Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter Series (Boxed Set, Books 1-3)

by Tracey H. Kitts

  Chapter Nineteen

  My week last summer with Marco had never been far from my thoughts. Technically we hadn’t had sex, but it was close enough to let me know what he was capable of. In the two days since he’d shown up on my front porch, I hadn’t managed to wrap my mind around the concept that we had agreed to date. With the new laws in effect, it was actually possible for me to date Marco without having to abandon my duties to The Hunters. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure how some of my colleagues would take the news. Though I doubt any of them could react worse than Alfred.

  My father had yet to mention the articles which I was sure had made it past his desk by that time. I hoped his silence was just his way of giving me space to work things out. At the very least, I knew my father loved me and would be understanding of whatever happened. He was the one person other than Marco who had never judged me. I honestly didn’t believe he would freak out when I told him at least some of the rumors were true.

  “What are you doing after your coffee?” he asked softly.

  “I was planning to work out and read a book. After that, I’m meeting Kat for lunch.”

  “Can I come over?”

  That was a loaded question. Should I have Marco over? Considering some of my house guests, I wasn’t sure that was a good idea. But, as was always the case, I wanted to see him.

  “We can still have lunch with Kat,” he said. “Actually, I’ve got some things to take care of today and I’ll be in the area shortly.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “The Dread Moon. So, what do you say?”

  I couldn’t refuse him. “When can you be here?”

  “Within the hour. Wear something comfortable, Red, we’re going for a ride,” he said suggestively. Marco hung up before I could respond, but my heart was beating so fast I was afraid he could hear it through the phone.

  It was still very early. I left a note for Luther, and changed into jeans and a comfortable baby doll style t-shirt. My mom had gotten it for me a few years ago as a joke. It was black with the golden outline of an apple core with a worm wrapped around it. Underneath this it said, “Rotten to the core.” The weather was still cool. I kept most of my jackets in the coat closet downstairs. I selected a long leather coat that was so worn it appeared more charcoal gray than black. Instead of a regular seam running down each side on the front, there were tan colored laces which ended with the pockets. I was just putting on the coat when I heard a noise outside.

  As I stepped out I realized my ears had not deceived me. I’d heard the unmistakable rumble of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Marco pulled in front of the steps on a Harley Roadster. It was a newer model, with more sleek lines than the classic styles. Yes, the bike was nice, but that wasn’t what had captured my attention. I was more interested in the man walking up my steps. Just the sight of him did things to my heart.

  Marco Barak had to be one of the sexiest men to ever draw breath. His faded jeans revealed every curve of his sexy body without being too tight. Marco had looking good in jeans down to an art form. His tight white t-shirt clung to the curves of his chest, revealing his flat stomach in the process. The long coat he wore reached just below his knees and billowed in the cold wind as he walked toward me. The tan leather went well with his dark chestnut hair. The combination of those earthy tones seemed to soften his deep brown eyes as he smiled at me.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  I almost told Marco he should be careful what he asked me, because I wasn’t capable of saying no to him. Instead I answered, “Yes.”

  The smile he gave me lit up his eyes before he turned back toward the steps. The wind caught his long coat once again and unfurled it like a cape. His scent drifted back to me with the breeze and I breathed him in like it was my last chance.

  Marco straddled the bike with practiced ease and motioned for me to join him. My stomach did an awkward sort of flip flop at the thought of his body being pressed against me. Once I got on, I gripped him with my thighs as I reached around his waist with trembling hands. I laced my fingers together and Marco placed his warm hand over both of mine.

  He looked over his shoulder and asked, “Are you cold, Red?”

  “No, I’m ok.”

  “You’re shaking,” he said softly as he rubbed the backs of my hands with his fingertips. I wasn’t sure how to respond. After a moment he said kindly, “I won’t hurt you, Red. You’re safe with me.”

  “Fear has never been the reason I tremble when I’m near you, Marco.” I rose slightly and kissed the side of his face. He was warm beneath my lips, and I could tell by the smoothness of his skin that Marco had just shaved.

  “Careful, Red.” His voice sounded calm, but I could tell it took effort. “I might think you’re trying to get into my pants.”

  “They’re not my size,” I teased, “but they look good on you.”

  His laughter made me feel wonderfully light and happy. It had been a long time since just the nearness of someone made the world seem like a better place.

  “Hold on tight,” he said as he started the engine. “I’ll keep you warm.”

  He was right about that. In more ways than one, Marco was always hot closer to the full moon. In two weeks the pack would have their usual full moon gathering, except in February, Marco would lead the pack on a hunt in honor of the Hunger Moon. Some of the wolves already hunted together on the full moon, but Marco had always preferred to hunt alone. He had invited me to the gathering once before, and I wondered if he would ask me to go this time. I still didn’t feel like I belonged there. I hadn’t agreed to be his mate, or to help him lead the pack.

  The icy wind whipped past us and I pressed myself tighter against his warmth. He smelled of fresh air, and fur, and leather. But underneath that was the familiar smell of Marco. Each werewolf had their own unique though similar scent. The way Marco smelled was as closely tied to my memory as his face.

