Cursed (The Order of the Wolf) Read online

  Dedication

  Being published at Samhain was on my writer’s bucket list of goals and there’s no way it would have happened without a few very important folks. My writerly pals in the OWG, “Rebels” who not only believed in me, but kicked my ass in crits and told me to suck it up when I needed reminding. Tammy Crosby and Dianne Waye, two wonderful friends and beta readers who read this manuscript, ripped it apart and then told me how much they loved it. James Thorn, who tolerated all of my stupid questions and gave me insight into the workings of stage equipment and rock stars. Dani Wegner, a.k.a. Superwoman, who created a series bible for me, something I desperately needed for the story to keep unfolding in a logical way. My husband and kids who put up with the insanity that comes with writing. And finally, the woman who made this dream come true, Holly Atkinson, my editor, who told me I have a unique voice and made me blush.

  Chapter One

  Raven stood in the dark recess of stage left, his eyes closed as he reveled in those few moments after the opening band walked off the stage and the crowd was waiting for him. A snapshot in time when the lights were down, the crowd pumped, wanting, craving that first riff to wash over them. It was electrical, a pulse that raised the goose bumps on his arms, had his heart hammering, his breath quick. It was a rush that almost—almost—made him hard.

  He opened his eyes as Mayhem brushed past him. Mayhem, front man, pack alpha, and all round kick ass male. “Ready for this?” he asked, his face alight with the same thrill Raven knew so well.

  Raven gripped the neck of his bass and bared his teeth. “Hell yeah, brother!” And with one swipe of his fingers, he let the riff soar.

  And the crowd went fucking nuts.

  The party, it seemed, was in Mayhem’s suite. Penthouse accommodations for the alpha and his bevy of fangirls. Something Raven could definitely appreciate. He liked variety. And being the bassist of one of the hottest rock bands in the country ensured he had a lot of variety when it came to women. A different girl every night. Epic sex marathons. Perfect.

  “Hey, there’s Raven!” Dave, the band’s manager, gave him a hardy slap on the back and shoved a beer in his face at the same time.

  “Thanks, man.” Raven gripped the frosty bottle and took a swig.

  “Got a lot of great potential tonight, friend. Hot pussy in abundance. Tons to choose from.”

  And choose he could. That was one reality about being a rock-star—the women were plentiful.

  Was it meaningless sex? Hell yes, and that was just the way Raven liked it. He made no secret about his intentions—any women he took to bed knew perfectly well what it meant. Some fucking fun with no strings attached. Besides, they had to be out of his bed and out of his sight by daybreak. That was when his wolf came out to play—a fact he wasn’t inclined to share with his latest fling.

  Raven scanned the crowd, noting the usual groupies, many of whom he’d had special relations with. That was another one of his rules: no repeats…it only complicated things. One-night stands were the only way to go, so the object of his attention didn’t get the wrong idea. Not that he was a jerk or anything, but sometimes the fans came with a few misplaced notions of what a rock-star was looking for. True love? Yeah, so not interested in that bullshit.

  He took another swig of his beer, ready to meander through the rest of the suite when his gaze landed on her. Her. Raven was never one for preferences—hair, eye color, whatever, he didn’t discriminate, but she came with dark chocolate hair, a pixie cut, sweeping across her face, almost covering one eye as it came to a point at her chin. A hipster, maybe, but with her mocha eyes and full tantalizing lips he didn’t really give a fuck, and neither did his cock. She was watching him right back, an expression of challenge on her face. He swept his gaze down, over her delicious curves, and got hard. Instantly. Yep. She was the one.

  He nudged Dave. “Hey, you seen that girl before?”

  Before Dave could utter a peep, she was striding toward them, her stare unwavering, locked on him as she swayed her hips. If possible, his dick got harder and she was only walking. He couldn’t help but wonder what else her body could do to him.

  “You’re Raven right? The bassist?” Her voice was raspy in a sexy way, made him want to hear her moan his name.

