Chapter 34
Chapter thirty-four
Damien
The streets of Estes Park are packed to the breaking point, the annual Elk Fest turning this small mountain town into a tourist circus.
The crowd presses against me from all sides, bodies and voices blending into an assault on my senses. I push through the chaos, my jaw clenched tight as I scan face after face.
None of them matter. None of them is Luna.
My hands curl into fists at my sides. Under normal circumstances, I’d be miles away, holed up in my fortress where the noise can’t reach me, and multiple monitors track Luna’s every movement. But she’s here somewhere, and that single thought drives me forward like a man possessed.
Heat courses through my veins as images from last night flash through my mind. Her hands zip-tied behind her back, my fingers wrapped around her throat, the way she begged for more as I bent her over her dining room table.
Twelve hours. It’s been twelve hours since I was buried inside her, and my cock is already aching for her again.
But that wasn’t Damien. It was her masked wolf.
She’s the only woman who’s ever been able to withstand the relentless intensity of my fucking. The only one who can take everything I give and still want more.
I’ve always had a short refractory period between erections, and I can usually last several hours before my cock falters, getting and maintaining multiple erections in that time, as long as I pace myself.
Most women tap out long before I’m done, their bodies giving up before my hunger is satisfied. That isn’t why I’ve never had a normal, successful relationship with a woman. It’s not my overactive sex drive that prevents it, but my inability to connect on any level, in or outside the bedroom.
I once asked my doctor whether what I experience is normal. His hearty laugh, firm handshake, and advice not to look a gift horse in the mouth still make me chuckle.
But Luna… she meets me stroke for stroke, taking every brutal thrust and every possessive mark I leave on her skin.
The brazenness of openly stalking her in broad daylight should concern me. But I need to see her like this, interacting with the world, smiling in the sunlight, not just writhing beneath me in the moonlight.
I spot her tent near the center of the festival, her sanctuary’s banner fluttering in the breeze.
The coil in my chest that’s been wound tight all day loosens at the sight of her blonde hair catching the sun, the way she moves with easy confidence as she talks to the families gathered around Shadow.
Even from here, I can see the massive wolf’s adoring gaze fixed on her.
It’s a feeling I understand all too well.
I hang back, ducking behind a rack of antler souvenirs, close enough to watch but hidden in plain sight.
The faded jeans she’s wearing hug every curve I traced with my tongue last night.
Her sage-green sweatshirt conceals the constellation of marks left on her breasts by my lips, and beneath it, a turtleneck hides the bruises I left on her throat, fingertip-shaped reminders of my possession.
“Do you think we should have brought Ricky?” Maren’s voice carries across the space as she puts a one-eyed opossum back in his cage.
“No. His paws can’t be trusted in public.” Luna’s laugh washes over me, bright and unguarded. “We’ve got to find something to distract him. My breasts can’t take much more.”
Jealousy flares hot and irrational at the mention of that raccoon’s obsession with her breasts. The absurdity of being jealous of a raccoon registers somewhere in my rational mind, which tells me I’m losing my grip.
As the families drift away, I edge closer, using a large tree for cover. Luna and Maren are alone now except for their animals, and I’m close enough to hear their conversation.
“So.” Maren bumps Luna’s shoulder. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you heard from Damien since he caught you creeping on his house?”
I stand motionless, curious for her reply.
“I didn’t creep on his house. Shadow and I just stumbled on it during our hike.”
“Yeah. Sure. Says the woman who can navigate those woods with her eyes closed. Did he bring up anything about your canceled dinner date?”
My teeth grind together. Luna ignored my demand to cancel.
Even though it pissed me the fuck off, I have to respect that she didn’t cower to my threats.
But when that Thursday came and went and she still hadn’t called it off, I took matters into my own hands and texted her about an unexpected business trip.
That night, I waited to see if she’d tell me about it.
When she didn’t mention it, I asked her outright, ready to punish her for lying.
But she told me the truth, that Damien had canceled, not her.
I should have known better. Luna is good and honest. Even though she’s keeping my secrets from everyone she trusts, she’s not an outright liar.
I still took my disappointment and anger out on her, fucking her until she was raw. She accepted it all, giving me her tears and her orgasms with equal abandon.
The memory of it still makes me throb.
“Yeah. Just that he was sorry he had to cancel.”
“Have you heard from him since?”
