The First Moon Read online

  Holding himself away from her, he stared at the ground, wondering what the fuck had happened. He was usually much better at making out a woman’s emotions. Out of all of his brothers, he understood women most.

  “Kitty, are you with me?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

  Her nod was all he got. She didn’t say anything more, and he felt like an asshole. Pulling out of her body, he picked her up and carried her back to the cabin. Once they were in the cabin he placed her on her feet. Kitty withdrew heading toward her room. He watched her go knowing he’d hurt her some way.

  Stepping out of the cabin he made his way, naked, toward his brothers. “What are you doing out here?”

  Tom stepped from around a tree while his other brothers made an appearance. As usual the twins, Mark and Joey, stood together.

  “We wanted to make sure everything is okay,” Tom said.

  “No, it’s not okay. She doesn’t know what to do. I can feel her need, and yet she holds herself back. You all need to back off so I can gain her trust.” Roy glanced at all of them in turn so they would understand his desperation. “Do you want me to fail come the full moon? You saw what just happened. If she fights me then I can’t lay claim to her as well.”

  Roy ran fingers through his hair, the worry and fear finally getting to him. He didn’t want to remain a wolf forever. This claiming required all of them.

  “We’ll back off,” Tom said.

  The others agreed and walked away. He watched them go, knowing they were as scared as he was about what was to come.

  ****

  Lying in bed, Kitty didn’t know why she was crying. She heard Roy leave the cabin after he left her alone. Why did he leave? Tucking the blanket around her body, she stared at the far wall hoping for some kind of sign for her to know what the hell was going on.

  She wiped the tears from her face but didn’t feel any better.

  What is wrong with me?

  No answer came, and she felt all over the place with her emotions. She jumped when she heard the front door slam closed. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes hoping he would give her time to get her thoughts together. The door to the bedroom opened.

  “Kitty?”

  Keeping her eyes closed, she didn’t know why she didn’t want to talk to him. The blanket was pulled back, and she felt his heat at the back of her. His hand banded around her waist, and he eased right behind her.

  He was naked.

  “I know you’re awake,” he said.

  Still she didn’t say anything.

  Roy kissed her shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll hold you while you sleep, and when you wake up I’ll still be here.”

  She shivered from his touch as tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “Please, baby, tell me why you’re crying.”

  Kitty didn’t know why she was crying. Nothing made any sense to her anymore. She was going to be mated by a pack of six brothers, and yet at that moment she felt so alone. Everything Roy did, she couldn’t help but feel used. He didn’t hurt her, but come the full moon, he was going to walk away, leaving her alone.

  Tom had walked away, and it hurt her to see.

  “Please,” he said.

  “I can’t.” She choked on the word, gasping for breath. This wasn’t supposed to be hard.

  “Shh, don’t cry.” Roy sat up, placing her in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed. “Tell me what’s the matter.”

  “No. I don’t want to talk.”

  She’d been pulled away from her life, and among all of his brothers she felt like she was about to be torn apart. Each man was going to make her fall in love with them, and after they took her, she was going to watch them walk away. How could any woman or mate survive this kind of pain? She wasn’t a wolf. Were wolves able to turn off their emotions?

  “Then if you don’t want to talk I’ll hold you and talk for the both of us.”

  Kitty doubted he could talk. In the last two weeks she’d spoken a hell of a lot more than he had. His touch helped to soothe her troubles even though she wanted to remember that he would walk away.

  Closing her eyes, she felt the beating of his heart. It was racing, and she’d come to know it was because of his wolf blood that it beat so fast.

  “I’ve got no idea what you’re going through. I know this, and I bet all you want to do is leave, but you can’t.” She stayed silent as he talked. “It’s a lot to take in. Not only have you learned wolves exist but now you’re about to be mated by a pack. This is never going to happen again for us, Kitty. When we’re mated and the claiming is complete, you will own us the way we own you.”

