Claiming the Moon (7 page)

No one was surprised at the statement, and it didn’t really matter to Clint one way or the other. The man had threatened Ellen. Had hurt her. He was marked for execution whether he knew it or not. The hell with the black stain that would continue to spread across Clint’s soul.

Anthony met his gaze, warning in his tone. “We need to find out who these people are. If they’re a threat to all of us or just the Society.”

Clint shrugged. “That’s your job. Her safety is mine.”

“The two are connected.”

He snorted. “Only in your mind.”

Anthony glared at him a moment before standing and motioning to the others to leave the room. No one argued. “I’m calling some people in. Double patrols on the grounds. Don’t kill this bastard before I get to speak to him.” His grin was feral. “After that, I’ll even help.”

Ellen went stiff in his embrace. Moreover, he felt her shock and sighed, knowing it was time to tell her everything. He stood with her still in his arms and went upstairs to their room.

“I want to take a shower.”

“Your stitches…”

She smiled. “I’ll be careful.” She kissed him, a quick innocent peck on his lips that made his heart thunder in his ears. Then she turned and entered the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

She didn’t take long and exited in nothing but a towel, hair wrapped up turban style. She was sexy as hell, and his mouth went dry, his pulse raced. He finally had his heart’s desire. The question was, could he keep her?

She turned her back on him and went to the dresser. He admired the rear view as much as the front as she pulled out what looked like old sweats. Looking over her shoulder, she arched an eyebrow. “Well? I got the feeling you wanted to talk.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked down. Where to fucking start? Then she was in front of him, on her knees, looking up into his face. So fucking beautiful. Inside and out. He didn’t deserve her, but damned if he was letting her go now.

“Tell me, honey. Tell me why you keep fighting us.”

He pulled her up into his lap, and after pulling the towel from her hair, she snuggled into him as she’d done downstairs, as if she’d been doing it for years. Something in him unfurled at the gesture, something he hadn’t even realized had been wound so tight. The mate bond between them was newly completed, but strong after so many years of knowing her, craving her, and knowing what she was to him. He hoped like hell what he was going to tell her wouldn’t make her turn from him, but he knew it was probably a futile wish.

“You know I was the Hunter that infiltrated the Society eleven years ago?”

“Yes. And you did it for three years.”

The longest three years of his life. It was bad enough having to live among them, but he hadn’t been able to see her. Hadn’t been able to keep her mother safe.

“I had to become one of them to get in, Ellen.”

She lifted her head and looked at him in confusion.

“I had to kill someone,” he said softly. He saw understanding in her eyes.

“A human.”

“Yes.” Like her. Like her mother.

“Who?”

Not the response he’d expected. Not outrage. Revulsion. Disgust. “What?”

“Who did you kill?”

Bile rose at the memory. Not for the act, but the man. “A killer. He targeted women.”

She nodded. “Were justice.”

“It’s against our laws,” he reminded her sharply. “We take care of ours and leave humans to deal with their own.”

“You expect me to condemn you for killing a murderer while undercover to protect our people?” Her tone held doubt.

“He wasn’t the only one.” He needed to tell her all of it. Get it over all at once.

“Why the others?”

He shrugged. “The Society was getting suspicious.”

She bit her bottom lip, thinking. “What about them? Were they killers, too?”

“One was. The other was a drug dealer.”

She was quiet a long time. He was terrified she’d get up, want to leave. He wasn’t sure if he could protect her from his own instincts if she tried.

“You’re not like him, Clint. The one who killed my mother.”

He didn’t answer her. Not sure what he felt. Relief? Worry that she’d come to her senses later and try to run from the monster he was? How would she react when he killed this other human, this threat to her?

“They caught you because you killed my mother’s murderer,” she said, realization in her tone. She hadn’t known that part.

“Yes. I tore him to pieces. I was…enraged. He took something precious from you.”

She laid her head back on his shoulder. “You should have told me this a long time ago. This is why you took so long to claim me? You expected me to reject you when I found out?”

His arms tightened around her. He knew if she wanted to leave now, he wouldn’t let her.

She bit him. “I’m an Alpha’s daughter, Clint,” she said, irritation a bite in her tone. “I understand the need to protect, and those humans’ deaths protected people. Ours
and
theirs.”

“I won’t let you go if you change your mind,” he said softly, regretful that she no longer had a choice. “I’m not that good a man.”

She looked up and met his eyes. “I was always yours. But we’re going to have a long talk one of these days about you keeping secrets from me.”

“Hmm. Later,” he murmured, knowing she was choosing him with full knowledge. He was desperate for her. Her neck exposed to him, he bent to it, lapped at her skin before sucking it into his mouth. Groaning, she rolled her hips, rubbing over his erection. He smelled her arousal, and it was like an aphrodisiac coloring the air.

He released her neck. There were more appealing things to suck on. Gently, mindful of the stitches on the side of her lower back, he set her on her feet in front of him. It put her breasts at eye level, and he held his breath as he reached for the towel covering her. It dropped to the floor. Hands on her ass, he urged her closer. Close enough to lean forward and suck one stiff, pink nipple into his mouth.

He hummed when her taste filled his mouth, and he moved one hand between her thighs. While sucking her nipple, he thrust two fingers into her pussy. She was wet and welcoming, groaning and moving with him. His senses were reeling. He was drunk on her, this woman who completed him body and soul.

He wanted to drag it out, wanted to show her how much he cherished her, how important she was. He might have succeeded if she hadn’t reached down and wrapped slim fingers around his cock. Her grip was light, exploratory. Not nearly enough. He released her nipple and looked up to meet her gaze.

