Enslaved by the Moon

by Morgan Fox

  Did anyone ever regard his feelings on the matter or how he would respond once he discovered their plans?

  Brody stepped forward, his bare chest covered in dirt and abrasions. The veins in his neck bulged as his gaze settled on Ryder. “I hope you don’t mind, but I called my brother and let him know what was going down. I figured we could use all the help we can get. Especially since panthers do make better trackers.” He winked playfully at Ryder.

  The corner of Ryder’s mouth twitched at the chance to place another sportive jab at the lycans. His gaze swept over Brody. Even though he and Bryce were twins, there was a distinctive difference about them that Ryder hadn’t noticed until now.

  Brody’s eyes revealed an honesty he hoped would never be absent. At the rate he was going, his friends, the ones he once trusted, were dropping like flies. Brody might be the other man sleeping with Bianca, but he could also be an ally.

  Once Ryder figured out how to end his mating bond with Bianca, he would need a man like Brody guarding his back. As much as he had come to appreciate and respect Sebastian and his lycans, they weren’t his people.

  A rush of blood coursed through his veins as Bianca slid up at his side, brushing up against his arm. She stared at Brody. He sensed their connection. She was still in love with Brody, and he knew the only reason he was jealous was because of the mating bond. Ryder glanced to Brie, who was studying him with her brow drawn tight at the bridge of her nose. There was a hint of sympathy in her blue eyes that he would’ve preferred wasn’t there. He didn’t need anyone’s pity and he didn’t want it.

  Stepping away from Bianca and Brody, Ryder cleared the distance between him and Sebastian. Brie immediately reached out and touched his arm. He glanced down at her delicate fingers and sighed. He cared very much for the Lupinara and had proved he would put his life at risk for her. She was just as important to him as Tiffany. Nothing would change that.

  “How is he doing?” Ryder asked gruffly, hoping to avoid any conversation Brie might want to strike up.

  She squeezed Ryder’s arm. “He’s still weak…Ryder.” She said his name in a soft whisper. “I almost killed Bianca.” His gaze shot to hers. “I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it from anyone else.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Why didn’t you?” he asked, arching his brow with curiosity. If anyone had robbed him of his child and caused as much harm to him and his family, he wouldn’t have hesitated to end their life.

  Brie’s eyes widened in surprise as she shook her head, her gaze softening as she looked at Sebastian. “I believe her. I know she was only doing what she thought was right. She was trying to save her family just as I was trying to save mine.” She glanced up to him. “Her tactics were just not as well thought out as they should’ve been.”

  He agreed. That had been his argument from the beginning.

  “Why didn’t you mention that your mate was in a relationship with Brody, Bryce’s brother?”

  His brow rose higher. “Do I need to run everything past you?”

  She frowned. “Of course not, but I’m here for you should you need to talk. I know how hard it can be for a woman caught in the middle of two men and the stress it can put on a relationship…especially when there is a mating bond linking two of the three.”

  His gaze darted to her, and he wished they were anywhere but on the battlefield. He didn’t want to air his dirty laundry, and he didn’t want to discuss it further, considering he needed to stay focused on killing the vampire queen.

  “Then maybe you can help me sever the connection.” His gaze shifted to Bianca who was watching him with an intense stare. He meet Brie’s gaze. “She belongs with Brody. Not me. Can you help?”

  Brie’s mouth hung open. Stammering, she said, “Are you sure? Once it’s done, it can’t be undone.”

  A sinking feeling filled his gut. He wasn’t sure, but he knew it had to be done. He didn’t want to hold Bianca back from the life she should continue with a man who loved her. Brody proved to be strong and would continue to be a good provider for her. He couldn’t have picked better for her.

  He nodded, but quickly grabbed Brie’s shoulder. His voice lowered as he said, “She can never know. She needs to believe that Brody is her mate. I don’t want her ever coming to me asking about a past we should’ve had. This needs to be a fresh start for her.” He licked his dry lips. “You saved my life. Please save hers.”

