Shadows of the Moon Ch. 06

She shuddered and he felt something wet land on his wrist. "Why?"

Instead of answering he cupped her chin and turned her face to him, pressing her into a heated and passionate kiss. She responded instantly by throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself up to better align with him.

I found a very distraught Lucy by the front desk Liam. She's looking for her daughter... You haven't seen her have you? The humor in Dael's voice suggested that he already knew the answer.

Never breaking the kiss Liam growled internally. Stall her. Natalie is fine.

Dael chuckled but did as told.

They stayed locked to each other for several minutes before Natalie, despite Liam's unhappy growling, pushed away and sat back. "Tell me the story of how you found me; I need to know how long you were watching me."

At first he just stared at her in confusion but then it dawned on him what she meant. "You want the truth?" He gently brushed her hair back from her face.

"Would you? That would be great." She said in over-dramatic relief.

Giving her his best wolf's grin he leaned back against the wall and studied her closely as she sat between his extended legs. "My brother called me early one evening and being his usual charming self he ordered me to find a certain woman for him, a Natalie Bryant. Finding people is what I do so I can see why he thought it would be a good idea. But things being what they are I told him in my usual charming way to fuck off, and that was pretty much the end of that conversation."

Receiving a thin smile and a shake of her head he continued. "After that I went to a strip club to meet with some very shady people, you know... work. I remember clearly the absolutely stunning woman on stage and how I wished she would spend some time with me." He pretended to loose himself in the lovely image it conjured and it wasn't until she slapped his thigh he snapped his attention back to her.

"Sorry, but she really was beautiful. A few minutes later that very same woman came running by my hiding spot and I was absolutely smitten. That was the first time we met and on that stage was the first time I ever laid eyes on you." Leaning in he gave her a quick kiss and then rested his forehead against hers. "I promise."

There was an embarrassed smile on her lips as if she was not used to being talked about in such a flattering way. "I don't care what you are as long as you are real." She whispered quietly wrapping her arms around his neck again. "A wolf isn't the worst thing you could have turned out to be."

His heart took a few extra beats and he couldn't help but smile. "There is one more thing you must know. My kind, we have something called mates."

Liam... She's making a scene. If you're not coming down here then I'm bringing her to you.

Liam sighed. "I'll explain it to you later okay? Your mother is apparently causing trouble down stairs."

"Oh shit!" Natalie rolled off the bed but stopped to kiss him one last time before she bounded towards the door. "You might be the most adorable man I have ever met Liam but that woman has lost one daughter already. I need to look after her."

Liam just lifted a hand in acknowledgment and let it fall back down as soon as the door closed behind her. These interruptions were really grating on his nerves. He wanted... No! He NEEDED time alone with her. Next person who dared butt in on his one on one time with his mate was going to feel the full force of his wrath.

Sending a message to Dael he told him that she was on her way down.

Adorable... He huffed in indignation.

**

After having spent some time arguing, explaining, discussing and convincing the four were again packed into the car, heading towards Luna Spring this time. Lucy had insisted on going back to her home to pick some things up and water the plants, but after a lengthy discussion attempting to dissuade her of the notion she finally agreed to go with them. The crash had happened not far from her house and the area would be a hotspot, crawling with police and quite possibly others as well. Lucy's reply had been that she had nothing to hide and that maybe they would have been better off contacting the police to begin with. Natalie had to play the upset daughter card to get her to come with them.

Liam could feel his patience growing thinner and thinner, his wolf drawing closer to the surface with each passing argument. He had always considered himself to be a very levelheaded person, patient and slow to anger, but having found Natalie and constantly being torn from her side was pushing it close to the edge.

At least he had a short history with Natalie making it easier for her to accept him. Lucy having no such connection was wary to say the least. In her eyes he was a monster who sexually assaulted her daughter the previous night, never mind that the daughter didn't seem to mind. It was an odd thought; of all the things he had dealt with in his life he never expected in-laws to be a problem. He never expected to have in-laws at all.

Now they were in the car, Dael working his magic on Lucy, slowly wearing down her defenses with his friendly chatter. Three frustrating hours later they pulled onto the avenue leading up to the mansion.

