MadMoon (4 page)

Lana blew out a breath, feeling a little nervous about
seeing him again. She’d never been particularly good at understanding men.
After his pronouncement and after all that had happened last night, how would
he treat her in the light of day? The man was a mystery to her, a stranger
still.

A knock sounded on the door and she turned to see a small
Mexican woman come shyly into the room. “
Señorita
Lana? Am I disturbing
you?”

“No. Hello.”

The older woman, lycan from her scent, wore her long
salt-and-pepper hair in a single braid. She stepped farther into the room and
smiled. “I am Ynez Gonzalez and I work for
Señor
Moon. He told me to
make you comfortable while he is working and tells me to say he will see you
tonight.”

Ynez carried Lana’s small suitcase and a basket that
appeared to be filled with all kinds of lotions, bath salts and candles.

Hmm.

Rushing up, she took the suitcase from the woman’s hand.
“Let me get this for you.” She glanced at it, frowning. “He wants me to move my
things in here?”

“
Sí
, the
señor
wants you here.
Comprende
?
Mr. Mad wants you in his room and he tells Ynez to bring things. He is High
Alpha.” She followed the little speech with a broad smile then headed with the
basket into the bathroom. It was huge and opulent, featuring a garden-style
tub, beautiful terra-cotta tiled floors and a glass shower large enough for
roughly four people.

Lana had enjoyed the tub in the guest bath late last night
but this one made her positively drool. The image of her and Mad lolling
together in it heated her body and made her yearn for things she didn’t yet
understand. The possibility of coaxing him into sharing a bath with her made
the wicked, naughty imp living in her brain jump up and down at the prospect.

When had she become so brazen?

Oh yeah, last night when Mad had held her, kissed her silly
and told her in no uncertain terms that she was sharing his bed.

Wondering what other surprises he had in store for her, Lana
watched as Ynez settled pretty bottles of bubble bath and bath salts into a
dark-blue pottery bowl at the wide edge of the tub, then proceeded to group
soft ivory candles here and there. It looked as if Mad had wicked plans to get
to know her better.

Hmm. Not a problem.

That wicked, naughty imp whooped and hollered again and when
Ynez straightened and turned to her with a sassy grin, Lana couldn’t resist
smiling back.

Ynez laid a small hand over her heart. “Our Moon is a big
strong alpha and he likes his pleasures. You are a lucky woman.” She eyed Lana
thoughtfully. “But then, I think maybe he is lucky too.” Lana opened her mouth
to speak, touched by this easy acceptance, but Ynez was on a roll. “Now, dress
and come for food,
señorita
. You must eat. I’ve put a plate to warm in
the oven. I am here two days each week so if you need anything, you ask Ynez.
Sí?
”
An iPod was hooked to the waist of her skirt. Ynez reached down to grab the
dangling earbuds, put them in, smiled and left the room, the words of a Spanish
song on her lips.

Roughly an hour later, Lana headed downstairs wearing a pair
of jeans, a white top featuring little red cherries and flat sandals. She found
the kitchen easily, entering a large warm area with the scent of breakfast food
hovering in the air. She grabbed a potholder from the side of the stove and
reached inside to find the plate of food Ynez had mentioned. It was covered
with a small towel.

Lana carried it to a large tile-topped table that sat near
more French doors leading outside to a pool and patio area. It was a beautiful
day. Feeling warm and sheltered, no longer on the run, she took a seat and
uncovered the plate. Breakfast. Even midafternoon, it looked like heaven to
her. She dug in to the heaping pile of scrambled eggs, crispy slices of
perfectly cooked bacon and slathered strawberry preserves on two pieces of
toast while she took in her surroundings.

Her home in Colorado was equally beautiful. It was an easy
thing to admit. Rustic and tucked high in the mountains, it should have been a
refuge, a place of peace and solace, but hidden among the expensive trappings
lurked repression and a constant barrage of verbal abuse.

The atmosphere here was foreign yet so wonderful. Naturally
if she was, in fact, meant to be Mad’s mate, then she expected to stay here.
But what if he was wrong? Uncertainty paralyzed her, took her over, but she
fought it back, struggling to think of the here and now rather than the future.
Surely Anton and her father were looking for her. Not because they loved her,
of course, but because she’d dare defy them. She pushed back her plate and
walked to the window. It was then she caught sight of a piece of paper with
broad, sprawling handwriting upon it lying on the kitchen counter.

