Beneath a Blue Moon (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 2)

by Carrie Pulkinen

  Bryce followed after Macey, and Chase put his hand on Rain’s arm, holding her back a few steps. “Macey’s partner doesn’t know about us. He thinks I talk to ghosts.”

  “You could have warned me about that before we got here.” She couldn’t be expected to keep the right secrets if she wasn’t made aware of which secrets she had to keep.

  “Sorry.” He gave her a sheepish look. “Having your arms wrapped around me for so long distracted me.”

  Her heart did this weird thud…thud-thud-thud thing, and she plastered on a smile. “I won’t give your secret away.” She moved toward the door, trying to put some distance between them before she wrapped her arms around him again.

  “I trust you.”

  His words stopped her in her tracks, and she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. He had no reason to trust her. She’d been hiding things from him since the moment she met him, and it killed her to know their entire relationship was built on a lie. She wasn’t worthy of his trust, but damn it, she wanted to be. Coming clean about her curse would be the first step. He deserved the truth. At least a little of it.

  When she didn’t respond, Chase brushed passed her and pushed open the door, leaving her alone in the reception area with the heaviness of her lies weighing her down, making it hard to move. She had to tell him. If she lost the wedding because of her admission, so be it. She couldn’t lie to him anymore.

  Rain followed the sound of their voices down the hallway and into the heart of the morgue. Her shoes squeaked on the white tile floor as she stepped in the room, and the sickly-sweet smell of decaying flesh made her wrinkle her nose as she took in her surroundings. Row after row of square metal doors lined three of the walls, all of them sealed shut, except one. Chase, Macey, and Bryce stood by the open door, waiting for her.

  “Did you prepare her?” Bryce asked Chase.

  He gave a quick nod. “She knows what to expect.”

  Macey reached for the drawer, but Bryce put a hand up to stop her. “Hold on. Before we do this, I’ve got to know. What’s the difference between a witch and someone with psychic powers like Macey or Chase? You do Voodoo magic or something?”

  Rain closed the distance between them and looked at both Macey and Chase, doing her best to assure them with her gaze that she wouldn’t say too much. “Most witches are Wiccan. It’s a religion; so is Voodoo. We worship a goddess and try our best to be one with nature.”

  Bryce arched an eyebrow. “Do the spells you cast work?”

  A skeptic. Most humans were, but they rarely argued with her logic. “Casting spells is a lot like prayer. Do you believe prayer works?”

  He shrugged. “Sure I do.”

  “Then why not spells?”

  Bryce furrowed his brow as he contemplated her words. “I’m not even going to pretend to understand what y’all do or how you do it. The less I know, the better.”

  Rain gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m not going to cast any spells. I’m here to identify the body. She belonged to my old coven.”

  Bryce blinked.

  “A coven is like a church.”

  “Hmm…” He rubbed his chin. “Witch church. If you say so.” He pulled out the drawer to reveal the body.

  Macey moved back the sheet, and Rain’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the remains. Based on the hair and nail polish alone—the only things left intact—she didn’t recognize the woman. Her skin had shriveled on her bones, masking any features she might have had while alive. Rain’s stomach twisted, and she swallowed the sour taste creeping up her throat. This woman wasn’t mummified. She’d had the life sucked out of her, and Rain had only met one person with that ability.

  “Here’s the mark I told you about.” Chase pointed to the coven crest on the woman’s chest below her collarbone. “Calista said it was Miami. Do you recognize it?”

  Rain nodded. “It’s Miami. This is what it used to look like.” She slid her shirt off her shoulder and turned her back so they could see the crest on her shoulder blade.

  As she turned around and looked at Chase, his eyes held so much compassion, her heart thudded against her ribs.

  “Do you know who she is?” His hands twitched as if he fought the urge to reach for her.

  “Based on what I can tell from what’s left of her, she’s no one I was close to. I may have known her in passing, but it’s difficult to say.” She wrapped her arms around herself to chase away the chill penetrating her bones. Visions of the corpse would be invading her nightmares for weeks. “I’ve seen enough.”

  This time, Chase didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her to his chest, and the firmness and strength of his embrace warmed her from the inside out. She didn’t know the dead woman on the table, but that didn’t make it any less disturbing. He guided her out of the building and stopped on the sidewalk out front. The detectives followed on their heels.

  “Thanks for your help, ma’am,” Bryce said. “We better get back to the station, Mace.”

  Macey tugged her bottom lip and cut her gaze between Rain and Bryce. “Give me a minute. I need to talk to Rain about my wedding cake.”

  Bryce chuckled. “I’ll be in the car.”

  As soon as her partner walked out of earshot, Macey turned to Rain. “Is there anything else you can tell us about the woman? I heard something about an energy vampire mentioned. Could you pick up on anything at all?”

  Rain inhaled a shaky breath and leaned into Chase’s side for support. Could her ex be alive? Surely not after what she’d done. “It does appear to be the work of an energy vampire, though I’ve never seen one drain a victim so thoroughly. In my experience, they usually take a little at a time…whatever they need to accomplish their task or recover from overusing their magic.”

  Chase stiffened. “In your experience?”

