Blood Moon Rising Box Set (Books 1-6)

by Lola Taylor

  He grinned. “What a coincidence. So am I.” He swam closer.

  She backed away, cursing how the water wouldn’t let her move fast enough. “Careful. I bite.”

  “Kinky.” He was directly in front of her now. She dared glance down.

  Oh. Oh, my.

  He made no effort to hide the erection proudly pointing toward her. Her pulse began to throb harder, along with the sudden strong urge to rub herself up against him, maybe even let him slide inside.

  “You look distracted,” he murmured, swimming around her.

  She swallowed hard, blinking several times. “It’s just, I’ve never swam with a naked man before.”

  “Something tells me you haven’t seen a naked man before.”

  She whirled on him in outrage. “I have too!”

  That amused smile pulled at his lips, like he was trying not to act like everything out of her mouth was funny. “I didn’t know princesses were even allowed to date.”

  “There’s always porn. For all you know, I could have a secret stash.”

  He laughed outright. “A girl after my own heart.”

  The smile fell off her face at the thought of him ogling other women. That heavy feeling she’d felt earlier in the car returned.

  “Hey,” he said, immediately turning serious and gazing at her with concern. “What is it?”

  “Nothing.”

  She started to swim away from him, but he followed. “Tell me,” he said gently. “You’ve had that frown on your face since the car ride.”

  Had she really? She made a mental note to keep a better rein on her emotions. She didn’t know this man. Why did she care whom he’d slept with?

  “Does this have to do with what Jason said?”

  Her eyes widened slightly before she could think to control her reaction.

  He growled a sigh and shook his head. “I’m going to kill him,” he muttered.

  “So it’s true then.” Her voice was quiet, resigned. Of course a guy like him would have lots of bedmates. Anything that wickedly gorgeous couldn’t possibly be a saint.

  She’d stopped swimming. Nik stopped in front of her, his warm breath caressing her cheek. His voice was rough as he spoke. “I’m not going to deny what I’ve done,” he said. He tilted her chin up so she’d look him in the eyes. “But I can promise you if you choose me, I’ll never look at another woman again.”

  Her heart started to race. Her throat had suddenly gone dry, making her voice crack. “And why should I choose you?”

  He grinned, leaning in and staring at her lips. “Because you think I’m sexy.”

  “I do not.” Her breath was coming in heavier.

  “I did rescue you.”

  “That’s beside the point. ‘Kidnapped me’ is more like it.”

  He chuckled. His mouth hovered right over hers. “You didn’t try to stop me.”

  She held her breath. Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her eardrums. “I didn’t want to.”

  The next second, his mouth was on hers in a blistering kiss. His tongue forced her lips apart, searching out hers. She moaned as he gripped her waist, pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, digging her nails into his back as he hitched her legs around his waist. He walked them over about five feet toward the side of the pool. She barely noticed the movement because he was doing amazing things with his mouth, and she’d never in her life been kissed this way before. It was needy, like he was drowning for her touch. Her back met the wall of the pool, the water all the way up to their shoulders.

  Her sex rubbed against his cock, sending warm, tingling sensations cascading through her. She moaned as he bucked his hips, gliding his erection along her sex.

  “I want you,” he growled as he began kissing her jaw, her neck. “I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you.”

  Her only answer was a sigh as his lips trailed lower, kissing the crests of her breasts. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, taking one plump breast into his hand and giving it a squeeze. “Every inch of you is flawless.”

  She almost cried hearing that. She’d been rejected by her family and societal pressures for so long, she’d begun to give up hope she’d find someone who would accept her—even desire her—for the way she was, curves and all.

  I will not cry. I will not cry, I will not—

  In her effort not to cry, she sniffled. Nik froze, then looked at her face. She ducked her head away, but not before he saw.

  “Hey,” he said in the gentlest voice she’d ever heard. “What’s the matter? What did I do?”

  She laughed as he brushed tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “Nothing. You’re perfect.”

  “Then what? Tell me? I’ll do anything to make it right.”

  She stared into his eyes. They seemed so earnest, so kind. Why hadn’t she seen the kindness there before? Something in her had sensed it, deep down, when they first met. He wouldn’t have saved her from that dance, wouldn’t have cared if she’d been shot, if he were like the others. He cared about her, not her title. It was damn refreshing.

  She smiled, leaning her forehead against hers. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For seeing me.”

  He blinked, looking startled at first, then scared. No, not scared—terrified.

  Her brows came together. “Nik?”

  He cleared his throat, letting go of her. “I’m sorry.” He looked at a loss for words, then he mumbled again, “I’m sorry,” and turned to leave.

  “Wait!” she called out, but he didn’t stop.

  A moment later, he was gone, leaving her alone in the pool wondering what the hell had just happened.

  Nik’s heart pounded the whole way back to their room. What the hell had come over him? He’d promised himself he wasn’t going through this emotional intimacy again, and what had he done? Nearly shagged her in the pool, that’s what. And it hadn’t just been sex.

  He shook his head. Stupid!

