Blue Moon (16 page)

“I can handle myself.” One strong pat on my back and he pulled away. “You can drop the big brother concern. You’re only older by a few minutes.”

“Still counts.”

He was already jogging toward the Jeep.

Now I had Anna. But what if Luke… I turned to the car, unwilling to finish my thoughts. “How’s your ankle?”

She shrugged. “It hurts. Your hip?”

I started the engine. “Like a son of a bitch.”

“Hospital?”

“My place. I’ll call Jason while you check in with Madison and see if she’s heard from her brother.”

I pulled onto the street, and she rested her hand on my thigh. “Our unfinished business might have to wait a day or two.”

“Maybe.” I grinned, meeting her eyes. “But I’m a fast healer.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Vivianna

Madison hadn’t heard from her brother yet. For shits and giggles, I tried Chandler’s cell phone, too. For all I knew, Damian had destroyed it before he tossed him out. But it didn’t hurt to try.

Right to voicemail.

Logan came over, barely limping, and placed an ice pack on my ankle.

“Any luck?” He sat beside me on the couch.

“Not yet. Madison said she’ll call me when she hears from him.”

“I’ll let Adam know.” He started texting. “Jason should be here soon to check out your ankle. Since you’re not a shifter, we can run you to the hospital for X-rays if he thinks you need them.”

I glanced at my purple ankle. “If you bit me right now, then the hospital would be off the table?”

Logan laughed, surprising me. “No. If I bit you right now, you’d have a gnarly bruise, but that’s all.”

“I wouldn’t be a werewolf?”

He sobered, his bright eyes demanding my attention. “Our bite only works when we’re in our animal form. I don’t know the science. Could be magic for all I know. But if I’m not a wolf, nothing happens.”

My mind gnawed
on the information for a minute. “That could be why Damian wanted to meet me that night. It was the only night he could have made me like him.”

“I don’t pretend to understand his reasons for anything.” Logan took my hand. “Damian has been screwing with my Pack for a while now, and his last meeting ended with him being bitten and set on fire.”

“He mentioned that. He wanted me to know you guys are dangerous, too.”

Logan sighed and lifted my hand to his lips. “I’m guessing he failed to mention that he ran Jared’s mate off the road during a blizzard and almost killed Taryn and her son. Then he shot Jared. They protected themselves.”

“Taryn set him on fire?”

He nodded. “She’s psychic. Pyrokinesis.”

I rested my head against the couch. “Lana told me all these women, your mates, made the Pack stronger. What would I bring to the table? I’m the weakest link.”

“No, you’re not.” He turned a little to face me. “Anna, you took me down with a baseball bat today.”

I rolled my eyes. “So I can swing a bat. How does that help in the grand scheme of things when a giant jaguar is after you?”

“We’ve got plenty of brute strength in the Pack already, and we’ve got psychics who can see snapshots of the future, sense emotions, and start fires. But what you did today, calling in that tip that there’s a ranch in Tahoe with illegal exotic animals like the jaguar that attacked the coffee shop…” He shook his head. “That was all you, Anna. No amount of strength or psychic gifts could have done it.”

I was about to respond when Logan’s cell rang. He checked the screen and answered. “Hey, Levi, what’s up?”

Logan frowned, and I was suddenly wishing I had werewolf hearing so I knew what they were talking about.

“Shit. I’ll handle it.” He ran his hand down his face. “Yeah. Later.”

He ended the call and turned my way. “Levi runs the Howlers’ Facebook page.”

“And something’s wrong?”

He set his phone on the coffee table. “Our fan page is exploding with stories of me, guns blazing, saving a bunch of people from some escaped jaguar.” Raking his fingers through his hair, he met my eyes. “This is so messed up. I should’ve thought about how it looked, but I needed to be sure you were safe.”

“Right now it’s just rumors. You can still control this story.”

“How?”

I stared at the only man I’d ever loved, and for once,
I
could save
him
. “Does your band have a publicist?”

He scoffed. “I’ve been pretty anti-publicity, remember?”

“You have one now.”

