by Morgan Fox
Moonlight Shifters 6
Enslaved by the Moon
For several years, werepanther Bianca Jacobs has sought out a way to regain her position within her pack. Her mission: Infiltrate the ranks of the vampire queen and place herself directly in the line of fire. Ending the queen’s reign of terror is within her grasp…if a certain hybrid doesn’t kill her first.
Betrayed by those he once trusted, Ryder O’Laughlin will stop at nothing to end the nightmare that has plagued his kind. Trapped between duty and consuming desire, Ryder must partner with Brody Sullivan, a werepanther with a secret of his own.
Can the three of them put aside their emotional conflicts and find a way to destroy a nefarious vampire queen and end the mutating were-virus once and for all?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 77,623 words
ENSLAVED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 6
Morgan Fox
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
ENSLAVED BY THE MOON
Copyright © 2013 by Morgan Fox
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-030-4
First E-book Publication: December 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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Regarding E-book Piracy
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This is Morgan Fox’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Fox’s right to earn a living from her work.
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DEDICATION
To my beloved husband, Eric, for always supporting me even when the road seemed too bumpy to travel.
To my amazing beta readers, Lydia Mazza and Andrea Ashby, who have helped make this story the best it can be.
Special thanks go out to my Moonlight & Ménage Group: Rana D. Adams, Marie Brown, April Todd Nagle, Louise Evans, Kimmi Wakefield, Tammy Faris, Tonda Pasowicz, Christy Zito Herbert, Melody Hillier, and Ursula Avery. Thank you so much for your help and support. You all hold a special place in my heart.
To my wonderful readers, none of this would be possible without your love of this series. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
About the Author
ENSLAVED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 6
MORGAN FOX
Copyright © 2013
Chapter 1
Bianca gasped, her erratic breaths moving from her lungs with a force that had her clutching a hand to her breast. The sheets beneath her were soaked with sweat. Her nightmare was coming true. Ryder O’Laughlin was coming for her. She could feel it straight into her bones.
Licking her dry, parched mouth, she reached over and brought a glass of water to her lips, swallowing back the cool liquid. After a few gulps of air, her breathing eased and her heart rate slowed to a steady beat, no longer feeling as if it prepared to explode from her chest.
Returning the empty glass to the nightstand, she slipped from the bed and made her way into the shower. She had to rinse away the dread that loomed in her heart, wash away the regret in her soul.
If only I could make things right.
Several weeks had passed since Ryder had warned her that he’d be coming for her. She could still feel the tight squeeze of his fingers around her arm, the heat more searing than a branding iron. Her heart sank into her belly and swirled with immense sadness and fear. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live. But she had never known Ryder to be merciful to those that had done him or his family harm. No matter that Lilly thought the mating bond between her and Ryder would keep her safe, Bianca knew she was as good as dead.
Instinct told her that she belonged with Ryder, that he was her chosen mate. But none of that mattered if he wasn’t prepared to claim her. And why would he after all that she had done? Even though her intentions had been good, no one believed that she was truly trying to infiltrate the vampires, destroy them from the inside. To everyone else, she was just as coldhearted and evil as Lilly, the vampire queen.
Her people had disowned her, robbed her of a life she craved more than anything. Finding a way back into that life was all that drove her. She knew now that her obsession would be her undoing.
Night after night, she dreamt of Ryder. Even after years of sleeping beside Brody, a werepanther she had come to love and need, her heart was never at rest. She desired her mate, not just her lover.
Realizing that she could never have both, she escaped Lilly and headed for the only sanctuary she had left in the world. But even tucked away in her cabin located in the deep mountains of Tennessee wouldn’t be far enough from Ryder’s grasp. He would find her. He was the be
st tracker in the world as far as she was concerned, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before he found her. Until then, she would wait, hoping that somehow he might discover the truth in her heart before he took her head, a required souvenir for Sebastian McCarthy.
* * * *
Brody Sullivan emptied the glass of whiskey and flagged the bartender for a refill. His gut churned as the fiery liquid filled his belly. For weeks, he’d been on Bianca’s trail and followed her from the moment she returned the McCarthy child to Ryder. She hid in the middle of nowhere.
