Howling at the Moon [The Mystic Museum] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  The Mystic Museum

  Howling at the Moon

  Carolyn, lonely and heartbroken after being dumped by yet another boyfriend who told her she needs to loosen up in bed, escapes her empty apartment. On the night of a full moon she visits Minerva’s Mystic Museum.

  Minerva recognizes her pain and provides her with the opportunity to change her life. The full moon has chosen Carolyn as a mystic walker.

  Carolyn’s dormant sexuality is awakened by three handsome shape-shifters. Jacob, caring and nurturing, lures her into his world. Milo, impetuous and rough, awakens unknown desire. Sven, cold and reserved, tests her mettle. Will she choose to walk on the wild side with the wolf pack and become their female? Will she be able to convince Sven that she is worthy and should be given the opportunity to join the pack? Will Sven’s fear of losing another mate destroy the future of the pack? Or will Carolyn choose to return to the normal life she’d come to see as her due?

  Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter

  Length: 21,593 words

  HOWLING AT THE MOON

  The Mystic Museum

  Loc Glin

  MENAGE AMOUR

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

  HOWLING AT THE MOON

  Copyright © 2013 by Loc Glin

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-860-1

  First E-book Publication: April 2013

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Howling at the Moon by Loc Glin from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Loc Glin’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Glin’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  HOWLING AT THE MOON

  The Mystic Museum

  LOC GLIN

  Copyright © 2013

  Prologue

  Every full moon Minerva stood outside the doors of the Mystic Museum. She was its appointed guardian and caretaker. She watched for the sign indicating the chosen mystic walker. The light of the full moon would swirl around the mystic walker, creating a radiant aura that could be seen only by the guardian. It was the guardian’s duty to guide the chosen one to their destined path.

  Chapter 1

  “There it is,” Minerva said as the moonlight swirled around the woman whose demeanor suggested she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. The woman’s sad expression indicated that it was becoming too much for her to bear. Minerva waited until the woman entered the museum before she made her way inside. She searched the meandering throng of people for the one she was to assist tonight.

  Carolyn walked up the steps to the museum. People brushed by her. Some bumped her shoulder. She accepted their apologies with an unconcerned nod. Her steps were sluggish as she unconsciously put on foot in front of the other. She’d left her apartment to avoid being alone. She’d wanted to be anywhere except there. She’d walked without a destination, walking just to walk. Her mind still reeled after being dumped by yet another boyfriend. A month had passed, and Randy’s cruel words still rang in her head. “Loosen up, Carolyn. Christ, do you even like sex? Making love to you is frustrating. It’s emasculating. How can I feel like a man if I can’t make you feel like a woman?” He’d left her that night. He’d gathered his things and walked out of her life.

  Randy wasn’t the first man that had called her frigid. She was afraid he wouldn’t be the last. She liked sex well enough. She was just shy and reserved. A man wouldn’t respect her if she acted on the primal urges she sometimes felt. She repressed those urges, they were dangerous. She controlled what she considered unnatural desires. A normal woman didn’t feel the hunger she experienced. It took all her control to keep it at bay, so she appeared cold and lifeless.

  She was a nurse in the emergency room. She’d seen too much of what uncontrolled urges and emotions could do. Gunshot wounds, stab wounds, concussions from a bashed-in scull. Those happened in various ways, like baseball bats, and other blunt objects, or fistfights. And then there was always the push down the stairs. Uncontrolled urges caused trouble.

  She pulled the imitation fur collar of her coat tighter around her throat. She raised her chin and tilted her neck so she could look at the sign above the door. Minerva’s Mystic Museum, it proclaimed. I’ve never noticed this was a museum. It’s as good a place as any. “I wonder if there is a Minerva,” she muttered as she stepped through the ornate double doors.

  The room she entered was quite large, but the subtle lighting made it feel much smaller and intimate. Pictures hung on some of the walls. Beautiful murals were painted on others. Seating was provided here and there for the patron’s viewing ease. Tables and glass-encased counters created a maze inside the room. A musky yet relaxing aroma permeated the air, strong but not overpowering. Soft music and sometimes chimes filled the space with a comfortable, warm vibration.

  Her body began to release tension she hadn’t known she held. She felt very tired. She sat on a bench in front of a mural. The weight of her troubles filled her heart. She removed her coat to make herself more comfortable.

