Moon Scorned: Raven Moon Wolves, #1

MOON SCORNED

RAVEN MOON WOLVES BOOK 1

MARTY MAYBERRY

MOON SCORNED

Raven Moon Wolves, Book 1

Copyright © 2021 Marty Mayberry

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations with prior approval. Names, characters, events, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Cover art by Natasha Snow Designs

Editing by JA Wren & Owl Eyes Proofs & Edits

AISN: B09JGQR4P4

ISBN: 9798758949146

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Other Books by Marty

Moon Scorned

1. Everly

2. Everly

3. Asher

4. Everly

5. Asher

6. Everly

7. Asher

8. Everly

9. Everly

10. Asher

11. Everly

12. Everly

13. Asher

14. Everly

15. Asher

16. Everly

17. Asher

18. Everly

19. Everly

20. Asher

21. Everly

22. Asher

23. Everly

24. Asher

25. Asher

26. Everly

27. Asher

28. Asher

29. Everly

30. Everly

31. Asher

32. Everly

33. Asher

34. Everly

35. Asher

36. Everly

37. Asher

38. Asher

39. Everly

40. Everly

41. Everly

42. Asher

43. Everly

44. Asher

45. Everly

46. Asher

47. Everly

48. Everly

49. Asher

50. Asher

51. Everly

52. Asher

53. Asher

54. Everly

Other Books by Marty

About the Author

Moon Hunted

Chapter 1

Moon Seduced

Chapter 1

OTHER BOOKS BY MARTY

Crystal Wing Academy

Outling

Dragonsworn

Unraveller

Darkwater Reformatory

Wicked Betrayal

Wicked Challenge

Wicked Rebellion

Supernatural Misfits Academy

Busted

Broken

Breakout

Single Titles

Dead Girls Don’t Lie

Phoenix Arise

Raven Moon Wolves

Moon Scorned

Moon Stolen

Moon Seduced

Moon Hunted

(A Companion Novella)

For my mom,

who believed in me when

I didn’t quite believe in myself.

It’s been 13 years.

I still miss you.

MOON SCORNED

I fell hard and fast for the

alpha of an elite pack.

Then he rejected me.

Everly

Asher was my fated mate but he took off when I needed him most, rejecting me and my inner wolf. Then my half-sister is murdered at an exclusive college that's enshrouded in magic and secrets. When the school offers me a scholarship, I accept and move onto campus. I’m going to find out who killed her, then rip them apart. And if I run into Asher while I'm there? He'll learn I'm no longer his sweet little thing. He’s about to taste the fury of a wolf shifter scorned.

Asher

Everly’s everything to me, but to protect her, I had to shove her away. If I go near her, the Drudge Pack will discover who she truly is. My father—their enforcer—will kill her. But when she shows up at Ravenmire College, my inner wolf hungers. I’ll do anything to keep her safe—even if that means sacrificing myself and betraying my dangerous family.

Moon Scorned is Book 1 in the Raven Moon Wolves Series. Expect twisty suspense, romance, and a cliffhanger ending. You’ll find the complete series on all retailers.

1

EVERLY

Asher oozed money, confidence, and alpha wolf shifter, and he was all mine. He sat at a picnic table hidden beneath the evergreens, waiting for me to finish my evening shift at the food truck, Desperado's Tacos. I got off work in ten minutes, and then I’d be free. I could be with him as long as I liked.

If I were wise, I would’ve avoided him from the moment I met him. Wise never got a girl anywhere, though. He was hot. Seductive. An incredible kisser. With his dark hair, deep brown eyes, and tall, muscular build, any girl would want him. Was there any harm in hanging out with him until summer break ended?

He’d never discover my secrets.

Even my older half-sister didn’t know he and I had been seeing each other for months, which was saying something since Chloe and I shared everything. Well, we had until she left weeks ago for her third year at Ravenmire, an elite college on a remote island off the coast of Maine. The campus had no cell service. They didn’t allow visitors. And those with magic weren’t allowed to perform it on their peers.

The latter wasn’t a problem for Chloe, because she was a pure wolf. As the mongrel in the family, I’d inherited my shifter ability from Mom and my spell-casting genes from my dad. Since I could barely perform the simplest spell, Ravenmire’s no-magic rule wouldn’t make or break me.

Other than my wolf, I might as well be full human.

