Greyson - Part 1: An Alpha Billionaire Shifter Romance (The Silver Moon Pack) (7 page)
Read Greyson - Part 1: An Alpha Billionaire Shifter Romance (The Silver Moon Pack) Online
Authors: Cali MacKay
Chapter Eleven
Greyson shook his head, not surprised one bit that Ryder would get right to the point. “Not sure if you heard, but she got herself into a bit of trouble with the Black Ridge Clan.”
“I did hear—saw Cullen this afternoon, and he mentioned it briefly, thinking you might like some help. It was that fucking asshole, Atticus. Right?” Ryder shook his head with a huff. “How are you holding up, Juno?”
“As well as can be expected, given that I’ve essentially had my life hijacked into a crazy world I didn’t even know existed, and I’m being hunted by angry bears.” Juno gave them a sarcastic smile and stuffed her hands in her jean pockets as her lilac hair fell over her shoulder.
“Yeah…I can imagine that was a bit of a shock. But at least you guys found each other. That’s huge.” Ryder followed them into the living room and took a seat as Greyson and Juno settled in once more on the sofa. “I get that the circumstances are less than ideal, though.”
“We’re going to head up to my parents’ place until the dust settles. Try to keep the peace up that way.” It’d been years since Greyson stayed in his childhood home for any length of time, though it’d be different to head up that way with Juno at his side. “We’ll be leaving at first light if you want to join us.”
“I might do just that—but I’ll have to catch up with you guys once you’re there. I need to wrap up some business before I can head up.” Like most shifters, Ryder had more than a few things going at once. Though the pack and its members had access to a large fortune that had accrued over the centuries, shifters weren’t known to sit still for long. They got antsy if they didn’t keep busy, and most shifters were pretty industrious in a variety of ways, even though they had enough money to not have to work if they chose. “I’ll try to get up there before the full moon.”
The full moon
…they were just a week away now. And that was yet one more thing he’d have to explain to Juno. He’d been holding off telling her about it, since she was already freaked out, and this would definitely have her grabbing for her running shoes.
“Sounds good.” At least Greyson would have a bit of time to get Juno more settled in, and give her a chance to adjust before dealing with company.
They chatted for a little while longer, but then Ryder excused himself, and with a farewell for Juno, Greyson walked him to the door. When Greyson spoke, he kept his voice low, not wanting Juno to overhear. “Listen…not sure if you’ve heard any sort of grumblings, but…it feels to me like there’s trouble brewing.”
Ryder nodded, his easygoing demeanor now far more serious. “There’s been trouble brewing for some time now—and it’s coming from all directions. It might not come to a head, but it feels to me like it’s just a matter of time before things get ugly.”
“And now we’ve got the Black Ridge bears trying to cause trouble.” Greyson was tempted to steal Juno away to some place far from all their problems, and yet he knew that there was protection in the pack, and staying within pack territory.
“We’ll keep Juno safe. But you’re right—she looks skittish and I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t try to bolt.”
With those final words rattling in his head, he saw Ryder off and headed back to Juno’s side, a newfound tension in him. “Juno…I know this is fucking scary for you, but I need you to promise me that you won’t try to take off on me.”
“Now, why on earth would I do that?” She looked at him with such a matter-of-fact look—and it did nothing to quell his concerns.
“Fucking hell, Juno. Promise me you won’t do anything asinine.” He ran a rough hand through his thick hair, no doubt making him look like the crazed person he was becoming since he’d first laid eyes on her.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not promising you a thing—not when my life is changing moment by moment, in ways I could never have foreseen.” She let out a growl of frustration and started pacing the floor. “I want my life back, Greyson. And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all you’ve done for me. But it’s impossible not to flip-flop between trying to be realistic about my current situation and let you take the lead, to outright panicking and wanting to dig my heels in to try to salvage what remains of my life. This situation is crazy—so I’m sorry if I’m not just rolling over to let a bunch of hairy-assed bears drive me into hiding and dictate what’ll happen to me.”