  “Yeah, that’s me.” He gave one of his signature smiles, the kind he knew made the fans melt. “And you are?”

  “Darcy, sugar.” She returned his smile with a breathtaking one of her own, her little pink tongue darting out to run along her top lip. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  Chapter Two

  Okay, so, step one was complete. Snag Raven Glock, bassist for Riot. Check. Simple really—the man was a sucker for a beautiful woman. She’d put a lot of effort into her appearance: make-up, tight low cut tank top, skinny jeans, all in an attempt to catch the eye of the one man she was after. A rock-star with the reputation for a night of hot and heavy. No strings attached, whether you liked it or not.

  “You’ve been lookin’ for me, huh?” His gaze travelled down the length of her body once again, a look so scorching hot she almost forgot her mandate.

  Step two: get him alone.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere more private then, sweets?” He snapped his gaze back to meet hers.

  Step two: check. This was going to be easy.

  She leaned in, her breasts brushing against his chest, her lips right next to his ear. “I was hoping—really, really hoping—you’d say that.”

  When she made to step back, he laid a hand on her hip and held her in place, moving his body closer so she could feel his intentions in the stiff bulge in his pants. Her nipples hardened, and her pussy ached, growing so wet she was sure her panties would be soaked in a matter of seconds. Shit. Step three: have sex with the man…this was so not going to be a problem.

  “We could go back to my room, if you like,” he said.

  She gulped and nodded, stunned by his sexual magnetism. She was supposed to be the seductress here, but she was quickly realizing just how good Raven Glock really was. There was something about him, something wild—it excited her immensely and she was very eager to discover what it was.

  “Let’s go then, sweets.” He released her hip and spun her toward the door. “Just a short trip down to the next floor.”

  With a hand on the small of her back, he guided her to the elevator, his simple touch sending jolts of lust through her entire body. Yep, this one was going to be a pleasure for a variety of reasons. She loved jobs like these—it made the nasty bits a little more bearable.

  The elevator doors opened as if on cue. As partiers spilled out, Raven pushed her in. He didn’t bother waiting for the doors to close before he had her against the wall, his rock hard cock digging into her ass, his hands sliding up her sides as he nuzzled her neck and sent shivers down her spine.

  “Mmm, you taste like candy.” He brought his hands up to her breasts, cupping, squeezing before flicking her hardened nipples through her tank.

  Darcy pushed back against his body, rolling her head to the side as she closed her eyes and reveled in her burning lust. His body was all muscle. She could feel his strength against her, his bulging arms caging her as he continued to play with her breasts and grind his cock against her ass. She was a tall woman herself and often avoided wearing heels so she wouldn’t tower over men, but Raven was at least a half-foot taller, one huge hulk of a man. She liked that too. It made him a worthy conquest, a prized notch on her belt.

  When the doors binged open, he pulled away, leaving one hand at her hip to direct her around and out, down the hallway to the middle of three doors. The sub-penthouse suites. Very nice. Most rock-stars she’d met didn’t have the income to shell out extr
avagance but Riot wasn’t any old rock band. They’d made a stunning comeback about nine months ago, blowing the competition away and had been topping the rock charts since.

  Darcy shuddered with anticipation as Raven opened the door to his suite and motioned for her to enter. She scanned the room. Much like a condo, it came equipped with a kitchenette, dining area, bar, and beyond another door, a huge ass mahogany bed, which was covered with the lushest of bedding. Very swank.

  She glanced over her shoulder, startled by the predatory hunger she saw shining back at her. His pupils were dark, almost black. Dangerous. She shivered—it would be a whole lotta fun to play some cat and mouse with the man. “Nice little place you’ve got here,” she purred, reining in her desire to bolt. She didn’t think Raven was the kind of man used to chasing any woman, even in the name of fun.

  She turned, walked to him, and sidling up close, pressed as much of her body against him as she could. Her flesh ached, craving his touch, and she felt a stab of disappointment when he left his hands at his sides, his gaze never leaving hers.

