Kiss of Moonlight

by Stephanie Julian

  He didn’t know what he’d expected her to say or do. Wasn’t sure how to interpret the renewed rush of tears in her eyes, the blush on her cheeks.

  But when she started to flat-out cry and dropped her forehead to his shoulder, he panicked like a pansy-assed kid. Vaffanculo, he’d take it back if she’d just stop crying.

  “Hey, sweetheart. Don’t cry. It’s okay. Forget I said it—”

  Her head popped back up and her expression shut him up faster than a blow to the head.

  “Don’t you dare take it back.” She reared back and punched him hard on the chest. “I’m not crying because I didn’t want to hear it. I’m crying because I didn’t think I’d ever hear it.” Her lips curved in a wavering smile and her gaze softened. “I never thought I’d find a man who’d take me as I am. Never thought I’d find someone I’d want to spend my life with.”

  Relief spilled through his body like adrenaline, making his heart pump as if he’d run a marathon. He moved to kiss her again and found her already leaning into him. This time, he didn’t devour her. He took the time to savor her, the thrill of knowing she returned his feelings making him feel like a goddamn kid.

  And he didn’t fucking care.

  They still had issues to sort out, her attempted kidnapping to solve, the fact that he was lucani and she was eteri. Those two last facts could prove more difficult than any of the others to overcome. There were some lucani who’d want him to let her go, to mate another lucani.

  And he’d tell them all to fuck off. Tam was his.

  Weaving his fingers into her now dark brown hair, he let the baby-fine strands slide against his skin like satin as his tongue tangled with hers. His other hand splayed over her ass, thinking again that she’d lost weight. Whether out of worry or fear, that wouldn’t happen again.

  He’d keep her safe. He’d—

  A noise outside the door made him freeze. His eyes opened and he stared straight into Tam’s. Just before she voiced the question he saw in her gaze, he put one finger over her lips, silencing her.

  Her eyes widened but she nodded and released her legs so he could set her on her feet.

  It could be nothing. It was probably nothing. Another neighbor getting home or leaving.

  But he wasn’t taking any chances. Not now.

  Moving her away from the door, he turned to check the peephole.

  And the door exploded inward.

  Chapter Eight

  Kyle managed to push Tam out of the way with one arm and get the other in front of his face as wood shrapnel flew like bullets.

  His forearm burned as splinters lodged in his flesh while fear for Tam and fury at being caught off guard fueled his rage.

  So when the man in the hall stepped through the pulverized door, Kyle was ready for him.

  He reached for the man’s arm, the one holding the gun, and dragged him forward. Kyle wanted him to lose his footing to stumble as he entered, but the guy surprised him, using his forward momentum to shove his shoulder into Kyle’s stomach, taking them both to the floor.

  Kyle fell on his back, all the air in his lungs rushing out, leaving him winded. Still, he managed to hold on to the guy, who was both heavier and not as nimble.

  Using his head as a battering ram, Kyle smashed his forehead into the guy’s nose, which crunched and bled like hell.

  Kyle took a split second to turn and yell at Tam. “Run! Get the hell out!”

  He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed because a second man walked through the door.

  Kyle’s only fear was for Tam. But he knew he couldn’t let it overpower him.

  With a burst of strength, he shoved the man with the broken nose off him and toward the second guy. The second guy stumbled as the other man hit his legs and Kyle shot to his feet.

  As the gun went off.

  Kyle had a second to recognize the muted pop of a silencer before the bullet hit his shoulder. The quick blaze of pain made him stumble back a few steps before he regained his footing. He shook off the pain as fast as it’d hit him. Not excruciating, which meant not silver. That meant manageable.

  He charged both men, surprising the gunman who didn’t have time to get off another shot. But Broken Nose rolled at the last second so Kyle only caught the gunman.

  As he took the man down, Kyle caught sight of Tam out of the corner of his eye.

  She hadn’t moved and her expression… Fuck. She looked stunned.