Obviously, this was difficult for her, and though he could understand where she was coming from, it didn’t mean he was going to let her get hurt just to appease her and ease her worries. “Don’t you think I get it?”
“No—I don’t think you do.” She shook her head with frustration, and looked away for a moment as her eyes filled with threatening tears. “You’re on some fated mate high, and though you’re certainly worried about me and you’re doing all you can to protect me, a big part of me thinks that the fact that you’ve found your mate, not to mention the fact that you’re not the one having to abandon your life, doesn’t make this as big a deal for you as it is for me.”
“Fair enough, love. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not worried about you. You’re my only priority, and I’m just trying to do all I can to keep you safe. And that means if you’re planning on doing something stupid that’s going to put you in harm’s way, then I’m not going to let that fucking happen.” Close as she was, he could hear her pulse pick up its beat, and could smell the change in her scent as a jolt of adrenaline pumped through her veins.
“Let me guess—you’re going to handcuff me to your bed?” She crossed her arms in front of her and glared at him.
He tilted her chin up so she’d be forced to look up at him. “Keep it up, sweetheart, and I’ll get a hell of a lot more creative than just handcuffs.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” There was venom in her eyes—but there was also a good dose of passion and desire there, too.
“June bug…I know we haven’t known each other long, but I think you know me better than that by now.” After all that time working at a BDSM club, he’d not only have her completely bound but looking like fine art, since he was capable of the most intricate knot work.
“Try it.”
Chapter Twelve
Juno screamed and cursed as Greyson hauled her up over his shoulder with speed she hadn’t anticipated. Carrying her off to his bedroom, he plunked her down on his bed and pinned her down as he straddled her. Gripping her wrists in his massive hands, he raised her arms above her head, as a jolt of adrenaline raced through her—a precursor to her energy building.
“Let go of me.”
“Promise me you won’t try to pull a runner, and I’ll think about it.” His eyes had that feral glint to them even as he gave her an easy smile, since he clearly had the upper hand.
She struggled to free herself, even as she felt her nipples harden with arousal, her clit throbbing and heavy. “Fuck off, Greyson.”
“Sweetheart, there’s a part of me that thinks you’re enjoying this far too much.” He stole a kiss and then, shifting her wrists into one hand, reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a length of cording.
“Don’t you dare…” She was trying not to panic, but she was feeling trapped and it had the energy buzzing in her veins. The last thing she wanted was to zap Greyson dead, and yet the energy inside her wasn’t something she had much control over. “I swear, you’re asking for trouble. Just let me go, and you have my word I’ll stay put.”
“Promise me, Juno.” He paused in his attempts to bind her and waited for her to give him his word, his gold eyes locked on hers as he took her in.
“I promise.”
This time when he kissed her, it was slow and sweet, her energy fizzling out as his tongue found hers and their kiss deepened.
However, he’d yet to let go of her wrists, even as his hips rocked against her heat as if searching her out. And then he pulled away, grabbed the rope, and with a few swift moves, had her wrists expertly bound.
“What the hell, Greyson?
I promised
.” And yet, the energy didn’t surge back, threatening to kill the one man she’d been intimate with in ages.
“You may have promised, June bug, but I also think you’re far too skittish not to change your mind. And then there’s the other small detail of you actually liking the idea of being tied to my bed and at my mercy—just the way I like it too.” He kissed the tip of her nose, bound her to the rails on his bed—his headboard no doubt chosen for this exact purpose—and then made quick work of the buttons on the flannel shirt she was wearing. When she glared at him, he sat back and gave her a charming laugh. “Come on, love…you can’t tell me you don’t like this.”
She wanted to scream. “I fucking hate you, Greyson.”
“Now, now…” He gave her a scolding look, full of sexy playfulness as he pulled out a folding knife and cut her free of her bra as she screamed in protest, before tucking the knife away and moving on to the button and zipper of her jeans. “That’s no way to speak to the man you’ll soon be marrying.”
