Blood Moon Magic

by Isobelle Carmichael

  I clench his knee, hearing the pain in his voice, wishing I could make it end.

  “At first, he started hitting far harder than necessary in our training sessions. He said it was to toughen us up, and if we landed a lucky blow, we got it worse.”

  “Oh, Marcus. I’m so sorry.” He powers on, not acknowledging my words.

  “But then, he began to beat my mother.” His voices cracks, and I send another pulse of encouragement toward him. He doesn’t speak for a few minutes before he pulls me back to his chest and squeezes me so tightly my breath whooshes from my lungs.

  “He killed her,” he finally says, skipping to the end.

  I can’t help the gasp that comes out.

  Killing a Bonded mate should be impossible. In fact, I’ve never even heard of it happening before. I can understand why he was so hesitant to tell me. Being in a Bonded relationship should have made his father want to lay down his life before hurting her and vice versa. The only way I can imagine something like that happening is if one of the mates had something wrong with them mentally. Is Marcus worried he’ll do the same thing to me?

  “There was no investigation. It was ruled as an accident, but I saw it happen,” his voice quivers, and I can tell he’s reliving the memories.

  “He snapped her neck and pushed her down the steps. Then he lied and said she tripped and fell.”

  I pull away from him and turn to glance back at him, searching his face.

  “It was such bullshit, you know. She was graceful and elegant. She could handle the stairs in our home in 5-inch high heels with a glass of wine and not spill a drop. No one believed me when I spoke the truth; he has done such a fantastic job discrediting me.”

  Part of me wants to know how his mother wore 5-inch heels, but I let it go, for the moment.

  “He got away with it, and even got a companion to ease his heartache when my mother was still fresh in the grave.”

  “Holy shit, Marcus. That’s awful.”

  “You know what really sucked? With Ma dead, my dad took her place in the pack hierarchy.”

  I stand up and cradle his head to my stomach. He sighs and wraps his head around the middle, and we stay that way for a long moment just processing.

  “Do you know how I became a chef?”

  “No, but I’ve always wondered. It would seem you should have been a soldier with your skills and build.”

  “He said I was willful and beat me, but I took all of his anger so that he wouldn’t turn on my brothers. When I shifted for the first time, and they saw that I was huge, just like my mother, he lost it. My dad was a brown dragon of average size, and he hated that I was bigger.”

  “So how did that lead to you being a trained chef?”

  “Shaun was the first Wyvern member to befriend me.”

  “Really? Shaun?”

  “I know, and I told him to fuck off. I didn’t want the alpha’s son trying to make me his pet project. It took ages before I finally believed that his intentions were pure. Shaun can be difficult.”

  I bust out laughing, and his green eyes are alight with amusement as he looks at me. “I am aware that he’s been snooping around and sticking his nose in things, but he means well.”

  “I know that, too. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t put up with half the shit I do.” I concede.

  “Would you believe he’s well-liked by the younger generations and known for being exceedingly trustworthy?”

  “Now, that I do believe. He oozes charisma!”

  “Anyway, Shaun eventually convinced his father to send me to France to train in culinary school. He said that it would be good for me to learn a skill, so I could be of good use for the pack.”

  “Did he know you had a passion for it?” I question.

  “He didn’t, but by this time I was always in trouble. I used to fight all the time—anyone and everyone that I could. I would push anyone bigger than me just for the chance to spill blood. It didn’t take much for me to go off.”

  “You’re nothing like that now, and I don’t know if I believe that.”

  “It’s true. You can ask anyone. In some ways, I was a pariah. With a father whose mate died under suspicious circumstances, regardless of what the official reports said and my own volatile temper, everyone saw me as a carbon copy of him. Eventually, only Shaun would talk to me, and with enough time, Justin, Kaden, and Kaleb followed. They were already close by then, so I felt like their charity project,” he chuckles and kisses my forehead before continuing, “Kaden and I fought more times than I can count. He was always willing to give me what I needed, and never held back. As I calmed the beast inside of me, Justin taught me technique. He showed me how to channel my rage into a form of skill that was less raging bull and more refined.”

  “So, you’ve known one another for a long time. Suddenly, your closeness and lack of jealousy make a shit-ton more sense.”

  “It’s true. We fought and trained together as teens, and when I was strong enough, I challenged my father in private for my freedom. My father refused to fight me in dragon form, assuming that I would have an advantage due to my size, but I knew he’d do that. Thanks to Justin, I was prepared to fight in human form, and even though at the time he still had height and weight on me, I won.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “Not long after our challenge, Shaun stepped in and found a way to ensure my survival, because my father promised to kill me after our battle. I knew he would find a way to end me as soon as he got the chance.”

  “That’s against our rules; you can’t retaliate a fair challenge with death.”

  “It would have been if our fight was in public, but it’s wasn’t.”

  “So, Shaun told you to go to culinary school?”