**

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His fingers rolled in a wave, tapping the badly damaged folder that was all that was left of project Moonlight, at least everything they had gotten their hands on. Aarik, lost in thought and with a perpetual frown on his face, repeated the tapping as he had been doing the previous ten minutes.

"Boss?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Gavin cleared his throat. "Boss?"

The Alpha's eyes shifted from the window, towards which he sat half turned, to his highest ranking beta, but the rest of him stayed impassive. He did not want to admit that he had been so deep in his musings he had not registered the big man entering.

"Dael told me they are on their way here and that they will be bringing the woman's mother with them. Apparently they have been informed of what we are."

"Both of them?"

"That's what he said."

"Ugh..." His fingers ceased their abuse of the paper folder and he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"That's not all." Gavin continued. "The people that made it back this morning have given me their full report and I think you should listen to them yourself when you have the time. Fake agents apparently lay in wait and abducted her again as she reached her mother's place. Our people were not sure why but the car they drove crashed and they caught up to them."

"This is more or less what I heard when they arrived. Did they tell you anything new?"

Gavin shifted uneasily. "Well. It appears your brother shifted pretty openly. Of course it was in the middle of the night and dark but..." He shrugged.

"Why am I not surprised?" He growled. "Well you know what to do when we risk exposure. Keep a good eye on the media and if any witness or evidence gets out then stick to protocol."

Gavin nodded. "I have locked the man they brought with them in an empty storage closet in the basement."

"Good let him stay there for now. Since Natalie knows about us anyway I think we might just as well include her in this mess."

"It's funny, sir. According to Ralph he already knew about us. He did not seem the least bit surprised about finding shifters there."

"Then he knows a hell of a lot more than he should."

"That's what I thought too."

"Keep me informed, I want to know the moment the others get here."

"Yes, sir."

Aarik watched him leave and waited until the door closed before he fished his cell out of the inner pocket. Flipping through the list of contacts he paused at one of the names. This was getting too big for him to handle. It was humiliating to admit that this was more than he could chew but on the other hand the consequences of project Moonlight was a danger to them all. It was time to call the council.

Pressing the call button he waited for someone to pick up.

**

As they reached the last stretch of road before their destination Natalie reflected on the first time she had been driven up this very same road only a few days ago. The avenue didn't look as imposing in daylight and she couldn't help but smile as she remembered the predatory yellow eyes in the darkness. Wolf eyes. It made sense now.

Ok, so the man she thought was a drug addict, then a spy, then a cult member and quite possibly Mr. Right turned out to be a... werewolf? How did one go about settling their thoughts about that? It was insane. She belonged in a mental institution for sure. Maybe all of this was just her in her head.

But... Liam. She could see him clearly in profile from the backseat and he was beautiful. Just looking at him made her want to throw all caution away and continue with the insanity. Surely this fantasy was better than her crappy life. The way he held her and talked about her felt more genuine than any of her previous male engagements.

Still he was a werewolf. Someone could just as well have told her he was an alien, that's how surreal the situation felt. He was from another world stepping into hers and showing her things she didn't think was possible. There was so much she wanted to ask him, so much she needed to know before going into this; whatever this was. Unfortunately it seemed impossible to get time alone with him for any longer period of time. It was one of the reasons why she had so readily agreed to go back to Luna Springs despite her mother's complaints. She wasn't done with him yet and until she was her mother would just have to come with them.

The cars reached the large gravely turn pad outside the main building and Liam was out the door before theirs came to a complete stop. She barely had enough time to unbuckle her seat belt before her door was opened and his hand offered to help her out. She had sensed agitation emanating from him the past few hours and now there was a sense of urgency to his movements.

Accepting the proffered hand she climbed outside. As soon as she was standing, he was behind her; wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tight to his body, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. A startled yelp escaped her before she could help herself, eliciting a worried look from her mother as her head popped up over the roof of the car. She could feel Liam's chest rumbling against her back.

"You're staying in my room tonight." He breathed into her hair possessively, barely loud enough for her to hear, while squeezing her closer to him.

Holding her mother's gaze trying to reassure her she slowly nodded. This dominant streak in him was extremely sexy. Normally she would have railed at the thought of submitting to anyone but there was something about this man that bypassed all her defenses and the thought of objecting to his proposition never crossed her mind. Instead her hand inched back behind her rounded ass and cupped the fleshy protrusion of his cock, rubbing it gently with her fingers. He grunted in response, giving her one last squeeze before releasing her.

