A shimmer of a thousand fireflies lit up in the middle of the driveway, a shadowy outline emerging from its centre. Each step, the shimmers faded, the figure moving closer until she recognised the handsome features of Chase. A black leather jacket and his trademark dark jeans moulded to his body, his tanned skin looked warm in the bitter cold, and she ached to feel that warmth underneath her freezing fingers. A slight breeze blew the snow around his feet in swirls.
“Chase,” she whispered as relief flooded through her body, his name melting the coldness away. An urge to go to him, to run through the snow, consumed her, but she stayed fixed to the spot, her eyes never leaving Chase’s face.
“Luna,” he called, his voice seductive and low. “I’m here for you. I’ll protect you from all harm. You don’t need to fear anything when I’m around.”
Luna watched as he sauntered towards her. Damn, the man was sexy. Chase was sin on legs, especially the way he strode down the path towards her, confidence and protectiveness oozing from every pore. But still, there was something off about him.
The shimmering light had all but faded, the lingering traces illuminating the seductive expression stretched across his face, the amber hue in his eyes shining intensely. As Luna continued to gaze into those amber eyes, a sense of dread washed over her. The need to move, to move backwards away from Chase’s slow strides, flowed through her. Those eyes weren’t Chase’s eyes; they weren’t the eyes of his wolf. They were too bright, too intense - too wrong.
Move, Luna, move your damn feet now! Sucking in a breath, Luna forced every ounce of energy inside her body to step back. As her foot touched down into the snow, a shimmery white light flashed before her, and then ripped apart like a curtain tearing at the seams. The translucent particles revealed a woman’s face only a few inches from her own. A hideous grin stretched across her tanned features and ruby lips pulled back into a maddened expression of murderous intent. A shimmer of metal flashed in front of her eyes.
A gasp ripped out of Luna’s mouth as the metal blade slashed down in front of her. Instinct took control of her; as the woman’s arms hurled down, Luna’s arm instantly blocked it. The knife missed its target, hitting air and produced a hiss of anger from its wielder as she stumbled forward.
“Damn you, you little bitch,” she spat, her accent thick and unusual to her ears. “I almost had you there, but I’ll get you now.” She slashed at Luna again.
Fear and dread coiled within her chest. Wide-eyed, Luna dodged the knife again, jumping to the side. In the fading darkness, snowflakes shone against the dullness of the woman’s unkempt slate grey hair. Wearing black jeans and a thick leather jacket, she had the appearance of someone who had recently escaped from a mental institution, complete with customary mad expression plastered across her face.
“What do you want?” Luna gulped, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.
“Your blood smeared all over my hands would be a nice start,” she replied, her words ending on a maniacal cackle as she lunged for Luna again.
Blocking the madwoman’s aim, Luna kicked out with her left leg, sending her attacker muttering a string of curses. As Luna ducked under her arm, she held onto the woman’s wrist, twisting her arm upwards. Grunting, she kicked out, striking Luna’s knee. Gasping, Luna stumbled, releasing her arm. Spinning around, the madwoman grabbed hold of Luna’s robe before slamming her forehead into her nose.
Blood spurted all over Luna, a pattern of crimson lace settling on her clothes, sending her sprawling to the ground. Gasping, a wave of pain flowed through her as the woman struck her forehead with the blunt hilt of the knife. Luna fell backwards, the coldness of the snow instantly absorbing any remaining body heat. Drops of blood trailed the snow like crimson breadcrumbs.
She felt a heavy weight on her stomach. Through the haziness distorting her vision, Luna looked up to see her attacker. “The sight of your red blood all over your pretty face does look nice. Makes up for being out in the fucking cold at this goddamned hour. Now you’re gonna come with me, and I don’t want any fuss from you otherwise I’m gonna stick my knife in you until you cooperate. You got that?”
“Get this instead,” Luna spat out. Swiftly, she lashed out, her fist hitting the woman’s stomach. Forcing her off her body, Luna jumped up, kicking out with her feet, but her padded booties didn’t have quite the impact she had wished for. Her attacker reached up, grabbed her by the ankle and twisted, sending Luna face-first into the cold snow.
