Wolf Kissed

  Luna Marked Book One

  Heather Renee

  Wolf Kissed © Copyright 2021 by Heather Renee

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.

  For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, email heatherreneeauthor@yahoo.com.

  ISBN: 979-8732620917

  Line Editing and Proofing: Jamie from Holmes Edits

  Development Editing: ALD Editing

  Cover: Covers by Juan

  Character Art: @kalynne_art on Instagram

  Dedication

  For Jane Catherine,

  Roman is yours.

  I love your face.

  PS: I forgot to tell you one thing… there’s a chance you might have to fight to keep your claim. Oops!

  Contents

  Mystics and Mayhem

  1. Cait

  2. Cait

  3. Roman

  4. Cait

  5. Cait

  6. Roman

  7. Cait

  8. Cait

  9. Roman

  10. Cait

  11. Cait

  12. Roman

  13. Cait

  14. Cait

  15. Roman

  16. Cait

  17. Cait

  18. Roman

  19. Cait

  20. Cait

  21. Cait

  22. Roman

  23. Cait

  24. Roman

  25. Cait

  26. Roman

  27. Cait

  28. Cait

  29. Cait

  30. Roman

  Stay in Touch

  Thank you for reading!

  Also by Heather Renee

  About the Author

  Dark Fae Cursed Preview

  Mystics and Mayhem

  If you’re new to Mystics and Mayhem, welcome! This is a world I began with my Broken Court series and one I hope to write in for the next few years!

  You don’t have to read all of the series set within this world as they can all be read on their own without fear of spoilers, but I hope you’ll check them out! So far, there are only two of them—my dark fae books and this one, wolf shifters—and you can expect witches, vampires, and more as time goes on!

  If you’ve read the Broken Court series already, you just might see a familiar character in this first book and expect even more as Luna Marked continues! If you haven’t checked out Broken Court, look for a sneak peek at the end of this book! Happy reading!

  1

  Cait

  Boobs and abs. They were all I saw while wading in the waves on the Sydney beach. I’d been in Australia for a few months and admired their lack of give-a-damn. I hadn’t jumped on the topless beach train, but those who did seemed to live carefree lives that had me slightly envious.

  Taking the nanny gig here was something I had done on a whim in hopes of finding myself again after having spent the last couple of years traveling around the world without a plan. Well, other than to forget the pain I felt at losing a piece of me.

  So far, Australia had been mostly screaming twins and showers three times a day, six days a week. The three-year-olds I cared for liked to throw their food at every meal. Their parents laughed while I grimaced at the evil beings disguised as toddlers.

  It was nearing dinner time, and I needed to head back. The water was warm, and the bright sun had been warming my exposed skin for several hours already, so I didn’t have much to complain about other than my fingers and toes beginning to turn into prunes.

  I pushed my arms through the surf, making my way back to the sandy shore. “Ouch.” I yanked my hand out of the water, expecting to find blood with how badly my skin suddenly ached. Instead, all I saw was a red mark on my inner left wrist that looked like something had bitten me. “What the hell?” I muttered.

  I kept my arms out of the ocean as I swiftly got back to the beach. I silently hoped the bite wasn’t anything to worry about. It hadn’t broken skin, and nothing was swelling. Yet.

  The burning intensified as I got to my things on the sand. I searched for my phone, fully intending to Google what might have stung me, but was interrupted by warm droplets landing on my shoulder. A shadow cast over me, and I glanced up from my crouched position.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, trying not to be rude in my haste to leave. Australians were some of the nicest people I’d met in all my travels.

  His arm came up in a jerky motion as he ran his fingers through wet hair, getting even more water on me. I tried to focus on his face, but the sun was guarding it. Glancing down, I got an eye full of defined abs and black board shorts that hung just low enough to show off the muscled V leading south of his stomach.

  “Who are you?” he demanded. His accent was American, taking me by surprise.

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I retorted, matching his attitude and standing up to get a better look at him.

  Holy hell, I should have stayed on the ground.

  The man before me was tanned and muscled, but not bulging like he worked out three times a day in a gym. No, these well-rounded and defined muscles spoke of hard work. His shaggy dark hair had golden highlights under the beating sun, and the scruff along his jaw added to the rugged vibe he was throwing off.

  He barked out an angry laugh. “Who is your alpha?”

  “The hell? Is that Aussie lingo for boss?” My brows furrowed, but he didn’t respond. “Again, that’s none of your business. Why don’t you leave before I call the cops?” My iPhone was gripped in my hand, and I knew if I rapidly clicked the lock button five times, it would call emergency services. Well, at least, back home it would. Hopefully, it was an international feature.

