by Sara Snow
The Enlightenment
Book 2 of the Bloodmoon Wars Series ( A Paranormal Shifter Romance Series)
Sara Snow
Contents
1. Elinor
2. Cyrus
3. Cyrus
4. Elinor
5. Will
6. Elinor
7. Elinor
8. Cyrus
9. Elinor
10. Elinor
11. Elinor
12. Cyrus
13. Elinor
14. Skye
15. Elinor
16. Skye
The Bloodmoon Wars Continues…
Also By Sara Snow
Enjoy This Book? I would love to hear from you…
About the Author
1
Elinor
I clenched my fists to stop my hands from trembling. Connor, now in his wolf form, was looking at Will with murder in his black eyes while I stood there, panicked. Large droplets of rain fell around us as thunder rumbled loudly above.
The sensation of having Will’s lips on mine faded, washed away by the realization that my world was about to come crumbling down.
An Alpha-born werewolf—yes, me—caught kissing a vampire. If anyone ever found out about this, life as I knew it would be over. My actions would bring disgrace to the Blackwood name and subject our pack to ridicule. And worse, if Connor didn’t kill Will, my father surely would. Then he’d probably kill me as well.
What have I done?
Connor growled as he lowered his head to the ground, his fur ruffling as the surrounding wind blew stronger. I looked at Will and frowned at the calm expression on his face. He didn’t seem bothered or the least bit frightened. Instead, he just stood there and stared at Connor without even blinking.
Connor bared his fangs.
I stepped forward, my hands raised. "Connor, listen to me. You didn't need to signal the others. I’m not in danger. Please, let me explain what you just saw.”
He growled at me and snapped his jaws. It was clear he wasn’t interested in listening to my explanation. He rushed forward with a guttural growl. Beside me, Will became a blur, and before I could stop him, he ran at Connor. I watched in horror as the two men—or rather, one vamp and one wolf—collided.
My hand flew to my mouth as Connor’s large teeth missed Will’s throat by an inch.
“Connor! Will! Stop this!” I yelled, but neither of them was listening to me. “Please stop!”
As the Beta of my pack, it was Connor’s job to keep the peace. While my father sat at the head of our pack, Connor was at the very end, keeping everything together. He held immense power, carrying out my father's orders and overseeing the pack when my father was away.
He had howled the moment he’d found me with Will. More wolves from my pack would arrive any minute. I reached behind me to remove my dress. Perhaps if I shifted and tried to end their fight in my wolf form, it would work.
I looked up when I heard a loud whimper—Will had thrown Connor against the trunk of a tree. I watched as the pack Beta slid down the trunk to the ground but was back on his feet swiftly. He snarled loudly as he circled Will, his eyes never leaving Will’s face.
He was obviously looking for an opening to attack, but even with Will's back to me, I realized there wouldn’t be one. There was a dark aura around Will that I'd never seen before. He stood there, rooted in one place, as Connor circled him.
Connor rushed forward, then to my surprise, he froze mid-attack. I frowned as I watched him. Connor was still looking straight at Will, but he didn’t move a muscle. Will took one step forward and then another, and my frown deepened.
Will spoke, his words a mumbled whisper not even I was able to hear.
What in Goddess’s name he is doing?
My hand fell to my side as I forgot about shifting. What was happening, and why had the fight stopped so suddenly? However, my confusion increased further when Will turned away from Connor and began walking towards me.
Behind him, Connor shook his head for a moment, then closed his eyes and lifted his head up to the sky, howling long and hard. He was telling the wolves he’d previously summoned that all was well and there was no need for them to come.
My eyes moved back and forth between him and Will.
“What’s going on?” I asked Will as he drew closer. “What did you do?”
He said nothing in response as he walked towards the cliff, his hand brushing against mine as he passed me.
“Will?”
He strolled off the cliff without so much as a glance backward.
What the hell?
I turned around to find that Connor had already shifted into his human form. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, his brows tightly knitted. “Connor? A-are you okay?”
He looked up, and his hand fell away from his face as he nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.” He glared at me as his lips tightened, and my eyes widened. “What the hell were you doing? I thought you were going to fall over the cliff. Have you completely lost your mind?”
Um, what?
I said nothing, just stared at him in confusion. Did he hit his head or something during the fight?
He arched a brow at me, as if I was the one acting out of character. “I thought you had slipped . . .” He shook his head as he looked down at his bare chest and then at his ripped shirt on the ground. “You’re buying me another shirt.”
“So . . . you thought I was going to fall off the cliff?” I asked hesitantly. He nodded. “Yeah, I was patrolling the woods when I picked up on your scent. Why are you so far off our territory anyway? Come on, let’s go.”
He turned to leave, but I was still in shock and unable to move. What had Will done to him? It was as if someone had wiped and replaced his memory. Were vampires capable of doing something like that?