  * * * *

  Ryder didn’t want her. Bianca sensed the warning messages in her soul. Not to mention, the spiteful glare in his eyes that rattled her deep into her bones.

  Ryder was locking up his heart, barricading it from her. The connection they shared as a mated pair did more than just give her physical link to him, but it also gave her insight to his emotions. She didn’t know what he was doing exactly, but she could feel him pulling away.

  She knew that she had no right to demand Ryder to stay with her, especially after she’d chosen to remain with Brody. How could she expect a warrior like Ryder to share her with another man? She had already decided for them, the moment she’d confessed her love to Brody in the cave.

  Coming face-to-face with death had made things clear for her. Her heart belonged to both men, as did her soul. She wouldn’t be whole without them in her life.

  Catching a glimpse of her suppressed memories had shown her a piece of her heart that had been lost since her banishment. Ryder had been more than just her best friend and first crush. He had been the man she loved, her first love. At the time, the man she wanted above all others.

  Had the council not sent her away, she and Ryder would’ve been bonded and married within the traditions of their pack.

  She never would’ve known Brody’s desires. They never would’ve been together. The side of her that dreamed of romance wanted to believe that things happened for a reason and that she was destined to be with both men.

  As untraditional as it might seem to the world around them, it was still possible. Bianca stared at Brie as she clung to Sebastian and Jonah. If the alpha leader of the lycans could accept a relationship that forced him to share his mate, why couldn’t Ryder.

  When can pride be tossed aside for something greater, more profound…like love?

  “The vampires are retreating. Most have been killed,” said a tall, brawny lycan with golden-blond hair. His body was still mostly wolf.

  “Great job, Ryken,” Dominic said, his gaze shifting from side to side. “Any sign of Lilly on your sweep.”

  Ryken shook his head. “No, but Luken is still out searching. Reyes and Megan are out there, too.”

  Dominic groaned. “So that’s where they are.”

  It seemed everyone was busy tracking Lilly or battling the vampires, while she and a small group huddled around Sebastian to keep him safe. Even though her mind was drenched in worrisome thoughts about her mate, she knew they needed to find Lilly and put an end to this madness. She could join the fight and leave the others to guard Sebastian. They didn’t need her help. There were enough lycans to protect their own.

  Besides, she owned it to herself to find Lilly. The pleasure she would get from ending her vile existence bordered on euphoria.

  “I’ll join the hunt,” Bianca said, stepping toward Dominic.

  Dominic’s gaze immediately snapped to Ryder, who shook his head. Bianca could feel the tension rise.

  “Thank you, Bianca, but we’ve got it under control,” Dominic told her, his gaze returning to Ryder as he closed the distance between them.

  Turning to face her, Ryder said dryly, “Stay here with Brie and the others. I’ll be back soon.”

  Before she could argue, he was gone, charging into the dark of night like some wild animal bent on total annihilation. She stared after him, stunned that he’d want her to stay put.

  “Bianca,” Brody whispered, his arms coming around her waist. “Don’t take it personally. He’s on a mission. He wants Lilly dead.”

  “No shit,” she hissed, her entire body g
rowing rigid. “That bitch planned to feed you and me to her resurrected lover by ending my mate’s life.” She squeezed her hands into tight fists. “I want her dead, too.”

  Speaking of wanting her dead,” Sebastian said, groaning as he raised himself up to his full height. “I think it’s time you all stop babysitting me and find Lilly.”

  Brie pressed the palm of her hand against his chest, and Sebastian’s immediate reaction was to lace his hand over hers. The gesture was kind and filled with love. Bianca had only dreamed of having something so true and powerful with Ryder.

  “Are you sure? You are still so weak.” Brie’s voice shook with uncertainty as she spoke softly.

  “If we don’t find her, this bloodshed and chaos may never find an end.” He held Brie by her shoulders. “I can’t let that be the kind of world Kayla grows up in.”