  Then he saw the blood, splattered on her chest and arms.

  Fear threatened to consume his sanity. It stole his breath. And hard on its heels was the urge to kill whoever had hurt her. With an inhuman snarl, he smashed the gunman’s head into the plaster wall so hard the guy lost consciousness immediately. But it had given the other man the opportunity to get closer to Tam, still frozen against the wall, hands raised in front of her chest.

  She looked ready to scream but no sound emerged until the man grabbed for her.

  Then she did scream.

  Enraged, his wolf burst from its metaphysical cage in his chest, transforming his body with a wicked speed. His bones morphed and re-formed with blinding speed and pain that was over in seconds.

  “Holy fuck!”

  The guy holding Tam took one look at Kyle and turned paper-white.

  Kyle had already launched himself at Tam’s attacker, ready to rip his throat out when Tam wrenched herself away from the guy and reached for the lamp on the nearest table.

  Swinging it like she was going for a home run, Tam smacked the guy in the chest, nearly hitting Kyle in the process. At the last second, Kyle managed to avoid her swing by rolling to the side, banging his gun-shot shoulder on the wall and slumping to the ground as pain blasted through his body.

  He fought against the blackness on the edges of his vision, fighting the yawning darkness that wanted to swallow him. He refused to leave Tam undefended. He growled and forced himself back onto his paws. Every step hurt but he made his way to her, his head butting against her leg. Her trembling hand settled on his head.

  The man she’d smashed with the lamp didn’t move. Out cold.

  Turning his head, he looked up at her. For a second, he thought she was in shock. He nudged her leg with his snout and she shifted her gaze to his before she dropped to her knees to throw her arms around his neck. Her fingers sank into his fur and he wanted her to stroke him. Needed to breathe her in and make sure the blood wasn’t hers.

  It wasn’t. It was his.

  Relief made him huff into her shoulder as she petted him, the motion soothing. Still, he needed to hold her.

  As he made a move to step away from her, she clutched him tighter.

  “Please don’t die, Kyle. Please. I love you too. I don’t want to live without you.”

  Relief, joy and a burning lust surged through him at the emotion in her voice. He needed to be able to talk to her. To tell her he was going to be okay and get rid of the fear in her voice.

  He stepped back, out of her arms. The tears running down her cheeks as she stared wide-eyed at him made him rush the process from wolf to man, tearing open the shoulder wound that had already begun to heal as his body shifted. Small price to pay, he figured.

  The last shivers of magic coursed through him until finally he knelt on the floor. He tried to stand but couldn’t get off his knees.

  Maybe he’d lost a little more blood than he’d thought.

  And if the pounding in his head was any indication—

  No, the pounding wasn’t in his head. It was in the stairwell.

  With a burst of strength, he flew to his feet, shoving Tam between him and the wall.

  He nearly didn’t recognize Nic and Duke, who skidded to a stop at the sight of him.

  “Whoa! Kyle, it’s us. Don’t pounce, man.” Nic held up his hands in surrender, realizing how close Kyle was to mauling him.

  “Well shit.” Duke’s mouth curled in disappointment as he caught sight of the men on the floor. “Looks like you didn’t leave any fun for us.”
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  Kyle shook his head, trying to get rid of the fuzziness. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

  “Cole sent us.” They spoke in perfect unison then flipped an identical finger at each other.

  Kyle’s gaze narrowed. “And why did Cole send you?”

  “Backup,” Nic said. “In case Kaine’s search triggered the bad guys.” Nic nodded at the unconscious men. “Guess that’s why he’s king, huh?”

  Gods damn Cole. “Fine. Be useful. Take these two back to the den. Tam and I will follow in a few minutes.”

  While Nic and Duke figured out how they were going to get the two unconscious men down the stairs and into their car without arousing suspicion, Kyle took Tam’s arm and led her into the small bedroom at the back. Closing the door, he turned to face Tam, who stared back at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “You’re shot.” Her voice trembled and tears ran down her cheeks but he could smell her anger. And it confused the hell out of him.

