Blood Moon Rising Box Set (Books 1-6)

by Lola Taylor

  The funeral had been all over the Underworld news. It was the grandest funeral the werewolf community, and probably the whole Underworld, had ever seen. Alara had wanted to keep it a private ceremony because she honestly didn’t think she could handle media attention right now, but somehow it seemed like the whole world had showed up for the burials. She should feel flattered, in a way, that people thought so highly of her family.

  And it had all been a lie. The Crescent name, the way they had achieved their power. Not through honor, not through their noble actions, but through manipulation and greed. Her family had never been the champions of justice and pillars of righteousness they’d pretended to be. No, she was beginning to doubt there had ever been much honor in her family legacy at all.

  Alara stared at herself in the mirror. She was in her room. Flowers people had sent to show their sympathy dripped from every surface. She knew people meant well, but good lord, the smell was about to drive her up the wall.

  She’d plucked a single red rose from one of the arrangements to wear in her hair. A bit macabre, perhaps, since it came from a funeral bouquet, but it looked pretty against the white ceremonial mating robe she now wore. Her long hair was still damp on the ends. She’d twisted it and draped it over one shoulder. She wore no makeup—she saw no need. Nik already knew what she looked like at her most vulnerable, and oh, tonight she would be vulnerable.

  What if she did something wrong? What if she screwed everything up and the bonding spell didn’t work?

  The Mark glittered in the moonlight streaming through her open curtains. She couldn’t believe it was already the end of the month.

  Her Blood Moon was here.

  And tonight, she would forever bind herself to the man she was growing to love.

  A soft knock came at the door, interrupting her jitters. She cleared her throat and called, “Come in.”

  The door opened, and her breath left her as her mate strolled into the room. His broad frame was covered in the robe. She knew the hard muscles that lay beneath, and she licked her lips as a wave of heat rushed below her navel.

  “Hello,” he said with a small, sexy smile as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso.

  She leaned her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of his pine body wash. It was such a refreshing change from the flowers that permeated the room. “You smell nice,” she murmured absently.

  He snorted. “Always a plus.” They were silent a moment. She opened her eyes, finding him staring back at her, a slight frown to his lips.

  “What is it?” she asked gently. “What’s wrong?”

  He swallowed and started to look away, then held her gaze. “You don’t have to do this.”

  She sighed. “Nik, we’ve been through this—”

  “Please, hear me out.”

  She pressed her lips together, waiting. Her heart started to pound. He’s changed his mind about this. He’s going to kick you to the curb by letting you down gently, her fears sang.

  He slowly turned her and grasped her hands in his. “Alara, before I met you, I didn’t realize how much I’d needed you, to feel close to someone again. But…” He squeezed her hands. At first she thought he meant it as an emphasizing gesture, then she felt a tremble.

  His hands were shaking.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “But I know you’ve been through a lot. What happened to your family was… God, Alara. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through. And I want you to know I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

  She braced herself. Here it comes.

  She could hear his heart. It was beating nearly as fast as her own. The emotion swirling in his eyes made her breathless. He reached up and cupped her cheek, tracing the rough pad of his thumb along her skin. “God, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “Since the moment I met you, I’ve been unable to stop thinking about you. These past few days have been both dream and nightmare, and despite the hard times, I’ve felt myself falling harder for you every day. But I know you have a kingdom to rule, and lots of other people will need you. I don’t want to get in your way.”

  Her shoulders sank with relief, and she smiled at him in amusement. “First of all, I’m not a princess. Well, I still sort of am. I’m half royal, apparently. So, technically I’m ineligible to rule anyway, at least, as far as ‘the crown passing to the king’s blood-related heir’ and all.”

  “Packs go through power switches every day when an Alpha is defeated in battle. You could always fight for your crown.”

  She nodded, adding a half-shrug. “Sure, I could. I’ve thought about it.” She took a breath. “But I don’t want to be High Queen.”

  He blinked. “Is this because of me? Because you know how I feel about ruling?”

  She chuckled. “Not really. To be honest, I’ve never wanted the crown.” She looked at her feet. “I’ve actually always wanted to be a veterinarian.”

  A brow arched and his face slowly lit up in a smile. “I could see that. You’re a natural defender. I could see you wanting to look after injured creatures.”

  “That dream wasn’t good enough for my mother,” she said quietly, noting it still stung to talk about her. It would take a long time for that to go away, regardless of how she felt about her. “I took some classes when I could, but for the most part, I’d given up on that dream because I never thought it could be a reality. I might have lost my family”—her voice hitched as she said it aloud—“but at the same time, I’ve been given a chance to pursue my own dreams. For the first time in my life, I can be myself and not feel bad about it.”

  She cupped his face in her hands, speaking more fervently. “Nik, I’m not going to lie. When I first met you, I thought you were one of the most arrogant men I’d ever met.”

  He grinned. “Sounds about right.”

