The feminine touches on the outside carried on in the interior. Pink and lavender filled the small space, from the frilly curtains to the lace tablecloth. Photos of a blond woman and a fair-haired, freckle-faced little girl covered the walls.
Izzy walked over to one of the photos to take a closer look. “Who are they?” she asked.
Stone glanced at the photo. “My sister and her kid,” he said.
“Really?” Izzy asked.
Both of the females had fair hair and blue eyes. Their features were soft, almost delicate. Stone had dark hair and amber eyes. Nothing about him gave Izzy the impression of soft.
“Yes,” he said. “Your room is at the end of the hall on the left.” Stone pointed down the only hall in the house.
“Thanks,” Izzy said. She glanced one last time at the picture then walked down the hall. The home only had two bedrooms and a bath. She wondered where Stone’s sister and her daughter were. Would they be coming back soon?
The thought of involving a child in this mess didn’t sit well with Izzy. It was dangerous enough as an adult. She opened the door on the left and stepped into...a child’s room.
The walls were a light pink like the curtains framing the window. The bedspread on the twin bed held the latest cartoon princess’s likeness. Next to the bed sat a small dresser that doubled as a bedside table. On top of the dresser was a lamp and another photo of the mother.
A small child-sized white desk was pushed against the opposite wall. Beside it was a trunk. Izzy assumed it was full of toys, since there wasn’t a single one on the floor.
She stepped inside, shut the door, and rested her back against it. Izzy didn’t like taking a child’s room away from her. She needed to find out when they’d return. As long as it wasn’t tonight, it wouldn’t matter, because Izzy planned to be long gone tomorrow.
Izzy unzipped her tote and took out a wrinkled shirt to wear in the morning. Maybe if she hung it up overnight, the wrinkles would release. She opened the closet to get a hanger and found it bursting with clothes.
She shut the closet door and walked over to the dresser. Izzy opened each drawer to check inside. The drawers held socks, underwear, pajamas, everything a child would need on a trip.
In the bottom drawer, she even found a well-loved, stuffed brown bear. The kind of stuffed animal that a child kept with them at all times. Maybe they were coming back tonight after all.
Izzy closed the drawers and walked out the bedroom. “Stone?”
“In here,” he said. Stone was bent over a pot on the stove. The contents were bubbling and hissing from the high heat.
Izzy couldn’t tell what he was cooking, but it smelled funny. “Are your sister and niece coming back tonight?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, why do you ask?” Stone picked up a spoon and stirred the contents of the pot. He brought the spoon up to his mouth and licked it. His eyes closed in ecstasy at the taste.
Izzy tried not to gag. “When do you expect them back?”
Stone’s mouth tightened. “I don’t know. In a few days,” he said. “We’ll be out of their hair by then, so stop worrying.”
Their return wasn’t what worried Izzy. It was the fact that it didn’t look as if they’d left.
“Do they have another house?” she asked. That would explain not needing to pack.
“No,” Stone said. “Not that I know of.”
His response gave her pause. This was his sister he was talking about. Surely he’d know if she owned more than one property.
“Are you sure she doesn’t mind us staying here?” Izzy asked.
Stone dropped the spoon into the pot. It hit the liquid with a kerplunk and sent droplets onto the stove. He turned to face her. “What’s this all about?” he asked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you weren’t grateful that I rescued you.”
“I—I am,” she stammered. “I mean, I do appreciate it.”
He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “It’s getting late. Unless you want something to eat, you should probably get some rest,” he said.
Izzy smelled the food again. The odor seemed even worse than before. “No thanks. I’m not very hungry.”
“Your loss,” Stone said, then took another spoonful.
She had no intention of eating it, but she was curious. “What is it?” she asked.
Stone grinned at her. “Game,” he said.
His response didn’t exactly narrow it down, but it didn’t matter. “Enjoy,” Izzy said, then wandered back to the little girl’s room.
Before she entered the room, Stone called her name. Izzy turned to find him standing at the entrance of the hall. “I’ll stand guard in case the monsters find us. If you need anything, I’ll be right outside the door.”
Suddenly Izzy didn’t feel as if she’d been rescued. She felt like a prisoner whose guard would be stationed at her door. Izzy didn’t know what to say, so she nodded and stepped into the room.
The second she was out of sight, Izzy opened her mind to her gift. She needed to figure out what was happening. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her gift flowed out of her straight into something solid.
Izzy’s eyes flew open. Something was blocking her, blocking it. Stone said he had the ability to block the monsters and people like her, but Izzy had only wanted to check in with the other side. She should’ve been able to get through to her spirit guides. Weird...
Maybe she was just tired. It had been a long evening, and she’d been through a lot. Izzy would try again later once she’d gotten some sleep—if she managed to sleep at all.
* * * * *
Chapter Thirteen
Tristan stepped out of the darkness. His mercury eyes glowed silver as his gaze swept over her. He was naked like the last time she’d seen him and gloriously aroused. Izzy licked her lips and scooted across the bed to make room for him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said. “I was worried that you wouldn’t be.”
“You’ve been a bad girl, Isabel,” he said.
