by Morgan Fox
Moonlight Shifters
Enticed by the Moon
With an evil, virus-infected werewolf/panther on the loose, twins Ryken and Luken McCree are sent to collect and protect the enticing Tabitha Burns, the best friend of their alpha leader's mate. But bringing Tabitha back to McCarthy Ranch in one piece may prove to be more of a challenge than expected.
Sexual chemistry blazes hot enough to bring the three of them to the gates of blissful pleasure, but secrets are soon revealed that could change everything between them.
As lust and passion soar high, precious time is quickly running out. With a snarling evil close at their heels, and the approaching pull of the full moon clawing at their backs, everything they desire could lead to the destruction of all they hold dear.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 64,424 words
ENTICED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 3
Morgan Fox
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
ENTICED BY THE MOON
Copyright © 2011 by Morgan Fox
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-620-3
First E-book Publication: August 2011
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
For Eric…
ENTICED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 3
MORGAN FOX
Copyright © 2011
Chapter One
Ryken stepped off the curb, staring up at the golden light shining through the third-floor window of the apartment building. The Romanesque architecture was something to be respected and admired, which he did. The sight he beheld was more traditionally found in England with its semicircular window arches accompanied by pointed arches located symmetrically on both peaks of the roof.
Two enormous vertical towers located on both sides of the main building were bridged by a shorter, broader tower, which supported a stone, vaulted ceiling.
The mystical energy radiating out from the dark gray, aged façade made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The towering, gothic apartment building had way too much character to be stuck in the middle of Podunk nowhere.
As much as he admired such fine craftsmanship, he had no plans of living in a place so eerie and cold. He preferred the warmth of Texas and the open land he called home.
Now, what did that say about Tabitha Burns?
He and his twin brother Luken had traveled all day and night to get here, and never once gave thought to how they would approach her. Tabitha was Brie’s best friend, and from what they could gather, she knew absolutely nothing about their kind. She was a virgin, in many regards, and one they were told to take extra special care of.
Blood drained straight to Ryken’s cock as he thought of the delicious ways he would take extra special care of sweet little Tabitha. He didn’t even know what the woman looked like, but if she was friends with Brie, who he found a beautiful sight, she, too, had to be a gorgeous woman. But damn it if he hadn’t been given strict instructions to keep his paws and any sexual urges he had to himself.
Too late, he thought with a groan.
Sebastian should have just requested he cut off his own dick. That might have been easier to manage.
Ryken hadn’t been this far from McCarthy Ranch for nearly five years. The same held true for Luken. Everything they needed was located in east Texas—everything except the warm body of a luscious woman. Neither he nor Luken had found a woman to call their own for quite some time. The absence of sex was not hard to miss when they were able to run and hunt on McCarthy land, but now they were forced away from their sanctuary. And sex was all Ryken could think about. If he knew his twin at all, and he knew him almost as well as he knew himself, he, too, was thinking about finding a warm body to sink his cock into.
Ryken had always fancied brunettes with big, round breasts that would practically suffocate him when lying between them whereas Luken liked blondes with breasts that fit perfectly in the palm of his hands. But both agreed that a woman should have round hips, long legs, and a pussy so delectable they could dine for days on end.
Ryken groaned, shifting positions to avoid the throbbing in his cock. Damn, he hated being alone with his thoughts, hated being away from his home. Shit, why did his thoughts always seem to stray to the place between a woman’s thighs? A place he’d gladly like to find his cock buried and wet—soon.
The night air nipped at his heels as he strode across the street. The glowing lamps overhead offered a dreary yellow tint that did nothing but enhance the eeriness of the dark, old building. Ryken had no idea what Tabitha looked like. He only knew a basic detailing of the woman—average height and build. That was it.
Getting a description from Sebastian and Jonah McCarthy had been like pulling teeth. They were so busy trying to find time to make love
to their mate, Brie Ferguson—soon to be Brie McCarthy. They hadn’t had time to offer much more than an address and limited physical description.
