Red Moon Secrets (Deadly Beauties #3) Read online

  Her begging me to bleed her—it's every night stalker's dream come true. My blue eyes have never died down, so there's no need to call on them. My fangs, however, slip free, eager to draw her blood. I salivate at the very thought of taking her this way—a way that proves her trust in me on so many levels.

  What that does for me? So damn much.

  My fangs bear down on her soft, incredibly exquisite flesh, and she moans as her nails dig into my back. When the skin breaks, too many wild sounds escape us both. She pulls me closer, begging me to take more as I suck against the intoxicating wound. She tastes like heaven each and every time. I have to be careful. Her blood is so damn addictive. The blood of a creature goddess has to be so much stronger than a mere witch's.

  I thrust in harder as I break free from the bite, lapping up each sweet drop of her blood that trickles down her neck. I hear the wound closing, as I run my tongue over the last bit of her red stream.

  A shot of hot pain mixed with ecstasy shocks me, and I look to my shoulder to see her fangs—her fangs—buried deep inside my flesh. What the fuck?! Her eyes burn blue as she drinks me in, making me feel as though I'm being rushed and choked by the strongest aphrodisiac there has ever been.

  Seeing night stalker eyes on my beautiful witch is the hottest and most disturbing thing I've ever seen. So many conflicting emotions run through me, drowning me with the incoherency of the voices inside my head.

  She pulls back, smiling as she licks her lips. Her sexy fangs scrape against her tongue, and I almost lose all my ability to hold myself up. I rip her up and flip us, forcing her to take the lead on top, and then I revel in the way her hips start moving against mine the second she seizes control.

  A droplet of my blood wavers on her lip just as she tosses her head back. As her head falls back down into place, the blond strands start taking place of the dark ones—slowly weaving their way back into dominance.

  She slows her rhythm, looking lost for a minute, but she jerks me to her, forcing me to sit up as our bodies start colliding again. Chatter from outside the room becomes distracting, but my beautiful witch uses her powers to start the music, drowning everything out.

  As a cry falls through her lips, I lose my restraint, climaxing with her as my name flows like a grateful prayer through her lips. I kiss her hard, removing the last drop of my blood from her lip before she has time to dwell on what just happened.

  She pants against my face and lets her forehead rest against mine when she's forced to break away from the kiss in order to breathe deeper. I don't know what to say or do just yet. I'm curious as to how much she even remembers.

  "You okay?" I ask, worried.

  Sweet sweat taints her blond hair, but when it was dark, it was completely dry. Is she going immortal when she's like that? It shouldn't be possible to flicker between the two. Of course, it's hard to rule anything out with her.

  "I...think so," she murmurs shakily, slowly finding a rhythm to her erratic breathing. "I got sick at the widow mansion, and then I woke up here, in your arms, in the middle of that incredible sex. I'm not complaining," she chuckles, "but how did we end up like this?"

  Shit. She has no clue.

  "You sort of...um..." How the hell do I tell her she just went goddess on Gage and then went missing for a while?

  Her smile falls as realization sweeps in without me having to explain. Tears water up in her eyes, and she shakes her head, doing her best not to fall apart. I don't hesitate to pull her to the bed, wrapping her up in my protective embrace and kissing her hair. I wish I could just make it all easier for her, somehow.

  "What happened?" she says in a hoarse whisper, doing her best not to crack like glass.

  "Short version?" I ask, hoping she'll accept it.

  She nods and rolls over to bury her face in my chest, while wrapping her leg around my waist. She's so precious like this—curled up in my arms. I wish we could just disappear from the world—that we could stay this way forever, instead of worrying daily about what hell is going to break loose next.

  With a quick breath, I highlight the events of the evening, making light of the situation, praying she won't start panicking the way she did last time. A few tears spill down her cheeks as terror strikes her, but I kiss her quickly, reminding her I'm here for her. She doesn't have to face this alone.

  I run my hand down the curve of her waist until it rests on her hip, waiting for her to say something.

  "Is Gage okay?" she finally asks, wiping away her escaped tears.

