Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  “What’s the name of it?”

  “Dark Moon Falls Motor Lodge.”

  Lacy gestured ahead to a bright neon light, “There it is! By that vacancy sign.”

  Carla steered the vehicle into the parking lot and shut off the engine. Minutes later, they had checked into their rooms, which were next to each other, and unloaded their luggage. As Carla hauled her suitcase through the doorway, she said, “I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower. How about we clean up and then hit the town?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Chapter Five

  “So, you knew the guy couldn’t handle it, but you took him anyway? Is that what you’re telling me, Grimm?”

  “I explained the terrain, the difficulty level, everything, Elias. He wouldn’t back off. His wife even tried talking him out of it.” Grimm gestured to the sign in his kiosk which displayed the trails. “It’s color-coded, for fuck’s sake. Green, anybody can hike it. Yellow is a bit harder, but not overly straining for humans. Red… Well, they need to stop and think about their fitness level.”

  “And he chose?”

  Grimm sighed. “Black. The most arduous of them all.”

  Elias wiped a hand over his face, and Grimm could sense the displeasure rolling from his Alpha. His inner wolf trembled, and he bent his head low in obeisance to his leader. Grimm was certain Elias wouldn’t strike him, but he was sure that he would make Grimm pay for his error in judgement. He hoped that Elias wouldn’t force him to close his business. After opening the tour company, he’d launched his website, had it linked to the Dark Moon Falls town site, and had begun receiving inquiries from experienced and proficient survivalists like himself. He’d taken a lot of groups on scenic tours or camping trips, and none of them had resulted in the disaster that this one stubborn, stupid man had caused.

  Movement at the corner of his eye caught Grimm’s attention, and he rotated his chair to get a better look at the woman wandering up the walkway. She was holding a bag which displayed Dazzles on the side, and he glimpsed a piece of flimsy and lacy material that had come loose from the inside to hang slightly outside of it.

  “Grimm.”

  His gaze lowered to the side-to-side swish of her hips as she walked, becoming more entranced by the second. A quick flit of his eyes to her fingers showed that she wore no jewelry, telling him that she wasn’t mated. He could approach her, if he wanted.

  “Grimm.”

  The woman with her said something, and she laughed, placing a hand over her mouth when she did. To Grimm, she was stunning, and he was smitten by a deep desire to go to her.

  “Grimm!”

  His attention jerked back to Elias at the sharp call of his name.

  Shaking his head to clear it, he said, “Sorry, Alpha.”

  “I saw who you were looking at.”

  “Do you know her?”

  “No, but she’s clearly human.”

  Grimm was having a hard time paying attention to Elias and was desperate to run after the enticing woman. He murmured, “A beautiful one.”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m your Alpha, and I want to make sure of a few things. We need to have a talk.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Grimm.”

  Elias’ voice came accompanied by a low and deep rumble that called to Grimm’s wolf in an instant, and he knew the ice he was skating on was growing thinner and close to breaking. Steeling himself, Grimm forced his focus to be where it should, vowing to track down the female later and introduce himself.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “A couple of things.”

  “Alright.”

  “Some women come here specifically on a hunt for a shifter.”

  “It makes sense. We’re superior to their human males. Why wouldn’t they want one of us?”

  Elias paused before he spoke once more.

  “I’m trying to find a way to ask you something.”

  “Blunt works for me.”

  “All the time that you spent in the wilderness…”

  “Uh huh.”

  The blush on his Alpha’s cheeks was visible when he asked in a muted tone, “Did any of our… females visit you?”

  Grimm snorted, and then laughed once he realized his Alpha’s meaning.

  “The last thing I am is a virgin, Elias. I wasn’t exclusively in the woods. I’ve spent time in Summermire and the other towns around the area. I’ve bedded my fair share of females and never left one disappointed. So, I won’t be an embarrassment to our males, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

  “Good. Now that’s out of the way… Be smart with the ladies in Dark Moon Falls. They can be aggressive, as Ryder can attest to if you ask him. If you choose to have sex with one of them, make your intentions clear. I’ve had enough of women complaining that our men get what they want and then take off afterwards.”

  “How’s that different from the treatment they receive from their own kind?”

  “It isn’t.”

  “What’s the problem then?”

  “Unrealistic expectations of ours.”

  Grimm’s mind went to the beauty he’d seen earlier, and a bit of caution made its way in between his thoughts of being buried inside her.

  “Are all of them like that?”

  “No. In fact, most of them aren’t. I’m just saying to be careful.”

  Grimm shrugged at his earlier concern, certain that he’d be able to navigate both the human world and his own. How hard could it be?

  “Alright.”

  After patting his thighs, Grimm began to ease himself up from the seat.

  Elias grasped him by the shoulder, pressing him downward, back into the leather cushion, and cleared his throat.

  Crossing his arms over his broad chest, the Alpha said, “You’re not off the hook yet.”

  “Please let me keep my business, Alpha.”

  Giving him a confused look, Elias replied, “I’d never tell you to stop doing the one thing that’s bringing you together with the pack and also meeting your needs.”

