MadMoon (2 page)

“Not me, man. Rape isn’t for me.”

“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here. C’mon, Randall, Jeff.
You boys get on home now.”

Yes, listen to him, Randall and Jeff! Please, do what he
says.

It must have been those two who were the object of
conversation because they moved close enough that she could make out their
features and smell the evilness of their intent. Both young lycan males leered
at her.

Facing rape and gods knew what, Lana steeled herself, praying
for all she was worth they’d come to their senses.

She’d almost given up hope when a huge, pale wolf leapt upon
the younger men, knocking them to the ground. He wasted not a second on them
but snarled as he straddled her body and moved his muzzle close to her face.
Before she could manage even a squeak, he morphed into the image of the man
she’d seen in Joe’s Hot Griddle. His warm breath bathed her face as she stared
into those icy eyes.

Just like that knight she’d imagined. Silly.

“Don’t move.” His chest flattened her bare breasts just as
his legs tangled with hers on the forest floor. “Not a muscle.”

“Okay. Okay.”

Talk aboutnick of time.

With movements that were lightning quick, he stood over her.
His gaze scanned her body, lingering only a moment on her breasts and thighs.
His eyes narrowed and a muscle worked in his strong jaw. “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

Before she could speak again, express her thanks, he turned
toward the two men who’d threatened her and in one violent moment lunged
forward to grab each by the throat. He made it look so easy. The speed with
which he got to them was crazy. Even for one of their species, his strength was
evident. Lana couldn’t help herself. Her gaze scanned the broad, muscular
length of his back, his rock-hard butt and the thick, bronzed beauty of his
thighs. Oh yeah. Strong.

“What the
hell
do you two think you’re doing? Have
you no honor? Hell, don’t answer that. I already know.” He tossed first one and
then the other man to the ground as if they were rag dolls then loomed over
them. “Harley, Ted, get these two assholes out of here. Make sure they find a
willing she-wolf to fuck. We don’t rape women. Get it?”

One of the hapless wolves still laid out on the ground
nodded. “Uh. Yeah, High Alpha. We get it. Sorry. We just got carried away.”

The Alpha.

Lana’s gaze remained locked on perhaps the only man who
might actually give a rat’s behind whether she lived or died. When the two
would-be attackers got to their feet, the High Alpha turned back to her and
held out his hand. “Let me help you.”

His grip was firm and warm. A shot of heat blasted through
her body. Surely that was just a reaction from her scare and had not a bit to
do with how he was so handsome and had just saved her dumb life. Right.

Still riding the adrenaline rush, she let him help her up
and faced him with as much bravado as she could muster considering the
awkwardness of the situation. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Care to tell me your name?”

“Lana. Lana Vronski.”

He frowned. “Of the Colorado clan?”

The shifter network was strong. Of course he’d heard of the
Snow Wolf Clan and her father. “Tomin Vronski is my dad.”

A sandy brow went up and he cocked his head. “What the hell
are you doing in Texas, Miz Vronski?”

Lana might live to regret it but hope, at this point, was
about all she had left. She gave him a long, steady look then went to her knees
on the ground. Lowering her eyes, she bent her head to the side and bared her
neck to him in the ancient act of submission. “I’m looking for sanctuary, High
Alpha. Please, help me.”

Mad took in her submissive stance, noting the fairness of
her skin under the filtered light of the moon. Protective instincts rose savage
and sharp within him as he nodded. The odd sensation he’d experienced in Joe’s
tonight reappeared as his body seemed to hum with energy. Damn, if he didn’t
have a strange reaction to this woman.

“Please rise. I promise my protection and the protection of
this pack. Don’t know what’s going on with you but when we have some privacy,
you can talk and I’ll listen. I can straight out tell you that I don’t want any
trouble with your father. He’s a powerful Alpha in Colorado. Even out here in
the boonies, we’ve heard of him.” He paused, focused intently on her. “You
understand what it means to receive sanctuary from a pack that’s not your own,
don’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I belong to you now, until you say
otherwise.” When she stood and looked him square in the eye, his admiration for
her grew. He sensed her discomfort. She was either tragically desperate or
really brave. Could be she was a mixture of both. It all remained to be seen.

