Fever (Blood Moon Rising, #1) Read online

  Fever, Book One of Blood Moon Rising

  Smashwords Edition, 1st Edition

  Copyright © 2014 Lola Taylor

  All rights reserved. The author has worked very hard to bring you this story. Please do not redistribute this book without purchasing additional copies. Thank you for your understanding and support.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Cover designed by Lola Taylor in Photoshop CS6. Images found at Shutterstock.com. Fonts found at Fontsquirrel.com. Ebook formatted in Microsoft Word.

  Special thanks to beta reader extraordinaire, Marion of Making Manuscripts.

  http://www.lolataylorbooks.com/

  FEVER

  Blood Moon Rising #1

  By

  Lola Taylor

  When the Blood Moon rises, the wolves come out to play… and find their mates.

  Danica has about given up on love. In a last-ditch attempt at finding “the one,” she agrees to a blind date through an online dating service. But instead of finding roses and romance, she finds someone intent on killing her. That is, until the mysterious, brooding Gage shows up to save her….

  Gage is running out of time to find a mate. If the Blood Moon sets before he can find her, he’ll lose the rank of packmaster - and the peace within the pack - he’s worked so hard to obtain. When he saves a luscious blonde in the parking lot, he has no idea she is his mate - until he Marks her with his touch.

  Determined to keep her safe at any cost, Gage whisks Danica away into a hidden world full of lust, unlikely love, and treachery. Someone’s put a hit on his mate, and he’s hell-bent on finding out who, all while the Blood Moon looms closer, threatening to destroy his chances at true love forever. That is, if something - or someone - doesn’t kill the woman he’s falling for first.

  Recommended 18+ for frequent, explicit sexual situations and language.

  Chapter 1

  All right, it was official - her date had stood her up.

  Honestly, it shouldn’t surprise her. Seriously, who took someone on their first date to a bar?

  And not even a nice bar. Howl was anything but swanky. With wooden floors that looked like they hadn’t seen polish - or a broom - in a decade, posters of couples in crude positions all over the walls, and the stench of sweat, beer, and sex in the smoky air, it looked like a gigantic version of a man cave.

  Speaking of men, there were entirely too many rough-looking individuals here. Admittedly, it made her pause when she drove up and discovered there were more motorcycles than cars parked outside. She loved chrome and fast wheels as much as the next girl, but all the, er, “decorations” - animal skulls, hides, etc. - adorning said motorcycles gave her the heebie-jeebies.

  She took another long sip of her beer. What the hell had she been thinking, agreeing to meet a total stranger at a place like this?

  Because you’ve been lonely since Seth broke up with you and moved away.

  Being the only person left in her high school town, the only one in her old circle of friends who hadn’t gone to college or gotten married, Danica had started to feel pretty damn unwanted. That definitely showed in the extra pounds she’d packed on since the “Epic Breakup.” Since the only people left in the small town of Moonstruck, Arkansas were either the young or the old, it was sparse pickings for friends, and even slimmer prospects for dating. And since her empty bank account said moving was not an option, she’d turned to online dating.

  “They worked,” the advertisements said. Countless people on the commercials preached, “I met my soul mate online, and we got married, like, instantly.”

  In hindsight, she should have known better. If history had taught her anything, it was “Karma isn’t going to make it easy for you.”

  She smiled wryly. “Karma, fifty, Danica, zero.”

  Taking another swig of her nearly empty beer, she looked around. For the most part, the men had watched her with curiosity, but they hadn’t come over yet. People seemed to be keeping their distance, which she found odd. She thought she looked damn cute, with tight Jeggings, black ankle boots, and a black see-through tunic that showed off her black lace bra. The bra alone should have at least earned her a “get-to-know-you” beer from somebody. But alas, here she was, sitting by herself at a bar, waiting for a date that obviously was never going to come.

  Shouting erupted from across the room as one burly man threw down his pool stick and shoved another man, nearly spilling beer all over the pool table.

  From the dais near the table, a tall man stood from the shadows, his silhouette suggesting broad shoulders and a lean torso. The dim lighting revealed dark jeans, a button-down shirt, and a dinner jacket - not the typical biker bar garb the other men wore.

  He also wasn’t nearly as stacked as the two guys about to go at it in front of him, yet they took one look at the man and instantly backed down.

  Huh. This place was getting weirder by the second.

  Danica felt her arms prickle with the sensation of being watched. She looked up to find the mystery man had stepped into the light - and was looking right at her.

  Her breath caught.

  Holy. Hell.

  Okay, the lighting in here sucked, but she could definitely see a defined jawline, a straight nose, and light brown hair that had been styled with a bit of gel. Despite his Adonis-looks and more fashionable wardrobe, he didn’t look any less masculine for it. If anything, it made him look sexier.

  Danica sighed, feeling heat building below her navel.

  She blinked. Wow, this was an all-time record for her. She’d gone from falling head over heels for a man in a few weeks - i.e. Seth, who’d been a jerk - to lusting for one at first sight. She blamed the fact she hadn’t had sex in six months, at least, not with anything human. Plastic, while cherished, could only get a girl so far.

