Regale, Rhea - Wild Nights [Blood Moon Legacy 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rhea Regale

  Now’s not the time to mull over weakness. Lenox needs you.

  Aya stretched beneath the scraggly bush, resting her snout on her crossed paws. Riley would surely figure out where she was. She deliberately didn’t cover her scent trail for that reason, just as she answered his demands of her location. Right now, she was at an impasse, a very aggravating one to boot. Each glimpse of Lenox succeeded in gouging out a piece of her heart. Moments passed when she wanted to cry. She couldn’t do anything to help him alone. Lenox was as good as dead if this pack got her in their claws.

  Rather, she hunkered down and tried to focus on the taunting words the woman spoke. She also prayed to the spirits that the early morning breeze didn’t shift course or that the lightening sky didn’t cause her snowy fur to shimmer.

  “You mustn’t be well liked by your mate for her to leave you out here most of the night. What a pity. I can always take you in as one of my own,” the woman purred, scraping her nails up and down Lenox’s chest. He flinched, but didn’t lift his head or make any attempt to fend her off. Her hand drifted lower, and the hair on Aya’s hackles bristled. “I take very good care of my men. All I ask is that you take very good care of me.”

  “Lenox, can you hear me?” Aya whispered. She needed to distract her wolf’s ingrained desire to reclaim her territory as the woman stroked Lenox’s limp shaft. She was only slightly satisfied that he didn’t harden by another woman’s touch. That bitch had no right touching her man! “I’m going to help you. I promise.”

  “Stay with Riley. She’s hoping to lure you out by keeping me here.” The weak rasp of his voice twisted her spirit. She shifted against the ground, trying to soothe the tension in her muscles and the pain her heart endured for him. “Sweetling, do not worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you hurt?” Aya knew the answer by the coppery scent in the air, the blood covering his body, and the force it took him to speak. His energy pulsed with a dimming light. His spirit swam in an endless sea of confusion. Fatigue threatened to pull him under. However, she couldn’t let him know she was within yards of him.

  Another thought struck her. “How do you know Riley came back?”

  “I’m fine.” A tenuous pause drifted over their telepathic line. “I know the real Riley. The man I grew up with would never abandon his mate, and that man is still at the heart of the beast.”

  Aya’s vision blurred, but she ignored the moisture and brought her attention back to the woman. She’d given up trying to arouse Lenox, to Aya’s satisfaction. Her sultry smile melted into a scowl.

  “You couldn’t please her, is that it?” The woman issued a sharp nod of her head. One of her cohorts reached up to the cuff biting into Lenox’s wrists and wedged a key into the lock. A moment later, Lenox crumpled to the ground, the sharp scraping of the chain links stinging her ears. She cringed as the chain dropped over Lenox’s head. He didn’t react to the hit. He didn’t try to move. Aya lifted her head and watched his chest until she saw it rise and fall with each breath. “Can you use your mouth? Your tongue?” The woman growled and shook her head. “And to think I fantasized about bringing you into my bed. You’re worthless.”

  Aya’s snout twitched at the insult to Lenox. She quietly eased herself backward, out from under the brush. The breeze continued to lap at her face, keeping her scent away from the primitive pack. The wolves who padded back and forth covered the sounds of her own steps, allowing her to slink closer to the group.

  “Once I get my hands on your precious little white, I’ll spare your life long enough to see what we do to survivors of the Blood Moon Massacre. That one in HoodRiver murdered my sister. The one here in WolfCreek will pay for the doings of that bitch. All these packs belong to the Dark Moon clan. Those whites have no place among us. None. They should’ve all died twenty-five years ago.”

  The woman snarled as two men reached down to Lenox. They stopped dead in their tracks and slowly straightened up. Aya crept along the shrubs and trees, pausing to glance at Lenox, until she came up behind the woman.

  “Lenox, do you think Riley will come here to save you?” Aya purred. She needed to soothe his tattered spirit, issue her assurances that he’d be okay. Hell, she wouldn’t accept anything less than her Lenox coming out of this alive to share a life with her.