He nodded then turned to face the Rogues. “I want each and
every one of you at my place in a couple of hours and we’ll discuss what
happened tonight. Two of you are in deep shit with me so this order especially
applies to you. Do what you need to do then come over. Don’t be late. Now get
the hell on out of here.”

The pack members who’d hunted tonight turned, shifted back
into their wolves and raced off in search of their vehicles and pants to cover
their bare asses. Mad watched them go then turned to find Lana wearing an
uncertain look. Sympathy for her situation swept over him and he instantly went
to her. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.” Impulsively, he draped his
arm around her shoulders and drew her close. He’d protected a lot of wolves in
his lifetime, even before he’d been named High Alpha, but there was something
different about Lana. He didn’t quite know what that made her unique but he
aimed to find out. “Come with me and I’ll get you something to put on.”

The ground was rough. The she-wolf made a sharp little
gasping sound and he didn’t hesitate but swung her naked body into his arms.
Every lush curve she possessed pressed against his bare flesh and he almost
forgot to breathe. A sweeter body had never been born but he fought back primal
urges as he carried her over the rough terrain and into a clearing where he’d
parked his truck.

That bad feeling he’d had upon leaving the café tonight
proved to him, once again, that he had pretty good instincts. At first he’d
considered going straight home but instead he’d doubled back and driven past
the café parking lot. Finding an abandoned black handbag on the ground near a
small car prompted him to head out to the nearby woods and hunt down his pack.
It wasn’t the older wolves who worried him but the younger ones. They were
unpredictable. Mad knew they wouldn’t have been allowed to hurt the female but
the whole situation would lead to a fight amongst them, he knew. Mad wanted his
pack strong and united. Not divided by this kind of crap.

When he halted by the driver’s door of his truck, he set the
woman on her feet and picked up his abandoned clothes from the ground. He
handed Lana his old tee shirt. “Put this on.”

Once she’d slid it into place and shot him an apprehensive
look, he pulled on his remaining clothes and his boots. She looked awfully cute
wearing his shirt. It was several times too big for her and something about the
sight amused him. His lips twitched. “I’m Madden Moon.”

She cocked her head and arched a brow. “Moon, huh?
Considering what you are, that’s pretty cool.”

The harassed look was finally gone from her face and he was
happy about that. Obviously greatly relieved that she was safe and sound now,
she’d relaxed enough to tease. That was good, and damn if he didn’t love a
smiling woman.

“Don’t know how cool it is, but it’s sure enough my name.
Most of the Rogues call me Moon but you can call me Mad if you want. You’ll be
staying at my place and I don’t stand on formalities.” He watched the wariness
seep back into her expression and knew she must be worried about what kind of
demands he might make on her. It had taken a huge leap of faith for her to even
request it, but hell, he wasn’t some kind of monster. She’d find that out soon
enough. “Get in and we’ll pick up your things.”

With only a nod, Lana climbed into the cab of his truck.
Once back at the café, he retrieved her purse and a single small bag from the
trunk of her car, then called Joe to deliver Lana’s car to his house in the
morning. They drove the rest of the way to his place with little comment.

Despite the fact she seemed tired to the max, Mad saw her
interest as they drove through the tiny town of Sweetridge. There were only
four or five stoplights on a Main Street that featured shops, a bank, a couple
of bakeries and a lunch spot or two. Several churches occupied coveted corner
lots. Beyond Main sat quiet little neighborhoods where folks seldom bothered to
lock their doors and kids played without worry. It was a nice little town where
wolves blended seamlessly with the human population. Mad always figured folks
would flip the fuck out if they knew there were wolves in their midst but the
secret had been safe for as long as Sweetridge had been a town. And that was a
helluva long time.

