Taken by Moonlight Read online

  “You wouldn’t have what?” he asked. His mouth hardened the same way as it had when Aunt Lettie had confronted him, as if he were expecting a blow.

  Well, he could scowl all he wanted. She’d learned years ago that a man like Dimitri, a man with his confidence and standing in society, didn’t want or need a woman’s love.

  “Nothing,” she said. “You are a skilled lover, Dimitri.” She continued to press her lips to his bare chest, nipping and licking. He groaned when she worked her kisses lower.

  “No other man has ever touched you,” he ground out. “You have no means for judging my skills.”

  Her lips neared his jutting sex. She wondered if she’d be brave enough to kiss it. She enjoyed feeling his body tremble beneath her lips. She also enjoyed teasing him. “Are you suggesting I should invite other men into my bed so I can compare?”

  “Don’t you dare.” He grabbed her shoulders and had her on her back before she realized what he was doing. He nudged her legs apart and thrust his cock into her. “You are mine, Lia. No other man will ever touch you.”

  * * * * *

  It could have been minutes or hours that had passed after making love to Dimitri for a second time. Lia startled awake to a loud bang. Darkness still blanketed the room, and it took her several moments to realize she was still nestled in Dimitri’s protective embrace, his spent cock still buried deep within her.

  His arms tightened around her as the bedchamber’s wooden paneled door swung open with such force it cracked when it hit the plaster wall.

  A black wolf, large and imposing, leapt into the room. Its sleek fur stood up on its back. Long white teeth gleamed in the room’s candlelight. With its head held low, it growled as it approached the bed. Dimitri scrambled to put his vulnerable, naked body between Lia and the wolf, a move that would surely get him killed.

  “No!” Lia screamed. But it was too late.

  The wolf jumped onto the bed and attacked her lover.

  Dimitri threw his arm up to block the wolf’s charge. As he twisted sideways, the beast bit into his shoulder. It hurt like the devil, but the maneuver had kept Vlad away from Lia. He’d known there’d be hell to pay for taking her virginity, but he regretted nothing. She was his, would always be his unless he died here in this room.

  “Run!” he shouted. “Run up to the attic. That’s where you’ll find your aunt.”

  He punched the black wolf in the neck and earned a deep gash in his shoulder for his effort. He was a fool to fight Vlad in this form.

  “Go!” he shouted. He didn’t want her anywhere near here, especially not when his own wolf was about to burst through his skin. “Get out of here!”

  Lia, clutching a sheet to her chest, stubbornly shook her head, and refused to move.

  Just what I need.Another stubborn woman in my life.

  The air in the room crackled with tension. Sparks leapt from his body. He couldn’t hold back his true form any longer. It didn’t matter, though. She’d learn soon enough he was a beast. He just hadn’t wanted her to learn the truth so violently.

  With a shout of frustration, he began to shift.

  Lord help her, she couldn’t lose him. Though she was frightened down to the tips of her toes, Lia couldn’t leave Dimitri to face the beast alone. If he was foolish enough to fight a wolf barehanded, they’d fight it together.

  With a crazed look in his eye, Dimitri tried to fling her away from him and toward the bedchamber door. She fought his attempts to get rid of her by grabbing hold of his arm and shoulder while frantically scanning the room in search of a weapon. There was an iron poker beside the fireplace. “Please! Let me help you.”

  “No, cub,” he gurgled as his body shimmered, his features elongating, his teeth growing. “Don’t…touch…”

  Suddenly Dimitri was gone!

  A large silver wolf, as beautiful as a pale full moon, crouched where he’d been kneeling. It lunged at the black wolf, teeth bared. Lia screamed but only a gurgling sound emerged from her throat.

  Oh dear, she didn’t feel right. Holding her breath, she looked at the hand that had been touching Dimitri’s shoulder before the wolf had taken his place. Her hand tingled as if it had fallen asleep and was slowing waking back up. The sensation grew stronger and stronger and spread up her arm and down her back. Soon pinpricks of pain covered her entire body.