Snow swirled, sparkling like silver dust in the limited light. Spluttering out the cold powder covering her face, Luna felt the weight of the mad woman jump onto her back. Heart pounding in her chest, Luna cried out when she felt her punch her shoulders and upper back repeatedly.
“You fucking bitch! I’m gonna see you pay for that!” A string of curses unravelled from her tongue, her accent deepening with each word. Luna twisted around, attempting to block the rain of blows. Hot anger shimmered off her, her dark, cold eyes fierce in their relentless attack. Red light crackled along the woman’s skin, menacing against the frozen woods. The snow underneath her pressed against her back until she could feel her dagger warm against her skin.
Telling herself to get to the knife at all costs, Luna hissed in pain as she wrestled with the fist that was quickly making its way towards her face. “No,” she cried out, as she grasped that wrist with both hands. But the maddened attacker just struck her across the face with the hilt of the knife.
Stars exploded behind Luna’s eyes, tears seeping out from their corners. Sucking in a deep breath, all Luna could feel was intense pain shooting throughout her head. All she could do was wait for the next blow. Feeling herself drift into a sea of pain, she could vaguely make out the glimmer of cold metal rising above her head.
Push, Luna, fight back, the voice in her head repeated over and over again, but no matter how hard she tried, Luna couldn’t move. All she could do was feel the pain coursing through her body. Weakness slipped into her limbs. The glimmer came closer and closer, slicing its way through the air, only mere centimetres from her face. Luna closed her eyes, bracing for its impact.
But it never came.
A whip of cold air blasted over her, the weight of her attacker suddenly disappearing. A blur of shadows from her left caught her attention, but Luna couldn’t make out anything but the distant sounds of swearing and growling. The smell of copper rang through her nose. The sounds of cursing stopped, replaced by a sickening gurgling before it, too, ceased.
Luna gasped, sucking in as much air as she possibly could, trying to see through the shadows that were creeping in on the corners of her vision. She attempted to sit up, to understand what was going on, but dizziness flooded through her. Luna thought she could see another dark figure crouched over the woman, smaller than the madwoman, but she couldn’t be sure. The sight of fresh blood seeping onto the snow filled her vision.
“Who are you?” Luna whispered, her throat raw, the words barely audible as the cold wind picked up speed around her. Snowflakes landed on her face, numbing it as they settled. The other figure looked over at her, the face hidden by a dark hood, unable to see its eyes. A creak in the distance caught the figure’s attention. Scrambling to its feet, the figure ran off into the woods, hidden instantly by the inky shadows. A wave of blackness washed over her, threatening to drown her within its depths.
“Luna!” came a voice.
“Michael,” she whispered, his name barely spoken before she gave into the pain, allowing the darkness to take hold completely.
Six
“Damn it, Luna, don’t be stupid. You can’t stay here any longer. You’ll die if you do.”
Wincing, Luna tried to block out both the physical pain and her brother’s harsh words but failed miserably. They were poisoned thorns digging into her soul, continuously reverberating in her head, but she forced back the hot tears that stung her eyes back so no one could see them. “I’m not going to die, Michael, and you can’t tell me what to do.”
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“Yes, I can if it means saving your life.”
Sighing, Luna gingerly sat up on the sofa, her muscles informing her that it was the wrong decision. Closing her eyes, she attempted not show how much pain she was in, but her whimpering soon had everyone aware. Michael stood over her, still wearing nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms, arms crossed over his bare chest, his blue eyes twin storms promising danger to anyone who dared to venture too close. His shoulders drew back, as though ready for the fight he knew she’d be bringing.
Groaning with the pain, Luna looked up. Chase stood to Michael’s right, his dark eyes narrowed in her direction. He continued to stare at her, an unreadable expression covering his perfect features. A shiver of nervousness trailed over her arms as she looked into those eyes. She wasn’t able to see a hint of wolf within his eyes, but she could feel it. Energy sizzled from him, and it was all Luna could do not to gasp as that aura of power he emitted surrounded her.