“I’m sorry that I left you,” she murmured, meaning it. “I was just freaked out after... I don’t expect you to understand. We both knew sleeping together was a mistake.”
“You shouldn’t have run from me.” He stopped next to the bed.
Izzy patted the bed beside her. “If I could take it back, I would.”
He smiled, flashing long canines, and took a seat. The bed dipped beneath his weight. “What am I going to do with you?” he asked.
“You can start by holding me,” she said, unable to meet his gaze.
“Is that what you truly want?” he asked.
“Yes.” Izzy nodded.
Tristan slid into bed beside her and pulled Izzy into his arms. His strength made her feel safe. He ran his hand down the side of her body and kissed her, lingering on her lips until her toes tingled.
“Open for me,” he said as he pulled her under him.
Izzy did as he asked. She was so grateful that he was alive that she’d do anything to please him, even if that meant feeling foolish in the morning.
Tristan climbed between her thighs.
Izzy grasped his shoulders as he nudged her entrance.
She felt him swell even more. He’d done that the last time they were together. At the time, Izzy had been too far gone to take notice, but now she was fully aware.
“Is that normal?” she asked.
Tristan smiled. “For me it is.” His teeth were even longer now and so sharp they could slice through steel.
“Maybe we should talk first,” Izzy said. “I need to explain.”
“A minute ago, you told me that you wanted me,” Tristan said. “What’s the matter, Isabel? Change your mind already?”
There was no warmth in his eyes when Izzy met his gaze. Only the cold stare of a killer.
“You betrayed me, Isabel.” Blood began to drip down Tristan’s face. “You left me to die,” he snarled.
“I’m sorry.” Tears welled in Izzy’s eyes as blo
od hit her cheek. She tried to wipe it away, but there was too much.
Blood covered Tristan’s white hair and obscured his features. “Do you know what happens to people who betray me and my kind?”
She shook her head.
His lip curled flashing his sharp teeth, then Tristan attacked.
Izzy awoke screaming. Her limbs thrashed as she struggled to get away. She reached for her throat, expecting to find it torn open. It wasn’t. Her heart continued to thunder. She scanned the darkness for Tristan, but nothing looked familiar. All she knew for sure was that he was gone.
The door hit the wall, knocking a hole in the plaster. The light from the hallway temporarily blinded her. Stone rushed into the room, carrying a bunch of knives in his hand. By the time Izzy was able to focus, the knives were gone.
“Are you okay?” he asked, frantically searching the room.
“I’m fine,” she said, quickly wiping her tears away. “I had a nightmare.”
“Is that why you shouted the monster’s name?” he asked.
For a second Stone’s eyes glowed, but the flash was there and gone so fast that Izzy couldn’t be sure her sleep-fogged brain hadn’t invented the light.
She didn’t remember calling out Tristan’s name, but she did remember the horrible dream. “Sorry I woke you,” Izzy said.
“You didn’t,” Stone replied. “Want to talk about it?”
She did, but not with him. Izzy plumped her pillow. “I’m really tired. I think I want to try to go back to sleep.”
Stone looked as if he wanted to argue. “Sure,” he said instead. “See you in the morning.”
The moment he shut the door, Izzy curled into a ball, and hugged herself. She should never have left Tristan. The dream or vision proved it. Now more than ever she needed to know if he was okay. There had to be some way she could find out. Izzy couldn’t leave town until she did.
The dream had allowed her to admit a hard truth. The feelings she had for Tristan weren’t going away. She’d eventually have to face if she wanted to move on with her life.
In the dream, there’d been so much blood. He had to be all right. “Please be all right,” she murmured.
“Izzy, did you say something?” Stone asked from the other side of the closed door.
How had he heard her?
Izzy closed her eyes a second before the door to her bedroom opened. She felt Stone’s gaze upon her. Izzy kept her breathing even and didn’t move. Her pulse throbbed in her throat, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. He stood in the doorway for what felt like an eternity, before he eventually closed the door.
It wasn’t until she heard the click that Izzy released the breath she held.
* * * * *
Tristan groaned and rolled onto his back. He came to with his head pounding and a vague memory of being attacked by the Darkling. He tried to sit up and immediately fell back down. What had the Darkling hit him with, a truck?
He opened his eyes, and the first thing Tristan saw was Pierre’s face. The Alpha stood over him with a concerned expression.
“Mon ami, I’m so glad you’re back with us,” he said. “You had me worried.” Pierre held out his hand to help Tristan up. “You look like hell, by the way.”
“Feel worse.” It was a testament to how bad he felt that Tristan accepted the Alpha’s assistance. He glanced around the cabin and noticed the darkness outside the window. How long had he been out? “Where’s Isabel?” he croaked. The bed was still in disarray from the earlier lovemaking, but her things were gone.
Pierre’s expression suddenly blanked. “I am sorry, my friend, but we haven’t been able to find her. There were no signs of a struggle,” he said. “But my wolves will continue to search.”
No signs of a struggle? That would mean that Isabel had left voluntarily. Why would she do such a thing? Tristan thought about how he’d behaved after they’d made love and had a sinking feeling. The Darkling didn’t have to take Isabel. Tristan had driven her away—straight into his enemy’s arms.
He swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Its bitterness was nothing compared to the taste of shame. “The Darkling has her.”
“Then why aren’t you dead?” Pierre asked.
“Good question.” Tristan had thought for sure the creature was going to kill him. It had to have been Isabel who saved him. It wasn’t in a Darkling’s nature to show mercy.
Pierre sniffed. “I don’t mean to point out the obvious,” he said. “But why does the cabin smell like sex, mon ami?”
“I don’t have time for this crap,” Tristan said.
Pierre grinned. “So you sleep with her. I thought as much,” he said. “I just needed confirmation. Had it been the Darkling, you wouldn’t be so defensive.”
Tristan froze. Until that moment, it hadn’t even crossed his mind that the Darkling might take Isabel against her will in that way. At least not until they’d crossed into his realm. He pictured her horrorstruck face and felt his lungs squeeze until he could barely breathe.
Not since he lost his brother had Tristan experienced terror on this level. The unwelcome emotion drove home just how much the little hoyden meant to him.
He rushed across the room and lifted the sheets to his nose. The musky scent of well-loved woman filled his lungs, along with the earthy aroma of Kin. The scent soothed his beast for a moment, but Tristan knew the emotion wouldn’t last.
Pierre shook his head and gave him a sad smile. “The fact you are smelling that sheet in your hand proves she means something to you. I hope for your sake we are able to get her back.”
Tristan’s beast growled. The sound made Pierre and the young wolf who’d just entered the cabin freeze. Tristan felt his control weaken and his other push to the surface.
Pierre’s eyes glowed as he faced Tristan. “This will not help,” he said. “Get control of yourself.”
White fur rippled over Tristan’s arms, and claws sprang from his fingertips, as he struggled to cage his beast.
The Alpha growled, and black fur spread over his skin. “I understand what she is to you, even if you’re not ready to admit it, but you must keep it together. You won’t be able to save her if you don’t.”
Tristan yanked hard on his beast’s leash. It reluctantly gave way, but not before it snapped at him. The fur faded back into his skin and his claws retracted. “Let me just gather my things.”
“You might want to put on some clothes,” Pierre said. “Can’t exactly walk through town like that.”
Tristan glanced down. The towel he’d been wearing was lying on the floor where he’d fallen. He shrugged and pulled on a pair of jeans, then grabbed a shirt. Tristan glanced around the cabin. He didn’t want to leave, because there was always a chance that Isabel would return, though it was unlikely.
He packed his tote and gathered his weapons. He tucked the sword he’d named Selene into its sheath then glanced at Pierre. “What if—”
“One of my wolves will stay here just in case,” he said, cutting Tristan off. “For now, let’s head back into town to regroup and recover. You are in no condition to fight tonight.”
Tristan hated to admit it, but Pierre was right. He just hoped the Darkling was in bad shape, too. Being near Selene had affected him, but to what degree?
“Can you drive?” Pierre asked.
Tristan scowled at him.
“I had to ask, since I have no idea how long you’ve been out,” Pierre said.
Tristan glanced at the clock and frowned. He’d been out for several hours. That wasn’t good. It said a lot about how powerful the Darkling was.
“Why did you come here?” he asked, wondering how Pierre knew he was in trouble.
Pierre hesitated. “I sensed the evil and felt your strength wane.”
Tristan’s brow furrowed. “How? I’m not one of your wolves.”
Pierre grinned. “You don’t have to be mine for me to detect you,” he said. “You of all people should know that, Enforcer.”
“I’ll follow you,” he said.
“Do keep up,” Pierre said, then headed out the door.
Tristan spent the night tossing and turning at the Alpha’s house. Normally when wolves surrounded him he slept well, but tonight sleep evaded him.
He kept picturing Isabel’s face as she came apart in his arms. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He tried not to think about how hurt she’d looked when he’d fled to the bathroom.
Ashamed by his cowardice, Tristan sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face. Where was she? Was she still in this world or had she already slipped into the other? Wherever Isabel was, Tristan wanted her back, wanted to know that she was safe.
He should’ve taken her blood when he had the chance. If he had, Tristan would be able to track her anywhere. But if he had taken her blood during sex, he would’ve bound her to him. The thought should’ve disturbed him, but for some reason it didn’t. He wanted to go back to that moment and do what he should’ve done from the start.
Tristan didn’t think Isabel would’ve appreciated waking up to find herself bound to a werewolf, but that connection would have damn sure come in handy now. New Orleans was a big place, even bigger when you factored in all the parishes outside of the city proper. Then there were the swamps...
He lay back down and closed his eyes. With his Lycanian Elder job, Tristan had accepted long ago that he’d never have a mate. He’d vowed to stay clear of humans after Aidan and Damon had bound them and bred true. Now...well, nothing had really changed.
Even as the thought filtered through Tristan’s mind, he knew that it wasn’t true. He’d give his life to get Isabel back safely. If that Darkling was as powerful as he suspected, that might be what it took.
* * * * *
Chapter Fourteen
Izzy awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and a shower running. She turned over, expecting to see the cabin. Instead, she came face to face with a popular princess.
Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan Page 14