Fox, Morgan - Ravished by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (13 page)

Finding her voice, Megan wheezed, “What do you want?” She gasped for air, wrapping her arms around her midsection. The pain throbbing through her body brought tears to her eyes.

The vile, black-haired raven knelt beside her. Long, bloodred nails clawed along Megan’s arms, neck, and face, teasing her with the prospect of the sharp blade-like fingers slicing through her with the ease of a knife. “You know what I want, Dr. Shaw. There’s never been a secret to that.” Her buttery voice warmed her soul as if enthralling her.

“Who are you?” Megan asked, finding it difficult to move her body, as if it no longer belonged to her.

“Now that,” she said, grinning, “has always been my little secret…until now of course.” Pausing to wipe away the sweat that gathered on Megan’s brow, she glanced back to lock gazes with her. “You may call me Lilly.” The corners of Lilly’s mouth curved into a wicked, full-of-mischief grin. Then as if provoked, she gripped hold of Megan’s hair and yanked, twisting her head and neck, holding it in an awkward, death-defying position. Megan winced as the pain inflicted on her neck blinded her. Had she been human, the supernatural strength the demon used on her would have surely killed her. Lilly closed the distance between them. Her cold breath grazed against the flesh of her cheek. “I’m the one your precious Wolf Princess has seriously pissed off.”

Megan wasn’t surprised. She’d guessed the moment Lilly used her preternatural strength on her that she was the woman in question. She was the one that had somehow defied science and engineered a new kind of preternatural creature using vampire and lycan DNA.

Megan was no wimp, but she couldn’t believe the power Lilly possessed, tossing her around like a ragdoll, using superhuman telekinetic power to do her bidding rather than physical strength. Never in her life had she experienced anything like it, a being so menacing and mighty she couldn’t even defend herself. Megan felt useless, even as a lycan.

“What do you want with me?” Megan asked, her voice shaking, the fear of the unthinkable churning in her mind.

Lilly cupped her face in her hands. “I want you to give your alpha and his mate a message from me.” Megan held her gaze as she smiled, the incandescence of her eyes growing more crimson. “Tell your alpha that I’m coming for him and those he loves most.”

Brie and the baby…

“Yes, Dr. Shaw, Brie and the unborn child,” she said, laughing. “I simply plan to fuck with the rest of you.”

Lilly knelt closer to her and pressed a delicate kiss to Megan’s lips, an act far from kind. Pulling away, Lilly revealed the evil that she harbored inside herself, launching terrorizing psychic energy into Megan, a peek inside a violent world that had Megan gasping as pain drenched her body and soul. The horrifying visions and sensations submerged her into a realm of the unthinkable. Death and decay consumed her mind. Villainous creatures laughed as they tore their victims apart, leaving their bloody corpses for the others to feed upon. Megan’s body felt as if she’d been soaked in gasoline and set on fire. The smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils. The white-hot flames roasted from deep inside her mind, ripping and scorching her. The blazing heat was so hot all she could do was scream.

By all that was holy, the pain ceased. Megan’s eyes opened, staring wide-eyed at the spot where Lilly once stood. All that lingered in her place were the shadows of the parking garage and the flickering of the lights from above. Her body was no longer trapped inside the web of power that made her immobile. The blazing of fire, the scents, everything that had caused such excruciating pain was gone.

Fear, however, still saturated her mind, and the vivid memory of being set ablaze, fresh and familiar. She clutched her hands to her breasts as if hugging herself. The only thing she wanted was the protective arms of her mates surrounding her and sheltering her from the evil that had nearly killed her. Whimpering, she wished she was already inside the enchanting and ravishing world Dominic and Reyes provided, and in her mind, she was already racing there for safekeeping. No matter how she fought against the wolf bonding, both men really did fill her with tender passions, and she’d only be lying to herself if she said she was unaffected by the connection aggrandized from deep in her soul.

Reyes appeared in her vision, and she blinked as if imagining the welcoming sight of him. She held his concerned gaze for a moment. His lips were moving, but no words reached her ears. She smiled softly and reached up to touch the side of his face. The invigorating realization that she was in fact touching Reyes brought a flood of consoling tears to her eyes. Fear had turned her body and mind inside out.

He gathered her into his arms and pulled her against him, squeezing her tight. Right away, his touch awakened her soul, giving her the needed comfort and peace she desired. Burying her head against his chest, she let herself sob, releasing all the fear and pain that had consumed her, ravaged and nearly killed her.

Reyes soothingly rocked her, cradling her like a baby in his arms, his touch so gentle, as if he feared she might break.

Then she heard Reyes’s sweet-sounding voice soothing her further. “That’s it, honey. I’m here now. You’re safe. The evil is gone. Dominic and I are here to keep you safe. Can you hear me, honey?” Yes, she could hear him, but it was still too much.

A strong, powerful hand softly rubbed her back. Strangely, she didn’t need to see his face to know the caress came from Dominic. No matter what she thought she wanted, the bonding was occurring between the three of them, and recognizing her mates was inevitable. She would forever know their touch, crave it, need it.

“Megan, what happened?” Dominic asked, still stroking her back and hair. “Who attacked you, Red?”

Red.
He called me Red again.

She shook her head, fighting the tears that stung her eyes, trying so hard to appear stronger than she was.

She eased back from Reyes’s hold and licked her dry lips. Her watery eyes drifted to meet the worried gazes of her mates. Catching her breath, she took hold of Reyes’s hand for fear he might leave her and the devil would return. She whispered, “That was Lilly…our vampire, the creature behind the lycan virus.”

