Blood Moon Rising Box Set (Books 1-6)

by Lola Taylor

  “Which is exactly why we’ll need someone strong enough to do what it takes to get us to a safe place where we can successfully merge with the human race. I know for a fact I’m not the only one tired of hiding.” When Malachite made no response, Norman added, “I could give you a place among my court.”

  “I’m not interested in power,” Malachite said without hesitation. His leadership role had nearly gotten him killed the last time. He had no desire to relive that experience again.

  Norman studied him. “You have not aligned yourself with a different pack since being dethroned. Being a rogue must get lonely. Surely you’ll want a mate then if you do not want power.”

  Malachite’s eyes hardened. “I’ll think about it.”

  Norman’s jaw ticked. Rising, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an engraved gold box full of business cards. “Well, I can see you’re going to need some time to digest this. Should you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  He started to leave and paused by the door. “Oh, and, Malachite, do try to decide soon. This offer is time-sensitive.”

  With his warning still hanging in the air, he sauntered out the door and closed it behind him.

  Malachite stared at the card.

  Could it really be possible to make Danica his? She was practically his Emily come back to life. It had to be a sign.

  Finally, his loneliness was coming to an end.

  But this wasn’t something he could fully embrace yet. He knew better than anyone that every bargain had a price.

  The question was, was he willing to pay it? At one point, he and Gage had been pack brothers. Those ties were closer than family.

  Could he commit the ultimate betrayal of pack blood and stab Gage Johnson in the back?

  After the dungeon escapade, Nik and Alara had bidden Gage and Danica farewell so they could prepare for her first Change. She and Gage made a quick trip to their room for some supplies, then they headed outside toward the woods.

  Danica’s breath caught as the moonlight spilled across her skin, making it tingle like mad. It felt like a thousand tiny bubbles were popping all along her body. It tickled, which made her giggle.

  Gage walked beside her, carrying the duffel bag of necessities on his shoulder. He smiled. “Isn’t it incredible?”

  “Yes,” she breathed, reaching out with her other senses. She could feel the pulse of the earth in her bones, could feel every blade of grass and hear every beat of delicate insect wings. “It’s like I’m connected to nature in a way I’ve never been before, like the woods are calling me home.”

  He took her hand and pulled her forward. “It gets better once you’re a wolf.” He winced. “Though getting to that point won’t be a picnic.”

  She nodded, and they kept walking down the gravel drive and into the meadow surrounding the castle. Her mind warred with her body’s urge to change as the logical part of her clung to her humanity. Her heart—her soul—longed to be free.

  Her heart pounded harder; the pull of the impending Change became much more insistent the closer they drew to the woods. She tugged on Gage’s hand as fear locked up her feet, and they came to a stop.

  “What if I’m not ready?” she whispered to Gage as he cupped her face.

  He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “None of us thinks we’re ready the first time because there is no way to prepare for what’s about to happen. We can tell you about it and you can read others’ accounts, but it’s still unlike anything you could ever have imagined. Just know this”—he placed his forehead against hers and held her gaze—“you are strong enough to do this. You are a queen of wolves, and one of the toughest women I know. Nothing can break you.”

  She stared into his eyes and felt the strength of his confidence in her. The tremble in her bones never went away completely, but it soothed some once it was comforted by Gage’s love and encouragement.

  “Okay,” she rasped, nodding her head once.

  They walked hand in hand silently through the woods. Gage chuckled. “Careful. You’ll cut off my circulation.”

  “Gosh, I’m sorry,” she said, easing her grip. “My stomach is doing a number on me.”

  “It’s okay,” he said with a smile, though he looked a bit uneasy himself. “Everyone’s nervous their first time.”

  Danica snorted.

  “No sexual innuendos intended,” Gage corrected in a smoky voice that made her laugh.

  They spoke easily about different things for the rest of the short walk to the clearing. A lake stretched before them, and the water glittered under the moonlight.

  Gage set down the bag with their necessities. He faced her and took a deep breath, grasping both of her hands. His heart was beating as fast as her own; she could feel his pulse through their fingers and the flitter of his nerves through their mating bond. “Ready?”

  Danica swallowed hard, finding it difficult to do so because her throat had nearly closed up. Unable to speak, she mutely nodded and began undressing.

  Her fingers fumbled with the buttons on her blouse, her clammy hands missing the holes over and over. Gage at last steadied her fingers and guided her actions. “It’s okay,” he said gently as they tackled the line of buttons together. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

  “I’m scared,” she whispered as her top came off. He started on her blue jeans next.

  “I know. I wish I could spare you this. If there were a way to break the bond—”

  She placed a finger to his lips. “Don’t ever say that. Nothing in this world or the next could tear me from you. If going through this means keeping you, then I’ll endure any hell.”

  “Danica—”

  “Ssssh.” She stood on her tiptoes and lightly pressed her lips to his.

  He kissed her back, the tender gesture quickly deepening into something fiery. Gage broke off the kiss and groaned deep in his throat. “Hmmm…. More time for that later.”