Thanks to Sebastian’s mate, he had been miraculously cured of a serious illness, the main reason that both Ryken and Luken were now in search of Brie’s best friend. They received word from Dr. Megan Shaw’s colleague, Dr. Zane McCoskey, that Mason Levi, a brutal serial killer and were-creature, was planning to kill Tabitha if the McCarthy brothers didn’t surrender Brie to him.
Somehow, word had gotten around that Brie Ferguson was special. Special how, he didn’t exactly know, and right now he didn’t care. What he cared about was completing their mission to rescue Tabitha Burns.
Tabitha was unknowingly in danger, so they’d been dispatched to retrieve her. But not wanting to alarm her to the dangers she might soon face, thanks to Mason and his potential goon squad, Brie hadn’t called to notify her of the twins’ arrival. By not calling Tabitha, Brie was unable to convince her that neither he nor Luken meant her harm, and that little issue was going to be the fun part of this adventure.
Not even a week ago, Sebastian had been infected by Mason Levi, a werewolf-panther. A “wolanther” as Ryken liked to refer to Mason—an anomaly among the were-kind. A brief moment of contact with an infected lycan, or were-animal, where the skin is broken and the virus would soon ravage the host’s body, making their thoughts no longer their own…turning them into the perfect killing machine.
The infected lycan would develop an increased sense of smell and strength, also the ability to mask their own scent, making them undetectable by others of their kind. This was a dangerous virus that mutated the DNA of the were-host, turning them into a brutal killer—a ruthless serial murderer with no conscience.
Getting Tabitha and taking her to McCarthy Ranch was their main focus and mission. Good thing Ryken and Luken were werewolves, and once they found her scent they could sniff her out at any time, keeping her under their watchful gaze. Learning her scent was the challenge. They’d simply wait until morning and see who emerged from the building, and hopefully that meant identifying an average-looking woman with an average build.
Yep, a perfect fucking plan and a big waste of time.
Thankfully, the weather hadn’t turned cold and brutal just yet. The fall season was in full swing. Days varied this time of year, some days warm, and some cool. Today was a warm day, but even so it wouldn’t really matter. As lycans they could regulate their body temperatures and withstand the brutal cold and winds of the season, which came in handy on nights like this where they found themselves lurking outside at all hours of the night.
Luken stood beside him, his hands on his hips in an annoyed stance. “So any idea how we’re going to approach our average-looking woman in the morning?”
Ryken snickered, glancing down at his brother, whose bulge in his pants was nearly as impressive as his own. At least he knew he wasn’t the only one affected by thoughts of sex. “Maybe you could walk up to her and show her the imposing size of your cock and see if she’s willing to play nice.”
Luken inclined his head towards his brother, eyes piercing. He growled, “You’re such a dumbass. Why does everything have to revolve around our cocks?”
Ryken shrugged, glancing down at his own engorged region. “It just does. Besides, it’s still worth a shot. I’m fucking horny and if she’s willing—” His brows raised up and down repeatedly.
Luken released a heavy sigh. Glaring, he said, “Sebastian would see you neutered, and you know it. Seriously, what’s the plan? Waiting for an average woman to emerge from an apartment building filled with other average-looking people really isn’t what I call a smart use of our time. Couldn’t we try to call Sebastian or Jonah again? Maybe even Brie? See if maybe they can stop fucking one another long enough to give us an apartment number?”
Ryken chuckled, and then said, “Too bad that information was withheld…the way they made it seem, she lived in a house, not an apartment building.”
“Right,” Luken agreed, glancing down at his wristwatch. “Well, it’s nearly nine in the morning in Texas.” Luken dug the phone out of his jeans pocket and handed the cell phone to him. “Call Sebastian and ask him for the apartment number. I’m not standing out here all night long.”
Grunting, he argued, “Why do I have to call him?”
His brother stared at him dismissively and then said dryly, “Because you’re the dumbass who didn’t press the matter when we were back in Texas—you fucked up so you fix it.” Luken smiled, waving the cell phone inches from Ryken’s face.
He snatched the cell phone from his brother’s hand. He couldn’t argue with that. He really was lousy at follow-through. “And you say I’m a dick.” He dialed the number, pressing hard on the keys, as if trying to press his finger right through the phone.