“You just ruined my favorite bra.” But then he was yanking her jeans off, and trailing kisses up her thighs, so she couldn’t help but squirm. “Do you really think I’m going to marry you?”
“I’ll buy you another bra—and you will marry me. Because I know that shortly, I’ll have you agreeing to whatever it is I want, given that you’re not going anywhere, I have plenty of patience, ample skill, and the night’s still young.” He nipped at her inner thigh as if to make his point, her hips tilting toward him, even as she cursed him to a million hells. “So feisty… Does that mean you’re also in the mood for a spanking, June bug?”
She groaned in response, knowing that any sort of denial would be a lie he’d see right through, especially when he was running his thumb over her clit. The thin fabric of her panties was doing little to dampen his touch, and only served to get in the way when she was desperate to have his fingers slip deep inside her. “Why won’t you just let me go, Greyson…I’m nothing but trouble.”
“I like your sort of trouble, sweetheart. It’s the kind that makes me go hard, so I can think of nothing but ravishing you and claiming you as my own. The kind of trouble that stokes my needs in the most primal of ways.” He hooked the sides of her panties and slipped them down her legs, his touch lingering on her skin so she felt her need for him grow into an aching desire.
“You can’t just keep fucking me each time I protest or say I want to leave. We have real issues that need to get seen to—and sex isn’t going to solve them.” Although it was a damn pleasant distraction despite all her protests—especially when he was running his tongue up her thigh, pausing just long enough to nip and rake his teeth against her sensitive skin.
“It might not solve them, but it’s a damn good start, as far as I’m concerned.” He nestled himself between her legs and parted her slick lips with his tongue as he ran it up to her clit, as any soreness from their earlier encounters disappeared. “You taste so fucking good, June bug. Like saltwater and honey.”
He was making it so she couldn’t think any more. All she could do was tilt her hips toward him, silently begging him for more, as she wrapped her legs around his shoulders. He sucked on her clit and flicked it with his tongue, as he reached up to tease her nipples. Her breath was now coming in needy gasps, while she struggled against her bindings, desperate to get free when he slipped two fingers deep inside her, thrusting into her slow and deep as he continued to tease her nipples and suck on her clit.
It was impossible to ignore the energy of her building orgasm, and she swore, he’d already made her come so many times, she may very well be on her way to making up for her drought of a sex life before Greyson. But then he stopped and looked up at her with that killer smile of his, leaving her teetering on the edge of coming. “Are you truly going to marry me and not try to run away or are you going to just tell me lies?”
Fucking hell, she was going to strangle him. “Yes. Okay?”
“Yes to marrying me and not trying to run—or yes to telling me lies?” With a sarcastic smile, he ran his tongue over her clit, swirling it around before nipping at it, her legs tightening around him as she let out a needy cry—and he pulled away yet again, leaving her to curse him. “I’ll admit, that’s some pretty creative language there, June bug.”
“If you think you’re going to bully me into agreeing to what you want, you can guess again.” He might have the upper hand, but she was damn stubborn, and would happily dig her heels in.
“Bully?” He gave her a look of mock horror. “I’m not bullying you, Juno—I’m trying to keep you alive while trying to give you a bit of pleasure along the way.”
“Then could you please get on with it?”
Chapter Thirteen
Greyson just had to laugh, loving these sorts of games. “No, sweetheart. I won’t just get on with it. I’m going to take my sweet time and you’re only going to come once I get my way. But first…”
He’d left some slack between her bound wrists and the bed for just this reason. Sitting up, he grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her stomach before slipping an arm around her waist to pull her onto all fours, so her delicious ass was now up in the air as she knelt on the bed, while propping the rest of her weight on her elbows.
“What the hell are you up to, Greyson?”
“Me? I think you already know that I’m up to no good.” The first slap fell across her ass without warning, eliciting yet another string of curses from those plump red lips of hers, as she glared at him over her shoulder. “See?”
“Are you always such a bastard?” The next slap fell quick and was followed by another, each just a little harder than the next.