  Brie wrapped her arms around Sebastian, and another pang of jealousy hit Bianca hard. Regardless of the love she felt and had with Brody, it would never be enough. Watching and feeling the mating bond between Brie and Sebastian confirmed that. When all this was finally over, she would convince Ryder that they belonged together, and somehow she would help him remember the love they once shared.

  Chapter 16

  Sebastian knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the moment he was alone with Brie, Lilly would appear. Revenge for killing her lover was on Lilly’s mind, and he didn’t have to be psychic to figure that out. Consumed by his own rage to see the vampire queen beheaded for stealing his child, he was familiar with the power of revenge and the needs it invoked.

  He was also familiar with the desires of a woman that filled his life with more than he ever hoped for. Brie was his world. His daughter was his breath, and nothing frightened him more than the idea of losing either of them.

  As fatigued and weak as Sebastian was, he knew Brie would be able to hold her own against Lilly. Kayla was far enough away from any danger, thanks to Brie’s family. That left only him.

  Masking his physical vulnerability, he stood tall, his muscles straining with a great deal of apprehension. The hair on his body rose, sending tingling waves of nervous energy racing along his skin. He was preparing to sacrifice himself for his people, for his family.

  A good leader knew when it was time to let go, to give back to those that had surrounded him with love and protected him with their lives. Now it was his turn. Jonah would care for Brie and Kayla. His brother would love and care for them as much as he would. Dominic would rise to become alpha leader, and he would defend their pack as well as, if not better than, he had. His faith in his pack could not be stronger.

  There were whispers in the wind, an unnatural silence that engulfed them. The world itself froze as his eyes locked onto Brie. No one else remained beside them. The sounds of his lycans and the werepanthers could not be heard any longer as they trekked after their enemy. The vampires had fled and the creatures of the night, the ones that lived among these lands, were nowhere to be seen or heard.

  Sebastian pulled Brie into his arms, kissing her forehead as he held her. His need to keep her close was instinctive, and just as his wolf clawed to the surface the ground beneath them opened up and swallowed them whole. Brie screamed as they fell through the earth. Sebastian instantly braced himself for impact, shielding Brie.

  The air fled from Sebastian’s lungs as his back slammed with a solid thud onto the hard ground. He wheezed, gasping for breath. His arms held Brie tight, her eyes squeezed shut.

  Brie’s eyes opened. She stared down at him, and instinctively she put up a shield of protection around them. He could feel the magical energy buzzing against his skin. She shifted her weight off his body and helped him to stand. If he wasn’t feeling like shit before, he sure was now. His muscles pulled and tensed as he tried not to look as weak as he felt. No easy task. Glancing up toward the opening above him, he guessed he and Brie had dropped a good thirty feet.

  Brie’s trembling fingers tangled with his. As they stood, he pulled her close. His vision was still searching through the murkiness of the room, a combination of dust and darkness.

  “What happened?” Brie asked breathlessly.

  Sebastian’s wolf senses were on full alert. He could hear movement behind him, scurrying like rats. He shook his head as awareness kicked him. “Nothing good,” he told her, clenching his jaw tight.

  The figures that hid in the shadows slowly emerged. Sebastian’s senses had been dead-on. Hundreds of vampires stalked forward, surrounding them. Not the young newbies that had so often come to play, but a well-trained army.

  “So this is where you all disappeared to,” Sebastian said matter-of-factly, his gaze darting from one snarling face to the other.

  “Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t have a backup plan?” Lilly’s voice crawled over his skin like biting red ants.

  Brie gasped as the vampires parted and Lilly glided forward. Sebastian wanted to toss Brie up over his head and out of the cavern of hell, but he didn’t possess the strength, and he wasn’t even sure if the vampires would anticipate his move. What if more lingered outside the hole?

  “Sending your little puppies away was not the brightest idea,” Lilly said teasingly. “You really are so predictable.” Lilly closed the distance between them and placed her palm against the protective barrier Brie had placed around them. “Nifty. You’ll have to show me how you do that, once I take back the powers you stole from me.”

  Brie huffed out a breath, her body tensing against him. “You will never get my powers again.”

