Rejection: Moon Fever Book One (Redfern Shifters 1) Read online

  Stella was afraid Jasper wouldn’t play along. For some reason, he’d never seemed to like her—in fact, he’d been downright rude to her since they’d become teenagers. Their fathers were friends, but the friendship didn’t extend to their children. The social gap was wider than California’s Central Valley.

  Mmm. Jasper looked good in his red coat. The opposite of Little Red Riding Hood, a handsome, predatory wolf striding through the forest. If he was in town this weekend, he must feel the moon fever too. Was there any chance the two of them…?

  She shoved aside an uninvited pang of sexual hunger. Even though he was only in Redfern on holidays, every girl she knew had been in love with him at one time or another. Including, she was embarrassed to admit, herself. She was too old now to still have those kinds of delusions.

  Jasper turned and saw her. She waved again, her heart pounding, forcing a big smile onto her face. “So great to see you!” she called out, risking a move toward the steps. “Excuse me, Mr. Sutton, I need to go say hi to Jasper.”

  The old man frowned, finally letting go of his dick. “Jasper Cross? What’s he doing here?” He turned and glared at Jasper, a rough growl rising in his throat.

  Thank the Fates, she thought. Jasper had come at the perfect moment. Maybe Old Sutton would think the alpha’s son had been the one to free the cat. As if. With the distraction, Stella was able to squeeze past Sutton on the steps, flinching at the slight brush of her bare arm against his, and run down the gravel driveway to the road.

  Jasper remained standing there, a scowl on his face, his eyes darting between her and Sutton.

  “Hi,” she said, grinning like an idiot. She’d done it. She’d been so close to being caught, but she’d actually fooled the bastard. “How’s school?”

  “I could smell your fear from fifty yards away,” Jasper said coldly.

  She glanced back and saw Sutton was still watching them. “You came along just in time,” she said under her breath.

  “Don’t put yourself in such a vulnerable position,” Jasper said. “It looked like he was about to assault you. Do you really think your father would’ve come to your rescue?”

  Some of her sense of triumph faded. No, her father would’ve blamed her for tempting him. “Like I said, you came along just in time.”

  Jasper didn’t respond. His long legs kept putting him a pace or two ahead of her, and she had to jog to catch up.

  Still too proud about her morning success to be shy, she said, “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  He looked around as if somebody else could have spoken, then met her gaze briefly. “I’ve been at school.”

  The fleeting moment of eye contact sent a shiver of pleasure through her. Suddenly she was aware of the arch of his cheekbone, the edge of his jaw, the flick of his tongue across his lips.

  She imagined the taste of his skin, what it would feel like to have him inside her, furiously hot, hard, and demanding.

  She could almost feel the flexing muscles of his ass under her hands as he thrust into her. The roughness of his stubble against her cheeks, his tongue teasing and torturing and delighting her.

  Stop it, she told herself. The Fates would make anyone sexually irresistible until the Fever Night ceremony had paired them up with their soul mate. Until then…

  Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look at the pine trees instead of his perfect profile.

  One more day, she thought. The moon fever was making life very unpleasant, and she was looking forward to being done with it forever. When she bonded with her match, she’d become immune to the appeal of the local cute rich guy.

  They were level with the path through the trees to her house; the Cross estate was on the other side of town. “Well, see you later,” she blurted. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Old Sutton hadn’t followed, then veered away to go home.

  A few moments later, hungry for another piece of him, she looked back at him for a parting glimpse of his dark hair, broad shoulders, long legs.

  Instead, she was greeted with his intense blue eyes, watching her through the trees. She imagined they were burning with passion, but she knew that was just the moon fever playing tricks on her.

  Chapter

  Three

  Jasper let out the ragged breath he was holding and walked faster to put as much distance as possible between him and Nightrock’s daughter. His heart was pounding, his muscles twitching to grab her.

  He wiped the sweat off his lip. His father had never acknowledged what Nightrock had done. There’d been no punishment, no remorse. Not a single consequence for the crime against his mother.

  Absolutely, completely unforgivable.

  She even looked just like him. Big and blond with surprisingly dark eyes. It made Jasper want to… do something physical to her. He’d worked hard to eradicate the violent impulses his father’s genes had given him, but seeing Stella brought his claws to the surface. The wolf inside him howled to take over. It was even more powerful than the lust from the moon calling.

  He broke into a run in an effort to wear himself out. Living in the crowded San Francisco Bay Area had made him starved for mountain air and the taste of the forest. Even his human form was starved for the wilderness. But this morning, he ran to stop himself from doing something he’d regret.

  Slowing to a walk, he shook his head. Who was he kidding? He picked up a stone and hurled it into the forest. Every day was full of regrets. He’d never stood up to his father. He’d never stood up to Nightrock. He hadn’t even managed to rescue a stupid little cat in time. He’d smelled it when he’d arrived home last night but had made the mistake of waiting until this morning to try to free it—then found the cage empty.

  He should’ve known Old Sutton would’ve been too bloodthirsty to wait until dawn. He’d probably tortured it before going to bed for the night, the cat’s screams acting as a sadistic lullaby.