“You don’t have to do that. We’ll just ignore it.” He shook his head. “It’ll go away eventually.”

“You can’t keep hiding. Do you have a permit for that rifle?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Sasha made all of us get legal.”

“Okay, then there’s no reason to lie.” My brain whirled as I crafted the story. “You’re licensed to carry. You heard the screams, and you acted to help protect your community.”

“I don’t want the extra attention.”

“Tough.” I shook my head. “Your music has you out in the public eye. When Tom Cruise helps somebody change a tire, or Chris Rock makes a woman in labor smile, they make great headlines. You chasing off a jaguar with a rifle in a coffee shop is going to be a story. People recognize you.”

He stared out the window as I went on. “Pretending it didn’t happen isn’t going to make it go away, but if you’ll work with me, we can control the situation before more reporters try to find you and get a sound bite.”

“This is a nightmare. We’ve got a bitten newscaster on the loose, and now you want me to talk to the press.”

“Not to the press.” I ran my fingers along his jaw until he met my gaze. “Talk to
me
. Let me help you.”

“When I started the band, I thought I could keep my secret safe. I didn’t think the Pack would be in danger from it. I was an idiot.” A storm of emotion brewed in his eyes. He leaned in closer, his breath teasing my lips. “I’m scared, Anna.”

His honesty laid me bare, made me ache inside as I blinked back tears. “This isn’t going to be like your Uncle Niko. I won’t let anyone find out what you are. I…” My throat closed up, my own fear swelling. I forced out a ragged whisper. “I love you, Logan.”

He bridged the distance between us, stealing my breath away as his hungry lips fed on mine. I surrendered to the passion. I’d said the words, opened myself to being hurt again. Anxiety mingled with the rush of adrenaline. My fingers tangled in his hair as I tilted my head, deepening the kiss, wanting him ever closer.

I moaned into him as he laid me back on the couch. The weight of his body stoked the desire smoldering inside mine. I parted my legs, and he groaned against my lips as his hips sank into me.

“Pain or pleasure?” I gasped.

“Both,” he growled.

“Should we stop?” I ran my hand down his back, wishing like hell I hadn’t swung that baseball bat with all my might.

“No.” He nipped at my lower lip. “I need you.”

“But your—” He kissed me, his tongue exploring my mouth and morphing my words into a needy hum.

His hand skimmed my side, slow and possessive. He was rock hard through his jeans, making me ache to have him inside of me. I rubbed my hips into him, and his body responded, followed by another growl.

He broke the kiss, breathless, the intensity in his eyes causing my heart to race. “You have to be on top.”

I nodded, eating up every taut muscle as he straightened and stood up. His teeth clenched, but it didn’t slow him from pulling his T-shirt off and unbuttoning his jeans. The sight of his body still surprised me. In my memories, his shoulders weren’t as broad, his six-pack not as defined. But he was pure male now, all man. And mine.

My Logan.

While he sat on the sofa, I stripped to my bra and panties. His gaze warmed my skin as it traveled up my body. He had always made me feel beautiful, but now I stood before him seductively, and the lust in his eyes, the way his erection pulsed when I moved…

I could get used to this.

Freeing the clasp on my bra, I let it fall down my arms to the ground.

“Come closer.” His voice was more of a growl than a whisper. Hot.

When I was right in front of him he ran his hands up the outsides of my legs. “You’re so sexy, Anna.”

One hand slid to the inside of my thigh. He brushed a kiss to my navel and whispered, “Open your legs.”

I placed one foot on the other side of his knee. His fingers moved around my hip, gripping my ass tight, while the other hand was slower, almost gentle. His rough fingertip caught the edge of my underwear, yanking it aside. Suddenly he pulled me forward, his mouth devouring me.

My head fell back as I gripped his hair with both hands. I tried to steady myself, but his iron grip kept me right where he wanted me, his tongue teasing my core until my entire body was on fire, aching for release. Fabric ripped, and my underwear hit the floor. His fingers slid inside of me, my hips instinctively riding his thrusts.

“Logan, yes…”

He moaned. “Come for me. Let go.”