As if that will keep you safe…
With his eyes, he searched the opaque barroom and sensed no sign of anything supernatural. Only humans lingered, drinking and socializing, clueless to the monster they had mixing in their midst. Brody wasn’t evil, he was just pissed off. The woman he loved had betrayed him. Bianca had gotten into bed with a vile creature that hunted and killed his kind. Lilly was the creator of the were-virus, which was incurable and could destroy the mind of a healthy werepanther or lycan in days.
Bianca had slithered her way into Lilly’s network without a care for her own kind.
That bitch…
Disgusted, Brody slammed back another shot and tapped the bar with a determined finger for another. The liquid was doing nothing to ease the bite in his heart, to soothe the weariness in his mind. With a little luck, he could drink enough to help him find a night worth of peace and finally find sleep when he closed his eyes, instead of being haunted by a pair of golden eyes, raven-black hair, and a sultry voice.
Damn it. Why, Bianca? Why?
A warm, delicate hand slid over his shoulder, and the scent of female arousal stunned him from his thoughts. “Hey stranger,” a husky, feminine voice whispered into his ear. “I’ve seen you in here the last few nights. You must be new in town.”
Finally, the sweet piece of ass slipped onto the barstool beside him. Her golden-blonde hair hung past her full breasts. She wore a red-and-blue plaid button-up shirt that was tied at the waist and opened to reveal just how perfectly pale her skin was. The skimpy blue jean shorts pulled up high on her thighs as she adjusted herself on the seat. His cock stirred, and he was tempted to take her to his pickup truck just to try and fuck the image of Bianca from his mind.
Her blonde hair spilling over my lap as she sucks my cock might do the trick.
“I’m Dani Lynne.” She smiled sweetly, and he wished he was the type of asshole who could butter her up and have her riding his cock like a two-bit whore. But he wasn’t, no matter how pissed off and angry he was. The girl was innocent and didn’t deserve the kind of hell he’d inflict on her.
He nodded and tossed back another shot of whiskey.
“Loss for words?” she teased, her accent revealing just how local she was.
He cocked his head, glancing at her more thoroughly. “Didn’t your parents teach you not to talk to strangers?” Brody muttered and then returned to stare into the empty glass.
She scooted closer, her breast bumping his arm. “I’ve never listened to my parents.” Her warm breath dipped into his ear. “But I think I’d like to listen to you.” Her hands slipped over his thigh and cupped his groin. His cock was hard, and there was no way to hide it. Shit.
“Oh,” she said, purring. “It would seem you’d like to talk to me, too.”
Brody quickly moved her hand away, his eyes still focused on the glass. “Sorry. That’s not for you, sweetheart.”
Bianca’s face crushed his thoughts. Even with a delectable woman like Dani Lynne offering herself to him, he couldn’t shake the need for Bianca. He loved her and most likely always would. He just didn’t know what to do with his broken heart.
He felt the chill return as Dani Lynne slipped off the barstool beside him and once again left him to his thoughts. The memory of Bianca saving him from Lilly’s vampires hit him with a force that left him clenching his jaw.
Weakened by a brutal beating thanks to Lilly’s minions, Brody had been scheduled for death. Naked and cold, he waited in the dark, lonely room for his end. His eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness and the only thing that told him Bianca was near was her exotic scent. Even knowing that she had joined forces with his enemy, he couldn’t stop his body from responding to her. She was in his blood, a fevered passion that could never be forgotten.
Strong, feminine arms wrapped around him, lifting up his battered body. “I’ve got you,” Bianca whispered, her breath upon his cheek. “Lean on me.”
Too weak to argue, he did. She placed something over his shoulders to cover his body. He tucked in against her, almost childlike, letting her lead him to his death. He was sure the woman he desired above all others was the one taking him to Lilly. Somehow he knew she would be the one to end his life since she was the only one who could truly destroy him.
