Taming the Moon

by Sherrill Quinn

The wrong thing done for the right reason is still the wrong thing.

  Olivia couldn’t bargain for her daughter’s life by killing Sully when there might be another way. She had to at least give it a try. She licked her lips. “I told you that I have a daughter. I…could use your help.”

  He turned her hand over and began rubbing across the veins in her inner wrist.

  Her pulse jumped, then pounded erratically. She hadn’t realized before how much of an erogenous zone that was for her.

  “Help with what?”

  Olivia was so focused on that damn thumb of his she almost didn’t hear the question. With a start, she looked into his eyes. There was no easy way to say it, so she didn’t bother trying to dress it up. She kept her voice low so she wouldn’t be overheard by the diners at nearby tables. “My alpha is holding my daughter hostage and will kill her if I don’t kill you.”

  Chapter 7

  “I beg your pardon?” Sully’s thumb stilled. He surely hadn’t just heard what he thought he heard.

  He watched an inner struggle play across her face and, once again, felt a connection to this stranger. He hated to ask for help, too.

  She glanced around the small restaurant. “Do you mind if we go outside? We can find a more…private spot to talk.”

  Without a word he snagged the server’s attention and pointed to the patio. “Give them the bill,” he said with a little smirk. The server nodded and headed out toward the table where Declan and Pelicia sat.

  Sully grinned at the scowl Declan shot him, then got up and helped Olivia out of her chair. They walked outside, and he pointed to the far side of the parking lot. “How about by the fence there? Over by the trees.”

  Olivia gave a nod. They walked in silence to the spot he’d indicated. He rested his hands on top of the vertical log fence, then frowned and pulled his hands away.

  “What?”

  “It’s sticky.” Sully grimaced and pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket. He wiped his fingers off as best he could.

  “I didn’t think men carried those any more.”

  He glanced over at her.

  She nodded toward the handkerchief.

  “It’s the mark of a true gentleman,” he said, his lips quirking at the thought of his proper mother. “At least it is according to my mum.”

  Her eyes crinkled with a smile. “She’s a slave to etiquette, I take it?”

  “You could say that.” He shrugged. “She’s Lady Montescue-Sullivan. In her circles, etiquette rules.”

  She turned to face him, eyes wide. “Lady?” Her dark eyebrows rose. “So that makes you…what? Lord Montescue-Sullivan?”

  “That would be my brother Ben, since my father’s death ten years ago.”

  Those eyebrows rose even higher.

  “I’m the younger son. I don’t carry a title, so I’m not referred to as Lord anything.” And he was heartily glad of it.

  “Well, no wonder you…” She bit her lip and looked away.

  When she didn’t go on, he prompted, “No wonder I…”

  She drew in a breath and let it out in a sharp huff. “No wonder you can afford that swanky town house in London.”

  “How do you know about…” Sully stared at her, his gaze taking in her profile, her long dark hair. He drew in a breath and beneath the light scent of citrus and the smell of the wolf was something familiar. “That was you I saw, by my terrace house in Lyall Mews.”

  Olivia nodded. “I followed you there from Scotland Yard. That’s how I knew you were coming to Tucson. I heard you on the phone.”

  “I see.” Sully stared at her, saw the lines of defeat in the slope of her bent neck. But her back was ramrod straight, and he realized she was tougher than she looked…

  And that she’d brought more trouble into his life. Only time would tell if she was worth it. He had a feeling he would have to deal with it, regardless of whether he had the inclination to or not.

  Life used to be so simple—go to work, try to catch bad guys, go out for drinks or dinner, and go home. Repeat. His job gave him plenty of excitement. Or, rather, it used to. Now it seemed rather mundane.

  However, it was time to get down to business and stop letting her distract him. She’d dropped a bombshell back in the restaurant, and she needed to explain herself. “You said you were sent to kill me. Why?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stared down over the slope of the mountain. Finally she sighed and said, “My alpha wants you dead.” Her slender shoulders lifted in a shrug. “All I know is that he wants to use your death to get to someone else—he didn’t say who,” she added before Sully could ask. Her troubled gaze met his. “He tried to have your friend O’Connell killed, too.”