  “Or now,” she murmured, starting to kiss him again.

  “Danica….”

  “Fine, fine.” She shimmied out of the rest of her clothes, feeling far too exposed in nothing but her skin. It wasn’t exactly warm tonight. Fall was banging on summer’s door, and goose bumps prickled along her skin. Her nipples perked from the chill.

  Their bodies were cloaked in shadows. They stood just along the edge of the forest, out of the circle of moonlight bathing the meadow.

  Gage undressed quickly. She couldn’t take her eyes off him the entire time; she let her eyes rove over the finely sculpted abs and the threaded muscles along his arms, legs, and chest. He was beautiful.

  And he was all hers.

  Her eyes dropped to the erection jutting between his legs, and heat surged beneath her belly button. More than anything, she wanted to mount him right then and there.

  He followed her gaze, his eyes flashing gold with desire. “Soon,” he murmured, kissing her neck as he slowly turned her around so her back was to him. Her eyes immediately fixed on the moonlight, and a new hunger took over. It was as if every nerve in her body had come alive with electric tingles that set her heart to racing. Her fear took a backseat to her desire to become one with the moonlight, to change into something more feral.

  “Step into the light,” Gage whispered into her ear.

  Danica took a deep breath, steadying herself mentally, and stepped forward. Grass tickled her feet, and tall, purple flowers kissed her bare thighs as she pressed forward, one step at a time. Her heart beat harder with every breath she took, until all she could hear was the sound of her excitement beating away in her chest.

  The sounds of the crickets and owls died away as she paused on the edge of light and closed her eyes.

  Just breathe.

  Then she stepped forward.

  The second the light hit her, she felt the Change take hold. With a cry, she buckled over as fire melted her bones and stretched her skin so taut she thought it would rip clean off. She screamed, the sound of her hu
man voice morphing into a ghoulish, high-pitched howl.

  Distantly, she heard Gage yelling out instructions to her, but she could barely make out what he was saying. All she could focus on was pain, pain, pain and praying the agony would end.

  At last, the fiery hell ended. It washed away, leaving her filled with a sense of euphoria unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Sounds she hadn’t noticed as a human fought for her attention; the scuttle of ants moving along the dirt, of earthworms burrowing tunnels in the soil far below her, of predators soaring through the open sky above.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes. Good God, everything was so much sharper. Had she been blind as a human?

  Danica.

  She turned, clumsily righting herself as she adjusted to spreading her weight over four large paws. A great white wolf with vibrant blue eyes came up beside her.

  Her mate.

  He sniffed her with his big black nose and whimpered. Are you all right?

  I’m… more than all right. I’m amazing.

  He opened up his mouth, panting and making it look like he was smiling as his red tongue lolled over the side of his fangs. Take a look in the lake.

  She did as he said and stepped forward. Slowly, the sight of a golden wolf came into view on the water’s surface, its green eyes glowing with flecks of gold.

  Wow, she breathed. Is that… is that really me?

  You’re beautiful, Gage said, coming up beside her. Something else, isn’t it?

  It’s indescribable.

  Want to give your new body a test drive? he said eagerly, pawing at the dirt like a dog that wanted to be thrown a ball.

  She yipped. Hell yeah, I do!

  With that, Gage took off and she chased after him. They flew over the forest ground, her confidence in her new self growing the more she ran, leapt, and sprang. Wind raked through her fur, and she howled with the ecstasy of feeling so free and powerful.

  Gage and she played tag with one another, running the full length of the forest and coming back again around dawn to the spot where she’d first shed her human skin and evolved into a full-fledged werewolf.

  As the sky lightened and the moon set, her skin tingled with the familiar itch that had started it all. Though it hurt to turn back—but not as much as the first time she’d turned into a wolf—she found herself sad to be going back to her human form. As a wolf, she didn’t have to worry about bills or politics or any of the other day-to-day bullshit she dealt with. She was just… free.

  The sun had barely broken the horizon when she finished changing back, and the two of them sprawled across the grass, sweating and panting as the golden light crept across the meadow.

  She shivered as the sunlight warmed her skin, already missing the moon that had given her the greatest gift she’d ever known.

  Gage opened the bag he’d brought and got out a blanket. They cuddled in it, and she leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the sun rise. She’d been so scared before, but now a remarkable sense of peace filled her. She smiled softly.

  A new day—and a new chapter in her life—was beginning.

  A brighter chapter.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve done this,” Gage murmured against her hair.

  She snuggled into him, enjoying the scent of pine and nature. Now that she’d shifted once, her senses remained somewhat sharpened in human form, but she still felt like she couldn’t quite breathe because it was all so much to take in. “Me too.”

  “My brothers and I used to climb up on the barn and watch the sun rise over the farm all the time.”

  She blinked. “You lived on a farm?”

  He nodded, a wistful yet sad look in his eyes. “We lived in the slums in the city when I was very little, but my father had always loved the countryside. So we moved to the boonies when I was a bit older. We were veritable country bumpkins, complete with cows, goats, and chickens. My favorite was the horses. They could run like the wind.”