“Not always.” He licked the flaming hot skin of her ass cheeks and then blew on it, knowing it’d help soothe her skin, and more than likely stoke her need for him, for his touch, for his cock, even more than she already wanted him.
She let out a luscious moan, her scent filling his head as he buried his face in her sweet cunt just enough to keep her on the edge of coming. “Fucking hell…please, Greyson…”
“Marry me, Juno.” Somehow he found the strength to pull away and get himself undressed, his cock aching to sink into her.
She looked over at him, her gaze taking in his naked form—and lingering on his erection—before finally looking up into his eyes. “Haven’t I already said yes a half dozen times? What more do you want from me?”
“Sweetheart…what I want is for you to actually mean it. If you think I can’t read you, you can guess again. I can tell when you’re feeling reasonable—and those are the times when you agree to marry me. But then you start to look panicked and skittish, and ready to run—and the fact that you’ve said you’ll marry me makes little difference.” And yet maybe that was his fault to an extent. It’s not like he’d proposed to her properly, with a ring and a grand romantic gesture. But that was just one more reason why he had to head up to his parents’ cabin. “And you know what? Maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong.”
He was taking a risk, but his gut told him that this was what he had to do. He grabbed his jeans up off the floor, and dug out his folding blade. “Hold still.” Carefully slipping the cold, sharp steel between her wrists, he cut her free. “You’re free to go, love. Let me know if I can give you a ride anywhere.”
She sat back on her heels, her flannel shirt hanging open so her pert breasts hung teasingly in full view. “You’re kidding, right? Is this some sort of trick? I get to the door and then you pounce on me?”
“It’s not a joke. You may be my mate, but what’s the fucking point if you don’t want to be here? If you don’t want to marry me and you’d rather try your luck on your own, then go for it. I’m not going to keep fighting you or keep trying to coerce you into not doing something stupid.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and locked eyes with hers, needing her to know this was a serious decision. “I’d rather be miserable the rest of my life, drifting from one woman’s bed to the next, than have you hate me.”
She pulled her flannel shirt closed and wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze refusing to settle on him for long as her emotions clearly shifted with the change in her situation. “I wouldn’t hate you, Greyson. I get it—you’re trying to protect me. But for fuck’s sake, you’ve got to cut me some slack when it comes to adjusting to all this.”
“Cutting you some slack is what’s going to get you killed—and though I get that this is a huge adjustment for you, you need to find a way to wrap your head around it or take your chances on your own. ’Cause it’s not just your life at stake here. And though I’d fight to the death to keep you safe, we’re putting my whole pack at risk, which means I need a real commitment from you if there’s any hope of making this work and minimizing the damage.” His pack would go to war if a member of the pack was threatened, but until she became one of them, he wouldn’t have the full support of the pack, which meant that he’d be facing an attack with a lot less support—and that would only put at greater risk the people who did show up to support him.
“That’s just one more reason why I should go, Greyson. The only reason your pack is involved in this mess is because I’m your mate—and that’s a whole lot of trouble you’re asking them to get messed up in.” She shook her head as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m not worth the hassle—and I can’t deal with you or anyone else getting hurt because of me.”
“Juno…no one will get hurt—but only if we don’t do this in half measures.” He had to make her see that it was the lack of any commitment on her part that would be their undoing.
“Which is why I think it’s best that you take me home. I’ve got my car…I’ll just get the hell off this mountain and to a big city. Hopefully I can just disappear.” She looked so unsure and yet there was a strength and courage there—even if it was also followed by a good dose of ignorant stupidity.
“Are you sure this is what you truly want?” Fucking hell…all he could do was hope that the girl saw sense and opted for the only sane choice.
“I don’t see that I have many options.” She climbed off the bed and grabbed her clothes before heading to the master bath, leaving Greyson to curse as he threw on the rest of his clothes.