Chloe teased me about my supposed abilities. Everyone else who’d known about them was dead.

Though it had been ten years, I could still hear them chanting as their fingers ran across my skin.

She will be hidden.

It is unbreakable.

No one will discover who she is—who she could be.

The who I could be part of all this was still a mystery, but I’d gone this long without knowing how it played out in my life. What difference would a few more years make?

After they cast the spell, one of the witches stuffed me and Chloe into a vehicle that peeled out onto the street and didn’t stop until it reached the coast of Maine. We’d lived with the woman who took us after that, then alone when she died four years ago.

The moonstone charm I wore on a chain around my neck hummed, signaling an incoming message from Chloe.

Why was she calling me now?

A shiver tracked through me, and my skin peppered despite the ninety-degree heat. Ravenmire was so cloaked in magic, even our charms barely broke through the veil. If she needed to send a message, she had to walk out on the island’s pier, a tricky thing to do at this time of night as students weren’t allowed to leave their dorm rooms after dark.

Dad crafted our charms when I was eight to Chloe’s ten, just days before the accident stole him and Mom from us forever.

Eager to see what my sister had to say, I hurried to add little packets of salsa and sour cream next to the jumbo burrito and tortilla chips on the paper plate. I handed the tray through the food truck’s window to the customer churning up the pavement with his sandals.

I ordered guacamole, he said, shifting his flinty eyes across the tray. He thrust it back through the window, and it clattered onto the narrow counter.

I winced.

Asher snarled.

His body jerked forward, and his growl ripped through the sultry, moonlit air. The alpha of all he surveyed, his solitary sound made the frogs in the beach grass cut off mid-croak. I swore the wind stopped blowing, but I could be imagining things.

There was something about wolves that kept humans on hyper-alert. It could be the well-masked, but feral, slant to our eyes. The way our teeth were just a bit sharper. Or maybe it was an instinct mortals clung to from the past, when their ancestors were hunted.

The guac-seeking guy jerked a wide-eyed glance toward the trees before turning back to me. His shoulders curled forward. Please, he added.

No problem, sir, I said. Sorry I forgot.

He said nothing while I fetched a container from the fridge and dropped it onto the tray. But his footsteps flew as he retreated toward the beach with his meal.

Last order’s up, Shorty, the cook and owner of Desperado’s Tacos said from my right.

Such a clichéd name, but he glared when I pointed that out during my interview with him this past spring. I mean, he was six-one or two, almost as tall as Asher. Shorty? Ha ha.

Thanks, dude, I said with a smile. I added the correct extras and handed the tray through the window to the last waiting customer.

Asher’s eyes scanned the vicinity, watching for any threat.

Why don’t you skip on out of here early? Shorty said as I closed the window and latched it for the night. I can clean up alone.

You’re sure? I gaped at him. Shorty hoarded each second of my time. But he knew I only had a few more days with Asher.

That’s nice of you. I almost felt like hugging him.

Don’t be goin’ all sugar and sweetness with me, Everly, he said, huffing as he started cleaning the grill. Water sizzled and beads skittered across the greasy surface as he ran the scrubber across it. Save it for your young man waiting impatiently outside. A subtle grin flashed across his face. I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been looking.

Thank you. Fire licked through my bones. Until my shift was over, I couldn’t let down my guard and be the real me.

My wolf pranced with excitement inside me.

Go on, now, Shorty said gruffly, flicking his hand out—murky water splashing me along with it. And don’t be late tomorrow.

I pulled my apron off and hung it on the peg by the back door. I won’t!

Before he changed his mind and pointed to the counters in need of washing, I scooted out the back screen door, letting it bang shut behind me.

Asher stood beneath a long-needle pine. When I paused, he strode forward, letting the moonlight touch his gorgeous features. He cupped my face with his warm hands.

Likes him, my wolf sighed.

Missed you, he whispered.

You, too. My heart rate picked up to double time.

His lips captured mine, softly at first, then harder and with growing need.

I wasn’t sure where this was going between us, but I did know one thing. Cats might rule and wolves might drool, but Asher was my catnip. Whenever he touched me, I purred.

Jeez, Shorty groused through the screen door. Don’t be doin’ any of that crap so close to my truck. Go on with you. Take a walk on the beach or something. Kids.

Pulling away from Asher, I snorted out a laugh. I gazed up into his warm brown eyes that sparkled solely for me and held out my hand.

