Raven Moon (16 page)

“For shame, Mr. Maddox. If we don’t have children we’ll lose the battle to the zombies. Women of childbearing age are a rarity.”

Maddox’s chest tightened. These were Lazarus’ very words in defense of raping human woman. “So I take it you have not delivered any children of late?”

Her expression grew slack. “Not since last spring.” Moxie sighed. “She died after giving birth and her baby died minutes after.”

Rave asked. “Why? Did she have a breech baby or something?”

The doctor shook his head. “No, I could have performed a cesarean. Somehow some women get infected and toward the end, turn. As do the infants.”

Moxie groused at the doctor, “That’s still rare! No need to frighten her.”

Maddox raised his brows. “Maybe her husband turned her?”

“Both men were clean.”

Maddox bristled. “Two men?”

“Mr. Maddox, we are talking about saving humanity. If she must sleep with numerous men to get pregnant, so be it.”

Rave gave him a mischievous smile. “Maddox is too jealous to share, aren’t you dear?”

He twisted a grin. “Yes, I’m very possessive.” This was the truth, even if she was the devil’s get. He must part from her before his desire for her overtook his senses. Distance was the only cure for his wolf’s obsession to mark her as his. How hard would it be to sail to New Zealand and escape his illicit yearning?

Mama Moxie shot him a look of distain. “That’s a selfish attitude, son.”

Rave laughed. “Selfish is his middle name and don’t forget judgmental.” Maddox shot her a glare. “But I too agree with him. The thought of being a broodmare is not on my bucket list. My body. My decision.” She whispered to her as if he couldn’t hear, “I do like kink but I’m choosy about the men.”

Maddox clenched his fists. He and his inner wolf wanted to turn the immoral little raven wench over his knees and spank her sinful desires until her bottom was redder than his complexion. He addressed Mama Moxie. “Why aren’t there any other women?”

She raised her brow and her pulse increased. “How do you know they’re not somewhere else in the hospital?”

Maddox was tempted to tell her he smelled only the strong stench of zombie women coming from below. He wrinkled his nose. Hmm. Maybe the bitten women were kept in the hopes of curing them someday. In the corner of his eye, the doctor stiffened. He decided to call Mama Moxie’s bluff. “If they’re here, take us to meet them.”

Rave smiled. “Good idea. I so miss girl’s night out.”

Mama Moxie winced and stared at her hands. “Five months back we had twenty women and a few kids. We let in a boy of maybe sixteen or seventeen. That night, he opened the gate and let in tankers. We fought but they captured all of our women, two kids and killed most of our men.”

Maddox frowned. “Odd, that tankers left survivors.”

Mama Moxie shook her head. “They wouldn’t have but a zombie horde approached our barricade. They got what they wanted, our women, and sped away.”

The woman was good at lying and could have passed a lie detector test. Maddox turned to the doctor. “Really?” Ted gave Mama Moxie a quick look and nodded. Again that fear. Why? This confirmed their story or parts of it, was false.

Rave narrowed her eyes. “Hmm. I’m surprised the men didn’t go after their wives or daughters.” Maddox knew how fierce and loyal ravens were in protecting their nest. So similar to wolves it gladdened his heart, but he gritted his teeth. He had no right to feel such pride toward the princess.

Mama Moxie’s tone turned curt. “We had to restore the barricade.” She patted her pockets and shrugged. “Most of the women were not attached to any of our surviving men.”

The doctor bristled at what Mama Moxie had just said. He must have lost a wife or perhaps, a daughter or colleague.

Mama Moxie waved her hands dismissively. “I’ll take you to your room. We’ll talk more in the morning.” She unlocked a door and Maddox wheeled Rave inside a spacious room. It almost felt like the Bane had never happened.

“After breakfast, I’ll come by for the pregnancy test.” She winked at Maddox. “Who knows, you might even be pregnant.”

Maddox shot her a fierce look. “Impossible. We’ve never had sex.”

Rave gave him a pointed stare and then smiled at the mad mid-wife. “Mad-e-ox doesn’t believe in premarital sex.” She rolled her eyes. “Not that I agree, but for religious reasons we don’t even sleep in the same room.”

He flashed Rave a scolding look.
Mad-e-ox, really?

The midwife chuckled. “Uh, huh, sure.” She winked at Rave. “We’ll bring up your meal.”