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re shot. You’re bleeding.”

  “And I’m still breathing and in no danger of dying. You could have been killed.”

  She shook her head. “They wouldn’t have found me if you hadn’t had someone looking for me. I was trusting you to find them first then come for me. Not the other way around.”

  He stepped closer, shaking his head. He wanted to reach for her but didn’t know if she’d brush him off.

  Then he decided he didn’t care. He wouldn’t let her.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and drew her closer, grateful that she didn’t resist. Much.

  “I love that you trust me enough to keep you safe,” he spoke straight into her ear. “But from now on, I want you by my side. I want you bound to me. I don’t give a shit what anyone else says. This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

  She blinked and the stubborn set of her mouth started to soften. “What about your magic, Kyle? Will I be able control your magic?”

  His hands lifted to cup her face, to draw her closer. “I will gladly give control of my life and my heart and my pelt to you if you’ll have them.”

  Her eyes widened in shock and he thought he’d pushed her too far, too soon before she started to laugh and cry at the same time. He had a brief second to think, “Shit, you’re an idiot,” before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him so hard he thought she might’ve split his lip.

  “I love you too,” she said between kisses. “But I want your word that you’ll take a partner from now on.”

  “I won’t need a partner, sweetheart. I’ll have a team. No more solo missions.”

  Her bright smile was his reward.

  “Come home with me, Tam. Everything else will work itself out.”

  * * * * *

  “So you want Nic, Duke and Kaine?”

  “Yeah. I think they’re the best suited for what I want to create.”

  “A surgical strike team,” Cole said.

  Kyle nodded. “I’ve worked on my own too long.”

  Cole’s editorial snort let Kyle know exactly what he thought about that. “And you want to keep your eteri?”

  Kyle didn’t let the sneer in Cole’s tone get to him. He knew the king was only trying to get under his skin.

  “Actually, I want her to keep me.”

  Still in bed at the den lodge, Cole grinned and held out his arm for Kyle to grasp at the forearm. “Never thought I’d see the day, old man. Happy to know I was wrong.”

  “Never thought I would either.”

  “So,” Cole’s expression hardened, “what have you learned from the men you captured yesterday? They give you any leads?”

  “Only one. A phone number they were using to contact whoever hired them. We might’ve caught a break there. It’s actually registered to a real person. We’re tracking it down now. And we’re going to bring Tira in to read them before we dispose of them.”

  Cole’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want them killed. Just wipe their memories. Have the streghe spell them then put a couple of men on them. Maybe they’ll lead us back to their employer.”

  Kyle had considered that but hadn’t wanted to release the men to possibly threaten Tam or Cat again. He thought about arguing with Cole but knew it was the right decision.

  “Fine. I’ll have Margie arrange the wipe.”

  Cole’s smile was all teeth as Kyle turned to head for the door.

  “Good luck, old man. You’re gonna need it to keep up with Tamra, I think. And Kyle…” Cole waited until he turned back to look at him, his expression deadly serious. “Congratulations. I think new blood is a good thing.”

  * * * * *

  “So this isn’t really a marriage ceremony?”

  Cat chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated Tam’s dress and her question two days later. “Well, since I’ve never been to a church wedding, I can’t really say. I think it’s more like Dad’s laying claim to you and you’re agreeing to let him.”

  Margie choked out a laugh as she watched from a chair in the corner. “Ah, yeah, that’s not exactly how I’d describe it. What my daughter is trying to say is that the ceremony is more like an exchange of vows. You’re pledging yourself to Kyle as much as to the lucani today. It’s actually been a while since they’ve had one of these ceremonies. The last was mine and Dan’s.”

  Tam caught Margie’s warm gaze in the mirror. “Thanks again for the dress.” She brushed a hand down the bright blue silk of the slip dress Margie had brought with her today. “I didn’t exactly come prepared for a…a ceremony.”