  I noticed we were taking a tour of my property. He slowed down so we could speak comfortably without having to raise our voices. “How have things been going around here?” he asked.

  “Are you checking on me?”

  “Yes. I think it’s finally safe to say that you are mine to protect.” He touched my hand again and I heard the rest of his thought, “You always were.”

  “Things are fine,” I said, making an effort to block my mind reading abilities. Being near Marco made me open up, almost like a flower opening at sunrise. But there were some things that should remain closed. I would let him say what he wanted to, and keep his thoughts to himself.

  Almost as soon as I answered him I remembered something Marcy told me a few nights ago. She had found a dead deer not far from her house recently. I shared the story with Marco and he was quiet for several minutes.

  “My wolves know better than to hunt here,” he said finally.

  “And why is that?”

  He looked over his shoulder again, as he growled sexily, “Because I’m The Big Bad Wolf, and this is my territory.”

  “Well, you better put your sheep suit on if we’re going to have lunch with Kat.”

  He laughed at my reference to the song he had dedicated to me last Halloween, Hey there Little Red Riding Hood, by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. However, the conversation remained fairly serious as we both discussed our theories as to who was behind the recent attacks on both humans and animals. If any of his pack members ever found Dr. Williams, they had orders to kill him. That being said, they had also been told not to act alone. No one was sure exactly what he was capable of and Marco didn’t want anyone to risk their life foolishly.

  “That includes you,” he said. “As a matter of fact, especially you.”

  “If I get word of where he is, I’ll call for backup,” I promised.

  “If you can’t get me, call Luther,” he said. “He’ll either know where to reach me, or come himself. But call me first, Red.”

  I assured him I would. After a minute’s pause he asked if Marcy would m
ind us looking over her place too. I didn’t see why she would, considering there was some sort of monster on the loose, so we headed in that direction.

  Marcy didn’t mind, but what I didn’t know was, school was out that day. She was standing on her front porch in a pink bathrobe that went well with her powder blue pjs and fluffy pink slippers. We stopped in front of her steps and she stared for a minute before plastering a smile on her face.

  “Marcy, this is Marco Barak,” I said. “Marco, this is my neighbor Marcy Johnson.”

  She smoothed down her bushy hair before offering him her hand. “Yes, I remember you from the papers,” she said. “It’s a pleasure.”

  “And I believe that was your handiwork in today’s paper.”

  He smiled and Marcy practically beamed. “Did you like that? It was both of us really,” she said, gesturing toward me.

  “How did you know?” I asked, because I hadn’t gotten around to telling him yet.

  “Luther told me.” He winked.

  I had a sudden vision of Luther sneaking around corners with the phone to make regular reports to Marco. No wonder he said Luther would know where to reach him. Even with Luther staying with me at the moment, he knew more about where to find Marco than I did.

  “You two watched the whole thing, huh?” He turned his wolfish grin on both of us and Marcy giggled. “I heard you have an animal problem?” he asked her.

  Marcy blushed, revealing what she was thinking before she hit upon what he had actually meant. “You mean the deer?”

  “Yes. Do you mind if I have a look around?”

  “No, go right ahead.” She motioned toward the house.

  Marco’s long coat billowed around him as he walked around the corner of the house. Marcy immediately turned to me and hissed, “I hate you.” But she was smiling.

  “I didn’t know you’d be sitting down here in all your frumpy school teacher glory when we drove up,” I taunted.

  “Frumpy? You bitch.” She shook her head. “So, was this his idea or yours?”

  “His, but I was worried, that’s why I told him.”

  “You’d really care if I got attacked by a wild animal?”

  “Unfortunately, yeah.” I smirked. “You’re growing on me.”

  “You too,” she said and nodded at me, “like a damn fungus.” As Marco walked back around the house, she asked, “So, do you have an animal problem too?”

  “You’re looking at him.”

  Marcy giggled again as Marco came closer.

  “You should be fine,” he said. “From the look of things, whatever killed the deer was just passing through.”

  “How can you tell?” she asked.

  “A wolf knows these things.” He winked. I elbowed his ribs and he elaborated, “The animal that did this didn’t leave anything behind to mark its territory.”

  “So what, it just stopped for a snack?”

  “Most likely. But, if you don’t mind, I’ll have some of my wolves keep a check on the area.”

  “I don’t mind,” Marcy said, smiling.

  After another vicious glare toward me, Marcy walked back up on the porch and waved us goodbye. We set off toward Kat’s shop with time to spare, so we decided to take our time. It was a crisp beautiful day. The sky sparkled a soft clear blue and leaves were still falling. I loved it when fall sort of hung over the way it had this year. As we drove leisurely down an old dirt road Marco asked, “You will have dinner with me this weekend, won’t you?”

  “And why would I want to do that?” I teased.

  “It’s Valentine’s weekend, Red, you can’t deny me.”

  He didn’t know how close he was to the truth. “Actually, Valentine’s Day is next Tuesday.”

  “But who wants to go out on a Tuesday night?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  He stopped at the end of the road and looked over his shoulder. “Something intimate and isolated.” He smiled wickedly.

