Blood Moon

by Heather Kuehl

  The man and Jared looked at me. “What?” Jared asked.

  “The babies are in our world now,” I said with a smile, “and a Clan of Weres and two born vampires protect them. You’re alone, dragon-man. Are you ready to wage a battle with them on your own?”

  “Then they are beyond me.” The man sighed. He steadied his aim on me. “You’re not.”

  So much for him not knowing who I am. I already tried to jump out of the way when the man’s gun rang out. The bullet grazed my arm. I cursed as I felt the wound sizzle. Silver. He shot, using silver bullets.

  I rolled across the ground, dropping my gun and coming to my feet just inches from him. I lashed out, punching the man in the jaw, before I wrenched one of the guns from his grip. It fell to the ground and I kicked it away. I used my enhanced speed to dance out of the way of another shot, once again happy for Damian’s blood. My side twinged as I dodged the man’s fist, reminding me of the hit I had taken earlier. It must have been bad if it hadn’t finished healing by now, but the twinge told me that the worst was over. Shoving me to the ground, the man spun his gun forward to shoot at me.

  Jared knocked that gun out of the man’s hands and grappled with him. Jared blocked every hit and even delivered some of his own as I climbed back to my feet. Pulling off Jared’s duster, I dropped it to the ground as I strode forward. We needed to finish this and get back to Donavan’s house.

  I changed back into my wolf form, whining in pain from my injuries. I shook my large head and turned my amber eyes to the fighting men.

  The ginger-haired man shoved Jared to the ground, pulling a knife from his boot sheath to deliver the final blow. Emotions raged through me as I remembered Jared in this same clearing, lying on the ground bleeding to death from a mortal wound I had caused. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I sped across the clearing, not even slowing down as I plowed into the dragon-man.

  The surprise in his eyes looked sincere as he gazed into my snarling, snapping face. I guess he couldn’t turn back into a dragon as quickly as I could turn into a wolf. I shredded his arm as he tried to use the knife against me, turning my attention to his throat as my teeth hit bone. The knife had fallen from his grasp and laid forgotten on the ground as we rolled. He fought, trying to get me off, but my rage made me stronger than him. My teeth sunk into his neck and I felt the warm rush of blood fill my mouth. I felt my teeth scrape against bone, but he still fought against me. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the man stopped struggling and lay still. With one final bone crushing snap of my jaws, I released the man and padded over to Jared. We sat there, watching the bleeding man on the ground, making sure he really died.

  My wolf form melted away as I lied on the ground. The adrenaline leaving my body made me realize just how bad I hurt. The graze on my arm still bled, and my side ached as my body healed the bone and muscle damage. Every muscle in my body ached from changing twice so close together. I looked up at Jared, and my emotions came crashing forward. His British accent sounded like a rush of cold water through my veins as he comforted me, gathering me up in his arms and holding me to him as I cried.

  Chapter Eight

  Jared slid his black leather trench coat over my shoulders, covering me as I started to shiver from the shock.

  “I don’t understand,” I muttered, looking up into Jared’s navy eyes. “Rose killed you.”

  “Killed me?” He shook his head and shifted so I sat beside him. “Let’s go back to Donavan’s house and I’ll explain everything.”

  I concentrated on the bonds that connected me to Damian. Monique rested as Dez tried to find a way to call Rose to blast her for sending a dragon out after us.

  “A dragon. They sent a dragon out in broad daylight. What in the hell were they thinking?” Damian muttered in my mind, followed by some angry words in a language I didn’t understand.

  I snorted. “No. We need to talk first. I think we’re safe for now.”

  “Come on, Sarah,” Jared argued, taking my hand and trying to get me to my feet. “Let’s make sure you’re not internally bleeding from that hit and get you something to drink.”

  I wouldn’t budge. I had Damian’s blood in me, and it would take more than a werewolf to get me to move when I didn’t want to. “How?” I demanded.

  Jared sighed, running a hand through his shoulder length brown hair. “I’ll explain, I promise, love. I will; but first, how did you do that?”

  I blinked. My mind whirled. “Do what?”

