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Chapter 8
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Luna Diana Chapter 9
“You’re not worried about them, are you? We left the zoo and then ended up at the hospital and now here. They won’t be able to follow me.” “The news will carry the story about your hospital stay and subsequent disappearance. The mystery woman found in the wolf’s pen, without clothes, the disappearance of the red wolf, and most likely my description, too. If the red who targeted you is a pack leader, no one would cross him. So he’d know I was from out of town,not a member of his pack.” “He was young, your age . . . early twenties, small. He wouldn’t be a leader.” “Reds are smaller.” He wasn’t dismissing the fact that they could have more trouble than they bargained for—first zoo man Thompson, then the cops, and now a pack of red wolves. “Besides, Caleb, I am selecting my mate.” “That’s what this is all about? You want to choose instead of a male choosing you?” His voice sounded as incredulous as he felt. “This is all about not wanting to be Ragnar's mate. Do
Luna Diana Chapter 10
A roadblock. Two police cruisers sat dead ahead on the shoulder of the road. While one policeman spoke to the driver of a compact, another eyed Caleb and Diana's approaching SUV. Despite the car’s heater running on high, a chill ran down Diana's spine, and she involuntarily shuddered. “Maybe they’re just looking for drunk drivers.” Caleb shook his head. “We can’t risk that they aren't looking for us.” “They’ll recognize us, won’t they, if they get a good look at us?” “Yeah, I imagine so. Thompson probably gave them a rough description. That long, red hair of yours will be a dead giveaway." Caleb turned down a side street before they reached the checkpoint and switched off his headlights. “Hold on tight. Someone will probably check us out because we avoided the roadblock.” She swallowed hard, not liking the situation at all. “See the carport in front of those apartments? Pull into a vacant slot. A police helicopter searching from above won't see the SUV then
Luna Diana Chapter 11
“He must have convinced her he loved her and then risked changing to turn her. Only she would have been terrified. Humans can’t deal with what we are, Diana. Can’t you understand that?” This wasn’t about the woman. She figured this was about Diana wanting a human male. “You see now why I didn’t want you involved?” he asked. “If he catches sight of you . . .” He shook his head. Rubbing her temple, she tried to figure out a way to alert the killer’s pack. “The two men at the zoo are probably related to the killer’s pack. We have to send word to them. Find them somehow.” “How do you propose to do that when we’re on the run?” “Take us to Tigard; it’s south of Portland. That’s where I live, and we can use it as our base for the time being.” He scowled at her. “The things I do for you.” “Yeah,” she said huskily, “like relieving my . . .tension.” He glanced at her, granting her a wicked, wolfish smile that said he wanted to eat her all up, and she wond
Luna Diana Chapter 12
Diana reclined against her bed and sniffed, her tears undoing Caleb. “I just wanted to know about the family, that’s all, Caleb. That’s why I wrote to Argos.” Wanting to force the truth from her, he knew she loved him, even if she denied it. “We’re both tired.” He pulled her hair away from her face and kissed her wet,salty cheek. “Let’s sleep.” Having every intention of making her see his way once they were well rested, he gathered her against him and inhaled the essence of her. “I want you, Diana.” “You can’t,” she sniffed again. “Sorry, from the moment I rescued you from the wildfire, I’d claimed you. Now you just have to agree to be my mate.” Yet the question still nagging him slipped out again: “Why do you hate Ragnar so much?” *** Early the next morning, Caleb stretched out on the mattress, annoyed that Diana had tensed and turned away from him the night before, avoiding his question about Ragnar, even though he’d forced her to curl up with him anyway. No
Luna Diana Chapter 13
“What would you have me say, Caleb? 'Red lupus garou female seeks mate. Horny right now. Only a red lupus garou male need apply’?” “You might have half of the lupus garou population in several states applying for the position. Lord knows how many are looking for a red.” Sitting down at the keyboard, he typed, Little Red Wolf seeks mate. Preferably big gray wolf terminally in lust with her. She hit his shoulder. “Be serious.” Grunting, he deleted the words. “I am serious.” He typed, Rufus lupus female seeks mate in Portland, Oregon, area only. “A red wolf seeks a mate? The humans will think she's a nut and—” “The lupus garou will know she’s one of them, a loner, looking for a red wolf pack to join.” “Okay, sign it as Rosa.” “But what if Thompson—” She combed her fingers through Caleb's shoulder length brown hair, highlighted by the sun, satiny-smooth to the touch, soft, where the rest of him was hard. "He probably wouldn’t be looking at the personal
Luna Diana Chapter 14
Peering out the peephole, Diana found Chrissie standing on her doorstep and figured the questioning would truly begin. Taking a deep breath, she yanked the door open, relieved it wasn’t the police. “Hi, Chrissie.”Her next-door neighbor looked a bit astonished, her blue eyes wide and her blushing lips parted. She was wearing a short chiffon skirt and flowery blouse, a little too spring-like for the weather and a lot too dressy for just dropping by. “Oh, I, well, I wondered if you might like an apple pie. To thank you for taking me to the grocery store this morning.”An apple pie? Chrissie had always been generous to a fault with Diana, relishing their friendship because she had been an only child and was estranged from herparents—they had told her the guy she married was no good and were still mad at her for not listening to them. Now she was raising her two kids on her own and Diana couldn't understand how Chrissie’s parents could be so insensitive. But the kids were the ex’s, to
