Alpha's Moon (Shifter Ops 1)

“No. My dad.” I click off my phone, ignoring my missed messages. He’s probably calling to see if Scott and I got back together.

It’s evening when we pull up to my townhouse. It feels later than it is. The sky is dark and heavy with clouds. Deke parks, and I climb out of his ride. Before I can ask, Deke grabs my suitcase and walks me to my door. He sets my bag inside but remains outside. His big hand grips the doorframe, and he leans closer like he wants to come in but needs permission.

“I should get back to headquarters.”

I don’t want to pressure him, but I suddenly have this irrational fear that once he gets back to his own kind, they’ll talk him out of being with me.

“Can you just spend the night tonight? Go back tomorrow?”

He scrubs a hand over his face. “I want to, baby.”

“Please?” I might be doing puppy-eyes.

“Fuck, you’re hard to say no to.”

I smile.

He follows me inside.

Okay, you got him inside. Now what? “Wine?” I offer, in an attempt at hospitality.

Deke shakes his head.

Since I’m already in the kitchen, I head to the outlet I use as a charging station. I plug in my phone, and it turns on, buzzing like an angry hornet.

“Ugh,” I growl when I see who’s been calling me. “It’s not Scott,” I say to Deke, who’s lurking in my living room, a giant, gloomy shadow. “Hang on.” I hold up a finger, and I call my father back. It goes straight to his voicemail.

I hold Deke’s gaze as I leave a message. “Hello, Dad? I’m not in the mood to talk to you. Not today and probably not for a while. Scott and I are broken up. He’s a creep, and we’re done. And if you don’t stop trying to control me, I’m done with you too.” And I hang up.

“Fuck him,” I mutter and toss my phone back on the kitchen counter.

Deke blows out a breath that sounds like a laugh.

“Did you like that?” I approach him slowly, like he’s a wild animal ready to run.

“Yeah.” Up close, his eyes twinkle.

“I should’ve set boundaries years ago,” I say. Step by step, I get closer. “I just needed help.” When I’m close enough to touch Deke. He hasn’t moved. His hands are by his sides.

“You help me, Deke. You make me brave.”

“You don’t need me. You’re brave all on your own. You were going to rescue Scott from a wild wolf this morning.”

I laugh, remembering. I still can’t believe he’s a wolf. I mean, I can—it seems exactly right—but it’s all so fantastical.

“Well, that wild wolf likes me,” I say, batting my lashes.

His eyes crinkle again.

“What about your friends? Are you worried they won’t accept me?”

He hesitates, tension returning to his shoulders.

I take his hand and tug him toward the bedroom. “We can figure this out,” I whisper. He follows, scooping me into the air as I cross the threshold and carrying me to the bed.

“Yeah. We’ll figure it out.”

Deke

I somehow manage to go slow with Sadie. I guess the fact that I’ve already had her three times in the last twenty-four hours has soothed my wolf enough that he stays under control. I climb over my beautiful female and undress her, kissing down her neck, between her breasts, to her belly button. I avoid the most erotic zones, saving them for after the build-up. With my tongue, I trace a circle around her belly button. Then I skip to her inner thigh, flicking my tongue in a path toward home, but not touching her where I know she needs it most.

She shivers and trembles beneath me, croaking my name in those hoarse, beautiful sounds.

I take mercy and brush my thumbs over her nipples, listening to her sweet gasps, loving the way her thighs clamp together. I take one puckered bud into my mouth and suck it, hard. She arches off the bed.

“You’re so beautiful, Sadie,” I murmur. She should hear it. Often.

“Where would you bite me?” she asks. Like she’s been thinking about it.

I freeze. “Ah, well… normally a claiming bite is here.” I bring my lips to the place where her neck meets her shoulder. I kiss her there, drag my open mouth over her soft skin.

“But on a human, that could be dangerous. Shifters heal instantly, so a she-wolf doesn’t mind being marked.”

“Ohhh,” Sadie says, eyes wide. “Can you do it… some other place? Somewhere safer?”

My heart raps quick and steady against my ribs.

Sadie wants me to mark her.

She wants to be claimed.

Do it now! My wolf roars to life, no longer content to wait.

I rear back from her, my vision sharpening as the wolf comes to the fore.

Her fingertips trace lightly over my forearms. “It’s okay,” she murmurs softly. I’ll bet she can comfort her students in seconds with that voice. “You’re in control,” she tells me.