  Lilly frowned, her eyes and mouth drooping into a mock display of sadness. “But once you’re dead…I’ll be able to take those powers and your kid.”

  Brie attempted to lunge at Lilly, but Sebastian held her firmly by her arms. Lilly’s laughter roared and echoed around them.

  “You won’t be able to hide behind that shield forever, you know.” Lilly glanced down at her nails admiringly. “You’ll weaken from hunger soon enough.” Lilly sniffed the air. “I know your mate there is already tapped out.” She shrugged. “So it truly is only a matter of time.”

  Sebastian’s gaze flickered upward as if in anticipation of his lycans returning.

  “Oh, are you expecting someone?” Lilly asked in a sarcastic tone. “If you’re hoping to be rescued by your precious lycans, don’t bother. I’ve dispatched enough vampires to throttle every single one of your brethren into the ground ten times over.” She glanced down at her watch. “In fact, I bet they’re already dead.”

  “Oh, God,” Brie gasped, clutching Sebastian’s arm.

  A fierce growl erupted from deep within Sebastian as he bit out, “You bitch.”

  Closing his eyes, he searched out for Jonah, but he couldn’t connect with him. Dominic, Megan, Reyes, Ryken, Luken, Zane, none of them answered his telepathic call. He swallowed the bile that sat at the back of his throat. He shook his head, unable to believe that he’d sent his men away to die.

  Lilly waved her hand through the air dismissively. “Oh, relax. They probably only felt a lot of pain…nothing as horrible as I would’ve done to them personally. My vampires can be so gentle at times. They only tear off the flesh, where I won’t settle for anything less than the head.”

  Lilly laughed, and the abhorrent sound had Sebastian’s gut twisting.

  “You will never get away with this,” Brie muttered, her jaw quivering.

  Lilly glared at her. “I already have. You spoiled, stupid little Goldilocks.” She scoffed. “You live in your perfect little world all nuzzled up with your little pets, and you don’t give a damn about the world around you.” Lilly stepped closer. “I was once like you. The perfect daughter in love with the perfect man…until my powers started to affect me. I had no idea what a fucking Lupinara was, or who the Lupinari were. None of my family ever told me what was happening to me. I didn’t have a sweet little sister to draw power from. At least I didn’t know it until I killed her.” She chuckled.

  “Vampires can’t be Lupina
ra,” Brie blurted out.

  Lilly smiled, her teeth unnaturally white. “When I started using my powers, I attracted a very dangerous man.” She shrugged. “He was a vampire and promised me a world I’d only dreamed of being a part of. But once I was turned, my magic was gone.” She studied Brie’s reaction with an incline to her head. “When I stumbled across Mason I realized I could have the world I always dreamed of. He helped me see a future that was…all about me.” Her laughter filled the room and then quickly vanished. “Until you robbed me of the man I loved.”

  “I’d do it again, too,” Brie said, stiffening her chin.

  “I’m sure you would, and even though I’m lost without my beloved, without his sacrifice, I never would’ve locked on to you.”

  Brie’s brow furrowed.

  “The moment it happened, I knew what you were, and I knew I was going to take back the magic I’d lost so many years ago.” She gasped. “Can you imagine the power a vampire fey witch could possess?”

  “The power isn’t meant for evil,” Brie said sharply.

  “Then why does it like me so much?” Lilly grinned, a wicked tone in her words.

  Sebastian swallowed. “It doesn’t like you, Lilly. I think the conflicted powers of both vampire and fey witch are making you insane.”

  The power struggle of the two supernatural entities could be battling for dominance. That could be why Lilly looked deformed now. Her eyes had sunken so far into her skull they seemed to disappear in the darkness of the room, a constant shadow below her brow.

  Lilly waved her hand again dismissively. “As if I care that one doesn’t like the other. I managed to merge my blood with lycan DNA, and look at the beautiful result. My Mason was a true testament to my power.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “I can tell you firsthand that your virus did nothing but make me crazy and a savage beast.”