Blood Moon Rising Box Set (Books 1-6)

by Lola Taylor

  “I’ll send someone to hurt them.”

  “If you were going to, you would have already done so.” He took a step forward, stopped in front of her so he could look down at her and emphasize how much bigger he was than her. Drugged or not, he still dwarfed her by a foot and a half.

  She was unfazed. Not a woman to be cowed, Mistress Black stared back up at him without batting a lash. Her eyes glimmered with the promise of violence. “You dare insult me? One of the greatest witches to have ever lived?”

  “Not so great anymore without your powers.”

  He should have kept his mouth shut. Really, he should have. But when his anger took over, there was no reasoning with him.

  Mistress Black’s ruby lips pursed and popped. “Very well. This ‘has-been’ witch will show you exactly how terrible and vast her power still is.”

  Before he could blink, he flew back across the room and slammed into the cage. The child screamed. Elijah barely got a look at him before he was flung up into the air, his back rattling the ceiling, and tossed down again with lethal force. His jaw smashed into the concrete flooring. He heard a crunch, felt a pop—pain lit up his face. He made to move his jaw, but it flared up in protest.

  “Bitch,” he spat.

  “Thank you,” she said coldly before she flicked her wrist. He flew back and forth from the ceiling to the walls to the floor, like a damn doll. Each time he made contact with something hard, he heard something else crack—a rib, a hand, his knee. Even with accelerated healing, he’d be sore as fuck. It might even take him a few days to recover if she kept at it like this.

  And it looked as if she wasn’t done. In fact, it looked as though she was just getting started.

  As he fought to Shift, to save himself and the child, he struggled against the invisible force holding him down. His heartbeat threatened to split his veins, it was so violently fast.

  But he felt nothing when he saw the flash of a blade as she stepped forward.

  “No one insults me,” she seethed. The blade shone in the dense, white light of the bulb. She knelt by him on the cold, concrete floor. A bloodred fingernail ran thoughtfully down his bruised jaw. Pain sang in the roots of his teeth as she pressed harder.

  She raised the knife—“No one,” she repeated—and plunged it into his abdomen.

  It wasn’t until she started to carve up his insides that he screamed.

  Someone—Nik?—jerked Verika out of the way as Elijah roared and Shifted. The spell instantly snapped, the connection lost as the great black wolf snarled at them. Nik and Gage were in front of the girls instantly, fully Shifted and snarling back, hackles raised. The tension in the room shot through the roof as they waited.

  The black wolf at last turned and leapt through the balcony doors. Glass and wood exploded as he burst through, jumping over the balcony and landing deftly on the lawn before racing toward the woods.

  Alara growled in frustration, rubbing her temples. “I’m so sick of replacing balcony doors. How many werewolves have jumped through them now?”

  I’m going after him, came Gage’s voice inside their heads.

  The brown wolf gave a bark. I’m going with you.

  “No,” Alara said, taking on her queen voice. She started forward. “I am.”

  Absolutely not, snarled Nik. He’s in full-on wolf mode. He could not recognize you and hurt you.

  “As if he could? I’m damn fast.” Alara raised a brow. She rubbed her mate’s head. “I have the best nose—you said so yourself not too long ago, if I recall. I can track him faster than either of you can.”

  He groaned, the wolf equivalent to grumbling. He whined as she went to stand beside Gage.

  “I’ll be fine.” She bent down to kiss him on the head. “You stay here and guard the house in case he comes back.”

  With that, she Shifted into an elegant umber-colored wolf, and together, she and Gage went the route Elijah had taken. Gage’s pure-white wolf looked like a phantom streaking through the night.

  Nik watched them disappear into the woods before he turned his big wolfy head to glance at Danica and Verika. Um, would someone mind getting me a change of pants or something?

  Danica blinked, tearing her eyes off the woods and on to Nik. “Uh, sure! Hold on!” She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

  Verika was grateful Danica had responded first, because she felt as though she couldn’t think right now. Not when her body trembled and her mind kept repeating What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?

