Blood & Lust

By Gabby Mora

After moving to a new town with her family and pack, Tala Haven begins exploring the unfamiliar woods and mountains, wanting to learn more about her new home as her father, the alpha of their pack, agrees to a union with the local wolves of that town. But once both Haven and Conall packs are united, nomads begin attacking both packs, hurting and killing the already small packs. With the help of Hunter, the Conall packs very tempting and handsome future alpha, Tala fights off all that cross her path, all the while fearing the dark and looming shadow that seems to be following her everywhere she goes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524575397

Gabby Mora

Having always dreamed about becoming an author to some degree, she had spent years working on many different types of stories since the start of middle school. Her stories helped her travel deep into her mind and picture different worlds. Her imagination growing with each fiction and fantasy book she read which in turn inspired her more to become an author.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Gabby Mora.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017900302

ISBN:      Softcover             978-1-5245-7540-3

                eBook                 978-1-5245-7539-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/10/2017

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

755470

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Dedicated to Stephanie and Will, for always pushing me and supporting me throughout all of it.

CHAPTER ONE

Tala be careful!

The voice in my headset snapped as the sound of my motorcycle kicked up, speeding and passing through more cars that weren’t keeping up with my impatience and excitement. I smiled behind my helmet as I continued to speed up and weave through traffic, not giving a damn.

What? I called into the mic, looking into my side mirror to find a black bike weaving through cars behind me.

Do you have a death wish?! Shouted Dena, her voice tinged with worry and annoyance.

I don’t know, I said calmly as I jumped over a sidewalk curb and nearly skidded. Maybe.

I laughed and picked up speed again as I made the final turn that lead to the club we were all heading to.

I swear you’re trying to give me a heart attack. Dena muttered as a softer Avril chimed in. Be careful Tala.

I slowed down just a little as the asphalt turned into loose dirt and rocks, waiting for the other five bikers to catch up before moving forward again.

Don’t worry Avril I’m just teasing Dena. I said sweetly, reving my bike to be the first one in the parking lot.

Dena growled into the mic, making me laugh as we reached the parking lot.

I slowly pulled my bike to a stop and parked it under a street light that illuminated two parking spaces around me. As I started to get off my bike and take my helmet off, the others reached me, stopping and crowding around my bike so all of us were under the light.

If you keep this shit up Tala I swear I’ll resign. Dena snapped as she and the others dismounted.

Oh shut up. I turned and smiled at an ebony beauty as she fixed the small puffs in her hair. You know you love me.

Don’t push it Tala. A sweeter voice chimed in as I tilted my head slightly to see a curvaceous latina coming up to me as Dena narrowed her eyes at me.

I pranced over to Dena as her girlfriend Avril tried to calm her. I smiled at my childhood friend and hugged her, feeling her tense body relax as she slowly hugged me back.

You know how worried I get. She said, as I pulled away, giving her a small nod. You’re my responsibility and I don’t want you to get hurt.

I know, but you need to trust me a little more, I whispered smiling. You know I can look after myself. She nodded then started looking around, flashing me that familiar ‘I’m in Shadow mode’ look that always crossed her face.

We then started walking toward the building, with me taking point and the others fanning out behind me. Dena took her spot as my Shadow and stayed to my right and slightly behind me as we reached the sidewalk, getting more and more excited about letting loose and having some fun.

If you’re father finds out that you ran into one of them before the Ceremony– Dena said suddenly, as the muffled sound of music reached us.

He’ll kill me I know, I told her calmly, running my fingers through my long hair, moving it from the right to the left. If by some chance we do we’ll just keep a distance and leave if we have to.

She sighed and kept her mouth shut as we neared the humans all lined up to go in. As our little Pack neared the building we could hear more of the music through the walls as well as some voices and the sound of glass cups clinking with ice. We rounded the corner and noticed how long the line was, turning to smile at all the people who turned to look at us. We were all new to this city and have had little time in the past two months to get to know anyone. Yet we dared to walk past the line as we heard some shouts of annoyance from the humans. And there, right behind two couples and a horny group of boys was Melanie McArthur, the snowflake princess of our high school with her little gang of white-washed golems. She had ever so sweetly decided that me and my friends were her new targets and welcomed us to school in such a tender manner.

And now, as those glossy pale eyes locked on us she made an ugly face and glared, calling her groupies to turn toward us, getting them to also make ugly faces and glare. I couldn’t help but smile more as we passed her and went straight to the bouncer who, coincidentally, is a close friend of one of my older brothers.

What are you doing here Tala? He asked, his tight shirt showing his flexed muscles as he looked down at us. You’re not of age to even walk in here yet, his eyes flicked slightly behind me as he noticed my sweet latina friend Luna smiling at him. Let alone old enough to drink.

Oh c’mon Jay, I just have one more month left until my birthday. I frowned slightly looking at him through my eyelashes as my lower lip pouted a little. Can’t this count as an early birthday gift?

As I stared at him I sensed a familiar aura that all of my friends and family had. Feeling the wolf within him recognize the wolf in me and vice versa as we stood close to each other. We continued to stare and I watched as the reflection of my own eyes in his started to gleam a dim almost metallic green color that went around the iris of my eyes and vanished. His light blue eyes shined back in response as he smiled and closed his eyes to hide the glowing from the humans in line.

Once he opened his eyes again the gleaming was gone and he looked down at us with a sly smile dancing on his lips.