“No.” Luna’s lips curve into a thoughtful frown.
“Hmmm.”
“Why are you saying, hmmm?”
“He just seemed really into you when he was at the sanctuary. And he asked you out the next day. Why’s he ghosting you now?”
“He’s not ghosting me. He was fine when I saw him at his place. And I’m too busy to worry about it, Mar.” Luna busies herself rearranging their display table. “Look, I like Damien. I do. He’s a nice guy. But I have a lot I’m juggling right now.”
“What you need to juggle is his dick. Or better yet, ride it.”
And that’s enough.
I can’t listen to another word without doing something that will blow my cover. Taking a breath, I step out from behind the tree and approach their booth, forcing my expression into something resembling casual interest rather than the storm of possessiveness and desire raging inside me.
“Ladies.” Luna’s smile widens at the sight of me. “Impressive setup you have here.”
“Well, look who it is! Mr. Missing in Action.” Maren nudges her elbow into Luna’s ribs hard enough to make her stumble sideways. “Perfect timing. We were just talking about—“
“How great the turnout has been today.” The look Luna shoots her friend is subtle but unmistakable—stop talking—and I have to fight back a grin.
Shadow rises to his feet as I approach, studying me. For a moment, we regard each other, and after a long beat, he sits back down, accepting my presence. He never gives away that he recognizes me from my nightly visits to his mistress.
Luna leans down and strokes Shadow’s ears. “I never imagined seeing you here. Elk Fest doesn’t seem like your kind of vibe.”
I look around and try not to flinch. “I have to admit, the crowd isn’t exactly my usual scene.”
“No kidding.” Maren snorts out a laugh. “You look like you’re about two seconds away from buying the whole festival just to thin out the crowd.”
“It’s crossed my mind. But I figure I should try to get to know the locals. When in Rome and all that.”
Luna’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “No offense, Damien, but you stick out like a Ferrari in a parking lot full of pickup trucks.”
“Here I thought I was doing a decent job of blending in.”
The banter comes easier than expected, her teasing drawing out a side of me I’d forgotten existed.
“I didn’t realize you spent so much time up here. It’s a different energy than Denver.”
“Maybe I like the peace and quiet. The city can be overwhelming sometimes.”
“So, you plan to spend more time than just weekends in Aspen Ridge?”
“I do now.”
The blush creeping up her neck is subtle but satisfying.
In truth, I haven’t left Aspen Ridge since I first tasted Luna on my fingers. Only kills and essential office meetings have pulled me away. Even my Denver penthouse sits empty while work gets handled through video calls and encrypted messages.
“So, you’ve had a good turnout, huh?”
“Better than expected. We’ve had several donation pledges and three potential volunteer applications.”
“I should check on Winston and Gertie. I think they need water.” Maren gives Luna a meaningful look before moving to the other side of the tent.
Left alone with Luna, as alone as we can be in a crowded festival, I step closer. Being this close to her and not being able to touch her is torture of the worst kind.
And so, I lose my mind.
“Well, I guess I’ll take advantage of her absence.” Luna’s eyes find mine, and that familiar pull sparks between us like it always does. “I was hoping we could try again for dinner?”
What. The. Fuck.
This is why I shouldn’t be allowed near her in the daytime.
She studies me with those piercing hazel eyes, like she’s solving a puzzle, getting closer to the pieces I’ve kept buried.
Shadow’s growl vibrates the air. Low, steady, and dangerous.
His hackles stand straight up. He’s locked onto someone moving toward us, someone Luna hasn’t noticed yet.
I follow his gaze to the man approaching—heavyset, red-faced, radiating the kind of barely controlled violence I recognize intimately.
“You fucking bitch.” He jabs his finger at Luna. “You took my horses.”
Every muscle in Luna’s body goes rigid, but she doesn’t retreat an inch.
“Watch your fucking mouth.” My facade cracks and falls away as I move in front of her. She glances at my face, eyes widening for a fraction of a second, then steps around me.
I don’t stop her, but my body crowds the space behind her to intimidate the approaching asshole with my size.
“Mr. Pearson, your horses were malnourished and showed signs of physical abuse. The court agreed with our assessment.”
“Two years of work down the drain because of you!” Spittle flies from his mouth. “Do you have any idea how much money you cost me?”
“Those animals were suffering. You should be grateful you’re not facing criminal charges.”