Blood Moon Rising Box Set (Books 1-6)

by Lola Taylor

  “Looks like you hit it on something,” Nik said softly, gently touching a bruise the size of a baseball above her left eye. “The bed post maybe, when you went down?”

  “I… I don’t remember.”

  Nik and Heath glanced at one another. Both were wearing their “what the hell?” looks.

  At last, Heath sighed. “I can help with that, I think. Let me try a revival spell, see if we can jog those memories loose.”

  She eased away from him, eyeing his raised hand warily.

  “It won’t hurt, I promise,” he assured her.

  Nik placed a hand on the small of her back for support, letting her know he trusted the doctor. He’d been there since Malachite’s days, patching, repairing, and in general performing medical fucking miracles. Many wolves most likely wouldn’t have lived to howl at another moon had he not been so damned resilient and good at his job.

  Alara’s spine relaxed into Nik’s palm, and he nodded at the doctor.

  Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out through his mouth, Heath raised his hands slightly and began the incantation in whisper-soft tones. Shimmering royal-blue lights floated out of his fingers, the Blue Magic looking like streams of crystalline water flowing smoothly toward Alara. She tensed as the strands curved upward, pouring into her head.

  Her eyes took on a blue hue, shimmering as the spell flowed through her brain, looking for the memories she couldn’t recall.

  The blue in her eyes flickered with silver, harsh and cold, and the muscles in her neck went taut. Her eyes narrowed, flashing gold as the wolf growled in warning, “Stay out of my head.”

  Nik watched her carefully. “Alara…?”

  A snarl erupted from her throat, and she swiped with her hand. “I said get out!”

  The magic dissolved into nothing as the doctor fell back with a cry, clutching at his cheek. Blood dribbled between his fingers in oozing streams from the four lacerations Alara’s claws had dug in his face.

  Nik’s jaw dropped. He stared at Heath, speechless, as did the two guards standing close to the doorway.

  His head swiveled, and his eyes landed on his mate, whose chest was heaving as she glowered at the doctor.

  He waited for her to come to her senses, for horror to wash over her face as she realized what she’d done, but it never came. Her eyes, so dark and foreign to him, stared with loathing at the man who’d tried to help her.

  “Um, I think I’m going to refer you to a specialist in Celera,” Heath stuttered, rising quickly to his feet. Celera, population of about three hundred thousand, was about half an hour’s drive from Moonstruck. The doctor’s hands flew all over his torso, as if to make sure she hadn’t laid him open anywhere else. “I’ll schedule an appointment for tomorrow, midday, if that’s all right?”

  “First thing available is fine,” Nik said absently, his brain working in Alpha mode while the mate side of him recovered from shock. “The morning is preferable. The sooner the better.”

  “Of course, of course,” Heath muttered, backing away. He never turned his back to them as he quickly left the room, leaving all his supplies by their bedside.

  “Leave us,” Nik clipped.

  The guards didn’t question him. After the door clicked shut and Nik sensed they were alone, he sat in silence for a beat with his mate.

  “Alara,” he finally said. “Talk to me.”

  She blinked hard then peered up at him in confusion. Her eyes had cleared. “Where is everyone?” Her dark hair swished around her head as she looked about.

  “You mean you don’t remember?”

  “Remember what? What’s going on, Nik?”

  What the hell? Using as much sensitivity as he could, he explained them finding her and the doctor’s failed attempt at jogging her memory. Alara’s eyes widened when he told her what she’d done, and her hands flew to her mouth.

  “Oh my God,” she breathed, shaking her head in denial. “I couldn’t—I didn’t know what I was doing. Oh God, Nik, I have to find him. I have to apologize.” She gripped the bed and started to rise, but her knees gave out. She sank to the floor with a cry, banging her elbows in the process when she fell forward.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Nik said, grasping her and helping her to her feet. He guided her toward the bed. She felt so light, so weak.

  While he tucked her in, his mind barreled toward freak-out mode. What’s happening? What’s wrong with her? Was it something I did? Why is she so weak?