  “Tam, honey,” Margie said. “Kyle wouldn’t notice if you were wearing a burlap bag and fuzzy slippers. The man is head over heels for you. He loves you.”

  Tam smiled. She knew that, but it was nice to hear someone else say it. Even if it was the mother of his only child. Still, Margie had become a good friend in the past few days as they prepared for the ceremony. She’d introduced Tam to the women of the pack and to Kyle’s family in a way Kyle couldn’t have. Apparently Margie’s seal of approval went a long way toward getting the lucani to accept her.

  And she wanted to be accepted. For Kyle’s sake. He was a well-respected, well-liked member of the small lucani community. And apparently he’d been a highly prized bachelor among the women. She’d caught a few jealous glances tossed her way even though everyone had been nice to her face.

  “You look beautiful.”

  She smiled at the sound of his voice and turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway, staring at her with those beautiful topaz eyes. He didn’t smile but she knew exactly what he was thinking when his gaze slid down her body then back to her eyes, caressing every inch of her along the way.

  Her smile widened. “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself.”

  Actually he looked edible but she couldn’t say that with Cat right here. Honestly though, the man couldn’t look any more gorgeous unless he was naked.

  Barefoot and dressed in black slacks and a white silk shirt, Kyle looked devastating. Her heart began to pound and her mouth dried. If he wasn’t hers so completely, she’d go to battle for him.

  No wonder all those women had been giving her the evil eye behind her back. She’d have to fight them off with sticks. And she’d win. It didn’t matter to her that they had claws. He was hers.

  She walked toward him, taking the hand he held out to her. Everything else fell away when he wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her close. He bent and kissed her, his lips warm and firm against her.

  When his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she pressed against him, her breasts crushed against the hard planes of his chest. Her nipples tightened and peaked, and her stomach took that freefall that always happened when he kissed her.

  After long seconds, he pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Are you ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He waved her out the door and waited until Margie and Cat exited.

  Dan
met them on the path, newly covered in leaves that cushioned her bare feet, and took Margie’s hand while Cat practically skipped ahead to the sanctuary.

  When they arrived, Tam smiled to see so many people crammed into the small space. She recognized several. Kyle’s parents and sisters, Kaine with her multicolored hair, and Nic and Duke. Nic was staring across the crowd, where Tam saw Tira, smiling at her with tears in her eyes. Duke stared at the ground, hands in the pockets of his tan linen pants.

  Everyone was dressed with casual elegance. No jeans or t-shirts. But they were all barefoot. Kyle had told her it connected them to the earth, which is where lucani drew the power for their magic.

  At the center of the small clearing in front of the small waterfall stood Tivr.

  The Moon God.

  Tam automatically shook her head, still not quite able to wrap her head around the fact that this teenager was actually several millennia old and the son of the Moon Goddess Lusna.

  Tivr’s intense dark gaze fastened on her as she and Kyle walked forward to stand before him. He didn’t smile but his expression softened the slightest bit when his gaze shifted to Cat for a split second.

  When he looked back at her, his lips kept that faint smile. “So, Tamra, you want to pledge your life to Kyle. To live as his mate, to keep his secrets and forgive his faults, of which there are many.” The soft laughter from the crowd made her smile up at Kyle, who gazed back at her with breathtaking emotion in his eyes.

  “And Kyle, you vow to pledge your life to a woman who may actually be too good for you. Since I can’t see any reason to fault either of you for your choices, I’ll just ask the Great Mother Goddess Uni to give her blessing to you both and welcome Tamra into the family.”

  Tivr closed his eyes and muttered in a language she’d never heard, that sounded nothing like any language she’d ever heard. The tone reverberated deep in her body, as if it connected to her soul. Kyle’s hand tightened on hers, an electricity racing between them, better even than the buzz after sex.

  She drew in a sharp breath, just as Kyle did. And when Tivr uttered the last words and reopened his eyes, he finally smiled at them.