  Bones began to break. Her skin pulled. Her insides roiled with fire. Fighting the invisible force that seemed intent on tearing her apart from the inside out, she curled into a ball, but there was no stopping it. Pain as sharp as a deafening clap of thunder struck her, enveloping her, blinding her. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. A tidal wave of power pulsed, pulsed, pulsed through her veins devouring even her essence until she was no more than a throbbing lump of agony.

  And then...suddenly...it all stopped.

  Am I dead?

  That singular thought rolled around in her mind. There were no other thoughts. She looked through eyes that weren’t hers. Moved with muscles that felt new and strong and very different from anything she was used to.

  She glanced down at her legs; they were covered with a snowy white fur. Instead of hands, she had large paws. And it felt right. Natural. This was who she was—what she was. That restless spirit pacing inside her had finally found its way out.

  A crash on the other side of the room caught her attention. She snapped her head up and leapt to her four feet to stand on the rumpled bed.

  The silver wolf and black wolf had rolled off the bed and were locked in fierce battle. Blood was smeared across the bedding and onto the blue and amber Aubusson carpet. They tumbled, knocking over tables. The heavy washbasin shattered on the floor next to their heads.

  Lia put her ears back and lowered her head, not sure what to do.

  The two wolves snapped and tore at each other. Chunks of silver and black fur littered the bloodstained floor. They moved in a blur of speed, tumbling again, this time toward the bed. Lia crouched low, ready to defend herself. A deep rumbling rose up from deep in her throat.

  Stay back, she was warning them. The silver wolf heard her. He glanced up at her and froze. His midnight black eyes widened with a look of surprise. The black wolf wasn’t as easily distracted. He took the opening and slammed his body into the silver wolf’s side. Teeth bared, he went straight for the jugular.

  The silver wolf yelped as the black wolf sank its teeth into its silky neck. Blood soaked his beautiful fur. She knew instinctively what would come next. With the next bite, the black wolf would kill the silver wolf. She stared into the silver wolf’s steady, sad gaze. And just as she instinctively understood the sequence of the battle taking place, she also understood that look.

  He is saying goodbye.

  Her lover, the first man to understand her, the one man who could calm her restlessness. She had to help him.

  She leapt. Her teeth ripped into the black wolf’s muscular back as her full weight slammed into him. Knocked off balance, the black wolf skidded across the bunched-up carpeting. But he was soon on his feet again. His angry yellow eyes locked onto her.

  She charged him before he could attack. She’d already seen what he was capable of, and she didn’t intend to become his next victim. But the black wolf moved quickly as well. He nipped her shoulder and slammed the full weight of his heavy body into her side. She jumped into the air, avoiding the worst of his attack.

  He came at her again. And again. She defended herself the best she knew how, but he’d managed to back her into a corner. She was trapped. Not willing to give up so easily, she lunged with her teeth bared. The black wolf yelped as she sank her teeth into his shoulder. He turned and bit her rear leg. She stumbled.

  The silver wolf, bloody and unsteady on his feet, joined the fight. Jaws snapped, more blood spilled onto the carpet. Soon the black wolf collapsed in defeat, his neck exposed. One bite, and the silver wolf would put an end to its existence.

  “No. Stop.” All of the
sudden the silver wolf became a man. The handsome man crouched on the floor, his knuckles fisted like paws. His voice sounded vaguely familiar. His black hair long, attractive. But he was still a man. He smelled like a man. Lia slunk back toward the bed, frightened. “I will not kill you, Vlad,” the man was saying to the black wolf. “That is not our way. Not anymore. I am Alpha now.”

  The black wolf stumbled as it moved toward the door. Its tail held low, ears flat against its head, its posture radiated defeat. The mighty wolf accepting defeat from a man. Lia found it all too amazing to believe.

  And then the man who had bested a wolf stood and turned to her.

  “White wolf,” he said, his voice gentle. He held out a hand toward her but kept his distance. “My lovely, lovely mate. You saved my life.” He went down on one knee. “You forever own my heart. Come back to me as a woman so I can hold you.”

