Midnight Moonrising

by K. S. Haigwood

  I threw my hands in the air and huffed when he didn’t bother to answer me, then I shifted in my seat so I could stare out the passenger window. There was no winning, not with him.

  My wolf wanted me to continue pressing for answers, but I didn’t like fighting with people. I supposed I was just too nice for my own good. I could feel that part of me slipping away, and I struggled with all my might to hang on to it, at least a little of it. I felt that was the only thing left between me and my dwindling humanity.

  I didn’t want to be a cruel leader.

  I watched in silence as we drove by tombstone after tombstone. The cemetery was so peaceful and beautiful, and it was only a few miles from my home. I actually jogged through it on my morning runs sometimes. I didn’t feel comfortable doing that anymore, not now that there were two men buried there that I had killed.

  The trip had not taken long, and when Daryn put the Audi in park inside my garage, I was out of the car and headed for the door of my house, anger swiftly returning to my mood with a fierce vengeance. I had to put some distance between us. My wolf had been looking for an excuse to make her grand entrance into the world, but I wasn’t ready for her to do that, not yet, not on Daryn. I could handle him. I was almost sure of it.

  I heard the driver’s door of the car open just as I put my hand on the door knob.

  “Mena, wait. Please, don’t be angry with me—”

  I turned and glowered at him and he stopped three feet from me. “Answer the question, Daryn. That’s an order.”

  My eyes widened as he dropped to one knee on the cement floor of the garage and bowed his head low. “I was only trying to get you away from the detective—”

  “By making it appear as though we are dating?”

  “It was the only thing I could think of—”

  “Are you brain dead?” I pointed out the still open garage toward the east, where the cemetery was located. “I’ve just buried my husband and you made it look to everyone at the funeral like I was having an affair!” I said, aghast. “If my wolf hadn’t been on top of her game and suggested we tell the detective that you were just an overprotective cousin, the news media would have chewed me up and spat me out tomorrow at the press conferenece!”

  Daryn lifted his head and stared up at me with apologetic emerald eyes. My wolf wanted to rip his throat out, but what was left of my soft heart had me sighing in defeat. He had made a mistake, a big one, but nobody was perfect. I just hoped it didn’t come back to bite me in the ass later on.

  “Go home, Daryn. I’ve had all the excitement I can handle for one day.”

  “You’re not kicking me off your detail?” he asked in surprise.

  I shook my head as I let myself into the house. “Not today.”

  Mena

  My mind was too crowded and I didn’t have a clue how to stop thinking long enough to get some actual rest. I hadn’t slept more than four hours since Friday and the sleep deprivation was beginning to take its toll on me.

  Glancing in the mirror of my master bath, I winced at seeing the dark circles that had already begun to show around my sunken-in eyes. Even the vivid light green of my irises had dulled to a cloudy jaded shade. Well, the silver lining was that I didn’t have to try and act the part of a grieving widow; my physical appearance showed all the signs. Never mind that my husband dying wasn’t really the reason I looked like crap. Whatever helped my case, I thought, and turned away from my sickly-looking reflection to start a hot bath.

  As I soaked the tension away from my stiff muscles, images of the last few days pried their way back into my thoughts.

  Bright ice-blue eyes filled the space behind my closed lids and I smiled.

  Phoenix.

  The sight of him in my mind was something I definitely didn’t mind seeing, and I let myself sink down farther into the bubbles.

  Phoenix’s lids closed and when they opened again, hazel irises stared back at me and the picture of Phoenix was replaced with the face of Alex.

  I shot upright in the bath, splashing water onto the floor as I gasped in horror.

  Despite the warmth of the hot water, goosebumps broke over my skin as the wolf in me stirred.

  “You can’t have him,” I said, but got no response. There was only silence in my mind—for once—but I in no way believed she agreed with me.

