Desires of a Full Moon (2 page)

“Well, order this little number. “ Haley pointed to a red lace teddy that hardly covered anything. “I’m sure he’ll make time for you then.”

“Oh, I like that one.” Dana scribbled the item number in her order form and cut her eyes to Haley. “Shall I put you down for something? A vibrator, maybe? It could be an early Christmas gift.”

“No, thanks.” Haley scowled and glanced at the empty doorway. The minute Jayden had locked eyes on her, she’d struggled to remain sitting. All she wanted to do was get up and go after him. She still hadn’t had the opportunity to thank him for what he had done for her that night in Louisiana. If Jayden hadn’t shown up, she would have ended up being repeatedly raped and eventually killed. A shiver ran down her back as she wrapped her arms around herself.

She tried to tell herself that was the only reason she wanted to go after him. That she didn’t feel anything other than gratitude for the male who’d risked everything to save her.

She’d seen how his eyes iced over when they landed on her. Though he covered easily and managed to hide it from everyone else in the room, Haley knew that Jayden was not pleased to see her there. Apparently this was his town and his state now and he didn’t approve of sharing that territory. She was as offensive to him as she was to her parents.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said softly, swallowing back the bitterness rising from her chest

“What doesn’t matter?” Dana didn’t look up from her catalogue.

Haley chuckled nervously, not realizing she had actually spoken out loud. Damn, she needed to stop doing that. It was a habit her parents hated and she had made an effort to not do it. But since they distanced themselves from their only daughter, she’d not really cared who she pleased. Not anymore. She was going to make only one person happy. And that was herself.

Haley opened up her catalogue with a renewed interest. No time like the present.

“It doesn’t matter which one. Just pick me out one. But I’m buying it. I’m sure you’re going to break the bank ordering all those edible panties for your guy to enjoy.”

#

Granny watched with a heavy heart, as Jayden tore down the street on his new gray Harley Davidson motorcycle. Since they’d moved to Arkansas, he didn’t drive his Mustang much anymore. These days he always seemed to prefer riding his motorcycle on every mission that Barrett sent him. But that wasn’t what worried her.

Jayden was working too much. She could see the strain in his eyes when he walked into the room. Usually when there were women around, Jayden hung around and flirted. He’d always had his share of admirers growing up. That was no different now. At the age of thirty Jayden was as handsome as ever. And she wanted him to finally settle down with a mate of his own. But since that one night in Louisiana something about him had changed. Though he tried to hide it, she still saw it. He was different now, harder.

Life was too short to live with regrets and pain of the past. This she knew. But she wasn’t sure that this time she would be the one to help her grandson heal.

#

Jayden walked into the gray concrete building that housed the training facilities of the Arkansas Werewolf Guardians. The building also housed the office of his, “don’t fuck with me” Pack Master, Barrett Middleton.

He’d met Barrett years ago when he’d asked him to find out some Intel on a suspected werewolf who was dealing meth down in Louisiana. After he provided the info to the Arkansas Pack Master, Barrett had continued to call on Jayden throughout the years whenever they needed some Intel. They usually spoke through a third party, up until a few months ago when Arkansas Were female, Ava Renfroe, had been kidnapped by the same rogue wolves that had taken Haley. Jayden had been called upon by his childhood friend Damon Trahan to help. After both women had been rescued, Barrett had offered him an official position with the Arkansas Pack. Jayden welcomed the opportunity to get away and make a fresh start. He didn’t need any reminders of what had happened that night in Louisiana. Maybe with a change of scenery he could get his head right. Until he had spotted beautiful blonde-haired blue-eyed Haley Guthrie sitting in his Granny’s living room.

“Maybe I’m not supposed to get a fresh start. Maybe I’m going to have to deal with this shit for the rest of my life.” Jayden plowed his fist into the cinderblock wall. The sting bit into his knuckle for a brief second before the healing properties in his blood regenerated the bruised flesh.

“You already bitching about the job, Jayden? Is all this work cutting into your dating time?” Damon stepped out from the locker room wearing low-hanging gym shorts and a whole lot of sweat. He had one boxing glove tucked under his arm while he untied the other with his free hand and teeth.