Lana picked it up and read.

Sleep. You need it. If you get bored, head into
Sweetridge. The pack is alerted to your situation so know you’ll be watched
over at all times. I’ve put my cell number into your phone so call if you need
anything and depend on Ynez to show you around. A pack member delivered your
car here last night and your keys are hanging on a hook by the back door.

See you soon and be careful.

Mad

No mention at all of last night’s events, nor had he spoken
of the throbbing magic that coursed between them. That stuff definitely
demanded to be explored. Lana set down the note and shook her head.
Silly.
She didn’t know Madden Moon well but she was a quick study and he wasn’t the
sort of man to wax poetic in a note. No, he was the kind of guy who said things
straight out. She liked that about him. She liked a hell of a lot about Madden
Moon.

Touring the house on her own, marveling at the size, the
space and the rustic, masculine décor, Lana recalled Mad saying he’d built it.
If he’d done this through his own ingenuity then he was a talented guy. There
was much to learn about the man who’d saved her life last night.

Feeling restless and having no idea when to expect Mad, Lana
got in her car and headed down the winding country road to the interstate.
Following road signs, she made her way into the quaint town of Sweetridge.
Something about the place warmed her. Last night she had seen nothing but Joe’s
Hot Griddle and the woods where she had spent some time running for her life.
The trauma was over now and she’d gotten some sleep so exploring sounded like
fun.

Main Street looked much like any other with rows of small
shops that sold gifts, flowers, baked goods, clothing and antiques. Three or
four stoplights ran the length of a street where small SUVs and pickup trucks
cruised along at a leisurely pace. This was small-town life. After sliding into
a vacant parking space, she tugged the strap of her purse over her shoulder,
stepped onto the sidewalk and began to take it all in. Folks milled around,
moving in and out of the stores, and it was easy to distinguish wolf from human
by scent. Smiles greeted her from both species and she realized that towns like
this shared much in the way of friendliness and acceptance.

Lana had lived a rural life too, yet she was most often
surrounded by wolves who were so damn intimated by her father they tended to
shy away from her. It was a lonely way to live and she yearned to put down
roots in a place like this one. Acceptance. Love. Friends and family. She
wanted it all, and who knew? Maybe this
mate
thing with Madden was real
and true and one day he might even love her.

Now wouldn’t that be something?

Yeah, it was a really big dream.

Deep in her heart, she believed that even Madden Moon
couldn’t protect her from her father once he managed to track her down, and he
would. She’d never known a more powerful wolf. Anton Deville, the evil ass, was
a close second. They wouldn’t stop searching until making her pay for her
defiance.

Fear threatened her composure and managed to burst her
little happy bubble.

Lana wandered up and down the sidewalks until she stopped at
the door of a little coffee shop. Annie Pat’s Burgersseemed fairly
packed even at this time of day. If they served fresh hot coffee, color her
there. Pushing open the simple glass door, she walked inside and glanced around
the big room. Obviously, kids liked to come here after school and they packed
the place. Like wolves, they tended to roam in packs and at the moment they
crowded into booths, stuffing their faces like the starving hordes. Taking it
all in, she watched old-timers sitting on barstools at the counter talking of
crops, oil production, high school football and the weather. Several folks
smiled politely or tipped their heads as she made her way to an unoccupied
booth.

A human approached and took her request for coffee. As the
waitress headed off, the air in the room seemed to change as a tall, broad,
very familiar man stood from a corner booth and made his way straight toward
her. How could she have missed Mad? He frowned, dark eyes narrowed as he
focused on her. Dressed for work, he wore a tool belt low on his hips, a
dark-blue tee and jeans that fit his body to perfection. A logo featuring the
words Moon Construction was emblazoned on his front breast pocket. He stopped
beside her and bent low, effectively caging her in, and kissed her.

Every bit of air in the room evaporated as a sizzling
awareness zipped between them and, though it might seem a relatively innocent
kiss to others, the touch was rich with a sexual energy that had her nipples
pearling tight against the cups of her bra. Sensation raced through her core
and straight to her pussy. Her clit pulsed. All of this was new to her. Who
knew that meeting a mate would affect her this way? It was wildly disturbing.

