Red Moon Secrets (Deadly Beauties #3) Read online

  Her body distorts and she lets out a cry that turns into an ungodly roar as she drops to her hands and knees. Her skin becomes ashen, gray, as she starts turning into some... monster.

  I yelp uselessly, screaming out in disbelief as the creature grows to be a vicious, snarling abomination with paws bigger than my head. A mess of teeth and snarls fill her mouth that has grown a snout. Her hairless body is sleek and massive, and she charges at me, making me fall backwards in my forgotten retreat.

  A scream erupts from my throat seconds before she's latched on.

  Chapter 3

  Ms. Hyde

  The night is cold, dark, and dank. I'm sitting in my Jag in front of Kane's house with absolutely no memory of how I got here. I don't remember driving, or even waking up.

  There's a hunger inside me that both confuses and excites me. It's not like anything I've ever felt before, and I can only think of one way to sate it.

  I should be worried about the dark hair I see in the mirror right now. In fact, it should terrify me. The darkness isn't surfacing, so why is my hair a glistening onyx right now? Who knows? Who cares?

  I step out of the car, wearing a tight pair of leather pants that had been in my closet, though I have no recollection of ever putting them on. The shirt is barely a shirt at all. The deep red pops against the black pants, leaving me dressed for the wandering eyes. My stomach and back are bare for several inches, and my cleavage is accentuated more than ever before.

  I smile a vixen's grin as I stalk toward the house like I'm searching for prey. Deke, Zee, and Kane are lounging on the couches, eating popcorn and watching some gory movie, completely oblivious to my approach.

  He has no idea what I have in store for him right now.

  I watch patiently as the slasher film gets all the more disturbing and violent. Blood paints the walls, decorates the faces of the victims, and spills free from each new wound. I'm sure, to a night stalker, this is more like watching Food Network as opposed to a horror flick.

  Feeling like a bit of a menace, I decide to test that theory and see if they're hungry or spooked. A devilish smirk spreads as I creep through the unlocked door. Their keen sense of hearing is drowned out by the screams exuding from the sixty-inch, flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

  My spell has given them so much security that they don't even worry about someone sneaking in. It feels good to watch them–like they're my prey instead of the other way around.

  Devious images of things I could do dance around in my mind. I'm not here to play too many games though. I've got one thing in mind and it's time to announce my presence.

  With a hard slam of the door, I watch all three of them leap from their seats, popcorn flying in response. Zee is the only one who screeches out in surprise, proving the slasher film might have been more of a horror for him than the others.

  My seductress's grin stays intact as I stare into Kane's eyes. It takes him less than a blink to move to me, readying to attack, until he realizes it's me. He pulls his fist down from the air, and his glowing blues simmer down to his natural greens.

  "Who the fu-"

  "Alyssa?" Zee squeaks, interrupting Deke's question.

  "Alyssa is light with blond hair," Deke says dismissively.

  With Kane blocking their view, they can't see me right now. There's nothing light about me in this moment. I'm dark and I’m fucking love it.

  "Alyssa?" Kane murmurs softly while tilting his head to show his confusion. "I thought I asked you to stay in tonight."

  He pockets his hands when he doesn't know what to do with them, squirming uncomfortably as he appraises me and my attire.

  "I felt like being rebellious. Complain much?" I quip while taking a sexy-strutted step toward him.

  "What's going on? Why is your hair dark?"

  His eyes greedily scour my body, taking in all the revealed flesh. I finally tire of the soft-spoken Kane. I crave the night stalker lurking within. I crave his bite.

  Without giving him much time to react, I pull him to me, jerking his face to meet mine. He doesn't fight in the least. He grips me under my ass and jerks me up, pulling me tight against his firm body.

  "O... kay... so... um...what's going on?" Zee chuckles.

  Something almost erotically charged flows from my mouth to Kane's, making his eyes open and almost roll back in his head from the euphoric delight. He pulls back just slightly to savor the remnants of power, licking his lips for any lingering taste.