  “Change. We’re not even close to a full moon.”

  “Oh that. Side effects from Damian’s blood.”

  A look passed through Jared’s eyes too fast for me to recognize it. “Of course.” Jared stood, holding out a hand to me. “Walk with me?” he asked softly. Jared’s arms around me felt reassuringly firm as I stumbled to my feet.

  He was alive.

  My mind could barely believe it as we walked parallel to Donavan’s home and away from the dead dragon. Everything I knew about the BMC told me Jared died, yet here he stood in front of me. I didn’t know why or how, but I needed to know.

  “How?” I asked again as I felt tears start to well. Is he on the run like I am, having broken his contract? Or is this his new mission, and the BMC removed him from the system as a precaution?

  The thought of him as the bad guy made my blood run cold as we walked. He’d easily be able to get near me, gaining my trust just to turn around and kill me. I shook my head, trying to clear those vile thoughts from my head. He loves me. No way he’d betray me.

  Holding up a finger, Jared said, “In a minute,” as Damian appeared five feet in front of us. I wondered how Jared knew that Damian approached, then I remembered the first time I met him. Damian spoke in my mind, even though I never had a drop of his blood. He had probably contacted Jared himself and I never even knew.

  “How is she?” he asked Jared.

  “Once the shock wears off, she’ll be better.”

  “She thought you died. You should have called.”

  “If I had known, I would have. How long do we have until Rose realizes that the dragon is dead?”

  “Hopefully, Samson,” Damian said, indicating the dead dragon, “won’t be missed for a while. Aminka is trying to see what Rose will throw at us next, but the future is murky. We’ve already had a run in with the BMC operative in charge of killing Sarah. If we find what she’s looking for, we might be able to sway her to our side. Dez is working on it.”

  “Who was it?” Jared asked.

  Damian turned to me, unsure of how to answer.

  “Amythist Dyier,” I said. “I’m pretty sure she’s on our side. She would have attacked me already if she wasn’t. She’d kill puppies if it meant she’d finally get her revenge on that demon. I don’t blame her.” I smiled slightly as I looked at Jared. “I’d feel the same way.”

  Damian mulled this over. “That is good. I’ll have Dez try to contact her. In the mean time, no one leaves this property. When the sun sets, we’ll transfer over to Malevolent Dead.”

  “Why?” Jared and I asked in unison.

  “The BMC will be less likely to throw another dragon at us if we’re in the city. They will keep their attempts low key to avoid exposure.”

  “And Rose?” Jared asked.

  “Probably at Haven,” I answered. “She’s not going to show herself until there’s nothing else she can throw at us.”

  Damian sighed as he sensed my thoughts. “It’s not your fault, Sarah. The BMC hasn’t liked the DeLocket Clan or me for quite some time. Otherwise, they would have ceased their attempts on Monique when Dez told them she carried twins.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “A witch married to a werewolf isn’t what they consider a natural union. I fall into the same category, being a born vampire. They are using you as a reason behind their attacks.” Damian glanced at Jared before looking back at me, and I saw the sadness in his plum-colored eyes. I peeked into his mind and saw that he had hoped that J
ared really was dead. Damian’s eyes narrowed and he suddenly shut me out of his thoughts. He didn’t want me to see the pain in his heart, but it was too late. I couldn’t do or say anything that would make it better. “Rest,” Damian said, “and worry about our impending doom later.”

  Damian turned and vanished, and I blinked at the sudden emptiness in front of me. No matter how long Damian and I worked together, I’d never get used to that.

  “How are you feeling?” Jared asked as he brushed his fingertips down my arm.

  “Now that my mind is processing everything properly–better. Are you going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

  Jared sat down and leaned against a pine tree, and I settled down next to him so I could see his face.

  “When I returned to Blood Moon’s headquarters, they gave me the option of renewing my contract. I didn’t realize that my six years were up. I declined, and they thanked me for my service and paid me for the Skyner job. By the way, they paid me your portion too, so as soon as this is over, we’ll go to the bank and transfer it over.”

  “They just let you go?”