It didn’t take her long to gather up her few things as he resisted the urge to pace the floor or shake her until she saw sense. All he could do was hope that she’d realize just how dangerous things were for her if she was on her own, out in the real world. “Come on then. Let’s get you home, and keep our fingers crossed that the bears have let this go.”
“Do you think they’d do that?” She sounded so hopeful, it fucking killed him—killed him that she’d rather take a chance with her life than marry him.
“Not a chance in hell, sweetheart.”
They drove back to her place in silence, his frustration with her knotting every muscle in his body. He threw the car in park, still debating whether or not he should see her in, just to make his point—and with luck, put an end to this ridiculous charade, since he had no doubt she’d be calling him before long, as long as she didn’t get herself mauled first. “Do you want me to come in with you?”
His cold tone and the distance he was keeping seemed to have an effect on her, her mood now more somber. “I don’t want to keep being a bother, but…I don’t want to leave things between us like this. I do really like you, Greyson.”
“I really like you too, love.” He wanted to scream that she was being an idiot and taking chances with her life, that he needed her, and would be devastated if anything happened to her. And yet he knew, the only way to have her be okay with her decision to get married would be for her to come to the conclusion herself. “Come on then…let’s get you inside and on your way.”
“I don’t know that there’s a ton here that I can salvage, apart from my clothes.” Once inside, she looked around the place as tears slipped down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“I’ll get this place fixed up while you’re gone. That way it’ll be here waiting for you if you ever want to come back.” Which he hoped would be a hell of a lot sooner rather than later. Like in the next twenty-four hours. Or better yet, she’d skip coming here altogether and would instead just move into his place—
and get married
.
“That’s really sweet of you, but I won’t really be able to come back here if the bears are still hunting me. Actually…you should have it. You’ve gone well out of your way to help me, and…it’s not like I could just sell it, right? You know…what with the mountain being all shifters and stuff.” She shrugged and turned to him, still looking incredibly unsure about her decision.
“The cabin is yours and will always be yours, June bug. But…if you have any hope of getting off this mountain in one piece, you’re going to need to hurry.” It was nothing but the truth. If there were any bears in the area, they’d pick up on her scent before long.
She nodded and grabbed an empty duffel bag out of the closet, before heading up to the loft to grab her things. Greyson headed out to the front porch to keep an eye out and pick up on any scents that might drift in on the breeze. So far there was nothing much out there but the typical wildlife that normally lived in these woods, and though things felt a bit quiet, no doubt due to his presence, they weren’t eerily so.
He turned and stepped back inside when he heard her coming down the stairs. “Ready?”
Fucking hell…he couldn’t believe he was going to let her walk away from him. He just had to hope that her panic about getting married to him would subside in the face of real danger. And with luck, she’d figure out just how dangerous things were for her before she got that sexy body of hers shredded to a bloody pulp.
“I guess I’m ready.” Her gaze darted up to meet his, and it was clear she was barely holding it together. “Although…I don’t suppose I could get your number? You know…just to let you know I’m okay…in case you’re worried.”
Worried? He was going to be fucking out of his mind.
Greyson pulled out his phone. “What’s your number, sweetheart?” He punched in the numbers as she rattled them off, and then dialed her cell, hanging up once it started ringing. “There—now you have my number, and I have yours.”
She double-checked her cell, and then tucked it into the pocket of her jeans. “I guess I should get going then.”
“I guess you should.”
***End of Part One. To find out what happens next,
continue with Part Two
, which is
now available for pre-order
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. Wishing you all the best. — Cali MacKay ***
Have you read them all?
Book Series by Cali MacKay
The Billionaire’s Seduction Series
The Billionaire’s Temptation Series
Forbidden – The Townsend Twins Series
The Silver Moon Pack Series
Greyson
Part 2
(more parts soon to be added)
A Maine Island Romance Series
The Highland Heart Series
Also available as a boxset (The Highland Heart Collection)
The Pirate and the Feisty Maid Series
Part One, Two and Three only available as a boxset
Jack—A Grim Reaper Romance
(prequel- For One Last Kiss