“I’ll take a room down the hall,” said Maddox. Rave gave Moxie an innocent shrug. The little trickster could outwit these odd people so he need not worry too much about her.

“Sleep in room 206, five doors down, then.” Moxie closed the door, leaving them alone.

Rave’s eyes twinkled and she patted the bed. “Before we tie the knot, don’t you think we should make sure we’re a good fit?” She tossed her hair back and teased. “Shag me baby.”

“Very funny. You’re still experiencing the effect of whatever feel good drug they gave you.” Maddox picked up the remote and clicked on the television. Nothing. He set it down.

Rave laid back and arched her head back, exposing her sweet pale throat. “Make your claiming mark small, so we can keep our mating a secret,” she teased. She rolled over on her back to him, and her gown opened to the back, giving him an eyeful of her round perfect arse. She twisted her head and shot him a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m your real mate. It could be our secret.”

Maddox pointed the remote at her as if it were a weapon and warned. “Don’t jest! I might tan that perky bum of yours.”

Rave turned and sat. “I love being spanked.” She giggled. “On my perky bum.”

His wolf and eager manhood betrayed his Benandanti soul as they plotted to please her. Maddox swallowed a threatening drool and shot her a hard squint. “For all that is holy, quit your smut talk.”

Rave tapped her arm and smirked. “It will be completely healed soon and you can really have your way with me.” Her voice turned seductive, “Tie me up even.” She tossed her hair aside, exposing her soft throat. “Bite me.”

His fangs threatened to emerge. Did she really think a small bite would do? He longed to engulf her, mark every inch of her delectable body. Maddox growled and threw the remote at the television, shattering the screen. “You’re playing with fire!”

Rave gaped at the broken screen and shot him a scolding look. “Great, we might get billed for this.”

A knock on the door made him twist and snarl.

“Shh.” Rave placed her index finger over her lip. Maddox huffed and sat on a chair. She stuck her tongue at him and turned to the door. “Come in.”

Randy walked in with a tray of food and a six-pack of beer. He stared at the ruined television. “Everything okay?”

Rave quipped. “We had a disagreement about what to watch.”

Randy scoffed. “We only get one channel, nothing. But we do have DVDs downstairs in the lobby.”

Rave squinted mischievous eyes at Maddox. “Not porn, I hope. It seems that’s all we ever watch.”

Randy stared at her, licked his lips and then shook his head. “Mama Moxie prefers chick flicks.” He turned to Maddox. “I do have some wrestling videos.”

Maddox scowled. “Not tonight.”

“Here you go.” Randy set the tray of blissful smelling hamburgers, French fries and homemade chocolate chip cookies. He winked at Rave. “Have a cold beer.” He lowered his voice. “Mama Moxie respected your wishes.” He mumbled, “This time.”

Randy handed Maddox a bottle opener then left.

Rave went for a cookie first and bit in. “Yum.” She gazed at him. “If I’m dreaming don’t wake me.” She chewed seductively. Maddox salivated for her instead of for the huge hamburger. She swallowed. “In fact, I think I’ll hang out here until my arm mends while you hunt Jaeger.”

Maddox downed half of his beer and then sat next to her. “That’s the most sensible thing you’ve said since I found you.”
Like hell, I’m leaving you with these bloody people.

Rave paused before biting the other half of the cookie. “Wait, what? How many times have I suggested we split?”

“Eat!”

“Fine!” She gestured toward her plate and her voice softened. “Can you cut my hamburger into smaller pieces?”

“Right.” He sliced her hamburger into small bites. Ironic. She ate like a bird, but like her namesake, with a ravenous appetite.

Rave picked up a slice and gave him a pensive stare. “Can you get on your knees again and propose so I can relive the memory?”

“Ha, ha.”

“Why don’t we please Mama Moxie before you leave, and get me with child?”

Maddox narrowed his eyes. “I really should discipline you for being so intolerable.”

Rave sighed. “That’s so hot.” She picked up another morsel and wrinkled her brow. “Honestly, stop turning me on. I’m trying to eat.”

Maddox blushed as his wolfish cock exited the den ready to romp. He bit into his hamburger and in seconds, it was gone.

Rave wiped her luscious lips with her tongue. The tart turned eating into foreplay. “I’m sure you can order another one or are you in the mood for eating bird?”

Maddox drank the rest of his beer and opened another. “Enough lewd talk.”

