MadMoon (3 page)

Lana felt the press of her tingling nipples brush against
the cotton of the tee shirt. The agonizing ache mirrored the pulsing pressure
that centered in her pussy and, near crazed for relief, she pressed her thighs
together. This was silly. Ridiculous. She’d just met the man but the attraction
had been instantaneous, off-the-charts chemistry. It would definitely be a good
idea to keep her distance. A man that raw, that seductive, no doubt had women
lining up to sample anything he might have to offer. Heck, he might already
have a woman and Lana didn’t poach. Though she was definitely feeling a little
desperate to explore some hot, steamy sex with him, she was determined to keep
things cool. The truth remained, she knew nothing at all about him except that
he’d been kind and had saved her unlucky ass tonight.

Releasing a pent-up breath, pushing thoughts of toe-curling
sex to the back of her mind, she headed into the bath and then readied herself
for bed. When she finally stood naked and as clean as a newborn baby beside the
bed, she reached for Mad’s discarded shirt. Lifting it to her face, she
inhaled. The scent of him clung to the soft fabric and, giving in to the urge,
she pulled it over her head before crawling tiredly between the crisp white
sheets.

Within moments she was asleep, for the first time in days
resting dreamlessly until angry voices caused her to sit up in her bed. Nothing
was worse than being jarred from a deep rest. Lana blinked into the darkness
then glanced at the bedside clock. Three in the morning. Tension sizzled
through the atmosphere and her keen wolven senses acknowledged that something
was going down. Violence simmered in the air, prompting her to come to her feet
and head toward the stairs.

Lana took several hasty steps down then froze. A crowd of
men filled up the massive foyer near Madden’s front door. The two young wolves
who were in such deep trouble with their High Alpha stood in the center of the
group facing him, anger etched on their faces.

“This is fucked up! You can’t banish us from the pack
because of some stranger. We don’t even know this bitch.” One of her would-be
attackers fairly barked the words, his face flushed with rage. His buddy
clenched his jaw and made a move forward but then Mad advanced on them. Lana
couldn’t see his face but muscles bunched in his shoulders as he drew back a
fist then landed a blow to the outraged wolf’s cheek. Blood splattered and ran
down the youth’s face and a chorus of low growls added to the violent tension.
The younger wolf fell to the floor and the other backed off, holding up both
hands in surrender.

“Hell, we’re going.”

“Damn straight, you will.” The High Alpha turned his
attention to the others. “Get these fuckheads out of town before I whip the
shit out of them. Got it?”

Lana held her breath as a shudder raced through her body. By
nature, lycans were hotter blooded than most and she hoped those two fools got
out of town quick. She suspected if they didn’t, they would regret tangling
with their Alpha. When the men filed out, Mad glanced up and her gaze locked
with his. His face was tight with rage and she knew in that moment that she’d
never, ever want that anger directed at herself. His size was intimidating but
now he seemed a giant to her.

Savage, intense, feral.

Finally, Mad stalked off, shrugging as if to shake off
something foul. Lana paused, then, gathering her courage, hurried down the
stairs just in time to see him walk through a door. No, she hadn’t been
responsible for the actions of these two young wolves but she felt somehow at
fault for the scenario that had unfolded tonight. She dreaded talking with him
face-to-face while he was in such a temper but she pushed the worry away and
stopped in the doorway of what appeared to be a large office. She’d faced her
father’s rages far too often to let something like lycan testosterone run amok
stop her.

Mad stood behind the desk, facing a pair of windows and
staring out into the night. His back was stiff, his body erect. Only a small
lamp and the glow of the computer screen lit the room, reflecting his tense
expression in the glass. He must know she was there but he didn’t turn around
until finally he said, “Come in.”

“I don’t want to disturb you.”

“You’re not.” Gingerly stepping deeper into his lair, Lana
heard him sigh as he scrubbed one hand over his head, as if he was trying very
hard to calm down. Frustration fairly simmered from him. Eventually, he turned,
walking from the bank of windows to the front of the desk. Once he’d propped
his ass against the dark walnut, he stared at her. “Do you want to sit?”

“Um. No, I think I’ll stand.” Two heavy leather wingback
chairs were arranged in front of the desk and she settled her fingers along the
top of one as if it would brace her for what might come. “Do you want to talk
now? Get it over with?”

Mad crossed his arms across his chest. His beautiful eyes
narrowed. “Since you’re here, I figure we should. I’ve just banished two wolves
from the pack, given you sanctuary, and I’m exhausted and pissed. What have I
got to lose?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Those two have been out of line more times
than I can count and tonight they just topped it all off with a big, fucked-up
bang
.
They deserved what they got. That said, I promised to protect you and figure I
have the right to know what I’m up against. What
we’re
up against. You
have the Rogue Pack at your back no matter what so start talking.”