  My cell phone tweeted, indicating I had received a text message. I rolled my eyes as I stood and took a towel from the shelf in between the Jacuzzi tub and the shower. It was beginning to look like resting was something I would have to do when I was dead, whenever I’d get there. A dog only lived one-seventh of a human life. I didn’t have a clue what the lifespan of a werewolf was. I had a lot to learn about the non-human part of me.

  I swiftly dried the water droplets from my body and picked up my phone. The text was from Daryn. He mentioned nothing about the spat we’d had earlier in the day, only that there was a meeting at 7 p.m. with the pack. I made quick work with the keyboard and asked the address. Regardless of the fact that I was now the pack leader, I still hadn’t been invited to the wolves’ den. I hadn’t made a fuss about it; I wasn’t sure I was even ready to see it. Looking at the message again, I assumed the option was being decided for me. I had to get control of things and fast or I would have challengers left and right.

  Daryn replied with, I’ll pick you up at 6:45.

  I chewed on my lower lip as I read the message again, then typed, Okay, and left it at that.

  I noticed the sun had set and the house had darkened to only shadows and eerie silence since I had shut myself away to take my bath. I looked at my phone again to see what time it was: 6:17. I still had plenty of time to get ready before Daryn’s arrival.

  The doorbell chimed, and I jumped and let out a girly scream.

  Covering my pounding heart with my hand, I giggled at my high-strung behavior. “Geesh! You’re the freaking monster, Mena. Get a grip.”

  I tiptoed to the window and peeked through the drapes to see who was at the front door. Gasping in surprise, I swiftly jumped away. Staring hard at the door, I prayed my mind was playing tricks on me.

  “Mena, I know you’re in there. I can hear your heart pounding against your ribcage.”

  I looked down at the white towel wrapped around my body, and my breath caught in my throat, choking me. There was no time to go to my closet and decide which outfit he would prefer to see me in.

  “Hold on!” I flipped the lights on, then rushed back through the house to the master bath and grabbed my bathrobe off its hook. I threw it on and belted it as I ran back for the front door.

  I jerked it open and stared, wide-eyed, at one of the most gorgeous men I had ever had the pleasure to see up close and personal. He had left his hair loose, letting the wavy chestnut locks frame that beautiful face of his. A few fat curls fell almost to those piercing ice-blue eyes, nearly obstructing my view of them. His nose was straight and his jaw line was sharp enough to cut a girl’s heart right out of her chest. And that mouth… There were no words to describe those sinful lips. His stocky build was clothed in a pair of light denim jeans and a long-sleeved royal blue button-up dress shirt. That much beauty on one person should be illegal. This man was an Adonis in the flesh. I stared without shame. Wow.

  “Phoenix,” I squeaked.

  I fidgeted uncomfortably as his eyes glided down then up my body, stopping only when those beautiful, clear-blue irises settled back on mine. Those lips stretched up over a perfect set of bright white teeth and heat instantly rushed up my neck.

  “You know, you needn’t have bothered with the robe. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve undressed you with my eyes. I know exactly what your body looks like under all that terrycloth.”

  My cheeks flamed and I couldn’t seem to put two perceptible words together.

  Phoenix chuckled. “That’s a beautiful shade of crimson on you, Mena. Are you going to invite me in?”

  Should I? No, definitely not. I have too much to deal with ri
ght now. Letting him in will only complicate my life even more. What would we do? Play chess? I seriously doubt we would get through even one game before he talked me out of my robe. No, absolutely not. I can’t let him in. Besides, I’d just buried Marc today. A neighbor might see him and think the worst.

  “Shall I ask easier questions?” he said.

  Shaking my head, I opened the door and took a step back. I found my voice. “I’m sorry. Please come in, Phoenix.”

  He nodded once, but paused for a moment as if giving me one last chance to deny him entry. The corner of his lip twitched and he stepped over the threshold.

  I watched him as he let his eyes roam around the room, taking everything in from the curving grand staircase, pausing a long moment to stare at the Persian rug, and then his gaze finally moved to the framed photos above the mantle over the fireplace.