“Not yet.” I pushed back, and he reluctantly loosened his hold on my ass.

I straddled his lap and sank onto him so slowly I almost lost it. Each inch of him filled my already sensitive body. Nose to nose with him, I whispered. “You come with me.”

His mouth curved into a wicked smile. “Happily.”

His strong arms surrounded me, holding me close as I rode his erection, losing myself in his eyes. In that moment, we shared everything—our bodies, our hearts, and even my soul seemed tangled with his. He fit his hand between us, rubbing me until our bodies gave out. He spilled himself inside of me as I trembled in his arms.

A fine sheen of sweat broke out across his brow as he brought a hand up to cup my cheek. “I love you. Those words aren’t big enough for what I feel, but they’re the only ones I have.”

Tears stung my eyes as I kissed his lips. “They’re enough.”

“I don’t know how I got so goddamn lucky. I fucked everything up so bad.”

I chuckled and rested my head on his shoulder, drinking in the feel of his arms holding me close. “Yeah, don’t do that again.”

“Anna? Look at me.”

I lifted my head. “What is it?”

“I will never walk away again. Never. Even if you asked me to…I don’t think I could.”

A smile teased the corner of my mouth. “I’ll ask for plenty of things, but never to leave.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You might be my mate, too.”

He grinned. “Does that mean you want to find out someday?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. If your Pack took me in, I wouldn’t want to be the weakest link.”

He kissed my forehead and pulled me close again. “You’re not the weakest link.”

I nibbled at his neck, enjoying the way he held me tighter. “I am right now.”

His phone chimed. “Can you see it?”

I glanced at the table. “Screen says Jason.”

He lifted me up and reached for the phone. “Shit, I didn’t think about your ankle. We didn’t hurt it did we?”

“What ankle?”

He laughed, and my heart swelled. I forgot how good it felt to love him.

“Hey, Jason.” He nodded. “Perfect. See you in a few.”

“He’s on his way over to check your leg.” He set the phone on the arm of the couch. “We better get some clothes on.”

I got up and limped over to retrieve what was left of my underwear. “What about your hip?”

“I’ll live. We’re fast healers.”

I headed for his bedroom. “I need to go by Madison’s and get some clean clothes.”

He followed me, pulling on his T-shirt. “Let’s get all your stuff.”

I stopped and turned around. “Are you asking me to move in?”

“Yeah.”

I had dreamed since we were teens about what it would be like to live with Logan, but over the years I’d pushed the thoughts away out of self-preservation. Now he was asking, and I was tongue-tied.

“Are you sure?”

He came over and took my hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

I stared at our joined hands, afraid if I met his eyes I wouldn’t be able to speak. “I…I can’t leave Madison without knowing if her brother is all right.”

“This isn’t about Madison, is it?” He rubbed my knuckles. “Anna?”

I sighed and lifted my chin. “It’ll sound stupid.”

“I doubt that.”

Not fighting with him, not having that barrier holding back my heart, left my knees wobbly. I wasn’t used to enjoying his company. And I didn’t want to hurt him.

“I need more time to get to know the ‘adult’ you.” Heat flushed my face. I just had hot sex with him in his living room. Couldn’t get much more
adult
than that. I rolled my eyes. “Told you it was dumb, but there it is.”

He smiled, but didn’t laugh at me. “It’s not dumb. I want to know the ‘adult’ you, too. But I’m also greedy, and I want to have you around all the time.”

“I do love you, and I’ve known you most of my life, but…”

“But you deserve to be courted.”

“What?” I raised a brow. “I’m not holding out so you’ll buy me things.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.” He kissed my forehead then met my eyes. “I have so many regrets. Concerts I wished you were at, movies I wished I’d taken you to see, and I don’t want to skip it. I want to sweep you off your feet, Anna.”

Chuckling, I stole a kiss and whispered, “Every girl in America wishes she were me right now, and they don’t even know why.”

…

Jason finished wrapping my ankle and stood up. “It’s just a bad sprain. Keep it supported and elevate it when you can. You should be fine.”

He turned to Logan. “Want me to take a look at your hip?”