  “I thought you wanted to take things slow?”

  “Keep your mind out of my pants, Red. I am capable of romance.”

  I smiled at him and tried to look doubtful.

  “Why don’t I pick you up around five thirty on Friday?” Marco looked like he’d forgotten a dentist appointment as he added, “I just remembered. There are plans for a big bash down at The Dread Moon. We’ll have to make an appearance.”

  “That’s all right,” I said as I brushed a strand of dark silken hair from his eyes. “I don’t mind being seen with you.”

  His smile was worth all the bullshit I had suffered to bring me to that point. All the torment of the past few weeks melted away with that smile. At the same time, it broke my heart. I swung a leg over the bike and made sure we were the only ones around. Marco switched off and turned on the seat to face me.

  “What’s wrong, Red?”

  “Marco, I’m so sorry,” I said, and put my arms around him. As I looked into his eyes I could tell he didn’t understand what I was apologizing for. I ran my fingers through his hair and said, “I should have taken your advice and gone straight to the kitchen Saturday night, or killed a rabbit or something. But I didn’t, I went back to my bedroom, and—”

  “It’s all right, Red,” he said softly.

  “No, it isn’t. I won’t deny that I care what happens to him, but I—” I hesitated, before I said too much. “It should have been you,” I said. “I know I wasn’t in my right mind that night, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know what I was saying to you. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you. I’ve never stopped wanting you, and I’m sorry I didn’t act sooner. I’m sorry it took me so long to see what was in front of me. I’m sorry for all the nights I could have touched you, for all the times I could have looked into these eyes and saw what I see now.” I rubbed my fingertip across his lips as I said, “I’m sorry for everything these lips have touched before they found their way to mine.” Then I did something I thought I would never do. I kissed Marco with the thrilling knowledge that he was mine.

  He pulled me against him, and we were lost in the moment. The heat of his body seemed to burn me through our thin shirts as Marco ran his arms around me underneath the jacket. I kissed him with a passionate tenderness I didn’t know I was capable of. I had never felt this way before. I didn’t just want to touch Marco, or to be with him, I wanted to be his. No man had ever made me want to sacrifice my independence. I was my own woman, and no one could ever change that. But I wanted to be his woman. I took all of my emotions and put them into that kiss. I felt the desire flow from my lips to his and Marco pulled back with a gasp.

  “I always knew you cared,” he said breathlessly.

  “I never said I cared.” I smiled. But I knew the truth was in my eyes. I never could lie to Marco. He kissed me again and a small helpless cry escaped my lips. He growled in response and tightened his grip around my waist, reminding me forcefully that I wasn’t dealing with an ordinary man.

  Chapter Twenty

  Before I knew what had happened, Marco was on his feet and standing between me and something hissing in the woods. I was still dazed from his kiss and shook my head in order to clear my thoughts.

  “What is it?” I asked, watching him sniff the air.

  “It’s not a werewolf. Show yourself,” he growled. This was unmistakably a command, and Marco’s voice said he was used to giving orders. Marco slipped his coat off, but his eyes never left the tree line just in front of us. I heard a cracking noise and looked down to see the bones in his hands lengthening and reforming into massive claws.

  “I always knew you were trash,” a distorted but recognizable voice hissed from just beyond the trees. It was Alex Belcher, dean of the department Richard worked for.

  Dr. Richard Stacey and I had been friends since I rescued him several years ago. One of his colleagues, Dr. David Kane, was a new werewolf at the time and had wolfed out on him in a bar. Fortunately, all Richard got out of the incident was a broken nose.

  Ri
chard often discussed office politics with me when he needed to vent. Most of his complaints centered around two people, and one of them had just called me trash. Alex was in close with Dr. Williams, though I hadn’t previously thought to associate him with what had been going on.

  “What are you doing here, Alex?”

  “You know him?” Marco growled. For a split second Marco’s eyes darted toward me and Alex sprang from the trees.

  I screamed in spite of myself. He was naked and his skin was a scaly reptilian green. His chest and inner thighs were a slightly lighter shade, though still definitely not human. His face was elongated and he had golden snake eyes with slits for pupils. His nose was nonexistent, only nostrils remained on his snake-like face.

  I ducked behind Marco as his claws penetrated Alex’s side and he flung him over the bike into the road. Marco stalked toward the fallen snakeman, might and menace etched in every line of his body. I felt a wave of power ripple across my skin and knew I was, for the very first time, getting a taste of what Marco was capable of. I knew he was powerful, but I had never felt power like this before. The sensation was so intense I thought my skin would crawl off my body.

  The snakeman was on his feet again and took a swing at Marco with claws of his own. Marco ducked the blow and kicked him in the chest. The reptile went flying and landed on his face in the dirt.

  “Who are you, and how dare you talk to Lilith that way?” Marco’s voice was frightening. Though all but his hands still looked human, I could hear the change in his voice.

  “He works with Richard,” I explained, but still kept my distance.

  Marco and Richard had never actually met, but they knew each other through me.