  A piece of her remembered the unbearable ripping pain transformation had brought. No! She would not go through that again. She growled. If he came near her, she would attack.

  “Don’t be afraid.” He braved a step toward her. Foolish man. If he came any closer, she would kill him. But he didn’t seem to have any sense at all. He moved closer and closer until he laid his hand on her head. “It won’t be like before. Your wolf was ripped from you, which is the worst kind of violation. Come to me.”

  But the pain…

  His touch on her head was warm, familiar. Welcome. Yes, yes, she wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted to touch him and kiss him, and Heaven help her, make love to him again…as a human.

  Suddenly, she was in his arms. Her long, awkward arms. She reached around his strong chest, wiggled her fingers, and laughed.

  His lips captured hers, and like a pair of playful cubs, they tumbled onto the bed.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The next morning, Dimitri played lady’s maid and helped Lia dress. Her body was stiff from a full night of lovemaking. It was a good sort of stiff. Last night felt like a dream, a strange, hazy dream. One she didn’t quite understand. But she didn’t want to think about that. And she wasn’t ready to think about what last night would mean to the rest of her life. She didn’t want to think at all. She simply enjoyed the intimate moment of right now. She smiled as she stole a look over her shoulder at her lover while he struggled with her corset.

  “These are a hell of a lot easier to get undone,” he grumbled.

  She blushed. “You were saying that you visited Lettie already this morning? What did she say? Is she well?”

  “As well as expected. Her face is bruised and scraped from my sister’s attack. But she is…er…relieved to know she will soon see you.”

  An hour later, the pack gathered in the upstairs parlor. Vlad, Dimitiri noticed, stayed as far away from him as the room allowed. The rest of the wolves read their posturing and instinctively understood the mantle of power had shifted. When Lia’s aunt was brought in, the others carefully watched Dimitri to see how he’d act toward the human. Once he handed her a cup of tea, Misha rushed forward with a plate of pastries.

  But the older woman had no interest in the tea or the breakfast fare. She placed the cup on a side table, bustled over to Lia, and hugged her tightly. “My poor, poor dear. I cried all night with worry for you. Did he hurt you?”

  Lia flushed a deep red, which seemed to be answer enough for the older woman. She turned to glare at Dimitri with such force that he was struck with a sudden urge to run. Now that he was the alpha, he couldn’t run, or cower, even if it meant doing so would protect his own hide. As alpha, he would always have to show his power. It was a change that was going to take some time for this lone wolf to get used to.

  “You will marry her,” the older woman said. At least she hadn’t struck him with her silver-handled cane.

  “Naturally,” he said with a bow.

  Her gaze narrowed. “But I will make sure the earl does not provide you with even a farthing of her dowry.”

  “I have no need of his money or hers.” He gave Lia a wicked smile that caused her blush to deepen further. “My only need was her.”

  “Well!”

  “He may be outrageous, Aunt Lettie, and a bit unconventional,” Lia said with a rush. “But he has a kind heart.” She took her aunt’s hands in her own. “He did not hurt me.”

  “Then he seduced—”

  “What about the earl?” Vlad interrupted. “He stole her from us in the first place. Our plan cannot change. He must be punished for what he’s done. He must be killed.”

  “My father?” Lia entreated of Dimitri. “You want to hurt my father?”

  “He isn’t your father,” Misha said with a snarl before Dimitri could think of a gentle way to explain the truth. “You are like us. You belong to us.”

  “She belongs with us,” Dimitri corrected. “Your parents—your real parents—led our pack for many peaceful years. They were respected and loved by all who knew them. They were the backbone of our kind.”

  “Our kind?” Lia asked, shaking her head with confusion.

  Dimitri winced. Despite having experienced her true wolf form last night, she clearly still hadn’t accepted the truth.

  “You, my cub, are like us. You’re a wolf,” he said quietly.

  “No.” She shook her head more violently and stumbled into her aunt’s embrace. “No.”

  “Then how do you explain last night?” he asked.

  Tears filled her eyes as she continued to shake her head in denial.

  “You are my mate and a wolf. We are the same.”

