to shovel it.

  I was just finishing up working the horses when Raven came down to the barn. She was bundled up in one of my big jackets, her hands hidden in the pockets. She smiled, and my heart lifted.

  “Hey, stranger,” she called out. “Almost done here?”

  I nodded and came over to kiss her cheek. “Yeah, just about. Are you heading to the bar?”

  She shook her head, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Nope.”

  I raised a brow. “Really?”

  “I called Caldwell with a horrible cough. I’m sick today.”

  “He bought it?” I chuckled.

  She shrugged. “He’s really distracted with getting the Pack ready for the trip to Reno, and since I’m not a piece on his chessboard at the moment, he said he’d have Ryker fill in for me.”

  “He bartends?”

  She grinned. “Not as well as I do, but he’s passable.”

  I put my arm around her shoulder, walking back toward the barn. “So did you have something in mind to do while you’re sick today?”

  She stopped. “I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”

  My heart thudded in my ears as a smile crept up on me. “You’ve come to the right place.”

  “Think you could teach me?”

  “Definitely.” I winked, enjoying her grin.

  When we got back to the barn, the grooms were packing up. I picked up a halter and pulled Sally out of her stall. She was a retired show mare, and of the entire stable, the steadiest for beginning riders.

  I snapped her into the cross ties and grabbed the brushes. Raven was in front of her, stroking her forehead. I circled the currycomb on Sally’s neck until her upper lip extended out, quivering. Raven giggled, and I warmed all over despite the cold weather.

  “Here, you can start at her head and work your way back.” I handed her one of the brushes.

  “Like this?” She brushed in short strokes, glancing my way.

  “You’re a natural.”

  Sally stomped a foot, and Raven jumped. Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I haven’t ever been around horses. Does it show?”

  “I stand by my first answer.”

  I moved to the other side, and Raven peered over Sally’s back at me. “How are your ribs?”

  “Better.” I kept brushing. “I rode a couple of the horses today, so that’s an improvement.”

  “Your face is healing up, too.”

  It was a dumb, small thing, but it still surprised me to have someone looking out for me. I dropped the brush back in the grooming bucket and fished out the hoof pick. Beside Sally, I ran my hand down her front leg. She picked it up and I held her hoof with one hand, cleaning out the underside with the pick.

  Raven came around to watch. “Do rocks get in there?”

  “Sometimes. I’ll clean them again when we finish just to be sure she’s okay. Horses depend on healthy hooves.”

  Once she was cleaned up and ready to go, I grabbed Raven’s hand and led her to the tack room. She took a deep breath and smiled. “Sometimes having heightened wolf senses doesn’t suck.”

  I grinned. “I love the smell of clean leather, too.” I handed her a saddle blanket and pulled the smaller western saddle off the rack.

  Raven’s eyes lingered on my chest, and again an unfamiliar pride swelled inside me. Catching my mate admiring my body was almost as good as seeing her cheeks flush with color when she realized I caught her looking.

  She headed out first. The sway of her hips gradually grew until she glanced back over her shoulder. “Good to know I’m not the only one distracted.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’d have to get my head examined if I wasn’t.”

  She put the blanket on Sally’s back. Almost in the right spot. I held the saddle in one hand so I could move the blanket up a couple of inches before I swung it up on her back. When I bent over to reach under the mare’s belly for the cinch, I caught Raven’s eye. The fire in her stare had blood pumping to my groin.

  I cinched up the horse and walked toward my mate. The corners of her mouth struggled not to smile as she backed up. I pursued her until her back press
ed against the stall door. I planted my hands on either side of her head, leaning into her, but not quite close enough to taste her lips.

  Her eyes shone, her voice a breathless whisper. “I know you can hear my heart.”

  I nodded. “It’s racing.”

  She wet her lips, tempting me beyond all reason. “Your fault.”

  “Not sorry…” I kissed her again, coaxing her to open to me.

  She moaned as my tongue found hers. I wanted to strip her naked and take her right here, but at the same time, she was worth savoring. With my hands still anchored on the cool wood siding of the door, I deepened the kiss. Raven tasted like chocolate and cream.

