Blue Moon Magic 4: Night of the Blue Moon

by Lynn Crain

  Pulling his beard, he quietly watched his three beautiful daughters enter the room. First, Clarity and her mate, Tom, his two wildcards of the bunch. Next were Chastity and her mate, Justin. This new development put more than a damper on what he had in mind for that young gentleman. The appearance of his son might mean that Justin was no longer in line for the top position within the clan, but it would depend totally on his son. Last were Charity and her mate, Lucas. These two were something he could have never predicted even in his wildest dreams. They forged a new, desperately needed link with the Alphas, something he hadn’t been able to do in years.

  “Charles.”

  He looked up to see his beautiful wife scowling at him. His hand stopped in mid-air. “Sorry, dear.”

  His whole world brightened when she smiled. Even though there had been someone before her, she had gently become everything to him. Still, he wanted to fidget with his hands and his beard. The almighty leader of the Elite clan was nervous. Swallowing hard, he thought it better he start before the accusations became hot and heavy.

  “First, I want to thank you all for coming. I can truly tell you all I am happy that each of you has found their lifemate. I know this has been a joyous yet difficult fourteen days with the discovery of my son.”

  “You can say that again,” muttered Clarity, looking refreshed from her time on the beaches of Tahiti.

  “Clarity, show some respect.” Joanna frowned at her youngest, showing her displeasure at her tone.

  Charles couldn’t miss the exchange between mother and daughter, hoping that he could survive whatever was about to happen. His girls were extremely protective of their mother, while their mother was protective of him. “Girls, none of this is your mother’s fault.”

  “Did she even know?” Chastity asked as Justin placed a restraining hand on her.

  “Please, girls. I’m not as fragile and naïve as you think I am. Of course, I knew,” Joanna stated quietly giving each of her daughters a long look.

  Charles hid a smile behind his hand. As usual, Joanna took the sting out of their anger. Never once in thirty-seven years had he been able to get the upper hand when he was angry. Her gentle ways had made her the victor time and time again, as she would diffuse the anger into something more productive. She had always demanded that he act better than what anger could produce. “You can’t be happy in your life if you aren’t always honest with your mate. That’s a lesson that all of you should learn.”

  “What about us? Why couldn’t you tell us?”

  The moment of truth had arrived. “Because I thought he was dead.”

  An audible gasp could be heard from all.

  “What do you mean, Father?” asked Charity.

  “I had a wife before I married your lovely mother.”

  “That’s obvious,” Clarity said and crossed her arms. “It’s not like we could shack up with someone.”

  “Clarity, I won’t tolerate your disrespect of your father. I won’t tell you again.” Joanna looked at her daughter sternly. She always kept her word.

  “Yes, Mama. Could you both please explain?”

  “Two years before I mated with your mother, I was married to a woman named Mariah. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair, just like your mother. Her hair, though, was more of the white-blonde variety like you’ve told me that Connor has.”

  “She should have looked like me; she was my sister, after all,” Joanna said quietly as she patted her husband’s arm.

  “But, Mama, you’re human!” Chastity looked at her mother, disbelieving what she had just heard.

  “That’s true. One hundred percent pure.”

  “You have no talents, no…no…anything,” Clarity blurted out.

  “I am a woman, girls. Trust me, I have some talent.” Joanna Langford looked meaningfully at her daughters.

  “But…I…” Charity looked from one parent to another, “I don’t understand.”

  “Anything beyond the third child in a wolfen union will be totally human. No special powers at all.” Joanna shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not a crime to be totally human, you know. It doesn’t mean I don’t have wolfen genes.”

  “Father?” Charity looked at him.

  “What your mother said is true. Most wolfen families only have one to three children. Your mother’s family had six.”

  “Why don’t we know any of them? Shouldn’t we have a lot of uncles and aunts and cousins running around?”

  Joanna sighed and turned her head away for a moment. “Because I’m the only one left. All were killed one way or another by the Betas.”

  “And it was entirely my fault.” Charles took his wife’s hand in his and squeezed gently.

  “Nonsense.” She looked down at him. “No one could have foreseen the events about to happen at that time. Not even Clarity.”

  “I could have…”

  “What, Charles? Protected them better?”

  “You’re right.”

  “Of course, I am dear. We all did what we had to do during that terrible time. There was absolutely nothing anyone could have done.” Joanna patted her husband’s hand.

  “So what happened?” Justin asked and leaned forward.

  “Mariah and I had mated. At the time, I didn’t know that Rowan had set his sights on her too. By the time I realized that fact, he had kidnapped her and taken her to Brey Forest, along with my son and your mother.”

  “You didn’t have a psychic then, did you?” Lucas questioned quietly.

  “No, we didn’t, at least not a reliable one. Mariah and Joanna had another sister I was hoping would turn into someone that could help us in that way. We never found out as she was killed by the Betas when she was just a child. She was actually the first person killed in that family.”

  “What happened when you arrived at the forest?”

