Red Velvet Moon

by Theodora Lane

  The creature sat on its haunches and whined.

  “Tony, where are you? This isn’t funny!” Daphne’s gaze darted all over the room. Where had he gone? “I’m going to kill you for pulling this prank on me.”

  The wolf stared at her, not moving.

  “Are your brothers in on this?” she shouted. “I’ll kill them too. I’m a chef. I know how to use a knife. This isn’t funny, you jerk.” She couldn’t fight it any longer, and tears spilled over. She wasn’t so much scared as hurt.

  “Man, you must really hate me,” she whispered.

  Now the wolf slid to his belly and rested its head on its front paws. If a wolf could look sad, this one did. She didn’t care. She’d been made a fool of. Again. The shame of it burned in her cheeks.

  “I can’t believe you did this to me.” She slammed her hand down on the back of the chair. “You can come out now. I give up. Call off your pet. I want to leave now.”

  The wolf whined and rolled over, showing her its belly. The thick tail thumped on the floor. It was definitely a male. And right now, it didn’t look very dangerous. If she wasn’t so mad and hurt, she’d pet it.

  She looked down at the animal. A long pink tongue lolled out of the side of its mouth as it continued to wag its tail. “Okay, he’s cute, Lobos. You trained him very well.”

  But still no sign of Tony. “The smoke was a great effect. Really. But I’m done. Come back and let me out of here. I’ll call a cab to take me home.”

  The wolf scrambled to its feet and shook itself. Thick dark-black hair fluffed, then settled.

  The golden eyes glowed; then the smoke reappeared, and the tips of its fur dissolved into smoke.

  Oh no. This time, she’d catch him out. No more tricks. He wasn’t going to make a fool of her again. Anger replaced fear in her heart.

  She darted from behind the chair and ran over to what was left of the wolf. She put her hand on its back and, for a second, her fingers were buried in soft fur, and the strength and solidity of its back lay under her hand.

  “Gotcha!”

  Then it was gone and her fingers closed around smoke. Nothing. She reached out as the smoke column moved higher, and in the next moment, her hand rested on Tony’s chest.

  “Oh, my God,” she whispered. She took a step back, her hand still touching flesh. Warm, soft, lightly hairy, and definitely human. She ran her hand over him, trying to convince herself of what she’d just seen and felt.

  “Daphne, it’s not a prank. It’s not a trick. It’s true.” Tony caught her hand in his and pressed it to his heart. The beat, strong and steady, filled her own body, until her heart and his beat in time.

  “You’re a wolf.” Her knees gave way, and Tony swept her up into his arms.

  “Baby, it’s okay.” He carried her to the bed and put her down on it. “I know it’s a shock. I didn’t trick you. I wouldn’t ever hurt you like that.” He pushed a strand of her hair off her face. She looked up into his eyes and searched them for any sign of deceit.

  “You really are a werewolf,” she whispered. What was wrong with her voice? Had she yelled so loud she’d strained it? Or maybe she just didn’t want to say it aloud.

  “Yes. Max, Diego, and me are werewolves.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Daphne, this is serious. Listen to me closely. I love you. I pray to God you love me, enough to get past the shock. But you need to understand. If you marry me, and we have children, any sons will be werewolves also.”

  “Oh. Sure.” She blinked at him, trying to focus on what he said, but for some reason all she could see was the depths of his brown eyes, the curl of his black hair, and all she smelled was the scent of his body. “Wait. What did you just say?”

  “I said children, baby. Our children, the boys, at least, will be able to shift into wolf form.”

  “Right. Little lobos.” She giggled as a crazy thought popped into her head. “Do they wear leashes when we take them out for a walk or to the park?”

  “What? No!” Tony sat back as his mouth hung open. “I can’t believe you asked that. They’re not dogs. Kids don’t shift until they hit puberty.”

  “Of course. Hormones.” She shrugged. “Sorry. I just have no idea what to expect or what to ask. This is…I don’t know…mind-boggling.” Her brain hurt from trying to figure it all out, to fight what her eyes had seen and her hands had touched. Don’t even ask about how her heart felt.