  Jasper exhaled in disgust. The sun had risen above the trees, but it was still early. His father would probably be asleep until noon. With the ceremony tonight and so many visiting wolves prostrating themselves to the alpha, Jasper wouldn’t have another chance to get into the forest later. He’d have to go now.

  There was no escaping Fever Night. Three weeks earlier, he’d woken at dawn with a pain in his chest he’d thought was either acid reflux, an ulcer, or a heart attack. Only when his morning wood hadn’t gone away, leaving him in an embarrassing state of highly visible, nearly constant arousal, had he realized it was moon fever.

  Ever since then, he’d been painfully aware of each hour that remained until the moon was full. It wasn’t the kind of urge he could satisfy by having sex with just anyone. If that had been the case, he would’ve stayed away at school—just as he had all the months before.

  But now it was his turn. The Fates weren’t going to let him stay in his dorm room hundreds of miles away, laughing and drinking with his friends, oblivious to the power of the moonlight outside.

  He’d needed to be with other shifters. Like it or not, the Fates had decided he was of age to be matched with another of his kind. Tonight, under the bright moon, he’d meet his destiny.

  Part of him was glad to get it over with. If the Fates chose well, his mate would be eager to get out of Redfern and work or study in the Bay Area with him. With his father and men like Nightrock in charge, Redfern was a dangerous town for females; the odds were good his mate would want to leave.

  His mate. The part of him that had gone to school in human society wanted to roll its eyes. He’d dated girls, seen older friends get engaged, watched TV and movies where people dated and agonized over their choice of partner. But for him, the decision of who he’d be stuck with for the rest of his life was already made, without his input—and he was only twenty-one.

  He picked up another rock and hurled it into the forest, enjoying the feel of his powerful arm.

  That was another thing that was wrong about him: he liked to use his human body. He enjoyed baseball, football, cycling—even hiking with boots and a backpack. The alpha’s son should’ve enjoyed his animal shape more. His father, shouting about wolf superiority, had tried to beat his humanity out of him—and then sent him away when it failed.

  “Don’t let Father see you do that,” said a voice behind him.

  Jasper spun around to see his half brother, Florin, leaning against a tree with an apple in his hand. In line to become alpha, Florin should’ve been as terrifying as their father, but he was too much of a smart-ass, always making jokes.

  Jasper stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over. “What got you out of bed so early this morning?”

  “Not the mating urge, unlike you,” Florin said, taking a large bite of the apple. “Thank the moon goddess, the stars, God, the Fates, and my good luck. I’m not ready to get hitched.”

  “And I am?” Jasper was too upset to hide his true feelings. “You’re five years older. Why me and not you?”

  “Don’t question the Fates,” Florin said. “There’s always a reason.”

  “Like there was with my mother?”

  Florin’s smile fell. He looked around them at the empty road, then said to Jasper, his voice low, “Careful, pup. You never know who’s listening.”

  He was right. Jasper turned away and scanned the ground for another rock to throw. “You didn’t answer me. Why aren’t you still in bed? Weren’t you up drinking all night?”

  “I slept for a few hours. I thought I’d come see if you needed any help getting ready for tonight.”

  “Like what?” Jasper asked.

  Florin reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You must have so many questions,” he said. “I’m here for you.”

  Jasper was a little touched. Under the jokes, his brother wasn’t a bad guy.
He’d never been moon called, but he was older and must’ve heard things. “Tell me what it’ll feel like.”

  Florin’s face was serious. “Well, first there will be resistance. But that will feel good. Then you push deeper, and it’s really amazing. Thrust in, pull out, thrust in, out, in, out.” He patted Jasper’s shoulder. “It sounds complicated, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

  Jasper smacked his hand away. It had all been a joke. “You asshole.”

  Florin burst out laughing. “Are you sure you don’t need me to write it down?”

  Jasper rolled his eyes and turned away, smiling in spite of himself. He’d walked right into that one. I’m here for you. What a sucker. His brother knew damn well he wasn’t a virgin. “Go away, Florin. I want to be alone.”

  “Yeah, good idea. You won’t get a chance after tonight. This is it for you. For the rest of your life. No more freedom. No more roaming the mountains by yourself. No more lone wolf.” Florin let out an exaggerated, mocking sigh.

  Jasper turned and gave him a hard stare. His eyes were icy blue like his mother’s, and others had told him they were terrifying when he used them the way he was now.

  Florin’s expression sobered. After a second or two, he looked away. “Damn, Jasper. That’s an evil glare you’ve got.”

  “You deserve it.”

  “I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Florin said. “You’ve been moping around like somebody died. It’s not going to be that bad.”

  “Go away now, half brother. You’re not helping.”

  “Fine, fine.” Florin gripped his shoulder and offered a real smile. “I’ll keep Dad busy until dark. That will give you all day to enjoy your last day as a free wolf.”

  “You can do that?”

  “He’s worried about rumors of big cats in the mountains, interfering with the ceremony tonight,” Florin said. “We’re going to drive around and talk to the other packs about security.”

  The other wolf shifter packs were too far away to reach quickly on foot. They all needed their own territory so they wouldn’t get into turf wars and kill each other. Their numbers had dwindled too much already over the past few decades.