  “By the time we got there, it was all over. Mariah lay dead and your mother cried over her dead body with a warning from Rowan.”

  “Mother?”

  Joanna swallowed hard. Charles could tell this was going to be no easy task.

  “Mariah and I were playing with Connor in the backyard of my parents’ house when we were caught off guard. It had been months since we had had any attacks from any other clan at all. And the Betas had never been so bold and never in an Elite compound. It was like they just knew we were going to be there and alone. It was all very strange.” Joanna sat there, a wistful look in her eye. It was evident to all that she was remembering that afternoon.

  Clarity sat up straighter. “Rowan had someone who knew you were going to be alone. That’s what he wanted me to do. It was like he wanted me to create a paradox in order to change the future. The idiot obviously didn’t know the ramifications of a paradox.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He came and they took us to Brey Forest across the river. The whole way Mariah fought them tooth and nail. I was surprised that she managed to keep herself from morphing as she was so angry. Connor screamed at the top of his lungs and no amount of comforting on my part seemed to help. He wanted his mother. And Rowan got madder by the minute. I knew he had always wanted my sister each time he came to visit my parents. He always came on the pretense he wanted to use the library.” Joanna tried hard to keep her voice monotone and without emotion.

  “Use the library?” Tom questioned.

  “My parents were the keeper of the histories. No wolfen clan, no matter who they were, were ever banned from the histories. That’s another thing the Betas have taken from us. We no longer have that resource for the clans to use as a whole. It has become closely guarded and very secretive in nature as a lot of the pieces became scattered to the four winds after that time.”

  Joanna stopped for a moment, as though she was trying to keep herself together. “Once we got there, Mariah challenged Rowan. It was her right but still it was a very stupid thing to do. She was no match for him physically at that time and her anger only made it inevitable. Before he started, he flung Connor i
nto the brush and Mariah’s mother instinct kicked into high gear.”

  Charity came and sat on the floor in front of her mother, taking her hand. “Mama.”

  “She never had a chance. It was almost over before it started. Rowan had ripped out her throat in less than a minute. I never understood how you can rip out the throat of someone you supposedly love. There was blood everywhere -- on me, the ground, all over him and Mariah. And I…I just sat there…I had no power. There was nothing I could do.”

  Charles put his arm around his wife, knowing how painful this memory was for her.

  “I couldn’t help my sister or her child at all. Rowan gave me a message then. A warning, really. He warned your father not to marry me. He told me that nothing good could come of it. It was then that your father and his champions came to rescue us. Then Betas do what they always do when faced with a full complement of Elites; they ran and hid. We looked for Connor but all we could find was a bloody mass of flesh. We assumed it was him.”

  Chastity came over and took her mother in her arms. “Why didn’t you tell us? Why couldn’t we help share the burden?”

  Joanna allowed her daughter to hold her for a brief second before pushing her away. “Girls, there was no burden to share until Clarity came home with the news about Connor. And I was so shocked when you made that toast at your wedding; I couldn’t even bring myself to hope it was possible. We just never talked about it because it was so painful for both of us.”

  Charles leaned forward. “You’re sure he said his name was Connor, Clarity?”

  “He told me that his name was Connor Logan Angus.”

  “Please tell me again…what did he look like, exactly?”

  Clarity sighed. “Again, from what I could see, like us. I think his eyes were blue and he had hair that was almost white. It was hard to tell since he was in the shadows most of the time. I’m not sure he had even come into his powers yet. Not fully, at any rate. At least, not when I saw him.”

  “Why don’t I remember him?” Lucas questioned.

  Clarity rubbed her chin and looked at him. “Because they’ve always kept him out of sight. That much I could figure out. Kill got real angry when he showed his face. I thought there was going to be a fight right then and there. But Connor backed off and I didn’t see him again. Just heard him.”

  “Weren’t you also kept in a cage away from the main group?” Tom looked at Lucas.

  “Yes. But I thought I had figured out every covert operation they had.”

  “Obviously not this one,” Justin stated. “So, what are we going to do?”

  “Do? Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to get our brother,” Clarity responded.

  “Girls, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. He’s bound to be heavily guarded. I’m sure that Rowan has figured out by now that you two spoke.”

  “Dad…there’s one thing I forgot to mention…he’s psychic. After that first time, we never saw each other again.”

  Charles blinked. “What?”

  “Dad, he’s special. I can feel it. They don’t even realize that I even talked to him telepathically.”

  “That can’t be…”

  “It was and it is. All I have to do is contact him and let him know we’re coming. I could feel that something wasn’t right with him. I hope nothing has happened to him. He did save my life with the capac root.”

  Joanna looked at her husband. “You know what this means, Charles.”

  “He’d be the first first-born psychic in over three centuries.”

  “And the strongest Elite ever.” Tom whistled long and low. “Oh, boy. Do you know if he had ever morphed?”

  “How would I know that? I didn’t have a chance to ask him how his life was going. I was trying to get him to help me and then I realized…” Clarity trailed off and swallowed hard.