Mad broke the kiss, his lips curving into a sexy smile.
“Glad to see I wasn’t mistaken about last night,” he whispered. “Look what you
do to me.” When he straightened, her gaze zipped down the front of his body,
pausing at the bulge behind the fly of his jeans.

Well now.

That certainly answered the burning question uppermost in
her mind.

Oh yeah, the heat between them had gone from warm to
explosive and sizzling in roughly a nanosecond and any thoughts they might not
be mates quickly evaporated.

He sprawled across from her and she noticed the male wolves
in the small diner watch them carefully before returning to their business.
With that kiss he’d publicly staked his claim, warning the others to back the
hell off.

How typically wolfie of him.

Men.

Mentally rolling her eyes yet secretly pleased, Lana thanked
the waitress for the coffee, added cream and stirred.

“Don’t you look pretty. It’s nice to see you’ve rested.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept better or quite so late. Why
didn’t you wake me up?”

He studied her face. “You needed to rest. I left the house
early this morning and you looked so out of it I couldn’t stand the thought of
waking you. Did Ynez show you around?”

Lana nodded. “She’s great and if she keeps shoving all that
good food at me I’ll be fat as a little pink pig before too long.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you. You look mighty
fine to me.”

If she hadn’t wanted to leap across the table and grab him
before, she sure did now. The man certainly knew how to sweet-talk a woman. She
barely knew him and already she wanted to run her hands all over his ripped
body and beg him to take her for a long, hard ride.

What the hell had gotten into her?

Being in a public place had big-time drawbacks, so she kept
the conversation to mundane things.

“What are you up to today?”

Mad folded his arms across his chest. “We’re working on a
house in a new subdivision on the north side of town. I met with electricians
and plumbers today and so far there aren’t too many glitches so it’s moving
right along. You don’t really want to talk about construction though, do you?”

Nervously, she licked her lips. “I’m interested. Besides
this isn’t really the best of places to discuss what happened last night.”

He reached across the table and took her hand, startling her
with the suddenness of his move, then lowered his voice. “But we will discuss
it further. And soon. You recognize the energy between us just as I do and I
aim to explore it. This is a big deal, Lana. You don’t know how long I’ve
waited.”

She could imagine because she had waited too, hoping the
gods would be kind and send her a
natural
mate. The thought of forcibly
mating with Anton and living in his particular brand of hell quite frankly
terrified her. It was pure dumb luck that she’d met Mad last night.

Just then three men, all lycan, walked up and tipped their
heads respectfully. Two of them she recognized from last night as they’d chased
her through the woods. Instantly, she stiffened. They glanced at Mad and when
he nodded one of them spoke quietly. “I’m Ted Smith, ma’am,” the middle-aged
wolf glanced around, his voice carefully modulated not to carry to other
patrons. Though the café was crowded, most sat at the counter, which was some
distance away, giving them a bit of privacy. “I’m sorry about what happened out
there. We weren’t chasing you but trying to stop the two young’uns. I promise
we wouldn’t have harmed you. This is Harley Jones.” He motioned to the other
man she recognized from last night.

“He’s right,” Harley added in a hushed voice. “We don’t hurt
women and on behalf of the other fellas who ran with us last night, we
apologize for scaring you.”

“Thank you for that,” she said. The regret on their faces
was clear. A third man stepped forward and Mad introduced him.

“This is Lincoln Calder. He is my right-hand man.”

Lana knew from the proud stance of the tall, strong lycan
that he was more than a right hand; he was next in line to be High Alpha of the
Rogues should Madden not father a son. Testosterone fairly oozed from his
pores. Intimidating. The dark, unsmiling man had intense brown eyes that surely
held a secret or two. “I’m pleased to meet you, Lincoln.”

“Ma’am.” He looked at Mad. “See you at the site?”

“Yeah, I’m right behind you.” When the men left the diner,
Lana watched through the big plate-glass windows as they got into their
respective trucks and drove away.

“They’re impressive men,” she said, turning to Mad. “It was
nice of them to apologize.”

“Good guys, each of them, and they’ll protect you with their
lives.”

“Hopefully that won’t be necessary.”