“You don’t beat around the bush do you?”

“Not hardly.”

Lana blew out a breath, inched her way to the front of the
chair then sank into the soft leather. “Guess I should sit down for this after
all.”

His lips twitched. Whew. Good. Maybe some of that fierce
tension was easing off a bit. She certainly didn’t want him scowling while she
told of her hasty departure from her father’s lands. Lycans were predators, and
Alphas? They were the biggest, most badassed predators alive. Unblinking, he
studied her as the tension ratcheted up another notch, then finally he stood
and moved close. He leaned in, propping his hands on the arms of her chair,
effectively caging her in. A sense of intimacy rolled between them, an electric
heat that made her body react. His lips were near, almost close enough to brush
her own. Mad stared into her eyes, slid his focus down then back up again.
“Start talking, beautiful, and make it fast unless you want to do something
else with that gorgeous mouth. Believe me, babe, I’m skating on a fine line
here so make it quick.”

Lana knew then, without a doubt, she was in big, big
trouble.

It wasn’t a good idea to have this little talk with Lana
while riding an adrenaline high and he knew it. Already his cock was hard
enough to pound rocks. Lycan power coursed through his veins and his need for a
woman was strong. The sudden wariness in Lana’s wide blue eyes caused him to
step back and resume his position against the desk. She’d been through
something bad enough to make her seek protection and the dead last thing he
needed was to go all caveman on her. Some of his pack had already scared her
and he didn’t want to add to her distress.

He sighed as her shoulders slumped and she finally leaned
back into the comfort of the leather chair to stare up at him. Despite her
exhaustion and all she’d been through tonight, he found her beautiful, and the
fact she wore his tee shirt didn’t help matters. There was something so
intimate about it, so sexy, and it didn’t matter a damn that the shirt fell
nearly to her cute little knees. If he gave in to the animal instincts that
roared high through his blood, he’d rip the bit of cotton from her gorgeous
body and pull her beneath him. Instead he drew in a deep breath and focused.
“Tell me.”

“What do you know of the Snow Wolf Clan?”

“Not much really except they are secretive as hell, came to
America from Eastern Europe, and settled in the mountains of Colorado.” He
stood, walked over to a bar at the far end of the room and poured a couple of
fingers of bourbon into a crystal glass. Glancing over his shoulder, he
remembered his manners. “Can I pour you one?”

“No, thanks. Best not to get too loopy until I have all this
out.”

“Can’t have that,” he murmured. He smiled into his glass
then took a burning drink before returning to her. “I’ve heard your old man is
something of a badass.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

Mad watched her absently fiddle with the hem of his shirt
and from the faraway look in her eyes, figured she was deep in thought. From
the few small comments she’d made earlier, he didn’t think he liked old Tomin
Vronski very much. “Are you afraid of your father?”

“Who wouldn’t be? He’s a scary guy, but my situation got so
much worse once I reached mating age and he began looking for a successor.
Normally among our clan the position of Alpha would remain in the bloodlines
but he wasn’t lucky enough to have a son.” She shrugged. “He got a girl
instead. I don’t think he ever forgave me or my mom for that. Naturally, it had
to somehow be our fault that he had no male progeny.”

“And he made you pay for that?”

Lana didn’t look at him. She nodded. “He doesn’t like me
very much.”

“Then he’s stupid as well as a bully. So what did he do to
cause you to run like a scared rabbit?”

Finally she looked up. “He’d chosen his successor. A wolf
named Anton.”

A shudder shook her and Mad wanted to drag her into his arms
and promise anything to keep the fear from her eyes. Damn it, he never wanted
to see it again. “Go on.”

“Dad planned to force me to mate with him. For us, it’s
common yet so awful I can’t put what I feel into words.”

“You’re doing fine, sweetheart.” He’d never been a
particularly gentle man but her pain was obvious and it killed him. Giving in
to temptation, he reached down and took her hand before discussing this
sensitive subject. “But I don’t understand. You were in your wolf state in the
woods tonight. Were you mated before? Did your mate die?”