  "He's in the living room. He's fine. I did more damage than you," I grumble, dreading the way she's probably going to bite my head off for that.

  "Why did you—"

  A loud banging on the door cuts through the sounds of the music, making Alyssa jump a little from the startling unexpectedness of it. "Get out here!" Gage yells, sounding furious.

  I roll my eyes. I know he's pissed because I've got her and he doesn't. I don't rush through the motions. I take my time, leisurely dressing at my own pace, as Alyssa pulls out a robe I bought for her.

  I offer her an encouraging smile as she ties it into place, running her hands along the silk fabric that is so lucky to be touching her skin.

  "It's going to be okay," I murmur softly, walking over to take her hand in mine.

  "Kane! Now, damn it!" Zee yells, sounding panicked.

  I pull Alyssa to me, suddenly finding urgency in my steps. What the hell is going on?

  As soon as I walk into the room, I'm met with several pale faces. This can't be good.

  "What?" I bark. They were in a hurry to get me out here, but now no one wants to speak.

  Deke takes a weary breath, deciding to be the one to break the silence.

  "Alyssa was seen tonight by humans while using her powers. Dray is out doing damage control the best he can, but we don't know how many saw her. If the councils find out—"

  "They'll have to go through me first," I growl.

  When she trembles next to me, I pull my girl closer, offering her stability against her wobbly stance. When she threatens to collapse, I scoop her up and cradle her against my chest before sitting down on the couch with her in my lap.

  "How did this come about?" I ask, gently stroking Alyssa's hair as she holds back her fear, trying to look strong in front of everyone.

  Dice shakes his head, still bleeding from Alyssa's attack. "A radio station was talking about the freak storm, and a caller came on the air, claiming they saw a girl force the skies open for the rain to spread while chanting a spell. She used her magic in front of people, and God knows how many saw. You should've told me sooner. I could have been helping you."

  "They know?" she squeaks, making me wince.

  "You showed yourself, babe. Dice is old enough to know the rumors of silver eyes. Deke overheard. Zee—"

  I look up, letting my voice trail off. "I told him," Gage mumbles, gripping his head before turning his gaze to my shaking girl. "Do you remember anything—anyone who might have seen what happened? We can do damage control. People think they see paranormal activity all the time. They've got shows on it. We can write this off as a bunch of crazy talk if you can point us in the direction of the witnesses."

  She shakes her head and quickly wipes away the few tears that have fallen. "I don't know of anyone. I don't remember anything since the widows."

  "Nothing?" Gage asks, looking back to me, telling me with his eyes what he can't say with his mouth in front of her.

  I tighten my lips. He wants me to say he's right—that we need to teach her to lock away who she is and try to only use the parts of her people aren't afraid of—the less dangerous parts. I refuse. She needs to be comfortable with all of her. It's the only way she'll ever overcome the darkness.

  Dray appears in the room, forcing a knot in my stomach. I dread what he might say. His dark hair sweeps his brow as he collapses to a chair.

  "Drackus will have my balls in a vice if anything like this ever happens again," he grumbles, and I visibly r
elax in my seat.

  "You found them all?" I ask, feeling even better when he smirks.

  "I got most of them—enough to keep anyone from believing in things they know nothing about. The councils won't know it was her unless they dig deep. They might send the Somage to investigate," he says, pausing as he looks toward Gage, "but I don't think they'll delve into it very far."

  Gage smirks, nodding knowingly. "Something tells me the Somage won't find a damn thing."

  I want to roll my eyes or pop off something sardonic, but I put my own feelings toward the dark user aside since he's going to come in handy. Alyssa sighs, her body going limp against me as the relief settles in.

  "Well, I'm guessing everyone knows her secrets now," Dray says, leaning forward and gauging the room.

  "The girls don't," Zee says, motioning toward the howling beasts calling to the red moon from the basement.

  "They couldn't hear?" Alyssa asks, proving how new to this world she still is.

  "Not while under the influence of the red moon," I answer. "They understand names and certain words, but they don't retain much when they shift back."