He arched a brow. “Who are you trying to kid? Your father
and that prick Anton won’t rest until they bring you home and teach you what
happens to females who dare to run.” He paused when the waitress returned to
lay the check on the table and inquire if they needed anything else. Once she’d
headed off, he focused on Lana again. “How about we step outside so we can talk
more easily?”

Lana nodded and, after Mad paid the check, they stepped into
the sunlight, stopping a few feet from Mad’s truck. “I made a few calls this
morning before I left the house,” he said. “Joe McKinnon, Alpha of the Wolf
Creek pack out in West Texas agrees with me. We need to prepare for anything.
Your dad won’t give you up without a fight.”

Everything Madden said was true. “The Snow Wolf pack is
strong and Dad has a sizable army. I feel so badly about putting you in this
position.”

“Forget about it. It’s more important to be right than to
waste a second worrying about being outnumbered. The Rogues aren’t as numerous
as, let’s say, the Wolf Creek pack. Cloverfield’s entire community is made up
of shifters, where we are a human-wolf mix. When outside forces interfere, we
don’t think twice about teaming up. Joe assured me that several members of his
pack will be here soon to help us face whatever shitstorm is fixin’ to rain
down.”

Never before had she felt so cared for or so protected—a novel
experience. Lana was touched by it all and just hoped that when the time came
to face Tomin and the others—all dangerous wolves—that no one would be lost.
She didn’t know if she could live with herself if that happened. “You think Dad
and the Snow Wolves will come soon?”

Mad’s face was grim. “Yes, I do. Even now they may be on
their way but don’t you worry. We’ll be ready for them.

* * * * *

Roughly a week later, Lana sat outside by the pool, dragging
a finger over the condensation on her glass of iced tea and watching water
drops drift lazily in their descent. It was full dark now with only a small
light from the kitchen beyond providing illumination. Shadows danced over the
water in the pool and a breeze caused the potted hibiscus to sway, throwing their
scents into the air. It was a shame she wasn’t enjoying the pool but she didn’t
own a suit and with all the shifters running around the place providing
protection for her, it probably wasn’t cool to skinny-dip, though it was mighty
tempting. The night was hot and muggy and if she had a lick of sense, she’d be
inside watching something on television or maybe even heading to bed early but
she was just too restless. Madden had been mainly absent in recent days, having
work that kept him busy until late every night. At first she’d wondered if he
were avoiding her but she’d learned from various members of the Texas Rogues
that Moon was facing a deadline on several construction projects. Work usually
kept him busy until long after she’d gone to bed.

He’d been truthful about taking care of her though. She was
never alone. At the moment, Lincoln was roaming the grounds, making sure no one
who wasn’t pack encroached on Mad’s property. Earlier she’d asked him to join
her for dinner in the kitchen but he’d declined so she’d taken him a plate
heaped with food. Lincoln wasn’t a man comfortable with small talk so she’d
left him alone to eat in peace.

As she did every night, she wondered if Mad might finish his
work early and come home to spend some time with her. She missed him
desperately. It seemed odd to miss someone she hardly knew and it was stranger
still to physically ache with each hour that passed without seeing him. If she
hadn’t known before that they were meant to be together, it was certainly
obvious now. Sexual tension threatened to strangle her each time he walked into
the room but he never touched her that way.

He wanted her though. She knew it to her bones and suspected
he was giving her time to come to grips with the mating heat that moved through
the both of them. He wanted her rested and not stressed about the events that
had brought her here in the first place. It wouldn’t be long now, she
suspected, before they’d reach the point of no return. Each night he joined her
in their big bed, long after she’d fallen asleep, and she’d awaken at some
point to find they lay flesh-to-flesh, his hard cock pressed firmly to her
backside. Oh yeah…he wanted her.

Lana wasn’t going to push the issue. She knew what she
wanted but wasn’t about to beg for it. Snow Wolf blood ran through her veins
and yes, her father was a domineering creep of the highest order but she’d
inherited his stubborn, prideful nature. No, there would be no begging and if
Mad wanted her, he would make the first move.

Rather than calm her, this little outdoor foray served only
to emphasize her frustration so she carried her glass inside, set it in the
dishwasher and headed upstairs. Once she’d showered and pulled a sleepshirt
into place, she slid into bed. The shutters were cracked open slightly, illuminating
Mad’s empty side of the bed. She reached out to stroke his cold pillow and
finally closed her eyes.