Sebastian immediately answered, “This better be important, asshole. You could’ve woken Brie.” Sebastian’s rumbling voice put him instantly on guard.
“Sorry, jackass, but you didn’t give us Tabitha’s apartment number, and we’re standing in front of the building like a pair of fucking stalkers.” Brows furrowed, he asked, “And wait, how did you know it was me and not Luken?” His alpha seemed to call him asshole like it was an endearing pet name.
A gruff sigh exploded through the receiver just before Sebastian said, “I didn’t and there’s no apartment number. The address I gave you was for her office building. She’s an investment partner for several local apartment buildings outside of Seattle.” His voice deepened into a hushed whisper. He growled. “Ryken, do you honestly try to piss me off, testing my patience, or do you come off as an idiot naturally? To me, anyone disturbing my time with my mate is an asshole.”
Ryken closed the phone, not bothering to wait for any further shit to erupt from his alpha’s mouth.
More than a month ago he’d made the mistake of attacking Brie in the woods at McCarthy Ranch. He didn’t know she belonged to Sebastian or Jonah. To him, she was an intruder, one he was taking to his brother Luken for questioning. That was until Sebastian and Jonah showed up to kick his ass.
To this day, Sebastian hadn’t forgiven him, and they constantly battled for show of dominance. Ryken wasn’t looking to be pack leader. He and Luken were still young in the eyes of the pack, but strangely Sebastian didn’t seem to care.
Grumbling, he turned to face Luken. “I fucking hate that guy.”
A deep chuckle moved from Luken’s chest as he said, “Yes, and I’m sure he thinks of you as a gem. Now, what did he say?”
“Besides saying that I’m an asshole and an idiot?” Ryken glared at Luken with an arched brow. “Sebastian said this is her office building, not her home” Ryken interposed as he glanced down at his watch again. “It’s a little after seven and most people arrive at work around eight, so we wait for the front office to open and then go ask for Tabitha Burns.”
Luken nodded his head in agreement. He said, “At least Brie was gracious enough to give us her last name. Without it, our chances of finding her fast would quickly diminish.” Luken glanced around the parking lot and at cars that lined the street in front of the building. “Do you sense anything out of the ordinary?”
“Like it would matter if Mason was here,” Ryken complained.
His sarcasm faded quickly as Luken met his gaze and growled.
Ryken responded, shaking his head, “No, I don’t see anyone roaming around just yet. I hate that we can’t smell Mason’s kind. Hate that the virus infecting him makes it impossible to know if he’s even two feet away from us. It’s frustrating, is all.”
Luken’s tone grew serious. “I know what you mean. I only hope that Dr. Shaw can figure out what the heck it is before we’re all fucked six ways to Sunday.”
Like ants to a mound, the morning rush began. Several cars pulled into the parking lot, while several cars left. A short woman in her early twenties opened the front doors to the main office. Black hair molded around her round face
in a tight bob that made her look even younger. Wide, bright eyes beamed, making her appear way too awake for such an early hour.
Luken walked up to the two large glass doors and pulled them open with determination. The lobby was as gothic in appearance as the building itself. Dark, gray walls and matching curtains, black-and-white marbled flooring. The young woman’s desk sat off to the far left of the main doors.
Her eyes widened even more as both he and Luken approached her. As he inhaled, the scent of her nervousness flooded his nostrils. It probably didn’t help that both he and his brother were over six feet tall, with broad shoulders that framed a well-sculpted set of muscles in the arms and chest. His hair had been pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, while Luken’s golden hair—longer than most women’s—hung loosely around his shoulders and down to his waist. Ryken inhaled again as he reached the side of her desk, her eyes fixed on his. She was not only nervous, but also slightly aroused. Good, he’d use that tidbit of information to his advantage if needed.
“Good morning.” He purred, doing his best to sound persuasively charming. He glanced at the name badge on her chest, before saying, “Debra.”
Luken was known for his finesse with women. A smooth talker, easy to open up to and be around. On the other hand, Ryken, a more robust flirter, enjoyed the rush of blood that rose to a woman’s cheeks as he spoke to her in naughty, inappropriate ways. Whispering things she’d dare not repeat to anyone else.