  "Good," she mumbles. "I don't want Amy knowing. She'll fucking love it," she says, whispering the last part so low that I don't think she wanted anyone to hear it.

  Her lips pucker like there's a bitter taste in her mouth, and I hold back a sigh. I know she still questions this stupid thing linking Amy to me. I hate it—fucking hate it. I wish I'd never met Amy. If there's a way to prove to Alyssa I'm never going to be with the lycan bitch, I'll find it.

  "I love you," I murmur against her forehead when she leans into me more.

  She lets free a genuine smile when she feels comforted by those three powerful words. At least I can do that much. I'll tell her as often as she needs to hear it.

  "I love you," she utters softly, kissing my chest as she snuggles against me.

  Gage's jaw clenches as he grinds his molars, but he doesn't vaporize from the room like he normally does when she shows me any sort of affection. Damn. I was looking forward to him being gone.

  "Let's get some rest. We still have Thad's memorial tomorrow," Gage murmurs quietly, letting his eyes only gaze at the floor and not us.

  The spell of temporary relaxation Alyssa had is broken with the reminder of her friend's sad fate. I'm starting to wonder if Gage didn't deliberately do that to crush the moment between us. If he did, that's low—even for a dark user. Even at my cruelest, I wouldn't have done such a thing.

  "Aye," Dice says, yawning. "I've had my ass thoroughly kicked, so a night of rest will do me good."

  His eyes move to Alyssa, expecting an apology, which she doesn't offer. She doesn't know what she did to him. I intentionally left that out.

  He frowns when he realizes she's oblivious, and his eyes come to meet my warning ones. I shake my head once, letting him know not to bring it up. I'll tell her eventually, but not now—not tonight. The fact she hurt Gage was upsetting enough to her. She doesn't need to know she hurt Dice, too.

  She stands first, and I follow, snaking my arm around her waist and feeling the thin sheet of silky material that covers her body. As soon as we're alone, I'm startled by her pulling me down to kiss her.

  Her kiss is needy, not hungry. I'm not sure what's going on, but I pull her closer, letting my tongue slip in and tangle with hers before picking her up and dropping to the bed with her in my arms.

  "Thank you," she murmurs when she pulls back.

  "For?" I ask, still reeling from that powerful kiss I want to go back to.

  "For being here for me—again. You—it's like you—I don't know. I don't deserve it. You have no idea how harshly I've judged the bitten fey, especially night stalkers. I don't deserve to have you—someone who is so understanding of the monster I really am."

  A few tears creep out despite her attempts to restrain them, and I wipe one away with my thumb before kissing her softly. Her robe has fallen open enough to show me her veil has resumed, covering the scar that goes deeper than the surface.

  I stroke the smooth skin that holds a tragic secret, and then I lean down, kissing her there. Her breath hitches for a minute and she stiffens, but not because she's scared of me. She's insecure because of what that son of a bitch left behind.

  "I'll always be here, Alyssa. I've told you that before," I murmur before dragging my lips up her neck in a slow, sensual motion.

  Her chills make me feel rewarded by telling me I've said or done something right. Her fingers start running through my hair as she lets me continue tracing the line of her jaw with my lips.

  I smile when I see her smiling with her eyes closed, relaxing completely under the promise of my words and the love in my touch. She's mine, just as I'm hers.

  Chapter 9

  Alyssa

  There's nothing worse than waking up with a vicious headache while the sun blares through the wall of windows in the room. I know what my first housewarming gift to Kane will be—curtains.

  A hushed but heated argument is going on just outside the door, and I climb out of bed to listen. I scoop my robe up from the floor and tie it into place as I strain my hearing to hone in on the exact words being shared.

  "I won't fucking do it. If you try to put her in a cage, I'll rip your head off your shoulders!" Kane yells in a whisper.

  "Do you really think I want to do this?" Gage says a little louder, his tone incredulous. "I have been searching for anything at all to avoid this, but I can't find a better solution."