  Aunt Lettie gasped. She tightened her grip on Lia. “He’s a madman.” She glanced around at the ragtag group that had joined him in the room. “They’re all mad. We can’t stay here.”

  Lettie led Lia toward the door. Dimitri lifted a hand to warn the others not to stop her. If Lia needed to run away, if she needed time to accept what she was, he was willing to give that to her. It was the least he could do.

  “But what about my parents?” Lia asked. She pulled away from her aunt’s embrace but remained quite an uncomfortable distance from Dimitri. “My father is the Earl of Hawthorn. My mother is the Countess of Hawthorn. You wish to harm them? Why?”

  “That bastard isn’t your father,” Misha said before Dimitri could answer Lia. His sister nearly spat the words. “Aren’t you listening? The great Lev sired you. Sasha gave birth to you. They were both wolves. How can you believe otherwise?”

  Lia’s hands trembled and the color drained from her cheeks. She stumbled back toward the door as if Misha had struck her. “Aunt Lettie? Is this true? I’m not my parents’ daughter?”

  “Of course you are their child.”

  “Don’t lie to her!” Misha shouted. “She does not belong to them! She never has!”

  “L-Lettie?” Lia’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Oh, how I’d prayed this day would never come, my child.” Lettie pulled her niece into a tight embrace. “You’re the child of their heart. Never doubt that. Their love for you has always been real.”

  “But I’m not their natural-born daughter?”

  Her aunt nodded. “I’m only one in a very small number who know the truth. It happened while your father was serving the Foreign Office, acting as envoy to the royal family in Russia. They’d discovered your mother could not bear children. So they adopted you.”

  “Stole you,” Vlad said, much to Dimitri’s chagrin. But, hell, it was the truth. “Ripped you from your dying mother’s arms. But now we have you back. Once more you belong to us.”

  “With us,” Dimitri corrected.

  With them? This was all too much for Lia to take. As she shook her head, she soaked in the sight of the gaunt, unkempt men and women surrounding her. Their eyes were hollow with hunger. Why would anyone in such a position want to add to their numbers?

  “I don’t know who your true parents were. I was told they had died,” Aunt Lettie said quietly.

  “They were murdered,” Misha growled, “by your pa
rents’ hands.”

  “No, I cannot believe that,” Lia said, regaining some of her color. “I will not believe that.”

  “They are hunters,” another said as if being a hunter was an abomination. She supposed to them, to a wolf, it would be. “We have rescued you from them. And you will save us from being starved to death by the hunters, as it has been foretold.”

  “Rescued me?” She clutched her throat and fought the urge to laugh...or cry. “I have spent the night in a gentleman’s bed who is not my husband. You did not rescue me. You have ruined me.” Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as the reality of last night began to take hold. “Do you think I can help you when you have stripped me of all I have, all I am? Because of last night, no one will look at me. My parents, such as they are, will no doubt cross the street rather than be seen with me.”

  “No, Lia,” Aunt Lettie protested. “They wouldn’t. They—”

  Lia refused to listen. She flung her hands in the air. “I’ll starve in the gutter alongside you, and no one will notice. You have doomed me to your fate, not elevated yourself to mine. Why can’t you see that? How can you be so blind? How can you sit there and think I would even want to help you? You…you…you don’t understand what-what you ha—”

  Warm hands enveloped her, pulled her close to a scent she knew and trusted. Her entire body quaked with the shock of having her world pulled out from beneath her feet. She sobbed into his chest, ruining his finely cut coat with her tears. And still, he kept holding her.

  “She is correct. It is time we start using our minds instead of acting solely on instinct,” Dimitri said. “Our future may not be what we expected or even what we want it to be. We may have to change our ways and rethink what Misha’s vision was really telling us. We may all have to take our places in the human world. And the first change that will take place will be a very human and very proper marriage between me and my mate.”

  He rubbed Lia’s back, soothing her.

  There was a light scratch at the parlor door. The room fell silent as an elderly butler shuffled into the room. With a loud voice that suggested he was more than half deaf, he announced the arrival of the Earl and Countess of Hawthorn.