  Alara shivered, squeezing her eyes closed. That was right. She’d said she had a headache.

  Retrieving some aspirin and a tumbler of water from the bathroom, he helped Alara get the pills down before lying down beside her.

  She turned to him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder. He pulled her closer, draping one arm around her protectively. One hand stroked her hair while the other held her as she trembled. It only made him draw her in closer.

  “What’s wrong, love?” he whispered.

  He could smell the salt of tears, which had begun to pour freely down her cheeks, soaking into his shirt. “I don’t know what’s come over me. Since… since they died, I don’t recognize the person I’ve become.” A sob tore at his heart. “I don’t want to be this person anymore.”

  “Sssh.” He kissed her forehead, being careful not to press the bruise. “It’s all right. We’ll get through it together. I swear.”

  She hiccupped, not saying anything more. Even after she’d cried herself to sleep, he didn’t let her go, couldn’t leave her there.

  Fuck his responsibilities. Fuck the DPI. And fuck that doppelgänger bitch.

  He was staying right there and not leaving his mate’s side until they found out what the hell was wrong with her memory.

  Sometime around dawn, after another hour or so of lying awake, brooding over everything, he at last passed out from exhaustion.

  No sooner did his soft snoring fill the room than Alara’s eyes slowly opened, alert and ready.

  The doppelgänger curled Alara’s mouth into a smile, the promise of death making her dark eyes glimmer in the early-morning light.

  Alara slept after Nik climbed into bed with her, or at least she thought she did. She remembered the first kiss of sunlight bathing the windows before another wave of exhaustion hit and took her under. She rode the current, flowing smoothly through the darkness until she lay on soft grass. Spring filled the air, the smell of a hundred wildflowers, soil, and—pollen.

  Her dream self woke up with a sneeze.

  Izzy gave her a sheepish look from beside her. They were in their mother’s garden again. “Sorry,” Izzy said. “I guess I made it a bit too realistic.” She waved her hand in a graceful sweep, and Alara’s nose instantly stopped itching.

  “I didn’t know you could have allergies in a dream,” Alara said dryly, propping herself up on her elbows. She looked around, wishing she had something to wipe her nose off on.

  Izzy produced a handkerchief.

  Alara wasn’t even going to ask. “Thanks,” she murmured, taking it and dabbing at her nose.

  “So you made this world?” Alara asked, unsure whether or not to offer back the handkerchief.

  Izzy waved her away. “Keep it. And sort of, in a manner of speaking. I created it in your mind based off your memories of the place. I can only take you to somewhere you’ve been before.”

  Weird. The whole situation was bizarre. Doppelgängers, amnesia, talking to her dead sister in her dreams…

  “So are you here to tell me how evil I am and that I’m going to destroy my pack?” Alara asked, sitting up all the way.

  “No.” Izzy turned to face her head on, a serious look about her delicate face. “I’m here to tell you not to give in.”

  “Give in to what? Izzy, what are you talking about?”

  Izzy shook her head in frustration. It didn’t suit her, not her little sister who was full of smiles and goodwill. “Its presence is messing with your mind, affecting your memory. If you don’t
resist, you may lose yourself forever.”

  “Lose myself? To what? You’re not making any sense.”

  “The doppelgänger,” Izzy said sharply. “Do you remember anything at all? Think, Alara.”

  Alara scrunched her face up in concentration but still couldn’t remember anything before she’d gone to their bedroom to lie down. Slowly, bits and pieces of darker memories trickled into her brain: her trying to escape, her clawing the doctor, her seeing Penelope standing in her doorway. They didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t put them in the right order because they were too jumbled and coming in too fast.

  She remembered a dark voice whispering seductively inside her head…

  Alara stared at her hands, her chest. “The doppelgänger,” she whispered. “It’s inside of me.”

  Izzy clasped her hands, her voice desperate. “You need to fight it if you have any hope of surviving this.”