Her cheeks colored and she shook her head. “No. I know that
in most lycan communities a female doesn’t complete her first shift until she
is mated. Is that how it is with the Texas Rogues? I’ve heard both the Rogues
and the Wolf Creek pack in West Texas have beautiful consummation ceremonies.
Afterwards, the female will go through her very first shift.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s not the same with us. My ancestors traveled to
Colorado from Russia a few hundred years ago. The geography was perfect because
we are white wolves so the snow and mountains helped us shield ourselves. Dad
isn’t much for mystical unions. He finds them silly. I imagine he inherited
those beliefs from Snow Wolf Alphas of the past.” She shrugged. “It really
doesn’t matter though because our women shift as teens, just like the guys—a
genetic thing, I guess. All I know is that lycan women, no matter their pack
history, hope for that mystical union that binds us to a true mate but
sometimes it just doesn’t happen. As you know, what the Alpha says is law,” she
said. “It’s that way among all packs but I believe we’re the only ones to force
females to marry where they don’t love. It’s like something from centuries
ago.” Tears swept the surface of her eyes and she turned her head away.

Mad knew she was trying to be strong. He couldn’t imagine
what her life might have been like with such a domineering asshole for a
father. Impulsively, he reached out and lightly touched the short, pale strands
of her hair, wondering what such an old-fashioned, overbearing asshole like her
dad thought of this. “Bet he hates this hair.”

She looked at him and gave him a humorless smile. “I cut it
after he informed me I was to mate with Anton.”

“I take it that didn’t go over well.”

“Hardly. He handed me over to Anton for punishment, saying
it was now Anton’s right to do so.”

“What the fuck.” Mad recoiled, releasing Lana’s hand. She
said he was brutal. No wonder she’d hopped in her car and run. Mad’s every
protective instinct went into overdrive and he knew if he ever got the chance
he would teach this prick Anton and Lana’s dad the proper way to treat a lady.

Tears dripped down her face but she didn’t make a sound.

The damn woman broke his heart.

It was obvious she was tired and stressed and had suffered
far more abuse than what he’d suspected. Men who terrorized women were less
than nothing and he had no qualms about bringing them down.

He drew her from the chair and pulled her against his chest.
She trembled, warm and so damn vulnerable despite her evident courage. Mad sent
his hand down the length of her back, loving the heat of her and the way she
molded seamlessly to his body. Savage impulses, the urge to mate warred with
sympathy. He wanted to lay her down on the nearest bed and fuck her until every
worry disappeared from her mind. After that he’d hold her, making sure she knew
that no one would ever hurt her again. Tonight had been brutal on her composure
and, despite the driving need to spread her out beneath him in bed, it was more
important that she feel safe.

“I’ve got you. Keep talking. Believe me, darlin’, nobody’s
going to hurt you again.”

“Anton is a brute,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “Mean as
a snake. Every woman in the pack worried about ending up with him. He has a
reputation for liking rough sex, a little too rough. Dad kept me close from the
time I was old enough to understand what happened between males and females, saving
me for when he would give me to someone. That isolation is a terrible way to
live. A few days ago, when he told me his plans, I knew my life would be like
going from one hell into another. My father isn’t a kind, caring man. He lives
to control and sees me as chattel. I am simply a means to an end. My feelings
don’t matter at all to him. Dad never hit me but Anton… Well, he thinks nothing
of brutality.” Another shudder racked her body. She lifted her head from his
chest and looked at him, seeming terrified and sad at once.

“You deserve better, Lana. The Rogues don’t operate this
way.”

Lana’s gaze lowered to his lips and Mad went still. His
normally slow, steady pulse kicked up another dangerous beat. A low hum curled
through his brain but rather than being irritated by it, his body went from
warm to hot in a nanosecond. His heart thumped hard then raced faster than it
ever had before. His skin flushed and his cock throbbed, so heavy and thick
that he thought it would implode if he didn’t bury it inside Lana’s body. The
scent of her whipped through his senses and he ached, outright ached to have
her. He’d taken plenty of women to his bed, human and wolf, yet none had ever
affected him this way.

What the fuck?

Mad fought back the lustful urges that ripped through his
body and, ignoring the soft but shattering buzz of energy, focused on her
answer to his statement of fact.

She looked at him oddly. She shivered and closed her eyes
briefly before speaking. “I think I know that. From the beginning I’ve known it.
I had a
feeling
about you. Don’t laugh but when I saw you in the café
earlier, you looked like a man who’d know how to protect a woman. I’ve never
thought I needed that but I guess I was wrong. Dumb, but there ya go. I’m
feeling a tad pathetic these days.”

Mad drew the edge of his thumb over her cheek, tracing the
gently curving lines. “I’m not laughing. Nothing dumb about it. You looked like
a woman in trouble, a very
pretty
woman in trouble.”