I remembered a rumor circulating a few years ago saying vampires were capable of compelling their victims to make them compliant. There were so many stories about vampires, nobody was really sure what was true and what was not.
But compulsion was the only answer I could come up with right now. What else could it have been?
I glanced at the cliff behind me and listened to the sound of the rushing waves rolling up from below. I’d only known Will for a short time, but he’d gotten under my skin so quickly and so easily. Yet I knew so little about him. I reached up and touched my lips, closing my eyes.
I came to our spot tonight to tell him we couldn’t see each other anymore—that I was now promised to another. And then he’d kissed me.
I opened my eyes and groaned with annoyance. Because I’d kissed him back. I’d wanted it—craved it—and now that it was over, I wanted more.
There was nothing to be done for it now. I turned around to follow Connor, lost in thought as we walked to my house in silence. One thought kept replaying in my mind, in a constant loop. Will had saved my life, and after that, I'd been unable to get him off my mind. Had he compelled me to believe I had feelings for him?
This was probably why vampires and werewolves didn’t mix. Actually, this was probably why vampires and any species didn’t mix. I sighed as my house came into view.
Again, I wondered . . . what if my feelings weren’t real? What if Will had compelled me to want to be with him?
And if that was the case, what was I going to do about it?
Skye
I dropped the potatoes I had just bought into the bag that Cyrus was carrying for me. We wal
ked from vendor to vendor, and soon, I only had one item left to get.
"There is literally no one selling peaches," I grumbled under my breath as I looked around the market. "I can't leave without them."
"It's getting late, Skye. I can return tomorrow to get some for you," Cyrus offered, but I shook my head. Peaches were my absolute favorite fruit.
“You know I can’t leave without them. Mom said she’d made pie if I brought some home,” I grumbled. He sighed heavily.
I arched a brow at him, at the annoyance on his face, and cleared my throat. "You offered to come with me, Cyrus. You could have waited for me at the house."
“Such an appreciative woman,” he growled sarcastically as he walked off. I followed him, still scanning the market for peaches.
“I see you two are still inseparable,” a voice said from behind me. I turned around to see Yathleen—an elf known for her potent healing herbs—smiling at me. “I’ve yet to get used to your friendship—a demon and a werewolf.” She shook her head, then narrowed her eyes. “Where is the third?”
“Oh, Elinor is at home. She’s been pretty busy lately,” I answered.
Yathleen smiled again. “I see.”
“So,” I grinned. “Do you have anything for me?”
Her long white hair blew wildly in the wind while my short dark curls only moved a little. And her milky white skin was a distinct contrast to mine. We looked like we lived on two different worlds.
“Of course,” she answered, her soft eerie voice, a given for all elves, caressing my ear.
She reached into the basket in her hand and pulled out a bunch of herbs tied together with a string. Even though werewolves usually healed on their own, training to become a pack doctor included learning about herbal medicines. Some wounds were beyond a werewolf’s natural healing abilities, and we occasionally needed to use supplemental treatments.
“Thank you.” I told her as I gave the herbs to Cyrus, who was waiting impatiently behind me. He was usually easygoing, so I couldn’t help but wonder what his problem was. I paid Yathleen, and we said our goodbyes.
“Hey, what’s going on with you?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Nothing, I . . .” he sighed. “I need to feed.”
My brows arched at that as heat crept up my cheeks. As an incubus, Cyrus was forced to feed on the sexual desires of others in order to survive. Of course, the moment he said those words, I instantly recalled him feeding on me—and the kiss we shared afterward.
I cleared my throat. “I see. Well, um, we can take care of that when we get home.”
His chuckle stopped me in my tracks. I glared up at him.
“You’re cute when you get flustered, Skye.” He leaned in, his face just inches from mine. “I can go without feeding tonight, but I need to take care of it soon. But look, I think what you’re looking for is right behind you.”
I turned around, suddenly needing some distance between us. “Oh, there they are.”
I walked away without saying another word, but I could feel his eyes on me. Cyrus and I talking about things like this—out in the open—could be a problem. No one knew about the feelings we had for each other, and it had to stay that way. Although my pack openly welcomed Cyrus despite his demon heritage, a romantic relationship between us would push the boundaries of that goodwill past the breaking point.
"Cyrus!" I heard a small voice call out as I took the bag of peaches from the vendor I had been chatting with.
I turned around and found Cyrus circled by kids. They were all talking at once, each one wanting his full attention. I remained where I was as they bombarded him with questions until a female centaur and elf joined them. I smiled at a little boy who was sitting on the back of the centaur, stealing shy glances at Cyrus.
The half-woman, half-horse supernatural used her tail to gently slap the boy on her back. "Still too shy to speak to Cyrus, are you, David?”
Cyrus smiled as he moved closer to better see the human boy who only tried to hide further. I chuckled to myself and Cyrus turned to me. His piercing grey eyes stared into mine for a moment and my heart skipped a beat before I hurriedly looked away.
