Heart of Darkness: Part One Taint of Shadow

by Cassandra Moore

  She’d seen Moira last night. He’d start there.

  Kayla had always looked on Moira like a second mother or a wise, favored aunt. When the wolf had come howling up to turn Kayla’s life upside down, her mother had done little to explain it. She’d married a werewolf but had hoped her daughter wouldn’t inherit the “problem”. Kayla’s father had left years before, unable to stand the harpy of a woman his wife had become.

  So she’d taken the bus to Moon Blessings on the chance she could find a book to read. Instead, she’d found Moira, then the pack. And Noah.

  Quietly, he pulled clothes out of the dresser. The rattle of the drawer didn’t disturb her, which was unusual. Before, she’d been a light sleeper, and he’d awakened her hundreds of times in the past. For a moment, he watched her to make certain she still breathed. He couldn’t help it.

  He dressed in the living room. While he was out, he’d get a black shower curtain, or a thick blanket to put over the bedroom window. Light hurt her eyes, she’d said, and he wanted to make her comfortable. Maybe then, she’d sleep less like the dead.

  It took him a moment to locate his cell phone. He’d left it in his jeans last night, which still hid against the wall where he’d thrown them. A red light blinked on the front, a silent accusation that someone had called and he’d slept late.

  “Noah? It’s Todd. Hey, buddy, where are you? We’re all here. Don’t stand us up. Call me. Or better yet, show up.”

  Once Moira had called, he’d forgotten the get-together.

  “Noah? Come on, answer your phone. It’s okay if you didn’t feel like coming out. We can do it next time. Just give me a call, all right?” Todd again. Noah grabbed his keys and headed out the door while he listened.

  “Hey, it’s Todd. Look, I’m worried. I’m here at your place. Your truck’s not here, you’re not answering the door or the phone, and your light’s on in the living room. You’re somewhere, but it wasn’t with us. Just call, all right?” His best friend worried way too much. Todd had kept close tabs on him since the shit hit the fan, afraid he’d do something stupid.

  “Dave just called me. There was a garbage bin fire over in a really shitty part of town. Blowing piece of burning paper caught an awning on fire. Unknown accelerants. That where you were tonight? Barbecued biters? Come on, man, you’re not supposed to do that anymore. Call me.”

  Dave was a firefighter. And a tattletale of a lower echelon wolf.

  As usual, the bell chimed when he opened the door of Moon Blessings. Moira, however, had seen him coming.

  “Did you find her?” she asked before the sound faded.

  “Yes. She’s back at my place now.” He’d never seen Moira like this. She looked anxious, uneasy. Dark circles bagged under her eyes, and frazzled strings of hair hung in wisps around her face. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not.” With an irritable gesture, she rubbed at her face. “How is she?”

  Her behavior worried him, but the prickle at the back of his neck outright disturbed him. It reminded him of last night, outside the alley, when he’d heard the woman’s sobs. “Different. Changed. Moira, what’s going on?”

  She began to pace. “I wasn’t sure if I should call you. She was adamant about not seeing you, but I know her. She needs you. So I called you anyway. Don’t make me sorry that I did.”

  “Did she tell you what happened?” He rubbed the back of his neck. The pin-prick sensation didn’t increase, nor did it decrease, but remained a constant itch.

  “No. She wouldn’t say. Didn’t she tell you anything?” The woman sounded annoyed. Something had gotten into her.

  To counteract the nervous energy she radiated, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Today, the shop wasn’t a haven of peace; it was more like a dynamo, building energy, storing it, until everyone inside lost their mind. Heavy incense choked instead of soothed. Even the mood rings had turned black.

  “She did. Something about a ritual performed by both halves of the whole, with seven wolves on a blue moon and the hearts of innocents. Do you know anything about that?” He followed her with his gaze, back and forth across the room. If she didn’t hold still soon, he was going to have to stop her. Inside, the wolf paced with her, caged, off-balance. It wanted to chase her, run her down—

  Stop. Now.

