Beneath a Blood Moon

by RJ Blain

  “Please don’t get arrested. Please. Are you okay? What about the bodies? What wreckage?”

  “We’re fine. I’m afraid your eldest daughter is responsible for another crash,” Wendy murmured.

  Desmond sighed. “That explains the wreckage. What did she crash this time?”

  “I did not crash it!” Nicolina burst out, stomping over from the door. “Stop filling his head with lies, Mom. I’m done, by the way. Oh, pile up.” Groaning, she found a spot near her mate, rested her head on his leg, and closed her eyes, going completely limp within moments of lying down.

  “And she’s out like a light,” Lisa commented. “Amber? You okay?”

  “I’m not going to say no to a nap,” the witch replied.

  “What is going on over there?”

  “Sleep over party,” Wendy replied. “Our eldest daughter was showing off. Amber helped.”

  Amber yawned, sprawling on the concrete to use me as a pillow. “Good night.”

  “Where are you?” Desmond demanded. “What did Nicolina crash?”

  “A plane,” Lisa reported. “It was pretty spectacular.”

  “A plane. You weren’t on it, were you?” Worry deepened Desmond’s voice. “No one was hurt?”

  “Does dead count as hurt?” Lisa made a thoughtful noise. “I’m pleased to report everyone on board died a terrible, fiery death.”

  Silence answered Lisa’s declaration.

  “I ruptured my eardrums,” I whined. “It hurts, and people sound funny right now.”

  Lisa chuckled. “You sure did. I’m impressed, actually. You didn’t even scream. I would have screamed. How do I know? I’ve done it before—and I screamed. Cried like a little baby, I tell you.”

  Panic laced Alex’s voice. “You what? How? Lisa? What have you been doing?”

  “We’ve been very, very bad girls, Alex,” Lisa murmured. “You should spank me.”

  “Lisa!”

  “What? You should. I’ve been a very, very bad girl.” Lisa giggled.

  “Wendy, what is wrong with our daughter?” Desmond demanded.

  “Which one?”

  Desmond groaned. “Please, Wendy. Don’t do this right now.”

  I frowned, staring at Wendy. “I thought you said he was going to yell. He’s not yelling at all.”

  “He’s too drugged up to yell,” Alex reported. “That, plus he’s been ordered to stay calm. They got tired of him yelling, so they told him to keep calm or keep quiet.”

  “You, too?” Lisa demanded.

  “Maybe a little. Come home. I’ll spank you all you want.” Alex sounded so hopeful I giggled.

  “You’re adorable, Alex,” his mate replied, grinning.

  “Wolfsbane.” Wendy paced and snarled a curse under her breath. “Do you need us to come rescue you?”

  “No, I need you to find our sons,” Desmond hissed. He drew several long, deep breaths. “They won’t let us out of here to find them, and neither Seattle nor Yellowknife are able to pinpoint their locations.”

  “You can’t just claim every male you like as your son, Charles,” Wendy said, smiling as she glanced at my mate. Reaching over, she ran her fingers through his hair. “I may allow it this once, though. He really is a lovely wolf, and if you do, that means I get to claim Sara as a daughter. I guess I’m okay with it.”

  “What about the dead pack members?” Lisa asked.

  “I don’t even know who died, where, or why—while I’m still technically the Alpha of Seattle’s pack, the only wolf I have a phone number for is stuck in the outpost with us. When they died, Joseph had to be sedated, and I think they intend to keep him drugged until Richard and Sanders are found.”

  “Okay, Dad. Relax, please,” Lisa said. “I’m certain both Richard and Sanders are fine.”

  “Until they’re both found, that’s speculation,” Desmond replied.

  “Let’s discuss my pay, Father. You’re always telling us we should never work for free. You want me to pull a search and rescue. What is it worth to you?”

  The silence was so awkward I burst into another fit of giggles, waking my mate. I twisted around and pressed my fingers to his mouth to keep him quiet. He blinked at me blearily, and when I pointed at the phone, his eyes widened.

  “Do we really have to do this right now?” I heard Desmond groan and then sigh heavily. “Come on, Lisa. Don’t do this to me.”

  “Come on, Dad,” she mimicked. “How much are those two obnoxious males really worth?”