I’d known for a long time that Cyrus spent hours at an orphanage for both the human children and supernatural ones here in town during his free time. But I’d never actually seen him with the kids. I watched him smile as he picked up a boy and girl, balancing one on either hip easily.
It was obvious he loved children, and they adored him. Even the young pups in my pack were obsessed with him. It was just more proof of that Cyrus was special. He had saved my life back when we were kids and had earned a place among my pack, though he was a demon. Every day, he proved that he was one of a kind.
Yet I knew he still had those primal demon urges. But didn’t we all have a little darkness within us?
After a moment, the elf and woman who ran the orphanage pried the children away from Cyrus. Waving his goodbyes to them, he returned to my side.
“I have an idea,” I said, ignoring the way he narrowed his eyes. “Do you remember telling me you felt as if you don’t have a purpose here?” His eyes narrowed further as he took the bag of peaches from me. “Well, I think you should teach the pups in our pack.”
He paused. “Come on, Skye, don’t play around. I thought you were being serious there for a minute.”
“I am! Just hear me out, okay? You’re great with children, so you’d be a natural teacher. Why not help the pups in my pack? They don’t start learning about dark creatures until they’re in their teens. And even then, they only learn to fear those creatures, or worse, hate them—even though they see you, a demon, around all the time. You can educate them about all supernaturals, while also showing them that not all creatures classified as dark are evil.”
I could see the wheels turning in his head as he glanced from side to side. "I admit, that's not a bad idea. But Alpha Grayson will have to agree to something like that. Sure, I'm allowed onto pack territory freely and all, but I'm not exactly a part of the pack."
I rolled my eyes. “My mother raised you on pack territory. You’re one of us, and you know it. I’m sure Alpha Grayson will see that my idea is brilliant because hey, I’m brilliant. Now, I think I spotted a merchant selling grapes over there. Wait here, will you?”
Recently, Cyrus had confessed to me he felt he added nothing to the pack, that he had no real purpose. True, he didn’t have a job, per se, and was more of a wanderer. Still, I’d be damned if I allowed him to think he didn’t belong with us. His habit of not feeding—even when he was starving—drove me crazy enough as it was.
Escaping the Demon Realm as a child and being raised by werewolves had been hard on Cyrus. When his urge to feed first emerged, he had to leave us. Elinor, my mother, and I were at a loss as to how to help him, and we were also at risk of being affected by his uncontrollable power. We had no choice but to let him go. After he returned several months later—in full control of his abilities and thirst—he refused to discuss where he’d been and what he’d done while he was gone. But he’d found his control somewhere.
Over time, I decided it was best I didn't know. But if he became a teacher and worked around children daily, he'd have no choice but to remain fed. Even though he didn’t grow up in the Demon Realm, he was well-educated and well-traveled. The pups would learn a lot from him.
A tingle went down my spine at the memory of us lying on the floor of my house.
I shook my head as night drew closer and darkness steadily settled over the world.
“Thank you,” I said as I took the grapes from the elderly human merchant.
She nodded, and I walked back to Cyrus. The first vendor I had come across had been selling her grapes for far too much money. So, after asking Cyrus to wait on me, I was forced to make my way through an alley to the other side of the market. That had been over ten minutes ago. Still, since Cyrus hadn’t shown up yet to drag me home, I guessed I was safe from his wrath.
I just knew
it pissed him off, though. I really hadn’t planned on staying out this long.
“Hey gorgeous, need some company?”
I stopped in my tracks, turning around quickly to see two humans walking towards me. I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. “You fools have a death wish? Go mess with someone else.”
Even someone without heightened senses like mine would’ve been able to smell the stench of alcohol on the two men as they kept moving towards me, wearing in dirty rags that somehow passed for clothing. “I said get lost!” I growled. My brown eyes changed to black as my fangs elongated, and they took a step back, finally seeming to realize the danger they were in.
Supernaturals and humans in this town lived in harmony most of the time, but occasionally someone stepped out of line and caused friction between the two species. I had no intention of being the one to start anything, even if these fools were the aggressors.
My nostrils flared as I picked up on the scent of a third human, but when I spun around, it was too late. I gasped as something sharp pricked my neck. When I quickly pulled the object out of my skin, I saw it was a needle coated in a green substance.
My eyes fell on the human that had sneaked up on me, his wide grin revealing rotten teeth.
“You men are scum—” I said, but before I could finish, my legs buckled. My eyes became blurry as I fell to the ground. I paled at the sound of the sickening laughter coming from the three men.
No, no . . . this can’t be happening!
I tried to call on my wolf to shift, but the numbness in my legs was steadily spreading to the rest of my body. A gust of wind blew dust into my eyes, making me squint as I fell helplessly to the side, my head hitting the ground hard.