  He felt even worse for just leaving her there without any explanation whatsoever. It wasn’t like he was going to pour his heart out or anything. But the way she made him feel, his intense attraction toward her…. It felt dangerous. Being a bit of a danger magnet, he liked it.

  Which scared the hell out of him.

  Maybe he should let her father try to break the Mark’s bind on them. It would be better for Alara if she’d never met him and could go about her life like a normal wolf. Find a nice Alpha to settle down with and rule. And what the hell did Nik know about ruling anyway? Someday, Alara would be High Queen. Nik was deluding himself if he thought for a second he could become the most powerful were in the nation.

  The thought of leaving Alara and never seeing her again made his gut wrench. Could he walk away from her, even if it meant ripping his own heart out?

  He’d just gotten the door closed when Alara walked in. “What the hell was that?”

  He composed himself quickly and faced her, his poker face once again on. “What was what?”

  “You know what I mean.” She walked toward him, determined. “One second, you had your tongue down my throat. The next, you act as if it had never happened and ran away with your tail between your legs.”

  He snorted. “I did not run away like a wounded pup.”

  She crossed her arms. “You sure as hell looked scared.”

  He raised a brow. “Look at you, swearing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m starting to rub off on you.” He let his gaze sweep her body. The satin from the dress was wet, and her nipples stretched against the fabric. “Quite literally, earlier.”

  “Stop it!” she growled, stomping her foot.

  “Stop what?”

  “Flirting with me! Making all those empty comments! Look, if you don’t have any intention of following through with this, then just leave. I don’t play games.”

  “Neither do I,” he said, going perfectly serious. “I wasn’t trying to fool you just to get you into bed.”


  She flushed. He knew for certain now she must be a virgin. Every time he brought up sex, she blushed like a sixteen-year-old school girl. God, when was the last time he’d had a virgin beneath him? The thought of teaching her about all the pleasures of a man’s touch made him quiver with desire.

  Down boy.

  Her bottom lip started to tremble, and he felt like scum. “Come here,” he said, starting to take her in his arms.

  She resisted and he chuckled. “You don’t have to always be so strong around me,” he said gently, hugging her anyway.

  She pushed against him. “I’m not going to cry on your shoulder, if that’s what you’re waiting for.”

  “I know. But I need you to know I’m here for you if you ever need to.”

  She stilled. When she didn’t say anything, he looked down at her. Silent tears were falling down her cheeks.

  He held her tighter, a protective urge going through him. Right then, he would have given her the world if he could have.

  “Nik?”

  He turned to look at her. “Yeah?”

  He had no warning before her mouth met his. His eyes widened in shock as she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was all he could do to think straight. Before he knew it, he’d picked her up and carried her over to the bed. They crashed atop the cool sheets. He kissed her with equal fervor, deep, scorching kisses that grew the desire in him. She clawed at his shirt as his hands roved all over the wet silk of her ruined dress.

  “Fuck it.” He sat up and stripped free of the dress shirt. She stared at him in awe, her eyes taking in every inch of his lean, muscular body. They were both breathing hard. Her eyes saddened, and he knew they’d lost the moment. He mentally swore, wishing he’d never stripped.

  Her fingertips gently traced the patterns of scars all over his body. “How did you get so many?” she whispered.

  His throat tightened, as it always did when talking about his past. “I got in a lot of fights,” he said dismissively, laying down beside her with his arms behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling, remembering the pain as teeth, knives, and bullets sliced into his body. Every scar had a story.

  “Tell me,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

  He put his arm around her, wanting to keep her close. “How about you change out of that wet silk before you catch a cold?”

  “Then you’ll tell me?”

  He stared at her for a long while. He nodded once and she sat up. When she started to reach for the zipper, he got to it first. “Allow me.”

  Slowly, he undid the zipper, slipping his hand inside and feeling her soft flesh. She sighed as he kissed the back of her neck, reaching around and squeezing those plump breasts he couldn’t get enough of. He let his palm wander down the soft curves on her side as he peeled the dress away, until she was in nothing but her undergarments.

  “Take those off, too,” he whispered huskily. “I want to see you.”

  She stiffened.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, gently brushing her wet curls away from her shoulder. He liked the look of the curve where her neck rounded out into her shoulder. All her curves were feminine and sexy as hell to him.

  “It’s just,” she finally said, “no one’s ever seen me….”

  He rested his head against hers so his mouth was beside her ear. “Then let me be the first and the last.” He meant it, too. Against his wishes, he was smitten. It was more than just the Fever—he wasn’t a fool. Somewhere along the way, she had hooked him.

  She slowly stood and turned to face him. Holding his gaze, she reached behind her and unclasped her strapless bra. It fell away, revealing round, full breasts with dark cherry nubs that tightened as the chilly air hit them. Next, she stepped out of her underwear. A soft patch of black hair crowned her, and he felt himself harden. He stared at her, his throat going dry.

  She shifted her weight. “Sorry I’m not skinnier.”

  He held up a hand. “Don’t ever undermine yourself, my lady. You are perfect just the way you are.”

  Tears shone in her eyes again, and her lips parted, like she was at a loss for words.

  He stood and reached for his pants zipper. “It’s only fair,” he said with a wicked grin. He undid the zipper and his pants fell away, followed by his boxers.