  “Why don’t you have horses now?” she asked. They certainly had the money for them.

  Gage shrugged. “Not enough time to take care of them properly.”

  After a quiet moment, she said gently, “Do you miss that life?”

  “Sometimes,” he admitted. “It was simpler.” Then he looked at her affectionately and kissed the top of her head. “But I can’t say I’d rather be anywhere else.”

  She held his gaze, pulling his head back toward hers. “Me either,” she whispered against his lips.

  They kissed, their tongues lightly dancing along one another’s. His hand slipped up to tangle in her windblown hair, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the way her already erect nipples rubbed against his chest.

  Her inner wolf was restless from earlier. She’d thought about making love while they were both in wolf form, but she wasn’t quite that bold yet. The more human part of her—the woman who was madly in love with her man—craved human touch.

  She gently grabbed his other hand and guided it to one of her breasts. He cupped it, squeezing and kneading and teasing the nipple as she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Her honey coated his thickening shaft as she ground against him, the fire below her belly building with every scintillating stroke. He groaned and picked her up, keeping the blanket wrapped around them as he planted her back against a tree. She could feel the contour of the bark, but it wasn’t rough, not with the soft padding of the thick blanket to protect her skin.

  A moment later when Gage entered her, she didn’t notice much of anything else anyway.

  She moaned as he began pumping, and she wrapped her legs around him. Her nails dug into his back as his hips bucked harder, making love to her with an urgency and a wildness that made her blood boil with desire.

  The pleasure built quickly, ending with her crying out his name as he grunted. He pumped a few more times before they were both spent.

  He held her up, both of them drenched in sweat and panting, their hot breath mingling with each other’s.

  “I love you,” he said, staring into her eyes.

  She smiled. It wasn’t the first time he’d told her, but she’d never tire of hearing it. People had rarely told her so much.

  “I love you too,” she rasped, smiling, and kissed him again.

  They kissed sweetly for a while as the sunlight grew, turning everything gold. At last, he set her down and reached into the bag to glance at his phone. He scanned through a text message and looked at the clock on the app screen. “It’s almost six. What do you say we order room service and spend the morning in bed?”

  “You don’t have any meetings?”

  “Not until two. Alara texted me and said I might have a panel this afternoon if chosen as a candidate. That leaves my morning free. So unless the palace catches on fire, I don’t plan on leaving your side.”

  She smiled widely. “Sounds good to me.”

  It was rare they got to spend a day together. He kissed her again and got out a bottle of wipes from the bag, as well as a towel and a clean change of clothes.

  She took a wipe and began swiping it across her sweaty body.

  Still riding the endorphin high from her orgasm, she didn’t notice the warning at first. Slowly, an uncomfortable pressure built inside her head, rising until finally something snapped, and she gasped in pain.

  Gage growled, closing his eyes as his face scrunched up. “Jesus. What the—?” His voice choked as he stared at her shoulders. Every drop of blood drained from his face as his eyes widened. “Oh, my God.”

  “What?” Danica said, still reeling from whatever the hell had made her brain hurt. “What is it?”

  She looked down. At first it didn’t register what the big deal was.

  It hit her with the force of a two-by-four. “Holy shit,” she breathed. She looked at Gage’s shoulders and then examined her own skin again, just to be sure.

  Their mating tattoos were gone.

  Don’t. Panic.

  No matter how many times he said it
to himself, Gage couldn’t shake the rising horror in his chest. Something was terribly wrong.

  “Come on. Let’s find Alara and have her contact a witch to see what’s wrong.”

  They dressed quickly and practically jogged toward the palace.

  “What do you think happened?” Danica said, worry written all over her pretty face. She looked so lovely with her cheeks flushed from their lovemaking.

  A moment that was now shattered by his mounting terror.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Some side effect of the Change, perhaps. I’ve never seen anything like this before, nor have I heard of it. There has to be some explanation.”

  He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll make it right, I swear.”

  He hoped he wasn’t giving her empty promises. The night he’d taken her as a mate, he’d sworn never to let her down.

  But what could he do when he had no idea what he was up against? How could he hope to fight an unseen enemy?

  There has to be a way to fix it. There has to be.

  Not wanting to draw unwanted attention, especially considering all the extra guests the castle was currently housing, he guided her toward the back through the hedgerow maze. They wound through the paths, racing toward the castle.

  All the while he reached through their mental connection to get a feel on his mate’s emotions to make sure she was all right, and became increasingly frustrated when he found nothing there. It was as if he was groping in the darkness, reaching for a bond that never existed. He suddenly felt incredibly lonely.

  “Gage,” Danica said, and his heart broke at the unshed tears he heard in her voice. “I can’t feel you.”

  “I know. It’s okay, baby. We’ll fix it.”

  Run. Go faster.

  His heart raced and he struggled to calm his panic. They were almost at the kitchen entrance when a dark figure stepped from around the bend, and Gage yanked Danica behind him.