Mountain Moonlight (2 page)

She nodded and shook both their hands. The  contact with her skin was electrifying.

When she pulled her hand away in  a hurry, he knew she felt it, too.

7

Jaci Burton

“Come in.”

Katya’s voice was dark  and rich, just like her beautiful eyes. She directed them to

the chairs in the living room. “Something to drink? Brandy, perhaps?”

He nodded  and she turned toward the kitchen, saying something in Romanian. In a few moments a tall blonde carried  in a silver  tray. The woman wore skin-tight leather pants and a low-cut red sweater.  She was  tall, reed-thin and absolutely gorgeous.

Conner sensed Noah’s reaction. Hell, if he  wasn’t so mesmerized by Katya he’d probably have the same thoughts running through his head right now that  Noah had. That blonde was edible.

“This is Elena, my cousin,” Katya said. Elena nodded, her gaze lingering on Noah.  Blue eyes darkened and she licked her lips, not even making an attempt to hide her lust.

Lucky Noah. Conner didn’t even  have to  wager that his brother would get laid  tonight.

A man stepped out of the kitchen. About  his height, rugged-looking and burly, he looked a lot like a  prizefighter. His nose was wide and slightly crooked and he had a menacing stare that any normal male would be wary of.

“This is Peter,” Katya said.

Peter nodded  and  slipped  into  a spot  on  the sofa next  to  Katya. Conner noticed  how  Katya inched away from Peter. He also noticed the glare Peter gave her.

Interesting.  Lovers, maybe? That thought  irritated him, though he didn’t knowwhy. What difference did it make  to him if Katya and Peter were fucking?

“I want to thank you both for coming in answer to our  request for funding from the  Devlin Foundation,” Katya started. “It means a  great deal to us that you are willing to assist us with setting up  the wolf preserve.”

“Your application and information were  very enlightening,” Conner said. “The Devlins had no idea that Carpathian wolves  were in such danger.”

Katya nodded. “It’s not highly publicized. The government would like all the animal rights organizations to think they  have a wolf-friendly policy, but the hunting organizations here have much influence over  our government. It’s imperative that weprotect the wolves from  them.”

“Then I look forward to surveying the Braslieu estate. As we explained in our letter, we never make a final decision without a  site inspection. That’s primarily why we’rehere. We want to make sure the Devlin Foundation  money is spent wisely and on validcauses.”

“Of course.”

She studied him, cocking her head to the  side, her gaze traveling along his body.  His jeans tightened as his cock came to life. When she inhaled, her breasts pressed against her sweater, her nipples  outlined against the fabric.

A sudden urge to lift her sweater and press his mouth to those pebbled buds madethe room much warmer.

8

Mountain Moonlight

Focus on business. You’re not here to fuck her.

“What is your capacity with the  Braslieu family?” he asked, noticing Elena and  Peter’s gazes flit to Katya as soon as he asked the question.

“I manage all business affairs for the family. As you are aware, the Braslieu castle is one of the  oldest in Romania, with a rich  history.  However, the…principal family members are rather reclusive. They prefer  business transactions occur  using an intermediary. That’s where I come in. I handle everything dealing with people outsidethe royal family.”

So if Katya was lupine, did that mean the entire Braslieu population was, too? Despite extensive research, he couldn’t find  out much about the family other than therewas a king and queen. It was like they were shrouded in some huge mystery and nobody was talking.

“We’d like to meet the royal family.”

Katya shook her head. “Not possible. They do not meet with outsiders.”

His first thought was to object. But he had  to  remember  that  he  wasn’t  in  Bostonnow and the rules of the game were different.  He had to respect the family’s need forprivacy. And as long as Katya held some kind  of power of attorney or  authority to make business decisions for the family, that  would have to suffice. “Very well. I don’tlike the idea of not meeting the king and queen, but I’ll abide by their wishes. What are your plans for our visit?”

Katya exhaled, glad the first meeting went so smoothly. “We’ll go over paperwork and funding for the next couple days. Then,  if all that meets with your approval, we’ll take you to the castle for a tour.”

Conner nodded. “Sounds fine.” He stood,  nodded at Peter and Elena, then shook her hand. Heat shot through her body, a  warm ache settling between her legs. She resisted the urge to squeeze her thighs together, wishing she were  alone right now. Thesudden urge to come had her legs trembling.

After the Devlins left, she looked to Elena and Peter. “I need  to get some rest. I havea headache.” Her comment was mainly for Peter and Elena would know that. The lastthing she needed right now was him hanging  around trying to convince her how great he was in bed. Grudgingly, he walked out.

Katya shut and bolted the door, finally letting out the  breath she’d been holding. Frankly, she’d expected the Devlins to put up  more of a fight over not meeting the royalfamily. Since it was Braslieu land the reserve would be built on, she’d was sure they’dinsist.

Conner Devlin surprised her. In more ways  than just readily agreeing to abide byfamily wishes. She hadn’t expected to open  the door to two breathtakingly handsome men. Men who exuded power and arrogance, whose lupine scent shocked her system into awakening for the first time in…

9

Jaci Burton

…ever, actually. She’d never felt a lupine  sexual connection with a male before, even though she’d lived among them her entire life. Which was one of the reasons she  remained a virgin, though not the most important reason. That had to do with power  and control. A control she wouldn’t give up  to just any man. Only to her life mate—the  first and only man she would share her body with.

She had thought by the time she reached her mid-twenties she’d have mated.  Elena  told her she was too picky. Katya  felt Elena  wasn’t picky enough. But Elena didn’t have  as much at stake as Katya did. Giving up  her virginity meant so  much more  than just  simple desire and release. There were political ramifications to her choice of  a mate.  Many of the pack had attempted  to seduce her. All had failed.