  “But you’ll consider it?” He looked so hopeful. She wanted to make him happy. She wanted to be happy, as happy as she’d been with him earlier that evening.

  Her head said run, but her heart held her feet to the floor and gave her the next words out of her mouth.

  “Yeah, I’m considering it.” She smiled.

  “Thank God!” He exhaled and pulled her into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. “I was so afraid I’d lose you, but I didn’t want to trap you into this.”

  “Trap me? What are you talking about, Lobos?” She pushed back and brushed her hair out of her face.

  Tony sighed. “When we were making love and I stopped? If we had continued, if I’d come inside you while I was partially shifted, it would have bound you to me.”

  “Wait. Partially shifted? You mean your eyes and hair?”

  “Right.”

  “Bound to you? Explain that part.” She folded her legs under her, sat back against the headboard of the bed, snagged a pillow, and cradled it against her chest. The urge to run and fight had left her, but she was still wary. Unsure.

  “Okay. Once I’ve marked you outside and inside when I’m shifted, it binds my mate to me. I bit you on the butt, marking you on the outside.”

  “And if you’d come inside me…” It hit her. “Oh shit! We didn’t use a condom!” She slapped herself on the forehead. “How could I forget that?” She’d never been so reckless before. She was a “no glove, no love” kind of woman, but all thoughts of safe sex vanished when she was with him, replaced by the urge to fuck, regardless of the place or consequences.

  “I’m glad you did forget. I hate those things.” He pulled the pillow down. “It’s all right. Weres don’t catch human diseases. We’re pretty disease-free, actually. We heal very fast, and we’re really strong.”

  “That’s why you could pick me up and carry me all over the place.” She groaned. “Damn it, I thought maybe I’d lost some weight.”

  “Baby, I don’t care about your weight. To me, you’re perfect. My mate. The woman meant for me. The future mother of my kids.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. She gave a soft sigh and leaned into it, enjoying the touch of his lips on hers.

  They broke apart. “But we didn’t get that far. So, why am I so crazy about you?” Could she trust that there wasn’t more to this mated stuff? “Am I under some sort of spell?”

  “No. Just in love, I’m hoping.”

  She reached up and brushed his bangs to the side. “Yeah, I think I am.”

  “Me too. Baby, I’ve been in love from the first time I saw you.”

  Who could resist such sweet talk? With Tony, all her defenses had been breached, her walls had come down, and she found herself out on the damned emotional limb.

  This time, something told her it wouldn’t break underneath her. She was safe.

  “Come here.” She tossed the pillow to the side and grabbed him by the shoulders. “We have unfinished business.”

  “Business?” he asked as he followed her down onto the bed. “Right. There’s a little thing about binding that needs doing.”

  “You interrupted it, remember?” She giggled just as her mouth found his.

  Wonderful. The taste of his lips. She licked along the seam of his mouth, and he opened for her. She licked deeper, tasting more, enjoying all the ways her kisses made Tony moan and how hard he’d become as she kissed him.

  “I remember.” He sat back. “Only one of us is naked.”

  “You’re right, but I can fix that.” She laughed
as she wiggled out of her skirt and then tossed her shirt to the floor.

  “Let me.” Tony finished the job he’d started when he ripped one side of her bra. The tearing fabric sounded loud in the room.

  “You owe me a bra, Lobos.” She laughed as he tugged on the garter belt.

  “Going for a matched set.” He growled and, with a twang, the belt broke. He rolled her black stockings down each leg, letting his heated hands glide over her skin, setting her off like a sparkler on the Fourth of July.

  Naked and stretched out in front of him, Daphne had never felt so cherished, sexy, or loved. Tony worshiped her with his hands as he discovered her body, learning the paths over and around, until he arrived at her nipples.

  He didn’t have to even touch them. They were already hard, pointy, and achy.

