by Desiree Holt
Jeremiah yipped in agreement, and Shadow seemed to understand.
“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s go.”
She paused long enough to grab the clothing he had stripped out of before shifting only moments ago. “I assume you’ll need these when you change back? And that you can change back sometime soon so we can talk?”
He yipped again, twice this time, and she nodded, then opened the back door. He hopped in, and she sat her axe in the floorboard of the passenger side in front.
* * *
Shadow had no idea where in Savannah they were, but she didn’t really care.
Everything about her world was about to change.
Well, almost everything, anyway.
She was still pretty sure werewolves were assholes.
But she was going to have to reevaluate almost everything else she thought she knew.
As soon as she felt certain no one was following them, Shadow pulled the car off onto a side street, then wound through as many turns as she could bring herself to make, just to be sure, before pulling over to the side of street and turning off the car.
Turning sideways, she cocked one leg up onto her seat and stared for a long moment at the man—human again, for now, and dressed in jeans, if nothing else—in the back seat of her car. Finally, she asked the first question that came to mind. “What does ‘moratiwa’ mean?”
He laughed out loud, the bright sound making her smile in response. When he answered, though, it was in a soft tone. “It means lover.”
She joined him in his joyful laughter, then leaned around the seat to pull him into a deep, hot kiss.
There would be more questions later, she was sure—many more, and some hard choices to make. But Shadow was certain that Jeremiah was right: if they remembered that one word, they could navigate what was to come.
They might not know what this was, or where it was going, but Shadow was absolutely certain she was going to enjoy the ride.
“Moratiwa,” she agreed, murmuring it against his lips.
About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal mystery.
She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although she has a Ph.D. in eighteenth-century British literature and teaches college-level English courses online, writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and the women who love (and sometimes fight) them.
MargoBondCollins
www.margobondcollins.net
The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: Luna Twins
Louisa Bacio
Fiercely independent, Zada never thought she needed anyone … until life proved otherwise. She learns of an identical sister, making her one half of the Luna Twins, and becomes entwined in a prophecy to unite warring packs.
Country playboy shifter Alex lived day-to-day as a Hunter for the Wolfe Pack. On pack business to Savannah with Zada, he gets caught up in a destiny to forever change his world.
As future leader of the New Orleans city pack, Charlie expects life to come easily. He glides by on the prophecy to marry one of the Luna Twins. Why work for what is fated?
But as the trio discovers, the choice isn’t always yours. The uniting of the three must occur for their future to be set.
Chapter 1
The sweltering heat of the Savannah sun beat upon Zada, and she wilted beneath its punishment. After living in Louisiana for her entire life, she should be used to the battle of the elements, but something about the excessive heat, consistent rain and combined humidity twerked her disposition.
She’d turned into a raging bitch, and hated it. Not like she ever had much luck with making friends, but she didn’t lose them like plasmolysed delicate flowers on a hot fall day.
After pushing back her hair, she glanced at her fingers. Damn if they didn’t stain with purple streaks from the hair dye. Just great. Her skin itched with the desire to shift into her wolf form, run through the wooded park area before her and dive into one of the many decorative fountains to cool off.
Too bad the park was a human hangout, and most of them – well, all right, just about all of them – wouldn’t take too kindly to a wolf running wild with their children around. Most would be happy to know she’d never eaten one child – ever. Not on her regularly scheduled menu. She preferred other delicacies.
Now, the red-headed hunk Alex who’d escorted her out here from Louisiana, she’d be more than willing to taste a piece of him. He took things a little too seriously. Over the course of the last week, she’d used her feminine wiles and flirted with him. Back at the National Forest, he seemed a bit too eager to accompany her on this excursion. Little did she know that the trip was going to be all work and no play, and baby did she want to play.
The city was pretty; she gave it that. Little roundabouts and grassy squares dotted all the neighborhoods. At the same time, Savannah was spread out. Too much. She’d walked too much, with blisters on her heels, and seriously, she should be used to hoofing it.
“Are you about ready to go?” Alex asked. He held the leash of an oversized dog that more resembled its wolf ancestry.
They’d transported a prisoner all the way out there, in the form of a dog. Yes, what a disguise. But the Wolfe Pack’s former leader’s ex, Sheba, continued to cause trouble way past her time. In order to keep her under control, she’d been turned into a regular ol’ dog as punishment. No more shifter. The irony. The council resided in Savannah, and that’s what brought Zada out this way – way too soon after discovering she had an identical twin sister.
If pushed to describe her personality, Zada highlighted the harsh edges, so sharp if a finger ran along them, it’d bleed. And she’d suck off every drop. Her sister Jana, on the other hand, was a pushover. Through and through. The label didn’t mean she wasn’t sweet, or loyal, or anything else. If there was one powdered-sugar covered beignet left on the table, she’d give it to whomever she was sitting with.
Zada would snatch it up without bothering to ask if anyone else wanted a bite. She’d knock them down if they tried to take it. If the opponent was lucky, or sexy, she’d offer for him to lick off her fingers.