  “I knew an energy vampire once, a long time ago. I was unwittingly his victim for more than a year before I caught on to what was happening.” She shivered.

  He tightened his arm around her protectively. “Do you know where this guy is now? Could he have done this?”

  “I don’t think so.” Should she tell him the truth? What would he think of her if he knew what she’d done? “The last time I saw him, he was…ill. He was in no condition to perform any kind of magic, and I doubt he survived.”

  Bryce tapped on the horn and made a winding motion with his hand, telling Macey to hurry up.

  She held up a finger. “Should I notify Miami we have one of their witches?”

  Rain chewed the inside of her cheek. Surely it was coincidence the dead witch came from her hometown. If the Miami coven got involved in the investigation, they’d drag Rain into it—probably blame her or Snow. She’d lose the wedding and the werewolf she was falling for. “Can you wait? Let me see if my sister can scry for the attacker. She’s good at locating people.” She looked at Chase. “Having another coven in your territory could get sticky.” How thick could she make this layer of lies?

  Bryce honked again.

  “Let me know what you find out. I’ll have to contact them eventually.” Macey turned to leave but paused. “And, Chase, I know this goes without saying, but…”

  “I’ll keep her safe.”

  Macey smiled. “I know you will.” She climbed into the car with Bryce, and they pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Are you okay?” Chase loosened his grip on her shoulder and moved to look into her eyes.

  “I’m fine. A little creeped out, but I’ll get over it.” She had to. While the woman’s death was tragic, it had nothing to do with her. The little wriggling sensation in the back of her mind was nothing. Isaac was dead. Her ex couldn’t have been responsible for this.

  “Will you tell me more about this energy vampire you encountered? How did he victimize you for so long without you knowing?”

  Her stomach sank. She needed to tell him the truth. He deserved to know at least some of it, but first she needed to gather her thoughts. To figur
e out how much she was willing to risk. How much she should share. “Can we get out of this parking lot? How about that ride you promised me?” She flashed a weak smile.

  “Rain…”

  “I know. I will tell you, but it’s not an easy story to share.” Especially since what she’d done to Isaac had been a hundred times worse than what he’d done to her. “Take me for a ride, and I promise I’ll tell you.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”

  “I hope you do.”

  Chapter Ten

  The bark of a cypress tree dug into Isaac’s back as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the trunk. The hard ground beneath his legs did nothing to ease his aching muscles, but this would all be over soon. Once the witch was dead, the spell would lift and his body could repair itself…and stay that way.

  The temptation to send his tulpa to kill her now was palpable. He could end his own anguish, but death was too easy for the one who did this to him. She deserved to suffer one thousand times worse for what she’d done.

  He took the jar from his pocket and gazed at the orb rolling around in the liquid. This little act of magic would require another week of recovery, but he’d endure the agony in order to watch her suffer.

  His knuckles cracked as he gripped the lid and twisted it from the jar. Sharp pain shot up to his elbow, the rotating movement threatening to rip it from its socket. Dropping the lid, he poured the contents into his palm, allowing the liquid to flow through his fingers. He closed his hand around the eye and concentrated on the magic within it.

  “May the magic inside be my guide.” His voice came out in a croak. “I call on her sight to lead me through the night. Show me Rain, who has caused me insufferable pain.”

  The eye warmed in his hand, sending tingling energy up his arm and into his core. He closed his own eyes, allowing the visions to swim through his mind. Blurry at first, as his concentration focused, they came into crisp view.

  “There you are, my little Rain. My, how you’ve grown.” She hadn’t been much more than a girl when he’d met her all those years ago. Powerful, but immature. She’d been an easy target, and once he’d cast his spell of obsession, she’d been his to manipulate. She was still beautiful, though her features had matured and her hair had grown. A familiar ache seized in his chest. He had cared for her once, but she’d hardly acknowledged his existence. Always focused on her magic and starting her business, power and position in the coven had been her main concerns.

  His spell had taught her to love. To care for him above all else. He’d made her a better person, and she’d repaid him in the most inhumane way. The ache in his heart turned to a stab of anger, and he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on her image.

  But seeing her face didn’t help him with her location. He concentrated on widening the vision. She was with a man. Tall with dark hair, he looked at her as if he wanted to consume her. The smile on her lips said she’d enjoy being eaten.

  Isaac paused, his ragged breath catching in his throat as he looked closer in his vision. Though the man’s face no longer contorted in pain, his features couldn’t be mistaken. The werewolf from the swamp had caught Rain’s eye.

  Pain shot through his temple as he ground his teeth, and he lifted his injured arm. Cursed blood oozed through the moss bandage, and the burning from the beast’s teeth had never ceased. Of all the men his Rain could have latched onto, why did it have to be the werewolf?

  He closed his eyes and looked at her in his vision. The moment her wicked spell had taken effect on Isaac, his control over her had broken. He’d get her back, though. The little witch belonged to him, and she’d learn her lesson soon enough. He’d make the man suffer first. Then her sister and anyone else she cared about.