  She draped her arm over his shoulder and stretched up to brush her mouth against his. The cool metal of the curved barbell lip ring marking the side of his bottom lip made her shiver again. Such a bad, bad boy.

  She darted out her tongue to tease the ring as she rested her other palm against his chest. “Mmm, you taste like my kind of man.”

  Finally, he raised a hand to the curve of her waist. “We need to get you out of these clothes.” His voice was rough, his words strained like he was reeling in his lust.

  “Mmm, yes, you’re right. We do.” She kissed him, slow and deep, her tongue probing his mouth. Her fingers slid from his chest to his jeans and briefly crossed over his erection before unlatching his button and tugging at his zipper.

  He put his hand on hers and stopped her. “Not here.” He growled as he slipped his palms over her ass and lifted her up, forcing her to straddle his hips as he easily walked toward the bedroom.

  Darcy chuckled. “I never took you for a bed kind of guy.”

  “For the first time, yeah, we’re gonna start on the bed.” He kissed her then, his tongue tangling with hers, his fingers clenching her ass, kneading her flesh as he moved them to his bed.

  She shivered. For the first time, hell yes. Even though she only technically needed him once, she was going to enjoy this, make it last all night.

  She smiled against his lips as he lowered her onto the plush duvet and climbed up so he was hovering over her. He ran his hand over her stomach and squeezed each breast before pulling back to rest on his knees. “Clothes off, now,” Raven commanded.

  He tore his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor, then somehow managed to get his jeans and boots off as quickly. She stared at his body hungrily. Defined abs, muscles on muscles, the man was built like a brick house. A tribal tattoo started at his collarbone and snaked down to his elbow, dark and intricate. His nipples were pierced with two crossed barbells. She lowered her gaze to his waist then farther down, and his cock—oh lord. His cock was pierced as well, hard and impressive. She ached to taste him there.

  Her smile grew as she slowly trailed her gaze up, stunned by the look of pure lust shining back at her once she got to his eyes. She wondered if that was how she looked to him, ’cause she felt just as hungry as he looked.

  “I said take your fucking clothes off, girl. You want me? I’m right fucking here.” He reached down and gripped his cock in one massive hand, then stroked up the shaft to encircle his head. “Waiting for you.”

  Normally she would balk at such a command, but Raven played the alpha role perfectly—the thought of him taking possession of her made her soak her panties even more, if that was possible.

  She pushed herself up and slowly pulled her tank over her torso, teased as she let her lace-covered breasts pop out slowly before whipping the fabric over her head. His growl of approval had her nipples hard and aching all over again, begging for a suckling. She clenched her breasts, bringing her fingers together over her nipples with a low moan.

  He was stroking his cock again, watching her, his eyes hooded. “You are a sexy little kitten, aren’t you, sweets? You’re gonna ride my dick good.”

  Darcy nodded, barely containing her excitement as she watched him stroke that giant cock of his, imagining the pleasure of fucking him and then fucking him again. She unbuttoned her jeans, shimmied out of them, and kicked them over the side of the bed once her legs were free.

  Raven groaned as he released his cock and moved forward, forcing her back until she was propped up on her elbows. He leaned in and captured her bottom lip with his, nibbling lightly before pushing his tongue deep into her mouth and stroking her into a frenzy. Lord, the man could kiss.

  While he continued to explore her mouth, he ran his hand between her legs, spreading her thighs as he trailed his fingers along the inside of her sensitive flesh.

  He pulled away just as his fingers touched her wet panties, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Mmm, sweets, that’s what I like to feel.”

  Instead of pushing her panties out of the way like she expected, he hooked a finger and thumb on either side and yanked the lace up, pulling it between her pussy lips to abrade her clit. The friction made her gasp, the pleasure enough to make her sopping wet.

  “Ohh,” she cooed as she arched her back and rocked her hips. “That feels good.”

  Raven chuckled softly. “We’re just getting started, sweets.” He released her panties and dipped his fingers underneath, rubbing along her wet slit for the briefest moment, pulling another moan from her as he did.

