Bite of the Moon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set (35 page)

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Rowan’s wolf was restless. Lying next to the woman he already knew owned him body and soul, he decided to stretch his legs and maybe let his wolf out. Knowing he was able to become a furry beast, and accepting the fact was becoming easier with each passing second.

He slid out of bed, admiring Lyric’s naked form. His body responded to the sight of her luscious curves. The thought of sliding between her thighs and waking his mate back up almost had him doing just that, but a feeling something wasn’t right made him dress in record time. Easing out into the hallway, he wished there was a way to bar the door, other than breaking the lock, but he didn’t want to prevent Lyric from getting out in case of an emergency.

His wolf scratched at his mind, wanting to be let out. Rowan allowed the beast to surface, just enough to help him navigate the halls he’d never been in. The dimly lit walkways inclined as if they were leading back toward the surface a bit. He came to a halt outside a huge steel door where another state-of-the-art keypad was located. The camera showed him several men in camo searching around the surface near the entrance. Rage threatened to consume him at the thought of them breaking into the safe house where he and his mate were sleeping.

He punched in the code Lyric had used to access the other door, unimpressed when the thick door’s bolts could be heard unlocking. His wolf’s hearing picked up the men above moving down the hidden entrance toward him. Making sure he locked the door behind him, Rowan let more of his beast out, preparing to meet them. He’d protect what was his, and the people behind him were his, especially Lyric, his mate.

“Hello, boys. Can I help you?” he asked, his voice more gravelly with the wolf half of him taking up residence.

Four men skidded to a halt on the wet leaves, their camo proving they’d planned to blend into the foliage.

“We only want to talk to the leader.” One of the men held a black nightstick, tapping it against his thigh.

Rowan grunted. “And you thought sneaking around in the dark would get you an audience with the alpha, much less would get you a sit down that didn’t include him beating your ass?” Rowan kept to the shadows, knowing they couldn’t see his face or the fact he’d partially shifted. He couldn’t scent shifter on any of them, not like he could when he’d first met Lyric’s pack.

“We were told if we proved ourselves, they’d allow us to become one of them.” A younger man said hesitantly.

The man with the long rod knocked it against his thigh, and a crackling sound reached Rowan’s ears. With speed, he struck the man closest to him in the throat, lifting him into his arms and launching him at the man with the nightstick. The youngest of the group saw what was clearly the leaders go down and reached for his own Taser. Hating to hurt the young man, Rowan backhanded him. He felt a shock hit him in the back and twisted to see the last man standing, a look of triumph on his face. Rowan ripped the prongs out of his back, pulling the man to him. The man began to struggle, jerking a knife from his belt faster than Rowan had expected.

“I thought this was supposed to be a…gathering intel mission,” he spat. “But, it’s you or me, asshole.” The knife swung in a wide arc, slicing into Rowan’s chest. The burn left in its wake was minimal, enraging more than anything.

“Ah, little man, they should’ve sent more than pups in after the big boys,” Rowan taunted, letting the man see his contorted face for the first time. “Now, you will take me to the men who sent you.”

The faint scent of urine hit Rowan’s nostrils. “What are you?”

Rowan grabbed the zip ties from the man’s belt, shaking his head at the absurdity, and tied him up. He then checked for a pulse on the two unconscious men and the youngest one who couldn’t be more than a teen.

“How did you get recruited?” Rowan asked.

When the only conscious one didn’t answer, he squatted down and looked him in the eyes, pulling his wolf back so he faced him as a man. “Listen, I didn’t know anything about shifters until I was attacked outside a bar a couple of nights ago. I think the men who sent you after me are the ones who did it. If we work together, maybe we can stop another from being hurt, or worse, killed.”

His voice shook. “You aren’t going to kill me?”

Rowan took a deep breath, wishing he didn’t have to smell the man’s piss, but no scent of lies permeated the air. He’d been good at telling if someone was lying before he’d been changed, now he had an added helper. “As long as you tell me the truth and don’t try to hurt those I care for? No.”