  "That's new," he murmurs while showing me his glowing blues I wanted to see.

  "Your room," I order, pushing my lips back against his.

  He doesn't dawdle or argue as the wind rushes against the back of my hair. The door shuts, and almost simultaneously, I'm on my back in his bed. He's always the predator, the aggressor, the one calling the shots. Not tonight. This is my game, and I'll play it my way.

  "Fuck, you taste good," he murmurs against my lips, feeding my need for his desire.

  With a rough motion, I knock him to his back and climb over to straddle him. His eyes find mine, though he doesn't offer me true submission. I know it won't be long before his night stalker tries to rise up and take over one way or another.

  With a swift motion, he rips my shirt over my head, exposing my bare breasts not confined by a bra. A few curses fall through his lips in a whispered, praising tone as his eyes rake over me.

  My dark hair falls into place, obstructing his view slightly before I fall down to press my lips to his, hungry to taste that divine nectar once more. His tongue slips between my lips, showing his expert exploration abilities. One of his hands tangles in my hair, as the other grips the curve of my ass.

  His arousal is evident; his firmness pressed between my legs. Straddling him in leather isn't ideal. I want to feel him closer, drink him in. More than anything, I want his fangs buried deep in my flesh and throwing me into that high—just not yet.

  He gasps as my hands runs along the seam of his jeans, finding his button and then his zipper. The screams of the slasher film almost excite me, enticing the darkness within. Loud growls and the bashing of metal bars rattle out, reminding me the bitch lycan is locked downstairs. I can hear it, even though I shouldn't be able to. That room is soundproofed.

  I almost feel like strutting in front of her and fucking the man I won't let her have right in front of her eyes. The vile thought only fuels my hunger, making me crave him in so many ways.

  His breath hitches when I free his erection, and then his hand grips my hair almost too hard when my lips close around his hard shaft. Each stroke deliberate and teasing, I offer him pleasure in a way I never have before.

  He moans, almost growling in the back of his throat as I continue to take him deeper, owning him.

  "Shit, Alyssa," he murmurs through a surprised exhale, feeding my dark temptress.

  Just when I think he's about to finish inside my mouth, he rips me up and throws me to the mattress, seizing control.

  "Bite me," I murmur impatiently, running my finger over his exposed fang.

  Apparently my dirty seduction has lured the night stalker out once again. He doesn't have to hide from me anymore, and I love the deadly, unguarded beauty in front of me.

  He gives me his best scandalous grin as he nips playfully at my breasts, teasing me by pressing his fangs against the skin, but never breaking the surface. I don't like this game. I know what I want, and I don't like being teased.

  "Patience," he murmurs as he starts his descent down my chest, moving to my stomach.

  In an expert motion, the leather is pulled free from my lower body and tossed to the floor. His finger slides under the rim of my lacy panties, and I prop one arm behind my head as I watch him toy with me.

  "Don't play with me, night stalker."

  He gives me a curious gaze, and then he pulls my underwear down while pressing his lips against the apex of my thighs. Involuntarily, my head pops back when his incredibly wonderful tongue goes to work. He pins my hips when I try to s
quirm, and he forces me to endure all the sensations he offers.

  Tidal waves of ecstasy flood my veins, bringing me to an all-time high as a powerful buzz enters the room. I feel as though I'm collecting sexual energy, feeding on it. It feels absolutely divine.

  His eyes grow to be a brighter blue as he drinks me in, tasting me in the most intimate of ways. I arch my back, silently begging him to continue. Just before I find my release, I feel his body surging into mine, surprising me with his firm perfection replacing his tongue.

  "What the hell is going on?" he asks, breathless as he takes me.

  He presses his lips against mine, feeling confused, but it's quickly replaced with greedy passion. He rocks back up and jerks my head back, exposing my neck as he continues his almost violent thrusts, making me grunt involuntarily with each fervent stroke.