  She reached a break in the bushes. The woman was in a perfect position for Aya to have the upper hand in an attack. The creature made the idea even more irresistible when she crouched down in front of Lenox. Aya lowered herself to creep between the separation. She shifted her gaze to Lenox’s face…

  She met his narrowed gaze directly. Shock tore through her, stunning her at a crucial moment.

  “Don’t you dare, Ayasha White. Don’t you—”

  Aya lunged forward as the woman turned toward her.

  “No one dares to threaten my men, unless it’s me!” Aya snipped back at Lenox as she came down on the woman’s shoulders. The weight of her body, along with the force of her leap, brought them both to the ground in a tumbling heap. Aya snapped her teeth, catching the crook of the woman’s neck. Blood coated her tongue. Shouts and curses filled her ears. Sharp pain ignited in her rear haunch, but she ignored it, wrestling with the woman as her human shape fluidly melted into a dark gray wolf.

  “Ayasha, your back!”

  Riley’s warning struck through the dark mist of her mind. She clawed at the ground, shifting her body beneath the woman’s as one of the rebel wolves dove at her. Her teeth lost their grip when Eliza snapped her head back. Flesh tore open, and blood rained over her face. Eliza growled and stumbled off her, shaking her head. Aya scrambled to her paws and cast a short glance at the two wolves engaged in a fierce battle filled with snarling growls and chilling rumbles.

  She turned back to Eliza.

  The woman retreated into the denser forest. Aya took off after her, maneuvering through the unfriendly terrain, leaving the battling packs behind.

  “Aya, get back here! Let her go. I’ll handle her later.” Riley’s demands caused her to pause, but a moment later, she forged forward, following the acrid scent of blood and the sharp crackling of dead leaves beneath paw.

  “Sweetling, listen to Riley. Please,” Lenox breathed into her mind. Her gut clenched, her heart squeezed, but she ignored his plea and severed the telepathic link between both men. She was ending this now, just as Lenox’s pack ended Eliza’s back at the tree.

  She loped down a steep incline and slid to a halt. She lifted her nose to the sky and sniffed the thickening air of the breaking dawn. The sky had lightened to a dark blue, casting eerie shadows through the dense canopy. The clean scent of untainted forest filled her lungs.

  Aya turned and sniffed again. Clean. She cocked her head and listened. The only sound that touched her ears was that of a lone bird chirping. She trekked back the way she came, pausing every few steps to assess her surroundings. Her spirit thrummed on high alert. Her wolf sensed danger lingering just out of sight, but she couldn’t hook on to a scent path.

  How did she lose Eliza?

  Leaves crackled behind her. She spun.

  Eliza pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. She grappled to right herself as she slid down the incline. A whimper escaped her throat. Her nails failed to slow her descent. She rolled over and tried to slow her slide, digging her paws into the earth.

  Aya straightened on her legs and turned to face Eliza.

  The dark gray wolf edged closer to her, jowls quivering as she bared white fangs at her. Aya growled low and long, the fur along her spine standing straight up. She measured every carefully gauged step Eliza took, waiting for the right moment to strike.

  Eliza’s front paw slipped over loose leaves and dirt. Aya lunged forward and swatted out her front legs. The gray stumbled to gain footing, but quickly lost control. Aya grabbed hold of the wolf’s shoulders as they slid down the incline together. She avoided the vicious snaps of Eliza’s teeth aimed at her face until they rolled to a stop at the base of the hill.
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  Aya found herself beneath Eliza, one front leg wedged between their bodies. Eliza dug her back paw into Aya’s belly, her sharp claws breaking through the tender flesh. Aya yelped and thrashed, trying her damnedest to throw the beast off her. Teeth clamped down on her shoulder. Pain blossomed through her left side. If she could only get her paw out from between them…

  Eliza snarled. The vise on Aya’s shoulder released, only to reignite a new wave of agony from her neck. Warmth flowed over her belly and sifted through her thick fur. She dipped her head and grabbed hold of Eliza’s cheek with her teeth. She bit down, hard, until she broke through flesh. Eliza whimpered. The claws in her belly shifted. Teeth in her neck lifted.

