The devil Moondancer

Was he mad

*Olivia*

From a seemingly great distance, I become aware of a rushing sound between my ears, like the beating wings of a thousand ravens fleeing the castle tower of Blackrock city and signaling the lycan queen’s downfall. I’m vaguely aware of paper crackling as Mr. Beck lays down the will. I can’t have possibly heard correctly.

My temples began to throb the moment my husband tumbled down the stairs and took a mortal blow to the head. The grief I experience at the unexpected loss plays havoc with my mind, causing words to jumble and lose their true meaning. As I try to comprehend how that could be, how I could force them back into signifying what they are supposed to, Mr. Beck picks up a black leather-bound book and extends it toward Jack Moondancer. “This ledger contains a listing of all the non-entailed assets which will become…”

While I watch in stunned horror, Jack Moondancer snatches the book from Mr. Beck’s grasp before he is finished speaking, opens it, and begins quickly scouring the pages, each turn of the page a rasp against my brittle nerves. Mr. Beck lifts another ledger and extends it toward me. “For your review, a listing of the entailed assets which go to your son.”

I shake my head. “I must beg your forgiveness, but I don’t quite understand the meaning of all this.”

“From the moment the titles passed to him, your husband kept precise records indicating which properties and assets were part of the entailments…”

“No, no. I’m referring to the will; you misread it. You indicated that Mr. Moondancer is to serve as guardian.” I say.

Mr. Beck nods, “Yes, that was the Alpha’s wish.”

“No, Hunter is my son. I am his guardian.” I say desperately.

“The law recognizes only the father as guardian. Upon the father’s death, if the child has not yet obtained the age of one and twenty, the father must appoint the guardian in his will.” With no emotion whatsoever expressed, Mr. Beck sounds as though he is reading from a parliamentary document. “I’m sorry, My Luna, but your husband’s decision cannot be challenged.”

“Not be challenged?” I come to my feet in such a rush that I almost lose my balance. Mr. Beck rises as well, while Jack Moondancer remains seated, hungrily devouring the contents of the ledger. Obviously, the man hasn’t a clue regarding proper behavior when in the presence of a Luna, but then I suspect the she-wolves who normally provide him with company would hardly be considered of quality. “Have you lost your mind? Somehow you managed to misunderstand my husband’s intent. He can’t possibly have meant to let this scoundrel…”

“It says here this residence and everything within it is mine,” Jack Moondancer suddenly announces, and my composure comes almost completely unhinged. Not this residence, not the one place I have worked so hard to make a home.

Jack Moondancer unfolds his long, lean body, drops the ledger on the desk with a loud thump, and leans ominously toward Mr. Beck. “Is this some sort of prank?”

Mr. Beck, to his credit, stands valiant against the devil’s advance. “I assure you, Mr. Moondancer, this is no prank.”

“You are telling me a man I barely knew is leaving me…” he jabs the ledger with a blunt-tipped finger “…all of this?”

“You knew my husband?” I ask, stunned by the revelation.

He has the audacity to wave his hand at me as though I am insignificant, to be dismissed with no more thought than one might give a beggar pleading for coins.

“Yes, Mr. Moondancer, it appears that is in fact the case,” Mr. Beck says.

“And what of his debts?” he asks caustically. “I suppose I inherit them as well.”

“There are no debts. The Alpha didn’t believe in credit. He paid as he went.”

That seems to give Mr. Moondancer pause before he splays his long, slender fingers over the ledger. “And the final item is more valuable than all of this?”

“As indicated in the will, its value cannot be measured.” Mr. Beck says.

“Do you know what it is?” Jack asks.

Beck nods, “I do. It’s to remain in my possession until such time as it’s to be handed over.”

“He trusted you with something of immeasurable worth?” The devil inquiries.

“He trusted me with everything, Mr. Moondancer.”

Mr. Moondancer seems to consider that. “An item the value of which cannot be measured could be worth nothing.”

“If I had to measure its worth, I would declare it the most valuable item the Alpha ever had the pleasure to possess.” Mr. Beck says.

“Bloody hell,” Mr. Moondancer says quietly in that raspy voice he possesses. “I need a drink.”

In spite of the ludicrousness of the entire situation, I feel all my appropriate upbringing and my need to be the perfect hostess shoot to the fore. “Shall I have a servant bring you a cup of tea? Or some lemonade perhaps?”

