Alpha’s Moon: A special forces shifter romance (Shifter Ops series Book 1)

Sadie

I wear a dress and heels to the party. Once I’ve tamed my hair and put on my pearls, I look more presentable, but my cheeks still have that orgasm flush. Deke wears a fresh white t-shirt and a nice pair of black jeans. He shrugs a short-sleeved button down over the t-shirt, which he leaves untucked. I think this is his version of dressing up. With his huge size and tattoos, he still manages to look every bit as dangerous as he does in his leather. I’m not complaining. Deke looks like James Dean’s wilder, more dangerous brother, and it does things to me. My nipples are hard under my dress bodice, so I add a fancy cardigan for good measure.

He gets a few double takes when we walk into the party from the middle-aged members of Geoff and Jenn’s family. I ignore the raised eyebrows and head to the corner where the bride holds court.

“Sadie!” Jenn cries, throwing out her arms. The champagne glass in her hand tilts, but it’s more than half empty.

“You’re glowing,” her sister Brigit gasps. The rest of the half tipsy bridesmaid posse turns to look.

“So are you,” I say to Jenn and lean in to hug her. We pull away and air kiss. “You look so beautiful.”

“So do you!” Jenn squeals. She has a giant rock on her finger, blinding with diamonds. I ooh and ahh over the engagement ring for the appropriate amount of time. It cost more than her Jeep Wrangler.

“And who are you?” Laura, Jenn’s older cousin, asks, eyeing Deke. Laura’s not a bridesmaid, but from the admiring way she’s looking at Deke, she appreciates his broad shoulders as much as I do.

“Oh.” I step back and put my hand on Deke’s arm, claiming him. “Ladies, this is Deke. He’s my plus one for the weekend.” I rehearsed this in my head. He’s not a boyfriend, he’s not a friend, he’s not a partner. But “plus one” gets the message across.

“Hi, Deke,” the women chorus and exchange knowing looks.

Brigit elbows me, waggling her eyebrows approvingly.

Jenn clears her throat. “Champagne?”

I take a glass, and Deke waves it away.

“Congratulations,” he says gruffly to Jenn, and she flushes happily.

“Thank you. How did you meet Sadie?”

I open my mouth, feeling flustered. Before I blurt out something random, Deke puts a hand in the small of my back, supporting me.

“Met in Taos, at the plaza. Fate threw us together,” he answers. He looks around as if daring anyone to contradict him. “It was meant to be.”

The bridesmaids all swoon.

Something squeezes in my chest. The wish that it was all true and not a fabrication.

“That’s so wonderful.” Brigit winks at me. “Wow,” she mouths. I nod back and sip my champagne serenely while Deke stands behind me, my strong, silent back-up.

Jenn pulls me aside the first chance she gets. “Sadie, I’m so sorry. I thought you were still with Scott.”

“No, it’s okay. We broke up a while back. I didn’t want to dump on you while you were planning the wedding,” I say. “I’m sorry, I guess I hoped Geoff would tell you.”

“Oh, girl, you’re fine. I didn’t mean to assume you were with Scott. I paired you off for the whole ceremony. Oh no,” her hand flies to her mouth. “Are you guys in the same room?”

“No, I called the hotel and got my own room,” I assure her. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. This is your big weekend.”

“I know!” she squeals and throws up her arms. The diamond glint on her finger catches her eye, and she holds out her hand to gaze adoringly at her ring.

I try not to worry about the mixed messages of Scott walking me down the aisle. But then I glance at Deke, and I hardly care.

A few feet away, the flock of bridesmaids shriek with laughter. I look over and Deke’s there, his tall form towering over the giddy women. His eyes are on me not them. Like he’s ready to jump in and protect me in case Jenn suddenly assaults me or something. He nods at me, and I smile back, feeling warm inside.

Deke’s here. It’ll be fine.

Deke

I get a whiff of Douchebag Cologne and stifle a cough.

I walk away from the tipsy women without a word. One of them calls, “Come back soon” to my back. As if I would ever look at another woman when I have Sadie.

I sidle up to Sadie and hook my arm around her. “Missed ya, babe,” I mutter and the human she’s talking to—the bride—gives me a big grin.

“Aww, you too,” Sadie says.

“You two are so cute together,” the bride sighs. “Which reminds me, I should go see what my guy is up to. See you at dinner?”

“Yes,” Sadie agrees, and I keep my expression blank. I guess we have to eat sometime, but my wolf is already on edge in this confined place. There are too many people here. Too much noise. My wolf wants me to drag Sadie back upstairs and feast on her pussy instead.

The bride glides away, and Sadie pokes me in the side. “Did you see?”