  Aya pulled up her hind legs, wedged them beneath Eliza, and shoved the wolf away. Eliza pawed her injured face, snorting wildly. Aya righted herself, brushing aside the pulsating throb of pain throughout her body.

  She crouched back and prepared to leap.

  A tawny blur shot through the air and barreled into Eliza. The two wolves skidded to a halt more than ten feet from where Eliza last stood. When Aya reached the tangled duo, Riley had a death grip on Eliza’s neck. The woman’s struggle quickly slowed. Her growls melted into pants. Riley jerked his head, issuing one final tear into Eliza’s throat before he backed away from the dying wolf and turned to her.

  Aya stepped back when he approached her. The feral glow of his eyes struck the humming chords in her spirit and she cautiously opened the telepathic link to Riley. The line remained silent as he observed her through his wolf senses. Aya’s gaze strolled over her mate in wolf form. He was a magnificent, powerful creature with an imposing disposition. He radiated warning from ear to tail. His black nostrils flared, and the shorter white fur along his snout twitched, but the amber glow of his gaze never faltered.

  Aya took a single step into him, pressing the side of her face to his. She flicked her tongue out, his soft fur tickling her gums. Riley pulled back and licked her snout once, twice.

  “Let me get you home,” he murmured at last. Aya lowered her head and turned to press her entire body against his. She nestled her face against the thick fur of his neck and sighed. Riley rested his head atop of hers. “You can relax now knowing you’re safe. It’s over.”

  Yes, the nightmare was over, but something warned her a new challenge came with the rising sun.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nox noticed the pain had dulled in his body since his pack pulled him from the forest and returned him home. A day and a half of drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, with much help from medication, finally gave way to a manageable level of discomfort. His shoulders still ached from having tendons and muscles stretched and torn, but they were almost healed. The deep wounds over his wrists had closed, and the only evidence of injury lay in the red scars that were nearly gone.

  The gashes along his chest made by Eliza’s silver claw remained in a state of slow improvement. His flesh was irritated, red, and swollen. One of his pack mates had stitched three of the deepest wounds.

  Nox watched the fading orange glow of the sun from his place in bed. He listened to the sounds throughout his home. A television was on, the volume turned low. The mouthwatering aroma of food caused his jaw to tighten. His stomach rumbled. Damn, it had been two days since he last ate, and he was hungry.

  He was about to try his strength when the bedroom door opened. He looked up and smiled. Aya rushed over to his bed and crawled up alongside him. Her eyes shimmered, and her smile trembled, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly. Nox chuckled and leaned back on his pillow, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

  “We’ve been so worried about you.” Aya let out a deep breath against his throat. “You’re not gonna slip back into the unknown on us, are you?”

  “I don’t think so,” Nox assured. He cleared the heaviness in his throat and gave her a gentle squeeze. “How’re you holding up? You weren’t hurt, were you?”

  “Nothing compared to you. I managed to escape with only a couple scratches.”

  “When I’m up to my full strength, I’m going to have a little chat with you about putting yourself in danger.” Nox glanced up when the floorboard creaked beneath weight. Riley leaned against the door frame, arms folded over his chest. His expression was disturbingly indifferent.

  “I’ve already had a talk with her about that,” Riley said. Nox glanced down at Aya. She shrugged with a small nod, but the mischievous grin that touched the corners of her mouth set him to doubt she’d taken him seriously. “She’s a stubborn one.”

  “Well then, I guess she’ll be an equal to your stubbornness, wouldn’t you say?” Nox kissed the top of Aya’s head and settled back into his bed. Riley came up to the bed, dragging a chair from the desk. He straddled the seat, folding his hands on the back, and rested his chin on his knuckles. Aya nestled against Nox’s side. She didn’t sling her arm around his chest, but kept her hand on his shoulder. “What’s eating at you, Riley?”

  “Been contemplating the events from the past couple days. No, more like the past couple decades.” Riley’s gaze drifted to Aya, and for the first time, Nox glimpsed the unfettered adoration his lost friend held for their mate. “She loves you.”