With a jerk of his head, the younger man nodded. Rowan slung two bodies over one shoulder, the other he dragged up the incline, shaking at the knowledge they’d come so close to where he’d been sleeping with Lyric.

At the top, he looked back and forth, waiting for the kid to indicate which way they’d left their vehicle.

“I can’t remember which way we came.”

His heightened senses smelled no untruth. The men shifted in his arms, and Rowan made a snap decision. He’d picked up their Tasers and shoved them into the waistband of his pants. Dropping them, he tasered first one and then the others, making sure none would wake up. Signs of the men’s trek were visible to him as he looked closer. Rowan wasn’t sure if they were amateurs or if it was all a setup. The men from the bar were much more organized and a lot tougher than the four he’d faced here. He looked at the kid again, a growl rising in his chest. “Boy, you’d better start being straight with me or I’ll rip your fucking throat out and shit down your neck.” His beast pushed to the front, needing to protect what was his.

“We were told where to find this hidden place. Our job was just to come and see if it was really here. You shocked us all when you came out of there.”

No change in his scent. Either the guy was a good liar or he was telling the truth. A sudden rush of power washed over him, making him smile. Kellen wasn’t one for subtlety, although Rowan didn’t hear the other man until he was almost on top of them. Something not many people could do.

“What’s doin boys?” Kellen’s deep rumble filled the night air. The young kid dropped to his knees. Even non-shifters couldn’t fight an alpha’s power.

Kellen’s right brow lifted as Rowan stood his ground. “I felt something was off and went to investigate. What I found was these yahoos.” Rowan explained what had happened after he’d opened the door. Had the men he’d tasered still been conscious, Kellen would have probably beat them down. His fingernails lengthened to deadly black claws, igniting fear in the only man who could give the answers they needed.

“What’s your name, and if you lie, or do anything I don’t like, I will cut you.” Kellen brought his claws up for him to see.

Audibly swallowing, sweat dripping down his brow, he opened his mouth then shut it.

“You think I won’t?” Kellen lifted his arm that had shifted into more wolf than man.

“They weren’t lying. You’re really a wolfman?”

“Oh, yeah. Wanna see how big my teeth are?” Kellen smiled, flashing fangs much larger than humans’.

“Mike. My name is Mike. I thought this was a recon, not a capture or whatever, man. I swear. I didn’t sign up for this, and they promised us backup.”

“Who promised you these things, Mike?” Kellen asked, his wolf back under the skin. Rowan was impressed with how easily the alpha shifted seamlessly.

“My fraternity.”

Rowan looked at the downed men and then at Mike. “That doesn’t make sense, Kellen. This kid looks young enough, but these guys…” he said, thinking about waking one of them. “They are too old to be in college.”

“Listen you little fuck, I’m done playing games. Do you know you can live without a dick? They’ll call you a eunuch, or a chick, but I don’t give two fucks what you’re called. Last chance.” Kellen grabbed the kid by the throat, easily lifting him off the ground.

Rowan’s ears picked up the sound of approaching men. His body stilled as he half shifted. “Kellen we got company coming at us from the east.”

“That would be Xan and the boys.”

He wondered how Kellen knew but assumed it had to do with their sense of smell. Yeah, he was still getting used to the whole wolf thing.

“Please tell me you aren’t swinging for our team now, Alpha.” Xan came up like a silent wraith. Rowan was sure he was with the men he’d heard coming from the east, only he spoke right next to the downed men, coming out of the woods from the west.

“When I drop this kid, I’ll shove something up your ass if you want, Xan.” There was no heat to either of their words, letting Rowan know they joked with each other all the time.

“Guys, I really don’t want anything up my ass. I’m sorry I came here. I swear it. I don’t know what’s real or fake. I feel like pieces are missing.”

Truth. Rowan could hear it and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“The guys who tried to take Lyric were very organized. I’d say they had the ability to wash these guys. That’s what this seems like to me.” He stopped at the questioning looks on the men’s faces. “That means they are dispensable.”

