FMR (5 page)

carry her.

* * * *

the second time she's saved my ass.
He shook his head. Megan was

once again putting herself out on a limb for him. That was twice in

just a couple of days.

"Well, I'll just have to think of a special way to thank her." He

grinned, as a heady scent of she-wolf drifted down into the hole and

filled his senses. The sun was still lingering in the sky, but Derek

could feel the stirring of the moon in his blood. The feeling made him

ache for Megan's caresses, her honey-sweet kisses and her body.

Derek shook his head. "No, it's more than that," he grumbled out

loud, engaging the moon's strange sensations within him. "I want her

to be ... to be something more. I want her to be ... to be my mate!"

Mate.
The realization hit him hard, like a punch in the gut. Never

in his single, solitary life had he ever met a woman who he wanted for

both her body and her spirit. Megan McShaw was definitely special

... and he wanted her forever.

"But it's impossible right now. She's keeping a distance between us

until this Halloween moon fades. Damn it!" He swung his foot in

frustration, kicking up a cloud of leaves.

"What's wrong? Are you okay, Derek?" a familiar voice called from

above.

Hoping she didn't hear his outburst, he glanced up and cleared the

tightness in his throat. "I-I was just letting off some steam, that's all.

It's not easy to be stuck down here most of the day, you know."

"I found some rope back at the cabin." She grinned, holding up a

coil of thick rope in her hand. "Now I need to find a sturdy tree trunk

to tie it around." Megan's face disappeared from the opening once

again, but he could still hear her voice. "I'll help get you out of there

in no time."

"Sorry to be such a pain, Meg. I wasn't paying attention where I

was running. The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the sky from

this damn hole in the ground." Derek gave a heavy sigh. "I guess it

could be worse, huh?"

"Yeah, it could have been worse, but I'm glad it's not." Her voice

drifted down to him. "Ah, here we go!"

"What?"

"I found a sturdy tree trunk. Now let's hope my knots hold. I must

confess, when I was a kid, I was a really lousy Girl Scout." She peered

down at him again, grinning.

"You? A lousy Scout? I seriously doubt that." He chuckled, gazing

up at her as he felt the tension of the situation lessen a notch.

"Heads up!" she called out, tossing the loose end of the rope into

the vast pit of leaves and dirt.

"Got it!" Derek shouted back, the rope drew tight. "I'm coming

up!"

* * * *

under skin as he carefully attempted to gain footing against the crusty

side of the hole. Slowly, cautiously he moved up several steps.

"Take it easy," she gently coaxed. "You don't want to – "

Before she could finish her sentence, the dirt crumbled beneath his

foot, dropping him back to the bottom of the hole. He let out a harsh

curse.

"Derek! Are you okay?" Her heart was racing in her chest as she

peered over the edge in distress.

"I'm fine. It's just so damn difficult to climb up because I keep

losing my footing."

"Just hold onto the rope, then," she suggested, taking the rope and

gripping it tightly in her hands. "I'll help keep the rope pulled tight

while you climb. Now, try again."

"Okay, here I come!" he shouted back.

The rough texture bit into her palms as the rope pulled taunt. It was

like a twisted game of tug of war – them against the pit. She heard

Derek grunting accompanied by the shifting of dirt. Straining to keep

a tight grip on the rope, her heart fluttered as a dirtied hand rose from

the hole, grasping for something to hold onto.

"Here!" she cried out, dropping the rope to grab onto his hand. She

held on tight, afraid to let go. "Almost," she panted, her voice

quivering with a sudden rush of adrenaline mixed with fear. Megan

pulled on his hand as he scrambled against the dirt, struggling to get

free. Letting out an animalistic snarl, he came up over the edge and

lunged ahead with all his strength.

Toppling forward, Derek knocked her back. She gave a startled

grunt of shock as she landed on her back with his hot, sweaty body

pinning her to the ground. Too stunned to move, Megan lay still

beneath him, gasping for breath and tried to regain her focus.

The weight of his body pressed against her caused the heat to rise

within her body. A low moan escaped her lips as Derek shifted on top

of her. His skin against hers ... the delicious friction made her gasp.

"Oh! Are you all right? I'm sorry if I'm crushing you." He propped

up on his elbows and gazed down at her. His eyes twinkled in the

afternoon sun, golden-hued with tiny flakes of green.

She hadn't noticed the warmth of his gaze until that moment.

Reaching up, she brushed her fingers down his cheek.

"You're messy," she teased, smiling up at the handsome man

hovering over her. "But at least you're not injured."

"And I'd still be stuck in that hole, if it wasn't for you." He cocked

his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That's another

one I owe you."

Megan drew a ragged breath. The heat was now in her veins. She

blushed, feeling the moisture gathering between her legs. "Y-you

don't owe me." She attempted to smile despite the sensations coursing

through her body.

"Well, may I at least give you a kiss?" he inquired, playfully.

Yes!
An unconscious shrug of energy rippled from her, calling him

closer. A response that came from deep inside her. Derek's mouth

covered hers, the touch of his lips burning with white-hot desire.

Megan yielded. She let his mouth consume hers with its searing heat

as her senses reeled in sheer, undiluted lunacy.

The
moon fever
rushed through her like a wildfire and her body

responded. The
sithech
inside her was begging for more than a mere

kiss. A groan escaped her lips as Derek's mouth pulled from hers and

began kissing a hot trail down her neck.