Luna Diana Chapter 15
She glanced down at the towel and then back at his eyes, ignoring his full-blown erection. “I hope you intend to pick up after yourself.” She turned and headed down the hallway. Following her, he enjoyed the wiggle of her cute little but covered in the tight black denims. “Is that what you're wearing tonight to meet all of your suitors?” “Something a little sexier.” “Don’t see anything unsexy about the jeans.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Did you practice your smooth words on human females for all of those years?” “Did it have the right effect on you?” She gave a half grunt. “No. So what do you think about my plan?” “Sounds like it could be a circus.” Sitting down at the head of the table, he smelled the rich blood of the fresh meat, warm and rare like he preferred. She sat down opposite him. “Yeah, I thought maybe the more possible candidates we could draw out—” “You could draw out.” He still couldn’t curb his anger with the notion of her ac
Luna Diana Chapter 16
Her heart pumping at twice its normal speed, Diana fled the fire. The searing heat singed her fur, the pads of her paws, and choked the breath from her. And then he appeared, the gray wolf, a large, fearless juvenile, intent on only one thing: grabbing her and carrying her across the swollen river. She whimpered and Caleb tightened his hold on her. “Diana, you’re safe.” The nightmare . . . the damnable nightmare that she'd had for years. She ran her hand over Caleb's arm, wrapped securely around her waist. Folded over her like a butterfly's protective cocoon before hatching, he made her feel safe and secure—until he turned her over to Ragnar. “Did you sleep well?” he murmured against her hair. “Yes. And you?” she whispered back, not entirely ready to shrug off the relaxed state she was in despite the vivid nightmare. “I had an ache when you squirmed against me.” She smiled. “You seemed restless and whimpered in your sleep. Are you still having night
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Luna Diana Epilogue
Five months later, Caleb cradled Diana in his arms while they nestled on a new redwood porch swing he had crafted for her. She gazed at the beautiful greenhouse situated nearby—twice as big as her old one and already filled with rhododendrons and azaleas from Oregon, now her second home. “Chrissie wants us to come to her wedding in two months. She and Henry moved the date up, afraid I couldn’t travel if they waited too long or, if they delayed it until after the babies are born, it would be harder for me to take them with us.” She smiled up at Caleb. He grunted. “I knock Thompson out during my rescuing you at the hospital, and he wants me to be his best man at his wedding? Humans. No figuring them.” “Hmm, maybe it’s the wolf in you he really likes.” Caleb shook his head, his hand caressing her belly, swelling with triplets. She sighed heavily against his chest. A wolf’s howl in the distance brought a smile to her lips. “The Sinapu sure have made strides to reintrod
Luna Diana Chapter 41
Despite loving her wolf form, Diana thought she could live without it forever if it meant she and Caleb would not have to face Ragnar’s wrath; after all, keeping her wolf form meant that she could possibly lose the gray she dearly loved. As before, she would be the dutiful mate and sit on the sidelines, relaxed and quiet, giving the illusion that she didn’t worry about Caleb’s strength. But as soon as the grays gathered for the evening spectacle, her heart sank. Crickets sounded their raucous tunes, frogs riveted from near the stream, and a breeze stirred pine needles with a whooshing sound. Cold and crisp, the smell of an expected snow touched the air. She wished the whisper of frost would harden Ragnar’s joints and make him unable to dodge Caleb’s lunges. That Ragnar’s teeth would fall out from disrepair. That his eyes and hearing were not so keen and he would make fatal mistakes, giving Caleb the advantage. But he was not an old wolf, only in his mid-thirties, and he wa
Luna Diana Chapter 40
On the way home, Diana tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel and then finally glanced at Caleb, his eyes drowsy, as he leaned his head against the passenger's window. He must have seen the upturned rug. “Ragnar slept in my bed,” she growled low. “Yeah.” He stared out the window. Did he find Ragnar’s note or not? Oh hell, no sense in keeping the situation secret. She squeezed the steering wheel and then loosened her hold. “He left a note.” Caleb looked at her. “Underneath the floorboard.” He didn’t say a word, just watched her with a stern look. “I . . . I had another gun; the bullets were meant for him.” “I know, Diana honey.” “You did?” Tears pricked her eyes. “Yeah.” “But you didn’t say anything.” “I didn’t want to worry you that he’d found the gun.” “Would you have let me keep it?” He ground his teeth and looked away. “Yeah. Even though I didn’t ever intend for you to have to use it.” She took a steadying breath. “Thanks
Luna Diana Chapter 39
Before long, warm water filled the tub, and Caleb reclined on his back as she climbed on top of him. He kissed her lips and ran his hands over her breasts,heating her deep inside. “I have to say, Diana, you made me proud.” “I was afraid you’d be angry with me because I tried to help you.” He leisurely licked the bathwater off her cheek. “You love me and wanted to protect me. You didn’t do it because you felt I couldn’t handle him. It was just instinctive. An alpha female quality.” She washed his bloodied neck with care. Referring to her as having alpha qualities was the greatest compliment he could ever give. “I was so proud of you to submit to another red, to allow him to fight Simon for the right to be the leader of the pack.” Knowing how difficult it was not only to pretend to cower before a red, but in front of his mate—it had to have been the hardest thing he’d ever done. Her chest swelled with pride to think such a great gray wanted her for his very own.