She means Scott and his new arm candy. “Yep.”

“Oh my God,” she whispers. “He really is dating someone new.”

“Or he’s paying for her company.”

Sadie wrinkles her nose. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

She laughs, and my wolf preens a little. I’m so fucking glad she doesn’t give a shit about that guy.

Across the room, Scott sees us and heads right over. I pull Sadie closer. “What’s up with her lips? She looks like she’s been stung by a bee.”

“Those aren’t natural. There’s some filler involved in there,” Sadie whispers back.

She sips her champagne, surreptitiously watching her ex approach. “I can’t believe he dialed a date. At least she’s not half his age. Ugh, what did I see in Scott?”

“I have no fuckin’ idea.”

“Sadie.” Scott finally arrives in front of us. I wonder briefly if Sadie would protest if I punched the smirk off his face. “This is Elana.”

Elana looks me up and down and angles herself to show off her cleavage as she offers her hand. “Charmed,” she says in a husky voice.

I give Elana a nod, and let Sadie shake her hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Sadie says sweetly. “You probably heard that Scott and I broke up a month ago. I’m so glad he’s found someone.”

“Your loss, my gain,” Elana says.

“Definitely.” Sadie looks relieved. “Just to warn you, the bride thought Scott and I were still together, so we’re partnered during the wedding. But Scott is all yours.” Sadie puts up her hands in Scott’s direction like she’s pushing him away. “I don’t want him at all.”

“Got it,” Elana says.

“Good! We can all be adults about this. I don’t want things to be awkward.”

“Oh, I think we can all get along,” Elana winks at me.

Sadie notices and angles in closer to me. I fucking love it. She’s claiming me. She may not seem like an alpha female, but she has the potential.

“Whatever makes things easy for Sadie,” I say with extra emphasis on her name. “She’s my priority.”

“Aww that’s so sweet,” Elana says and turns to Sadie. “Looks like you got a good one.”

“I did. Hey, did you want some champagne?” Sadie waves Brigit over to get Elana a glass.

“Absolutely.” Elana lights up. “Would love a glass.”

Scott stands by with a half grimace on his face. If he hoped for a catfight between Sadie and Elana, he’s SOL.

“To weddings,” Sadie and Elana toast and clink glasses.

“How is everybody doing?” An overly perfumed woman sails over and inserts herself into our group. Beside me, Sadie stiffens.

“Sadie, is that you?” The woman is middle aged with frosted blonde hair. She leans in to invite Sadie to give her a kiss on the cheek and a wave of her intense perfume nearly knocks me out. I duck my head and half turn, wanting to bury my face in Sadie’s hair, so I can draw a clean breath. My wolf whimpers.

“Mrs. Atkins,” Sadie says politely. She kisses the woman on the cheek and retreats, reaching out to me. I grab her hand, and she squeezes it.

“Oh call me Lacy, you’re practically family. And Scott, there you are,” Lacy beckons and gets a cheek kiss from him too. “And who is this?” She peers first at Elana, then me.

“Lacy, this is Deke. He’s my date for the weekend,” Sadie says. “Deke, this is Jenn’s mom.”

Scott quickly follows up, introducing his date.

Lacy frowns. “Oh are you two not together anymore? Shame on you, Sadie, letting our Scott get away!” She pokes Scott in the chest. “I was going to make sure you had a front place for the bouquet toss. I thought you two would be next.”

Sadie is wincing. Lacy’s voice is as loud as her perfume, so other guests are turning. I blink to keep my eyes from watering.

“What’s this now?” A tall, thin man with a bored expression permanently stapled to his face arrives. He halts next to Lacy, who turns to inform him, “You remember Scott and Sadie, George? These are their dates.”

The man turns to me. “And what do you do?”

“Security.” I keep my hand holding Sadie’s. Not that this guy’s offering to shake.

“You’re Sadie’s bodyguard?” The man manages to look down his nose at both of us, even though he’s shorter than me.

“No, although he could be,” Sadie fake laughs. I can smell her tension. “He was in the military, and now he owns a security business.”

“Ah, a start up,” the man says dismissively.

I shrug. “If multi-million dollar government contracts are for start-ups.”

The guy’s eyes bulge.

“Got thirty employees, worldwide.” I hate giving out information, but this is for Sadie. No one is going to make her feel small. In this stupid dick measuring contest, size matters. The size of our company.

George considers me with a sudden new-found respect.

“Thirty employees? I didn’t know that,” Sadie says, looking up at me, impressed.

Lacy’s eyes narrow. “You didn’t?”