  "Please," I almost beg, making him shake his head in amusement, as his eyes fall lower to watch himself moving in and out of my body.

  I jerk him down, placing his mouth closer to my neck, and I feel a spark from my hand to his body. He groans loudly as the power charges him, forcing him to bend to my will.

  The pain mingles with eroticism as his fangs sink deep into the flesh of my shoulder. A strangled moan escapes through his lips as I gasp for air. His venom feels so good as it burns through me, igniting every flame within.

  He bleeds me, savoring my taste while fucking me without mercy. His rough, carnal touch is beyond exquisite. He jerks me up, and before I know what's going on, we're against the wall.

  His weight presses against me as he holds me in the air, slamming me into the wall once more—making it hurt just enough.

  "Kane, I lov-"

  His lips crush mine before I can finish that sentence.

  "Not while you've got my venom. You can't say that until you mean it again," he mumbles against my lips.

  My moans become near screams in that instant, as the rushing flood of pent-up desire runs free, falling into the spiral of undeniable perfection.

  His name becomes an unintelligible mumble on my lips as my body shudders against his, and I shatter in his embrace. He surges in hard one last time before stilling inside me.

  Our tongues dance together as he carries me back to the bed and collapses with me on top of him.

  The raving lunatic that has been controlling me is banished, letting the light return. I look down to see the proof when my blond locks take over the dark hair. Kane shakes his head while strumming his fingers through the familiar strands.

  "What the hell is going on with you?"

  His tone is breathless, making me smile. It had to be good to make an immortal strain for air.

  I kiss the side of his neck, having a new appreciation for the beauty that burrows so much deeper than the surface. He could have turned me away after what I said to him earlier, but he was here for me when I needed him to be.

  "I wish I knew." Though I do have an idea.

  This darkness is slowly consuming me. Fucking Gage had more consequences than I could have ever foreseen. Maybe this is all a mistake. Maybe I'm just looking at this all wrong because my head is clouded with this stupid prophecy that can't possibly be true.

  It's amazing to me that Kane was the one to break whatever spell I was under. If anything, he should have pulled me farther into the darkness.

  "Start from the beginning," he murmurs before pulling back to press his lips to my shoulder, kissing the spot he bled and healed with the same venom.

  "I don't know. I went to bed and woke up in front of your house with dark hair, crazy eyes going wild, and now I've got a little bit of a hangover."

  I expect him to laugh, but he just studies me, regarding me with all seriousness as he brushes a blond lock from my face.

  "Did you use your dark magic or something?"

  It's actually nice he doesn't know as much as about me as everyone else seems to. It's as though we're on the same page at the beginning of the book so many others have already read. He hasn't been keeping daunting prophecies a secret.

  Whatever just happened, it really was dark. I pray it has nothing to do with what Gage and my parents told me. It can't. But the terrible thoughts streaming through my mind during my moment of temporary insanity now come crashing back and make me visibly tense.

  "Not that I know of, but I used a lot to kill Sylvia. It could be coming back to haunt me or something."

  I shrug, pretending I'm not as shaken about it as I am. My fingers start tracing the outline of the newly acquired tattoo he got in order to keep spirits from possessing him. As I do so, a flash of another tattoo comes to life on his chest - one with a foreign language and symbols - but it fades almost just as quickly. I don't even have time to fully glimpse what it is before it's banished from sight.

  "What was that?" I ask while pointing to the spot of skin that is hiding a secret.

  He tilts his head, studying me more intently. I'm starting to worry I've gone completely crazy now.

  "What was what?"

  "There was something... a tattoo of some sort."

  Dark hair, sleep driving, a sexual assault on a night stalker, ridiculous clothes, and now I'm seeing things.

  His eyes narrow as he stares at me with a different sort of amusement. "You saw it?"

  Oh thank God. I'm not that far gone in crazy land.

  "So it's real? What is it?" I ask, strumming my fingers over his chest once more, trying to provoke the secret mark.