  “I don’t want to fight.” It slipped out before Alara could think, a knee-jerk reaction that was as truthful a reply as she could give. “I don’t want to worry anymore. Let someone else be in control. My life feels so chaotic and out of balance. I just want someone else to lead, to take it all away.”

  “No, you don’t,” Izzy snapped. “You need to find the strength of will I know is in there and use it to get this thing out of you. Do you hear me? Alara? Alara!”

  Alara came to abruptly, startled out of the dream by arguing voices at the door.

  A quick survey of the empty bed to her left let her know Nik was already up. He stood at the door, bare chested and in his jeans from last night, growling at someone dressed in a suit whose face she couldn’t quite see.

  “Fine,” Nik snapped. “I’ll be right there.” He slammed the door in the person’s face and stalked across the room to their bathroom. He paused when he saw Alara watching him. “Sorry, love,” he said, crossing the room toward her. He rushed to her side as she sat up, helping her. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s fine.” She gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s the DPI. They said they’ve identified the body in the woods. They want me to come out there, but I don’t know why the fuck they couldn’t just tell me here.”

  “You should go,” Alara said, though she hadn’t meant to. The words came out of her mouth without her having to think them. Or, really, without her having to concentrate on saying them.

  Chills crept up her arms, but she remained smiling tiredly at her mate.

  Nik kissed her forehead and brushed the wisps of dark hair from her face. “I’ll be back soon to check on you.”

  “Okay.” She smiled as she watched him throw a shirt on, splash some water on his face, and then leave.

  Get up. Now, the doppelgänger said in her mind.

  It startled her at first; she’d almost forgotten it. There’s something about you that’s making me forget things, she thought, speaking to it. The same thing happened to Penelope.

  Alara got up and walked to the bathroom, her body moving of its own accord as she got ready.

  My presence isn’t natural, the doppelgänger admitted. Short-term memory tends to be affected first. The longer I stay inside my host, the more I start to impact their long-term memory.

  Alara kept moving, directed by the doppelgänger as she went to the closet and pulled on a black T-shirt and some jeans. Her insides felt frozen as she thought of the implications. That’s how you can live out a lifetime in a host. They eventually forget who they are.

  More or less, the doppelgänger said carelessly.

  Anger surged. I won’t let you do the same to me.

  Relax, young wolf. I have no intention of staying in your body forever. Wolves were never to my tastes. It shuddered. I just need to borrow you for a bit, then I’ll find another host.

  So you keep telling me.

  It doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. It is what it is. Hurry up. We must move quickly. Your dawdling is costing us time.

  I’m not dawdling. You’re the one controlling me.

  But you’re resisting. It’s harder.

  Alara didn’t realize she was resisting. Maybe Izzy’s warning had sunk into her subconscious mind and was resisting the doppelgänger for her.

  Good. A hidden thought, a whispered victory. She had the sense that the doppelgänger couldn’t see her dreams or hear all of her thoughts. All the better for her. She refused to surrender completely to this thing. She knew she didn’t want to, on some deep, carnal level based off of survival.

  Why are you in such a rush? Alara asked as she pulled on some tall boots.

  Because there is someone in a town not far from here we need to find. But they won’t be there for long. They have something we need.

  What are we getting?

  You’ll see.

  Alara gritted her teeth. I’m getting tired of your cryptic messages.

  That’s your problem. Now, write this down and leave it on your pillow.

  Alara fought the doppelgänger’s control, remaining still. Not until you tell me what the hell we’re going after.

  She could almost sense the doppelgänger smile. Fine—a warlock. He possesses the dagger used to kill your family. That’s what we’re going after.

  Alara gasped out loud. Do you mean we’re going to meet Gerard?

  No. He’s been disposed of. We’ll get the dagger from a different warlock.

  Her heart pounded. It was too good to be true. The man who’d killed her baby sister… How many times had she imagined curling her fingers around his throat, squeezing until the life left his eyes?