The high school sat at the edge of the city limits and
Madden drove past it then continued on for another half mile before making a
left turn down a lonely paved road. “I live out here.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Nerves seemed to consume her. He could practically feel them
vibrating through the cab of his truck. Country music played on the radio as
they drove along but her fear was getting to him. They needed to have a little
talk. He pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the tunes before
leaning in to focus on her. The dashboard lights illuminated her face and he
hated the flash of fear that suddenly came to life in her eyes. Impulsively, he
reached out and cupped her cheek. She sucked in a quick breath but maintained
eye contact.

Yeah, she had courage. He admired that a lot.

“Listen to me, Lana. I know the rules and so do you. Anyone
seeking sanctuary is beholden and basically, according to ancient rules, bound
to the Alpha until he says otherwise, but I want you to know that I won’t hurt
you. You have no reason to believe me but it’s the truth.”

“I believe you.”

“You’re awfully quick to say that.”

“You saved me. A bad guy wouldn’t have done that.” She
dragged a deep breath into her lungs and shut her eyes for a second before
opening them again. “My dad always said I was stupid and naïve but that’s not true.
I trust my instincts about people and you showed up and helped me when I needed
it most. If you’d wanted to hurt me, if you were cruel, you could have let
those two assholes do whatever they wanted. I’m a stranger. You don’t know me
but you helped anyway. That has to mean something.”

Mad smiled, warmed by her little speech. “That’s a whole lot
of words all at one time. Anyone ever tell you that you talk a lot?”

Laughter bubbled from her and her eyes crinkled at the
corners. She was a beauty and one little sexy package of dynamite. He looked
forward to seeing more of that spunk once she’d rested up a bit.

“Pretty much all the time.” The smile slid from her face.
“I’m tired, scared, relieved and full of nerves all at once. Just let me get my
bearings and help me find a bed before I fall over, okay?”

“All right then.” He nodded. “Let’s head on.” After starting
the truck again, he gave her a glance. “By the way, your dad sounds like an
asshole.” Lana didn’t respond to that last comment but then he hadn’t really
expected her to. Mad put the vehicle in drive and headed deeper into the
country. When he pulled into the garage of his two-story house, he glanced over
to find she had gone limp against the leather seats and her eyes were closed.

Suddenly they popped open.

Not asleep.

He turned off the ignition and looked at her. “I need to
find you a bed.”

“Sooner the better.”

“Hold that thought.” He got out, walked around to her side
of the truck and reached in to haul her into his arms.

“Hey! I can walk.” Though she protested, she wrapped her
arms around his neck, hanging on. She was soft and warm and his brain
registered that fact about two seconds after his body did. It had been a long
time since he’d had a woman and his libido revved in reaction to the feel of her
cuddled against him. Lana Vronski was one delectable armful of woman and he was
honest enough to admit that if circumstances were different he’d have her under
him in bed quicker than a man could say
fuck me, baby
.

“I’m the boss, remember?”

“How could I forget? You keep reminding me.”

Mad laughed. He pushed open the door leading from the
laundry room into the kitchen and reluctantly let her slide down the length of
his body until her feet touched the floor. A light above the oven cast a glow
over the room illuminating a rack of copper pots that hung from the ceiling,
and the scent of lemony cleaners clung to the air. The place was fluffed and
prettified several times a week by one of the female pack members. Gods knew he
didn’t know shit about that kind of stuff but he was thankful that everything
was tidy for his unexpected guest.

As Lana looked around the room, Madden wondered if she might
be hungry until he remembered watching her inhale two giant burgers and a
massive plate of fries at Joe’s place. She turned in a circle and
self-consciously tugged the hem of her borrowed tee shirt.

“There will be plenty of time to check things out in the
morning. Why don’t you head upstairs to the first room on the right and I’ll
get your bag.”

