Full Moon Rising

“Hey, Riley,” he rumbled. “Misha was asking for you as he came in, about ten minutes ago.”

My smile felt tight. “Thanks, Stan.”

He nodded. “We’re packed tonight. Just as well you booked a table.”

“Yeah.” I grabbed a locker key as usual, then headed inside

The hologram stars burned across the ceiling, their light not yet dimmed by the glow of the blue moon, which was only just begi

The dance floor was a sea of naked, gyrating flesh, and most of the tables were occupied. The air was as hot as the music and rich with the scent of lust and sex. I breathed deep, allowing the atmosphere to soak through every pore, right into my bones

If I wanted to be involved with Qui

I made my way down the stairs and into the change room. Misha might be watching, so everything had to follow the pattern I’d set over the past year, right down to taking a shower and stowing my clothes

When I walked back out I was as naked as everyone else. I sca

I moved onto the dance floor. The rich aroma of sweat and wanto

Hands caught me, whirling me around before pulling me into a body that was strong and lean and brown. Teeth flashed brightly as he wrapped his arms around my waist and led me into a dance that was both sensual and playful

The moon and the atmosphere and my own raging hormones had me ready to take or be taken. Had it been another time, another day, I might have done both, right there, right then

The stranger brushed a kiss across my lips, a caress that was teasing yet filled with the promise of heat. “I want you,” he said softly. “Are you free to take this dance a little further?”

His voice was as playful as his dance, and I liked the fact he asked first rather than trying to take, as many on the dance floor would have. The crush of his body against mine felt so good, so tempting. I took a deep breath and tried to remember that I was there for a reason

“Unfortunately, no, not at the moment,” I murmured, pressing just a little bit closer. He wasn’t much taller than I, so the heat of him caressed all the right places

His green eyes gleamed with amusement and desire. “I’m Kellen.”

“Riley.”

“You a regular here?”

“Yes. You?”

“First time. But I believe I’ve found reason enough to come back again.”

I gri

He raised my hand and kissed my fingers. “Do that,” he said, and whirled me back into the madness

I found Misha a few seconds later. He was just off the center of the wildly gyrating crowd, dancing with several silver wolves. His gaze was molten when it met mine, his hunger a live thing that stole my breath and ate at my skin. That surprised me. Misha had never been one to wait for pleasure, and the three he danced with looked more than eager

He caught my hand, pulling me close as he spun us away from the silvers. The flash of their anger burned after us, but was quickly lost in the sea of hunger washing past

He didn’t say anything, just pulled me into the thick of the dance, right into the very heart where the press of bodies was at its strongest and the smell of sex so powerful it was almost liquid. I could barely breathe, desire was so fierce, yet I was not so far gone that I couldn’t sense the anger in him

He wrapped a hand around my neck and pulled me close. His kiss was fierce and hard and long

“You should have asked, Riley,” he said eventually. “I would have answered your questions.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, still playing the game though I knew the game was over. “I came here to ask you questions.”

“Maybe. And maybe you were meant as a distraction.”

I couldn’t move, couldn’t retreat. Truth be known, didn’t want to do either. He was too close, felt too good. “What makes you think that?”

“The fact that three minutes before you walked in I was notified that someone had broken into my Collins Street office.” His smile was tight. “They can look all they like. They won’t find anything.”

“And you’re so sure that you’ll let them look?”

“Oh yes.”

Heat pressed through me, against me. Heat that was Misha as well as the other wolves crushed against us. Every breath was an intake of hunger, and in the blue wash of the lights sweat glistened like diamonds against my skin. I could barely even think, the fever was so bad, and yet I knew I had to keep my wits about me. I could not afford to forget that Misha might well be the enemy

“How did you know?” My breath was little more than a pant of air

“I have always preferred to rely on more than the latest in technological wizardry.”

He didn’t explain it and I didn’t have enough air left to ask. His hands tightened against my waist, his fingers hot and bruising as he lifted me onto him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and began to move

“The bait will earn her answers tonight, believe me,” he growled

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. My blood burned, my heart hammered like a steam train, and all I wanted was to ride this lean and angry man until the slow waves of pleasure lapping my skin became a molten force that would not be denied

And that’s exactly what I did

We climaxed as one, the strength of it tearing a strangled sound from my throat as his body slammed me into the backs of others, his movements fast and furious

The shudders eased. He was still hard inside, but that wasn’t surprising, simply because the power of the moon was at full force. The moon heat granted all wolves the potency to celebrate again and again during the weeklong phase, but tonight and tomorrow were peaks, with recovery time down to zero. Perhaps it was nature’s way of making up for the change she forced us through at the full moon. The night of the full moon was the one night we had no control over which form we took. That night, we ran solely as wolves

He began to move inside me again. His expression was tight, intent, and I knew he intended to exact payment in full before he said anything more

The fact that he was there, fucking me, when he was well aware that his offices were being broken into and examined assured me there would be nothing incriminating found. Whether that evidence was somewhere else or whether there was simply nothing to be found was anyone’s guess

We stayed in that sweating, gyrating mass for an hour before moving out. We continued at the table, in the shower, against the wall, on the stairs. Each time was hard and furious, and most of the time he took without giving. The wolf in me was having a damn fine time, but the woman was getting a little pissed

He finally led me back to the table, and I heaved a silent sigh of relief. I was bruised and aching and only partially satisfied, and knew it was intentional. He was making me pay for what he saw as a betrayal

I slid onto one of the benches and grabbed a beer off a passing waiter. I didn’t drink it immediately, instead pressing the icy bottle against my fevered forehead

Misha sat down on the opposite side. “Ask your questions.”