  “How many packs are coming tonight?” Jasper had been wondering how large the mating pool would be. He’d probably already met most of the female wolf shifters within thirty miles, and none had ever made his heart feel anything.

  “Only two. The others…” Florin shrugged.

  Their father had alienated the others. Killing peaceful envoys would do that. “Right. What if those big cats attack while we’re caught up in the moon fever?”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Florin said. “They’re not pack animals. They can’t organize. They’ll never have a chance against us.”

  Jasper nodded, his gaze returning to the forest. Would his unknown mate understand why he had to spend so much time roaming the wilderness?

  “I’ll leave you now,” Florin said, walking away. “See you tonight.”

  Jasper watched him go, realizing his brother had been trying to be supportive. Teasing was his way. Fever Night would be the biggest turning point in his life.

  His mother should’ve been the one to find him, talk to him, joke with him.

  Jasper shoved the thought aside. It did no good to dwell on the sad stuff. Life wasn’t perfect. He had it better than most. If he was unhappy, he should do something about it, not feel sorry for himself.

  He looked up and down the road to make sure he was alone, then strode into the woods. His father would be furious if he found out where he always went during his visits home. Even Florin would be horrified. But Jasper didn’t care.

  He walked for a few minutes and then paused near a massive redwood tree where he’d left a small package the night before. It had been too dangerous to bring it into his father’s house and too precious to carry around with him.

  After scanning the area to make sure he hadn’t been followed, Jasper began to change into his wolf form. One of the perks of his family’s wealth was being able to afford the bewitched clothing that survived a shift. He didn’t even have to take off his shoes. All his attention could turn inward, to the feel of his heart and stomach, his muscles and bone, the thrumming of his soul in his blood.

  It hurt, of course it did, worse than a broken arm or a gunshot wound—and he’d been unlucky enough to have experienced both of those. Their supernatural bodies recovered quickly, however, healing most physical damage within an hour, a day, a week.

  He gasped in pain as his human femurs broke—always the worst part of a shift—but a split second later, they were the first to knit themselves into his wolf skeleton.

  And then it was done. His nose came awake first, flooding him with information about prey, foes, food, weather. As a pup, the smells had distracted him for hours, but with age he’d learned to compartmentalize the awareness. He stretched his claws into the forest undergrowth and grounded himself into the earth on all fours. He shook his head, yawning to release tension, took the package between his jaws, and took off into the trees to search for her scent.

  He’d lied to his brother. Being alone wasn’t what he wanted today.

  Maybe he’d finally be able to get through to her.

  Chapter

  Four

  Two hours later, Jasper found the wolf he was searching for curled up in a beam of sunshine under a ponderosa pine tree. He dropped the package between her two front paws before shifting back into his human form.

  Angela Cross was a salt-and-pepper wolf with bright blue eyes that lit up to see him, though she didn’t change shape to say hello. She never did.

  He sat cross-legged next to her, trying to sound happy and cheerful—a comforting visitor. “Hi, Mom.”

  Angela licked his face and curled up next to him, her back against his leg. Jasper reached over to the package she’d ignored and untied the string. For years now, he’d hoped her curiosity about what was inside would force her to shift into a shape that gave her the dexterity to open his presents, but she always waited for him to give in and open it for her. Somewhere inside there, she still had her human brains. She knew he couldn’t hold out for long.

  He took off the string and unfolded the paper. Inside was a blanket he’d crocheted for her from real wool, not the synthetic stuff, knowing how much she loved the sheep odor.

  “It’s not as big as the last one I made,” he said, spreading it out over her back, “but I ran out of time. The full moon…”

  He didn’t finish. Hearing about his getting matched so young might upset her. Her own fated mating hadn’t gone well.

  After readjusting the blanket over her back, he continued. “I’ll meet my mate tonight. That’s why I’m here sooner than I said last time. The term isn’t done yet. I had to come home because… because I got the moon call.”

  She got to her paws and turned around, wiggling against him, nuzzling his neck, nearly toppling him over.

  “Yes, yes, I know,” he said. “It came as a shock to me too. I was hoping you’d… you’d come with me. Whoever my mate is, we’ll leave Redfern and start a new life somewhere else. With you. You could be a person again. You won’t have to be afraid. You’ll never have to see Johnny Nightro—”

  His mother threw her head back and howled. Just inches away, Jasper had to slap his hands over his ears to block the piercing sound.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, stricken. “I shouldn’t have said his na—”

  She gave a full-body shake and ran off into the woods.

  “Mom!” he shouted, scrambling to his feet.

  Damn it. Why hadn’t he been more careful? He knew it would be hopeless to try to follow now. She’d lived wild for years as a “child of the moon”—more wolf than human, nonverbal and alone. With her network of secret paths and hiding places, he’d never find her before nightfall if she didn’t want to be found.

  He bent over and picked up the blanket. It was light blue to match her eyes. Their eyes.

  He stormed away, angry with himself. He should’ve handled that better. There had to be something he could do, something he could say to help her.

  He wouldn’t let himself wallow in grief. Instead, he embraced his rage, let it grow inside him like a bonfire under a full moon.