Jayden crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Just trying to keep the ladies happy.” Jayden smirked as he told the lie without flinching. It was a talent he had recently learned to master.

Damon snorted. “You keep showing up for work looking like a female has kept you up all night and Barrett just might ship your ass back to Louisiana.”

Jayden straightened, his smile slipping a little before he remembered to adjust it. “Has Barrett been complaining about my job performance?” He needed this job more than anything.

Damon pulled his other glove off and shook his head. “Hell, no. He’s pretty impressed that you’re taking the job as a Guardian so seriously.” Damon narrowed his eyes. “Plus the fact that you’re the first one to volunteer for overtime has him drooling at the mouth. But if I were you I’d go easy on the brownnosing, brother.”

Jayden laughed. “It’s called taking up the slack, not brownnosing. You’d do well to learn the art, my friend, and pick up some overtime yourself.”

Damon grinned and shook his head, sending droplets of sweat raining down onto the floor. “No, thanks. I’ve got Ava waiting on me at five o’clock sharp at the door with nothing on.” Damon reached down and adjusted himself and Jayden could tell the Were was getting aroused just talking about his woman.

An unexpected jolt of jealously hit Jayden in the gut. He’d never expected Damon to be mated at all, let alone be mated before him.

“Being mated looks good on you, Damon.”

Damon straightened and held out his hand. “Thanks, brother.”

Jayden shook his hand and pulled away. “I got a meeting with Barrett and I don’t want to be late.” As he walked away, Damon called after him.

“Just wait, Jayden. Once you’re mated you’ll be trying to find someone else to pick up your overtime too.”

#

Jayden walked up to Barrett’s steel door and knocked. Barrett’s office, like the rest of the compound, was built like a fucking tank. Reinforced steel and concrete. After a bomb that took out a building some months back, they’d made sure to make the building was as bomb proof as possible.

“Come in, Jayden,” Barrett’s booming voice called out from the other side of the door.

A shiver ran up his back as he opened the heavy door and walked in. It was freaky how Barrett had this sixth sense of knowing who was on the other side of the door without even looking. Jayden often wondered if the Pack Master could see inside Jayden’s head as well.

He lifted his chin in greeting as Barrett motioned for him to sit in the chair across from his desk. Barrett continued studying a pile of papers in a brown folder.

Jayden eased into the leather chair that looked so out of place in the dreary room. The cinderblock walls looked more like a jail cell than an office. Even Barrett’s worn and scarred desk looked like he had bought it from the yard sale of a retired attorney. The walls held no pictures, except for one elaborate shield with the Arkansas state flag and the words, “LEADER AND COMMANDER BORN TO UPHOLD THE LUPINE LAW.”

Jayden fidgeted in his seat, the mood in the room growing heavier with each passing second. The other jobs that Barrett had assigned him had taken no more than a minute of discussion to find out the details before he was out the door.

Whatever papers Barrett was currently focused on had an uneasiness crawling up his spine.

“I see that your interior decorator has been on vacay,” Jayden joked as he looked around the room.

Barrett cut his eyes at him.

Jayden sat up straighter. Not that he was a pussy, but Jayden always got this lethal vibe off Barrett, like at any minute he could rip your throat out and then sit politely down and have a mocha latte.

“My decorator is dead.”

Shit. “I’m sorry.” Jayden swallowed and made sure there wasn’t a smirk lingering on his lips.

“Don’t be. I killed him.” Barrett lifted his head, fixing his blue-eyed stare on Jayden.

“Well, if he made my office look like shit, I’d kill him too.” Jayden cringed. He always did have a hard time holding his tongue.

Barrett cracked the slightest of smiles. A rare sight indeed.

“I have a new assignment that is going to need your utmost attention.”

Jayden leaned forward. Now they were talking. “Absolutely. Whatcha got?”

Barrett sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “It’s Haley Guthrie.”

Jayden felt the blood drain from his face. “What about her?”

“It seems that she has picked up a stalker.” Barrett pushed the folder towards him. “It started a week after she moved into the dorm.”