  His hand stroked her hair, pulling the strands away from her face.

  “There will be no other woman. You will be the only woman in our pack. I know this is going to tear you apart as you give a part of yourself to each of us and you’re going to watch us hurt you, but I promise you, when it’s all over you’re going to have more than your heart’s desire.”

  What did he mean? Roy kept hinting at more, yet he wasn’t allowed to say anything. Pulling out of his arms, she climbed off the bed, staring at him. She pushed some of the blonde strands out of the way as she looked at him.

  “I can’t do this tonight.” His seed started to slide down the inside of her thigh. “I know what you’re saying, but you don’t know what it’s like to watch him walk away. I’m sorry for spoiling the last two weeks with Tom’s name. Tonight, I need to be alone. Can I have that?”

  “I’ve given you so much time alone.”

  She shook her head. “No, you haven’t. I want to be alone without you watching me or looking over to take care of me.”

  “I don’t like this. We’ve not got long left of this full moon. I need you—” He stopped, looking down at the bed.

  “You need me to fall for you. I know, I get it, but you don’t need me to fall for you tonight.”

  “Kitty,” he said her name, and she knew he was going to try to convince her to come back to him.

  Shaking her head, she took a step back. “No, I want tonight to be on my own. Please, let me have tonight.”

  Roy let out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll leave you alone tonight even though I don’t like it.”

  She smiled and took a step away, leaving the bedroom. His heat would have been a comfort to her. Closing the door behind her, she made her way downstairs to the freezer. She took out the chocolate ice cream and found the chocolate sauce. Kitty didn’t even bother with a bowl and decided to eat the ice cream from the tub.

  Sitting on the sofa, she stared into the fire that was blazing and wondered what the hell she was doing. She’d stepped into an alternate universe where men shared their women and she was surrounded by wolves.

  Being with the men wasn’t the problem. She couldn’t help but feel used. Was she their last choice of woman to pick to claim? Old insecurities were coming forward, leaving her feeling hollow.

  It wasn’t Roy’s fault, and come the morning she intended to be a different person. She wouldn’t think about his brothers, and it would be their time together without anyone looking in.

  Chapter Three

  Roy woke to the smell of bacon frying. His mouth watered, and his stomach growled letting him know how hungry he actually was. Last night had been awful. For most of the night he lay in bed listening to Kitty cry or move around downstairs. When she went silent, he walked downstairs to find her sleeping on the sofa, bundled up in a blanket. He hated the sight, wanting more than anything to carry her back to his room and to put her in bed beside him.

  At the last minute he stopped himself from picking her up and taking her back to bed. Two weeks were all he had left to build up some kind of trust that she wasn’t actually feeling right now. He hated how upset she’d become last night, but he wasn’t going to ruin her trust by being selfish.

  Climbing out of bed, he took care of business in the bathroom, donned some pants and made his way downstairs. He found her in the kitchen in one of h
is long shirts. She was singing to a tune playing on the radio. Roy didn’t recognize the artist or the song. Watching her move was a thing of beauty and something he could spend the rest of his life doing.

  He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, simply watching her. The smell from her was even better than the bacon.

  She twirled around, smiling. When she caught sight of him, the smile remained, which was new.

  “Hey, how did you sleep?” she asked.

  “I slept well. Did you?”

  “Yeah, I slept good. Okay, I know we can’t have the two weeks back, but I think we can start over.”

  “The Claiming?”

  She held her hand up, stopping him. “No, no more talk of the claiming or of the full moon. I want us to go on a date, and so I’ve put dinner in the oven. We’re going out together today.”

  “Tom wouldn’t like us to go to town.” He folded his arms, unsure what to do or say. On the one hand he was jumping for joy, but on the other, he knew the rules, and going to town was forbidden.