Fuck yeah. She needed to get laid, and fast. Otherwise, she’d end up combusting in this hot, fucking city.
Sweat coated under her armpits and breasts, leaving wet stains on her shirt. She pulled the material off her skin. Drops threatened to fall into her eyes, and she brushed them away. October weather shouldn’t be so uncomfortable. If she was back in New Orleans, she and her friends would be hitting up the Jazz Festival soon.
Alex crossed his arms over his body, and Sheba shifted to the other side. He studied her.
How’d he appear so cool and secure in this environment? He’s a hunter. It’s what he does.
“You look like you need something cool to drink, and some air conditioning?” he said.
“No shit. I need more than that.”
Head tilted to the side, he gave a nod. “Let’s head toward our meeting and drop off this charge, and then we can relax.”
Once they’d dumped Sheba, they’d be alone in a hotel room. Perfect for Zada’s plans of seduction. Alex had no idea what he was in for. Up until now, she’d played it cool. The thought of Sheba watching dampened even her libido.
Toward the back of Forsyth Park, they approached a group sitting in a circle on the lawn. No way the council would be so laid back? At the apex, a woman with gray hair and wrinkled hands sat on a curved chair. The moment they drew close, she opened her eyes, and Zada faced the scrutiny of brilliant lavender.
“Ah, I’ve been waiting for you to come.” She didn’t glance at Alex or Sheba, but kept her gaze fixed on Zada.
The back of her neck itched, and she fought the urge to bolt. What did she see? Her scrutiny was like she s
tared into her soul, her heart and her destiny.
“Hey, where are you going?” Alex caught her elbow.
Zada realized she’d turned and was about to leave without a conscious thought. The idea of being forced to do something she hadn’t wanted or known made Zada even more uneasy, like she needed some sort of protection or spelled ward to keep her safe. “Glad you got the memo we were coming,” she said with more bravado than she felt.
“Oh, young one.” The woman laughed.
The sound sent further chills down Zada’s spine. Despite feeling hot earlier, a chill now soaked deep.
“I wasn’t expecting the troublesome prisoner, but you. Although I was unsure if your twin sister would be joining us, too.”
Twin? Her body stiffened at the invasion. How did this woman know she was a twin when even she didn’t until recently?
“By now, you must know of the prophecy, right? What you’re meant to do, and be?”
Briefly, Jana mentioned such a prophecy concerning Zada and her sister. But since Jana had gotten mated and accepted her shifter status, neither of them had thought much about the claim.
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a man standing. Her defenses went on alert, and she rotated to check him out.
“The Luna Twins Prophecy means you’re destined to be my mate,” he said.
The man was shorter and leaner than Alex, but still possessed a demeanor that hinted at his physical strength. The way he held his body. His brown hair was cut short, and he wore khakis. Definitely out of place in this environment. If she saw him in a bar, she’d label him a hipster. Maybe someone trying a little too hard.
“Hell no.” He looked familiar, and she strained to remember where. New Orleans. The Great Park.
A growl erupted from next to her, and Alex crouched low, with his muscles tense.
Maybe he liked her a little bit after all. She swore she’d even heard the dog snicker.
Got it! The stranger was part of the Pack that ran the city. Jana had a run-in with them when she visited the city, and they attempted to lay claim on the new female shifter. “What’s the matter? My sister turned you down, so now you’re hitting on me? I don’t do leftovers.”
This time, his upper lip curled, and he snarled.
What a way to make an impression.
“Get behind me,” Alex ordered, automatically stepping in front of her and shielding her with his body. “I don’t like this setup.” He checked out their surroundings.
She peeked around his muscled arm. As the sun drew to a close of the day, fewer and fewer people—mortals—populated the park.
“No reason for defensive tactics,” the older woman instructed. “We’re all one big happy family here.” She beckoned them closer. “Come, my dear, take a seat next to me, and let me tell you about your history, that of the Luna Twins, and why, yes, you may just be destined to take this lad, Charlie, as a mate.”
Temptation tugged. What did she have to lose? Her freedom? Her life?
“Joanna, please take Sheba into custody and walk her back to the headquarters. We’ll deal with her later. Now we have a more pressing issue.”
And like that, their prisoner was gone. They’d come all this way for one reason, and ultimately were faced with another.
“If anything fishy happens, you run,” Alex said under his breath. “No stupid moves.”
She rubbed her hand along his arm. They wouldn’t get that cool drink, air-conditioned room or get down and dirty in a bed anytime soon.
Hell, she might already be mated to the doofus in the sweater vest. She shook her head. What would he want with a freak with purple hair, piercings and tats anyway? She didn’t look his type. He definitely didn’t look hers. But if the woman had information about her history and birth parents, Zada wanted to hear it. She’d heard they’d had family in Savannah. That detail was one of the reasons why she volunteered to do this little excursion.
Careful to avoid walking directly near Charlie – who named their wolf shifter Charlie? – she took the seat next to the leader of the council. No one had told her that information, but the truth was obvious.