  “I can guess. They’re twisting the power that makes wolves what they are, turning it dark. It would completely unbalance things.” She clutched large handfuls of skirt in her fists. “Until she gets her revenge and makes sure that no one else can get hurt, she won’t stop. That was why I called you. Someone has to protect her from herself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  A customer opened the door to the shop. Before he had taken two steps inside, he turned around and left again. Noah wanted to follow but couldn’t. Nervous energy ran riot through him, but he had questions that needed answers.

  She paced to the counter and took a swig from her coffee cup. He hoped it was decaf. “I don’t think she understands herself or how dangerous she is. She’s a time bomb. You need to defuse her before she explodes.”

  Such a happy thought. “Right. Look, what the hell is up with you?” His patience had fled with the customer.

  “You’ve got enough to deal with. I’ll be fine.”

  “Bullshit.”

  She scrubbed at her face again. “I was followed last night on the way home from the shop. I could feel them pick up my trail. Right around my house, they circled. They can’t get on the property, but they walked around it, all night.”

  He blinked. “Who?”

  “I don’t know. They felt...evil. Malevolent. Vampires, I think.” Worry warped her face. “I think they were after her. They must have known she’d come here, and they’re following me.”

  “Still?”

  “No. They left just before dawn. But I feel something. I don’t know what it is, or where, but it’s close.”

  So he wasn’t imagining it. “Maybe you should go home. I can take you there.”

  She shook her head. “No. I need to stay. Someone might need me. The back door is barred, and I can see everyone before they get in. I’ll be fine.”

  “Moira—”

  “I have never failed to open this shop in thirty years, and I am not going to let them bully me into closing now!” she shouted. “I will not be intimidated by dead people and hairy bastards who don’t know how to leave well enough alone!”

  Time to go. “If you need anything, call.”

  On the heels of a confused customer and his frayed patience, he fled the building. Fresh air surrounded him. Sweet, clean air that didn’t taste of smoke and insanity. The hairs on the back of his neck slowly eased down, although a nagging sense he’d missed something remained.

  What he knew for certain was that he didn’t want to go straight to the apartment. If someone had followed Moira home, they might have followed her back and kept a watch. Vampires didn’t come out during the day, but their human servants often did.

  As he climbed into the cab of his truck, he punched in Todd’s number. “Hey, it’s Noah.”

  “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to get hold of you all night!”

  “Something came up. Look, meet me for lunch? The brewery.”

  “Yeah, I can do that. Now?”

  “Uh-huh. Table inside, if you beat me.”

  “But it’s nice outside.”

  “Inside today.”

  “You all right?”

  “Just fine. Catch you then.” He snapped the cell closed. A personal explanation worked best with Todd. On the phone, he could ramble like a gossipy teenager.

  His friend had arrived before he got there. He saw Todd Mayhew’s sandy blond mop over the booth tops, and when he approached, his friend waved. “Hey, look, you do exist!” he said as he stood up to clasp Noah’s arm.

  He grinned and slid into the booth opposite Todd. “Yeah. Sorry about last night. I got caught up in something.”

  �
�Like roasting biters?”

  “That was me. But it’s more than that.” Kayla had said not to tell the pack, but they could trust Todd. Noah was sure she hadn’t meant for him to keep their friend in the dark. “You can’t say anything to anyone else, but... She’s back, Todd. Kayla’s back.”

  The color drained out of the other man’s face. “What? When?”

  “House dark lager,” he told the waitress, who hurried off. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

  “I’m—I’m shocked, Noah. I thought she was...you know. When did she get back? Why didn’t you call me?” Todd chafed one hand with the other, a nervous habit.

  He canted his head. “It got a little crazy. Something happened to her, man. Vampires did some ritual on her, and she’s different. She’s after the bastards that did it to her.”

  His friend’s eyes dilated, and he licked his lips as if they’d abruptly gone dry. “Wh-what? Did she say who?”