“We just met.” Sadie sounds defensive, and I wish I could tell her to relax. These people don’t matter.

“Does your father know about this?” George asks Sadie, and she presses her lips together. I don’t know why the comment disturbs Sadie, but I make a note to find out. And to give George’s info to the hackers on payroll, to see if he’s hiding anything. That way, if George upsets Sadie again, I can crush him.

“Mr. Diaz and I still have lunch monthly,” Scott butts in. “He’s given me invaluable insight on the Denson project.” He and George start talking about permits and zoning, while the rest of us stand awkwardly by.

“Have you looked at the itinerary?” Sadie asks Lacy, in an attempt to change the subject. “There’s all sorts of fun stuff available at the resort. There’s a zip line and everything!”

Elana looks bored. Lacy turns to me, “I don’t suppose you would like to join me for morning yoga? It’s outdoors on the lower deck.”

Whoa. Didn’t see that coming. The cougar’s on the prowl.

“Oh, I’m not sure that’s Deke’s thing,” Sadie says, trying to save me. I squeeze her hand.

“If Sadie wants to go, I’d be honored to join.”

“Are you sure?” Lacy asks in a way I know this is a test. “It’s pretty early in the morning.”

I shrug, “Can’t be worse than basic training.”

“Ah yes, you were military. What branch?”

“Army, ma’am,” I say. “Special forces.”

“Well, you know he has discipline,” she says to Sadie with an appreciative lilt to her voice.

Yeah. Barely enough discipline to keep from throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her up to our room.

“And I do love a man in uniform.” Lacy straightens slightly in a way that pushes out her boobs. “Nice to meet you, Deke. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.”

“All right, everybody,” Brigit calls from the front of the room. “Can I get everyone’s attention? The dining hall is ready to seat our party.”

People start to stream out of the room, but Sadie and I hold back. I don’t show it, but I’m edgy as hell. The last place I want to go is in even tighter quarters with these people. This is the most I’ve spoken to humans in ages, and my wolf desperately wants to either fuck or fight to relieve the tension.

“Oh my God,” Sadie mutters. “That was awful. I’m so sorry.”

“Babe.” She’s so fucking sweet. I don’t want her to worry about me. I just want her to stop worrying completely.

As we start to follow the others heading to the dining room, she tugs me down a side corridor. It’s dimly lit with fancy sconces that must be for decoration because they do a shit job of actually lighting anything.

“Are you okay? I know you don’t like crowds.”

I go still. “You noticed that?” Fuck, I’m not doing as good a job on this mission as I’d hoped.

She nods, her warm brown eyes studying my face with so much compassion. “Is it PTSD?” she asks softly.

I rub a hand over my face. “Yeah.” Let’s go with that. I hate lying, but telling Sadie I’m a werewolf who can’t keep his animal in check obviously isn’t going to happen.

She tests a door and pushes it open. It’s a meeting room, unlit and empty. “Come here.” She tugs me inside.

“I’m okay, babe.” I hate that she’s worrying over me now. I’m supposed to be doing her the favors. But then she unbuttons my jeans and sudden heat explodes below my waist.

“Let me help ease the tension.” She lowers to her knees, and I lose all rational thought. “It’s the least I can do after what you did for me.”

“Sadie,” I choke, but my hand’s already in her dark, thick hair. I’m incapable of telling her she doesn’t have to do this. Refusing the pleasure she’s so generously offering.

She frees my length and smiles up at me as she fists it. I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight in my life.

She takes her time, swirling her tongue around the head of my cock. My back hits the wall behind me with a thud. My legs start shaking. Heat flares everywhere.

Miraculously, I don’t feel that mindless aggression I sensed before, when I was on top of her. That feeling like my canines were about to descend to mark her forever as mine. My wolf seems willing to just receive.

The entire moment is a gift.

My heart hammers under the new shirt I bought for this weekend. My breath rasps in and out as my cock stretches and arcs, harder than marble under her tongue. She lifts her warm brown gaze to mine as her soft lips part to take me into her mouth.

I choke on a groan. My fist in her hair tightens. “Oh fates, Sadie. That’s so nice.”

She withdraws then takes me deeper. Repeats the action. My thighs shake harder. I don’t help or guide her head, I just let her drive, humbled by her sweetness. This human is everything.

Kind, beautiful, adorably funny. Even though being with her is a constant torture, I also haven’t felt this light in years. Possibly not since I joined the Army ages ago. I stroke her cheek with my thumb as she bobs her head over my cock and back, taking me into the pocket of her cheek in short, delicious pumps. Her velvety tongue swirls underneath my dick each time she brings me deep, her cheeks hollow each time she sucks hard on her way back out.