  “And I’m certain her feelings echo the same for you.”

  “How could they? I’m responsible for her uncle’s death. I’m responsible for bringing Eliza to her. There’s nothing in this man she could love, or should love.”

  “You know, secret conversations are rude,” Aya murmured. Nox chuckled. Riley quirked a half grin.

  “We’re trying to devise a plan to keep your precious little ass out of trouble,” Riley said.

  She shook her head against Nox’s shoulder.

  “You think my ass is precious? How endearing,” she teased.

  Nox looked up at Riley and saw a crack in his indifferent shield. Christ, of all things to happen in such a short period of time, watching Riley fall in love with a woman was not one of them. He had prepared himself for weeks, months, hell, even years, of frustration at the thought of getting Riley on the right path and eventually accepting being fated to a white wolf.

  And here, while he lay in a limbo of recovery, something incredible had happened.

  “I have a feeling that task will be hard to accomplish,” Nox offered. Riley nodded against his hands. “There’s plenty of goodness inside you, Riley. You proved that in a matter of a few hours the other night. You came for her, saved her, took her into your care and protection. You were willing to listen to what we had to say, how you’d gone astray, and you were able to swallow the truth. She needs us both, just as much as we need her.”

  “Friend, it’s been too long since I last ventured into the realm of emotions. In part, I’m not sure I have the human tenderness in me enough to suppress the wild wolf. I’m not about to find that out at the expense of Ayasha.” Riley arched a brow. “Not if I have say in it. I’ll be sure to bribe her with a treat if she shows good behavior. Did she tell you the extent of her wounds from Eliza?”

  “Riley, quiet!” Aya warned. Nox stiffened. He pushed himself against the headboard. Aya shot Riley a glowering glance before turning a soft smile up to him.

  Nox shook his head. “Not gonna work.”

  “They were scratches.”

  “The bitch got her good in the shoulder and the neck. Nearly got her jugular.” Riley lifted his chin from his hands and pointed a finger at her. “You, darling, are too special to place yourself in that type of situation. Do you know what your loss could have done to us?”

  Aya’s smile waned. Nox cupped the side of her face and brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.

  “It’s true, little one. You’ve come to mean more to us than you obviously realize. We’re not saying these things in an attempt to control you. We don’t want to lose you to something that could be prevented,” Nox explained. He graced her forehead with a light kiss before settling her head on his shoulder again. Riley didn�
��t argue with his surmise and it drew his attention. “It’s written all over you, brother. You’re a fool to try and fight it.”

  “Well, this fool needs to take leave. I have to sort through some things on my own.” Riley’s mouth twitched, and he pressed to his feet. “Yes, we don’t want to lose you.” He turned his back and stretched his arms over his head. “I will not tell her I’m leaving. She’s better off with the more levelheaded, intelligent member of this threesome. Trust me, Lenox, this is taking more than just a bit of swallowed pride. It’s not in my nature to lay down arms and walk away from anything, but she deserves you. Perhaps, someday, I can return a bit more in control of things.”

  “We can work things out together. We grew up together. We went through the good and the bad, side by side. The spirits marked our fates together, loving a single woman, a sacred white.”

  “The irony of it all.” Riley glanced back over his shoulder. “I’ll return in a while. I’ll give you some catching-up time, since I’ve been a lucky bastard to have her all to myself the past day or so.” At that, Nox watched the man leave the room and make his way through the house.

  “I hope he’s okay,” Aya murmured. Nox smoothed back the short locks of her hair. The front door closed a moment later, and with it came a subtle sense of loss. Aya deserved them both, and they both deserved this one special woman.

  “I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “Take good care of that vixen, you hear?” Riley said. Nox sighed and closed his eyes. The ache from his wounds started to mount, and he slid down to his pillow. Aya moved with him, curling perfectly alongside him.

  “We’ll be waiting for you to return.”

  “Don’t hold your breath, Lenox Carter. I’m a rebel, an outsider with no rules, no boundaries. It’s all I know.”

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