  Sanders scowled at Lisa, and while he remained silent, he flipped her off.

  “Wendy, control your daughter.”

  “Lisa, behave.”

  “Oh, fine. I still think we should make him pay for his sons, seeing as he’s uninterested in his beautiful daughters,” Lisa grumbled. “Do I really have to have Sanders as a brother? I like Sara, though. She’s feisty.”

  “They’re my precious sons because they keep my precious daughters happy. Does that satisfy you?” Desmond growled.

  “He’s so honest when he’s drugged,” Lisa murmured.

  Deciding Lisa had tormented her father enough, I nudged my mate with my elbow and nodded to the phone.

  “Maybe if you were nicer to your daughters more often, Desmond, they wouldn’t enjoy taunting you so much,” my mate said, his voice slurred.

  “Sanders!’ Desmond choked out.

  “Richard’s here, too. He’s using my lady as a pillow, the rat. Nicolina sabotaged the runway so when the traitors came, they crashed rather spectacularly. More merciful than they deserved.” Sighing, Sanders secured his hold on me and pulled me closer. “Richard killed Sara’s father.”

  “Richard did?” Surprise and pride lightened Desmond’s tone. “While drugged on wolfsbane?”

  “You sound like you drank all of Charles’s liquor, Sanders. I’ll explain,” Wendy offered. “Sara called her father so we could put an end to this. We had no idea he had Sanders and Richard. He intended to give them to her as a present—to build her a harem, I suppose. Sick bastard, that’s what he was. So, Richard’s dosed pretty heavily. Mr. Watson ordered him to please Sara. Richard felt her up, found her gun, and when she told him killing her father would please her, Richard took the shot. We couldn’t; he was too close to Richard and Sara to risk it—not even Amber was willing to try it. It’s pretty windy here.”

  “Neither of them are hurt?”

  “None of us were hurt, save for Sara’s eardrums. That happened when Richard shot her father; he had to fire right near her head to take him out. Nicolina’s going to be down and out for a while, though—she had to do a lot of work to sabotage the runway without permanently damaging it. We’re at the Inquisition airfield outside of Anchorage. Sanders’s truck only seats six, but hopefully we can get Richard to shift to his puppy form so we’ll all fit.” Wendy laughed. “We’ll come rescue you, darling. Please deal with being a captive for just a little longer. No killing anyone without me.”

  Leaning over, Wendy hung up on her mate. “Let’s get to the hotel so our males can rest—and before someone comes looking for the cause of that fireball.”

  We stayed in Alaska for two days, which was how long it took for Richard to be able to transform. I thought shifting would help him fight the wolfsbane, but he remained so docile and wobbly I worried he’d suffer long-term consequences of being drugged.

  “He’ll be fine,” Nicolina reassured me. I’d lost count of the times she had tried to convince me my anxiety was pointless. Instead of arguing with her, I sighed. Like Richard, Sanders shifted to his wolf, and while he wasn’t nearly as small as Yellowknife’s Alpha, he fit on the floorboard at my feet when he curled up. Since he seemed content to sleep, I left him alone. I removed my shoes and socks, burying my toes in his thick winter coat.

  To maintain the illusion Richard and Sanders were dogs, Amber acquired falsified documentation proving their vaccinations and breed, although I doubted anyone would believe either were mutts; Sanders’s coat was too unique,
and all I saw in both of them was pure wolf.

  The border guards didn’t question us. When I inquired, Amber simply shrugged and smiled.

  Determined to reach the Seattle in record time, we stopped only to eat, swapping drivers each time we filled up for gas. Forty hours later, Amber pulled the truck in at a warehouse outside of the city, and with a tired groan, she killed the engine.

  “If they give us any problems, I’m shooting someone,” she snarled, which amused my wolf.

  I prodded my mate awake, and unable to resist the urge, I clipped the leather leash to his collar. “Hey, Nicolina, can I hold Richard’s leash, too?”

  She laughed, and as soon as we piled out of the truck, she gave me the leash, which earned me a baleful glare from Yellowknife’s Alpha. “She who holds the leashes holds the power?”

  “I’d like to see someone try something right now,” I replied, firming my grip on Richard’s leash just in case he tried to pull away from me. “Your mate kissed mine, so I get to hold your leash and boss you around.”

