Moonlight's Peril (Moonlight Series Book 1) (12 page)

Seventeen

Law helped Bianca put her fifth suitcase in the bed of his truck.
I won’t tell her how damn happy I am she’s bringing everything but the kitchen sink. Kane must have really scared her. When this is over, I’ll have words with the mayor. I won’t fail her again.

“So, how are your people—pack—going to handle me staying?”

“They’ll handle it.”

“So this mate stuff, what’s up with that?” Bianca asked. She didn’t sound angry, just curious.

Law gritted his teeth realizing he wasn’t getting out of this conversation. “You got any more? Anything you can’t leave behind?”

“Oh gosh, the fish. I’ll be right back.”

Saved by a fish. Maybe she’ll forget.
Bianca came out of the house holding a big glass bowl. The fish bobbed around in the water the bottom of the wet habitat was covered in neon colored rocks, and a Sponge Bob pineapple stood planted in the center. The bug-eyed goldfish weaved between plastic plants. “Mr. Buggles. He’s Chessa’s. She bought him with babysitting money.”

Law opened her the door and took the fishbowl out of her hands as she climbed into his truck. She looked dainty in his big diesel pickup. He handed her the pet and shut the door. A quick check told him her belongings were secured. He’d managed to rig a makeshift deadbolt on the back door with things he’d found in the garage. While she’d packed, he’d even done a quick check to ensure the windows were locked. He gave the place a final glance. Her territory stood as safe as he could make it for her.

When he got behind the wheel, she sat silent, melancholy in her expression. He didn’t know if her quietness was a good sign or bad omen. Wolf women tended to be quick to anger and not afraid to show it. Human women were a mysterious territory.

He pulled away from the dark house as twilight fell and he took his woman home.
Home. Mine.
Without the radio on, the tires rolling down the road and traffic passing them were the only sounds in the truck’s cab.

“I’ve been thinking,” Bianca said. “This protection thing, why did you do it?”

Bad, very bad.

“I—hell, I don’t know. I didn’t want to see you hurt.”

“Oh.”

Why does she sound disappointed? Shit.

“So we aren’t like a couple, right?”

“We are what we are.”

“Gee, did you come up with that yourself or did you read it in a fortune cookie?”

Law chuckled, but the amusement turned into a belly laugh. “Damn it, woman, I’m trying to drive.”

She looked out the window, pouting. And he’d never wanted a woman more than he did right now. His cock hardened, and he prayed she didn’t notice. The thought of Bianca becoming frightened of him and running back home where Kane could use her against him stole his smile. He thought about the ledgers at home, and about the harvest. His body calmed.

When she turned to look at him, he had the sudden urge to pull the truck over and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe. He needed her. With the danger and worry, his wolf demanded he make her his woman. The man just wanted comfort. The image of her arms around him surfaced from the disjointed dreams. He fought to control himself. When she was looking at him like that, it took everything he had in him just to keep the truck straight in his lane. Then the tip of her tongue wetted her lower lip. His cock sprang back to life.

Bianca looked away, and Law returned his attention to the road. Having her in his home sounded good to the man, but having her in his bed was what the wolf wanted.
She probably has no idea how tied up in knots she has me.

They drove in silence until she cleared her throat. “Why won’t you answer my question?”

“Because you won’t like the answer.”

“So is this protection stuff the equivalent of a werewolf going steady,” she teased with a nervous giggle. “Heck, I didn’t even get a little promise ring.”

Law sighed and gave a gruff snort. “If you were part of my pack we’d be married. There is no divorce with my kind. It’s biology. When males take the plunge and decide to commit its forever.”

She glared at him. “That’s pretty damn sexist. Women have rights.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was noticeably paler. “This isn’t about rights, its nature. There is a way you can end our—my—commitment. I suggest you wait until we get Chessa back, but it’s your choice. You just have to state publically you no longer accept my protection. The ‘pull’ must not affect humans.”

She was quiet. He didn’t even hear her breathing.
Maybe I ought to pull over so she can get some air.
Our ways must be strange to her.

Bianca sighed. “I feel that ‘pull’ too. Thanks for doing something so—brave for me. I didn’t realize what you’d done. You’re the only help I’ve had to save her, and you have no idea how grateful I am.”

Law flinched. He hadn’t expected a thank you. He wanted more than her gratitude, but for now, it was enough.
God, if you listen to my kind, don’t let her do anything foolish.
He never prayed, but since he’d gotten tangled up with Bianca, he figured he could use any help the All Mighty was willing to spare.

