Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan

by Jordan Summers

  She pushed the covers away and glanced around. It took her a moment to remember where she was and how she got there. As soon as she did, her hopes fell.

  Izzy had never been one for regrets, but when it came to Tristan Chevalier, she had more than a few. She wondered again if he was okay. There was no way of knowing for sure. The dream flashed in her mind. It had been horrific, but at least he’d been alive. Izzy clung to that aspect. She had to. It was either that or fall apart.

  She threw the covers back and rolled out of bed. Izzy listened for the shower. It was still going, so she slipped out of the room. She found a pot of coffee sitting next to the stove.

  For one crazy minute, Izzy considered stealing Stone’s car, but she didn’t think she could take it and get away before he caught up with her. She still had the phone he’d given her. Her best bet was to call Everly.

  Izzy poured herself a cup of coffee and walked to the back door. A small porch had been attached to the rear of the house. The screened-in area held a couple of chairs and a small table. She turned the knob, expecting to find it locked, but the door opened.

  She glanced down the hall, but the bathroom door remained closed and the water continued to run. Izzy stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind her. She’d just pulled the phone out of her pocket when the breeze shifted and the stench hit her.

  Izzy gagged. She’d forgotten all about the dead alligator. She blindly reached for the doorknob to go back inside, but an inner voice told her to stop. Izzy always listened to those voices. They rarely steered her wrong.

  She peered into the yard. Like the front lawn, the back was well cared for and lined with flowerbeds. Other than a few birds, she didn’t spot any movement. She’d never seen an alligator up close.

  Curiosity got the best of her. Izzy shoved the phone into her pocket and put her coffee down on one of the chairs. She glanced back at the door and listened for footsteps, but didn’t hear anything.

  Izzy pushed the screen door open and took the two stairs down into the yard. The odor was stronger now. She checked to make sure the stench hadn’t attracted more alligators.

  She didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. They were masters at hiding in plain sight.

  Her inner voice urged her forward. The odor made her eyes water, but she kept going. When she neared the shed, her instincts screamed at her to stop. Izzy hesitated, but it was too late to turn back now. She was outside the door.

  The tin structure was no more than ten by twenty in size. Rust covered the sides of two walls, thanks to the high humidity. The door to the shed was the kind that slid open. It would make a horrendous noise the second she touched it, alerting Stone.

  Izzy stared at the door, studying it for what felt like an eternity. “Just open it,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s just the alligator.” Why was her heart pounding? Why was she hesitating? Was it because Stone had told her to stay out of the backyard? Or was something else directing her?

  She glanced one last time at the house. There was no sign of Stone, but he had to be done with his shower by now. Would he think that she was still asleep? He’d know she wasn’t when she opened the door.

  Izzy took a deep breath and grabbed the handle. The door screeched as she wrenched it aside. The shed’s interior was dark. Sunlight barely penetrated the glom. Izzy waited for her eyes to adjust then scanned the space.

  At first, all she spotted were tools for doing lawn work. She didn’t see an alligator or anything else that would explain the gut-kicking, nausea-creating stench.

  She looked again. The second time, she spotted a lump on the floor. The pile was too small to be an alligator and too large to be rags. It took a moment for Izzy’s brain to register what her eyes were showing it. When it did, bile rose in her throat, choking her. She took one step back and vomited, then like a driver passing a bad car accident, Izzy looked again.

  The woman’s esophagus had been ripped out, and scratches covered the front of her body, leaving deep furrows in her clothes and flesh. Beside her was a smaller mass.

  “No,” she murmured. “Please no.”

  But her denial didn’t change the facts. The smaller bundle resembled the little girl she’d seen in the photographs—or what was left of her. She’d been wrapped in a pink blanket, but the cloth didn’t conceal the fact that half of her body was missing.

  Not missing, Izzy thought. Eaten. She’d been eaten.