  Her cold hands slid under my shirt against my hot skin. She gasped into my mouth. “Sorry, my hands are freezing.”

  I shook my head, growling against her lips. “I don’t care.”

  She explored my back, tentative at first. I forced myself to keep my hands on the wall, allowing her to do the touching. Temptation had never been this hot. Her fingertips came around to my abs, her palms gliding up my chest.

  Her touch sent an inferno through my body. I’d taken the wrapping off my ribs when I showered this morning. Now I was fucking overjoyed I did. Raven’s exploration was almost more than I could take. My jeans were uncomfortably tight now that I was hard enough to cut diamonds.

  I pressed hot kisses down her neck. She tilted her head, opening herself to my affection as her hand moved lower, cupping my erection through my jeans. The scent of her arousal hit my senses like a freight train. I pushed back against the wall, lifting my head to meet her eyes.

  “I can’t take much more teasing.”

  She shook her head slowly. “Me neither.”

  I kissed her lips again, addicted to her taste. “Should I stop?”

  She answered me with a hungry, urgent kiss. I bent to lift her into my arms. My ribs ached with the effort, but my need for her overshadowed any pain. Sally stood, docile in the cross ties, while I carried my mate back toward the tack room.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Raven

  The scent of leather told me where we were without opening my eyes. Luke cradled me in his arms as he kicked the door closed behind us. He lowered me to the floor and broke the kiss long enough to lock the door.

  “The horse…”

  “Sally won’t mind waiting a few minutes.” He pulled his shirt off, treating me to a view of his chest.

  The bruises were already fading. His torso was lean and chiseled. These weren’t the bulky muscles of a gym rat like Bo and Blake. Luke worked all day lifting saddles and bales of hay and pushing wheelbarrows. His body was chiseled by hard labor. Honest.

  The cold air had his nipples in tight points, but the temperature wasn’t having any effect on the tight fit of his jeans. I reached out to unfasten the top button on his Levi’s, and his big hands ran up my arms to my shoulders, his gaze locked on mine.

  With each button, his erection pulsed until I could stroke him through his boxers. The hunger in his eyes fueled my desire to take him farther. He made no move to stop me, giving me the lead.

  Part of me waited for the disconnect, for my mind to go elsewhere, my body to go through the motions to get it over with, but it never happened. I opened his jeans and slid his boxers down over the curve of his ass, my nails teasing him until his hips tipped toward me. I wrapped my fingers around his length, relieved my hands were warmed up.

  His piercing blue eyes slid down to my hand and back up to my face. The desire in his gaze fed my yearning to pleasure him. Not because he demanded it, or because I needed him to go to sleep, but because I…

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted my eyes to meet his. My mate. That was enough.

  When I kissed my way down his chest, his fingers clutched the back of my hair, sending a shiver through me.

  My lips brushed his skin. “I’m hot in this jacket.”

  He made quick work of the zipper. I pulled back enough for him to help me out of it. He tossed it over one of the saddles while I picked up where I left off, teasing his nipple with my tongue. A growl vibrated from his chest, and my pulse raced.

  I stroked him slowly, watching his face as I made my way down his abs, following the fine line of dark hair below his navel. From under my lashes, I watched the pleasure play out on his face as I took him into my mouth.

  “Raven.” He groaned, his fists tight in my hair. God, my name had never sounded so amazing.

  I took him deeper into my mouth as one hand slipped around to cup his ass, encouraging him forward. His head fell back, eyes drifting closed as he worked his hips. He pulsed against my tongue, gasping. “Enough.”

  Like hell it was. I rose up, our mouths fusing together. He didn’t hesitate to open my pants and shove them down my body, steadying me as I stepped free of them. If it was cold anymore, I didn’t notice. He ran his hands down my thighs, bending slightly, then I was weightless in his arms. He turned around, pressing my back to the wall as he entered me.

  “God, yes!” My nails dug into his back, tingles shooting through my entire body.

  He kissed down my neck to my shoulder, pounding his hips into me harder and faster. One hand moved from my thigh, his fingers moving between us, rubbing me in time with his thrusts until I was writhing, aching for release.

  His teeth brushed my earlobe. “Come with me.”