  “What? What did you realize, Clarity?”

  She looked at her father and then her sisters. “We really are different, aren’t we?”

  “I think you might be.”

  “I don’t understand.” Charity sat back on her heels. “What do you mean different? I think being wolfen is already different enough.”

  Clarity turned to Tom. “Tom, can you communicate with any of your siblings? Anyone other than me?”

  “Siblings, yes, and you. Nobody else.”

  “Lucas, we know that you and your friends can do that. But did it come naturally?”

  Lucas shook his head. “To me, yes. To the rest, hell no. We had to work on it over and over again. It took a long time before it came naturally to all of us.”

  “When I communicated with Connor, it was as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I bet I can do it with Chastity and Charity if I wanted.”

  Charity’s eyes went wide. “You think so?”

  “I already know I can,” Chastity said as she eyed her mother cautiously. “We’ve already tried it once.”

  “You’ve already tried it?” Charity looked at her sister in disbelief.

  “That’s wonderful, sis!” Clarity beamed. “Let’s all try now.”

  Charles sat and watched as his daughters’ eyes filled with wonder. “He is my son,” he whispered.

  “And we’re going to get him back for you, Dad,” Clarity said with conviction.

  Chapter Two

  Connor had been dozing off and on all day when he was jolted awake. Life was pretty boring when they locked you in a ten by twenty cage called a cabin. Life had been this way for him since the blonde, who oddly enough had a vague resemblance to him, had been here almost five years ago to the day. He had done what he could to help her but that hadn’t been much. At least he had remembered the capac root. But for him, all it took was that one indiscretion to make his father ill at ease with his presence. Since that day, he had lived in this room with two small windows. He couldn’t even piss without their permission.

  “Who’s there?” he asked, looking around the cabin.

  Rufus pounded on the door. “Unless you gotta piss, you need to shut up.”

  Connor?

  Ah, he reflected, it was the mind game again. Something rebelled in him when his father had asked him if he had had contact with the female. He had never disclosed the fact that they could “talk” to each other telepathically.

  What do you want?

  How have you been?

  Come on now. I’m sure you didn’t contact me to just chit-chat. It’s been years.

  You realize by now that you don’t belong there, right?

  He sat up straighter. What was this woman talking about? Whatever your game is I don’t like it.

  Connor…what if I told you that you belong with my family…that you aren’t a Beta. You’re an Elite.

  That sick feeling was back again. He tried hard to suppress it and found this time he couldn’t. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had known from the moment they put him in this cage that he didn’t belong. What family in their right mind would cage someone they supposedly loved and trusted? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  I think you do.

  I’ve always been here. This is my home.

  And where are you now since you met me?

  Connor was taken aback. Could this person read his very mood? Why do you ask?

  Because I’m concerned for your safety. And because…

  It had been a long time since anyone had been concerned for him. Usually there was an ulterior motive in regards to any task he performed anymore. Recently, he had been the muscle in more and more raids. There’s no need to concern yourself. I am older and wiser than when we talked before.

  Why wouldn’t I be concerned for my brother?

  Brother? And I thought I was the one losing my mind!

  Search yourself and you’ll see what I say is true.

  And suddenly, everything was crystal clear. The distancing from him, the keeping him from raids with the Elites until just recently. The secrets, the lies, the deceit. He could smell it all aroun
d him now and he wondered how he could ever have been so blind. It was as if the light had been turned on. Conditioning; total primal conditioning was the only excuse he could think of at the moment, and that one piss-poor. Still, it made the pit of his stomach grow cold.

  Connor?

  And just what do you want me to say?

  That you’ll come home. Otherwise, we’ll have to come and get you.

  Panic gripped his heart. No. Under no circumstances are you to come here. I’ll figure out a way to come to you. Give me a minute.

  He couldn’t have their deaths upon his conscience even though he wasn’t sure they weren’t using him. Still, something about what she said rang true. More true than anything had in a long time. They usually take me to bathe around nine at night. Can you be in the vicinity then?

  Bathe? He could feel a chuckle through the link. That should tell you right there you aren’t one of them. I can make certain we’re close. We’ll be at the junction of the main road and the road to the Beta compound. How are you going to get away?

  He sighed. Here it was. He could take it or leave it but once he started down this path, there would be no turning back. I’ll be there.

  We’ll be waiting.

  What the hell was he thinking? These guys were ruthless killers. And wasn’t he cut from the same cloth as they were? No. He shook his head. No, he was nothing like them. He was a sham. A sham that would get caught if he stayed here with this bunch. He had to get out any way he could. If not, they would discover that he had failed his last mission for them even though he lied and told them he had completed it. And completed it with a vengeance is what he had told them, if he remembered correctly.

  Sitting down tiredly on the bed, he scanned the surroundings. There would be nothing to take with him, he realized, nothing to show for his thirty-eight years with these people who had told him they were his family. That in itself was disheartening, but since the blonde had been here, he had been more and more disheartened with the way of the pack.