Spine straight as a new pencil, Luna faced her brother. Fury surged through her as she locked gazes with him. “You forget you are my brother, not my father. Then there is the fact that I’m over eighteen; I am not a child to be sent away.”
“Ah, ma petite, don’t be unreasonable. Your brother is merely looking out for you.” Luna twisted her head towards Pierre’s silky tones and then wished she hadn’t done so. A film briefly covered her eyes before disappearing. Lie back down, a voice inside her suggested, but Luna ignored it.
“He’s trying to order me around like one of his pack but forgets I’m not his to command,” she muttered, the bite of anger colouring her words seeped through the pain. “I am not a damned werewolf; therefore, you cannot tell me what to do.”
Throwing up his hands in the air, a look of frustration masked his face as he walked away from her.
Chase stepped forward, his mouth a hard line. “Luna,” he said, his voice low. “You were told to stay with us at all times. What were you doing out there on your own?”
Glancing upwards, Luna met those eyes head-on, fire blasting from her own. “Because I’m tired of being treated like a baby, Chase, or worse – a prisoner! Either you, Pierre, or Michael follow me around all day, like a menacing shadow. I cannot take a shower without someone behind the door. Hell, Michael checks in on me every few hours of the night. You’re stifling me, and I can’t stand it! I needed five minutes to myself without someone breathing down my neck and telling me what I can and cannot do.”
“What do you really expect, Luna? We are trying to keep you safe. Safe! You know, the opposite of not being killed. This guy wants you and is prepared to hurt you to get to you or kill anyone that gets in his way. He’ll need you alive, but once he has his heir, you’ll be dead, or do you not understand that?” Michael snarled, his face twisted in anger as he spat out the words.
Luna released an exasperated sigh and closed her eyes briefly before looking at her brother. “Yes, I am all too aware of what safe means, but what good is it to be safe when you are locked away? I’m just changing one prison for another,” she told him, her voice layered in hopelessness and frustration.
Michael’s shoulders slumped, and she watched various emotions dance over his face. “Luna, do you not fucking get it? You can have all the freedom you want after we stop this guy. But right now, I’m afraid you don’t have much choice.”
Fear chased over Luna’s skin like an icy wave. “What do you mean?”
“I mean the choice is now out of your hands. The others agree with me. Everything is arranged.” Michael’s face remained calm as the words slowly fell from his lips, his tone hard.
Luna stilled, her blood growing cold as her brother spoke. “Michael, what have you done?”
Michael stood to his full height, his eyes daring her to cross him. “You’re going back to France. Frenchie here is going to take you back. You’re leaving on the first flight I can arrange.”
“The hell I am!” she cried. Luna tried to stand, but her legs gave way, collapsing onto the sofa. No, she’d heard it wrong, tricked by a fervid, twisted imagination determined to play with her. “I am not going back to Paris. You are not my father, Michael!”
“I am your brother, and you will not disobey me in this!” He roared, his voice a lethal rumble. Suddenly, all the air disappeared into the space around them, and it was hard to breathe.
A crackle of energy rolled around the room, trailing up her skin. “Don’t pull your alpha crap on me, Michael. You’ve forgotten that you cannot order me about. You don’t own me. Don’t tell me what to do,” she spat out, each word plastered in rage.
This time, Luna saw the flash of amber in her brother’s eyes. His wolf was coming to the surface, the energy still rising. This was not good.
“Mon amie, perhaps I should have this discussion with Luna.” Luna’s eyes quickly moved back towards Pierre at the sound of his silky tone. Uttering a muttered curse, Michael stormed off towards the kitchen, the energy following him, but still a trace lingered in the air. Chase remained still, his eyes narrowing as he glanced in his rival’s direction.
Sitting in her favourite chair, wearing grey trousers and a cerulean blue sweater that hugged his muscular chest, one ankle resting on the other knee, he looked over at her with piercing eyes. The contrast between the casual jeans and t-shirts Michael and Chase wore compared to Pierre was striking. “Ma petite, what shall I do with you?”