“So what now?” she asked.

He could hear how tired she sounded. “When we get back to the farm, you can stay with me, or Reylin has prepared a room for you in the dormitory. You are both welcome in my house for as long as you’d like.” He forced himself not to look at her.
Forever. Stay forever.
“When we get her back, you can’t go right home. There is a lot about her—condition—you need to understand.”

“What do you mean? Stay with you?”

Law gave a guff of humorless laughter. “In the eyes of my pack, you are my wife. Kane’s got the paperwork ready, and one signature makes it legal for the human government. He’s ordained, did you know that?”

“Kane Wolfe is not officiating my wedding. He can keep his signature off whatever paperwork he has. And I’ll keep mine to myself. Thank you for being willing to sacrifice so much for Chessa and me. You’re a good guy. I just—I don’t want to put you in a lie.”

That hurt. To have her call what he felt a lie left him raw inside. She wasn’t a wolf; even a bitten would know how deeply this ran inside of him. His commitment was spiritual, not the shallowness of human dating.

“Having you stay with me in my home would keep the trouble-makers quiet,” he said.

“So there will be an issue with me coming? Just take me back home.”

“Damn it. There will be more trouble if you stay in town.”

“Okay. Fine. I just feel weird about this.”

“How can I make you more comfortable with our arrangement?”

“I don’t know. I think this is just going to be weird for me no matter what. I’m sorry you’re going through this for me. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever meet.” Her lip trembled. “I think having a separate room is better.”

Damn it. Don’t cry, woman. I’m fucking this up so badly.
Law nodded and stared straight ahead at the road.
I’ll take what she’ll give. At least, she’ll be close, and safe.
“Just don’t forget you’re more than my guest.”

She turned away, her shoulders hunched. Law fought the urge to punch the dashboard.
I’ve royally screwed this up.

Eighteen

“Let me help you.” Reylin took one of the bags off Bianca’s shoulder. “What do you think of the common house?”

“This is beautiful. I’d never have guessed these plain buildings hid such beauty. Who made all this log furniture?” Bianca touched one of the smooth pine chair arms.

Reylin smiled. The woman’s pride in her pack’s home was evident in her body language as she walked through the room.

“Law and Nik are two of the best craftsmen in the pack, but all the guys work on it. We support ourselves by selling furniture in big cities. We get custom orders too. Law’s dad was mindful about conservation. We replace every tree they cut with two new ones. You should see the tree farm tomorrow.”

“I’d like that, but all I can think about is my daughter out there, alone, and scared. I just want to find her and hold her.”

Reylin tilted her head to the side. A soft look of honest compassion raised her brow, and her mouth turned down slightly. She reached out and put her hand on Bianca’s arm. “I won’t say some condescending bullshit about understanding, how could I, but I’m here for you. You’re one of us now, and so is she. We’ll get her back, but you have to trust Law. He’s smart. He won’t put her in unnecessary danger. Tobias will mess with her head. That’s how we lost Joy.”

“Joy?”

“Law’s little sister. She left with Tobias’ pack. She’s been gone for years.”

“I’m sorry. Why would she want to go with such an evil man?”

“I wish I knew. Everyone was taken by surprise. She was the same age as I am. We were close, but people change. Well, that’s enough sad talk. Let me help you get settled and then we can put Chessa’s things away too. She’ll feel right at home.”

Bianca blinked away tears. “Thanks. This is all so weird. I just wish I could bring her home right now.”

“You are bringing her home. You’ll be surprised how comfortable she’ll be here. Law is a good man, the best.”

Bianca gave the sweet younger woman a shy smile. How could she explain to his cousin that she and Law were just allies, maybe not even friends, not really? She didn’t even know what music he liked.

“Supper will be ready soon,” Reylin said. “After I’d love to show you some pictures of Law as a kid.”

Bianca grinned. “Has he approved this activity?”

Reylin waved her hand in annoyance. “Of course not.” She winked.

“Sounds good. I doubt I’ll get much sleep tonight. I just want her back, you know?”

“I can understand. I’ll do my best to keep your mind off things. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay in Law’s room, at least for tonight? This room will be here for you if you need a little space.” Bianca flushed.

Reylin chuckled. “He’s your mate. Being with him is perfectly respectable here.”

Bianca wished she could explain without sounding like some user. She shook her head.

“Well, let’s go down to supper,” Reylin said.

The building, Reylin called it the common house, was set up like a dorm upstairs. Men’s rooms were on one side, women’s on the other and downstairs the beautiful sitting room and kitchen dominated the space, but there were a few extra bedrooms.