Luna Diana Chapter 38
The sound of Ragnar's howl nearly made Diana's heart stop. Caleb’s ears pulled back and he narrowed his eyes. His tail pointed straight out, parallel to the ground. Undoubtedly, he sensed the added danger when he caught the sound, too. It just couldn’t be Ragnar. Not when Caleb had so many reds to fight. Diana continued to recline on the ground, pretending not to be bothered, to show Caleb that she believed in him with all of her heart. But she couldn't smooth down the hair standing erect on the nape of her neck or tail. She couldn’t relax her tail, fixed straight as a spear, her body on full alert, ready to react if Ragnar made a sudden appearance. Then she reminded herself that she had her gun and it could give him a lot of heartburn for a while. Ross ran toward Caleb with his teeth bared. Fire burned in the depths of his brown eyes. Caleb responded , his leg and back muscles moving like a waterfall, fluid and powerful. Grabbing Ross by the throat, he snapped his nec
Luna Diana Chapter 37
Four SUVs barreled up, scattering the gravel on the shoulder. Two parked in front of them, two behind, as if wedging them in, allowing them no chance of escape. The sun had nearly faded from the sky, and already the reds were ditching their clothes in the vehicles. Diana and Caleb waited. Despite the old man’s words, the gray was not likely a welcome sight among the reds, and the notion that Caleb—instead of a red—would kill their leader most likely didn’t bode well with many of them. As the old man said, there were many who probably felt that Diana could solve their problems by mating with one of the reds and thereby end the killings. What was done was done, and it wouldn't be repeated, but the problem was that, if Alfred won the prize, Ross, Nicol, and Simon would still be without mates. And they would continue their killing spree. The urge to mate ran in their blood. Desiring a mate who would race in the wild with them proved tantamount. Sexual relations with a woman in
Luna Diana Chapter 36
The rental Suburban pulled out of Diana's driveway and headed through the development, an older couple from the red lupus garou pack driving it. After a moment's hesitation, the unmarked police car followed. “Now what, Caleb?” Diana asked. Her voice was tight and worried. Her cheeks flushed faintly. He hated to see her so concerned, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Now we wait for—” A different Suburban, this one black, pulled in front of the house. “Is it a red escort? The police wouldn’t send someone else, would they?” “I don’t think so.” Caleb started to walk outside. Diana tugged at his arm. “Wait for me. I’ve got to do something.” He couldn’t help looking at her in disbelief. “My mother always said to use the bathroom before I went anywhere,” she hastily explained. “Just don’t leave without me.” He tilted his chin down. “I won’t be leaving without you, honey, that’s for certain.” Her eyes held a wealth of worry; then she no
Luna Diana Chapter 35
Early the next morning, even though it was dark, with threatening storm clouds hovering overhead like a permanent menace, Caleb reached out for Diana in bed, but he found her gone. He listened, hoping to hear her butler announcing new email or the sound of her cooking in the kitchen. Nothing. And then the rain, pitter pattering at first, followed by a roar as it drowned the area, filled his ears. He was sure if he didn’t leave here soon, his skin would start wearing a coat of green moss or mold. Shoving the covers aside, he headed out of the bedroom. She wasn’t in her office. She couldn’t be in the greenhouse now. The thought of the ruined greenhouse sickened him. When he returned her to Colorado, he'd build her one twice as big. He strode through the living room, but then he saw her standing in the green velvet robe on the back porch,staring at the burned wreckage. Growling at the insidiousness of whoever torched her building, he pulled the door open and stalked outside.
Luna Diana Chapter 34
Caleb noticed Diana checking out the sideview mirror again and saw the tension in her stiffened spine. “See anything?” “I thought I saw a black Humvee. Twice now. But when I look back, it’s gone, vanished in the rain.” “I’ve seen it before.” Diana looked at Caleb. “When?” “When we were at the dance club. I saw it parked there and then again when I took a look in the Cascades for any evidence of the murdering red’s complicity; it followed me for a while and then disappeared.” “A red? Or Ragnar?” “Ragnar would have confronted me. The windows were too dark; I couldn’t see the driver, but I gathered he was a red—wary, questioning, but something more. I can't pinpoint the gut feeling I have about it, except that, even though he’s hostile—a red not liking a gray in the red's territory and has his sights set on the only female red wolf who’s young enough to be pursued—he doesn't seem to have any evil purpose.” “Like reporting our actions to Alfred.” “Right