  Nik padded into the bathroom. Danica set the clothes down on the countertop before she shut the door. There was a pop and some grunts, and then a minute later Nik opened the door, fully dressed. “Dammit.” He glanced again at the direction his mate had gone, concern written on his face. “What happened?”

  Danica gave Nik a warning look and made a motion with her hands, as if to say, “The topic is off-limits! Can’t you see how shaken she is?”

  Nik, in typical Nik fashion, apparently didn’t give a damn. “He was fine one minute, and the next, he flipped out. What did you do?”

  “Nik!” Danica hissed.

  What did you do?

  The words struck her like individual blows. “I don’t know,” she whispered. She stared at her trembling hands. “All I can think of is that I unearthed something he’d forgotten, something so traumatic maybe his brain had made him forget it in order to protect his psyche.”

  “Oh, Elijah.” Danica’s face saddened.

  Nik chewed at his lip, a scowl on his face. He crossed his arms, shifted his weight, and at last settled with his hands on his hips, though he didn’t stay still. He glanced again at the woods. The moon was rising.

  Verika stared at it, unable to look away. It was as if it were calling to her, urging her to Shift and come run under its silvery light.

  To hunt, to feed, to mate…

  Her gut twisted. Oh, please. Let Gage and Alara find him before he hurts himself.

  The black wolf ran, faster and harder than he’d ever pushed himself before. The forest was unfamiliar, but it didn’t stop him. He leapt over brambles, crashed through bushes, felt the sting of barbs and bark as they cut his flesh and snagged his fur. It dawned on him that he was leaving behind too much evidence, making it easy to be tracked, but the thought was as far away as his human self. The fear, the terror of being tortured by that bitch, had surged the wolf to the surface. Like any loyal animal, the wolf could tell its master was ill at ease. It yearned to protect him, which it had done in the form of taking over completely.

  And Elijah had gladly let it. The wolf was stronger. It didn’t have the same nightmares or fears he did. Let it lead.

  The memory of the knife plunging into his flesh, carving him up like a goddamned pumpkin, flashed through his mind.

  The wolf sensed his fear and ran faster.

  Must get away. Get far away, so she can’t hurt us.

  He heard the echo of her laughter inside his head, felt her nails trace their way over his bloodied, razed flesh. Relishing the carnage, craving more blood. A retribution for his insults.

  The wind shifted, blowing two new scents his way. He tensed.

  He wasn’t alone.

  Though the air was tainted with the alluring smells of prey, this was something—no, two somethings—much larger.

  Wolves.

  He was being hunted.

  With a snarl, he darted away from his course as two shadows appeared in his peripheral vision, one on either side of him. He heard the hot swish of rapid breathing, smelled the rustic earth being kicked up by oversized paws. They were swift, especially the umber-colored wolf.

  Elijah was faster.

  His wolf snapped his teeth as a snow-white wolf bumped into him while they ran, trying to make him stumble. He quickly righted himself and kept running, this time darting alongside a river. The metallic smell of the water filled his nose. He hadn’t realized how dry and raw his throat was until now. Dry f
rom the terror of reliving the earlier memory, and raw now from running like crazy.

  The wolf firmly shoved his human spirit down, insisting they were in danger and needed to focus.

  He fought for control with his inner wolf, but it snarled at him. He snarled right back, baring his teeth, but it didn’t care. It was too focused on getting them away from—

  It felt as if a truck slammed into him. He yelped as his body was thrown into a tree, smashing into it and breaking at least one rib, he was sure, if the pain in his side was any indication.

  Gage! snapped Alara’s voice inside his head. Was that really necessary?

  It is when he’s gone wolf.

  Him? Gone wolf? Nah. That phrase was only reserved for the weak-minded individuals who couldn’t control their inner wolves.

  His hackles raised. Was Gage implying he was weak?

  I am not weak, his wolf growled.

  Elijah’s anger surged with his wolf’s, multiplying as he bared his teeth and growled low in warning.