  She reached up and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “You’re mine, Lobos.” Their gazes met, and the fire smoldering between them ignited. Her core throbbed, and a fine sheen of moisture coated the swollen lips of her pussy. She’d never been so ready.

  “Not quite.” He winked. “But soon.”

  Daphne spread her legs and rubbed her clit with her finger. She’d truly never felt so sexy, so powerful. And why not? After all, she’d claimed a freaking werewolf as her mate. Not many women could say that, and with that, she discovered a touch of pride welled up inside her.

  “You know what to do. Make me yours, wolf.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Tony growled and let his wolf surface, just enough to seal the mating bond. The hair on his chest grew thicker and darker, his eyes changed to the wolf’s.

  He stroked Daphne’s breasts. “These are so beautiful, all I want is to fondle and kiss them. Suck your nipples until you beg me to stop.” He ran his fingers over her full, firm mounds, then lowered his mouth to suck one pink tip in. His mate arched, pushing her breast into his mouth. God, he loved how eager she was to have him touch her, how responsive she was, and how it made him feel.

  He sucked and ran his other hand over her belly. So smooth, so soft, so full of the promise of the next generation of wolves. For a moment, he pictured how it would be, her belly swollen with his child. His son. He would have Daphne’s beauty, perhaps.

  Moving lower, he reached to her mound. Dark, thick, neatly trimmed curls made his mouth water. He raked them with his fingers, parting the way to her clit.

  This time, he’d taste her.

  He nudged her thighs apart, and he spread the lips of her pussy so he could see the pink flower. “Damn, that’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He flicked it with the tip of his finger, and she gasped, squirming as he held her down.

  “Oh, Tony, I need you,” she said, her voice thick with desire.

  “Patience, baby. All in good time. I’m going to enjoy this, and I want you to enjoy it too. I want it to be the best for you.” He leaned down and licked her clit. He lapped at it, tasting her juices, learning each fold of her petals as she moaned and writhed on the bed.

  “So delicious.” He took her clit between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue.

  “Antonio!” she cried out.

  He loved hearing her say his name with that edge of lust in it. He could be a happy man forever just hearing her say it each time they made love.

  “My love,” he whispered as he kissed the inside of her soft thigh.

  “Please,” she begged. She raised her head to look at him, and their gazes locked.

  “Oh hell, I can’t wait.” His cock throbbed, standing up against his belly, doing a little begging of its own.

  She reached for him, and he leaned over her to kiss her mouth. Then he pulled away. “There is only one way for this to work.” He cleared his throat.

  “One way?” Her brows furrowed.

  “One position. We have to be…I have to…” He didn’t know how to say it.

  “Let me guess.” Daphne grinned up at him. “Doggie-style?”

  He nodded, and she broke into laughter. “Who came up with all these rules, Lobos? Had to be a guy.”

  Tony shrugged. “I have no idea, but it’s been like this for as long as…well, when our dad had the ‘facts of life’ talk with Max, Diego, and me, he told us this. His father told him, and it’s been passed down through the generations.”

  She put her fingers over his mouth. “I don’t need a history of werewolves lecture, just the short answer will do.”

  “Right.” He kissed her. “Now, roll over and assume the position.”

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered, but she followed orders. She got on all fours and wiggled her ass. “Like this?” she said over her shoulder.

  Tony groaned as he stroked his cock. “God, yes.”

  He gazed at the round expanse of her cheeks, so pale and soft. So perfect. Ready to be marked. “How shall I mark you this time?”

  “What do you want to do?” She watched him, her eyes burning with their own lust-glow.

  “I want to spank you. I want to see my handprint pink your skin, want to feel the heat from it under my hand, want to hear how you love it.”

  “How do you know I’ll love it?”

  “I don’t. But I have hopes.” He winked.

  “Well”—she wiggled her ass at him again—“let’s find out if you can make me love it.”

  “If it’s too hard, if I hurt you, tell me, baby.” He ran his hand over one cheek, judging just where he wanted to place his mark. “Right here, I think.” He kissed the spot.