Her eyes went wide, almost as if she’d never had sweet words
spoken to her before and Mad couldn’t resist cupping her cheek in the palm of
his hand. Then he took her mouth in a kiss slow enough not to scare her but hot
enough to make her sizzle.

Was Lana his mate? Did she feel the surge of powerful energy
that zipped between them or was she too innocent to know? Hell, he’d never been
naïve a day in his life but he was sure as shit confused. It was past time he
answer the urges of his body and the demands of his mind. He needed answers but
aside from that he wanted to show her that not all men were animals. Expanding
the kiss, he sent his tongue deep, tasting her flavor, drinking her breath. A
tiny sound rose from her throat and as he tightened his grip on her she wound
her arms around his neck.

Energy thickened into a heavy mass as it rolled over his
body, burning him like a brand, and the savage need to mate singed his flesh.

Emboldened by her acceptance, Mad dragged his hands down her
sides and over the sweet curves of her ass, then settled his lips near her ear.
Nipping the lobe, he breathed her scent into his nostrils. “Do you feel it?”

“You feel it too? I thought it was just me. What is it, Mad?
What’s going on?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t guessed. I said you’re safe with
me and after what you’ve been through not only tonight but over the past few
days, I won’t push you.”

Lana sank against him, her nipples, hard and stiff, brushing
the soft cotton of his shirt. Instinctively his fingers flexed at her waist
then moved to settle higher, near her breasts. They were a soft but heavy
weight against his hands. She shook her head. “I’m so confused. What the hell
is this thing between us?”

“It’s lust, Lana, mating heat.”

Distress was plain in Lana’s eyes. “You mean—?”

“Yes, Miz Vronski, it looks like we’re predestined to be mated.
Best get used to it.” Despite the heat roaring through his bloodstream, he
gentled his hold. “You’ll be sleeping in my bed from now on, got that? You are
under my protection and I’ll just feel better if you’re close. I’ve waited too
long and I won’t lose you now.”

“But I—”

“No buts, honey. Don’t worry that I’ll push you into sex
before you’re ready and hell, tonight was far too intense for you to even think
about such a thing. Bottom line is, you’re mine and I’m not letting you go.”

* * * * *

Lana opened her eyes to brilliant light coming through the
plantation shutters on the windows, feeling momentarily disoriented until she
recognized the scent of Mad Moon mingling with hers in the air. Memories of the
past night rushed over her in an exhilarating wave and, unable to stop herself,
she smiled.

Perhaps fairy tales of mystical lycan pairings and happy
ever afters were true and she’d been blessed in this strange meeting.

She’d found her mate!

Gods!

Last night she’d driven into Sweetridge never guessing that
she’d bump into the man who would change her life. Yes, she was still on the
run and hiding from her father. That grim fact had not changed yet now the
world, and her place in it, seemed much brighter. A typical Alpha, Mad laid his
position on the line and told her how things would be. Later, she’d climbed the
stairs with him, then he’d tucked her into his big bed, crawled in behind her
and told her to sleep. She’d crashed instantly, only vaguely recollecting the
feel of his warm body pressed close.

Lana stretched on the bed. Glancing toward his dented
pillow, she sighed, remembering the protective way he’d held her through the
night. It was odd. He was a stranger yet he seemed familiar. She’d always
believed that was the way it would be with predestined mates. Slightly
disappointed that he hadn’t woken her when he’d left, Lana swung her legs over
the side of the bed then noted the time blinking on the clock nearby.

Three in the afternoon!

She must have been more tired than she thought and was vaguely
embarrassed by the hour. Her dad would have called her a lazy ass for sleeping
in, but she was no longer under his thumb. Standing, she reached for a heavy
robe left lying across the foot of the bed, obviously another bit of clothing
belonging to Mad. She shrugged into it and looked around the room. It had been
dark when he’d tucked her into bed last night so she hadn’t seen much.

She glanced around the space, taking in the masculine décor
of wood, leather and earth tones. The bed dominated the room, big like Mad and
comfy. Wide French doors stretched across the far wall leading to a balcony
that offered a spectacular view of the Texas Piney Woods. A blast of afternoon
sunshine threw shiny color over magnificent hardwood floors.

On a wide dresser sat a collection of framed photos
featuring a beautiful older woman who could only be Mad’s mother. Gingerly Lana
picked up the photograph and remembered the room she’d been given last night.
He must have loved her deeply. Lana’s own mother had been gone for ten years
and there wasn’t a day that passed when she didn’t miss her. She understood
that kind of love and admired Mad for feeling it for the woman who had given
birth to him. Obviously he was a man who loved women, sheltered and protected
them. Gods knew he was good at touching them too.