Bianca paused in the hallway to look at a wall of photos. Many were black and white. So many smiling faces brought the magnitude of Law’s dominion into perspective. He had so many lives under his watch. One picture, in particular, caught her eye. A group of teens stood playfully in one photo. They were dressed in bellbottoms and swimsuits. She saw a boy who appeared to be a young Kane. Next to him, her mother, Joslyn stood in a bathing suit. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen. There was a very pretty woman standing behind them.

Janna came out of one of the bedrooms near the kitchen. “Can I talk with Bianca a moment?” Janna asked Reylin.

“Sure. See you after supper,” Reylin said to Bianca as she continued toward the kitchen.

Janna touched the picture under Bianca’s gaze. “That was your mother with Kane and Barbara. Barbara was Kane’s mother. My sister was good friends with your mother and Kane.” Janna gave a little grunt. “This is really old. The tall brunette is my sister, Dorcy. It’s too bad Kane grew up to be such a bastard. He was a nice kid.” Janna shrugged. “Barbara was a very tough woman. She worked very hard to support her husband’s ruthless rule. Kane learned a lot from his mom. Your mother saved her life. Did you know that?”

Bianca shivered. “How did my mother save her life?”

Janna grinned and winked at Bianca. “I’ll give you the short version.” Janna took the picture down and looked at it for a second before returning it to the wall. “The Wolfe’s have always had a lot of enemies and Joslyn was a very brave little girl. An assassin aimed a gun at Barbara and Joslyn pushed him. The whole thing happened when Kane’s dad, Michael Wolfe, was running for mayor. Michael was the alpha, but he campaigned every election year just like Kane does, for the human’s sake. Everyone knew Barbara encouraged Michael to be ruthless. I’m sure most of the misery of those days happened because of her.”

“Wow, I can’t believe Mom never told me the story. How old was she?”

“Twelve, I think. Joslyn was orphaned a year later. Michael and Barbara took her in, and she became an honorary pack member. Wolves adopting a human child isn’t very common.”

“My mother was Kane’s sister?”

“No, not really. Your mother was a terrified teenage human living with the most powerful
loup-garou
family in the community. Kane never saw your mother as a sister.”

“How do you know?” Bianca was engrossed and wanted every detail of the story.

“Dorcy had a crush on Kane. His fascination with your mother was the talk of the school. Your mother had a way with people. As much as Dorcy wanted to hate Joslyn she couldn’t. People liked your mom.”

Bianca touched the picture of her mother’s face. “Mom never talked about her parents; she just said they died when she was young. How did my grandparents die?”

“Werewolf attack. They didn’t have the blood.”

Rage bubbled up inside of Bianca. She wanted vengeance. “Who murdered them?”

“A long dead lone wolf. Michael saw him hunted down. Justice was done.”

Not in Bianca’s opinion, but she didn’t protest. “I wish I’d known them. My father’s parents died before I was born too. I was always jealous of children with grandparents.”

Janna nodded. “I can understand. Being an only child had to be hard too.”

“I always swore I’d have at least two kids, so my child didn’t feel lonely, like I did, but that never happened. It’s a shame that Chessa never had a connection with a grandparent. Lucas’ parents never wanted anything to do with us. I think they were afraid I’d want money.”

“That’s terrible.” Janna scowled.

“If they’d gotten to know me, they’d have learned that’s not who I am.”

Janna chuckled. “It’s their loss, and it’s easy to make assumptions. I’m sure you’ve made plenty of assumptions about us.”

Bianca blushed.

Janna crossed her arms over her chest, but Bianca could tell the woman wasn’t really angry. “I can’t blame you. Our lifestyle must seem odd. We don’t all live like one giant family. The couples usual eat most meals alone in their homes.”

“I thought you were a cult.” Bianca’s cheeks burned.

“Most humans do. Until now, my son was single. I gave him the big house after his father died and he became alpha. He comes here to eat, but I don’t want you to think this is some commune or cult. We’re close, but not that different from humans.”

Bianca wasn’t sure what to say. She nodded. Janna paused as if she were waiting for Bianca to say something. “S-sorry,” Bianca stuttered.
Humiliation much?

Janna sighed. “I know you aren’t madly in love with my son, but he’s a good man. He’ll get your girl home. Just don’t let the pack see you disrespect him. His position is not a birthright. He’s earned his place.”

Bianca had no idea why Janna was telling her any of this.
How could you know what I feel about your son, I don’t even know. How do I feel about Law?
Bianca had no idea what to say. Janna paused.