One refused to give up. Peter.

Which was his problem, not hers. She’d told  Peter on more than one occasion they  would never be mated. Peter just had a  problem with taking no for an answer,  convinced she’d someday change her mind about him.

Not likely. Peter’s arrogance wasn’t borne  of confidence. He had a high opinion of himself and wore his  conceit like a valued  prize, thinking women would drop their panties for him every time he blinked his chocolate brown eyes in their direction.

Maybe other women, but never her. She felt nothing  for him and the sooner he  accepted that, the better.

Katya wouldn’t mate with anyone she didn’t choose herself. And she didn’t make that choice lightly. To rule beside her would require a strong mate, one who could take  care of all the people  of Braslieu. She’d yet to find a man like that. No one had ever  stirred her mind, her heart and her body.

She shook off her thoughts and forced herself to focus on the project at hand. Now that the initial meeting was over, she had time to settle back and figure out how tohandle the Devlins.

They could never find out about her and what role she actually played  in the Braslieu family. That would have to remain a  mystery, as it was to everyone outside the pack. Royalty were treated differently than  common people. She hated that, which waswhy no one outside the castle knew who she was.

The business arrangements between the Devlin  Foundation and the Braslieu family would be best conducted between  business associates.

They had to provide funding for the shelter.  They had  to. The family, while  royal,possessed no funds. Their near bankruptcy was a closely guarded secret,  and one which she wouldn’t use as a point of negotiation. The Braslieus had never begged for moneybefore and wouldn’t start now. But the safety  of all the Carpathian wolves was at stakehere, and the government offered no assistance in keeping the hunters from the wolves. Without the help of a wildlife preservation  organization such as the Devlins, theirfuture looked dismal.

10

Mountain Moonlight

Katya stood and stretched her back, feeling the need for air. The room seemed to close in on her more each minute. The  cottages here were nothing like  home. She missed the spacious rooms where  she  could pace end to end and think.

Grabbing her jacket, she stepped outside,  sucking in life-affirming night air. Cool air swirled around her, easing the burdens she  carried. Outside she felt part of nature.  The pack called to her senses, reminding her of her responsibility.

She’d die to protect them, to assure their continuity.

A cold north wind blew against her face as  she walked the long path to the edge ofthe mountain. Once inside the narrow thicket  of trees, she stopped to look up at thequarter moon drifting in and  out of the clouds, its lunar force tugging inside her. The urge to run was great. To go home, right now, and hide. The white fog of her breath was visible in the chilled night as she let out a sigh.

If there was any other way to do this  she’d never bring outsiders in. But there wasn’t. She’d exhausted every option. Yes, the Devlins were strangers, but she’dresearched  their charitable foundations and  was impressed. The work they did with wolves, especially, interested her.

And no wonder, considering she’d scented both Conner and Noah as lupine. But there was something else, too. When she’d met Conner Devlin she was struck by a feeling of…

…destiny.

Not one to fall for a handsome face and utterly delectable male physique, she nevertheless had to pick up her tongue and tuck it inside her mouth when she’d caught her first glimpse of him.

Very tall, well-muscled, with strong arms,  broad shoulders and powerful, long legs. Despite the jeans and heavy shirt he wore,  she could see the strong body underneath.

And she wanted.

For the first time in her life, she wanted.  Her body had reacted violently, surging tolife with a vengeance. Her breasts felt  heavy and tight, her nipples pebbling andthrobbing with an unfamiliar ache. And her sex had opened, moistened, immediately ready for a cock.

Such physical reaction had never happened before, especially around a stranger.  But there was just something about  Conner  Devlin that  called to her.

Kindred spirits? Or the kind she should be wary of?

“There’s nothing like the moon, is there?”

In the split second before he’d spoken  she’d sensed him behind her, so his voice  didn’t surprise her. But she couldn’t allow her mind and body to wander in thoughts of him. Conner Devlin was already a distraction she couldn’t afford.

She turned and nodded. “Yes, the  moon is very special.”

11

Jaci Burton

Did he know about her as she knew about him? She wouldn’t volunteer the

information, preferring instead for him to  mention it. After all, not every lupine had  developed the ability to discern a human shifter.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I’m restless when away from home.”

“I understand that sentiment completely.”

They stared at the moon together for a while, wrapped in a silence that should have been uncomfortable, but wasn’t.

“So tell me, Katya, how is it that you speak such fluent  English?”

“I went to college in America.”

He arched a brow. “Really? Where?”

“University of New York.”

“Degree?”

“Biology. And you?”

“Did my undergrad and graduate work  at Boston University. Business.”

“I see. A good education for your job, then.”

“You could say that.”

“Do you travel often on behalf of the Devlin Foundation?”

“I do the occasional site visit, but my staff usually handles those.”

“Then why are you and your brother here instead of your staff?”

“The Devlins thought it an important enough  venture that the principals should be

here to oversee.”

Was that good or bad? “So you’re the decision maker, the most important of the

Devlins.”

His lips  curled in a smile that was both compelling and dangerous. “You could say that. I’ll be the one making the final decision on funding your refuge.”

His confident arrogance should have irritated her. Instead, she admired it. She’d never found followers to be particularly appealing, yet had never seen an alpha leader in action before.

Except her father. And that had been a long time ago.

There was nothing wrong in fighting for what you really  wanted. It was the way of her people, and it was her way.  She’d done  battle and taken her war to protect thewolves to the very edge many times. Giving up had never been an option.