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Epilogue
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Luna Diana Prologue
1872 Colorado. As soon as he stripped naked, he'd be hers. Unbraiding her hair, Diana's blood heated with desire while she observed the dark-haired boy. He looked about eighteen, two years older than she. He yanked off one boot, then another, at the lake’s edge. It wasn’t the first time she'd watched him peel out of his clothes, but it was the first time she’d join him. If he had a taste of her, wouldn't he crave her? Hunger to be like her? Wild and free? She swallowed hard, longing to be Caleb's mate—rather than some human’s—but it would never be. Lifting her chin, she resolved to make the human hers. She untied her ankle-high boots, then slipped them off her feet. The human boy’s pet gray wolf rested at the shoreline, his ears perked up as he watched her. But the boy didn't see her—he was unobservant, as most humans were. However, a boy who cared for his wolf such as he did would care for her, too, wouldn’t he? He’d studied her when she swam here before, naked
Luna Diana Chapter 1
Present Day Portland, Oregon One hundred and fifty years later—aging one year for every thirty that passed once a lupus garou reached puberty—Diana was the equivalent of a twenty-one-year-old human. She longed more than ever to have Caleb for her mate, wishing she hadn’t had to hide from the pack all these years. The burning desire for him flooded her veins whenever she came into the wolf’s heat. Her body craved his touch, but her mind had given up hoping to ever have him for her own. If she could find a strong, agreeable human mate, she could change him into a lupus garou, and he would keep her safe from Ragnar. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image of the brutish fiend, and continued to pack her overnight bag. Any man would be better than he—a good mate who would help her establish her own pack. She turned to look at Caleb's photo sitting on the bedside table, the most recent one that Argos, the old, retired pack leader had sent her. Taking a deep br
Luna Diana Chapter 2
The Wolf's amber eyes captured her, held her hostage, but her gaze held him captive, too. But only for a moment. His head whipped to the side. Another flash of fur, and another male appeared. Then, the wave of a wolf’s tail as the lupus garou made a hasty retreat. She should have heeded the instinctual warning. Instead, she gauged the remaining wolf’s posture, the way he turned his attention back to her, closed his mouth, and almost seemed to smile before dashing after his companion. The crashing through the underbrush couldn’t hide the most dangerous sound known to wildlife—a trigger clicking on a rifle. Nothing could disguise the sound of death. Immediately her tail stood upright, and the hair on her back and neck stood on end. A chill hurtled down her spine and she dashed through the creek, her heart thundering. Her ears twisted back and forth, trying to identify where the hunter stood. The sound of a crack rang across the woods and open area, and a sharp pain s
Luna Diana Chapter 3
She had to make her escape before that happened–before she became a human with no chance to remain a wolf, not until the return of the moon. It would be seven days until the new moon from the beginning of the waning crescent. But three days had passed and when she took her fatal run she’d already observed the waning crescent for...she couldn’t remember. Two days? Three? Damn. “There’s been some unusual recent interest in her,” Thompson said. She stopped pacing and turned to listen. Thompson placed his hands on his hips. “Now isn’t it interesting how she listens to our conversation?” “She seems to sometimes. She’s really gentle.” You should see me on a bad day. Thompson shook his head. “A wolf is a wolf, still wild at heart. Anyway, a man was interested in transferring her to another zoo. But...” He looked at his feet. “I don't know. I didn’t trust him. He seemed to have something else in mind.” When he looked up, his blue eyes widened, and he straig
Luna Diana Chapter 4
Caleb stared at the inky sky from the balcony of his hotel room, his heart pounding furiously as he considered how Diana had been locked up in the zoo. He never thought he’d see her again, but she was even more beautiful than before, if that was possible. He recognized the longing in her whisky-colored eyes. 'Save me', they pleaded. And the smell of her—wild and ripe for the picking. God, how he wanted to claim her heart and body for his own. He gritted his teeth and fisted his hands. How many times did he have to rescue the woman before she recognized how. . . . He shook his head. It didn’t matter how he felt. She could never be his. Even if Ragnar didn’t lead the pack, it wouldn't matter—Diana was so hell-bent on having a human for a mate. His neck muscles grew taut. The door adjoining his room squeaked open. He turned. Gray-haired, wiry Argos nodded. Once the leader of the pack, he had stepped down when he’d grown too old. “Are you sure she’ll come to me?”
Luna Diana Chapter 5
“Are you sure she’ll go with me?” Argos asked Caleb again, worry evident in his voice as they climbed into the SUV. “She only saw me at the zoo. She doesn’t know Ragnar still rules the pack and wants her.” Argos shook his head. “I can’t believe she got herself locked up in a zoo.” Caleb gave an evil smile, the notion he’d have to rescue her from a real wolf’s attentions amusing him. “The big red wolf they tried to mate her with sure looked disappointed, hungry, and dissatisfied.” Caleb's cousins and Argos chuckled. “I can just imagine how mad she is over that.” Argos stared out the window. “I’ve always wondered if we shouldn't have tried to find a red wolf pack for her to mix with. Maybe she would have found a mate with one of her own kind.” Caleb started the ignition with a jerk. “We’re her family,” he said abruptly, not in the mood for hiding his feelings for her. “Besides, I doubt Ragnar would have stood for it.” Intent on freeing her before she turn
Luna Diana Chapter 6
The smell of antiseptics wafted in the room, and the air conditioner poured out of the vents, intent on putting patients into a deep freeze, Diana was certain. Feigning sleep, she lay quietly in the hospital bed, the highly starched sheets scratchy against her exposed backside where the gown opened up. The white woolen blankets, piled four or five high fresh out of a blanket warmer, buried her, raising her internal temperature. But the knowledge that she wasn’t safe yet chilled her all over again. The room remained quiet, all except for the sound of hearts beating nearby. Once she was hooked up to the I.V., the medicine whooshing through her veins, heating her blood, the nurse left the room. But Thompson and the doctor stood silently watching her. “Does she have any injuries, Doctor?” Thompson finally asked. “Just hypothermia. As low as her temperature was, it’s a good thing your staff found her when they did. Another couple of degrees drop and she wouldn’t have survived. She hasn’t
Luna Diana Chapter 7
He walked her back into the hall toward the center of the building, his stride long and indomitable, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. His touch should have warmed her . . . well, hell, it did. But for all of the wrong reasons. She craved more of his touch, at the same time resenting the implication. He was her captor, her new zookeeper; her blood sizzled. When they walked past the nurses’ station, a woman wearing polka-dot scrubs spoke on the phone, her eyes wide. “The patient is missing?” His jaw tight, Caleb hurried Diana toward the door past the station. The woman said, “Wait! Sir! Miss!” He hit the door with his shoulder and yanked Diana outside into the crisp, cold air. Grabbing her up in his arms, he ran for the black SUV parked curbside. Gray-haired Argos tugged the door open. “Argos,” she said under her breath, the pleasure at seeing him overshadowed by the realization that the pack was returning her to Ragnar. She clenched her teeth. “
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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