After a few moments, Janna huffed. “What I’m trying to say is I want you to pretend you’re Law’s. Give him respect, as if he were your mate. I’m not saying you need to be some Betty Crocker, but just treat him like you’d treat a man you cared for, who was a good provider.”

“I’ve always been my provider.”

“I’m not arguing with you. I’m a single woman, and I don’t need a man. I’m not saying that you do, but my son has done you a favor, please return his kindness.”

Bianca shrugged. “Okay, I can do that for you, but I don’t want him to get the idea this is something it’s not.”

“He’s not a foolish teenager. Law is a grown man. You can play along, and he’ll appreciate it. He told me about your girl, and that you aren’t sure if you have the wolf in you. I don’t think your mother was a bad woman, but there is a primal call when a wolf finds his or her mate. I believe your mother loved your biological father. It’s very rare for a human woman to become pregnant with a wolves’ child unless they are bonded. Human women have mated wolves. Your mother had an exceptionally vibrant spirit.”

Bianca couldn’t argue with Janna’s point. No one lived as much life as Joslyn Archer had. “So she cheated on my dad?”

“This is beyond cheating. Look inside yourself and think about Law. Ask yourself if there’s something there and do you want to turn away from what you feel?”

Bianca was so not ready to have
this
conversation with Law’s mother. “So who’s my biological father?”

“I don’t want to speculate. I have my suspicions, but I’m not ready to tell you.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Janna put her hand on Bianca’s arm. “I wish I was. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to tell you more until I’ve had time to do a little digging. You’re part of this family, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“So what do I do now?”

“You trust my son, and when we get your little girl home, you love her.”

“Thank you for telling me about my mom. I’m dying to hear more. My parents traveled all over the world, but we always ended up back here. Maybe she couldn’t stay away from my real dad.”

Janna took Bianca’s arm. When they came into the room, the chatter died down. Law stood stiffly, gazing at her. She walked over to him and put her hand lightly on his forearm. Everyone was watching them. What she did in the next second mattered. Bianca stood on her tiptoes and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth. He still hadn’t moved. She kept her hand on his arm.

“I’m starving.” Bianca let her weight fall back to stand flat on her feet. “Should I do something to help with the meal?”

He let go of a breath. “It looks like tonight’s rotation has it covered. Let’s have a seat.”

Law pulled out a chair for her. She sat down, and the chatter resumed as people filled chairs. Families weren’t joining them. From the window, she noticed lights on in many of the small cabins.

Bianca returned her attention to Law. “I still haven’t seen your house. We have a lot to talk about after supper.”

He sat stiffly. “Yeah. Walk with me after we eat and we’ll talk.”

Impressed with the meal, Bianca marveled over the variety. Dishes of vegetables—many creamed, venison, beef, and pasta passed from hand to hand. The fresh baked bread smell made her mouth water. She’d lost fifteen pounds since Ches went missing, but this meal looked ready to put it back with a few to spare.

She took a little of everything. Janna gave her a pleased smile and nod covertly. Law didn’t eat much.

“Are you okay?” Bianca whispered.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“Your mom talked to me. I get it.” Bianca put her hand on Law’s. Nik glared at her, and she dropped her hand. “Nik looks pissed off, what did I do to him? Is he still mad about the pepper spray?”

“I’ll have a talk with him. He’s just worried about me.”

They ate, and she listened to the conversation about the harvesting and canning. She wasn’t very domestic, so the idea of preserving food was daunting.
Thank God I won’t be here long enough to worry about my skill gap.

The food was good, but she was too full for seconds went the dishes came back around.

A pretty woman with long brown hair came over holding a deep stainless steel pan and a spatula. “Bianca, I’m sorry about your daughter. Welcome to the family.” The woman offered Bianca a square of cake. “I’m Paige.”

“Don’t be sorry, we’re getting her back,” Bianca said with a little more passion than she’d intended. “Everyone will love Ches. She’s funny and sweet. I can’t wait to get her home.” Bianca noticed Paige’s somber expression and realized it was time to change the subject. “This cake looks delicious.”

Paige wore a sad smile. “I’m sure we’ll love her. This is my concoction. If you like it, I’ll share the recipe.”

Bianca took a bite. Carmel gooeyness exploded on her tongue. “Wow, that’s delicious,” she mumbled over the mouthful.

Paige smiled before serving Law a piece. When Bianca finished eating, she leaned over to Janna. “Where do I take my dishes, do you have a dishwasher?”