Twice in a Blue Moon (Dark Hollow Wolf Pack 8)

“I don’t know,” Richard said. “A week, maybe. No, less than that. This is only the fourth day. ”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, an instant attraction? A feeling that was almost overpowering right away? And tell me, have you noticed a fragrance around him?”

“A fragrance?”

“Yes, some overwhelmingly sweet scent that comes from him. ”

Richard nodded. “Yes, all of that. ”

“And did it not strike you as strange that after some twenty years of not being attracted to anyone, that you meet this man and fall so in love with him in three or four days that you want to spend the rest of your life with him?”

Kevin’s delicious scent wafted up to him even now, causing him to feel almost dizzy. He’d thought for several days now that he needed to find out what kind of cologne Kevin wore and invest some serious money in the company. He’d never smelled anything like it before, and it was a scent he identified strongly with Kevin. It had been teasing around his nostrils for days now, driving him out of his mind. He looked up at the doctor in shock.

“My God,” he said. The irresistible scent of the mate was well-known in the folklore of the wolves. It was what usually attracted them to their bloodmates in the first place. How could he have been so stupid as not to have realized? It must have been because he hadn’t been expecting it. His bloodmatch had died so long ago.

“Exactly,” the doctor said with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth. “Get some rest, Richard. Both your mate and your son will be fine. They were extraordinarily lucky. Not many humans survive a wolf attack. ”

Richard nodded. It was still hard to believe what had happened. How had Todd dared to attack them the way he had? He could feel the restlessness of the entire pack at what had occurred, but he was too tired and emotionally drained to do anything about it tonight. He kicked off his shoes and lay down beside Kevin, gathering him in his arms.

Kevin sighed as he settled into Richard’s side, his head on his shoulder, his arm around his waist. This was where he’d like to keep Kevin the rest of his life, safe in his arms, except he knew Kevin would balk at the idea. He was too independent, too practical and too unwilling to accept anything he couldn’t see and touch with his own hands. He had to find a way to make him surrender that iron will of his just enough to let Richard in. He had to convince him that what they had was real and true and perfect, even though he knew Kevin would fight him every step of the way.

* * * *

Kevin woke up to find himself wrapped up in Richard’s arms. At first he was alarmed, but as he tried to move away, pushing gently against him so he wouldn’t wake him up, Richard shifted to his back and his eyes flew open.

“Good morning. How do you feel?” he murmured, and Kevin felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He pushed against him, harder this time, to get some space between them.

It was like pushing against a wall. He couldn’t budge him, and Richard looked down at him curiously.

“Going somewhere, baby?”

“Let me go,” Kevin said, still pushing at him. “I know what you are. ”

Richard shifted his body and rolled over on top of him, holding him down. He stretched Kevin’s arms up over his head and held them there. “And what am I?”

“A-a monster, damn it! I saw what happened last night. I saw you all turn into those beasts. ”

“You saw us shift into our wolves. I know. I’m sorry you had to find out like that, sweetheart. I planned to break it to you some other way, though I don’t guess there’s any way for you to be comfortable with the idea. ”

“Comfortable with it? Are you crazy?” He struggled uselessly again for a second and then huffed out a long breath. “I don’t understand. Maybe it’s me that’s crazy. ”

Richard leaned down and captured his mouth, kissing him for a long time until those crazy feelings came over Kevin again, and his treacherous cock thickened between them. What the hell was wrong with him that he was still so attracted despite what he’d seen with his own eyes? A sudden thought made him jump. “Tucker? Where’s Tucker? I saw that thing ripping at his throat. ”

“Tucker’s fine, and Todd is dead. The wolf who attacked you was Todd, one of Gavin’s guards. No one knows why he attacked you like he did, though we’re going to try to find out. I’m so sorry, Kevin. I know how terrified you must have been. If I could have gotten to you sooner…but you saved Tucker, Kevin. The rock killed Todd. ”

“Good,” he said, anger tightening his lips. “The mother fucker tried to kill us both. ”

“I know. I can’t explain it. One of our oldest and most sacred laws is to always protect our pets. ”

“Your pets?” he said, his voice filled with contempt. “Is that all we are to you? Pets?”

“It’s a term we use for our mates and for the members of the pack who never shift. Those like Tucker. It doesn’t mean the same thing to us as it does to humans. ”

“Humans…God, I’m going crazy. ”

“I’m not human, baby. You saw that for yourself. We’re wolf shifters, and we’ve existed for as long as humankind. But we’re not evil. All we want to do is to be left alone to live our lives in peace. ”

“No, this is crazy. Let me go!” Kevin started struggling again to get away, trying to pull his wrists away from Richard’s grasp.