  She stared at his erection, licked her lips. Her fingertips subconsciously wandered over to her sex and rubbed it. Her chest rose and fell quicker as her breathing grew heavier.

  “Do you want to touch it?” he said roughly.

  She nodded, eyes still glued to it.

  He laid back down and reached for her. She took his hand and he pulled her close. Gently, he guided her hand down to his sex. “Grab it,” he commanded.

  She wrapped her fingers around his hard length.

  “Stroke me.”

  She stared at his mouth, starting to pump him in smooth, long strokes. He closed his eyes and groaned deep within his throat, bucking his hips with her rhythm. She gasped when his fingers found her crease, his thumb raking across the swollen nub of her sex. She was so damp. What he wouldn’t give to slide himself in her now and make love to her….

  “No one’s ever touched you here before, have they?”

  She swallowed hard and shook her head. “Just me.”

  “Oh? Do you like to play with yourself?” He caressed her deeper.

  Her legs parted as she sighed in pleasure, her own hips starting to buck to the rhythm. “Sometimes.”

  “Where?”

  She closed her eyes, a sexy, devilish smile coming over her pretty lips. “In the bathtub. Or in the shower, mostly.”

  He brought his mouth just over hers. “I’d like to kiss you down there.”

  She groaned as he touched her deeper, slipping another finger in as she opened up for him and he cupped her. His thumb ran circles across her sex.

  She licked her lips. “Shower first.”

  He chuckled. “As you wish, my lady. I can always kiss you in the shower.”

  She smiled. “You were going to tell me about your scars.”

  “It’s a little hard to concentrate while you’re touching me.”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No. It feels good. Not as good as being inside you will. I bet you’re pretty tight. It’ll be hot and wet. I bet you’ll fit like a glove.”

  “I don’t know if you can fit.”

  He chuckled. “Now you’re just flattering me.”

  He withdrew his hand and her eyes flew open. “Why are you stopping?”

  “I want you to come with me in you. I want to feel you clenching around me.” He licked his fingertips. “Tastes sweet.”

  “Tease.” She lay back and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “This is just making me hornier.”

  “Some think foreplay’s just as enjoyable as the real thing.”

  She shrugged. “Guess I wouldn’t know.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  “Not really. But I’ll manage.” She winked at him and settled against him, tracing a fingernail along his chest. “You have a lot of tattoos.”

  “Helps hide the scars.”

  “Why do you have so many?”

  He was silent a moment, his thoughts filled with memories of blood and violence. “You remember Malachite.”

  She shivered. “His brutality with the Moonstruck Pack is nothing short of legendary.” She looked at him in shock. “You didn’t know him, did you?”

  Nik’s gaze grew cold. “For two freshly-turned pups, it was hard trying to find a pack to take us. I got into a lot of fights, mostly trying to protect Gage until he was old enough and tough enough to look after himself. Moonstruck was the only one to take us in. Fitting in was better than being rogue for a werewolf, plus we didn’t know what the hell was happening to us or how the Underworld worked.” He closed his eyes, remembering the nights spent in the fight rings, when he’d defend his little brother. Tak
ing his place had cost him, but he would gladly do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping Gage safe. “Most of these scars came from the time spent under Malachite’s rule until Gage defeated him and took his place.”

  Alara was silent, tracing patterns along his skin with her nail. “Though it never came to blows, there was a lot of political fighting in my pack,” she said. “High-stakes politics can be brutal. I don’t remember my mother being so cruel until later. When I was a little girl, she just seemed sad. She went through a bout of depression. Then she had Izzy, and it was like her whole world was suddenly bathed in sunshine. I tried to hate Izzy for stealing my mother’s love—the love she’d never truly showed me—but I couldn’t. Izzy became my rock. She was kind and gentle. She’s not meant to be a queen.”

  “That’s why you bear the burden, as crown princess. To protect her.”

  “And I’m the oldest,” she said bitterly. “But yes.”

  Nik looked at the woman in his arms. She had scars, too, he realized. They just weren’t visible.

  Alara laughed half-heartedly. “It’s funny, you know? We were rich, and by all outside appearances, happy. But even if you have everything, you can still be miserable.”

  Nik stilled. “Do you think you could be happy with me?”

  She looked at him, her eyes searching his, as if trying to find an answer there. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

  “It’s a start.” Nik held her closer. “I’ll never hurt you. I swear it on my life.”

  She pressed her finger against his lips. “Don’t make me promises. I don’t want them. I just want you.”

  Nik stared at her. Someone must have let her down many times for her not to want promises. He could relate. His father promised to look after them, then he killed himself after he became a werewolf. His mother promised to always be there for him, and she left when things got too rough with their dad. His older brother also said he’d stick around, but he hadn’t seen him in years. He hadn’t been able to find him, either, and he respected that in a way. Sometimes people didn’t want to be found.

  “I’ve always wanted to be someone else,” Alara said, staring at his chest. Her marked hand was pressed against his pectoral muscles. “Now that I have the chance to be, I’m scared. I’ve never fit in with my pack, but I’ve always been a royal.”