Moon Thrall

by Donna Grant

  After Court saw Skye in the vampire club slashing at the vampires, he knew she wouldn’t curl up in a ball and wait for death to find her. It still didn’t make it any easier for him.

  Another five minutes passed before Court could take it no longer. He leapt from his hiding spot and clamped his teeth around the neck of a vampire. They fell to the ground as Court twisted his head, snapping the vamp’s neck and ripping out his throat at the same time.

  He saw movement behind him as the Moonstone weres began to silently take out any vampire near them. Court turned back toward the house and saw a vampire watching them.

  Court started running, the ground blurring beneath him. He had to reach the vampire before it alerted the others that it was a trap. Court leapt and landed on the vampire just as he shouted. His voice gurgled as Court removed his throat.

  But it was too late. The damage had already been done.

  All around him vampires turned in his direction, hissing their fury. He growled, hunkering down and showing his fangs. They wanted a fight. And they were going to get one.

  ~

  Skye jerked when the first thud hit the house. All four of them jumped up from the table and rushed to the front of the house.

  “Well shit,” Riley mumbled as she looked out the window.

  Addison paled as she turned to Skye. “There are so many of them.”

  Minka ran to the back and returned a few minutes later. “They’re surrounding the house.”

  Skye began to panic. Then she saw the bracelet and remembered that both she and the house were warded. It was going to be all right. It had to be.

  “We only want Skye,” came a male voice from outside. “Send her out, and the rest of you will be unharmed.”

  Riley motioned for them to hide. Then she opened the front door and glared at the vampires through the screen door. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do everyone a favor and go away. You’re not getting near Skye.”

  “You’re alone, woman,” the vampire said.

  Riley snorted. “Do you honestly think I need a man to protect me?”

  “You’re not supernatural.”

  “Nope. That I’m not. What I am is a Chiasson.”

  Skye leaned to the side of the doorway and saw the vampires muttering among themselves. If Riley has been keeping who she was a secret, she’d just told the entire city.

  Skye couldn’t see much of the male, all she could tell was that he was tall. She wished she could see his face for future reference. It galled her that they all knew who she was, but she didn’t know them.

  “We only want Skye,” the male vampire said again.

  Riley dropped her arms. “Get it through your thick skull, vamp. You’re not coming near her.”

  The vampire stepped away from the others. “You think you’re untouchable because the house is warded? Think again, human.”

  “Please, try something. I’ve not been hunting in a week, and I’d like nothing better than to take your head.”

  Skye covered her mouth with her hand as she hid her laughter at Riley’s arrogance. The smile vanished when a vampire rushed the house. As soon as he reached the porch, he was thrown backward.

  Again and again the vampires charged the house. Riley calmly closed the door then stalked to the coat closet and pulled out a crossbow.

  “Well, that certainly worked,” Minka said as she walked into the foyer.

  Riley rolled her eyes. “It was better than letting them think we were huddled in here scared.”

  “Everyone get a weapon,” Addison said.

  Riley rested the crossbow on her shoulder. “Done.”

  Minka held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “I am the weapon.”

  “True,” Addison said with a smile. She then began to load a revolver with silver bullets. “Skye?”

  Skye touched her waist where the silver-bladed knife rested in its scabbard. “Got it. How long can the wards hold up?”

  “Forever with idiots like these,” Minka said.

  No sooner had the words left her mouth than the house shook as if the ground had shifted beneath them. Skye reached out her arms, grabbing anything she could to keep standing. She jerked her gaze to Minka to find the witch’s face lined with worry.

  “That was bad,” Riley said.

  Minka nodded. “Very.”

  Addison grabbed the box of silver bullets. “How long do we have until they’re past the wards?”

  “Seconds.”

  Skye’s ears rang from the loud boom around them so she didn’t know who’d said it, but it didn’t matter. The vampires were breaking through the wards.

  “We need to get outside,” Minka shouted.

  Skye shook her head. “Court said to remain here.”

  Minka rushed to her. “Look, if we stay inside, they’ll break through the wards. The wards need to remain intact so that we have a place to come to.”

  “But won’t they know how to break them later?”

  Minka shook her head. “They’re throwing every bit of magic they have at it.”

  “Who is?”

  “The Djinn.”

  Skye’s legs buckled. She grabbed the banister to keep her feet. “That’s who teamed up with the vamps?”

  “Looks that way,” Riley said, her hand on the doorknob. “Everyone ready?”

  Skye walked to the door. “Not in the least.”

  “Me either,” Riley said with a wink.

  Then Riley threw open the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  He was so busy killing vampires that it took Court a moment to realize he wasn’t the only one. He stood with his front paws on the chest of a dead vamp on the ground as his gaze fastened on none other than Scott.

  His one-time friend had some gall being there taking advantage of the situation by killing supernatural beings. Scott was dead wrong if he thought he would be able to sneak up on Court and kill him.

  Scott swung his axe, beheading the vampire he was fighting. His chest heaved and sweat ran down his face. The black tee he wore was splattered with blood, as were his arms, neck, and face.