  Izzy backed out of the shed and collided with a hard chest. Her legs nearly collapsed beneath her, and she let out a loud scream that was cut off by Stone’s hand.

  “You’ve been a bad girl, Izzy,” he said. “I told you to stay out of the backyard. You should’ve listened.”

  Pain knifed through Izzy’s chest, and she couldn’t seem to breathe. She gasped and gasped until Stone grabbed her by the neck and led her to the middle of the yard.

  The second he stopped, Izzy dropped to her knees. “What have you done?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

  “Stone, you need help. Serious help,” she said. “This woman and her child weren’t a threat.” Had he somehow mistaken these two for werewolves? If so, he was further gone than she’d anticipated. “Why did you kill them?”

  “I got hungry waiting for you,” he said so matter-of-factly that it took Izzy a moment to comprehend.

  “What?” Izzy glanced up at him. She couldn’t have heard him correctly.

  “Don’t knock human flesh until you try it, Izzy,” he said. “It’s quite tasty, especially the young ones. They’re tender and sweet.” Stone stepped around her until he stood near her head. “I offered you some last night, but you were too good share a meal with me.”

  Izzy gulped. “That’s what was cooking in the pot? A child?” Her stomach lurched, and she vomited again.

  “You make me sound like I’m a monster,” he said, his disgust evident.

  “If you’re capable of doing that to a defenseless woman and her child, then you are,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Stone glared at her. “You have no idea what I’m capable of,” he said softly. “You’ll change your tune once we get to my home.”

  Izzy staggered to her feet. “You said you lived here.”

  His lip curled. “You know I don’t. I believe that’s obvious now.” He glanced over her shoulder toward the bodies. “I wouldn’t live in this world if you paid me.”

  Her mouth watered and she swallowed hard, fighting the urge to throw up again. “This world? What are you talking about? Stone, let me get you help.”

  “You’re not very bright,” he said. “Doesn’t really matter. I didn’t fetch you for your brains. As long as your other parts are working, that’s all that matters to my people.”

  Izzy scrambled back, searching for a way to escape. “What do you mean by your people?”

  “Don’t bother trying to run,” Stone said. “I will catch you. I’m very fast, when I need to be.”

  Cold enveloped her, until Izzy felt oddly calm inside. It was the kind of calm that came when someone knew they were going to die and accepted the fact. “What do you plan to do with me?”

  “I told you,” he said. “I’m taking you to my world.”

  His words finally registered. “You’re the Darkling that Tristan has been hunting,” she said.

  Stone laughed. “Finally she gets it.”

  Izzy shook her head. “You said you were like me.”

  “I lied,” he said.

  “But that doesn’t make sense,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I can detect evil and see hidden beasts,” she said. “It’s part of my gift. You should’ve set off my internal alarms the second I got close to you.”

  “Ah, yes, your gift.” Stone glanced around the yard. “I’m sure the fact that my magic is stronger than your ‘gift’ is unsettling. It’s always a tough lesson to learn that your power isn�
�t as strong as you thought it was. Don’t feel too bad. Soon all humans will know that they are not the be all and end all of existence.”

  “What does that mean?” Izzy asked.

  “It means we’re coming,” he said. “Soon this world and the women in it will be ours.”

  “You’re insane.” She took another step back. “Tristan is going to come for you,” she said.

  “I’m sure he will if he’s still alive. I hit him pretty hard. Thanks again for helping me get close to him,” Stone said.

  Guilt over what she’d done swamped her. Izzy had been so stupid.

  “By the time Tristan recovers, you and I will be long gone.” He glanced up at the bright morning sky and winced. “You should probably enjoy the sunshine while you can. It doesn’t exist where we’re going.”

  The thought of living in constant darkness terrified her. Izzy would rather die than be trapped somewhere like that.

  Stone sighed. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  Did he or was this another lie? “You can read my mind.” Izzy tried to clear her thoughts.

