Waking The Moon: Lunar Mates, #11

By Loribelle Hunt

Now that his friend and alpha has claimed the werewolf throne, Nick Sarseen should be free to claim his own mate. Unfortunately, she doesn't want a mate. She wants him, just not all the way and definitely not the bite that would tie them together permanently. Convincing her to accept him will take time and patience. He isn't sure if he has enough of either though, when he learns her best kept secret.

 

Maggie Sanders has always been at the center of the pack and popular outside it, which makes her a perfect intelligence source for the Regis. It also helps her aid women escaping rogue werewolves in a secret network very few know about. When Gage rats her out, Nick is furious, especially when he finds out how dangerous her next mission is. Can he accept the woman she is or will he lose her forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Loribelle Hunt
• Release date: Oct 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215890783

Loribelle Hunt

Loribelle is like the South she calls home. Hot and sultry. Languid and sexy. Magnolias and gardenias scent her silk lined boudoir, and men and children alike bow to her magnificence... Okay, maybe it isn’t quite that glamorous. She does have two smart and lovely daughters who give her a run for her money and a son that will one day be someone’s model of a romance hero. (She promises.) Her husband is a real life hero, and Loribelle just tries to keep up with the demands of military life. In between, she writes a book or two. She’s had every job under the sun, but haven’t most writers? That Army military police, bookstore manager, waitress, wedding photographer, website designer experience has to come in useful sometimes. As they say in the South, it all washes out in the end. She loves hearing from her readers and can be found at http://www.loribellehunt.com.

Book preview

Prologue

Sawyer was in Houston when rumors reached him that Gage Rylon was stepping forward as the Regis, king of the werewolves, a position that had gone unfilled since his grandfather’s murder. Very few knew the royal family had any survivors and none one in this group had been trusted with the information previously.

Sawyer had been told that Gage might come forward in the next year, and just as he’d anticipated, Blade had asked for a meeting with the western alphas. He looked forward to collecting on bets with his brothers who swore it was too soon. The next day they met outside St. Louis, most taking charter flights instead of their pack planes, which Sawyer found amusing. They wouldn’t be able to keep this meeting secret if Gage and Anthony were pointed in the right direction. And Sawyer would make damned sure they were.

The estate was private, isolated, and currently empty. It hadn’t taken Sawyer’s beta Marcus long to discover that it belonged to Blade’s mate’s parents, who were currently out of the country. Sawyer doubted he’d asked permission to use it since the gathered werewolves would be long gone before their return. That wasn’t his problem, but you never knew what might turn out to be useful information later.

They’d all agreed to only bring two people with them, and their choices were interesting. He was the Wyoming alpha and had his brothers along since they’d been in Houston with him too, working on a business project. Marcus and Corey, his enforcer, had wanted to come, but Sawyer didn’t want any of these alpha’s taking another, closer look at Marcus, who was also his brother-in-law, than they’d done previously. Sawyer was also confidant none of the others would bring their enforcers. They were all former hunters and loyal to Anthony, their leader. Sawyer was pretty sure if Anthony hadn’t already sworn his loyalty to Gage, it would happen very soon.

Nathan the Los Angeles alpha had brought two of his senior soldiers instead of his beta and enforcer. The rest had brought their betas but not their enforcers, and no one had brought their mate.

I see no one trusts their enforcers, Blade said.

Nathan scowled. Sawyer could see how that was a problem for him since his enforcer was also his brother.

Their first loyalty has always been somewhat suspect. More to the hunters than any one alpha, Nathan said. And now Anthony has sworn them to Gage Rylon.

Sawyer hadn’t heard that yet, but he’d turned his phone off for this meeting. It was interesting that Nathan didn’t say Regis, as if it left a sour taste in his mouth. He could see by Blade’s expression he agreed. Quincy gave nothing away, and Peter, the leader of a large group of wolves in Tacoma, who Corey said intended to ask for pack status at the next council meeting, looked pissed. But that was just as likely to be a reaction to Blade, who he despised, than the situation.

Are we sure he is who he says he is? Sawyer asked. He was the youngest in the group by ten to twenty years, in his early forties, and had never met the last Regis but he’d sure as hell felt the power of the bloodline. He’d known Gage for who and what he was the moment he’d met him, years ago when he was still a teen, and it had always amazed him that no one else seemed to see it.

Hector says he is, Quincy said.

Hector was Gage’s former beta but had grown up with Quincy in New York. As far as Sawyer knew they weren’t friends, but he’d still been surprised to find Quincy at this meeting.