“Harder,” he ordered gruffly, covering her hand with his and squeezing it.

She tightened her grip, and he released her. Leaning back to prop himself on his elbows, he gritted his teeth. “Christ, baby. Yes, like that.”

Her smile was sultry as she got on her knees between his thighs. She bent her head and ran her tongue down his length, from the head of his cock to his balls. His hands twisted in the comforter as he resisted the urge to grab her hair and force himself into her mouth.

As if she read his mind, she guided him where he wanted to be and slowly swallowed him. From the head to the top of his shaft, to the middle…it was excruciating, exhilarating torture. She withdrew just as slowly, using her teeth to make him lay perfectly still. Just a light scrape, just enough to remind him who was in charge of this little game. Then she took him in again. Sucking him harder. Moving faster.

Ellen knew he was close to coming, and she wanted him inside her when he did, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. He tasted too good. Salty and masculine. She could feel the tension in him, knew he was fighting the urge to fuck her mouth or stop her and fuck her pussy. Her cunt contracted. He was still in control, controlling the wolf that ruled his emotions and instincts. And she wanted him
out
of control when he took her.

She sucked his cock harder as she withdrew, pulling on it with her mouth the way he did on her nipples. His groan was her reward, and she almost smiled, feeling his infamous control slip a little. The next time she lowered her head, taking his cock back into her mouth, his hips thrust up to meet her.

She bit him, not hard but enough to get his attention.

He growled a warning, “You’ll pay for that later, baby.”

God, she hoped so. She liked his teeth. Liked when he bit her. When he marked her.

She took his length into her mouth and sucked hard, released him slowly. Teasing. Taunting. And then his self-mastery snapped. He took over, pushing harder and faster into her mouth. Hips pistoning.

“Touch yourself, baby,” he said, voice almost unintelligible with lust. “Come with me.”

Letting him take over, she slid her hands down her body, found her clit, and pinched. They came together, her shaking with the force of it while his cum spurted into her mouth. She’d never thought she would like that and was surprised she did. Knew it was because she was the only one he trusted with all of himself. Knew it was because he was hers just as much as she was his.

She licked him clean as she contemplated the changes, the shifts in her mind. She could almost see him there. Could almost feel him inside her. She shook when she realized just how deep the mate bond was. Under her skin. Down to her very bones. He was breathing hard, staring at her, when she finally looked up.

“Darlin’, you are going to be the death me,” he whispered, but it was said with reverence. With love.

Reaching down, he pulled her up, rearranged them both so they were in the center of the bed, him on his back and her draped over him. He rubbed light circles over the top of her back, careful to avoid her stitches, and she finally realized why he’d told her about his time in the Society.

Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “You plan on killing him. This human who’s stalking me.”

He froze, hand still but firm as he held her to him. “He’ll keep coming, Ellen.”

“Not you, Clint. Those other ones…they tore you up. I’m not going to let you make that kind of sacrifice for me. You’ve sacrificed enough.”

His cock was already hard again, and he moved her so she straddled him. Her mind almost splintered when he thrust into her. She groaned, still wet and needy, happy at the intrusion. But he didn’t move. Didn’t fuck her into orgasm.

“Don’t deny me the right to protect my mate, Ellen,” he said softly, holding her gaze.

He let her see everything. His determination to keep her safe, and his fear she’d leave him if—when—he killed this man. He didn’t understand it wasn’t his killing a threat that worried her. It was the guilt he imposed on himself for doing it.

She’d lived with his kind her whole life. Understood that they weren’t part human or part wolf. They were all werewolf. Something else. Something other. Protecting their own was something so ingrained, so deeply intuitive, they could rarely be swayed from a course of action they thought best. Still, she had to try. She refused to be the cause of his belief he’d fallen somehow. Become one of the ones who he hunted. Even though he believed it necessary, he would view it as a mark against him.

“Let Anthony do it,” she whispered, her hands cupping his face as she leaned over to kiss him lightly. “Don’t take this death on yourself.”

His hands tightened on her hips, and he began to move with deep, leisurely strokes that seemed to pierce her soul. “It has to be me, baby.”

She bit back a sob, knowing what he was taking on, knowing she couldn’t persuade him differently. She nodded her head and saw relief in his eyes. “Okay. It has to be you.”

She almost laughed. He was still afraid she’d deny him? Them? She couldn’t breathe without him, and no matter how bad he thought he was, she knew better. Knew he wasn’t like the evil ones who’d gone after and killed her mother, who continued to hunt down innocent humans.

She tilted her pelvis forward, taking him deeper, changing his angle so he hit her G-spot with each plunge in. After all the years of waiting for him to claim her, she wasn’t about to back out now. But she felt him withdrawing, shielding himself from something he thought was inevitable. Pleasure would put an end to that. Would shatter any walls he tried to erect and show him what they were supposed to be. What they would be.

The trembling started when his thumb brushed over her clit. She wanted to come so bad it was like a fire raging in her body. In her mind.

“Harder,” she whispered. Ordered.

He complied, rolling the hard nub between his thumb and forefinger. She didn’t last long, and her hair brushed his skin as she braced herself on his shoulders and rode out the tremors. She felt free, high above the world as if she were flying. When she came down, he was still hard inside her.

“How do you feel? Do you need another pain pill yet?”

She felt good actually, but she arched an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

His voice deepened, grew rough, and she knew she was hearing the wolf. The wolf’s desires. The wolf’s demands.

“You. On your knees.”

The next orgasm would be unbearably sweet. She rolled off of him and got on her hands and knees, smiling at him over her shoulder. “Like this?”