  I held my breath as he walked to them. He kept his focus on the memories of my past as he stopped, and then he clasped his hands together loosely behind his back and just stood there, looking at them.

  “You were a beautiful bride, Mena,” Phoenix said in a sad voice, and turned to look at me then. “He never deserved someone like you, but I can’t say that I would have wanted it to turn out any other way than it has. Do you think it is fate?” he said, and turned his head to the side as if he was trying to figure out what I would say before I actually said it.

  I shrugged and sat on the edge of a chair. “I don’t know.”

  He frowned. “You seem to be handling all of this quite well: accepting the moon, your wolf, the pack… me.”

  I noticed he left out the part where I murdered two men, one of them being my husband.

  I chuckled lightly and his eyes burned into me, catching me off guard. I was sure glad I had sat down; my knees were trembling. I cleared my throat. “It’s my wolf. She won’t allow me to worry over anything. She actually blocks the emotion from me completely. I tried to feel something at the funeral today…” I shook my head and averted my eyes from him to look at something less attractive—a red vase. Yeah, there was nothing sexy about a vase.

  Clear plastic caught my attention on the kitchen island and I jumped to my feet and went to retrieve the item. “Here,” I said as I walked back into the living room and handed him the leather pants, jacket and white cotton tank top. He looked at them with a furrowed brow. “I had them dry-cleaned. The boots, holsters, sheaths and weapons are all up in my room. Well, all except for the dagger that I shoved through Chris’s heart.” I dropped my gaze to look at my bare feet. “My pack destroyed it, you know, so there wouldn’t be any evidence that would come back to haunt me later. I’ll buy you another—”

  Phoenix huffed and laid the clothes on the couch. “The clothes are yours, Mena. All of it is yours. I meant for you to have them when they were given to you.”

  I knew arguing with him would be a waste of time, so I didn’t bother. “Thank you. I have a meeting with the pack tonight and I would feel a lot better if I had the protection of the weapons. There are still a few who haven’t warmed up to me yet. I think Chris was mated to one of the other pack members. All I’ve heard is that they are keeping her away from me for a while.”

  Worry flashed though his eyes. “I’m going with you.”

  I laughed, as if he, the High Vampire of the city, suggesting he accompany me into the den of the city’s werewolves was an absurd idea. “You can’t—”

  He snorted. “Yeah, like you telling me I can’t is actually going to stop me. We’ve already been through this once before.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him. “And you still haven’t asked forgiveness, like you told me you were going to.”

  He looked at the timepiece on his wrist and sighed. “What time is the meeting? I doubt I have time.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry takes exactly two seconds, Phoenix, three if you say it slowly.”

  He grinned mischievously. “I’m going to need more than two seconds to show you how sorry I am, Mena.”

  My wolf laid her ears back and bared her teeth, and then the heat was back in my face as I realized what he was implying. I suppose that answered the question of whether she liked the handsome vampire or not, but that was a discussion the three of us would have to have at a later time; I had to get ready before Daryn arrived.

  “If I asked you not to come, what would you say?”

  “That you’re going to be mad at me.”

  “Phoenix, please,” I pleaded. “I think they need a little more time to get used to me before they are introduced to you and your clan. Let them get used to the idea of you before you show up in their home uninvited. They will feel threatened and I vowed to protect them. Don’t make me your enemy,” I finished in a whisper.

  Chuffing loudly, he turned to look at the pictures again. “How many men have shown interest in becoming your second in command?”

  I waited for him to look at me and, when he didn’t, my eyes narrowed. What was he really asking? “I think there are eight, but I was told I had until the next full moon to make a choice—”

  His head whipped around on his shoulders so fast I thought he was trying to imitate Linda Blair in The Exorcist. “Eight!” Phoenix shouted, and his hands came up to rub his face in obvious frustration.