  “But,” she said with a smile, “as I got to know you, I was surprised to find a lot of myself in you. You’ve been hiding who you really are from the world, too. No one saw you, but I did. Just as you were the first to look upon me and not see a princess, but the woman underneath.” Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about what she was about to say next. “And, at the risk of sounding like a sap, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you.”

  His breath caught.

  “Or at least,” she added quickly, “I think I have. Honestly, I had no idea what real love felt like—until now. This, what’s happening between us, is something special. And I never, ever want to let that go.”

  No more than a second passed before his mouth was on hers, kissing her so passionately she could hardly breathe. His tongue raked along hers, caressing it. She moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her aching breasts against him. She wanted him to touch her, to suck on her hardened nipples and kiss her in places she’d never been kissed before. She wanted to be ravished, to feel what it was like not having any barriers between them.

  “I want to feel you inside me,” she said raggedly, starting to take off his robe.

  He chuckled and grasped her hands, stopping her. “And believe me, love, no one wants that more than me. But we have to get the paperwork out of the way first, so to speak.”

  He looked at the door. Alara knew he was silently calling to the people waiting outside. A moment later, Gage and Danica walked in.

  Danica smiled at her. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” Alara said, blushing. She’d almost forgotten about this part. Right, you mean the part where you have sex for the first time ever in front of a live audience? Totally understandable you’d forget a small detail like that.

  Her stomach felt queasy, and Nik grasped her hand. “You sure about this?” he asked quietly.

  Shoving her nerves aside, she nodded. “Yeah,” she said, her voice breathier, “I’m sure.”

  “Good,” Gage said, stepping forward. “Let us begin.”

  He read them the Rites of the Mates, where
they swore their loyalty to one another for all eternity. Strangely enough, when Alara said her vows to Nik, she felt surer. By the time they’d sliced their palms for the blood oath, she’d forgotten all about why she had been nervous in the first place.

  Gage gestured for them to proceed to the mating bed, then he and Danica began to softly chant the incantation that would initiate the mating bond. Alara’s blood hummed with anticipation as Nik scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down with tender care and began untying the belt that held her robe shut. His eyes never left hers. She saw a mixture of love and lust there, the same look she undoubtedly had.

  Shivers raced across her body as he opened the robe and cool air hit her bare skin. Nik stared at her, raw hunger consuming his expression. His eyes roved over her naked body, resting on her breasts. They heaved up and down as her breaths became more ragged as carnal need filled her. Her nipples were erect, waiting to be teased.

  In a few fluid motions, he’d removed his robe and cast it aside. The many candles around the room lit up his beautiful, muscular body with a soft yellow glow. Alara forgot all about the scars, not even seeing them as he leaned forward, crawling over her like a predator about to take down his prey.

  She felt the hard length of him graze her sex, and her breath lodged in her throat.

  “Not yet,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “I need to prepare you first.”

  What did he mean? Was this what people called foreplay?

  Nerves tingled in her tummy as he began kissing her neck, her nipples raking across his bare chest. He reached up and began kneading her breasts, their fullness barely fitting in the palms of his hands. The first time his tongue flicked out to lick her cherry nubs, she forgot about the people watching and that this was her first time lying with a man. She forgot about anything except how to breathe and the feel of his hands and tongue lighting her skin on fire.

  She moaned as his mouth trailed farther down, kissing her from her breasts to below her navel.

  When she finally had a moment of clarity among the dizzying sensations swirling within her, she almost told him to stop.

  Then he kissed her there.

  Pleasure shot straight to her core, and she dug her nails into the mattress, clinging to the bed sheets as his lips sucked on her while his tongue explored her sex. Her thighs spread farther as her body relaxed, allowing him to go deeper. She cried out, shoots of pleasure making it feel like every nerve ending in her body was tingling.

  At last, when she thought she couldn’t take anymore and she’d come undone altogether, Nik sat up and positioned himself over her.

  “This will hurt,” he said gently, regret shining in his eyes.

  “I know,” she breathed, barely able to speak. “I’m ready.”

  He didn’t look convinced. Or maybe he was worried about hurting her. She smiled, brushing her fingers along his face as she leaned forward. “Take me, Nik,” she whispered. “Join us together, forever.”

  He let out a shaking breath. Slowly, gently, he lowered himself into her. His shaft was white-hot, stretching her bit by exquisite bit. She sighed as he filled her up.

  “Are you all right?” he said quietly.

  She nodded. “Farther. I want to feel all of you.”

  He pressed his hips against hers, making himself glide in farther. There was a great pressure, then a pinch, and suddenly he was wholly in. She gasped, not from pain, but from the incredible bolt of pleasure that rippled through her. His blazing hot sex rubbed her most sensitive spot deep within, and she clawed at his back as he groaned, relishing the feeling. He kissed her as he gently began rocking himself in and out, sweet gestures that were no less scorching than their earlier kisses.

  She rocked with him, bringing her hips up to meet his time and time again, building momentum as the fire in her increased. Blue light shone through the room, radiating from the tattoos forming along their torsos, chests, backs, and arms, but her pleasure-addled mind barely registered what was happening.

  Her world was unraveling—she was unraveling.