  And yet she didn’t feel better. She hadn’t been the one to kill him. Someone else had robbed her of her chance, her privilege.

  Which was ludicrous. What made her think she had the exclusive right to take another person’s life? How vain was she? How did he die? Who killed him? she asked.

  Another witch. Let’s just say he died a very painful, excruciating death. The doppelgänger practically purred in satisfaction, making Alara shiver.

  Why do we need the dagger?

  I told you—to stop Mistress Black. It tried making Alara walk to the door, but she dug her heels in. You want your revenge on her? The witch who turned your life upside down? the doppelgänger said. I will give it to you, if you’ll just trust me.

  I don’t trust anyone. Well, except Nik. And Gage and Danica. Most royal werewolves tended to have a small list of true allies. It kind of came with the territory.

  A wise mantra to live by, the doppelgänger said. But ask yourself this: Would you be able to sleep tonight knowing that the opportunity to destroy Mistress Black, to save your loved ones from meeting the same fate as your family, had been so close and you’d let it slip through your paws?

  Alara immediately knew the answer. It came in the form of a sinking sensation at the pit of her stomach.

  Grabbing a pen and paper from the elegant writing desk in the corner, Alara scribbled the doppelgänger’s message. Not that she had much of a choice. It seemed to be getting pushier as it grappled with her for full control.

  That’s a good wolf. Now, jump out the window and go to the garage. Stay hidden.

  Alara deftly leaped off the balcony after checking to make sure the guards had left to rotate their shifts. Slinking through the bushes, she crept along the side of the manor until she came to the garage. She ducked behind a tree and peered around the trunk. There’s someone there. A guard.

  Don’t worry about him. Just go toward the Subaru on the corner there, bottom level.

  The parking garage was multilevel and large enough to hold fifty vehicles. Attached to the main house, it was easily half the size of the manor.

  The security guard stood at his station at the front, which was a cozy little office that held all the keys. Alara approached it, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one saw her go inside.

  The man, a friendly wolf in his sixties named Wayne, looked up from his s
ecurity footage. At least someone was doing their job. He smiled at Alara and stood, looking puzzled as the door clicked shut behind her. “Your Majesty,” he said, making a fist over his heart and bowing. “I’m honored, but I thought you were incapacitated at the moment?”

  The doppelgänger seized complete control of her body before Alara could stop it. “You thought wrong,” she said in a low voice, her eyes flashing silver.

  Wayne’s eyes widened as she shot forward, bringing the edges of both her hands down hard on either side of his neck. There was a stunned choking noise, and then his eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed. The doppelgänger, still in control of Alara’s body, caught him and eased him to the ground.

  Shock briefly gave Alara back her control over her body. She gaped at the guard, at her hands, then back again. “What the—how did I just—?”

  Irritated, the doppelgänger yanked back its control. Keep quiet, and trust that I know what I’m doing! I won’t let any harm come to your body.

  Alara placed two fingers to Wayne’s neck, checking his pulse, and then ducked her ear next to his nose to make sure he was still breathing. Words in a strange language she didn’t recognize whispered from her lips. Faint blue sparkles popped over the guard’s head before evaporating. Alara jerked her hand back. What was that? What did you do?

  Relax. It’s a simple memory spell—

  A memory spell?

  To make him forget only that he saw you, the doppelgänger quickly amended before Alara had a complete meltdown. She seized Alara’s hand and waved it over the DVR and televisions of the security system. Sparks shot out of the equipment, followed by puffs of smoke. A single white spark bolted up the power line and across the garage. To kill the other cameras and equipment that might have seen us, the doppelgänger said.

  Hey! Alara said indignantly. That was state of the art! I expect you to replace it.

  She imagined the doppelgänger rolling its eyes as it forced her to stand up. I think saving the world is payment enough.

  Alara grumbled her response, which wasn’t quite audible.

  She scanned the wall of car keys, checking each label until she found the key fob for the blue 2014 Subaru BRZ she was looking for.