Dael sighing in mock frustration shook his head and rolled his eyes at the somewhat uncomfortable Lucy who didn't seem to know what to do. On one hand her daughter didn't seem to mind the treatment but the man holding her was a... a beast.

"Youngsters." He huffed and motioned a welcome with his hand to Lucy as if presenting the large building. "Welcome to Luna Springs."

"What is this place?" She asked hesitantly, visibly forcing her protective gaze to the building instead of the couple.

"It's our home. Everyone here is like me and Liam but rest assured that you will be perfectly safe. Come. I'll show you to your room." Offering her his arm like a true gentleman he led her inside.

She's staying in my wing. Came a somewhat disgruntled statement from Liam in his head.

Your wing? You have your own?

You know what I mean. Natalie is staying with me and her mother should be close by.

Are you sure you want her to hear some of the sounds you'll be making? Dael mocked.

There was a thoughtful silence while Liam thought that through. Good point. Put her a few rooms away from mine just in case.

**

"Liam. Natalie. My office. Now."

Aarik's cold, commanding voice echoed down the big main hall from the third floor balcony. Instantly Liam's first reaction was to do the exact opposite but as their eyes locked and he met his brother's steely gaze he remembered his submission in the Circle. The hardest words he had ever been forced to utter left his mouth. "Yes, Alpha."

It was so unexpected that Dael, standing next to him, jumped in surprise. He was about to say something when Lucy interjected. "What? No! You're not taking her anywhere."

Natalie cringed. "It's okay, I promise. These people are the good guys." She gave Liam's hand a squeeze as she said the last to words hoping that it was the truth. "Go with Dael and we'll meet you there shortly okay?"

"You sure about this Nattie?"

"Positive." She gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek and a reassuring smile. "Enjoy this place. It's pretty nice and the best part is it's free. See it as vacation."

Lucy, still skeptical, nodded and let Dael lead her away towards her room.

Liam threw his arm around her and pulled her close. "Mmm... Nattie." He rumbled teasingly into her hair.

"Shut it."

"Let's see what he wants."

She nodded and together they climbed the stairs to the third floor. When they reached the alpha's office he was already seated behind the dark wooden desk in his comfortable leather chair. His expression was completely devoid of emotions but his silence crawled over them, alerting them to his displeasure. He gave them a dark look, directing them to the visitor chairs with a nod.

Natalie noted Liam's half step in front of her as if trying to shield her from the anger and although flattered by his chivalry thought it was utterly stupid. "Liam... Get your own space." She said in annoyance to his back.

Surprised and confused he looked at her and then down at his feet, trailing the gaze over the carpeted floor towards his brother. The corners of Aarik's mouth twisted slightly upwards and the tension in the room eased considerably.

"What did you plan on doing once you reached the chairs? Sit in her lap? You heard the Lady, get your own space so I can speak with the both of you."

"I... Eh. Whatever." Looking as if he had been punished for a crime he did not quite agree with he moved to the side, letting her walk up to the desk without his overbearing protection.

"Look. I'm sorry I took off like that. I just-"

"Quiet." Aarik's commanding growl snapped her jaws shut in an instant. "What was done was done. You are not mine to command... Yet. Nor are you here as a prisoner. You have every right to do what you did but that does not mean I do not think you're a foolish young girl and if it happens again I will treat you as such." Stopping Liam's disapproving rumble with a hard look he continued. "Having said that, you now know what we are so I think it's time we put all the cards on the table."

"I would like that." Natalie leaned back in her chair and saw the man before her with new eyes. He certainly seemed to have a stick up his ass but this conversation was the most respect she could ever remember receiving from anyone: no yelling, no cursing her name, not even anger. He respected her choice and that was the end of that.

"Good. Then this-" He turned the worn paper folder around with his fingers and pushed it towards her. "-is for you. The notes and the papers marked with yellow marker are not from the original file but information we have managed to piece together after we received it. I suggest you take this with you and study it and we can talk about it more tomorrow when you've had a chance to go through the material."

Flipping through the papers she skimmed through the schematics, graphs and page after page with research data. "What is this?" She asked in a stunned whisper.

"It's what is left of project Moonlight."