Lycan Prince’s Secret Baby (Moonlit Forbidden Love #1)

Chapter 4

Kyle

I was at my desk, surrounded by the dim light of my office. The faint hum of my laptop mirrored my churning frustration. Piles of paperwork rested at my elbow—plans for reforms and ways to improve the processes in the pack that I hoped to discuss with my father when he got back. The air was thick with the scent of old paper and ink, my father’s preferred media. My old man was old-fashioned. But it wasn’t my workload that was responsible for my overcast mood.

Even amidst the clatter of my keyboard, Leah’s subtle sounds slipped through the walls from the kitchen.

Damn, my heightened shifter senses.

The sound of her footsteps pattering against the hardwood floor and the soft rustle of her clothes prickled over my skin, rendering me maddeningly aware of her, even from a room away. I realized she’d lost herself in her task as the lilting hum of a familiar tune reached my ears. She only hummed when she was engrossed.

“Hmm, hm m hm, mm nah,” she hummed, the refrain of “Blood Moon Rising” threading through the stillness. It was a folk song originating from the Blood Moon Pack. My mom used to sing it to me when I was a child. Memories crashed against me like surf as my fingers went to the leather cord around my neck, a keepsake of my mother’s. The rune stone, engraved with our pack’s symbol—the full moon framed by two crescents—reminded me of my duty to the Moonlight Pack and of all we’d lost to Blood Moon.

I reached for my headphones, needing to shut out Leah’s soft hums. She was a constant distraction. I sucked in my cheeks, exhaling heavily, the sound echoing in the confined space. She was still clearing up in the kitchen, but she should be done soon. With headphones connected to the laptop, I hit play, and a blues tune filled my ears. The rhythmic beat washed over me, momentarily drowning the storm in me.

But then, my stomach growled, feeling as if I hadn’t eaten in days. I sighed, letting out a groan. These days, I never had the luxury of feeling satisfied, not since the first day Leah entered my house.

Since that day, my mind had been fighting a losing battle against my instincts. Logically, I’d told myself that the rations the Blood Moons got were enough, ones that Leah was still receiving here at my house. She certainly didn’t need my leftovers. Yet, that logic had crumbled the first time she’d served me dinner.

The sight of her dainty wrists peeking out from under her linen shirt, delicate and fragile, sent concern skittering through my wolf. After that, every night, when I was only halfway through my meal, my beast locked my jaws. It didn’t matter if Leah had cooked baked apple pork chops, steak in red wine jus, or creamy, slow-cooked chicken that practically melted in my mouth.

It turns out Leah can really cook.

Just thinking about the plethora of dishes she’d prepared this week made my mouth water. But, without fail, my wolf only ever allowed me to eat half of these succulent meals. My wolf insisted I save half of each dish for our mate.

Robbed of my full meal by my own wolf, I left the food for her. I mulled over the irony that my beast, generally so keen on sating its hunger, was willingly starving itself. I wondered just when my wolf would allow me to resume a more satisfying diet. Yet, each time I considered it, a pang of guilt struck me. I couldn’t help but notice that each time Leah brought me a meal, there seemed to be no improvement in her thinness. Her cheeks were too angular. I imagined how a little softness in her face would make her look even more beautiful. Shame churned through me at the thought, and I ground my teeth.

Beautiful?

The thought cut deeper than I expected, clouding my mood even more. Maddened by these wayward thoughts, I tossed my headphones aside, flinging them onto the desk. I jabbed the keyboard with gritted teeth, trying to pour this chaotic energy into something productive. My shoulders and back tensed under the pressure. I rolled my shoulders, attempting to crack my neck. I’d been in front of the screen far too long again. But being in my office and losing myself in work was the only way I’d found to deal with Leah’s presence. Every sound she made was like a note in a melody, the only one I wanted to hear of late, that resonated in my bones.

With a final keystroke, I finished typing up the document. A heavy silence enveloped the house, now dominated by my breathing.

Then, I heard a sound—the soft click of Leah’s bedroom door falling shut behind her. The sound lingered, sending chills down my spine. My heart quickened, anticipation hitching through my chest. Before I could help myself, I envisioned the next few seconds unfolding—a scene drawn from the twisted fantasies that had been intruding more and more.

I pictured myself mounting the stairs, each deliberate step propelling me toward her door. With a groan, I laid my head down on the desk, closed my eyes, and forced myself to take deep, cleansing breaths.