  “I needed to be away from my father, and getting me out of the country seemed the safest course of action. But, then I found out he had killed my youngest brother in another suspicious accident. I flew home just in time for his funeral. I knew nothing would stop him from doing it again, so I threatened him. He remembered our last fight, and I had only gotten stronger in our years apart. I said I wouldn’t challenge him publicly, but only on the condition that he leave my siblings alone. He had no further claim on them. Afterward, I couldn’t stand to stay with the clan and my siblings. It was too dangerous for all of us. We came to the understanding that he would leave me alone, and I would go. I am the reason the Doyles are a broken family. I left them to traipse around the world learning to cook. But Shaun and the others agreed to keep an eye on my siblings, and as soon as they were old enough they left the clan. Eventually, my dad was killed on a mission, and it was finally safe for me to return to the only family I ever really knew—the guys.

  I listen to him, and my heart breaks. I don’t murmur platitudes. I don’t tell him he’s wrong. I just listen. I can’t take away these scars, and I can tell he’s not done yet. It is hard to hear how much guilt he has locked away inside himself. It’s hard to believe we managed to come so far with his obvious intimacy and trust issues.

  And suddenly, it clicks why I refused to let him go, why I fought so hard for this moment— Marcus is so like me. We are both damaged by the love, or lack thereof, of our parents’ stories.

  Whereas Shaun pushes me and makes me grow, Marcus makes me love, even when love wasn’t what I wanted. And I do love him, just as I have come to love all of them. Justin feeds my mind, and I know when I’m struggling for an answer he will do anything he can to find it out. Kaden lets me lean on him, and Kaleb makes me laugh but also lets me bitch. Each man brings something special to our relationship, and without them, it would be an incomplete set.

  “I’m not sure if you guessed it, but my dad is the one with a mental defect. He’s a borderline psychopath. I don’t even understand how he would have Bonded to my mother. Whatever is wrong with him, he passed it down. There is something broken and cruel in me.”

  “Marcus, what are you talking about? I have never seen your anger.”

&n
bsp; “It’s true. You just don’t know that I channel it into my cooking. The precise measurements, the creativity, and the steps required keep me on an even-keel.

  “Oh, Marcus, you are the most grounded and levelheaded of all my dragons, including Justin!

  “But, Abby.”

  “You father was a monster, but not you! You are Earth. When is the last time you had an outburst? When I was taken? ‘Cause from what I heard, you were the one stopping Justin from destroying the Death Claw den bar.”

  “I was angry as hell; I was just waiting until I could find a different way to express it.”

  “Did you hear what you just said? You wanted to find a healthy outlet for your anger. Justin threw furniture and lost his mind, and you stopped him. I think you need to look at things in a new way, babe, because you are not the old person you just described anymore. Not even close.”

  “How can you say that after everything I’ve told you?” he says with what I think sounds like awe in his voice.

  “Because you’re holding onto the person you were, but I see the person you are now.” I’m in his arms, and I am so proud of him. I turn myself around, so I’m straddling his lap and take his face between my hands. “Marcus, I can’t begin to understand the pain you experienced in your childhood, but you have grown from it, and you are so much better than you think you are.” I kiss him gently, so he feels the sincerity in my words.

  “Thank you so much for listening to me, not judging me, and not rejecting me.”

  “I could never judge or reject you. You cannot be blamed for what your father did, and you are a different person. I guess I should thank Shaun for what he did for you back then. I might never have met you otherwise. I guess I should stop giving him such a hard time, huh?”

  “Probably, but don’t go too easy on him. He still thinks he’s in charge of us whenever you’re not around.”

  “And when is that?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

  “You’d be surprised how often he finds time to lord his beta status over us. Now come on. I have been getting messages for the last ten minutes about lunch, and you, more than any of us, need to eat.”

  “If you’re cooking, I’m eating.”

  “Have you ever had paella? It’s divine, and umm,” he nervously avoids my eyes, “maybe you’d want to stay in the kitchen with me and learn how to make it?”

  His shy look has me melting, and I nod my head slowly before leaning over to kiss his full, lush mouth. “I’d love that so damn much,” I breathe against his lips.

  A few mornings later, we decide to go on one last run before returning back to my den. My mother called last night and expressed her desire that I return to start preparations for the ceremony. Apparently, it’s time for me to learn how to perform the rituals. I knew better than to argue, so I just agreed and hung up the phone. I stretch and strip, feeling the cool air caress my skin and excitement bubbles inside of me like it always does when my wolf is allowed to roam free.

  I shift, and an instant later, I’m off running at full speed. My wolf is practically smiling as she darts through the trees. A branch pulls a tuft of fur from my coat, but I ignore it. I’m free, and I’m running. The pads of my paws sink lightly into the earth, and I’m flying over the ground. I hear a whoosh of wings and skid to a stop. I want to snarl, but their familiar scents stop me. These are my dragons, magnificent and graceful. I chose them, and now they belong to me. They protect me, and I protect them.

  I approach slowly when the thunder of dragons land, taking in their scents deep into my nose. They smell different in this form, and I want to commit each nuanced layer to memory. Shaun shifts from his brilliant sapphire blue to a delectably naked man and comes over to stroke my fur.

  “Oh, Abigail. You are so beautiful in this form.” I wag my sable tail, lavishing in his compliments and nuzzling his hand for more ear scratches.