  I was trying not to overreact, but I wasn’t dumb, either. Human trafficking was a real thing.

  My heart was racing as he stepped closer, his breath brushing across my forehead as he looked down on me. I couldn’t tell if my increased pulse was from fear or desire, because while I didn’t want to end up as a prisoner, I wouldn’t deny this man was attractive.

  His dark blue eyes narrowed at me, and he sniffed the air around us. No, that couldn’t have been right, could it?

  He did it again, taking a big old whiff above my hair, not at all trying to hide his actions.

  This was getting much too weird for me.

  “I’m going to walk away now, and you’re going to stay right here. Do you understand?” I used my serious voice that was normally reserved for the kids I cared for, all while trying to mask my underlying curiosity in him.

  He shook his head, once again spraying water on me.

  Before he could respond to my previous question, I couldn’t help snapping at him again. “Will you quit acting like a dog and getting me wet?”

  He smirked this time, some of his anger falling away as he lowered himself to my eye level. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t have time for witch games.”

  “You’re insane, you know that? Seriously, though. I’m going to go.” I bent down to grab my bag, my injury completely forgotten as I focused on keeping my hands to myself.

  It didn’t matter that my fingers had wanted to trail over his well-defined stomach muscles as soon as I’d laid eyes on them. The dude was out of his mind, and I needed to make a quick escape.

  “No, you’ll stay here until I know what you’re up to,” the guy said, voice deep and commanding. A tingling sensation settled over my skin that made my stomach tighten.

  I hid the true emotions he was eliciting from me and laughed while holding my bag and towel tightly in my grasp. “You, Mr. Stranger, don’t get to tell me what to do. Take your brooding attitude and piss off.”

  He gaped at me, surprised when I took a step back. Apparently, he wasn’t used to people disobeying him. Well, too damned bad. It was my only day off for the week, and I wasn’t going to let the hot asshole ruin it. At least not all of it.

  I turned around, and he grabbed my wrist to pull me back but let go quickly as the ache above my hand turned to fire. I winced, trying to fight back tears. “What is your problem, dude?”

  His previously tanned face paled as he shook his head, staring at his palm. The guy was speechless, and I was done. Taking his shock as my chance to leave, I ran for the bus stop, sighing in relief as one was just coming down the street.

  My feet moved rapidly, even though I couldn’t stop myself from looking back at the stranger. He was still standing on the beach, face slack and body unmoving. I had to force myself toward the bus and not to turn around a second time to make sure he was okay.

  I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. The guy had been a jerk, and whatever had happened when he touched me changed something—something that scared the hell out of me.

  Remembering I needed my bus pass, I stopped trying to decipher what had transpired and dug into my bag. Just as the doors opened, I took one last peek at the beach, but the guy was gone. I sighed. Though, as long as he was
n’t getting on the bus with me, it was probably a good thing.

  I scanned my card and sat in the middle where I could see both doors. I shifted my eyes between the two until the driver closed them and pulled forward. No sexy stranger boarded after me.

  The disappointment that rolled through me was ridiculous, and I distracted myself with my wrist. Lifting it up, I was confused to see the red was gone even though the pain had flared just moments before.

  What used to look like a burn was now more like a birthmark just a few shades darker than my regular creamy skin color. The mark was a crescent shape with smooth lines, something a bite or sting wouldn’t have been capable of, no matter the sea creature.

  I took a picture of it and messaged it to my best friend Embry. She’d be sleeping on her side of the world in Texas, but after the day I’d had, I had a feeling that I would still be up by the time morning rolled around for her.

  She’d been offline for a few hours, but as soon as my message went through, a green dot appeared next to her picture.

  Me: It’s after midnight and you have to work tomorrow. What are you doing awake?

  Embry: What is that on your wrist?

  Me: Dude, go to sleep. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

  I’d never met Embry in person, but she was my best friend. She’d joined a book group by accident, and I’d laughed at the comment when she admitted to not knowing why she was there, replying with a silly GIF. She immediately messaged me, and we’d been friends ever since. That was four years ago, right before my mom died of a heart attack at the young age of forty-six, and I graduated high school.

  I didn’t read as often as I used to. After losing my mom—my only parent—things changed in big ways for me, but I did my best to finish at least one book a month given it was something she loved so much. We used to enjoy reading at the same time and sharing opinions—mostly on the brutal cliffhangers we secretly loved but complained about.

  Now, I didn’t have that.

  Without my mom, nothing was the same. She was my only family. The only person I’d counted on and my closest confidant. Until she wasn’t. We’d lived a simple life, but it had been safe and secure. When she was taken from me so suddenly, I lost control of too much. I’d been fighting to get it back ever since.