  She could tell he was too. His breaths became ragged, and he clung to her hips, gripping them as he made love to her more urgently.

  “Nik,” she gasped, right before the light reached its climax. Fireworks sparked in her vision as she squeezed her eyes shut and cried out as pleasure surged through her, emanating from a spot deep within.

  A moment later, Nik grunted, coming hard as he pumped a few more times before stilling. He lay on top of her, both of them soaked in sweat and breathing hard.

  In a state of blissful delirium, she blinked the stars out of her vision and observed her arms. Intricate tattoos of midnight blue inked her skin from one arm to the next, as it did on her mate’s.

  Her mate’s.

  She couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face. “It worked.”

  Nik kissed her, looking amused. “You seem surprised.”

  “It’s just… I was so afraid….”

  “Sssh.” He kissed her forehead and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her face. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t ever leave you. I swear to be loyal to you, always.” He rested his forehead against hers. “We’re a family now.”

  A family.

  Tears stung her eyes. “Oh, Nik.”

  Someone tried hiding a cough without much success. Alara looked past Nik’s shoulder, where Danica was blushing sheepishly. “Crap,” she said under her breath. “I was trying not to ruin the mood.”

  Nik grinned, sitting up and retrieving his robe. He helped Alara get dressed, but not before taking one last eyeful of her in. “I’ll never get tired of that,” he murmured.

  “Careful,” Alara whispered, trailing a nail down his chest. “Or you’ll get horny again.”

  “Already there, sweetheart.” He cleared his throat and turned to smile at Danica. “No harm done, love. The ceremony was perfect.” He sat behind Alara, pulling her into his lap. “It’s probably just as well you interrupted us.” He kissed the back of his mate’s neck. “She has a meeting to attend tonight anyway.”

  “About the Crescent Pack leadership, right?” Gage murmured darkly.

  Alara nodded. She had told Nik it was all right to divulge the details about her heritage to Gage and Danica. Though Alara had made no official statement yet, she knew it was only a matter of time before the secret came out. She’d rather it be from her own mouth than through some scandal the tabloids made up.

  “I’m going to announce my true lineage and relinquish my hold on the crown,” Alara said strongly. “Once that happens, the werewolf community can move forward with electing a new High King.”

  Gage ran a hand over his face. “This is going to be a bloodbath. Every Alpha in the country will be going after this position once they hear the news.”

  “Not if I name a successor,” Alara said. “I’m still half-royal. There’s a clause that states I can name a successor. He or she can be challenged for the crown, sure, but my naming my own candidate will give him or her enormous political sway.”

  “You sure about that, love?” Nik said gently. “You know how the royals love to shun halflings.”

  He didn’t mean it as an insult. It was the bitter truth. Oh, yes, she knew all too well how those stuck-up lot treated people they deemed below them. “Most of them respect me enough I think to at least listen to what I have to say. My father wasn’t the only one who knew how to build connections.”

  Nik grinned. “That’s my girl.”

  “Okay, so say they will back you,” Gage said. “That’s an enormous responsibility, not to mention a lot of power. Who exactly are you going to get to accept such a candidacy?”

  “Actually,” Alara began carefully, “I already have someone in mind.” She looked Gage right in the eyes.

  “I want to name you my successor.”

  END OF BOOK 2

  The third book in the smoldering, romantic series featuring a whole lot of fu
r and a whole lot of curves.

  If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Gage’s worst fears have come to light. One of his own has betrayed him, nearly resulting in the death of his mate. Then he finds out the betrayer was in league with the High King of werewolves, the man who took out the hit for unknown reasons. When Alara, the king’s illegitimate daughter—and his brother’s new mate—elects Gage as a contender for the crown, he’s torn between duty and love once more. On one hand, becoming High King could allow him to get closer to the witch who’s pulling the strings—the mysterious Mistress Black. On the other hand, it almost certainly means putting his mate that much closer to danger.

  And Gage isn’t the only one who’s after the crown. Werewolves of all backgrounds rise up to put their chips into play in what becomes one of the deadliest power struggles in werewolf history. The stakes are higher than ever, especially when a foe from Gage’s past shows up with the sole intention of making Danica his.

  If their love is to survive, Danica and Gage will have to work together to uncover the true motives behind the witch mafia’s activity and defeat the most wicked enemy either of them has ever known. Secrets will be revealed, love will be tested, and ghosts from the past will emerge in this third exciting installment to the sexy Blood Moon Rising series.

  Danica had only a few seconds before her mate’s emotions slammed into her, the heaviest of which was shock. The sheer force of it, coupled with her own swirling feelings, held her body immobile while her mind raced to process what Alara had just said.

  “I want to name you my successor.”

  Alara wanted Gage to be High King of the werewolves. And that would make Danica….

  Her heart began to race, rocketing from moderate to oh-my-God. She’d only recently grown accustomed to the idea of ruling a pack. Now Alara thought Danica could rule an entire nation of werewolves? Was she insane? Danica fit in with the royal crowd as much as a wolf did among sheep, no pun intended.