  But she wasn’t about to bring a man home with her tonight. She didn’t want a one-night stand. She wanted romance, flowers. She wanted “the fairy tale,” as Julia Roberts had said.

  And something told her she wasn’t going to get that with any of the guys here. Might as well cut her losses and bail.

  She’d started to take another sip of her beer, with the intent to finish it, when that pleasant tingling sensation went up her spine. Unable to stop herself, she turned around.

  The handsome stranger smiled at her.

  And dammit if she didn’t smile back.

  ***

  Gage’s inner wolf grinned as the luscious blonde tried covering up the smile she’d flashed him. Normally, human women didn’t do it for him, but this one had a sense of spirit about her that was incredibly alluring. The fact her top left little to the imagination in regards to her plump breasts only made him harder.

  God, he was so freaking horny. Ever since the mating heat had taken hold of him at the beginning of the month, his cock sprang to life at the mere sight of a little cleavage. It was like going through puberty all over again, a hell he never wished to relive. The heat had only intensified as the month drew to a close. In exactly one week, the Blood Moon would rise, sealing him forever with his mate the first time they made love.

  Now, if only he could find a mate.

  His best friend and body guard - as if he needed one - came up beside him. He was also his brother. The slightly older wolf wasn’t wearing as much metal tonight as he usually did. His ears were only partially lined with studs, and he’d taken his tongue piercing out. Ink crawled up the wolf’s massive arms, which he showed off in a black tank top, despite the chilly
autumn weather. Since wolves ran hotter than humans, due to their animal nature - and especially during mating season - they rarely worried about the change of temperature.

  His body guard, Nikolas, nodded in the direction of the bar. “You’ve been eyeing that female since she walked through the door.”

  “And?” Gage raised a brow in challenge.

  Nik shrugged. “And I can’t blame ya. She’s hot, for a human. Got soft curves too. Wouldn’t be like banging one of our she-wolves, all hard muscle and bones.”

  Gage’s rigid dick throbbed with desire at the thought of feeling the woman below him, of his hands moving over her soft, smooth skin. He’d never been with a human before. He wasn’t the type to hold back during sex, and the she-wolves were tough by nature. Humans were fragile. Breakable. He’d feel guilty if he injured a woman during lovemaking.

  Yet the thought of making her dizzy with pleasure never left his mind as he watched the woman down the rest of her beer and snag the bartender to cash out her tab.

  Nik chewed on his lip ring. “So I take it you’ve had no luck with the last were-princess I brought you, Your Highness?”

  Gage scowled. He knew Nik was aware he hated being called that, which was exactly why Nik did it. Sometimes, he was as childish as a pup. “I’ve… bedded all the princesses you’ve brought me, but alas, I have yet to form a bond with any of them.”

  While the sex had been hot, fast, and furious, as it always was between weres, none of his partners had been Marked by his touch.

  He swallowed past the lump in his throat.

  Nik studied him, then elbowed him lightly. “Think nothing of it. You’ll find your mate before this month’s Blood Moon sets.”

  “I have to,” Gage muttered darkly. An unmated packmaster was not worthy of calling himself a King of Wolves. After at last claiming the position of Alpha over that rebellious whelp Malachite only this past month, Gage couldn’t afford to be demoted for the sheer fact he couldn’t find a worthy female to be his mate. But he didn’t get to choose - the magic in his blood did.

  His attention snapped forward as the woman, casting him one last look, donned her jacket and purse, then started walking toward the exit. His blue eyes trailed her, unblinking, his heart speeding up. He took a step forward, and Nik grasped his arm.

  “Best let that fish return to the sea,” he said. “Your efforts are better spent on courting other royal she-wolves, considering the circumstances.”

  “I know.”

  Still, he found himself leaning toward the woman, wanting to go with her.

  What was the matter with him?

  A dark figure moved within the shadows, detaching itself from the wall and following the woman out the door.

  Gage’s hackles raised. “Excuse me,” he said, shoving Nik’s hand aside as he stepped off the dais and toward the door.

  Nik swore then rubbed his temples. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

  Following a gut instinct and feeling half-mad for it, Gage continued his deliberate pace toward the exit, senses wired for danger.

  Then he heard her scream.

  Chapter 2

  Danica had gotten all of two steps outside before this shadow lunged out of nowhere and pinned her upside the building.

  Skull meet cinder block, she thought as pain exploded along the back of her head.

  Disoriented, she scrambled to pull her keychain from her pocket and give this asshole a face full of mace, but he pinned her arms above her head in one massive hand. His elbow drove into her windpipe, threatening to crush it.

  God, this guy was super-strong. Could steroids do that?

  She struggled to remain calm as her lungs screamed for air.

  The man was tall, with a dark coat and hat that hid his face.

  All but his eyes. They seemed to glow gold, but that was impossible. It had to be the dim lightning, and a combination of being a little buzzed and probably having a concussion. She stomped her heel on the man’s foot, but he never so much as flinched. She started to bring her leg up, with the intention of kneeing him in the groin, but he pressed his full body weight against her, stopping her cold.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” the man purred in a scratchy voice. “This doesn’t have to be difficult.”

  “What… doesn’t?” she gritted out, afraid to ask.