  She would fear him, and in her fear, she would respect him. He had once made her eyes sparkle like they did for this man. Perhaps he could make them shine again. If he could drain a witch powerful enough to unbind Rain’s magic, he could break her curse. With her magic restored, she could lift the spell she’d put on him and be his forever.

  He gazed at her deep-gray eyes in his vision. She would pay one way or another—either sacrificing her life or devoting it to him.

  He inhaled deeply, the humid air slicing like razor blades down his trachea, and reined in his emotions. “Show me where she’s been.”

  His vision of Rain swam, drifting through time and space to a house—brown with white trim and green shutters. In his mind, he stepped inside and found her sitting on the couch next to the same man.

  With a growl of frustration, he searched the vision again. Another building—bright yellow with a light-green door. A bakery. He peered through the window. Rain wore a blue apron and stood behind the counter, decorating a cake. His lips cracked as they curved into a smile. His pastry chef had made her dream of running a bakery come true.

  Forcing his vision to the present, he watched Rain climb on the back of the man’s motorcycle. Jealousy rolled through his shriveled veins like fire. The vision wavered as the magic subsided, flickering and losing focus. It was just as well; he’d seen enough. Fisting his hand around the eye, he squeezed until the gelatinous mess oozed through his fingers, ending the horrid vision.

  Piercing pain ripped through his body as the magic dissipated, but he found the strength to call upon his tulpa. The shadow figure appeared before him, ready to do his bidding. He didn’t need to speak to tell it his intent—follow the man. Make them both terrified for their lives.

  Chapter Eleven

  Chase’s heart pounded as he sped down the highway, but the rush he normally felt from riding on the open road paled in comparison to the way Rain’s arms wrapped around him made his body hum. He could’ve ridden like this for hours, with her soft curves pressed into his back, her hands gripping his stomach.

  He drove for half an hour, giving her time to gather her thoughts. Her secrets were about to be revealed, and he wanted to know everything. He took her over the bridge into Algiers and followed the back roads to a quiet spot on the riverbank. When he cut the engine, she tightened her arms around him as if she wasn’t ready to let him go. He knew the feeling.

  She loosened her grip, and he took off his helmet, hanging it on a handlebar. Climbing off the bike, he held out his hand to help her off. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath and pulled the helmet from her head. Her soft, dark curls bounced as she shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked sexy as hell perched on the back of his bike…a sight he would love to get used to.

  Setting the helmet on the seat, she held his gaze, and the confliction in her eyes tore at his heart. Whatever she was about to tell him wouldn’t be easy.

  Sharing his secret with her hadn’t been a piece of cake either, but they’d get through it, whatever it was. It couldn’t be any worse than the things he’d done.

  She took his hand and swung her leg over the bike, stepping straight into his arms. Holding him tight, she pressed her face against his chest and inhaled deeply. If she was stalling, he wasn’t complaining. Damn, she felt good in his arms.

  He rubbed his hand across her back and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Her hair brushed his nose, the sweet scent of vanilla tickling his senses, and he tightened his arms around her. There was no denying the primal possessiveness he felt for this woman. His wolf had already claimed her, and now the man had finally accepted it.

  Pulling from his embrace, she gave him a half-smile and slipped her hand into his. “I owe you an explanation.”

  “Then let’s talk.” He led her closer to the river, and they settled on a patch of grass. Light from the half-moon danced across the surface of the Mississippi, making the muddy water sparkle. The cosmos flowers growing on the bank filled the air with the sweet scent of chocolate, and he inhaled deeply, enjoying the unusual floral perfume.

  Rain angled herself to face him, and her knee brushed his thigh. The heat radiating from her body called to him
, urging him to take her in his arms again and find out if her lips tasted as sweet as they looked.

  She rested her hand on his leg, the simple touch sending his heart racing. As she chewed her bottom lip, she looked into his eyes, her face taking on a mask of resolve. “I haven’t always been a dud. I used to have powers.”

  He suppressed a smile. “I had a feeling you did.” Finally, the truth came out. She was way too confident to be a magical being without magic. He’d peeled away one layer of the mystery surrounding Rain Connolly, but it wasn’t enough. He ached to know her to the center of her very being. “Why did you lie?”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “Let me tell you the story from the beginning. Hopefully you’ll understand.” She pulled her hand into her lap and clasped her fingers together. “You’re not the only one who’s had bad luck with witches. That energy vampire I knew…I used to date him.”

  He clenched his jaw as the feeling of protectiveness gripped his heart. “He took your powers?” If the guy was alive, and if Chase ever found him…

  “Not exactly.” She dropped her head and stared at her hands in her lap. “I was in love with him. I thought I was, anyway. Obsessed would be a better way to describe it, so I’m not sure if…” She exhaled sharply. “It doesn’t matter. We lived together for almost a year.”

  She looked into his eyes. “I was like you. Second in command of the coven. I was training for a place on the national witches’ council.”

  The fact didn’t surprise him. “You must have been very powerful.”

  “I was. And Isaac…the energy vampire…was using my power without my knowledge. He’d take it, little by little, at night while I was sleeping. It was such a small amount, I didn’t notice. I’d feel sick the next day sometimes, but normally I’d recover by the time I woke in the morning.”