Charlie gave Alex a smirk and returned to his seat. With everyone seated but Alex, the oversized nature of the hunter stood out. He loomed over the circle. “Anyone touches her, and I’ll kill you.”
The threat hung in the air, unnecessary, with his physical presence.
“Stand down.” Zada waved at his massive form. “No one will hurt me, right?”
Silence stretched for a few beats. “Of course not. Let me officially introduce myself,” the leader said. “I’m Matrice, of the Savannah Pack and Shifter Council.”
“Before we continue, though, I have to ask: Why do you hide your true nature with that medallion?”
A spot on the back of his neck itched like the devil. Charlie slipped his finger between the sweater and his skin and rubbed. Damn thing. He preferred jeans and a T-shirt, but he received a strong recommendation to dress the part of a prospective suitor. Hence, this getup.
Not like it did any good. Zada looked not impressed in the slightest. She rolled her eyes at his declaration of her being his potential mate. What the hell made him blurt that out anyway? Way to make a good impression.
Me shifter leader and you my woman! How’d that attitude work out with her sister? Yeah, he was still smarting about being bested for Jana’s affections. Not that he’d probably had much of a shot, anyway. Rather than kidnapping her and hauling her to his pack, he decided to take a different tactic with this one.
Normally, he wasn’t the type of guy who won the game or got the girl. Yet, he had one thing on his side: lineage and the prophecy. Or was that two things? He was set to step up and inherit the strongest Pack in New Orleans. Now only to secure the woman who was supposed to stand by his side.
In the darkening light, he watched Zada where she sat. She held onto the medallion around her neck like someone might snatch it off her. Her bodyguard – the hulking brute standing behind her – glared at everyone, him especially.
The fire of jealousy burned in his stomach. She’d better not have hooked up with the backwoods shifter. Sure, he was the Hunter provider females swooned over, but her future belonged with Charlie.
Murmurs broke out amongst the other Pack members.
He shifted forward in his chair. He was under the impression that he’d missed something, and maybe something important.
“Charlie, come here,” Matrice said, beckoning him forward with the curling of her hand.
He had no idea how old she was, only that she was ancient. Older than Grand-pere, and he was pretty old.
There was no questioning if he’d do what she asked. He moved beside her, and she gestured toward the floor. She wanted him to kneel? From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Zada, who watched him intently. Under the scrutiny of the entire Pack, he grew even more uncomfortable. This time, a spot on his stomach where the sweater touched itched. He resisted lifting the clothing, or stripping it totally off and fire-bombing the ugly argyle thing.
“These two have made a long journey to come here, and the future will be even longer,” she said. “You need to escort them to their hotel to gather their belongings, and then bring them to my guest house.”
“No need,” Zada interjected. “We’re fine where we are.”
“No, you’re not. For one, the location is not safe,” her voice grew more authoritative. “Secondly, the separation is not meant to be. The three of you need to be together, and work out whatever needs to happen.”
Three? He clenched his fists at his side. Oh, hell no. He’d waited this long. He wasn’t sharing his potential mate with Mr. Scowling Shifter. “I don’t think it’s necessary …” He glared at the rival hunter.
“Now you’re fighting against me? I’m not only doing this as a favor to your Grand-pere. We go way back to our youth. The alliance for our future. The three of you are the future of the Pack, of all the Packs. Don’t ask me how, but I k
now it’s true.”
“Why can’t it be me, her and a hot blonde chick?” he joked with a shrug. Matrice gave him a glance that said not to push his luck. While she treated him like one of the family, her patience only went so far.
Surprisingly, the guy didn’t protest. His luck, Charlie wouldn’t survive the night under the same roof with the oaf.
“Well if we’re doing this, let’s get going,” Zada said. “Somewhere, there’s a hot bath calling my name. After that long trip, I need a good wash.”
Then again, imaging her naked might not be that bad after all. Sounded like she was laying out some hints there. Then he caught her staring at the hunk, and she winked at him. The fire flared. This time, losing wasn’t an option.
He wasn’t sure how, but he’d make her accept him. But first he must ditch these borrowed clothes from hell.
This would be the last time he changed for anyone.
Chapter 2
Alex didn’t trust him. What was the saying? As far as he could throw him? Well, he’d be able to throw him pretty damn far. Still didn’t mean that he trusted him at all. He was a weasel. A weasel in a sweater vest.
He knew what had transpired in the French Quarter. He might be a country wolf, but he understood territorial disputes. Right now, Zada was his territory, and the other dude was the invader. Hell if he’d give up his claim to the woman.
So he’d been taking his time, and hadn’t physically placed a claim yet. The fact shouldn’t matter. She’d made her interest more than obvious. Alex figured it was only a matter of time before they got together.
Until this little hiccup came along. Up until now, Alex hadn’t been ready for any sort of commitment. Women were enjoyed for fun and pleasure, and then he’d move on. For some reason, Zada was different. He didn’t want to rush the physical aspect of the relationship and risk losing her. She’d come from New Orleans, and had just been visiting the Wolfe Pack. Nothing guaranteed her staying – unless he convinced her otherwise. Otherwise, he might be moving to the Big Easy.