  Interesting. “And you don’t know why?”

  For a brief moment tears sparkled in her eyes. Then they disappeared, and he wondered—not for the first time—what kind of life she’d had to give her such strength and determination. “All I know is that Eddy Stone is holding my daughter hostage and will kill her if I don’t do as he says.” She shook her head and gazed out over the railing.

  Sully doubted she even saw the beauty of the valley, with more mountains beyond, spread before her.

  “I thought I could do it,” Olivia murmured. “I thought, for my daughter, I could do anything. But what kind of message would I send her if I took an innocent person’s life in exchange for hers?” She bent her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her chest lifted with her deep inhalation. She lifted her head and met his gaze again. “I thought I could handle this on my own.” Her eyes closed, and her shoulders slumped. Along with it went the image of strength. She looked tired.

  Defeated.

  It hurt him to see it.

  “But I can’t do this alone.” She looked at him. “And I know you have no reason to trust me, or to help me. But I’m asking…begging you. Please.” Her throat moved with her swallow. “Please help me get my daughter back. He’ll kill her…” A shudder worked its way through her, stealing some of the color from her face. Her gaze searched his. “Please, Sully…”

  His name on her lips sizzled like lightning through him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and protect her from the big bad wolf she was so afraid of.

  God, how had he gotten in so deep, so fast? This strong yet softly rounded woman with earnest eyes and troubled soul was so beautiful that Sully had trouble breathing. In spite of her fear and worry, his desire surged just below the surface, like a hungry wolf circling its prey.

  Unable to keep from touching her, Sully moved closer and brought his hands to her shoulders, stroking back and forth with his thumbs. “Where is he, this Eddy of yours?”

  She lifted her gaze to his. This close to her, he could see flecks of dark yellow in the blue of her gaze—amber from the wolf because of her heightened emotions. “New York.” She relaxed under his hands, as if by sharing this secret her burden had been lightened. “You’ll help us?”

  Doubt and fear colored her tones.

  He slid his hands down her arms until he grasped her hands. “Yes. I’ll help you. We’ll help you,” he added, committing Declan to her cause as well.

  A six-year-old little girl was in danger, and he knew his friend wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and help.

  She reached up and traced her fingers along his jaw, then touched his lips, his nose, and skimmed along his eyebrow. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Sully clasped her hand and placed a soft kiss in her palm, then drew Olivia’s hands behind his back, enclosing himself in her embrace. He wasn’t going to ignore his need any longer. He drew her closer, her softness affecting him in predictable ways. He had to get another taste of her. “Thank you for trusting me.”

  He tilted his head and took her mouth, drinking down her sigh. She tasted of chocolate and coffee, and something else entirely unique—a dark, rich flavor that only made him want more. He closed his eyes to better focus his other senses. Lifting his mouth for a moment, h
e dragged in a ragged breath, allowing the scent of her growing arousal to permeate his lungs.

  Olivia’s fingers twisted in the belt loops of his jeans, so he let go of her hands and brought his up to cup her face. Angling her head to the position he wanted, he brought his mouth back to hers and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips in blatant possession.

  He turned her and urged her back until she rested against the thick log railing. He sucked and nibbled and bit at her lips, her gasping moans acting like a wick to his already enflamed cock.

  Her nipples pressed like diamonds against his chest, branding him through their layers of clothing. His entire body was taut, something dark and primal inside him urging him to strip her naked and mount her then and there.

  Make her his again.

  Savage possession surged through his blood. His hands tightened, holding her head still, and he crushed his mouth to hers, needing—demanding—a response.

  Her hands left his waist and slid up his back, her fingers curling, digging into muscles hard with tension. Sully groaned and canted his hips, deliberately letting her feel his arousal against her belly.