Mr. Moondancer glares at me with eyes as black as his unredeemed soul. “I was thinking of whiskey, gin, rum. All three if you have them.”

“We don’t keep spirits in the residence,” I say sharply, my indignation suddenly very much alive.

“Of course you don’t.” He sighs.

I narrow my eyes at him, “I don’t appreciate your tone, sir.”

“As though I give a damn what you appreciate.” He mumbles.

Oh, the man is infuriating. Then he does the strangest thing. He slowly prowls the room, hungrily glancing around as if about to pluck and tuck everything into his pockets. Although now he no longer has a need to pilfer anything. It has all been handed to him on a silver platter.

After several long moments, he returns to the desk and stares intently at Mr. Beck. “Everything within this residence is mine?”

“Everything,” Mr. Beck says somberly, as though he feels the weight of that single word on my heart. “On the condition that you…”

“Yes, yes, serve as the heir’s guardian. Unlike the Luna, I have no difficulty comprehending the simplest of terms when they are laid out for me.”

I can’t let the insult pass, but for the life of me, I can think of no retort that might effectively put him in his place. I feel like a dimwit. How could Silverpine do this to me? More important… do this to our son? Does he care not at all what sort of man he will become?

Jack Moondancer turns around slowly, looking at everything once more, as though he is feasting his eyes on a magnificent creation. “Was the Alpha a raving lunatic?”

The c***k of my palm hitting Jack Moondancer’s cheek echoes through the room. Since I have never in my life struck anyone, I hadn’t realized how much my palm would sting. It takes everything within me not to yelp or give any indication that I have probably hurt myself more than I have harmed him. “My mate was only recently laid to rest and you speak of him with such disrespect. How dare you, sir!”

Jack Moondancer presents me with a slow, calculating smile that causes my stomach to plummet clear down to my toes. “The Luna has spunk. Who would have thought?”

I want to toss him out of the house, back into the streets from whence he has come. I turn to Mr. Beck. “His language is vulgar, his manners are atrocious. I simply will not allow this man to be responsible for the upbringing of my son.”

“That’s easy enough to remedy, Luna,” Jack Moondancer drawls. “Find yourself another mate.”

“It seems to have failed your notice that I’m in mourning. I can’t accept suitors.” I growl.

He shrugs, “Then you don’t want me out of your life badly enough, Luna. Trust me. There isn’t anything a person won’t do if he wants something badly enough.”

Every time the word Luna slithers mockingly off his tongue, the fine hairs on the nape of my neck prickle and my palm itches to slap him again. Before I follow through on the barbaric urge, I force myself to address the solicitor. “Mr. Beck…”

“I’m sorry, my Luna, but there is no prospect for negotiation on this matter if Mr. Moondancer agrees to serve as guardian.” He says.

“Can you explain to me my husband’s thinking?” I ask.

“I have served the Alpha for many years, my Luna. It has never been my place to question his decisions. He seldom revealed his reasoning, and I cannot know everything that influenced him, but I’m certain in this matter he did what he deemed best.” he says.

If I had not been raised to be well behaved, I would shriek at the unfairness of it all.

“And if I don’t agree to the guardianship part?” Mr. Moondancer asks.

A momentary spark of relief gives me renewed hope that this hellish nightmare will come to a satisfactory end. Apparently the man has the good sense to have misgivings about accepting the responsibilities thrust upon him.

“The first will shall be nullified and a second shall come into play,” Mr. Beck says.

I dare not ask, but I have to know. It seems unlikely my husband could have made a worse choice than Jack Moondancer, but if he was my husband’s first, who would serve as his second? The devil himself? “Who is appointed as my son’s guardian in that will?”

“I am not at liberty to say,” Mr. Beck states calmly. “Mr. Moondancer’s decision must be made without any influence.”

“Without any influence? What do you call giving him everything? If that’s not influence, I daresay I don’t know what is.” I huff.

The solicitor sighs, “I merely meant that your husband did not wish who would serve as guardian to influence Mr. Moondancer’s decision.”

“But surely it is someone more appropriate, someone familiar with the strictures of pack society. What does Mr. Moondancer know of the high packs, our duties and responsibilities?” I ask.

“I know a good deal, Luna,” Mr. Moondancer says. “After all, I am a longtime friend of the Alpha of Claybourne.”