  He turned his ears back and bared his fangs at me.

  “And don’t think I’ve forgotten you copping a feel, Mr. Murphy,” I added. “I forgave you for the kiss because you have such a nice mouth—not as nice as Sanders’s, though.”

  “It’s the enthusiasm. Sanders sure does kiss like he means it, doesn’t he?” Nicolina said, grinning at my mate.

  Whining, Richard pawed at Nicolina’s shoe, staring up at her in perfect imitation of a sad puppy. I stared at him with wide eyes. “So cute. I just want to pick him up and kiss him,” I blurted.

  “I know. It’s terrible, isn’t it? I suppose I should let you, since he assaulted your person so terribly in Alaska,” Nicolina replied, winking at me.

  “You two are the terrible ones,” Wendy said, giving me a shove in the direction of the warehouse’s front doors. “Let’s go rescue your father, Alex, and Joseph before they think we’ve abandoned them. I’m starving, my puppy is starving, and if we’re not fed soon, I’m going to start eating people.”

  My stomach churned at the thought of food. “How can you even want to eat again? We just ate like three hours ago, Wendy.”

  “Unlike you, I threw most of mine up,” she replied, wrinkling her nose. “One day, I will eat, and it will not rebel on me.”

  Laughing, Nicolina shook her head. “Sure, Mom—in six or so months.”

  Wendy snarled at her eldest daughter. “Just you wait. The instant you try for a puppy, I will be there, ready to offer you helpful advice while pretending to have sympathy when you throw everything up.”

  Richard scrambled to face Wendy, staring at her with eyes so wide I feared they’d pop out of his head.

  “Oh, great. Now you’ve gone and given him ideas. Thanks a lot, Mom.” Groaning, Nicolina hurried ahead to open the doors. “No, Richard, we are not having a puppy right now. You have to help Mom with hers, which means there’s absolutely zero chance I’m considering one at current. Forget the idea, Mr. Murphy. And don’t you even turn those sad eyes on me, sir.”

  The waiting room reminded me of the office of a wealthy lawyer, including a water wall cascading into a fish pond. Sanders perked his ears forward, tugging at his leash so he could have a look. Small koi swam lazily in the crystal clear waters.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the young woman behind the tall oak desk asked.

  “No. We’re here to pick up Charles Desmond, his Third, and Alex Murphy,” Wendy announced.

  “I’m sorry, but I haven’t been given authorization for that,” she replied, narrowing her eyes at us. “No authorization, no release. May I ask who is inquiring?”

  Pulling out my phone, I dialed the Shadow Pope’s number from memory. With a triumphant huff at having figured out how to operate my cell, I held it to my ear.

  “How may I direct your call?”

  “Topside, please. It’s Mrs. Sanders from Seattle’s pack,” I replied, meeting the woman’s glare.

  I counted my way up to twenty. The Shadow Pope answered, “Good afternoon, Sara. I hear you’ve been busy. What can I do for you?”

  “Someone at a desk in some warehouse just told Wendy she can’t pick up her mate and son-in-law and that I can’t pick up Joseph. I thought I’d call before there was bloodshed.”

  Both Richard and Sanders growled, and judging from the intake of breath, the Shadow Pope heard them. “I see. Who do you have playing bully for you?”

  “Two cranky Alphas, sir. Two very, very cranky Alphas. While I’m holding their leashes, they could probably rip them out of my hands if they decided to.”

  He laughed. “Give the secretary your phone, please. I’ll authorize their release so you won’t have to feed any Inquisitors to your Alphas. And yes, I’ll also authorize Joseph’s release. Very good work recovering them. I was quite pleased when Desmond informed me they were in your custody. Please thank the other ladies as well.”

  I held the phone out to Wendy. “Give it to the nice secretary so we can bust them out of this joint.”

  Obeying, Wendy handed the phone over, though she growled as she did so.

  The conversation took less than two minutes, and grimacing, the secretary offered Wendy my phone. “Please come this way, Mrs. Desmond. Is one of you Mrs. Murphy?”

  Lisa raised her left hand; her right twitched near her concealed holster.