Her posture sagged. “Just go. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m not.” He downed his beer.
Damn. Worrying about you is all I, or rather my inner wolf wants to do.
He suppressed a burp.

Rave stared at her next bite. “Yeah, right.” She pensively chewed and then quirked a smile. “Hey, thanks for finding me a doctor.”

Maddox leaned back in the chair, relieved she’d changed the subject. “No problem. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten that new lead on Jaeger.”

Her lips wrapped around the bottle and she slowly swallowed half of the beer. He imagined those lips giving his cock the same loving attention. Such sinful thoughts convinced him to stop at one beer. He stood. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Rave lifted her bottle in cheers. “Have a howling good night.”

“You too, Princess.” Maddox gave her a hard smile and left. He walked down the corridor and paused. The sound of her locking the door and shoving a chair beneath the doorknob pleased him. Though it wouldn’t keep him out, it would at least buy her time before their odd hosts broke in. The moon waxed and so did his wolfish cock. In three days, it would be a full moon and the beast would rule his soul. If he slept too close to Rave, the draw of her scent and the memory of her luscious body would make him lose control. Better he slept in the woods. Yet his fierce need to protect her conflicted with his decision to leave. The only protecting the clever raven needed was from his wolf. He had every bit of confidence Rave could handle the clueless, about their kind, humans.

Maddox found room 206. He entered, locked the door and opened the window. He’d have no problem leaping two floors down. Waking the guards was another matter. His seven-foot tall bulky werewolf form was not easy to hide. He removed his clothes and placed them on the bed. Naked and still in human form he squeezed through the window. Not too far of a jump even for a human, but landing might stir up a sound.

Dark clouds shaded the waxing moon. The night was humid but the strong wind howled. Lightning and thunder cracked the sky, forecasting a coming storm. He shook his hands and claws emerged. Using his claws like hooked climbing spikes, he scaled down the wall of the hospital and quietly touched ground. He caught a whiff of the zombies in the basement. Funny, they made no sound. They must serve the purpose of masking the human’s scent. The fact they were females made sense, since they were easier to handle than larger strapping male zombies.

Male voices carried on a quiet conversation inside the hospital. Maddox cocked his head to listen. A man on a ham radio. The radio operator answered, “Sure enough, you won’t be disappointed.” Then silence. He flared his nostrils and looked up at the radio antenna strung between the trees. They were connected to other survivors. Would they allow Rave to contact her brethren? No. As much as he wanted to leave the little raven temptress, abandoning her with these people, even with her ability to shift, was far too dangerous for her. Rave’s safety took precedence over killing Jaeger. Although he could not have her, he would make sure she was safe with her own kind.

Maddox stepped behind the trees and took a long breath in preparation for his shift to natural wolf form. His bones dislocated and reformed and fur spiked out of his skin. His face elongated and he groaned. Like a wet dog, he shook out his white fur. He panted from the assault of warmth from his thick fur. Though wolves were unheard of in the wilds of the south, anybody who saw him would assume he’d escaped from a local zoo. It also wasn’t unheard of for people to keep wolves or wolf hybrids as pets.

Maddox shot a glance to the second floor again. He sniffed her lingering fragrance. She was safe, for now. He turned to the mixed woodland and sank his paws in the fresh ground. The wind brought the stench of zombies, perhaps miles away.

A hospital back door creaked open. The white wolf narrowed his eyes in the darkness at the dark figure dressed in black. He lowered his head and stalked the man. His scent was familiar. The doctor. Why was he outside in total darkness? The doctor turned around as if sensing he’d been followed. He wore night vision goggles and, fortunately, hadn’t seen the wolf.

The doctor crouched low, carrying a daypack, and stepped toward a bus. Was he leaving? Tempted to find out, Maddox nonetheless caught the scent of a deer and stared into the wood. Venison. He looked back at the doctor sitting in the bus. Maybe he just wanted fresh air or solitude from the strange place. Like the other men, Ted feared Mama Moxie. Why? Hunger overruled his curiosity and Maddox left to stalk his prey. The primal hunt would ease his need to prey on Rave.

The large wolf sniffed the doe’s muscular flesh and salivated. The deer stared at him, flicked her ears and dashed into the forest. He ran in hot pursuit, snarling at the bad luck of being born a white wolf. It was an ideal coat for arctic regions, but a dead giveaway in non-alpine environments. As he honed in on the prey, the sound of a soft lawn mower cut his concentration. He halted and cocked his head.