  Dumb, Danica.

  He grinned, showing the points of fangs. All his teeth looked like they’d been filed to a point, and his gold eyes blazed brighter. “Your death.”

  Fear took over, throttling her heart rate.

  He chuckled, then ran his hot tongue over her cheek, making her cringe. “You looked lovely tonight, by the way. Thanks for dressing up for me.”

  What was he talking about?

  The realization hit her with the force of a two-by-four. Oh, my God. He was supposed to be my date!

  She’d never actually met the stranger she’d been talking online with for two weeks now. He’d seemed so understanding, so perfect.

  Should have known better.

  Now, for her stupidity, she was going to die out here in the woods, after he’d done God knows what to her.

  “Hmmm,” he purred. She could feel his bulge against her thigh, turning her stomach. “I wish I had more time. Might be fun to fuck a queen.”

  Queen? Now, she knew this guy was crazy.

  The man licked his lips. “Any last words, sweets?”

  Danica trembled, her brain paralyzed by terror. It occurred to her how much more she could have done with her life, if she’d only had more time. She felt stupid for taking it all for granted. But most of all, she felt angry. Really, really angry.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. It was supposed to end sixty years from now, with her spending the last years of her life with the man she loved.

  Now, she’d never get a chance to meet him.

  She thrashed, but that only made Crazy drive his elbow harder into her windpipe. Her lungs screamed for oxygen as she tried clawing at his hands, but she might as well have been scraping at cement for all the good it did her.

  “Yeah, I have some last words,” a deep voice said from behind the man. “Get your paws off her, Onyx.”

  The man didn’t spare a glance over his shoulder. He smiled. “Well, if it isn’t the King of the Moonstruck Pack himself - Gage Johnson.”

  Danica peered past Onyx’s shoulder, and her eyes widened. It was the handsome stranger who’d eyed her from the dais, like she was a piece of candy he couldn’t wait to eat.

  That intense heat spread below her navel, warming her despite the chill Onyx’s death threat had left in her bones.

  What the hell was wrong with her? Clearly, she was caught up in the middle of some gang-related violence, and she was horny?

  It had to be something they’d done to the beer. So help her, she was never having another drink again.

  Gage stepped forward, one deliberate step at a time. “You’re on my soil, Onyx. What’s a Nightshade wolf like you doing all the way out here, I wonder?”

  “Just passing by,” Onyx replied smoothly, still not letting up on her throat. Stars started to blue the edge of her vision. Soon, she’d black out altogether. She clawed at Onyx’s hands, but his attention was fully on Gage.

  Gage cracked his knuckles. “You must think I’m pretty damn stupid to believe that.”

  Onyx’s toothy grin widened. “Almost as stupid as you leaving your mate unprotected.”

  Gage’s eyes flickered to her. “What are you talking about? Let’s get real. She’s human.”

  Onyx shrugged. “Your loss.” He took advantage of the other man’s surprise. He threw Danica down hard, swinging out with his other hand, fist angled for Gage’s jaw.

  Gage’s reflexes were crazy, because he ducked and followed up with an uppercut that connected with Onyx’s chin, sending him staggering back.

  Onyx wasn’t down for the count for long. He lunged at Gage, snarling, getting in a swipe at the man’s ribcage before Gage bl
ocked his assault and decked Onyx hard across the cheek.

  Danica watched in morbid fascination from her lovely view on the ground as she waited for her world to stop spinning. Her temple had connected with someone’s bumper on the way down, making her whole face hurt from the impact.

  The men moved in blurs. Onyx’s hat flew off, revealing the outline of a pentagram on his neck. A word was scribbled at its center in another language.

  Gage yowled as Onyx raked his nails - which had morphed into claws - across his face, leaving behind marks.

  She blinked. That had to be her imagination, something brought on by the terror flooding her veins and the tampered beer.

  She had to do something. She couldn’t just lay there, helpless. Getting to her feet, she grabbed her keychain. “Hey, asshole!”

  Onyx looked over with a snarl, and she let the pepper spray fly.

  It hit him square in the eyes. He howled with fury, clenching his eyes shut while he stumbled about blindly for a few seconds.

  Gage wasted no time. He seized the man’s head.

  Danica realized with dread what was about to happen. “No-!”

  As Gage started to twist, Onyx grabbed something from his pocket and threw it at the ground. A pillar of black smoke went up, crackling with purple electricity. Gage cursed, shaking out his hands.

  The smoke billowed for a bit, then it was sucked backward into the object Onyx had thrown on the ground. It was a silver locket, which split apart the moment the smoke had cleared.

  Danica stood there, trembling so badly she thought she might shake herself apart. Holy crap. Did she just see that? A scream slowly built in her throat, but it never came. Her legs gave out, and Gage rushed forward to catch her.

  He pulled her to him, tucking her head against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he muttered against her hair.

  “What… was that?” she blubbered.

  “A cloaking charm,” he said gravely.

  She pushed away from him, shaking her head and stumbling about. He reached to steady her, but she stepped out of his grasp. “Cloaking charms, packs, wolves… what the hell are you?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, love,” Gage murmured with a hint of humor.