  Jared laughed. “My contract was up, Sarah. They had no choice. The second I left, my only concern was getting back to you. I never wanted to leave in the first place, and I had hoped that you and Damian didn’t get too close while I had been away.” I heard the regret in his tone. What does he think…

  “You think Damian and I are dating?” I asked as my eyes widened in surprise. At Jared’s uncomfortable look, I laughed. “God, no. Jared, I love you. Yeah, I drank Damian’s blood, but that was so we all wouldn’t get murdered in our beds, not because I love him.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I am faster, stronger, and able to change into a wolf whenever I want. I can accurately guess a vampire’s age, and I can feel Damian’s emotions and hear his thoughts. Which is only fair because he could always do all that with me.”

  Jared smiled, looking me in the eyes for the first time, since we entered the clearing. “I missed you.”

  “Even my twitchy PTSD issues?”

  Bending down, Jared lightly kissed my lips. “Especially those. They remind me that I have a lot to make up for with you.”

  I felt tears in my eyes at his words. “I thought…because I didn’t try hard enough…” I couldn’t finish before the first tear fell and I mentally broke.

  I sobbed into Jared’s shirt as he held me close, murmuring reassurances into my ear. I cried until my body hurt and the tears stopped coming. I cried for everything I had been forced to endure over the last six years. I cried for Jared giving me yet another chance to be happy with him. As he felt me relax, Jared’s tight grip loosened and he started running a hand through my hair.

  There was no way in hell I would ever let him go again.

  “You dyed your hair,” he whispered.

  “I thought you died,” I rasped. My stomach rumbled and I laughed. “I have to get something to eat.”

  Jared snorted when I made no move to get up. “Do you think we can get room service out here?”

  I shifted to make a smart retort when I saw the heat in his eyes as he stared down at me. Some time during my breakdown Jared’s jacket had shifted, exposing my flesh down to the curve of my hip. My body tightened as I kept eye contact with him. Butterflies exploded in my stomach as Jared slowly came down to me.

  “If you don’t want to, tell me.”

  I didn’t have to ask what he meant, because I felt the same way. I felt desire consume me in a way I had never felt before. I wanted only to feel Jared’s touch him inside me.

  Nothing, not even the BMC, could stop this.

  Chapter Nine

  Jared carefully laid me back on a bed of pine needles, shifting the duster so that it acted like a sheet underneath me. His mouth descended on mine, giving slow, sensual kisses that made me ache with need. He pressed his body against mine, keeping his weight on his arms and knee so he wouldn’t crush me. My hands ran down his chest, eager to get his shirt out of my way. Pushing himself up to his knees, Jared peeled of his shirt in answer to my silent request. The muscles in his chest looked like sculpted marble, and I ran my hands across his tight abs. Tribal tattoos covered the expanse of his chest, disappearing beneath the waist line of his jeans. I traced the markings with my fingernail, smiling as I saw his nipples tighten. My fingers lingered on a scar over his chest, the one I caused. I leaned forward, licking a wet line across that mark.

  He descended on me with a growl. His tongue probed my mouth as his hands slid against my bare skin until they came to my hips. Bracing himself with a hand, he used the other to caress my thighs. I felt his hand come around to cup my ass before circling back around to play with the tender folds between my legs. I moaned against his lips as his fingers slid across my core. My hands rushed down to remove his jeans. I fumbled with the denim as his fingers glided across the folds, making me whimper.

  I wanted–no needed – him in every way possible, but no way in hell I would rush this for anything. I wanted to take my time with his body. I wanted to make him cry out my name before we finished.

  Jared’s fingers caressed me before delving inside. The sensation made my back bow as I released a savage growl. I felt Jared smile as he kissed me deeply. His fingers built a delicate rhythm within me. As he slid a second finger inside of me, I felt the calloused pad of his thumb rub circles around my hot core. Desire coiled around my heart, tightening until I thought I couldn’t take anymore. I ground my hips against Jared’s hand as I felt my orgasm building, trying to fall into bliss that much sooner. My nails clawed at Jared’s back as I came. I bucked against Jared’s fingers as he increased his rhythm, and my screams were lost within his mouth.