  Relief and gratitude washed over Grimm at his Alpha’s words. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

  “But that being said, if a human gets killed while in your care, the blame will not fall solely on you, but also on the pack. Do you understand that?”

  Grimm nodded, “I do. I’m sorry for any blowback we’re getting from that guy’s accident. He signed my standard waiver before I took him on the trail.”

  “We’re making sure to cover his medical bills, so that’s taken care of.”

  “I’ll pay you however much it was, Alpha.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Just, in the future, stand firm with your opinions on your customer’s fitness level and skill. You’re the person in charge, not them. Got it?”

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  Silence stretched between them, and Grimm wondered what else Elias had to say to him. He was duly chastened and resolved to do a better job in handling his client’s demands. That man had been argumentative and adamant that he could do anything a shifter could, and Grimm acknowledged that a part of him felt satisfaction when he’d fallen into the crevice he tried in vain to jump over. Human abilities paled in comparison to those of his kind, and the man had learned that lesson at a price.

  Elias’ voice brought him out of his thoughts. “She’s staying at the Motor Lodge. My bet is that later on she and her friend will get drinks at The Wolf Inn.”

  “How do you know where they’re lodging?”

  “I keep an eye on the visitors to this town.”

  Chapter Six

  Lacy looked at her reflection in the mirror and turned to see the back of the dress she’d bought earlier that day. Her mind screamed that the neckline plunged too low between her breasts, the hemline was much too short, and she should change clothes before she made a fool of herself. Taking a few calming breaths with her eyes closed, she relaxed her hands which had curled into fists when she saw herself
in the garb that hugged each and every curve she had. Carla had told her she looked amazing. At the time, in the dressing room at Dazzle’s, Lacy agreed, but there, by herself, her doubts blossomed.

  Her phone chimed, indicating an incoming message. Lacy crossed the room to the nightstand and lifted the device, seeing it was a text from Carla.

  It said, “Ready?”

  Lacy wasn’t, but she recalled the advertising pamphlet for the local bar said that Thursdays were Ladies Night with half-priced drinks and it happened to be that night of the week. As she yanked at the bottom of the skirt, she figured her comfort level with her outfit would increase after she downed a margarita or two. That was her limit, though. No way would she get plastered on their vacation and be holed up in her room the next day nursing a hangover.

  She’d seen a place offering hiking trips up the mountains and wanted to schedule one. It’d been a long time since she’d been lost in nature, and a forest bath sounded like perfection. There were articles she’d read about the health benefits of taking in the forest atmosphere, and some cultures considered it a form of holistic medicine. The thing was, though, that Lacy wanted to have that experience in the silence she couldn’t have if Carla were to accompany her. She was certain her friend would talk the entire way up and back down the trail. As she thought about it, Lacy determined to tread carefully when she broached the subject with Carla to avoid hurting her feelings, which she was loathe to ever do.

  A knock at the door brought Lacy out of her thoughts, and she went to open it. Carla was there wearing a red jersey dress that did little to hide her assets.

  Carla exclaimed, “You look fantastic!”

  With more enthusiasm than she felt, Lacy replied, “Thanks! You do too!”

  “Come on. Let’s see what the nightlife is like in this town.”

  “Alright.”

  A few minutes later, Lacy followed Carla underneath the dark green awning and through the doors of The Wolf Inn. A jukebox was playing a country song, and there was a man behind the bar, rubbing a wet cloth over the wooden counter.

  He looked up as they entered. “Sit anywhere you like.”

  Carla murmured over her shoulder, “Should be easy to find a spot since nobody’s here.”

  “It’s just now eight o’clock. Maybe more people will show up.”

  Lacy gestured towards a table. “How about over there?”

  Carla shrugged, and they made their way to be seated. Just as they were getting settled, the man who had spoken to them arrived at their table.

  “What can I get ya’?”

  Lacy answered first, “A margarita, please.”

  Carla followed with, “Same.”

  “My name’s Lyall. I own the place and will be taking care of you tonight.”

  Carla beamed him a bright smile. “Hi, Lyall. So nice to meet you. I’m Carla, and this is my best friend, Lacy.”

  “What brings you two into town?”

  Lacy quickly jumped in, afraid that Carla would say something about meeting hot guys.

  “We’re getting away from the city to relax and heard Dark Moon Falls was the perfect spot for that. You have the most beautiful town, Lyall.”

  “It’s the prettiest place on earth to me.”

  Carla asked, “Are you expecting more people tonight?”

  “Maybe. Some of the guys may come in. A few of them usually do.”

  “Oh!” Carla said as she fluffed her hair. “Well, it would be nice to meet the locals.”

  Lyall shot Carla a knowing look. “Uh huh. Be right back.”

  Lacy watched Lyall as he went behind the bar and started mixing their drinks. It was clear by the way he handled the bottles, tossing them in the air with a flair and catching them, that he’d been serving for a while.

  Carla whispered, “Did you hear that? He thinks more men will show up!”

  Lacy returned her attention to her friend, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

  “Why are you whispering?”

  “I read that their hearing is a lot better than ours.”

  “Good to know. Do you think he’s a shifter?”