  She was alone in this world, with no family and no friends to speak of, no one that would really miss her. She had a fe
w friends from work, more acquaintances than friends, people she rarely saw outside of that environment, no one who really cared about her, and no one she really cared about. That made her life lonely. Work had become all she had. She worked so many hours she was always exhausted. The ER life was taking its toll on her. She was ready for a change. She needed something a little less stressful. She was good at what she did. She’d acquired a lot of experience, but she’d had enough. In a moment of desperation she’d made a decision to change her life. She’d given her notice at work. So far they hadn’t responded to her request for transfer. She wasn’t worried. A nurse could find employment almost anywhere. If she had to leave New York she would, and she wouldn’t look back. She even thought it might be a pleasant change. Today had been her last day at work.

  She’d just focused on the mural in front of her when a woman stepped into her line of vision. The woman was tall with long black hair. Her skin was very pale and translucent. She wore a black dress that clung to her body and covered almost every inch of her skin. It shimmered as she moved. Her large dark eyes were emphasized by the black lines of her makeup. Her wine-colored lips spread in a friendly smile. Carolyn glanced up at the woman.

  “I am Minerva, curator of this museum.” Her slim hands were clasped in front of her. “May I sit down?” she asked motioning to the bench.

  Carolyn moved over. “Yes, please do.”

  Minerva gracefully lowered herself onto the seat beside her. Carolyn’s attention returned to the mural.

  “It’s called Howling at the Moon. It’s one of my favorites,” Minerva said.

  “He seems so lonely,” Carolyn said. Her gaze fixed on the mural.

  “Yes, he does.” Minerva looked at Carolyn intently.

  “I know how he feels,” Carolyn sighed. She fought back the tears that threatened to unleash themselves.

  “I believe you do.” Minerva put her hand on Carolyn’s shoulder.

  Carolyn looked into Minerva’s eyes. Those dark orbs searched her soul. She couldn’t look away. It was as if Minerva was looking for something buried deep inside of her. After what seemed an eternity, Minerva smiled and stood.

  “You have the power to change your loneliness.” Minerva placed her hand on Carolyn’s heart. “Trust what you feel in here. Your love, in all its manifestations, is a good thing. Safe journey. May the goddess grant your heart’s true desire.”

  Minerva moved away. Carolyn watched her body shimmer with an otherworldly light. “Strange woman,” she whispered and returned her attention to the mural before her. The scene it depicted tore at her heart.

  The full moon hung in a cloudless starry night sky. The moonlight bathed the landscape in a silvery glow. The artist must have been sitting on a rise or a hill on this side of the valley depicted in the work of art before her. A wolf sat, its neck stretched, howling at the moon from its place on the mountain ledge. Trees blanketed the mountain. The mountain rolled down and changed into the low hills of the valley where the trees thinned. The valley changed into a meadow covering the lower portion of the mural.

  The artist created the impression of the distance between the mountain tree line and the meadow. She watched the wolf turn its head. She felt as if it was looking at her. She held her breath, mesmerized by the sight. Her heart began to pound. Blood rushed through her body. She could feel each pulse of her heart. She felt a connection with that wild beast beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Something inside her was awakened on a level of pure instinct. The wolf turned and disappeared from the scene in front of her. She released her breath. Her heart cried out, mourning his loss. She slowly searched the landscape. Her nostrils flared, she could almost smell the night air, could almost smell him. Where had the wolf gone? Was he as lonely as the mural depicted him to be? A moment later the wolf appeared at the tree line in the valley.

  She watched the beautiful beast leave the dark safety of the evergreen trees. It covered the distance quickly. Its body grew larger with each step. It was huge, and it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Fifty yards from her, near the mural’s edge, she watched it morph from a wolf into a man. The man stood there as naked as the day he was born. His muscled body bathed in moonlight. His golden eyes bore into her soul. She felt everything in her being reaching out to this man. He stretched out his arm and opened his hand. “Come,” he said.

  Chapter 2

  Jacob howled his agony to the moon goddess. Where was his mate? He, Sven, and Milo needed their woman. Their female would bind them together so they could create their own pack. She would unite their souls. The three of them weren’t brothers in blood, but they were brothers of the heart and had sworn to do their best to create a pack of their own.