You spoke to him? Nathan asked.

And Kyle. They both agree, and he has his grandfather’s ring.

And Tim Burns really was his father?

Hector nodded. Apparently.

In that case, we shouldn’t have to deal with him, right? He’ll be too busy fighting off rogues, and Regis blood or not, no one else will accept him. He’s tainted, Sawyer said, shrugging.

He knew better, but he had an image to protect. He was big, blond, and blue eyed like his Scandinavian ancestors and everyone thought he wasn’t quite the brightest bulb in the drawer. And he played up to it. Blade gave him a look that wasn’t quite pitying. Somehow Sawyer managed to keep his expression calm and not burst out laughing. He loved fucking with these guys.

No one of that bloodline has ever gone rogue. His father is irrelevant. It’s his mother who’s important here, Quincy said.

Agreed, Blade said curtly. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to accept it.

Sawyer saw that was what most of them were thinking, and he wasn’t surprised at the nods or sounds of agreement. He couldn’t read Quincy or Peter.

What do we do then? Sawyer asked.

For now, Quincy said. We watch and wait. Find a weakness that can be exploited.

Everyone agreed. But nothing he knew about Quincy made his support make sense. Sawyer decided to throw a wrench in the works, but it was one damned close to his heart and he needed to know where these men stood.

There may be other family members who come forward.

He felt his brothers freeze when he spoke, but they kept it together and he was glad he’d asked because Blade didn’t hide his reaction fast enough. His eyes flashed, cold and hateful. Sawyer was damned glad he’d refused to let Marcus attend, and he forced his wolf down, promising they’d protect what was theirs.

If no one knows about them, no one ever needs to know about them.

In other words, kill them, but I didn’t say that.

Sawyer was watching Quincy, who met his eyes briefly, and he swore he saw disgust before it was wiped away. To push more or to back off? It would be smart to shut up and not give anyone ideas, but he needed to know how far they would go.

The women, the children, the mates? he asked.

If the rumors are true, we’ll want to claim the women as our own. You got a problem with that Sawyer?

It took every ounce of his control to appear harmless, but he pulled it off. He shrugged, but inside he was fuming.

I don’t think they exist, he drawled.

Blade smirked. He all but crowed. It would be glorious to have one of the women though, wouldn’t it?

Sawyer found himself feeling very bad for Blade’s mate, and that woman was a piece of work. Maybe it was self-defense. He nodded, kept his expression placid.

We need to get back before we’re missed, Sawyer said.

His eagerness to leave would have been suspicious if they hadn’t known Sawyer had already been away on pack business for a few days. Blade gave him a sympathetic look.

I imagine you want to see Taylor, Blade said, and Sawyer pretended to not scent his lust for a woman who didn’t belong to him. To not scent Blade’s contempt for another alpha. His wolf, instead of trying to assert control, snarled softly. It knew this man was a snake, but it also understood patience, knew Blade would die before he ever got close to its mate. Hell, Taylor would be angry if she didn’t get to kill him herself.

We’ll be in touch, Blade said.

Sawyer let Ben drive. He was shaking with too much rage to do it himself, and no one dared speak. He didn’t trust himself until they were on the plane. Taylor and Marcus looked up, saw his expression, and started swearing at once. Sawyer had to smile, his anger back to a manageable level. Everyone thought his mate was so soft and delicate until they pissed her off. He waited for her to run out of steam, while his brother Ben told the pilot to get them in the air. He wanted to be home. He wanted to see his children, then he wanted his mate in their bed. It would be a few hours yet for that, but at least she would be at his side.

Taylor, Marcus, and Corey, unwilling to wait one minute more than necessary and equally as unwilling to discuss the situation by phone, had arranged a cover story for their absence and had driven down to meet his plane. Another pack member took her SUV home.

Taylor, not satisfied with just cussing, stood up to pace, but he snagged her wrist, tugged her down next to him, and buckled them both in. She glared but her anger morphed into irritation when he just gave her a mild innocent look.

"I’ve been mated to you too long to buy that aw shucks I’m harmless look."

The other alphas sure as hell buy it.

Corey snorted. You can bet your ass Gage doesn’t. That man doesn’t miss anything.

What did they say? Marcus asked.

They won’t accept Gage as Regis.

They’d known that, they’d seen it on his face when he entered the cabin, but he hesitated with the rest. His brother Dustin, however, did not. He growled.

"But other Regis family members, especially those who