Jayden picked up the first note. It read
“Hello beautiful. Hope you have a wonderful day.”
He met Barrett’s gaze and shrugged. “Could be just an infatuated guy. And if gets more serious then just order her back to LSU.”

Barrett narrowed his eyes. “It’s more than an infatuated guy with a crush. And her parents are the reason she’s not at LSU anymore.”

Jayden looked up. “What do you mean?”

“When we rescued Haley, her parents weren’t exactly excited to have their precious little girl home.” Barrett narrowed his eyes as he eased back into his chair, never once taking his focus off Jayden.

“Why the hell not?” Anger flared in Jayden’s gut at Barrett’s words.

“It seems, in their eyes, Haley has brought shame to their family. To them, a raped female werewolf is ruined. Damaged goods.” Barrett’s voice vibrated with utter distaste for Haley’s parents. Jayden’s hatred for them doubled.

“How could a parent do that?” Jayden snarled.

“To some in this world appearances mean everything.” Barrett stood and walked over to the far wall and flipped a switch. The wall slid away on a track revealing a secret interior room.

Jayden followed Barrett inside. This room was vastly different from the Pack Master’s office. TV’s lined the wall, each capturing a different surveillance camera within the city. There were at least five computers along with monitors lined up on the stainless steel desks. There were no windows and only one way in and out. It appeared to be a safe room of some sort.

Barrett walked over to the far side of the room where a large map of the state of Arkansas hung on the wall, littered with colored stickpins. He pointed to the bright red pig that had been stuck on the city of Fayetteville.

Jayden chuckled.

LSU had their tigers. University of Arkansas had their razorbacks.

“So if she is being stalked then why not just move her to another state?” Jayden curled his hands into fists.

“I believe he’s dangerous and will follow her wherever she goes.”Jayden crossed his arms over his chest. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up and he knew whatever was about to come out of Barrett’s mouth wasn’t good.

“Stalkers like this usually turn out to be serial killers.” Barrett turned back to him.

Jayden’s heart sped up. His fingernails cut into his palms and he knew if he looked he would see blood trickling out from the wound. The urge to shift into wolf swamped him in a rush.

“How long has this been going on? Has Haley gone to the police?” Jayden forced himself to keep his voice calm despite the volatile storm raging inside.

“It started when she arrived at the University of Arkansas. She went to the campus police, but they said they couldn’t do anything, since they don’t know who it is. I sent a couple of Guardians down to Louisiana to investigate the ex-boyfriend.”

“Ex?” Jayden knew she had a boyfriend. The night she was kidnapped she was on her way to visit him. She’d left LSU to go visit him at his home in Lafayette.

Barrett seared him with a glare. “Apparently mommy and daddy aren’t the only assholes concerned about damaged goods. That little prick dumped her the second he found out what happened.”

Anger surged through his entire system making him wish he had a bad guy, drug dealer, kidnapper—any would do—in front of him so he could rip them apart with his teeth.

“My money is on the boyfriend. He might be regretting what he lost and is now making her pay for it.” Jayden looked away before Barrett could see the yellow orange tint to his pupils, signaling the shift into wolf. He needed to get it together. He didn’t need to be out of control in front of his new Pack Master.

The last thing he needed was to shift in front of Barrett. Being a Guardian meant being in control of yourself at all times. Humans, except for the government, didn’t know werewolves existed outside of novels and movies. Hell, humans had enough to keep them fearful: global warming, sucky economy, and episodes of reality TV.

“Okay, so what do you need from me? Gathering Intel? Asking around at the college? Surveillance?” Every muscle in his body trembled with the urge to find whoever was scaring Haley and make them pay in blood. He could most certainly make it look like an accident, or at least an animal attack.

“All of the above. I have a house in Fayetteville. I stay there when the Razorbacks are playing. You’ll stay there. I’ve talked to Haley and told her I will have someone in place protecting her while she goes to her classes.”

“Have you told her she will have to stop going to parties with her friends at night?”

Barrett arched a brow. “What parties? She gave me her daily schedule and the only time she leaves her room is to go to class. Her roommate, Dana, is the only friend she’s made since moving to Fayetteville. Hell, she doesn’t even go out to eat. She eats every meal in her room.”