Chapter Seven

Reyes shut off the engine to his black Escalade and turned to face Megan. Her distant gaze had his heart doing somersaults in his chest and his stomach churning with worry that she might never get over the terror she’d experienced. As strong as she might be, he had no earthly idea what sort of ordeal the vampire had put her through. He simply didn’t know Megan well enough to even guess. That was a significant downfall to embracing the mating instinct. Not knowing the person your soul craved was frustrating at best.

To make matters worse, Megan hadn’t spoken a word since they left the lab, giving him absolutely no indication of what thoughts were racing through her mind. What he did know was that the moment he’d come upon her in the parking garage and she’d touched him, something deep inside him snapped. All he could do was hold her, fearing that the raging beast inside him would destroy anything that tried to pry her from his grasp. The power of the bond subdued him, his strength and preternatural abilities centering on only one thing, protecting his mate.

While Reyes took care escorting her to his vehicle, Dominic had reluctantly gone back to give Zane an update on Lilly, the clairvoyant, sadomasochistic vampire with revenge on her mind.

Sebastian had to be warned, and there was no way Reyes could have relayed the message. Megan wouldn’t let go of him. Not that he would’ve allowed the separation even for a moment, but the impressive death grip she had on his hand and arm was proof enough of her opposition. So instead of both men taking her home, Reyes had been automatically volunteered for the duty, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

He cringed at the notion of being away from her. The idea alone was enough to infuriate his wolf. Keeping his beast in check was critical considering her state of mind. Now that he’d somehow found his mate to love and cherish, he wouldn’t separate from her until death. That was the way of things for wolves and would be for him as well.

He’d taken her to her apartment first and grabbed some of her clothing and personal items. He wanted to make sure she had enough clothing to stay with him for a while if needed. Once he had her bags packed, he piled back into his vehicle and drove like a man on a mission to get her safely to his home in Parker.

His fortress was unlike the quaint, pristine apartment Dominic lived in. Reyes’s home was massive in size, surrounded by cobblestone walls and black wrought iron gates. This newly built home was equipped with the latest in technology for added security and included high-tech audio-visual systems that ran throughout the house. The entire property was wired and ready for World War III.

Living as a guardian soldier for over thirty years had turned him into a man who valued the security of being able to relax without fear his enemies were going to pulverize him in his sleep. He meddled in pack lives, and several members of the were-community did not like his interference. It was his job to keep the peace among were-kind. In most circles he was well liked and respected, but in others, not so much. So many times in his life, he had wished he led a normal life, one that allowed him to take a mate, have pups, and raise them like everybody else. Today was not that day. Of all days, he was grateful to have the security of his home and instincts to keep Megan safe. He would see and hear anyone who approached. The electromagnetic security perimeter even detected impulses and power surges from all kinds of supernatural creatures. Even Lilly wouldn’t be able to infiltrate his defenses.

His gut tightened, hoping he was right.

Exiting the vehicle, he moved to her side of the truck and slowly opened the door. Clasping his hands together in front of him for fear of reaching out to touch and possibly frighten her, he said calmly, “We’re here, Megan. Are you able to walk alone to the door?”

Her eyes swelled with terror. “Are you leaving me? I don’t want to be alone, Reyes. You promised you wouldn’t leave me.” She twisted in her seat, stretching her arms out, hands grabbing hold of his shirt, pulling him toward her. “Don’t leave me, Reyes. Lilly could come back. I’m not strong enough to fight her. She’ll kill me. I know it.”

Gently, he closed his hands over her delicate ones and soothed her with soft, heartfelt words. “Megan, I’m not going anywhere. Nothing on this earth could make me leave you. I’m here for you, and I’ll be here for as long as you want me.” He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted until she met his gaze. Her teary eyes trampled his heart. “If it’s a choice you’re giving me then you should know that I never want to leave you.”

She eased her grip on his shirt and nodded, sliding from the seat as if his emotional words had been exactly what she needed to hear him speak. Reyes wrapped an arm securely around her shoulders and tugged her body up against his. Engulfing her in the warmth and strength his body could provide, he led her through the front door of his home and into the kitchen.

A row of brown leather barstools rested in front of a long multicolored marbled counter. All shades of brown, gray, and black were weaved together in a shimmering contrast to the bright cream of the walls and carpet. The bar divided the kitchen from a vast living space occupied by ivory leather sofas and walnut end tables.

He stopped at the side of a barstool and pulled it out. “Sit here, Megan. I’m going to get you something to drink.” Her eyes locked with his. “I promise I’m not going to leave this kitchen without you. Where I go, you go, okay?”

Hesitantly, she agreed and popped up onto the barstool, rotating her position to face the counter, staring at Reyes as he maneuvered around his kitchen in search of a glass and some kind of alcohol. He wasn’t a drinker, but he knew he had an emergency bottle stashed around the kitchen somewhere.

He’d been right. Grabbing the whisky bottle he’d stored above his refrigerator cabinets, he remembered the night he purchased it for his best friend and alpha, Sebastian. He chuckled to himself as he remembered a night, not so long ago, where the two of them sat up most of the night discussing women. Sebastian divulged his desires for a woman he was too afraid to share his true nature with and feared she wouldn’t want a werewolf for a husband and lover. The fact that Sebastian was soon to marry that woman struck Reyes as humorous.

“What are you smiling about?” Megan asked him, and he realized he wasn’t doing as great a job as he thought he was concealing his thoughts.