He whimpered as she hurried them down an unlit hallway. He couldn’t tell if they were alone. He could only sense Bianca.
“How will you do it?” he muttered, his cracked ribs making it impossible for him to inhale fully.
“How will I do what?” she asked, her voice a reflection of the physical straining she endured practically carrying him.
“Will you watch?”
“Brody, honey, what are you talking about?”
Honey, an endearment she’d called him each time they made love. His body trembled with the memory of her touch, the warmth of her body, and the tenderness of her kiss. He shook his head, trying with all his might to forget how it felt to love her. He was failing miserably.
Her voice haunted him. He could hear her as she dragged him from Lilly’s lair, her body struggling to get him to move faster. At the time, he didn’t know she was trying to save him. Then again, maybe she was only trying to save her own ass. Perhaps she feared that he’d spill his guts after all, tell Lilly that he’d been fucking her for years. That she was his lover. His hands balled into tight fists and he gritted his teeth.
Shit, he was desperate to move on. He hated feeling like he was standing at a crossroads without a clue which way to go.
“I fucking can’t stand this shit,” he said with a growl.
“Pardon me,” the bartender asked.
Brody brought his gaze up, clearing his throat. “I’ll have another?”
The bartender eyed him curiously. “You should be on the ground with as much as you’ve had to drink.” He arched a brow. “I’m not sure you need another.”
Brody laughed. “You’re right. I need the bottle.”
The bartender filled his glass once more. “You know, your liver is probably going to kick your ass for this,” he said, tossing the empty bottle in the trash. “You’ve pretty much cleared me out.”
Brody emptied the glass and tossed the cash on the bar. “Thanks. When do you get your next shipment?”
“Tomorrow night,” the bartender said, wiping the bar down.
“Good.” Brody nodded. “I’ll be back.”
Brody stalked to his truck and hopped inside. He spent most of his nights cramped in the cab of his truck, sleeping when he could, but mostly watching for Bianca. He kept a safe distance and made sure his scent was always moving downwind from her. He couldn’t risk her catching on that he was near. Until he knew what to do about Bianca, he couldn’t risk anyone else locating her.
He closed his eyes, as if it might be possible to catch some sleep, but instead all he saw was her raven-black hair tumbling over her shoulders as she eased him down into the front seat of a sports car he didn’t recognize.
“Where are we going?” he questioned.
“I’m getting you as far away from Lilly as I can,” she told him. “I’m not going to let her hurt you, Brody.” She kissed his cheek. “Hang on, honey. I’m going to get you help.”
Bianca drove fast. He couldn’t make out the direction they were headed. He could only feel her pain seeping into him. She tried to take hold of his hand, but he quickly yanked it away.
“We’re almost there,” she said, her voic
e filled with sadness. “I’m so sorry, Brody. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
He closed his eyes, the burning of tears stinging the backs of his eyelids. He didn’t want to feel anything for her, didn’t want to care whether she lived or died.
“I don’t care,” he murmured.
“I care,” she replied. “I care more than you will ever know.”
The car came to a stop and she jumped out. Bright lights blasted their way into the windows, forcing his eyes shut. Pain filled his vision. Then he felt her arms around him again as she hoisted him out of the car. Her hands pressed into his back, holding him with her arms surrounding him as if in a fond embrace.
“I love you, Brody. Please believe that,” she whispered.
Bianca kissed his lips, and he couldn’t find the strength to resist. But within a moment of her touch, her scent was gone. Then strangers were upon him and he tugged against their restraint.
“Mr. Sullivan, I’m Doctor Grant.” Firm hands gripped his shoulders. “Your sister informed us that you were in an accident.”
“My sister?” As soon as the words parted from his lips, he realized that Bianca had taken him back to the were-clinic where he would be safe from Lilly’s men.
At least for now…
Once he rested and fed, he healed quickly. The moment he was able, he caught the first flight to Germany, following her scent and his gut instincts. That was when his fear had been realized. As he watched Bianca standing beside Lilly, he was reassured that she had chosen evil over her own kind, and it was then that he knew he’d lost her forever.