  Just when I thought I would explode from the ecstasy, Jared pulled is fingers out of me and expertly removed his jeans. The moment his erection sprang free I grasped it in my hands, squeezing lightly until he moaned with desire. As Jared shifted my hips I winced. I’d forgotten about my dragon induced injuries until now. I saw concern in Jared’s eyes, but that didn’t stop him from slowly sliding his entire length into me. His mouth trailed kisses down the scar that ran from my left cheek past my jugular vein and ended on my left breast. I gasped as he sucked my nipple into his mouth. His tongue caressed the puckered flesh. While his love making moved slow and steady, his treatment of my nipple was anything but. His teeth nipped at me, and I buried my hand in his hair as I writhed in pleasure. Jared looked up at me, and for the first time, I wasn’t afraid when I saw his ice blue eyes, the eyes of the wolf that dwelled within him, instead of his regular navy shade.

  I couldn’t believe it when I felt another orgasm rising. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and I saw triumph in those alien eyes as he grabbed me and stood. Pressing me against the tree, he turned his attention to my other nipple as he increased his speed. His eyes never left mine. By the heat in those icy eyes, I knew he grew close too.

  “Come with me, Jared,” I begged as I felt my body bubble over with pleasure. I screamed his name as I came against his length, pleased to find his cries joining mine just seconds later. My nails clawed the bark of the tree, and Jared buried his face into my neck. I felt his teeth slide across the vein as he slowly slid me back to the ground before he kissed me fiercely.

  We collapsed on the ground just feet away from his leather trench coat. Our bodies entwined as one. My heavy breaths turned into giggles as I held him close. I wasn’t afraid of him. Those eyes had always sent me running away, but today felt different. Did my thinking he died cure me of my PTSD issues? Doubtful, but it was a start.

  As Jared nuzzled my neck, I felt his hand start to burn my hip. Odd, since he didn’t have any powers to burn people with. I leaned back, surprised to see Jared staring down at the spot with shock and fear on his face. He looked up at me with his eyes wide and back to their natural navy color.

  “Sarah, I…” He didn’t say anything else. Finally the burning stopped
and Jared moved his hand. Almost like a bruise against the flesh of my hip, a light blue hand print remained where his hand had been.

  I had heard about this in passing, but I knew enough to check Jared’s body, before I said anything. Sure enough he had a mark on his hip, except his looked amber in color and the size of my hand, even though I hadn’t touched him there. My heart stopped as I realized what this meant.

  “I’ll talk to Donavan,” Jared said, sensing my panic. “Maybe he’ll know a way to…”

  “No,” I said, taking a deep breath. “There’s no undoing a Mating Mark.”

  A Mating Mark. I had never thought it was possible between us. Jared and I had lived together for six months, and it had never cropped up then. Now… I wasn’t sure why now, but I knew what it meant.

  In the Were community, a Mating Mark appeared on two Weres destined to be together. There would never be another person for that Were until death separated them. It was more binding than a human marriage, more meaningful than any diamond ring, and impossible to break. Jared would be my mate until death, and I would be his.

  I looked up at Jared, carefully phrasing my words. “Did you want to go to Donavan?”

  I saw panic in Jared’s eyes as well, but it wasn’t focused on himself. He searched my eyes for any sign of fear, ready to comfort me if needed. I didn’t need to be comforted. I only wanted to make sure he didn’t hate me because of this.

  “Of course I don’t hate you,” he soothed. Then his eyes grew wide as he realized that I hadn’t voiced that fear aloud. I kept eye contact and held my breath, opening myself up to Jared the way I had opened up to Damian.

  A bombardment of strong emotions hit me like an iron fist to my chest. Panic, fear, remorse, and dread swirled together in a destructive hurricane of emotions. I pushed those aside, knowing those were temporary because of the Mating Marks. They moved easily aside and the truth brought tears to my eyes.

  Love.

  Total, absolute, and undeniable love coiled around any thought of me. I felt his memories and saw that the ones he held closest were with me in it. It was overwhelming.