He watched her walk from the kitchen and knew she’d spot the
landing to the staircase with no trouble. Shamelessly he watched the way her
sweet ass moved beneath that flimsy bit of cotton before taking in the long,
shapely length of her legs. Wolves weren’t a particularly modest species and
nudity was commonplace among them but he still recalled the way she’d looked
back there in the woods. Her breasts were high and full, just a bit more than a
handful. They were perfectly shaped, tipped with pink nipples that he was dying
to suck. Her belly was slightly rounded and softly feminine enough to make his
cock twitch. Madden’s gaze cruised further down her body, dredging up images of
all the things he’d like to do to her delectable body.

Oh hell yeah, he wanted to fuck her in roughly fifty
different ways and he would if she gave him half a chance.

His mouth went dry.

Shit. Best not go there, not now.

Thank the gods she couldn’t read the dirty scenarios that
roared to life in his brain or she’d be hightailing it out the door. Mad sucked
in a breath to regain his composure and shifted his hard cock into a more
comfortable position behind the fly of his jeans. Finally he followed her
upstairs to find her flipping on a lamp in the guest bedroom. Once he set her
bag on the floor, he went into the bathroom to draw hot water in the tub.

He returned to find Lana standing near the bed where she
curiously studied her surroundings. “This is beautiful. It’s so feminine and
girly. I wouldn’t have figured you for the flowery type.” When she turned to
him and grinned, his heart skipped a beat or two. Everything about her
interested him just a little too much.

“Thanks. Don’t know much about decorating but I found a lady
in Dallas who is an expert at this sort of thing. I built the house myself
about ten years ago and had her come in to put things together for me. My mom
used this room while she was still alive. I hope you like it.”

She gazed at him, her eyes going all soft and pretty. “Who
wouldn’t?” Smiling, she ran her hand over a dark-purple fur throw at the foot
of the bed then picked it up to rub her cheek against it. Her eyes closed as a
dreamy expression crossed her face. Mad’s belly tightened. Getting out of close
proximity suddenly seemed like a fantastic idea. Finally she looked at him.
“I’ll just unpack, clean up and turn in unless you want to talk with me.”

Damn straight, there was plenty to discuss. He’d offered his
protection without giving a thought to what or whom she might be running from
and Mad figured he had a right to know what he was in for. But she looked as
though she was about to fall over. “Don’t worry about it tonight. We’ll have a
long talk after you’ve rested.”

Lana surprised him by walking up and taking his hand. “I
don’t know how to thank you.”

He could think of a thing or two. He surely could.

Gritting his teeth was about the only thing he could do
other than pull her into his arms and swear to her that she’d be safe with him.
He knew that would be a lie. Every instinct he possessed told him to lay her on
the nearest bed and fuck her until she screamed his name. That might be what he
needed but it wouldn’t do much toward making her feel protected.

Removing himself from temptation, he stepped away and headed
toward the door. He had business to take care of tonight and it was best he
remain clearheaded for what he intended. “Don’t worry about anything but
getting some rest. I’m right next door if you need me. Good night, Lana.”

When the door closed, Lana sank to the bed in disbelief at
what the events of this night had revealed. She’d never believed herself to be
a particularly passionate woman and encounters with males of her pack had
elicited very little interest. Now she knew, without a doubt, that she’d simply
not met the
right
wolf; everything about this guy called to deep feminine
instincts she had thought were absent from her DNA.

Wow.

Had she not run from her father’s harsh demands she might,
even now, be chained and mated to a wolf she detested. Now here she was, living
in the home of a man who exuded sex appeal from every pore. Sex on a stick.
Yeah, Mr. Moon the High Alpha was ripped, bronzed, toned and so buff that her
fingers itched to explore every dip and hollow of his body. When he’d walked
into the bedroom, it had taken every ounce of self-control not to jump into his
arms and cling like a monkey.