  He slid his fingers out of her panties and offered them to her. She sucked one then another into her mouth, loving the taste of her own desire.

  “Now, it’s my turn to taste you.” He lowered his lips to her breasts, his fingers slipping behind her back to unhook her bra. Her breasts popped free a second later and he pushed the lace aside, quickly latching and rolling one jutted nipple between his lips. “Mmm.”

  She arched into him as he tugged her nipple deeper into his warm, wet mouth, flicking her to the point of madness. He slipped his fingers back into her panties and rubbed over her clit and along her slit, dipping between her lips teasingly before repeating the cycle all over again.

  She was bucking before long, desperate for his fingers, his tongue, his fucking cock—anything—to penetrate her.

  “Please, Raven,” she moaned, as she reached down to grip his dick, her fingers finding his piercing and giving a little flick of her own.

  Raven groaned as she encircled his cock and gave one long stroke down. He pulled himself out of her grasp and moved between her legs, his big shoulders forcing her thighs open wider to accommodate his bulk.

  This man, this wild man, was between her thighs, staring at her with such lust her pussy clenched in excited anticipation. He smiled wickedly as he hooked his fingers under the thin elastic of her panties and pulled them away, leaning down to take the lace into his mouth and then—oh—and then with a snap the elastic broke, like he’d used his teeth to bite through it. He did the same on the other side and she had to wonder what kind of teeth the man had to bust through fabric.

  He tossed the scraps aside then sat back and stared, like he was appraising her, his smile fading as he grew serious. She squirmed, tempted to cover herself and hide from his hungry eyes. He ran his fingers through his spiky, short Mohawk then along his neck.

  “That is just…” He snapped his eyes up to meet hers. “That is one of the sexiest little cunts I’ve ever seen.” Then he smiled again, this time with such feral want Darcy felt her pussy weep for him.

  He took in a deep breath and lowered himself, one hand on her hip forcing her to stay put while he used the other to spread her folds and slick her juices all over her skin.

  She whimpered with want, bucking her hips in a vain attempt to get his mouth on her.

  “Mmm, sweets, you smell good enough to eat. You’re so
wet for me, baby. I can’t wait to slip my cock in hard and deep.” He moved in closer, his breath a teasing stroke against her hot, sensitive flesh.

  Just as she thought she couldn’t take a moment more, he darted his tongue out and finally tasted her. This time it was his turn to moan. Like a man starved, he didn’t hold back, licking and sucking, plunging his tongue into her before nipping at her clit. Cycling so quickly, so thoroughly, she felt the rise of her orgasm and desperately tried to rein it in, wanting to keep the build up from cresting too soon.

  He didn’t give her a chance to chill out. Instead, he amped it up, stroking her so well that she lost all control, her pussy clenching in release, sending spasms of pleasure through her whole body. Fuck, the man was good.

  Chapter Three

  This woman was hot as hell and Raven was having a hard time keeping his shit together. She was sex embodied, a goddess in beauty—her body plump in all the right places, lean and smooth everywhere else. As she writhed through her orgasm, her pussy clenching, swollen and dripping wet, he just wanted to stay there forever and devour each and every drop she gave him.

  But his dick was screaming for attention, weeping pre-come like he couldn’t believe. She was the epitome of fuckable and he was going to treat his cock to her all night long.

  He pulled away from her pussy, sliding his mouth up her quivering thigh, leaving a trail of her juice and his saliva along her skin. She tasted unbelievable, all of her, like sweet nectar made especially for him. From deep within, his wolf growled a warning. A sense of urgency pulled him from his slow meander over her skin. He squeezed his hips between her legs and nudged his cock at the wet opening she offered him. His wolf prodded him again.

  Claim her, it growled. Make her ours.

  Claim her? Raven gave his head a shake. No fucking way.

  Still recovering from her orgasm, Darcy stared up at him with hooded eyes. Her hands moved to her generous breasts, playfully flicking her hard nipples until her skin was more than rosy, enticing him to lean down and give one then the other a lick and suck.