“Ah, shit. You’re military. Have you seen this before?” Xan asked, and pulled up the larger man who had started to wake. “I think you killed this one.”

“Coti, did you go to medical school?” Kellen asked.

“Does fucking a chick while she was in nursing school count?”

Xan punched the man named Coti. “If it worked that way, I’d be every fucking profession known to man, and some that haven’t even been created yet.”

The bald man had a few inches on both the alpha and Xan, yet he tilted his head as if thinking. “So you’re saying you are a manwhore.”

“I’m saying you’re a dumbass. However, I won’t deny having my fair share of women.”

“Can we get back to the matter at hand, children? Namely, who wants to kill the boy here for lying to me? I’ve met my quota for the week, and I’ve got two women waiting on me back at my place. I don’t need blood on my hands when I slide between them.” Kellen held the young man out as if in offering.

“Fine, give him to me. I’ll do it.” Coti held his hand out. Rowan wondered if they were seriously going to kill the kid and the other guys. He’d skated the line in the military, but here at home, he wasn’t sure he could turn a blind eye. Insta-wolf didn’t make him lose his values.

“Alpha, I found their vehicle. They’ve got a tracker, too.”

“Good job, Wyck.”

Rowan was having a hard time keeping track of all the men coming out of the woods. He hadn’t even sensed the huge African American man Kellen called Wyck. His ghost team would kick him out without a backward glance.

“Don’t beat yourself up, bro. Nobody can hear Wyck except for the alpha,” Coti explained. “Am I killing the kid or what? I need pussy, and I don’t see any here, so let’s get this done.” The man shook his head, and, in moments he’d shifted to the thing of nightmares. Half man, half wolf.

“Fuck, I hate when he does that. You know that’s what they based the movie
An American
Werewolf in London
off of right?” Wyck crossed his arms over his chest.

Kellen growled. “Coti, you got babysitting duty for the kid. Wyck carry the douche nozzles back to their vehicles. Let’s see what happens when they get back inside. Any word on Taya?”

“Wait. There was a woman. I remember a woman with long red hair and tattoos. They had her chained to a bed. I asked about her, but the boss said she was into BDSM and not to worry about it. Only she looked scared and her screams didn’t sound like one of pleasure.”

Like this kid knew anything about giving a woman pleasure.

At his words Xan knocked the boy out of Kellen’s hands, falling to the ground with a thud. The ferocity of the act startled the alpha so much, he fell on his back as Xan wrapped his hands around the throat of the kid.

Rowan feared his mate’s brother would kill him before they could find out what the hell was going on. Who Taya was to Xan was a mystery to him as well. Shit, this was a clusterfuck. He needed his own team that he trusted.

A big hand landed on his shoulder. “You can trust us. I know this is a lot to take in, but we are your family now.” Wyck nodded toward the men on the ground.

Kellen grunted then jerked Xan up and off the kid. “We need him alive, jack-off.”

“If he knows where Taya is then I’ll beat it out of him.” Xan’s voice sounded more wolf than human.

“If you kill the little fucker, he won’t be able to tell us shit, so get control, or I will.” Kellen’s power lashed out—even Rowan turned his neck along with Xan. The other wolves dropped down to one knee until Kellen pulled back.

“Fuck me running. I hate when you do that shit, man,” Wyck complained.

“Taya’s not my mate, so get that outta your head. She’s seeing a dude whose family isn’t all that accepting of her. I was just an ear these last few months. Yes, I’ve fucked her a few times, but it’s been a very long time. Now, let’s move this circus along.” Xan brushed the dirt and leaves off his clothes.

“I know where the house is. I’ll show you,” Mike said.

“Kid, you tell us, and we will go there. If you’re screwing around, I’ll let Coti kill you slowly.” Kellen spoke as if he was saying the sky was blue.

With chattering teeth, the young man held out his hands. “I only know how to get there, not how to tell you how to get there. I mean, that doesn’t make sense, but I can see it in my head, I just can’t…I don’t know how to tell you.”