  “When was the last time you went on a date? You don’t need a town or city to have a date.” She rolled her eyes. “We’re going to spend time, talking, getting to know each other. First, you’re going to eat your breakfast. I made bacon, eggs, and tomatoes. Also, here is some bread. We’ve got pork stew in the slow cooker, and we’ll enjoy that when we get back home.” Kitty sat opposite him, picking up her fork.

  She was like a totally different woman.

  He followed her lead and started to eat. “We can go for a walk in the forest.”

  “Yes, the claiming is off topic, so is sex. We’ll talk about each other and other interests. I’m tired of feeling like I’m on some kind of deadline. It’s hard to really get to know someone when they’re trying to speed everything along.”

  Roy watched her eat, loving the sight of her appetite. She looked so perfect, and when she smiled she lit up his whole world.

  “Are you going to eat?” she asked, pointing at his plate. “Come on, it’s all good. I promise. I cooked everything through.”

  “It’s perfect.” He finished eating before she did.

  “If you do the dishes I’ll get dressed and we can head out, if you want?” Kitty asked.

  “Sure. I’d love to do that.” He watched her disappear upstairs.

  Getting her to walk around naked would take some time. He did their dishes and went around the cabin putting a few things straight. Listening to her movements, he waited for her to return. It took her ten minutes in total to get ready. She skipped downstairs still with a smile on her face.

  If it wasn’t for the fact he couldn’t smell them on her, he’d be sure she was taking drugs with her sudden happiness.

  “Why are you so cheery all of a sudden?” he asked, opening the front door.

  “I don’t know. I’m just feeling happy for a change.” She shrugged, heading out. He couldn’t help but watch her ass when she stepped in front of him. Taking a jacket for her to wear, he took her hand. He was surprised when she didn’t try to brush off his touch. Something had happened last night to Kitty. He didn’t know what it was, but he was grateful for the change. She seemed more open, more willing to listen to him.

  “You live in a beautiful place,” she said.

  “Thank you. Living in the middle of nowhere has its uses. No one stops by unexpectedly, and there are rumors lurking about vicious wolves.” Roy smiled.

  “Are they real rumors?”

  “Not really. We’ve never killed any humans if that’s what you’re worried about.” He let out a sigh, breathing in the air. “This is where we belong. Our home.”

  “It must be nice to have a home.”

  He scented the pain coming from her. “I’m sorry about your mother. Your father really couldn’t help you?”

  “No. My father hated responsibility. He left us the moment it got too hard for him. It was me and my mom for so long.” She glanced down at the ground.

  “We’re your family now, Kitty. I know it seems like a lot to take in. A couple of months ago you didn’t know werewolves existed, and now you’re living with them and they’re intending to mate with you. It’s a lot to take in.”

  Tightening his grip around her hand, he gave her a little smile. This was the longest he’d been away from his brothers since they were all born.

  “Do you want to mate with me?” she asked, taking him by surprise once again.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, Tom took me, and it was almost as if it was agreed that you all wanted me. None of us got a choice in this. Do you really want me?”

  Stopping, Roy turned to stare into her eyes. They were clear, blue, and filled him with utter rapture. “You don’t think I want you?”

  ****

  Tucking some hair behind her ear, Kitty chanced a look at the ground. Looking anywhere but at Roy felt like the safest option to her. That morning she woke up determined to start anew. She hated feeling like a spare part, being used to help a bunch of brothers. Family meant everything to her, and seeing as she didn’t have any of her own anymore, as her father didn’t count, she’d do anything to help a family keep together.

  The Snows may be wolves, but they were brothers. In the few weeks she’d seen them all together she knew they shared a special bond, a sacred bond. They were prepared to share her for the sake of such a bond.

  “Tom took me from a bus stop, Roy. He took me, and you, along with your other brothers, were not given a choice. You’re picking me out of all of those women.” Kitty wasn’t anything special. She was blonde, full figured, and had nothing particular to offer them. Her life hadn’t been full and exciting. She’d loved her mother, and that was all. “There is a world full of women. How do I know you’re not going to regret this in a few years’ time? You’re settling with me.”