  The umber-colored wolf glanced at the white one with her big, dark eyes. You sure about this?

  Elijah swayed as a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him. God, he was tired. The earlier feeling of being scared out of his mind assaulted him.

  His wolf sensed his fear—and attacked.

  The white wolf barely had time to dart away. Elijah’s jaws snapped the air where the white wolf had been standing. He immediately whirled, gathering his haunches and preparing to lunge again.

  Threat. Threat. The wolf had taken over completely now, and he was too tired to stop it.

  Brother, this isn’t you! a male voice yelled inside his head.

  His snarl answered. He leapt, missing the white wolf’s throat by mere inches, but grasping a mouthful of fur.

  The white and black wolves danced around, each trying to outmaneuver the other, while the umber-colored one barked and bayed. The black wolf barely paid her any attention; his focus was on killing the white wolf who posed such a threat to his master.

  Must keep his master safe, at all times, at any cost.

  The umber-colored wolf yipped frantically, right before the white wolf stumbled and fell into the river.

  The black wolf plunged after it. An adept swimmer, he quickly caught up to his opponent, driving him under. They bit and clawed. Teeth and claws sank into flesh, shredding, tearing, mauling.

  Something heavy splashed into the water behind them. A fresh set of teeth pulled at his ear, yanking backward. A harder bite, this time on his paw. The black wolf yowled, letting go of the white wolf’s throat he’d been about to crush in his jaws.

  Furious at his opponent getting away, he whirled and attacked the new threat. Water splayed in the air, shimmering in the moonlight like crystal. The umber wolf thrashed, trying to swim away.

  No you don’t. Not this time. My prey will not escape me this time.

  The black wolf latched onto the female wolf’s back leg and twisted.

  There was the snap of bone, the sound of tendons ripping. The umber wolf screamed in pain.

  NIK!

  The female plea inside his head startled him out of the red haze that had eclipsed his vision. The taste of her blood, hot and wet on his tongue, made him gag once he realized whose it was.

  Elijah instantly Shifted back, nearly inhaling the river in the process. “God!”

  Gage had already Changed. He crashed into the river, rushing to meet the umber wolf, who awkwardly paddled with three paws to the shoreline. Elijah swam until his feet touched the embankment. Able to stand, he got his balance and went to help Gage pull a now human Alara from the river.

  She wailed as they dragged her ashore, writhing and gasping for breath.

  Elijah looked at her leg and paled.

  It was mangled, damn near twisted off. Deep teeth marks oozed blood. The fair skin was torn and shredded, as if it had been through a meat grinder. Moonlight glistened on blood and bone, turning Elijah’s stomach.

  He fell to his knees in the dirt, grabbed fistfuls of his hair, and stared at her leg. “What have I done?”

  The frustration, anger, and guilt built past their boiling points, bubbling over into an agonized scream that ripped the night in half and made all manner of feathered creature startle and take flight.

  God bless Danica and her belief that hot tea with lemon and honey cured all worries.

  Verika gratefully sipped her steaming cup as the women sat on the sofa in Verika and Elijah’s suite while Nik paced a short distance away. He hadn’t stopped moving since Danica had the tea brought up. Every now and then, Verika saw him glance outside, eyes lingering on the woods.

  “Feeling better?” Danica gazed at Verika over the rim of her teacup as she took another sip.

  Verika nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Whenever she was stressed, my mother always chugged tea like they were going to quit making it.”

  Danica giggled. “Can’t say I’m not the same way.”

  Though the silence that followed was more relaxed, an undercurrent of tension remained. Verika looked again outside.

  Danica rested her hand on Verika’s. “Don’t worry. They’ll find him.”

  Verika’s eyes glassed over, to the point the moonlight and woods became a white and indigo blur. “It’s my fault. He’s been through so much trauma, and I made him relive something awful. He hasn’t even told me everything he’s been through. But from what I do know, I’m certain it had to have been something awful.”