Fine, he reached out and opened the door for us, making the people in line groan and complain in response. Just this once.

We all waltzed right past him, thanking him as we passed and waving at the people still shouting in line. Once inside we stood there for a moment, staring out at the mob of people on the lifted dancefloor with railings all around it to keep people from tripping on the their way down. Right behind the mass of bodies was the bar and up against the wall all the way around were booths and small tables for people to sit and drink as they watched the dancers move sexually against one another.

I smiled and headed for the empty corner right by the door, my friends all sitting and relaxing on the soft booth seat.

Dena you getting drinks? I asked, leaning against the table as I watched people shout to communicate with others right next to them while we spoke at a normal volume thanks to our super wolf hearing.

Dena nodded and stood up, walking toward the bar with little Avril close behind her, holding her hand gently. Once they came back with a tray of shots we all took one and gulped it down, all of us thankful that the wolf genes in us would keep us from becoming intoxicated from any amount of liquor.

Let’s go! I cheered, looping my arm through Dena’s and stepping up onto the dancefloor as a Beyonce song started.

We swayed and moved around each other, pressing our backs close together as our hips dipped down and our bodies moved with the music. We laughed and kept dancing as the others stepped up to join us, moving people aside to give our little Pack room to show off. I soon lost myself in the music, dancing through song after song and catching the eyes of a few human males who struggled to control their reactions. I smiled and laughed at a couple who tried to seem attractive and manly but failed ever so miserably. I whipped my hair back and forth and swung my hips in sensual circles, closing my eyes and letting my body feel the music. I smiled as Dena brought me another shot, downing it quickly and feeling my body tingle and warm up with it.

Then, as a small group of humans stepped down and away from the dancefloor I sensed another of our kind nearby. Curious, I slowed my dancing to keep from alerting the others and scanned the room. As I looked around I caught the faint sound of a deep voice from across the room just as I locked on a pair of gleaming silver eyes.

What’s your name?

~ Hunter ~

The sound of music echoed through my skull as I looked out at all the humans dancing and drinking like they couldn’t get enough. I flicked my eyes once again toward the door, hoping she wouldn’t appear and try to ruin my night with her constant pathetic attempts at becoming my Mate.

Looking for Brit? I turned and looked at my Shadow Eryx as he sipped on his drink and stared out at the crowd.

Avoiding more like. I said, turning back toward the door.

She still wants to fuck you huh? He chuckled, leaning his head back on the wall and turning toward me with an amused smile. Why not just do it?

She’s not the type to just want to fuck Eryx, I groaned, remembering how far into the future she went on the one night I let my guard down and made-out with her. She wants to mother my future pups.

We laughed and shook our heads at her insane obsession with becoming the Alpha’s Mate. Just then the door opened and in came a small group of girls. I scanned them quickly, making sure she hadn’t walked in, all the while realizing that the girls that had walked in were not entirely human. It was obvious by the way they walked, moved, and how they stood in a Pack formation with one on point, another shadowing her and the rest in a close cluster directly behind them. They were Wolves, like Eryx and myself, but from the other Pack that just moved into our city.

I had only run into a few Pack members in the two months that their Pack had moved into town and most have been men. Now seeing this group of women walking over to the corner booth right next to the door made me curious. Why hadn’t I seen them before? They look to be close to my age and be out on their own every once in awhile. So why have I not run into a single one of them?

As I watched them laugh and toss back a shot, one of the group, the one walking point, caught my eye. The way she stood there, proud and unshakable by the booth while her friends sat and talked held my focus. Then, after a while of staring I finally sensed what I already knew, feeling her wild and burning wolf-aura as if she was slamming it onto me. Her hair was longer than the others, hanging wildly down her back and brushing her hips as she pulled her friend to the dance floor. Her body moved hypnotically to the music, her eyes closed with a small smile dancing on her lips as she spun around and danced with her friend pressed to her back. I tried to keep my eyes on this wild she-wolf while humans danced in front and around her, blocking my view. She entranced me as she moved, making my body tremble slightly as the sound of her laughter reached me. She enjoyed the attention the human males gave her though no one seemed worthy enough to beckon to her.

Finally, a group of humans moved away, giving me a full view of her as she suddenly slowed her dancing, the muscles on her back tensing slightly as she turned slowly and scanned the room. The second her gleaming mossy green eyes found mine I smiled, whispering under my breath to draw her attention toward me.

What’s your name?

She laughed softly, picking up the beat of the next song as she smiled a daring smile.

Wouldn’t you like to know. She whispered, her voice taunting me to come closer as her body continued to hypnotize me.

I chuckled back and started to push off the wall I had been leaning on when her friend tugged at her arm.

Who are you talking to?

She turned and flashed her an innocent, coy smile and laughed, spinning her friend around to keep her from looking my way as I returned to my wall.

Myself. She said, earning a confused and amused look from her friend as she flicked her eyes back to me.

Her friend laughed at her strange response and spun around with her some more. Just then Eryx lifted up his phone to his ear as it vibrated. I tried to listen in on his conversation but the blasting volume of the music was preventing me from catching a single word. He spoke to the person on the line quickly and hung up, sighing as he finished the last of his drink and set the glass down on a ledge near him.

They want us home now, He said as he pushed off the wall. Since we got a week before the Ceremony they want us to stay close.

I groaned softly and pushed off the wall, looking over as the girl followed my movements with her shining mossy eyes and swayed her hips some more, tempting