Take a walk with me, Ash? I asked coyly. He told me I was the only one who could call him Ash.

He took my hand and tugged me close, wrapping his arm around my waist and holding me against his warm frame.

Likes, my wolf sighed again. Likes him lots.

Our wolves came to us when we turned eighteen. Though we’d been with each other for two years, mine was a new wolf. The ages of our wolves varied. Some shifters lucked into wolf spirits older than time, and they could tap into that pack knowledge.

My wolf was as new to all this as me.

If my mom had lived, she would’ve taught me all she knew about wolf lore and how to deepen the bond between me and my wolf. Chloe shared what she knew about the process, but she was almost as clueless as me.

We hadn’t dared reveal ourselves to a pack for help with our training.

Asher guided me around the truck, across the sidewalk, and out onto the sand.

During the day, crowds of humans mobbed Old Orchard Beach. Once the sun had set and the tourists headed to their rented condos and hotels, the locals could breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the quiet. And late at night, especially when the moon bathed the sky with her milky gaze, wolves like me and Ash could run.

I kicked off my shoes and shimmied out of my jeans and long-sleeve shirt—I wisely wore thin shorts and a tank underneath.

Asher watched, his smoldering eyes tracing my every curve as I moved. We’d come close to going all the way but hadn’t done it yet. I wasn’t sure why I resisted. He made it clear he wanted to. The heat simmering in my veins told me I did too. I guess I wanted to wait. We’d only known each other for a few months.

He had to leave for college soon, but he said he’d come back for each of his breaks. We had plenty of time to do things then.

Shift? he asked.

Yesss, my wolf sighed. She rose and stomped her paws, eager.

I nodded, shy and excited all at once. Until I met Asher, my wolf had only run with Chloe. Late, late at night and in isolated locations. The rest of the time, we remained hidden. Don’t let anyone find you—words that had been drummed into us by our witch caregiver.

I took a chance with Asher, but he sniffed out my wolf within a week of meeting him. It didn’t matter. I trusted him.

The first time I shifted, it felt like my skin turned itself inside out, ripping muscles, tendons, and breaking my bones to morph five-four, skinny old me into a gorgeous white wolf with steel gray tufts on her ears and the tip of her tail.

Go for it, babe, I told my wolf, stepping back in my mind.

She leaped forward, jumping into my skin.

Ash joined us, and I could feel his grin as our wolves touched noses then rubbed necks.

Likes so much, she said. She gave him a wolfy grin and raced toward the water, charging a wave and yipping with joy. He followed, only a bit more sedate.

When she kicked up her feet and ran through the shallows, he kept pace, nipping at her ruff and huffing with pleasure.

They ran for what felt like forever, and it recharged my soul. Shifting might turn me inside out, but it put me back together again after, making me brand new.

My wolf flopped on the sand and rolled, shimmying her back to scratch an itch. Asher’s wolf stood nearby, watchful. As protective as Ash.

Time’s up, I finally said. She’d run and play with him all night long if I let her. I wanted to, but Ash would leave for college in three days, and I needed to be with him more than I wanted to breathe.

We morphed back.

Ash gathered me into his arms. His kiss drank me in as the final push settled, turning me back into what I was before. My wolf changing back into me. His wolf into him. Us.

I moaned, pressing myself fully against him.

We eased apart, and he took my hands with that special gleam in his eyes he shared solely with me.

Things couldn’t get any better than this. Sometimes, I dreamed we were fated.

A feeling I couldn’t define sped across my skin, leaving goosebumps behind. I told myself it was nothing. The wind with a hint of the crispness of fall. A bit of stray magic lingering in the air.

It couldn’t be us.

Nothing would come between me and Ash.

2

EVERLY

We walked along the shore with waves teasing our bare toes. As the moon rose overhead, I basked in the glow.

You’ll write me, he said.

I grinned up at him, unable to believe this hot alpha male that girls drooled over wanted me. Already said I would.

I’m going to miss you. Always.

My heart sighed. He knew just what to say to make heat rise inside me.

I’ll miss you too, I said. It’s just a few months. Then we’ll be together again.

Tipping his head back, his neck muscles bunched as he howled his happiness at the moon. His dark hair ruffled in the wind and for a second, his wolf shone through.

I joined in, creating a chorus of us. Anyone hearing us would shake their heads and tell their friends they heard coyotes hunting on the beach.