  Noah had known Todd for years. The man was agitated, even scared, not excited like Noah had expected. He had the sudden thought that Todd didn’t need to know more. “No. She didn’t want to talk about it.”

  “Where is she? I mean, I’d love to see her.” The reply was quick, too eager.

  “Our place. Where the hell else would she be?” He regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth. “She’s a little off right now. Maybe in a day or two we can get together.”

  Todd’s head bobbed. “That’d be great. Really, it’s great she’s back. Really great.”

  Everyone he knew had gotten freakish today. First Moira, now Todd. But that reminded him. “Someone’s after her. They even followed Moira last night. I was afraid they’d followed me; that’s why I wanted to meet you inside.”

  “Like who?”

  His beer arrived, but he didn’t touch it. He’d lost his taste for it. “Local fang squad, I think. I think I’m being paranoid, though. Just thought I’d mention it, in case you hear anything or something happens.”

  “Sure you don’t want me to come by tonight? Help you keep an eye out? Or maybe you should come to my place. You and Kayla.” A fine sheen of sweat had broken out on Todd’s upper lip.

  I’ve said too much. Shit. I shouldn’t have said anything at all. The sudden regret left a lump in his gut. He and Todd had always been open, honest. Now he wanted to take back everything he’d said today.

  He didn’t understand it. Maybe Kayla had meant Todd, too. But why? “We’ll see what she feels up to. Speaking of, I’m sorry to bail on you, but the more I think about it, the more I wish I hadn’t left her by herself. I’m gonna go.”

  “You sure? You didn’t eat anything. Hell, you didn’t even drink your beer.” His friend looked relieved.

  Noah couldn’t wait to get home. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I’ll owe you one. I’ll call you later.”

  Blankets blocked out the late afternoon sun, tacked over every window in the apartment. Kayla winced when he opened the door, eyes squeezed shut against the light he let in.

  “Sorry, sorry,” he said, and quickly closed the door behind him. “I didn’t know you were up.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, blinking and rubbing at her eyes. “I just got up a little bit ago.”

  “Lazy.” He grinned. She hadn’t bothered to put clothes on. The sight of her curled up naked on her couch, feet tucked beneath her as she watched the television, warmed his heart while his cock swelled in his pants.

  She chuckled. “We all sleep late. We have some vampire habits, like the need to crawl off and sleep at dawn. No internal clock to wake us up when the sun goes down, though, so it tends to be late afternoon.”

  The television, he noticed, had the brightness turned way down. “And now I know. We’ll have to buy some shades so we can take the comforter off the glass doors.”

  “It was bright,” she said, a bit sheepishly. Then she wrinkled her nose. “Gah, you stink. Moon Blessings? Moira must have been burning enough incense to choke an elephant. Not her usual pick, either.”

  “Yeah. She was a little weird today.” If she could smell him from here, then her nose had gotten very sensitive.

  Her lips pursed. “Weird? How?”

  Purple light flared in her eyes. He didn’t know what that meant, but he didn’t think it was good. “She was tired, jumpy. Someone, or someones, followed her home last night and staked out her house ’til the sun came up.”

  “Fuck.” Anger hardened her features. “I should have guessed that would happen.”

  “Her place felt strange. People avoided it. Hell, even I left as quick as I could.”

  She nodded. “They’ve thrown her off balance. When she loses her center, her magic and protections go pear shaped, too.”

  That made sense. “I offered to take her home, but she got really upset at me. Said she’d never closed the shop in thirty years and wouldn’t be intimidated now.”

  “Mph. The Irish in her makes her stubborn. She offered to take sides, when I went in.” The glow flickered out, reappeared as she blinked. “I’d like to go by, but if they’re following her, I’d just make it worse if I showed up.”

  “We can call her.” As he watched, he found he didn’t dislike her eyes, now that he’d gotten used to them. The radiance had its own forms of expression, bright or broody with her moods. They had an appeal all their own. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

  The indigo ran more to purple as she blushed. “You’re biased.”

