Moonlight: The Big Bad Wolf (Black Swan 4) (32 page)

When all was said and done, the woman leaned toward Grey so that she could discreetly mention that the Northwest Outfitters did not sell ladies' undergarments. He thanked her for her kindness and asked if she would like to suggest a store for such things.

Luna walked to the front of the store in her new clothes feeling warm and fashionable. She arrived just in time to witness the exchange of money for packages. When it came to the idea of trading currency for goods or services, Luna was as inexperienced as a child. She'd never handled money. Never made a purchase and didn't have the most rudimentary grasp of how economies flow.

When they were again seated in the car, she had questions about the transaction. "What did you give them?"

Grey looked confused. "You mean money? In order to get something of value from them, we needed to offer something of similar value. They sold us clothing for you. We gave them gold."

"I didn't see you give them gold."

"Let's go get your fruits and vegetables and I will explain it to you on the ride back to Elk Mountain."

Luna was amazed at the produce section of the supermarket. The process took longer than Grey could ever have imagined because there were so many fruits and vegetables she didn't recognize. They added nuts, bagels, and fresh artisan bread from the in store bakery. The werewolf would never have predicted that grocery shopping could be an amusement, but Luna's enthusiasm turned it into a memorable event. When they reached the check out, he noticed that she was paying careful attention to the cashier scanning each item and that a corresponding number appeared on the screen.

On the way out they passed the coffee stand and he asked Luna if she would like a hot drink for the ride home.

"Like the wine from last night?"

"No. Not like that. Like hot chocolate maybe. Or tea?"

"I've never had either one."

So he decided to take a chance on the cocoa. Even werewolves knew that human women liked chocolate. Handing her the paper cup, he instructed her to just sip it through the little hole in the side of the lid, then watched while her face lit up.

"I'm guessing that look means you like the hot chocolate."

"Hmmm." She smiled and looked so perfectly yummy in her red hat that it made him think the same thing.
Hmmm.

On the ride back to the Elk Mountain reservation, Luna ate grapes and drank hot chocolate while the king tried to explain the value of precious metals and how they were stored in a central, secure facility while paper symbols were used to represent the actual gold. She wasn't sure she understood all the complexities of economics, but she liked hearing the soothing timbre of his voice and she liked the fact that he was patient about explaining things.

They parked the Range Rover. Grey carried the groceries. Luna carried the clothes. On the way back, the alpha told one of the pups to go get his daughter-in-law and have her come to the king's lodge. When NightCloud knocked at the door, Luna was trying to persuade Grey to try a variety of nuts.

"Cloud, this is Luna. She's going to be my guest for a time." Cloud and Luna exchanged hello's. Cloud was obviously curious and looked a little confused. Turning to NightCloud, Grey said, "Could I speak with you outside for a moment?"

They stepped out on the porch and the alpha closed the door quietly. Cloud looked up at him, waiting for the reason behind the singularly unusual request for her presence.

"This is a little bit of a delicate matter."

"Alright."

"Luna comes from a... situation that required a uniform. She's never worn ladies undergarments." Whereas the king would not be the least self-conscious about walking through the settlement at mid-day wearing no clothes, he seemed to be embarrassed and perhaps even flustered talking about lingerie.

Cloud pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at her father-in-law's discomfort with the subject matter. She was having way too much fun to let him off the hook. "What would you like me to do?"

"Ah. Explain about clothing customs here and secure these items for her. I will cover the expense, naturally."

"Naturally. Of course I will help. Um, Alpha?"

"Yes."

"People are wondering about your... guest. Who she is. Where she came from. Why she's here. And my mate is worried about you."

He looked away and sighed. "Until I've settled the question of whether she's to be a permanent resident, they're just going to have to wonder. As to Win, you should assure him that there's no cause for concern. My faculties are functioning perfectly. As you can see."

The look on his face indicated that the subject was closed so she wisely nodded and held her tongue.

When they reentered the house, Grey said, "Cloud, perhaps you could help Luna put her new things away?"

"Certainly. Where would you like them to go?" Of course Cloud knew the answer, but how often would she be in a position to mess with the alpha?

Grey noted the mischief in his daughter-in-law's eyes and knew that she was daring to play with him. He pinned her with a look that caused the smile to vanish from her pretty face. "In my room, Cloud. Where else?"

Grey sat in the living room and listened to the conversation coming from down the hall in the bedroom. He knew that, being human, Luna would have an illusion of privacy since she wouldn't know that he could easily hear conversation from that distance. Apparently Cloud had determined the easiest explanation would be by demonstration. So she showed Luna what bras looked like and what they did. She also showed her panties and explained why they were worn.

"Bras and panties come in a wide variety of styles. Everything from purely functional plain, white cotton to drool worthy."

"Drool worthy?"

That was exactly what Grey was thinking.
Drool worthy? Is that how females talk about us?Ridiculous.

Cloud smiled and sat on the bed. "The wolf part of the male personality could care less about lingerie. But the human part sits up and takes notice when you wear something colorful or lacy or provocative."

Just as he'd been thinking the word "ridiculous", the alpha realized he was salivating.

Cloud was watching Luna carefully enough to see the little flare of her eyes at the suggestion that undergarments could tease.

"I'm going to gather up some things for your use. I'll bring two or three sizes to be sure you have a nice fit. What kinds of things would you like me to look for?"