  He and Milo were orphans and had met in a foster home, the home of a non-shifter. Together they’d learned about their shifter heritage and they’d helped each other through that discovery and learning process. Their bond had grown stronger because of it. Never having belonged to a pack, neither of them had known that kind of “family.” They’d become all the family they needed. When Sven came into their lives, the three of them decided they needed to create a pack, a family of their own. They needed a mate to bind them together. Children and all that went with that responsibility would make them strong. A future filled with love and trust would be forged that way. All of them had agreed, sharing a female would accomplish that. A female they could all love would cement their bond, making it stronger and permanent. Now they waited for her to come. He howled again. Where was she? The answer prickled the hairs on his neck. He turned his head and saw her. She was a strange vision, but he was compelled to go to her.

  Jacob left the high peak to search for her. In the space of a heartbeat he was at the valley floor. Concealed by the darkness of the trees he watched her. She sat there. Worry and stress were etched on her face. She had the look of a woman whose heart had been gravely injured. Her large blue eyes searched for something. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a most unbecoming manner, and yet, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  He moved from the cover of the trees. Jacob knew his life was about to change forever. Using a ground-eating lope, he rushed toward her. Mere moments later he’d traveled as far as he could. It was up to her now. Jacob shifted into his human form. “Come,” he said.

  The woman rose as if in a trance. She left her coat and purse behind. She walked toward his outstretched hand. She placed her hand in his. The universe shifted.

  Her hand was chilled. Jacob could feel her trembling. She wore sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was printed with the face of a wolf that could very easily have been his own when in that form. He smiled at the thought. Her eyes fastened onto his lips. His cock began to rise. She chewed on her bottom lip. Her brows pulled together. Her free hand traced his pectoral muscles, and they twitched in response. She looked at her hand. Amazement filled those blue eyes. A moment later those eyes were ablaze as her desire for him manifested itself.

  The woman leaned into him and breathed in his scent…a long intake of her breath. Her warm breath fanned his chest as she exhaled. She began to pant. She was the one. He was sure of it. He felt connected to her in a way he’d never experienced before. They would mate, and she would be his forever. Her fingers became warm as they explored and heated his skin. His blood began to soar as she worked her magic on him. Her touch ignited his desire. His engorged and throbbing cock already ached for her. He stood still as stone. He enjoyed watching her.

  Her eyes roamed his body, and she licked her lips. She leaned into him and reached for his face. After a slight hesitation, the space of a breath, she pulled his lips to hers and gently kissed him. Shyly and tentatively, she increased the pressure. Her body leaned fully against his. She moaned and opened her lips. Her tongue sought his. Her hips pressed into his groin. Jacob cupped her buttocks in his hands and pulled her closer to him. His tongue met hers, and a fiery lust ignited between them.

  Jacob slid his h
ands under her sweatshirt and pulled it up. She released his lips as he pulled the sweatshirt over her head and tossed it to the ground. Her chest heaved with her frenzied breath. She sought out his lips again. Jacob slid his hands into her jeans and squeezed her ass. He wanted her naked so he could look at her. He broke the kiss. Looking into her eyes, he saw her raging desire for him, lust such as he’d never known. Licking his lips, he held that gaze as he unzipped her jeans. After a momentary pause, he lowered them over her hips and let them fall to the ground. The sight of her lacy pink bra and panties made his cock dance.

  Jacob growled as he reached for her breasts. Those perfect mounds of lace-covered flesh filled his hands as he squeezed them. She moved her hands behind her back and released the hook of her bra. The bra opened. He agreed the material was in the way. He slid the thin straps over her shoulders his palms grazing her soft skin. The frilly garment fell to the ground. Her panties stood in the way. Without hesitation he reached for them and tugged them over her hips and past her ass. She wiggled, and they slid the rest of the way down her legs. Immediately she stepped out of them. She stood there in her naked glory. Moonlight bathed her skin. Her breasts rose and fell with her labored and excited breaths. She was panting and hot for him. He lifted his face to the moon and howled.

  Jacob’s hands itched to touch her. He wanted to suck and lick her all over. Those cravings filled his mind as he moved to take her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body into his. She lifted one leg around his hip. He moved the tip of his cock to play with her warm opening. The head of his cock teased her clit, making her whimper and him groan. Her warm juices coated him, and the smell of her sex made him growl. She pressed her pelvis into him at an ever-increasing rate. He guided his cock into the furnace that was her core. Wet and tight, she surrounded him. He helped her to lift her other leg around his hips. Long legs locked behind him. Her arms around his neck and shoulders helped to support her weight. Hungry lips fastened onto his. Her tongue taught him what she wanted his cock to do.