  He shook his head. “No, really. I like to watch your eyes. They show me what you’re thinking. It’s not normal, but who cares? It’s still gorgeous.”

  For the first time, he caught a true glimpse of the old Kayla. The smile on her lips was happy, without any hint of the grim determination that she carried. When she self-consciously ducked her head and looked at him through her lashes, it reminded him of times gone by. Tragedy had evolved her but not destroyed her.

  It also made his erection throb against the confines of his jeans. Her legs didn’t block his glimpses of soft, pink folds crowned by dark gold curls. Soft, curved breasts peeked out from behind her drawn-up knees. The whole graceful package begged for him to cover it in soft strokes of his tongue.

  And yet... “You really do stink. I think your clothes soaked up all the incense smoke.”

  “Maybe it would help if I took them off.” He gave her a wolfish smirk and pulled his shirt over his head.

  “It might,” she told him, leaning forward to get a better view. “Now, you only half stink.”

  His smirk broadened into a grin. “I half stink. That won’t work.” He tossed his cell phone onto a nearby table then pushed his pants down his legs. “Is that better?”

  “Come closer and I’ll tell you.” The tip of her tongue traced the length of one sharp canine.

  “All right.” His cock bobbed as he walked to stand before her. “Well?”

  Those blue-purple eyes stared up at him as she leaned her face closer. Her soft breath brushed against his cock before her lips closed around the head. The tip of her tongue felt along the seam, traced the gathered line of sensitive flesh. Her mouth was hot, wet; he needed to feel it take in his whole shaft.

  But she had decided to tease him. She took in only the head then let it slide out of her mouth before she sucked it in again. A groan escaped him. Oh, she was good with her mouth, and she knew what she could do to him. It made her dangerous to his restraint, but that was what she liked.

  The shaft of his cock pleaded for attention. In the low light of the television, the head was a deep plum color, and it glistened with moisture. She didn’t even close her hands around the body of his girth, only took the flared head in slow, deliberate movements.

  He couldn’t help it. His hips undulated forward as he tried to push himself farther into her mouth. “Kayla...” he growled when she denied him his full thrust.

  “Mmm?” The vibrations of sound tingled over the taut flesh she held between her lips.

  Shit, but he wanted her. �
�You’re going to drive me crazy.”

  “Mm-hmm.” She didn’t bother to remove her mouth. Her tongue circled the tip of his cock, and she got another growl for her effort.

  “Bitch.” His hands clutched into fists at his sides.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  She was going to get it, and he was going to give it to her. If he had his way, he thought as she sucked hard on just that tip of shaft, she would beg him to let her rest, and he would, after he turned her over and fucked her again, brought it out of her with an exhausted, pleasured scream. When she wanted to walk, she would change her mind. This is what she would get for this torture.

  An open-mouthed groan tore from him as she suddenly pulled his cock into her mouth as far as she could. The intense jolt was almost more than he could take. She let it slide out, flicked the tip of her tongue across the head, then plunged him into her mouth again. So hot, so tight. Her mouth was almost as good as her pussy.

  The scent of her filled his nose whenever he breathed, moaned. Tomorrow’s full moon had heightened his senses today, and the wolf inside smelled the sweet musk of his mate. It tested his control. He wanted to roll her onto the floor, mount her from behind, and pound into her until she howled, and he did, too.

  Instead, he put his hands around her head. She didn’t stop him. “I’m not going to stop until I come,” he snarled. Her answer was to pull him in deeper, faster.

  His hips snapped as he drove between her lips. Every nerve was on fire, and when his balls tightened, his fingers tightened in her hair. Then the seed poured out of him as his climax thundered through his body. He didn’t realize it when he threw his head back and howled until the last flash of heat had died down.

  Next door, the neighbor thumped on the wall.

  Kayla licked her lips. “The verdict’s in.”

  He could see the mischief dance in her eyes. “Oh yeah?”

  “You stink like incense smoke.”

  He laughed. “So I’ll shower. I’d hate to offend your delicate schnoz.”