I’m dying of ecstasy.

I want it to last all night, but I already need to come.

I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes to stall, to savor a little more of this intense, hedonistic pleasure.

Sadie keeps working my cock like a champ. The kindergarten teacher has transformed into a pornstar, and I want to throw her on her back and—

No.

No, not that.

I can’t claim her.

I can’t claim her, but I will definitely get my mouth on her and return this favor before the night is through. I will make her scream so loud the resort walls shake and the lights shatter.

“Sadie,” I choke. The fuse she lit on my orgasm is burning too fast. Heat spikes at my tailbone. My balls draw up tight. “Sadie, I’m going to come,” I warn her in a guttural rasp.

She doesn’t stop. Sadie goes faster, sucks harder, her beautiful doe eyes lifted to mine like she wants to see my face when I come undone. I don’t mean to, but the leash on my control snaps. I grasp her head with both hands and fuck her mouth, once, twice, three times. On the fourth, I come down her throat.

She holds still for it.

Swallows.

Sweet Sadie swallows. Unbelievable.

“I’m sorry,” I croak, realizing how disrespectful I’ve been. I release her head abruptly, but she doesn’t jerk away. She sucks off my cock, cleaning me and swallowing again, her eyes dancing with her own pleasure at what she’s done.

I stroke her face, instinctively massage her ears, forgetting she’s not a she-wolf. “Fates,” I breathe. “That was incredible, Sadie.”

“Was it?” She wipes her mouth as I tuck my dick away, and I help her stand.

“You’re incredible.” I can’t stop myself from saying every thought that arrives in my brain. “Best blowjob of my life.”

“I doubt that.” Her laugh is husky and pleased.

“Swear to fate.”

“To fate?” She cocks her head, her curious gaze traveling over my face.

Whoops.

I tug her body up against mine. “I mean to God.” I shrug. “Fate is a word my family used to use.” I can’t lie to her any more. “My parents are nature-loving hippies in Vermont,” I find myself telling her, even though I haven’t spoken about my parents in ages. “Pacifists. They hated that I joined the Army.”

“Thank you for your service,” she murmurs.

“Fuck, you’re sweet.” I stroke the lovely line of her cheek with my thumb and lower my head for a kiss. My lips brush across hers lightly. My aggression is gone, relieved by the incredible orgasm.

She rises on her toes to kiss me back.

The aggression returns. I cup the back of her head to hold her in place, my lips slanting over hers with more insistence. I lick into her mouth. Claim it.

Voices sound from the hallway—two guests talking about the wedding as they pass.

Sadie pulls back with a smile. “We should get in there.”

“Yeah.” I don’t want to move. “I’d rather take you upstairs and return the favor.”

She presses her body against mine. “You being my date is your favor,” she reminds me in the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard. “This was my payback.”

“All right then.” I duck my head to murmur in her ear, “But I’m gonna need one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Take off your panties.”

Her eyes dilate, and the scent of her arousal fills my nostrils. “What? Here?”

“Uh huh. I want you bare and thinking about my mouth on your sex all night long. Anticipating what you’re gonna get when I bring you back to that room.”

A shiver runs through her, and her delicious scent increases. She glances toward the door to the hall. We can hear more guests laughing and talking beyond the hall, but the sound’s receding like they’re heading away. My shifter hearing will alert me of anyone who might interrupt us. I won’t let anyone catch us, but Sadie doesn’t know that, and I don’t tell her. The thrill is half the fun.

“Better make it fast. Someone might come looking for us,” I tease.

“Oh God.” She scrambles out of her panties. I get a flash of bare leg and then her skirt falls back in place. But her cheeks are bright pink, the same color as her panties.

I hold out my hand for them. After a second of hesitation she drops the tiny scrap of silky lace into my big palm. My dick throbs. I close my fist, fighting the urge to do more.

“Deke?” She looks up at me so trusting.

I shove her panties in my pocket. “Let’s go, babe.” I claim her hand and tug her back towards the party.

“Oh my God,” she whispers. As we walk down the hall she keeps turning her head to check her backside as if she’s afraid her dress is riding up the back.

“Don’t worry about it,” I stop just before we exit the hall and smooth a hand down her bottom under the pretense of stroking her skirt. “I won’t let you moon anybody.” My wolf would happily take out any man who’s seen Sadie naked. I’ll be on guard the whole evening, just to make sure no one even gets close.

No one touches Sadie, no one but me.

I palm her ass, bare beneath the dress’s fabric, and squeeze.

“Oh God,” Sadie says again.

“Be a good girl,” I tell her. “And later I’ll give you your reward.”