  “Lyall?”

  Lacy nodded, and Carla did the same to her.

  “He is a very large man.”

  “Mm-hmm, and totally hot. That voice!”

  The music switched to a different song at the same time Lyall came around the counter to return to the table. He set the drinks in front of them, saying, “Enjoy. Let me know when you’re ready for another round.”

  Lacy lifted her glass and took a sip. “That’s the best margarita I’ve ever had.”

  The women fell into conversation as the bar began to slowly fill with more patrons—all female. Lacy watched as they hovered by the bar, swooning over Lyall. She smiled at how he seemed to absorb the attention, throw enough of a witty flirt to titillate the ladies, but with a quick laugh following whatever comment he said. It seemed to her that what was occurring right then was a game Lyall was well-versed in playing.

  Carla said, “He’s not going to be able to wait on us. I’ll go get us another.”

  “Thanks.”

  Once Carla left, Lacy got up, wandered to the jukebox and began flipping through the albums that were loaded into the machine.

  A deep voice behind her asked, “What kind of music do you like?”

  Startled, Lacy spun around to see who had spoken. The man in front of her was tall, she guessed at least a foot greater in height than her five foot three. His eyes were dark, but not a shade she’d seen on anyone before. Her gaze traveled downwards to his mouth with generous, dark rose-tinted lips. Hair the color of sable hung past his shoulders. Before she realized what she was doing, she raised her hand to stroke it, but stopped herself prior to touching him.

  She blurted the first thing that popped into her mind.

  “What conditioner do you use?”

  Chapter Seven

  As the kiosk was positioned between the Motor Lodge and The Wolf’s Inn, which were on opposite ends of town, it was easy for Grimm to station himself inside of his place of operation to see if Elias’ prediction of the female’s nighttime excursion would come to fruition. While he waited, he busied himself with checking emails, answering those that had come in after he’d closed shop earlier, and reviewing the schedule for the next day to see if anyone had made appointments online. He sighed when it was as empty now as when he’d looked a few hours ago.

  Her scent preceded her arrival, and his head lifted on auto when it filled his senses. It was earthy, smelling of pine wood mixed with the flowers of his beloved forest. The woman called to him in a way that none other had in the past, and he was determined to answer it.

  She was unsteady on her feet in the heels she was wearing, and he wondered why she bothered with them at all. The dress, however, hugged her body, showcasing her full breasts. The hem landed on her mid-thigh, and his eyes wandered over her with a growing lust and desire.

  A growl, unbidden, rumbled in his chest at the thought of other single males approaching her. It was a given that they would, to try to claim her for the night or maybe even longer. Grimm needed to act, and before another shifter did.

  Waiting until after the women entered the Inn, Grimm allowed another half hour to pass for the bar to fill with more patrons before he eased from his seat and began ambling towards it, watchful for any others from the pack. As he neared, he heard footsteps and craned his head to look behind him. Several males were walking to the same place he was. He recognized one of them from a long time ago.

  He stopped, gesturing for them to come to him.

  When they did, he said, “I’m here for a female.”

  One of them laughed and replied, “So are we.”

  “There’s one in particular I’m interested in. And you’re going to hang back for a while. Got it?”

  The male he knew from his childhood stepped closer to Grimm until their chests almost touched.

  He huffed a breath onto Grimm’s
face. Grimm didn’t move, holding his ground and sizing up the shifter in front of him. The guy was big, but Grimm could take him down if he had to.

  “You’re Grimm, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Remember me? I’m Rico. Maybe I should make you start bleeding like I did so many times after school to jog your memory.”

  “Yeah, I know who you are. I won’t take your shit, like I had to then. Back the fuck off before I make you.”

  Violence curled in the air around them, and Grimm readied himself for a fight.

  Rico sneered. “You don’t get it. Me and my friends get our pick of the ladies. Always. So run and hide now like you used to before I give you another beat-down.”

  “Not this time.” Grimm elongated his fangs and let his nails lengthen to deadly claws. When he spoke again, his wolf resounded in his vocal cords. “You’re about to do something you’re going to regret.”

  “What the hell’s going on? Are y’all making trouble where humans could see it again?”

  Rico quickly backed away from Grimm, and said, “Oh, hey, Elias. Nah, just talking to Grimm, our prodigal shifter.”

  Elias strode to the center of the group and eyed Rico.

  “I know what I saw and heard, Rico. Was that true? Did you beat him up when he was a pup?”

  Rico’s chest puffed up. “What if I did? I’m an alpha just like you.”

  “Is that what you think I do? Abuse those weaker than me?”

  “You show your strength and assert your authority. I did the same to him. Drove the weakling out from amongst us. We should be a powerful pack, and he wasn’t fit to bear our name.”

  A menacing growl came from Elias before he said, “And the truth comes out these years later. That’s why you ran away, Grimm?”

  Ignoring the question, Grimm said, “I can handle him. I don’t need your help.”

  “You,” Elias pointed at Rico and his companions. “Stay right the fuck here.”

  Elias took Grimm by his arm and pulled him away from the group far enough that they wouldn’t hear what he and Grimm said.