  He turned his head and looked at Court. His lips parted as if he were going to talk. Just then, Court spied a vampire stalking Scott. Court took off running, tackling the vampire and killing him quickly.

  If anyone was going to kill Scott, it was going to be Court. He swiveled his head and growled at Scott.

  “I know you don’t want me here,” Scott said. “But I wasn’t going to sit by and not help.”

  Court turned away from him. He didn’t want to hear anything Scott had to say because nothing could make up for the betrayal.

  A howl sliced through the air. Court stilled, his heart thumping hard against his ribs. He recognized the howl as Kane’s, alerting him that the women were out of the house.

  Court looked around at the dead vampires littering the ground. There were many of them, but not nearly enough. It was time to close in on the trap.

  He started toward the house when Scott stepped in front of him. Court bared his teeth and growled.

  “Let me help,” Scott said.

  Court lunged and snapped his jaws.

  A frown marred Scott’s face. “What is with you? You’re not the type to decline such an offer in this situation.”

  Court didn’t have time for this. He rushed past Scott, his mind on Skye. For every vamp he closed in on as he ate up the ground, he killed them. Then he reached the edge of the trees and saw the vampires surrounding the house. But that was nothing compared to seeing Skye standing in front of the house. It made his heart stop.

  She was supposed to remain inside. If she and the others hadn’t, it was for good reason. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement.

  The Moonstone pack was slowly closing in on the vampires. They were all crouched low to the ground, their gazes trained on the enemy.

  Court was about to take out a vampire when he caught sight of a Djinn. So that’s who was helping the vampires. />
  To Court’s left was Gage, Griffin’s brother. He saw the Djinn, as well. The Djinn normally kept to themselves, distrusting everyone. It would have to take something big to have them partner with the vampires, which meant it had to be more than Skye’s article.

  The Djinn’s magic was fierce. They were never easy to take down, but the LaRues had had run-ins with them before. Court wasn’t afraid to fight them. He was afraid of Skye being harmed in the process.

  With a nod to Gage, Court leapt in the middle of the vampires and began sinking his teeth into them.

  ~

  Skye was so afraid, that for a moment she couldn’t move. The vampire numbers were impressive, but it was the Djinn standing in front of them that stole her breath.

  “Silver works on the Djinn, as well,” Riley said to her.

  Skye pulled out her knife, wishing it were a bit longer. Something like a machete. Or a sword. A sword would be awesome in this instance. Really, anything that would keep the monsters from getting close.

  Everyone stood staring at each other, the silence deafening. Not even the animals of the bayou dared to make a sound. It was as if the world held its breath waiting to see what would happen.

  Suddenly, Skye saw a blur of tawny fur in the moonlight in front of her. Court. He attacked the vampires, and immediately after that, there were werewolves everywhere.

  Some vampires tried to scatter to get away, but there were more weres waiting for them in the trees. Other vampires took the opportunity to try and kill the weres. They succeeded in taking out six werewolves, too.

  The male vampire who’d spoken earlier, those closest to him, as well as the Djinn focused on Skye, Riley, Addison, and Minka.

  Riley fired the crossbow, landing an arrow in the forehead of a Djinn. Those around him paused and watched as he fell back, dead.

  Riley smiled and quickly loaded another silver-tipped arrow. “Come on, you ugly douches. It’s time to die.”

  That’s all it took for the vampires and Djinn to rush them. Skye could do nothing more than keep slashing her blade, praying that neither of them could touch her. Because if they did, they could put her under the same spell as before.

  ~

  Court finished off another kill and felt the slash of a vampire’s nails in his fur. Blood ran down his flank as he whirled around, snapping his jaws.

  Before he could attack, Gage locked his jaws around the vamp’s throat. Court let Gage finish him off as he turned to look for Skye.

  He saw the vampire leaders, including Jacques and Anton, surrounding her. The Djinn in the mix only made things more dangerous. Court spotted Skye doing her best to hold her own with Minka on one side of her and Riley on the other.

  Minka was doing a fine job with her magic keeping the Djinn at bay, but the Djinn were quickly weakening her. Court attacked the Djinn closest to him. His jaws clamped on his arm, halting him long enough for Skye to plunge her dagger into his heart.

  Between the vampires’ claws and the Djinn’s magic, there wasn’t an inch on Court that didn’t have a wound. A Djinn rushed Riley, knocking her to the ground so that the crossbow flew from her hands.

  A second later, Gage was on the Djinn. Riley rolled over to get an arrow. She sat up and thrust it in the side of the Djinn’s head.

  Court stayed close to Skye. When he next looked up, Kane, Solomon, Myles, and Griffin were there, as well. Court felt as if the tide were turning in their favor. Right up until a Djinn got too close to Skye while Court was fighting a vampire.

  The Djinn touched her, and Skye screamed and flew backward to lay unmoving. Court rushed to her, standing over her with his teeth bared. His gaze was locked on the Djinn who had hurt his woman. The savage would die. Painfully.

  Court ducked a flare of magic from the Djinn, but he wasn’t quick enough. It slammed into him, the pain causing his limbs to freeze. When he was able to open his eyes, he was no longer a wolf.