Megan tossed back her head, exposing her neck to his lips, and

closed her eyes. She reeled in the all-consuming passion that held her

tighter in its embrace. His hard body moved against her, stimulating

every fiber of her being with the strong, natural aroma of
sithech
-

male. A dark scent of forest, man and wolf blended together and

aroused within her a primal desire ... the desire to mate.

As his lips swept over her collarbone, she gave a soft groan.

Encircling her arms around his shoulders, she drew him close. Lust

was overriding her senses. She didn't want to pull away. Even though

it was afternoon, the Samhain moon still held sway, washing over her

with full force.

She heard Derek groan as he urgently brushed his cock against her.

He was hard, rigid and eager.
I want you, Megan. Please,

sweetheart?
His velvety-steel member grazed over her thighs, seeking

out her inner heat. There was also tenseness in his body. Restraint.

He was holding off, waiting ... for her.

The fever had them both wrapped in its embrace. Megan trembled

beneath him. Her body was aching as the resolve within her melted

away. Scissoring her legs around his waist, Megan let out a wordless

sound and flipped him over onto his back in the bed of leaves.

* * * *

up into her smiling face. Megan straddled his thighs. The heat of her

sex radiated from between her legs. The
sithech
-blood rushed through

his veins, burning him with wild desire.

"Yes, I want you, too." She flashed him a feral grin, encircling the

base of his penis with her slender fingers. Just her touch was almost

enough to make him snap. Derek panted. Sweat covered his body as

he struggled for an ounce of control, but the beast within him was

screaming for release.

Megan's eyes widened with surprise. She sensed it too, the

unmistakable surge of pure, raw sexuality and power drawing them

together like magnets. Clasping her hips in his hands, he held her

steady over his cock. "Please, Meg. Now." His voice was ragged

with intense emotion.

Seated on top of him, Megan raised her hips and sank down onto

his shaft in a swift, fluid motion. Heat engulfed his entire body,

searing him to the core. His vision blurred as she moved over him,

her sex clutching his cock. Derek moaned and thrust upward into her

moist, hot body, matching her primal rhythm.

His lower body tightened, sensing every impulse of her sex as her

hips rocked and swayed. The pleasure mounted between them. Her

hands splayed over his chest and burned as hot as a brand, marking his

heart. He was hers. She was his. They were meant to be together ...

there was no doubt.

With a cry of rapture, Megan's climax reverberated through his

cock. Her joy sent him over the edge, his hips wildly thrusting inside

her until he erupted. A tremor of happiness rippled through him.

Derek wrapped her in his arms, letting the bliss of the moment

envelop their souls.

* * * *

lovemaking. Megan lay motionless in the bed of leaves. Lazily, she

watched Derek rewind the rope, looping it over his shoulder.

"It's getting chilly. We'd better get inside and take a hot shower

before we catch a cold." He grinned down at her.

"Do we have to go?" She smiled up at him. Her heart fluttered in

her chest as he bent down, effortlessly scooping her up into his arms.

The firmness of his embrace and the delightful scents that lingered on

his skin were stirring her sex again.

"Yes." He sighed, glancing up at the sky through the canopy of

autumn foliage. "It's late afternoon and I'm hungry. Besides, wouldn't

you rather be indoors than out here rolling around on the ground?"

"That depends." She smirked.

"Depends on what?" he inquired, raising his eyebrow.

"That depends on who I'm rolling around with." Derek chuckled as

Megan contently leaned her head against the expanse of his chest.

They both fell silent, listening to the sounds of the surrounding

woods. Megan smiled, recalling their passionate encounter on the bed

of leaves. It had felt so good and natural. Then something deep

inside her clicked. It was if a piece of the puzzle had locked into

place, revealing a complete picture.

"Oh my god," she gasped, pulling her head from his chest and

gazing up at him in astonishment.

"What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brows. "You look like

you've just seen a ghost."

"Oh no, it's nothing like that." She shook her head. "I've just had an

epiphany!"

"An epiphany?" Derek stopped and gazed down at her, bewildered.

"Yes, I've suddenly realized why some
sithech
believe the Samhain

moon's a 'bad moon'!" She grinned.

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense, Meg." The afternoon sun

sparkled in his amber eyes as he gently put her feet back on the

ground. "You've got me curious."

Megan focused, recollecting her thoughts. "I realized what my

brother said about how the moon affects the
sithech
is true. Since

we're part wolf, and closely connected with the moon phases, it can

magnify our emotions – whether it's fear, anger, jealousy or lust.

When our emotions are amplified during the Samhain moon, it can

bring on 'moon fever'."

Derek stood with his hands on his hips, deep in thought. Then he

glanced over at her and nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. The other

night at the bar, I was pissed off and the beast emerged before I could

control myself. I wanted to tear MacDonald apart."

"See? Your anger was magnified by the moon! It sparked your

transformation and you lost control. That's what we call a 'bad

moon'." Megan grinned, reaching out and taking Derek's hand in hers.

"But I was thinking, if the moon can affect our
sithech
-blood in a

negative way, I believe it can affect us in a positive way, too."

He angled his head, smiling over at her. "I think I know what

you're talking about. I felt the 'moon fever' today in the leaves with

you. However, this time, it was different. Yeah, I was horny, but I