  He sits up, making me slide off of his chest as he does so.

  "It's a hexer's curse. No one's supposed to be able to see it. How did you?"

  A hexer? I thought they only cursed witches and warlocks.

  "What sort of curse is it? Why did they curse you?"

  He shakes his head, leaning back to let his eyes focus on the ceiling. His hand slides over the hidden spot as he shrugs.

  "Castine has a lot of enemies out there, but she's too strong for people to take on. So, they use her bonded changelings instead. I can only assume Castine did something to provoke her, because I had never seen her before. I suppose when she failed against Castine, she came after the youngest changeling she had at the time... me.

  "She cursed me, but I don't know what it means. Nothing has ever really changed for me, so I'm assuming she either really sucked, or it doesn't affect me, just like a witch's power doesn't affect me."

  I frown, worrying now what the curse might mean.

  "What did she say?"

  He looks down to meet my eyes, seeming unaffected by the whole conversation. "Her exact words?"

  I nod, silently urging him to speak.

  "If the light fades, darkness will come." He pauses for a minute, and then he continues with, "The rest was in a dead language I've never been able to translate. And believe me, I've studied every old book I could find. But, like I said, nothing ever happened, and that was a long, long time ago."

  I sigh out slightly, trying to crack the riddle myself. It's too vague to cipher.

  "What about the mark? A hexer's mark shows the words. I bet Drackus could help you translate."

  Kane laughs, finding my words hysterical apparently.

  "First of all, no one can see it... except apparently you. She was a bitch like that and hid it from view. I can't even see it. So, unless you can get a better, longer look, then that is rather pointless. Secondly, Drackus wouldn't exactly want to know why you were scoping out my chest close enough to see a hexer's hidden mark."

  I frown, realizing he has a point. Still, I would risk it. Drackus is in the business of mending fences right now. He wouldn't do anything to Kane simply because he knows I'd never speak to him again if he did.

  Kane's lips find mine before I can prod him further. I smile against the kiss as he pulls the sheet around our bare bodies.

  "I'm not letting you go home tonight. It's dangerous with the red moon out there," he says while pulling back.

  The mischievous smile he wears doesn't go unnoticed, and I stifle a girl
y grin while offering him a shrug.

  "Good, considering I wasn't planning on leaving."

  His smile broadens as he leans back down to resume the paused kiss, and I wrap a leg around him as he tucks us under the sheet, pulling it over our heads. The sound of the screaming massacre on the television has been muted, leaving us with just the soft music playing from his iPod dock beside the bed. I never even heard it while we were... um... getting crazy.

  Just when I'm sure things are really about to heat back up, there's a knock at the door.

  "You guys done in there?" Zee chuckles out.

  "Nope," Kane says with a devilish grin.

  "Well, you need to get dressed. Gage is on his way over here."

  What?

  Kane grumbles and swears under his breath as he pulls the sheet back.

  "Why is he coming over here?" he gripes.

  "Says he needs to talk to Alyssa. He called your phone nonstop until I finally had to answer. Sorry, dude. He'll be here in less than five."

  Kane looks at me and shakes his head. "Does this mean we're together, or are you still with him? What was this?"

  This? This was me waking up in a psychotic girl's mind. I don't know how this started, but now I can't let him go. Not now. I still love him, and I know that even without the venom still tainting my veins.

  "I love you," I murmur softly, gazing into his cool green eyes. "I don't love him."

  It's true. I never reached the point of love with Gage. Now I know I never can... unless I want to turn dark and destroy everyone... supposedly. I'm sure the prophecy is a hoax or something, but I dare not chance it. I want to stay a witch. That's all I am. A witch.

  Kane's lips find mine with an eager passion, and then he grips me at the waist to pull me closer. His body feels so good against mine—so perfect.

  "I hope that's not just the venom talking," he murmurs against my lips. "I love you."

  I smile, finding it hard not to tell him again, and then I shrug. "Is it possible to get addicted to the bite?"