  "Kane," Deke grumbles, keeping his voice lower than Gage did, "he's right. Do you think I like locking Sierra up? I hate it. It makes me feel sick to my stomach every time I lock that door, but we both know it has to be done. The red moon is dangerous to anyone with an animal-related creature inside them. Alyssa has all of them, making her all the more dangerous."

  I swallow hard. It's me they want to lock up. Was it that bad? Are they all that scared of what I'll do? I can't blame them, I suppose. I'm scared of what I'll do.

  "No! This discussion is over!" Kane hisses.

  I frown as I use my magic to clothe myself with some of the few things I have in my bag. They're right. I need to be caged like all the other beasts in the fey world. It's a sobering reality I never thought I'd have to face. I'm paying penance for my past judgments on others. Karma really is a bitch.

  I step out, startling them all into guilty silence when they quickly realize I've overheard. Kane shakes his head the second he reads my eyes.

  "No," he asserts, refusing to budge on his stance before I even deliver my argument.

  "Kane, they're right. If this is happening because of the red moon, it's too risky. It's not like it's every night. I'll be fine in a cage for a few nights here and there."

  Gage looks down, probably feeling like an ass for wanting to lock me up, but I understand. I'm dangerous. I'm even more dangerous than all the deadly beauties I've condemned over the years. It's a fitting punishment for my small-minded ways.

  "I said no, Alyssa," Kane barks, walking away from me as he heads into the kitchen.

  I sigh as I follow, leaving Gage and Deke in the living room. Kane is pouring a cup of coffee when I walk around the small dividing wall. He turns and holds his hand up before I can speak.

  "Don't. You can't make me lock you in a cage. I won't do it. Would you do it to me?"

  My heart folds over itself a few times to think of such an option, but he's not dangerous like I am—frigging irony.

  "If you were worried you'd do something you'd never forgive yourself for because you couldn't control yourself, then yes—I'd do it if you asked me to."

  His eyes soften as all the defensive hardness washes away. He looks so torn right now, struggling to find a better way. There isn't one.

  "I... Alyssa, I can't. I can't lock you up and watch you struggle to get free. You're not like Sierra or Amy. You won't be in changed form. You'll be you—just—not you," he murmurs, confusing both of us. "What I mean is you'll still
be in your form, you just won't be in control. I'll hear you beg me to let you go, and I won't be able to deny you no matter what you're capable of."

  Tension and weariness taints the sigh I release. I know I'm putting him in a terrible situation. I don't know what I'm like because I can't remember anything. It's all so—crazy.

  "You told me I took your blood last night, Kane. I was a night stalker. That freaks me out, mostly because I can't remember a second of it. Who knows what else I can do? I sure as hell don't, and I don't want some poor, unsuspecting human to meet me when I'm like that. The only way to ensure that won't happen is to lock me up. Don't think of it as hurting me; think of it as saving me. You're good at that."

  I smile to try and lighten the heavy situation, but he stays silent, brooding as he thinks it over. What I'm asking him to do isn't fair, and I don't know if I could really do it to him, but I can't tell him that.

  With a frustrated, angered groan, he roughly places his cup back on the counter, letting the coffee splash over the rim and form a small puddle around the bottom.

  "I don't like this," he mumbles, refusing to let his eyes meet mine as he sulks.

  A sad smile graces my lips as I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his neck, enjoying the warmth he brings when he returns the embrace without the slightest bit of hesitation.

  "Then you can do it under extreme protest," I joke, doing well not to fall apart.

  This is all too much. I never prepared for this.

  "Drackus is on the phone for you," Zee says as he walks in, grinning when he sees us holding onto to each other like a couple in love.

  "Thanks," I say softly, feeling a little better now that Zee knows everything. I hated keeping so many secrets from him since he's Kane's best friend. I'm sure Kane needs someone to talk to—to vent to.

  "Alyssa?" Drackus says just as my ear hits the phone.

  "Hey. Is everything okay?" I ask, wincing when I think of why he's probably calling.

  "Everything is fine with us. How are you?"