  I blinked in confusion. What the hell didn’t I know? “There may be less, but it’s possible there are more. I honestly don’t know, Phoenix. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and have tea with the pack of werewolves to discuss anything about them, their history or even how long I am expected to live, now that I’m a wolf. Why is it so important to you?”

  The burst of laughter that escaped his mouth stunned me even further than his irritation about how many men—Men! That was it! He was jealous!

  I almost laughed myself as I watched him bray, his hand clutched at his side as if he had a stitch in it from laughing so hard.

  I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t keep from smiling. He was so damn cute when he laughed. “Honestly, what is so funny?”

  He stood upright, red-faced and out of breath from the heavy laughter, and walked toward me, his features calming as he came. “You are, Mena.” He stopped directly in front of me, and his right hand came up to caress my neck with the tips of his fingers, sending shivers throughout my body. “You never stop surprising me.”

  Those amused eyes of his bore down into mine and I melted. I had been waiting three days to be this close to him again. My wolf snarled, but I ignored her.

  He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over mine, lingering until a soft moan escaped through my parted lips and I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  “Mena, are you ready to—”

  I pushed away from Phoenix at the sound of Daryn’s voice, and I turned swiftly to see him standing in my open doorway with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

  “—go?” he finished.

  Chapter 3

  Phoenix

  Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest and studied the young werewolf—Daryn, he thought Mena had called him. The poor guy appeared to be nervous, and that only made Phoenix want to intimidate him even more than his presence in the room was already doing. He hoped the guy wasn’t in the running to be Mena’s second; there was no room at the top for the weak. Then again, Phoenix didn’t want her to choose a big, attractive, head-strong male, either, so maybe he should encourage her to pick this little twerp. Well, he isn’t exactly little, Phoenix thought as he sized him up, but he is young—young as a human and young as a wolf.

  Phoenix cleared his throat, but Daryn’s focus was at the top of the stairs, anxiously waiting for Mena to appear. “How long is this meeting going to last?”

  Daryn shifted his weight from one foot to the other, but didn’t answer or even acknowledge that Phoenix was in the room with him. After nearly a half an hour alone together, he was surprised and entertained that the wolf cub hadn’t bolted from the room already.

  The edge of Phoenix’s
mouth twitched in amusement. “How long have you been a member of Montgomery’s pack?” Phoenix said, and took a deliberate step toward Daryn, letting his hands fall lax by his sides.

  Daryn straightened up and pushed away from the wall as his eyes darted to Phoenix’s body, but not his eyes, no—they never would look him in the eyes. If they wanted to believe vampires had some sort of mind-manipulating power over people by looking them in the eyes, he would just let them believe it. It wasn’t hurting anything.

  “Mena wants us to be friends, you know? Are you in the running to be her second? I doubt she would pick anyone for that position who didn’t agree with the changes she intends to make.”

  Daryn hesitated for a moment. “Do you agree with her plans?”

  Phoenix let the smile on his face creep into the tone of his voice, since the boy still wasn’t looking at him. “Of course I do.”

  “Okay,” Mena said as she quickly descended the stairs, “I’m ready. Sorry to keep you waiting, Daryn.”

  Phoenix noted the way the guy’s face lit up, and he pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything about it in front of Mena. He, however, would have words at a later time with Daryn—in private. He forced himself to relax. It was only a crush. Even if the guy pursued what was clearly going through his head, Phoenix was quite certain that Mena would shoot him down. He imagined Daryn wasn’t the first to be infatuated with the woman—hell, even he was affected by her addicting looks and personality—but Phoenix knew neither of them would be the last to grovel at her feet. That’s what irritated him most.

  Daryn stiffened as Phoenix took her hand and bowed to kiss her knuckles. “Mena, you look simply ravishing.”

  He got the response he was hoping for. Even through the make-up she had decided to wear, her cheeks flamed a deep ruby. Strikingly beautiful and delightfully mouthwatering, he thought.

  “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now,” Daryn said shortly, and Phoenix sighed heavily before standing upright and turning his full attention to one of Mena’s puppies.