Luna sighed, rubbing her right temple. “Do not take that tone with me, Pierre. My head hurts too much to deal with your lawyerisms today.”
A pale eyebrow rose upwards, one side of his mouth tugging into a brief smile. “Lawyerisms?”
Luna waved a hand at him in a dismissive motion. “When you go all lawyer on me. It’s like being cross-examined. Sorry to disappoint you, Pierre, but we are not in court.”
“I see,” he told her, his voice taking on an amused tone. “Well, let’s examine what went on today, shall we?”
“Do we really have to? My head is killing me,” Luna asked, the words tumbling out in a moan.
“That’s because you nearly died, ma petite.”
“Urgh. I’m starting to hate that damned nickname,” Luna muttered under her breath, but it merely caused Pierre’s smile to widen.
“Of course you do,” he told her, tilting his head to study her with an amused twinkle in his eyes, like a parent indulging a petulant child. She pushed down the urge to stick out her tongue at him. Revealing pale, creamy flesh as he tugged up his sleeves, Pierre’s eyes roamed over her. “How long were you out there before the witch attacked you?”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Witch? Is that what she was?”
Chase nodded. “Michael told us that he felt her magic just before she died.”
Luna felt the crease lining her forehead as she recalled. “She had this red light coming off her skin.”
“Definitely a witch then.” The three men nodded in agreement.
“Fae, werewolves, witches, oh my,” she muttered sarcastically. “It’s just a barrel of laughs lately.”
“It gets worse before it gets better, ma petite, trust me,” Pierre said matter-of-factly. “How long were you out there and what happened exactly?”
A sigh escaped her lips as she thought back, her hand rubbing the back of her neck. “Only a few minutes. I was just sitting on the porch enjoying the peace and quiet when I heard something. I thought it was just a twig falling off a tree or something. I only went a few steps forward when I saw something.” Her voice faltered.
“What did you see?”
“Chase.”
“Me?” Chase asked, surprised.
Luna nodded, not wanting to meet either of their eyes. “At the top of the driveway, there was a shimmer of light, like a million fireflies had come together but when they disappeared, Chase was there, saying that he’d always protect me. But as he came closer, it felt wrong. Something felt wrong. Just as he came close, he faded, and this strange woman was screaming in my face.”
> “Illusion. She used glamour on you.”
“Glamour?”
“It’s a type of magic where you can disguise yourself as someone else. Sometimes you can make your appearance something entirely different, other times you can make small changes, like eye colour. She must have either been strong enough to change her appearance entirely or used a glamour orb to do it. A glamour orb is similar to what you were training with yesterday,” Chase told her.
“Oh.”
“So what happened next?” Pierre prompted her.
“She attacked me. I had my knife but couldn’t get to it. Just when I thought I was going to die, someone knocked her off me. I couldn’t see who it was, but they killed her … didn’t they?”
“Yeah, someone punched a hole right through her throat, damn near decapitated her,” Chase remarked dryly.
“You didn’t see who it was?” Pierre asked, leaning forward, those azure blue eyes staring deep into hers.
Luna shook her head, the frown deepening as she recalled. “No, I thought I heard something though …” Her voice came out breathy, as if it was a struggle to remember.
“What did you hear, ma petite?”
Carefully, Luna rose to her feet, dismissing Chase away when he took a step closer to her. The pain had mostly dissipated, leaving coldness in its wake. Making her way towards the burning fire, she welcomed the heat thawing her frozen legs, but it didn’t do anything to the iciness laced around her heart. “Growling. Like Chase and Michael do when they go all wolfy on me, but it wasn’t them. They sound different.”
“We tried to smell what it was that killed our little friend out there. First, we thought it was a werewolf, but then the scent changed and now we can’t make it out. But we’ll find out soon enough,” Chase snarled.
“How are you feeling now?” Pierre asked.
“Like I’ve been hit with a sledgehammer,” she admitted, rubbing her temples with both hands.
Temptation Of The Moon: A Silver Moon Novel Page 5