  He kissed a path over the line of Olivia’s jaw and lingered beneath her ear. Then he mouthed his way down her throat. She sighed and tilted her head farther to the side. Bringing her hands up, she tangled her fingers in his hair. She shimmied her hips, rubbing against him.

  Fire streaked through him. Sully groaned and moved his hands to her hips to hold her in place. God, she felt so good. So right.

  Forcing himself to once again slow down, he moved his lips to her jaw, then down her neck to the curve where neck met shoulder. He rested his lips against the pulse pounding there.

  Life thrummed beneath his tongue. Lust roared through him, drawing his wolf closer to the surface. With a low growl, he jerked, rocking his erection against her, and set his teeth into her flesh—not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to send the message.

  She belonged to him.

  “Sully…” Olivia’s voice rasped in his ear, her hands sliding down to his biceps in a fierce grip.

  He went back to her mouth. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, then bit down lightly, eliciting another moan from her. He slanted his mouth over hers once more, nipping and licking and sucking until she cried out and clasped his head, holding his face to hers. Her tongue twisted around his, surging into his mouth when he retreated. He sucked on it, drawing her deeper, making them both groan.

  “Jaysus.” Declan’s voice came from behind him. “Get a room.” He gave a low grunt. “Unless you plan to charge admission to this show you’re puttin’ on for everyone.” There was a slight pause, then he said in a musing tone, “Hmm. Might not be a bad idea, that. Could help pay for your board.”

  Drawing slowly back, Sully ignored his friend and rested his forehead against hers. “Olivia, what you do to me…”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean.” Olivia rolled her forehead back and forth on his, then put her hands on his chest and gave him a gentle push. “But Declan’s right, this isn’t the place.” Her eyes darkened, and her lips bowed into a sad frown. “Or the time.”

  His erection, which had deflated at Declan’s ill-timed interruption, drooped even more at her change in attitude. “Hey, none of that now.” Sully curled his fingers around her nape and gave her a little shake. “You won’t help your daughter by trying to cut off your feelings.” He turned and looked at Declan. “We’ve work to do. Let’s go.”

  The ride back down the mountain was accomplished amid explanations and apologies—the latter from Olivia. Once they’d reached Declan’s house, they gathered in the cozy living room, where Olivia told them more of her story.

  “Eddy moved in next door to me just over three years ago, and ingratiated himself with Zoe right away. And me,” she admitted, staring down at her fingers twisting in her lap. “I didn’t see the danger until it was too late.”

  “But why did he bite you?” Pelicia sat beside her and held out a cup of coffee.

  Olivia took it from her with a sigh. “Apparently he saw me in a kickboxing class I teach twice a week, in the evenings after work.” She glanced around the room, gaze skittering past the sympathy she saw in the others’ eyes. “He followed me, found out where I lived, and took an apartment next door. And once he found out what my last name was”—she shrugged and brought the coffee to her lips, taking a careful sip of the steaming brew—“he saw, he wanted, he took.”

  “And that last name would be…” Sully’s voice ended on an up-note.

  She fought back a blush. She’d had sex with him, had exchanged heated kisses with him up on Mount Lemmon, and he didn’t even know her full name. “Felan.”

  She saw the way the others looked at each other, as if that name meant something to them.

  Olivia looked back at Sully. “It means ‘little wolf’ in Gaelic.”

  “Aye.” Declan sat forward in his chair, propping his elbows on his knees. “It’s an unusual name, too, I’m thinkin’. Interestin’ that you share the same name as an ancestor of our friend Ryder.”

  Olivia looked at him with a frown. “Ryder?”

  “He’s the reason I’m now a werewolf—well, in a roundabout way.” Declan stood and paced to the wide patio doors. With his back to the room he said, “A friend of mine, now his wife—Taite—was being stalked by a werewolf, but only because he’d been sent to kill me. Because of my friendship with Ryder.” He turned back to face the room, his expression grim.

  Pelicia stood and walked over to his side, sliding one arm around his waist. He looped an arm over her shoulders and gave her a hug. The affection between the two of them, while nice to see, reminded Olivia of what she no longer had.