  “Awful or not,” Nik crossed his arms but continued his relentless pacing, “we’re going to have to try again when he gets back.”

  “No.”

  Nik stopped now, stared at Verika. “Come again?”

  She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

  “But we were making progress.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “It damn well does! This could be our chance at—”

  “I said no!” Verika snapped. Energy crackled around her hair, lifting it on a phantom breeze as the furniture in the room rattled and the floor vibrated with power.

  Nik swallowed but said nothing more. Even Danica’s spine had stiffened; she was backed up into her side of the couch as much as she could be.

  As far away from Verika as she could get.

  Verika sighed wearily, and the power surge stopped. She set down her mostly emptied teacup on the coffee table and rubbed her temples. “We’ll have to go the other route. We’ll have to find Mistress Black based on locating the spells masking her hideout. There’s also the matter of the DPI figuring out who Elijah is, if one of Mistress Black’s rats hasn’t told them already, and them coming here. If they figure out you’ve been hiding us, that you lied to them about our presence here once already, they’ll take you all in. Elijah and I are a danger to you all. I think that much is clear,” she added bitterly.

  “It probably would be best if we took this show on the road, to evade them coming here. If they even do,” Nik murmured. “I’ll mention it to Gage when—” He stiffened and turned to the forest. “Something’s happened.”

  Danica and Verika both stood and followed him to the balcony. He sniffed the air deeply.

  There was the almost inaudible sound of his breath catching, his eyes widening to match.

  The next instant, he was across the room and bounded down the stairs as fast as he could run.

  The bloodcurdling scream that broke the night had Verika and Danica following swiftly behind him.

  “Nik!” Danica cried out. “What is it?”

  He didn’t reply, keeping up his breakneck pace down to the foyer. Verika and Danica raced down the stairs, trying not to trip. “Nik!” Danica called again.

  Nik was already at the front entrance by the time they caught up to him. Danica grabbed his wrist as he reached for the handles. “Tell us what’s going on,” commanded the queen.

  “Blood,” he breathed, face pale with worry. “I smell blood. Alara—she’s been injured.”

  Ver
ika’s breath caught. Danica merely nodded. “Go. I’ll send for our guards and follow close behind.”

  Nik didn’t have to be told twice. Soon as he was outside, he Shifted into a large brown wolf. He knelt, giving a bark to Verika, who hovered nearby.

  She raised a brow. “I’m not riding you.”

  A growl was his response.

  “Fine, fine, we’ll get there faster. Point taken.” She got on Nik’s back, grabbed fistfuls of fur, and they were off, tearing through the countryside and into the forest.

  She sent a thought toward him: Do you think anything’s happened to Elijah?

  Don’t know. We’ll find out soon.

  No sympathy, no words of comfort. He was just as black and white about things as Elijah.

  It didn’t take long to find them. Although Verika’s nose couldn’t quite detect the blood yet, Nik’s could. He used it like a breadcrumb trail, following it to the source.

  And when they found it, Verika wished they hadn’t.

  She nearly heaved at seeing Alara’s mangled leg. Gage looked up from his spot beside Alara, who whimpered and writhed on the ground. Elijah stood nearby, looking shaken.

  Verika instantly went to him and threw herself into his arms. He didn’t move to hug her back at first, which made her step back and gaze up at him with puzzlement. “I was so worried…are you all right?”

  His face was grim, his lips pressed together tightly. His eyes jerked uncertainly between Verika and Alara.

  Nik instantly went to Alara’s side the second he saw her. His face was pale, his features drawn with worry. “What the hell happened?”

  Elijah and Gage looked at each other.

  Nik glanced between them. “Did he do this?” He pointed an accusing finger at Elijah, who winced but tried to cover it up.

  Too late.

  Nik launched himself at his brother in a fit of rage the likes of which Verika had never seen. Even when he got wasted and picked fights easily, Nik had never been this angry. This bordered on rage, the type of animalistic instinct that could drive a person to kill someone.