Dance with me? he said, tugging me into his arms.

I’m not much of a dancer.

You can sway, right? Sway with me, Ev. His fingers rose to glide through my hair, something he did almost every time we were together. Just as pretty as your wolf’s ruff.

His warm hands glided down to my lower back, and he shifted his hips to a tune he heard only in his head.

I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on his chest. He smelled good, like salty air and cotton, with a hint of his wolf.

They had their time tonight. This was ours.

My foot caught on something, and Ash swept me up, dropping me on his shoulder. He spun until I was dizzy.

With my head tipped back, my hair streamed around me. Complete joy in my heart.

You call this dancing? I said, laughter spilling into my voice.

Nope. I call it getting you as close to the moon and the stars as I can. He lowered me, my body gliding down the front of his, then held me close. I’d take you all the way there if I could, Ev.

I’ll build a rocket ship someday, and we’ll go there together. I stroked his face, wishing I could see him each day for the rest of my life, that I didn’t have to wait for his first college break. It was going to be a long eight weeks.

He took my hand and we walked, sand squishing between our toes and the briny sea swirling around our ankles.

I’m really proud of you, Ev, he said in a husky voice. It’s not easy getting an A in organic chem.

I’d completed a few college classes since I graduated from high school, fitting them in around my job. I worked to support Chloe’s college dream, and when she finished, she’d do the same for me.

Thanks. I’ll help you if you want.

I’m just taking basic chem.

I’ll still help.

You’re so smart, he said. Love that about you.

He was a year older than me and in college like my sister. He’d cringed when he told me he had ADD. He insisted he was working hard to overcome it.

He hadn’t shared why an edge of frustration came through in his voice, but I guessed. A friend in high school had the same condition and had to work twice as hard as me.

It’s not about being smart, it’s about doing things in a different way, I said. Let me know when you’re studying for your first test. I’ll give you my notes and a few tricks I used when I took chem.

I will if I can.

I wasn’t sure why he couldn’t, but I’d text him in a few weeks, reminding him of my offer.

Things at my school are…complicated. He stopped to face the sea. It churned, driven to disarray by an incoming storm.

In what way?

He shrugged. You ever gone skinny dipping? His grin was full of mischief. He lifted his shirt and ripped it over his head, tossing it aside. Moonlight teased across his muscular shoulders and defined abs. He told me he played soccer in college. Worked out now and then in the gym at his dad’s estate.

This was pure Asher. His amazing body was the alpha wolf in him shining through.

He reached for the button at the top of his jeans.

My breath jerked out of me. I haven’t skinny dipped yet, I said, nibbling on my lower lip.

With his jeans gaping open, he took my hands and squeezed them. His voice softened, something he did only with me. Come on. It’ll be fun.

The water’s cold. It barely gets above sixty this time of year.

It’s not that bad. I promise I won’t touch…too much. He shucked his jeans. I’ll even leave my boxers on.

It’s not quite skinny dipping if we’re not naked. My swallow got caught in my throat. I couldn’t drag my attention away from the corded muscles standing out in his thighs. The bulge in his shorts.

Ev? he said, his voice calling to everything inside me like a siren from deep beneath the sea. He lifted my chin, and our eyes met. His freakin’ smoldered.

Okay, I will, I said. I’ll, um, keep my underwear on, too.

For our first time, it’ll do. His fingers teased my bare arms, and my skin tingled.

He splashed into the sea, stopping, and turning when he was in waist-deep water. A wave crashed against his back, trying to thrust him back to me, but he maintained his position, watching.

I wanted to tease him, to shimmy my hips and dance while I did it, but I wanted to be close to him even more. I tugged off my shorts and tank. They fell from my limp fingers to the sand with a soft rustle.

Asher groaned. You’re gorgeous. His fingers swirled through the water at his sides.

My charm hummed again, reminding me I still hadn’t listened to the message from Chloe. I’d check it later. Now was for me and Asher.

Holding his gaze, I ran down into the water. As I plunged forward, battling a wave, my skin prickled with dismay. I squealed.

Asher reached for my hand and tugged me right up against him. He ran his palms up and down my arms. As if that would warm me up?

Actually, his touch did. It warmed me up too much. Maybe tonight, we’d…

Likes, my wolf said. More kisses.

I jumped up and he