I spin around at the mention of Lucian Langdon. “Another criminal? A man who committed murder? How in the Goddess name is that supposed to reassure me? You can’t possibly believe you are qualified to guide my son along the proper path to manhood.”

“The proper path is often determined by where you are standing.” Jack says.

“What the devil does that mean? Yours is a world of decadence, Mr. Moondancer. You…”

The words abruptly die in my throat. He is suddenly near, so very near, a heat burning in his eyes that could only have been ignited within the depths of hell, a heat that causes unwanted warmth to swirl through my core, that makes my knees weaken, my palms dampen, and my mouth go dry.

“You should visit sometime,” he says darkly, his warm, whiskey-scented breath wafting over my cheek.

“Pardon?”

He smiles slowly, “Visit my world of depravity. I would do all in my power to welcome you properly. You might even find it to your liking.”

His voice is as powerful as a caress, stirring me to imagine that his welcome would involve his mouth, his hands…

It is evident in his eyes, the wicked things he would do to me, things I have never imagined with Silverpine. I should slap him again; I know I should, but all I seem capable of doing is trembling with something akin to… Goddess help me… Am I feeling desire? It isn’t possible. It’s only that it has been so very long since I have felt a man’s touch. Once he had his heir, Silverpine made it plain he didn’t hold with the notion a spare was needed. One son was all he required. In that regard, I and Silverpine had been well matched. We both put duty above all else. Regretfully, I had come to discover that duty is a lonely taskmaster.

“Have you ever sinned, Luna?” Jack Moondancer asks in that strangely rough voice that hints at passion barely tethered.

Only in my dreams hovers on the tip of my tongue. I wonder if Jack Moondancer has fulfilled other she-wolves’s fantasies. I have no doubt he is fully capable…

A harsh clearing of a throat causes us both to jump. I see irritation flash across Jack Moondancer’s face as he moves back and slides his uncompromising gaze toward Mr. Beck. For a heartbeat, it appears the solicitor is fighting not to retreat. He clears his throat again, as though his courage resides in the deep rumble. “I believe, Mr. Moondancer, your behavior toward the Luna is not at all warranted and certainly not what the Alpha envisioned when he named you in his will.”

“I didn’t think you knew what he envisioned.” Jack says.

“I know he respected his Luna, sir, and he would be very disappointed if you didn’t do the same.” Beck says.

Jack raises a brow, “The man is dead. I suspect he’s not likely to be disappointed in anything anymore.”

“You, sir, are despicable,” I snap before Mr. Beck can give him a proper tongue-lashing. “Have you no respect for my late husband?”

He turns toward me, and I suddenly wish I had kept silent. I truly don’t want to spar with him. I can’t determine how to attain the high ground. Where he is concerned, I suspect it’s impossible. He always somehow manages to drag those around him into the gutter with him.

“I respect only those who have earned my respect. And they are few in number.” He says.

“I can well imagine what a person must do in order to earn your respect.” I huff.

Some unidentifiable emotion… remorse?.. shifts in his eyes. “Actually, Luna, I suspect you can’t.” He turns on his heel and strides toward the door.

Dare I hope he is taking his leave, and in so doing, turning his back on this ridiculous first will?

“Where are you going?” I call out.

“I want to have a look around, determine what all I will gain by suffering through your presence.” He storms from the room without a backward glance.

With a gasp of indignation, I hurry after him. This house is mine… mine… until he agrees to the terms of the will. Whatever I can do to dissuade him from consenting, I will do. I will show him who is willing to do anything.

Although I do have to give him credit for being correct about one thing: somehow, without my noticing, my mate had gone stark, raving mad.

*Beck*

Considering Mr. Moondancer’s reputation, I am inclined to follow the couple, but the Alpha has left specific instructions that I am not to interfere as they settle their differences. Only a fool would expect the Luna to serenely accept such a ludicrous choice for guardian, and the Alpha was not known for being a fool.

With a sigh, I lean back in my chair to await their return and begin to mentally prepare myself for the next round with Jack Moondancer. I know it has the potential to be challenging. I have to carry out the Alpha’s wishes without compromising my own integrity.

I am not in the habit of questioning those who pay so handsomely for my services, but I do wonder if the Alpha truly understood the ramifications of his actions. To me, they seem to serve but one purpose: to pave the way for disaster.