But it had the opposite effect to the one desired; the fantasy morphed, shifting into something more vivid. My forehead leaned against her door, my breath quickening with urgency at the thought of her proximity. My mind wandered dangerously, picturing her fiery red hair cascading in soft waves down her back as she undressed. Her slim yet muscular form stood bare. The silver moonlight swept over her curves just the way my hands wanted to. The image seemed to consume me, and my mouth moistened.

Goddess, help me.

My pulse drummed with wild need—a frantic rhythm fueled by my wolf’s most primal need—to possess her.

My beast seemed to call from deep within me, howling that she was so close, and I just had to reach out to take her and claim her.

I sat up abruptly, my chest heaving and nostrils flaring, as I felt as if my mind were becoming unhinged. I clenched the desk as if it were a lifeline, watching as my knuckles became white and the strain threatened to crack the wood.

I had tried to distance myself from her, yet I knew I’d brought this trouble upon myself by keeping Leah around. With each passing day, I feared the dangerous temptation she was becoming. The memory of our brief physical contact, when she’d tripped and fallen into my arms, set my blood on fire. Despite feeling famished, I felt like I’d forgo a hundred meals if I could only touch her. Her alluring demeanor that danced between determination and vulnerability felt like a trap, beckoning me closer.

Scowling at the computer screen, I reminded myself that that’s exactly what she was. That day she’d “tripped,” for instance, had obviously been staged. What shifter didn’t have good enough balance and poise not to be able to walk without falling? I recalled, too, the way she’d walked down the stairs one day and stripped off her shirt as if it were the height of summer. Feigning feeling hot when her body had clearly shown otherwise. The way Leah’s nipples had pebbled beneath her thin vest teased me.

Don’t think about that now.

With these deceptions in mind, I reminded myself that she was trying to get under my skin. All Blood Moons were deceitful. Even though her closeness to my wolf complicated his feelings, I had to discover the truth. Every act of bravery and every flicker of diligence from Leah was nothing more than a fa?ade—an act to soften my heart. I must find her faults. Once I revealed that Leah was just like the rest of the Blood Moon Pack, I could punish her and drive her away from my house.

A creak of the floorboards above cut through the stillness. My heartbeat erupted. Was Leah up again? The unmistakable whisper of feet echoed through the house. Someone tiptoed on the stairs. I gripped my desk again, feeling sweat prickle along my forehead as I worried she was coming down to see me. But her movements seemed too quiet, too stealthy, and anticipation coiled in my gut.

Shock skittered through me at the sound of the key turning in the front door. A chill swept down my spine. Was Leah sneaking out? I shut my laptop. Creeping to the window, I stayed hidden in the shadows. Peering out, I glimpsed her, clutching something to her chest, her silhouette etched against the moonlight.

Is she stealing something from me?

The realization clawed its way through my mind. Fire seared through me. I clenched my fists tightly as a burst of vindication surged within me. The moon goddess had surely heard my prayers, delivering this night to expose how treacherous Leah was. I’d been right to keep Leah close. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have this opportunity.

I followed her silently under the blanket of darkness. My step was precise and measured. She was in human form, moving lithely. I crouched low and kept to the shadows every time she paused. Her audacity stoked the flames of my rage. All of her diligence and gentleness was about to be proved an act. I clenched my jaw, fisting my hands, my entire body a coiled spring ready to snap.

Leah veered away from the Moonlight buildings, heading straight toward the Blood Moon quarters. A grove of trees loomed ahead, a living wall separating our territories. Their gnarled branches stretched out, shadowing Leah and thickening the darkness around her. I narrowed the distance between us, my instincts telling me to get closer in case she deviated into the trees. The breeze brought her sweet scent to me, and I thanked the goddess I was downwind of Leah. She wouldn’t trace me nearby. The aroma of food still clung to her clothes, and my mouth moistened again as I scented the faint odor of beef and stock. But beneath that, it was her own floral scent that ignited a fire in my blood. My wolf rose up, the same energy sparking through me as when we hunted, but this time with the unmistakable primal urge that it was his mate he was hunting.

I struggled to dampen the rush climbing through me.

Leah paused at the edge of the woods, glancing around. The shadows seemed to cling to her. Her watchful glances and strained body language indicated she sensed watchful eyes. I hung back until she moved on.

What have you taken from my house?

Whatever Leah was involved in, I needed to catch her in the act. My heart hammered with anticipation.

My hunter’s instinct soared dangerously close to the surface. I felt my beast mistaking the anticipation running through me for the primal one that dominated him—to catch Leah and make her ours.

His hunger and heat tangled with my own desire to catch her. My focus sharpened, and I stalked Leah onward through the night. I was determined to root out the Blood Moon rot tonight, no matter the cost.