  “I don’t need to be able to read your mind. The look on your face told me that you were thinking about doing something stupid,” he said. “Don’t! Or I’ll have to tie you up for the rest of the day.”

  “We’re not leaving right now,” she said. There was still time for her to escape. Izzy made sure her hope didn’t show.

  “No.” Stone shook his head. “We’ll leave tonight as planned.” He took a step toward her.

  She skittered back.

  “Izzy, I may not have read your mind a minute ago, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t,” Stone said. “Try to keep that in mind as you make your escape plans. Now come along. Looks like I’ll have to tie you up after all.”

  “No,” she said. “I won’t go with you. There has to be someone in this neighborhood that will help me.”

  “The people in this neighborhood learned a long time ago to mind their own business and only count on themselves when there’s trouble,” he said. “You can scream if you want, but know this: if someone does come to your rescue, I’ll kill them. Their death will be on your head. Do we understand each other?”

  All too well, she thought. Izzy couldn’t endanger anyone else. Stone had already proven that he could kill without remorse. One more death wouldn’t matter.

  He waited for her to answer.

  “Yes,” she said reluctantly.

  “Good,” Stone said. “Now come inside like a good little breeder and let me tie you up.”

  “What if I promise not to try to escape?” she asked.

  Stone smiled at her. “We both know that would be a lie.”

  * * * * *

  Tristan shifted into his wolf. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, certainly not enough to recover from his injuries, but the shift would change all that.

  Within seconds, he was back in his human form and heading to the shower. He stepped under the spray, and memories from the last time he’d been in the shower returned.

  Tristan had been hiding from Isabel, unable to face her and the emotions she’d dredged up after they’d made love. At least now he accepted the fact that they had made love. As much as he wished otherwise, it wasn’t just sex.

  If only he hadn’t run away, then none of this would’ve happened. Guilt assailed him. It joined the weight he carried from the past. Tristan couldn’t do anything about those mistakes, but he could affect the future. At least he hoped he could.

  Tristan closed his eyes and pictured Isabel lying on the bed, her multi-colored hair spread out around her head. Her lips had been swollen from his kisses, and she’d had the sleepy-eyed expression of a woman well loved. The satisfied expression vanished, the second he ran into the bathroom.

  He ducked his head under the water, hoping it would wash away some of the regrets, but water was only so strong. It didn’t have the power to cleanse one’s soul.

  Tristan hurried through his shower. He was done hiding from life. It was time to accept both the pain and the pleasure that came with this existence. He just hoped he had another chance to feel some of that pleasure with Isabel before it all ended.

  The moment Tristan stepped out of the bathroom, he encountered Pierre’s assistant. “The Alpha has issued an invitation for you to join him for breakfast in the sunroom,” he said.

  “I’ll be right down,” Tristan said.

  Five minutes later, Tristan sat across from Pierre La Fontaine as the Alpha’s hired help served them breakfast in the enclosed veranda.

  Ceiling fans churned the air lazily over a small four-seater table. It was set for two, letting Tristan know that the Alpha wanted this to be a private conversation.

  Pierre waited for the staff to load up the plates in front of them and pour the coffees. “Feeling better?” he asked, after the staff exited the room and shut the door behind them.

  Tristan shrugged. “I’m fit enough to take care of what needs to be done.”

  “For your sake, I hope so. What do you plan to do?” Pierre asked, taking a bite of blood sausage. Like most Weres, the Alpha preferred a high protein diet.

  Tristan took a sip of his coffee. A hint of chicory hit his palate, and he nearly groaned in ecstasy. This town could do coffee. He’d give them that.

  “I’m going after them,” he said. He owed the Darkling for hitting him upside the head and nearly crushing his skull.

  “That’s a given,” Pierre said, then took another bite. “What I want to know is where are you going to start your hunt?”

  Tristan thought about it. He had to narrow the search area down. If he didn’t, he’d never find them in time. If the Darkling managed to drag Isabel into his world, then there’d be no getting her back. The spot in the center of his chest throbbed. He rubbed it absently.