  She glanced away from them. “That must be who…” Olivia trailed off and thought back over the conversation she’d had with Eddy when she’d stopped off in New York.

  “Just so you know, love, you didn’t finish that sentence out loud.” Sully stood and walked over to her. He sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, his legs bracketing hers, and rested his hands on her knees. “What’s going on?”

  “I already told you. Edward Stone, the man who turned me, sent me to kill you because of your relationship to someone else. He didn’t say who,” she said before anyone could ask. “But it’s too much of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

  “Well, did he say why?” Pelicia asked.

  “Only that this other man had what Eddy deserved. I got the impression that he had—or has, rather—wealth, and that he’s a werewolf.” When Sully frowned, confusion evident in the downward turn of his mouth, she added, “He said this other guy didn’t like not being normal.” At his raised eyebrows, she shrugged and said in a dry tone, “You can’t get much more abnormal than being a werewolf.”

  “Isn’t that the truth.” Sully cleared his throat and stood. Back rigid, he thrust his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

  Olivia saw Pelicia bite down on her bottom lip. Declan murmured, “It’s not your fault,” and shot a glare at Sully.

  Sully scrubbed one hand across the back of his neck. A slight blush tinged his ears and skated along his cheekbones. “Sorry.”

  Olivia swallowed. God, Pelicia felt guilty for Sully being in the situation he was—for having had his life twisted inside out—when it was all Olivia’s fault. She opened her mouth, ready to confess, then shut it. If she told them she was the wolf who’d bitten Sully, they’d never be willing to help her.

  Why would they? She’d brought nothing but chaos into their lives, and for them to try to save her daughter put them at even more risk. Yet she couldn’t not ask them.

  They were her only hope. Because she couldn’t kill Sully.

  She kept her mouth shut and said nothing.

  Chapter 8

  “The first thing we need to do is call the police in New York.” Pelicia came around the coffee table and sat back down on the sofa. “Or the FBI, since it’s a kidnap
ping. Isn’t that the way it works over here?” she asked, looking at Declan. “That’s how it’s done on the shows on the telly, anyway.”

  “Aye,” he said. “But—”

  “We can’t!” Feeling the need for space, Olivia stood and stalked to the other side of the room. She turned and faced the other three, trying to quell the rising anxiety that twisted her gut. “Let’s say we did call the police. What’re they gonna do? Knock on his door and ask him if he’s holding Zoe? Assuming that they’re not already part of his pack.”

  “Yes.” Sully walked closer but stopped when she waved him off. “Sweetheart, we should let the proper authorities handle this.”

  Even as she thrilled at the soft-spoken endearment, the rest of his words made her give a soft growl, a mixture of aggravation, fear, and long-bottled rage. “When it comes to this, we’re the proper authorities. You send a couple of New York’s finest to Eddy’s front door, and I guarantee you they’ll either end up dead or turned. Either way, he’ll know I was behind it.”

  “How?” This from Pelicia, who had also stood, an expression of concern on her lovely face.

  “He already has a couple of his minions on the force. An innocently asked question here and there, and they’d know that a call came in from Tucson. As far as I’m aware, I’m the only person here that Eddy knows. It wouldn’t take long for him to figure out cops showing up on his doorstep and me being in Tucson wasn’t a coincidence.”

  “So if a couple cops can’t make it past the front door, what makes you think any of us will?” Sully shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her with eyes dark with frustration.

  “Because we’re werewolves, too,” she said. “Eddy’s only as good as the guards he surrounds himself with.” Of course, a couple of those guards were big and as vicious as Eddy. But she had a feeling Sully and O’Connell weren’t above fighting dirty.

  “Still…” Sully didn’t seem convinced. “He’d be on his home turf, which would give him the advantage.”

  “I’ve a thought about that.” Declan leaned back against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, the pose one of negligent grace but power in every long line of his body. “For this to work, we have to put him off his feet. Knock him off balance,” he clarified when everyone looked at him uncomprehending. “We need to get Ryder here.”