  “No murders,” Wendy murmured to her younger daughter. “Let’s go see your father and take them home. Hopefully, this time there are no surprises waiting for anyone.”

  We were escorted into the warehouse, down a flight of stairs, and to a corridor lined with doors, which reminded me of a hotel. I came down the steps last, hanging back to make sure Sanders and Richard had enough space to navigate the stairwell without plowing someone over.

  The stench of silver hung in the air, burning my nose and worrying a whine out of my wolf. I balked at the bottom of the staircase, and Richard and Sanders tugged at their leashes before halting and regarding me with tilted heads.

  The others left me behind.

  While there was nothing obviously amiss about the numbered doors, I froze in place, shivering as a sense of dread cramped my stomach. The place reminded me of Kent’s basement with its concrete floors. Although I couldn’t see any silver, the memory of chains dangling from the ceiling to cage me in slammed into me with the force of a fist to my gut.

  Kent had done that, too, and I remembered falling against him, gasping for breath as he punished me for defying him.

  Chattering among themselves, Wendy and the others vanished down another hallway, leaving me alone at the bottom of the stairwell. Sanders whined, licking at my hand.

  “I’m okay,” I choked out, and the sour stench of my lie mingled with the acrid bite of the silver in the air.

  Both Alphas glared at me.

  I backed onto the landing at the bottom of the staircase, my heels bumping into the steps. I made it up three, coming to a halt when Sanders braced his legs and refused to budge a single inch.

  My phone rang, but my hands were shaking so much I dropped it. The device hit the floor, and a web of cracks spread across the screen. “S-sorry.”

  Sighing, my mate lunged at me, stood on his hind legs, and pressed his front paws to my shoulders, shoving me back. I slumped to the stairs, grabbing hold of his scruff to break my fall, only to pull him down on top of me. Burying my face in his fur, I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe.

  Kent was dead, and I wasn’t a captive. I kept telling myself that, but no matter how many times I repeated it, all I remembered was the brush of tiny chains burning my skin, drifting unseen in the dark water filling my lungs.

  A wolf howled, and I couldn’t tell if I heard it in my head, my ears, or if it came from me.

  Someone touched my shoulder, and the smothering fear eased, replaced by the warmth of affection. No one spoke—or, if they did, I couldn’t hear them through the rushing in my ears, which was accompanied by the lingering p
ain of my healing eardrums.

  Sanders shifted his weight, and the terror of being left alone enveloped me. I tightened my hold on his fur.

  The pain of a rebuking nip at my throat quieted the noise in my head and ears.

  “Sara, don’t choke your mate,” Desmond said, and while his voice was soft, the weight of his presence cut through the noise in my ears and head. “Loosen your hold. He needs to breathe.”

  I didn’t want to let my mate go, but my hands obeyed my Alpha’s command. A whine burst out of me.

  “He’s not going anywhere, Sara, not with you clinging to him like a burr. Take deep breaths. There’s nothing to be afraid of. If anyone tries to hurt you, Sanders will rip them to pieces. Richard and I will as well. Surely we three are capable of protecting you. It’s all over. You have nothing to fear.”

  My mate matched my whines, and his nose was cold against my throat.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat clenched and cut off my breath. Shuddering, I secured my hold on Sanders, though I was careful not to strangle him.

  I became aware of the murmur of conversation around me, but my concentration faltered, and the stench of silver once again filled my nose.

  Something cold and wet splashed my face, streaming down the front of my shirt, and with a startled cry, I recoiled. Ice cubes lodged in my clothes, and the intense cold sent shudders rippling through me. At some point, I had lost my hold on my mate, and my panic once again surged.

  I opened my eyes.

  Desmond captured my wrists in one of his hands. With the other, he took hold of my chin, turning my head so I was forced to face him.

  “Sara, look at me,” he ordered, and unable to resist his command, I met his gaze. “Is it the silver?”

  I shuddered, and once again, I hung helpless in a curtaining cage of the bright metal.

  “Alex, carry her up the stairs. I’ll keep hold of her hands in case she struggles,” Desmond said, and his hold on my wrists tightened. “Sara, just keep looking at me. Deep breaths. The silver is in the walls. It can’t burn you, not unless you decide to go digging to reach it.”