  He glanced at Skye and saw her knife inches from her hand. Court acted as if he was too weak to sit up and fell sideways. As soon as his hand closed around the hilt of the weapon, he slowly climbed to his feet.

  “Are you ready to die?” the Djinn asked, his black tattoos covering his bald head so thickly that there was barely an inch of skin not marked.

  Court pushed back the pain from his many injuries. “Are you?”

  “I’m not the one weakened to such a state,” the Djinn stated. His gaze was contemptuous as he looked Court up and down. “Look at you. A LaRue werewolf taken to protecting a human who would expose us.”

  “She’s my woman.”

  The Djinn’s smile was slow and evil. “In that case, I’ll make sure she suffers even more. Perhaps I won’t kill you. I’ll take you with us and make you watch what I do to her.”

  “Do you really think you can?”

  “The LaRues are no longer as strong as they once were. Your time in the Quarter is finished.”

  Court tightened his grip on the knife. “Then come and get me.”

  The noise of the battle faded as Court focused on the Djinn. He knew exactly what the Djinn would do to Skye, and it was worse than the vampires turning her.

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  Court waited for the Djinn to get closer. He swung the dagger up into the Djinn’s mouth through his chin the same instant a shot rang out and slammed into the Djinn’s head.

  He pulled the blade from the Djinn and turned to Skye. He gathered her in his arms and held her while gently stroking her face.

  “It’s over,” Riley said as she came to stand beside him. “The remaining vampires and Djinn are leaving.”

  Court looked up to find his brothers surrounding him still in wolf form. The Moonstone wolves slowly made their way to them.

  “Thank you all,” Court said to everyone. “We couldn’t have done this without you. The werewolves have been absent from New Orleans for too long. This is your home. Our home. We showed the factions that tonight.”

  Minka squatted down beside him and touched Skye’s head. “She was given a heavy dose of magic, but she’ll wake up soon.”

  “Thank you,” Court told her.

  Minka smiled. “It’s my pleasure.”

  “The others know you’re not dead now.”

  She shrugged. “It was bound to happen eventually. I’ll deal with it.”

  “We’ll deal with it,” he corrected her. “You’re not alone in this.”

  Minka stood and moved away, but Court noticed that Solomon walked so that he was near her. Court gathered Skye in his arms and got to his feet. Addison, Riley, and Minka were careful to keep their gazes away from him since he was nude.

  He was about to turn to go into the house when Kane issued a growl. Court watched as Scott rolled a vampire off him and got on his hands and knees before he stood. Scott looked around until he saw Court.

  That’s when Court saw the gun in Scott’s hand. So that’s who had shot the Djinn he’d been fighting. He should thank Scott for that, but then again, none of them would be here if Scott hadn’t betrayed him.

  “You should leave,” Court told Scott. “You’re not welcome here.”

  Scott holstered his gun and ran a hand through his hair. “All because I couldn’t handle my best friend being a werewolf?”

  Kane growled again, Myles joining in when Scott tried to walk near. Scott stopped, his hands up.

  Court shook his head. “You betrayed us.”

  “Betrayed you?”

  Was it Court’s imagination, or was Scott genuinely confused. “You were the only one who knew we were going to use Skye as bait at the Viper’s Nest.”

  “I didn’t tell anyone,” Scott stated in an angry tone. “Who would I tell? Those in the precinct who don’t believe? Or the ones who do who would use it against you.”

  “You were the only one who knew,” Court repeated. “You nearly got Skye killed. I didn’t realize your hatred of me went so deep.”

  Court turned and walked to the steps
of the porch. He walking through the front door when Scott yelled, “I didn’t betray you!”

  But Court knew it was a lie, even if he did want to believe him. It always hurt to lose a friend. Yet that was life. People came in and out of your life all the time. Scott was one that was on his way out for good.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Court laid Skye on the couch and was hit in the back with something that fell to the floor. He glanced behind him to see a pair of jeans.

  He put on the jeans. As he was buttoning them, he said, “Y’all can come in now.”

  “Is it safe?” Riley asked. “Because I don’t care to be blinded.”

  Court chuckled as he put a blanket over Skye. He had no idea how long she would sleep. The situation was over. Hopefully for good. But if he had to, he would fight the vampires and Djinn every day of his life to keep Skye safe.

  “I think your brothers want you,” Minka said from the doorway.

  Court sighed as he stared down at Skye.

  Minka came to stand behind him. “I’ll stay with her.”

  “Thanks,” he said and turned on his heel.

  Court walked back outside to see his brothers standing naked around Scott, who was arguing with Kane. Court stalked to them.

  “Enough!” Court yelled as he reached the group. He glared at Scott. “You had your chance to leave. That’s gone now.”

  Scott returned his scowl with one of his own. “I chose not to leave.”

  “Then it’s your funeral,” Kane stated.

  Scott shot him a dirty look before his gaze returned to Court. “I didn’t betray you.”

  “You keep saying that, but that doesn’t make it true. You’re the only one who knew,” Court said.

  “You expect me to believe that everyone who works for you is to be trusted?”

  “Damn straight,” Solomon said.