  After traveling for nearly three years, I still wasn’t ready to go back to Oregon, but I’d also wanted a bit of permanency, too. When I took the job in Australia, I’d signed on for six months, but I wouldn’t be renewing the contract even if they offered. I was ready to finish my travel list.

  Six bus stops later, I exited onto the sidewalk and began walking to the house where I worked and lived. I only made it half a block before my phone started ringing.

  “Embry? I told you we could chat tomorrow.” I sighed, adjusting my bag as I held the phone to my ear.

  “Oh, Cait. Shut your mouth and tell me what happened?” she demanded.

  I laughed. “How am I supposed to tell you if I shut my mouth?”

  She growled. “You know what I mean. Spill it.”

  “I don’t honestly know. I was hanging out at the beach like I usually do on my day off. The water was warm, the air crisp. You know, just your usual perfect Australian day.”

  She sighed. “Yeah, I know. Australia is fabulous. You never want to leave. Blah, blah, blah. Get on with the good stuff.”

  I grinned. Messing with her was so fun. “Well, when I was getting out of the water, I felt like something had stung my hand. Given I’m in the land of deadly creatures, I kind of freaked out and rushed to get out of the water. Except when I looked at where it hurt, nothing was swollen or bleeding. Before I could think much more on it, this guy showed up. All muscled and wet.”

  “Muscled and wet? This doesn’t sound like a problem, Cait. Did you lick him?” she asked, and I could hear the grin on her face.

  “No, he was a jerk, and we never even touched.” I didn’t count his one-second wrist grab. “He got me all wet—”

  She gasped. “He got you wet without touching you? That’s talent. Can I meet him?”

  “Damn it, Embry,” I said, trying to sound serious, but ended up laughing instead. Now that I had her on the phone, the situation didn’t seem as ominous. Well, except the mark on my wrist that was darker than it had been when I last checked on the bus.

  I went on to tell her about the rest of the odd interaction. The more I told her, the quieter she got, which didn’t bother me, considering it was the middle of the night for her.

  “The picture didn’t come in very clear, but you said it was like a quarter-circle?” she asked.

  Looking at it again, I replied, “Yep, and darker now than before, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ll get it checked out tomorrow. The family I work for has a pediatrician that comes to the house for the demon spawns, so maybe they can help.”

  “Umm, I’m going to ask you something that sounds really crazy, but I need you to know you can trust me. Okay?” She sounded nervous, and Embry was never anything but confident.

  “Of course, I trust you, Em,” I replied, pausing at the steps of the house.

  “Do you know what an alpha is?” she asked.

  “Like an alpha man? Sure, but I don’t think that’s what he was talking about.”

  She sighed. “No, Cait. Like alphas and betas and… packs.”

  “Packs? Like wolf packs? I don’t think Australia has wolves around here. What would that have to do with the stranger?” She’d been right. She was sounding crazy.

  “You really don’t know?” she pressed.

  “Know what?” I was starting to get frustrated.

  Instead of answering, she requested a video call. I clicked accept and had my brow raised as her rose-gold hair, fair skin, and light blue eyes came into view. Her long strands fell in waves around her oval face, and her full lips were pinched.

  “Show me the mark,” she insisted.

  I turned the camera from forward facing to outward, so I could see her reaction when she saw the burn.

  Embry’s eyes widened. “Shit.”

  I flipped the camera back to me. “You’re starting to freak me out. What’s going on?”

  “Cait, I need you to trust me. You need to come back to the states. I can meet you in L.A. or you can fly into Dallas. Whichever will get you here sooner, but I need to see you.”

  “I can’t just leave. I have a contract. I’ll have to give them a full month’s pay if I leave before the six months. I trust you, but it’s not that easy,” I said. I had cash saved from the odd jobs I’d taken during my travels, but it wasn’t much, and I had to be careful how I spent it.

  “Yes, it is.” Her screen paused as she backed out of the video chat. I could hear her nails clicking on the screen before she popped back into view. “I just put the money in your account. I’m going to book you a flight and text you the details. Pay them, and get your ass to the airport. I mean it, Cait.”

  I was officially scared shitless. A text came through, confirming a new deposit had been made to my checking, and Embry was already off screen again, likely looking at flights.

  “Am I in trouble, Em?” I asked.

  She came back into view, her face softened. “I don’t know. Just get here and I can explain better.”

  Embry was my best friend. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t met in person. She was scared, too, and as much as I should have asked a million questions before rushing back to the states, I did exactly as she asked.

  I trusted her.

  2

  Cait