  Watching over his back, I see Marcus and Justin shift next, but I’m checking out the twins. I haven’t seen them in their dragon glory yet, and I am eager for a good look. Kaleb’s dragon is fire-engine red with veins of black up his right hind leg. Kaden is slightly larger, and a deeper red, like the color of dried blood, with the same black streak on his hide but running up the left.

  They’re all so beautiful. I howl with joy as they all complete their shift. They come to me and lay their hands on my coat, petting me and giving my wolf all the attention she’s been craving.

  Finally, when she’s had enough, I shift back to my human form. I stand naked and proud in front of my men before prancing over to the backpack I have stashed behind a tree. I pull on my clothing, but I know they’re staring at me, so I take my time with my reverse striptease. When an audible groan escapes Shaun, I smile and fasten my bra. I bend down to shimmy into my panties and giggle when someone gasps. I almost feel a twinge of guilt for teasing them. I’m so glad that everyone is feeling the torture equally, and in just over a week they’ll all be mine.

  I finish getting dressed with my back toward them. The sight of five impressive cocks jutting from bodies honed from hard work is too much for this girl to handle. I know my limits. When I turn around, they are thankfully dressed. Kinda. The twins are wearing jeans unbuttoned, and I can see the tufts of their pubic hair peeking out. So, they’re going commando. I’m taking a mental snapshot to remember this sight later. I keep following the lines of the Adonis cuts on their hips to those unsnapped buttons.

  “Okay, Princess. I’m not sure if you’re going to fuck me or eat me, and now that I’ve seen the size of your wolf, I’m a little freaked out.” I laugh—as usual, he breaks the tension perfectly.

  “Aw, Kaleb. Are you scared of one little wolf?”

  “One gorgeous and huge sable-brown wolf? Yes. Absolutely.”

  I chuckle. I know I’m the biggest wolf in my pack, but I didn’t think I would be thought of as huge in comparison with their massive dragons.

  “Come on, guys. You’ve seen other large wolves before, haven’t you?”

  “Of course we have, Abby,” Justin chimes in, “but you are huge!”

  I shoot daggers at him, and he realizes his faux pas. He holds his hands up in a placating gesture.

  “Which is just another testament to your future as alpha.”

  I give him one more scathing glance.

  “So, boys, it looks like our respite is coming to an end. My mother called last night and informed me that I had better get my ass back home pronto to plan for the Blood Moon ceremony. I want to thank you all for helping me these past couple of weeks. You don’t know how amazing it’s been.” I smile, filled with joy as my men surround me.

  “Well, let’s get you home,” Kaden says, sweeping me off my feet.

  I let out a squeal of laughter. After the horror of that damn dungeon basement, I am honestly stunned that I can laugh again, and so soon. Somehow, these men gave me the encouragement I needed to begin healing. I hum a little tune as I hop into the front seat.

  “Excuse me, Princess. What are you doing?” Justin asks, hanging partially inside the passenger side door, staring at me.

  “I’m waiting for my chariot to take me home, of course,” I respond, blinking up at him innocently while I try not to laugh.

  “But, you’re in the front seat.”

  “I know, I’m going to navigate this time.”

  “Oh no, you’re not. Whenever you get ahold of the radio, it’s all girly music.” He reaches in and yanks me out of the car. “You’re sexy as hell, but this is not going to happen.”

  “Christina Aguilera is a genius, Mariah Carey is a legend, and don’t even get me started on the Backstreet Boys!” I shout while beating my hands against his very firm shoulders.

  “We’re not going to let you get started; that’s the point. I understand your love of ‘90s music, I do, but I cannot listen to another boy band marathon. I don’t care how sexy your ass is.”

  He tosses me into the backseat, and the twins grab me, effectively barring me from leavin
g the car again.

  “This is bullshit; I’m the alpha. What I say goes,” I pout.

  “You can be the big bad alpha all you want, baby girl, but this strong dominant male says you either listen to what I’m telling you, or I will turn you over my knee and spank you. I really hope you argue with me because my palm is twitching.”

  Well, fuck.

  I open my mouth to do just that because the idea of getting spanked by Justin is so sexy, but ever the cockblock, Shaun steps in.

  “First off, Abby, I heard that, so now you will be getting a spanking! Secondly, we have to go, so we’ll put a pin in this little game for now.”

  I shiver, and Kaleb leans close to me whispering, “I can smell your arousal. If I’d known a little spanking would turn you on so much, I’d have tried it sooner, but now that I know, I hope you’re prepared to have a very sore bottom!”

  Fuck and double fuck.

  I squirm in my seat, getting hot and bothered by the thought of all these spankings. I am a bit surprised the idea is so alluring considering what I just went through. I guess knowing that it’s my men who would be doling out the punishment makes me feel safe.

  My wolf growls her agreement.

  Our conversation turns to the music, and I’m voted down rather harshly for a girl power vs. boy band marathon. A compromise is agreed upon, and ’90s alternative and metal are chosen as our road music. When Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” comes on, the tension in the car ratchets up by several degrees—getting fucked like an animal takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a shifter.

  “So, am I the only one who’s nervous about this ceremony?” I ask, trying to break the awkward sexual tension of the vehicle.