  That was all it took. My inner muscles clenched around him until he followed me right over the peak. For a few seconds, we were frozen against the wall of the tack room, struggling to breathe.

  Finally, Luke chuckled, lifting his head. “I need to put you down before we fall down.”

  My legs were like rubber in the best kind of way. I wet my lips, smiling up at him. “You’re very sexy when you lift saddles like they weigh nothing.”

  He kissed my forehead. “And just so you know…” He met my eyes. “I lift saddles multiple times a day.”

  I raised a brow. “Is that a challenge?”

  “Nah.” He bent to hand me my jeans. “Just thought you might want to know.”

  I laughed, grabbing my underwear and shaking it out. “I guess that crosses me off the list for assistants. You’d never get anything done.”

  He grinned, pulling his pants back up. “I’m not complaining.”

  “Good thing.” I nudged him, marveling in how easy it was to be with him.

  Once we were bundled back up, he grabbed a bridle off the hook and opened the tack room door. The cold air shocked me. I wiped the sweat from my brow before it froze and followed Luke back to the horse. He was right. She didn’t seem to notice that it took us a long time to find a bridle.

  He took the halter off and slid the bit into her mouth before slipping the leather bridle up behind her ears. The entire time, he mumbled to Sally, talking to her like she understood. Maybe on some level she did.

  When we turned toward the arena, Gabby was walking toward us. I didn’t know her, and I tried not to rush to judgment, but she’d held Luke’s hand the first time I met her, so…I didn’t like her much, to say the least.

  She shined a megawatt grin in our direction. “Hi, Luke. And it’s Raven, right?”

  I pushed my lips into what I hoped resembled a friendly expression. “Right, and you’re Gabby?”

  “Yes.” As she came closer, her smile faded a little. “Luke, are you feeling all right?”

  He nodded, his eyes meeting mine before looking at her again. “Feeling amazing, actually. Why?”

  “You’re sweating.”

  Oh, dear God, I almost laughed.

  “Am I?” Luke swiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “I gave Sally a good grooming. I guess it warmed me up.”

  She raised a brow. “It’s freezing out.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m not cold anymore, so…”

  Gabby finally glanced at me. I’d already wiped the sweat from my forehead, but her eyes narrowed anyway.

  “Raven, you’re flushed, too.”
I could almost see the lightbulb go off over her head. She knew. Pressing her lips together, she looked at Luke. “Just wanted to be sure I’m on your schedule for a lesson tomorrow?”

  “Yep. Ten o’clock, right?”

  “Perfect.” She didn’t smile. “Thanks. I’m going inside before I freeze my ass off.”

  She turned and hustled for the house before Luke could reply. She was definitely working her ass, too, but when I looked over at Luke, it was me he was watching.

  I grinned. “What?”

  “She wasn’t happy.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “If she had come down five minutes earlier…”

  “I would’ve been the unhappy one.” The corner of his mouth curved into a crooked smile. “I don’t like being interrupted.”

  In the center of the ring, Luke gave me a boost up into the saddle. It was much higher than I expected. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I held on to the saddle horn like my life depended on it.

  Luke smiled up at me. “You can ease up on your grip. You’re gonna hurt Sally’s feelings. She protects her riders.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Tell her I meant no offense.”

  He handed me the reins and showed me how to hold them, then he adjusted my feet in the stirrups, and never once did he lose his patience with my lack of knowledge.

  Giving my heel a little tug, he looked up at me. “Keep your heels down. It’s a good habit to get into. Someday when you’re on a horse with more spirit than Sally, your feet won’t accidentally slide all the way through the stirrup.”

  “And that would be…bad?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. If you fell off and your foot was caught in the stirrup, you’d be dragged along the ground until the horse stopped.”

  Visions of my head being pummeled by horse hooves and smashing against rocks had me gripping the reins with white knuckles.

  Luke patted my calf. “Sally’s not going to run off with you.”

  With the patience of Job, Luke showed me how to turn and stop, and Sally followed my commands like a pro.

  Finally, he grinned up at me. “I think you’re ready to take her out to the rail.”

  “The what?”

  He pointed to the fence around the arena. “The rail.”