  Pierre watched him but said nothing.

  “When I first met Isabel, she hung out with a friend in Jackson Square,” Tristan said. “The woman is also a Sighted-One.”

  Pierre’s eyebrows shot to his dark hairline. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve had her picked up or at least watched.”

  “I’ve had my hands full,” Tristan said.

  The Alpha grinned. “Yes, you have.”

  Tristan growled.

  “Knock it off,” Pierre said. “Does the Darkling know about Isabel’s friend?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “It depends on how long he’s been stalking her. He didn’t strike me as being very patient.”

  Pierre sat forward. “We can’t let him get his hands on another Sighted-One.”

  “I agree,” Tristan said. “But I don’t think it’s smart to grab Everly. If she’s able, I do think Isabel will try to contact her. I need her to be there to get that call.”

  “That’s a huge risk you’re taking,” Pierre said.

  “I know,” Tristan said.

  “What if she leaves town?”

  He shook his head. “Everly’s not going anywhere. Isabel tried to warn her to get out of town, but she refused to leave.”

  Tristan pictured Everly. The fiery Goth with a Moonlight Kin skull in her house was hardheaded like Isabel, but she was also loyal. If it were possible, Everly would be the first person Isabel contacted. What if Isabel was injured and wasn’t able to contact her? He couldn’t think about that or he’d go insane.

  “I don’t like the idea of another Sighted-One running around town unprotected,” Pierre said.

  Tristan picked up his fork and played with his food. “I don’t either,” he said. “But Everly is stubborn.”

  “You said the same thing about your human,” Pierre said.

  “She’s not my human,” Tristan replied.

  “The sheets in the cabin say otherwise,” he said.

  Tristan ignored the Alpha’s bait. “Even if Isabel hasn’t been in contact with her, Everly still might be able to help. From what I’ve seen, her gift is quite powerful. Possibly more powerful than Isabel’s,” he said. “Putti
ng your wolves on her won’t do any good. She’d know they were there. Everly has power objects in her home. Things that protect her and mask her presence.”

  “What kind of power objects?” Pierre put his fork down.

  “It’s not important,” Tristan said. He needed Pierre’s cooperation. If the Alpha found out about the skull, he’d pull his assistance and scoop up Everly immediately.

  “Let me decide what is and is not important in my territory,” Pierre said.

  “I’ll be more than happy to have this discussion once we get Isabel back,” he said, letting his frustration show.

  “I will not forget.”

  “You never do,” Tristan muttered.

  Pierre picked up his coffee cup and took a drink. “What makes you think Everly would help you?”

  “She wouldn’t, if it was just me asking,” Tristan said. “But she’d definitely help Isabel. Of that I am certain.”

  Pierre sighed. “What can I do to help?”

  “Have your wolves continue their search for Isabel’s scent, but if they haven’t found it by this evening, then call them in,” Tristan said. “The Darkling will make his move tonight. That’s when he’s most powerful.”

  “Do you think you can take him?” Pierre asked, setting his cup down.

  Tristan had the utmost confidence in his abilities, but he’d never encountered a being as powerful as this Darkling. He wasn’t sure if he could beat him in a fight, even with his sword, Selene. “I may not be able to take him, but I will stop him. One way or the other.”

  Pierre’s lips twitched. “Do me a favor,” he said.

  “What’s that?” Tristan asked.

  “Try not to get yourself killed,” he said.

  Tristan laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

  “When are you going to approach the other Sighted-One?” he asked.

  Tristan glanced at a clock on the wall. “Not for a few more hours. From what I gathered, she likes to stay out all night with the wannabe vampires.”

  Pierre’s brow furrowed. “The what?”

  Tristan picked up a piece of bacon and popped it in his mouth. “You know, the people who put in fake fangs and pretend to drink blood.”