  “Do it,” she said, and lowered her head to her folded arms, in a perfect submissive pose. God, it just made him even harder to see her like that, presenting herself to him, her legs slightly spread; a hint of pink winked at him from between her folds.

  He pulled back his hand and let it fly. The smack echoed in the room. She flinched, her skin pinked, and she moaned. He waited to see if she said stop, but instead, she wiggled again.

  Tony brought his hand down again and again, and once more. She cried out, but never to stop, and she panted, short and shallow, each breath laced with arousal. Her flesh clearly showed the print of his hand on it. He ran his hand over her quivering ass, judging the heat.

  “Perfect.” He leaned over and licked it, hoping to soothe the sting, doing what came natural to his wolf, as he tried to make her feel better.

  She shivered as he bathed her with his tongue. “Oh, my God, that was intense, Tony.” Her voice was muffled, her head still resting on her arms.

  “Just wait, baby.”

  His cock dripped precum, his balls full of juice, just ready to give it all up to her. His mate. Every time he thought those words, a shudder ran through him. A delicious, delightful, decadent shudder that pushed him closer to the edge.

  Not yet. He had to be inside her when he came.

  He moved closer, until the head of his cock rested against her pussy. She pushed back, eager and willing. What a turn-on. He’d never been so into making love before. He leaned forward, and the head slipped inside her. Without thinking, he surged forward, lying across her back, and thrust deeper into her.

  “Yes, Tony!”

  “God, it’s so good, baby.” He set a slow rhythm, pushing in and then pulling out, dragging his swollen cock through her juices, coating it and, although he’d never thought of it before, he realized she’d marked him with her scent.

  His cock would be hers forever. He’d never take another mate, never desire another woman. No one but Daphne. And he was fine with that. It was how it should be.

  Tony rubbed his hand over her pussy and found her clit, swollen, full, and tender. She hissed as he stroked it.

  ∙•∙

  Daphne thought she’d lose her mind. Tony merely touched her, and she nearly came. When he’d entered her, she almost came. Now, his finger demanded it.

  “Come for me, baby. I’m going to make you come again; don’t worry.”

  No one had made her come more than once in a session, or so quickly. She
doubted it was possible, but the way he made her feel? This is what she’d wanted, what she’d dreamed of, a man who could satisfy her, give her a string of orgasms, give her the vaginal one that had always escaped her.

  “Come for me.” His voice, rasping with passion, demanded it of her. Commanded her body to respond.

  His finger flicked her, rubbing harder and, as the tension built in her body like a coiled spring, she thought she’d seize and pass out before the explosion ripped through her.

  A feral groan rose deep in her throat, and she couldn’t hold back the sound as her pussy pulsed. Each wave of orgasm following the next on its heels until the last one died away, leaving her quivering and hoarse.

  She sighed.

  “So good, baby. God, you feel so good on my cock.”

  But Tony still moved inside her. He still hadn’t come, hadn’t marked her.

  “I’m not finished with you yet.” He kissed her shoulder and sat back. Grabbing her hips, he gave her another spank, and she flinched. The burn of it aroused her, started her body’s need again. How the hell did he do that?

  She didn’t care. She just wanted him to keep fucking her. Because now she believed. Believed he would be the man to give her the orgasm that had always been out of reach.

  His cock drove into her as he angled his hips, raking over her as he moved in and out. Pushing her higher than she’d ever been before. Her body sang, and she flew over the cliffs to a place she didn’t recognize.

  As if he sensed how close she was, whatever restraint he’d had, he unleashed it. His fucking turned wild and primitive. He grunted and growled as he dug his fingers into her, keeping his grip on her, keeping her from moving, hammering into her from behind.

  His cock bumped against the end of her channel, pressing over and over on one spot and, with each hit, her body tightened.

  She climbed, soaring upward as every muscle in her body tensed in nearly unbearable pleasure. Almost there. Almost.

  Close. So very close.

  She sobbed. It was there, just out of reach. How much more could she take before she broke?

  “Almost, baby. I can feel you. Jesus, you’re so fucking tight.”