A blade was in her hands before that last syllable dissipated in the sun-kissed air. She signed the document, then met my gaze.
For a moment that seemed to halt the entire world in its tracks, we were both perfectly still with matching grins blooming on our faces. Then the table rattled. Small spurts of beer spilled across the wood as Lena jumped from her bench and bumped her way around the table to smother me in a hug. I chuckled and hugged her right back.
I had no idea how long we stayed like that, but it must have been quite some time since I caught Alec’s voice in the distance. Lena shifted back to her seat—without upending the table—then handed me one copy of the signed contract so I could file it at ICRA HQ tomorrow.
Not a heartbeat later, Alec’s scent engulfed me. My best friend looked at me with a mock frown, then waved to his entourage that consisted of Elsa, Voit, Linus, and Jaxon, all of them, of course, mirroring his expression to a T.
He crossed his arms. “Still want to hang out with the jocks or should we get our own table?”
“Asshole,” I muttered, grabbed him by the sleeve of his parka, and yanked him down beside me—precisely where he belonged.
My natural werewolf endurance to cooler temperatures wasn’t enough to keep me entirely chill-free after the hours our little group spent out by the lake. Though there was the distinct pain in my cheeks present from laughing too hard, so at least the payout for freezing my butt off had been more than generous.
Unfortunately, it also sharpened the contrast of the utter silence that reigned in my apartment once I arrived home.
I dropped the ghastly pile of mail on the club table, then placed my cell phone and my new ICRA badge beside it. I eyed the gleaming metal warily, teetering on the verge between taking it in my hands and ignoring it completely.
There were still too many mixed emotions warring in my heart, so I opted for a distraction instead. I thumbed through the mail, discarding junk and setting aside the bills. My fingers paused on a letter.
My name was handwritten on the front in beautiful cursive—the exact same that dominated the neatly folded letter inside once I ripped open the seam. But it was the scent that fluttered up to my nose as the paper unfolded that truly stunned me.
The letter—
I licked my dry lips as my gaze fell on the dark ink.
It was from Isa.
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Lotte,
I am sorrier than I could ever say that I can’t be there to welcome you back. To welcome you among our ranks. I was assigned to an undercover mission almost immediately after our phone call and am writing this in the few moments I have to spare before I have to depart.
I have no doubt this is punishment for my actions.
When you arrived at my office, prepared to strike a deal with ICRA on your own terms, I couldn’t have been prouder. Of course, whether you believe me or not, when I mentioned the blood-bound agreements to you the first time, I had hoped you would make the best of it when the time came.
This was the first of my recent strikes.
My superiors were far from pleased I had passed on this knowledge to you, and I had certainly not been in any position to offer you such a contract, let alone a carte blanche deal for your friend. Their anger only deepened when they learned I had kept your demonic abilities a secret. They pushed to evoke our oral agreement, but I had leverage they did not. I threatened to irrevocably drive you away if the fuckers failed to uphold the proposed terms.
I smiled at that last bit—the single chink in her polished, ancient vampire armor. In truth, I didn’t have difficulties imagining Isa turning the scary on her superiors. She truly did pull that off better than anyone else.
I admit I might have overdone it, which, I am sure, does not come as a particular surprise to you as you have been on the receiving end of my threats more than one time. But I knew I only had a single shot at doing this right. I succeeded. And this mission is the price I have to pay.
The superintendent general, as well as my commissioner, feel that I need the distance. That I’m too close to you.
And they are right.
I care for you, Lotte, deeply, and I apologize for all the wrong I have done.
Isa
* * *
I leaned back against the cushions and stared at the letter, running my thumb over the black ink. The silence of my apartment closed in around me, a heavy weight asserting itself in the pit of my stomach.
My gaze dipped to Afanasiy’s mark—a dormant pressure beneath my skin—then back to Isa’s immaculate lines. I folded the letter but didn’t have the strength to put it aside.
I closed my eyes, measured my breaths as I’d been taught at a young age when learning to control my shifts… But the heaviness remained.
In the paper between my fingers.
In the thorned mark linking me to a soul my own cried to touch.
Shackled to the couch, to the prison my treacherous body had become, I opened the damn chasm lurking inside me and let out the truth. A shudder rippled through my flesh.
My eyes watered, the shivers turning into sobs.
I’d been alone a lot in my life.
But I’d never been this lonely.
Thank you so much for reading Transient Moon! If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review.
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Lotte will return in Phantom Moon (FEB 2020)!
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In the meantime, let me offer a few suggestions:
if you want to read more about Liva and Cian, I kindly invite you to check out the Nightwraith series, see how the two of them got together in Windstorm
if you’re looking for some more kick-ass demons, danger, and action, then Shadow World might be the read for you
and remember, the Black Werewolves series is where it all began
Acknowledgments
Once more, a huge thank you to all the usual suspects.
Lindsey R. Loucks, these books simply wouldn’t be what they are without you. Every damn time, I’m grateful our paths crossed.
Michelle Rascon, welcome to the Lotteverse! I'm so glad to have you and your excellent word-vision in the pack. I can't wait to share more books with you.
Linda, thank you so, so much for always being in my corner and being so patient whenever I take ages to reply. I couldn’t be happier to have you as one of the founding members of the pack. Sending hugs!
Leeroy and Merkaba, you little devils. Thanks for dragging me away from my computer with your shenanigans. I’ll pretend you’re doing it for my health, not because you’re having one of your asshole moments. Seriously, you’re the best dogs a person could ask for, even if you are stubborn (almost as much as I am—almost).
And Boris. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for you, I doubt I would be living a dream right now. Thank you so much for your support, for all the inspiration you give me. I love you, old man, now and forever.
Last but not least, a massive thanks to every one of you who decided to follow Lotte’s journey. There are no words to express how grateful I am to share these stories that are so close to my heart with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
With love,
Gaja
About the Author
Gaja J. Kos is a USA Today bestselling author with a mission to breathe fragments of Slavic lore onto many, many pages of fiction.
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She resides in Celje, Slovenia, with her husband and two Chinese Crested dogs.
For more information visit:
gajajkos.com
Also by Gaja J. Kos
FANTASY WORKS CO-WRITTEN WITH USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR BORIS KOS
* * *
SHADOWFIRE TRILOGY
Upper YA fantasy
* * *
Evenfall
Emergence
* * *
THE IRON HEAD TRILOGY
YA epic fantasy
* * *
The Fox
The Heart
The
Bird
* * *
FORGED IN FLAMES
New adult anti-hero epic fantasy
* * *
SOLO WORKS
* * *
ROMANCE
* * *
SILVER FOX CLUB
Steamy May December standalone novellas
* * *
Cotton Candy
* * *
KOLOVRAT UNIVERSE
PRESENT
* * *
BLACK WEREWOLVES SERIES
Urban fantasy
* * *
Novels:
The Dark Ones
The 24hourlies
The Shift
The Ascension
* * *
Novellas:
Never Forgotten
Chased
* * *
NIGHTWRAITH SERIES
Paranormal romance
* * *
Windstorm
Blackstorm
Nightstorm
* * *
FUTURE
* * *
PARADISE OF SHADOWS AND DEVOTION
Standalone paranormal romance
* * *
LOTTE FREUNDENBERGER SERIES
Urban fantasy
* * *
Shadow Moon
Darkening Moon
Transient Moon
* * *
SHADE ASSASSIN
Urban fantasy
* * *
Shadow World
* * *
DAWN OF KOLOVRAT
Urban fantasy standalone novella
* * *
Destiny Reclaimed
Transient Moon Page 23