  He sank his fingers into her hair and started walking her back.

  “Roy?” He didn’t answer, and she only stopped moving when a tree stopped her. The rough bark did little to soothe her thoughts, but Roy wouldn’t hurt her. She was sure of that.

  “Do you think as wolves, paranormal beings, we can settle for anyone?” he asked.

  She frowned. “I was the first available woman.”

  “Baby, mating is more than just being available.” He leaned in close, and she heard him give her a sniff. All of the men took to sniffing her before Roy took the first moon.

  “Why do you keep sniffing me?”

  “Destined mates carry a certain smell. I’ve been with hundreds of women, Kitty. I’ve had them all begging for my cock and screaming for me to take them. I’ve taken human women and wolf women. None of them hold your scent.”

  “My scent?” She was starting to sound like a broken record. None of his words were making any sense to her.

  He cupped her face, his thumb running along her lip.

  “I can’t stop looking at you, Kitty. Your hair is like gold to me. When I look into your eyes, I see the ocean and know I could live a lifetime of torture and misery, if I got to look into your eyes every day.”

  She gasped at the picture he painted. His breath fanned her face.

  “You’re absolutely beautiful. I see the kindness in your eyes and the happiness on your face. I know I want to be one of the reasons to put that smile on your face.” His lips nibbled along her collarbone.

  Heat flooded her panties at his words. They were amazing, romantic even.

  “Then we get to your body. Your tits fill my hand, and you’ve got the tightest, reddest nipples I’ve seen.” To emphasize his words, he cupped her breasts, thumbing the tips.

  Crying out, she arched her back, needing more of his touch.

  “Down we go to your waist and your hips make me want to fuck you so hard. I imagine holding onto your hips, bruising them as I pound away inside you but keep you still to take my cock.”

  She whimpered. Kitty wanted that. She wanted to be at his mercy as he took his pleasure.

  “Your ass is ripe for t
he taking. Your pussy is always wet. I can smell your need right now, baby. You want a good hard fucking, don’t you?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, whispering the word. She was melting, craving his touch more than anything else.

  “This is not all, Kitty. Your scent, it calls to me.” He closed his eyes, and she watched him inhale. “I feel the wolf inside me. He wants to mate with you, fuck you, claim you.” When he opened his eyes, they were a darker shade of hazel and his pupils were larger than ever before. “I want to share you with my brothers and claim you as mine along with the rest of them. They were my family as you will be.”

  He tilted her head back so he looked deep into her eyes.

  “What do you want, Roy?” she asked.

  Her body was alive for him. Everything else faded away as he stared into her eyes.

  “I want to give you everything your heart desires. I never want to see you hurt or go without. When the time comes, it’s going to tear me apart.” He silenced her with a finger against her lips. “No, we’re not going to speak of what’s going to happen. Two weeks. We’ve got two weeks until the pull of the moon will bring us together and pull us apart.”

  Roy took her lips, silencing her further.

  She moaned, and he took advantage to plunder her mouth with his tongue.

  “Give me your kisses, baby. I can give you so much pleasure. You don’t even know what you’re missing out on. I promise.”

  Kitty gave herself over to the pleasure of his mouth. His hands moved up and down her body. She couldn’t contain her pleasured cries for much longer. Whimpering, she circled his neck, holding onto him.

  “No,” he said, minutes later.

  She was burning up, ready to give him everything he ever wanted. Instead, he broke away from the kiss and took a step back.

  “We’re going to do this properly.” He wrapped his arms around her, dropping a kiss to her nose. “You’re going to know what it means to be loved by one of the Snow men. No sex, no expectations, just romance.”

  Whatever he was going to do, Kitty was excited. She’d never been dated by a guy, and she’d never fallen for one, apart from Tom, but she looked forward to Roy showing her what it was all about.