"Thank you, Cloud. That's very kind of you."

"I'm happy to do what makes the king happy."

Luna blushed at the implication that lingerie would make Grey happy. "I like red. I don't know. What you have on now... is it drool worthy?"

Cloud laughed out loud. "No. I guess these things fall somewhere between functional and lacy. I will bring you a few things to choose from. If you stay, maybe we can shop together next time."

"If I stay? Did he tell you that I might not be staying?"

Cloud thought she may have seen disappointment flit across Luna's features, but she could have been wrong. She was worried that she may have said the wrong thing. It was never a smart idea to be on the wrong side of the alpha.

"No. He simply indicated that you hadn't made a definite decision."

"Oh." Cloud turned to leave, but Luna's voice stopped her. "He took me." In the other room, every muscle in Grey's body tensed. "I called it kidnapping, but he says it was a romantic abduction."

Cloud tried to reconcile using the term romantic in a conversation concerning the king and came up short. "And was it romantic?"

Luna seemed to be thinking that over. Grey had gotten up to pace over the sharp turn the dialogue in the other room had taken. He had stopped still, holding his breath while he waited for her answer to that question. And she was being slow to give it. He heard her shallow sigh.

"Maybe. I'm undecided." Luna laughed softly like she was embarrassed about that.

Cloud took Luna's laughter as a very good sign. "But you seem to like him."

"Before he took me, I liked him a lot."

"And now?"

"He has his moments."

In the other room Grey did a small, quiet version of a happy dance that would, in his mind, require his honor suicide had anyone witnessed it.

"Well, I've never seen him seem so... I don't know. I should go. I have shopping to do. I'm going to guess that you don't have toiletries either."

"Toiletries?"

"Toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, tampons..."

"No." She shook her head.

"I'll be back before dinner with booty."

"Booty?"

Cloud laughed. "Never mind."

She went straight to the king and held out her hand for money.

He gave her a credit card. "Don't get carried away. And I want that back." She smiled. When she opened the door to leave, he called her name and stopped her. "Cloud. Thank you."

She nodded her head like a little bow and smiled again. "Back soon."

When Cloud was gone, Luna stood in the living room looking at Grey expectantly, silently asking, "What's next?"

"Would you like to see the settlement?"

"Yes. Do I need my red hat?"

He laughed. "You cannot leave here without your red hat. The king commands it. I also recommend your gloves and your vest. Maybe even your coat."

They spent the afternoon walking around the settlement. He introduced her to everyone they saw. When the light began to fail, they returned to the lodge and prepared dinner. They sautéed vegetables for her and seared meat for him. As they sat at the table she tried to get him to try nuts and fruit. He tried to get her to gnaw on a rib.

After dinner he built the fire up and they sat together talking as they had when they walked the forest apron of the park on Throenark. Grey thought he'd never seen anything more lovely than the firelight from his own hearth reflected on Luna's smooth pearlescent skin. Luna found it a little disturbing that she felt so at home, perhaps more than she ever had at the Temple complex.

Everything about Stalkson Grey was addictive. His voice. His touch. His mesmerizing blue-gray eyes that seemed to change color depending on his surroundings. He was strong, calm and effortlessly self-assured and he made her feel safe. That was also strange because she had never before felt unsafe, except when he had grabbed her and run away.

"What did you think about the ride to town today?"

"I think this place is beautiful. I think riding in a car is scary. And fun. I think supermarkets are marvelous. And I would like to say I understand money, but I'd be lying."

"You're smart. You'll get it."

"You think I'm smart?"

"Yes. Don't you think you're smart?"

"I'm not sure I ever thought about it really. And, even if I did think so, it wouldn't be very humble to say so out loud."

"Humility is overrated. I'm smart and don't mind saying so."

"That's because you're an arrogant son-of-a-bitch."

"Was that a racial slur?" His eyes twinkled with teasing.

"What if it was?"

"Then you'd have to be punished."

"Punished?"

He didn't like the fact that she sounded a tiny bit alarmed, as if she thought there was a chance he might hurt her. "Yes. Take it back or you will suffer more unwanted kisses."

"I take it back," she said without hesitation. He had hoped she would refuse and opt for punishment instead. "Do you have a TV?"

He looked at her as if her head had turned around on her shoulders and faced backward.

"I do not have a television and never thought I needed one. Do you need one?"

"I wouldn't say I need it, but it can be fun to watch once in a while."

They fell into silence with Grey contemplating how much he loved his life with minimal electronics. He looked over his shelves of books that he'd spent a lifetime collecting and was supremely grateful that his tantrum hadn't resulted in damage to them.

"Tomorrow is the full moon."

"Okay."

"I take it by your lack of enthusiasm that you're not a fan?"

"A fan of the full moon? I like it as much as the next person."

"Well, werewolves like it more than that. It's one of our favorite things."

"Why? You're werewolves
and
witches?"

He laughed. "You know, you say the most bizarre things. I can never guess what may come out of you next." He shook his head. "Werewolves are affected by the moon's cycle even more than humans. We feel more powerful, more... driven." He looked at her meaningfully. "And more feral."

"What am I missing? Am I supposed to read something into that?"

"For one thing, I have to shift tomorrow. Well, I don't have to, but staying in human form would be almost painful. Going out on a full moon... It's joyful." Looking at his face, it wasn't at all hard to believe that was true. "And I want you to come with me."