Moonlight Heart: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (The Witch and the Wolf Pack Book 4)

by K. R. Alexander

  Jason shivered—eyes huge and reflecting lamplight, fur on end, teeth chattering.

  “Go.” Kage slung the rucksack with Jason’s things off his back and shoved Jason at the hedge. “Got to change and tell us what’s up.”

  Kage followed him in and we stood around the edge of wall and hedge while—for the fourth time tonight—Jason’s bones popped and stretched into new places.

  Then he was staggering around, pulling on his jeans, Kage asking him what was going on.

  “It was a wolf,” he panted. “There’s a wolf in that hotel.”

  In a moment he struggled out from the bushes, Kage following, pressing socks and boots at him.

  Still wide-eyed, breathless, Jason looked past me to Zar and finished, “It’s Gabriel.”

  Chapter 21

  It took some convincing just to get everyone home after that. Zar seemed to think he was going to march in there and find his brother. As if they’d tell him where Gabriel was, or he’d change for himself and trot in, sniffing his way through their hotel.

  “There is nothing you can do right now,” I told him repeatedly, holding his arms. “Nothing. We already made a spectacle of ourselves. We’ll be back in the city soon. We’ll do everything we can to find Gabriel. But not right now.”

  Kage and Andrew seemed just as rattled as Jason by this apparition. So they weren’t any help. Instead, they were trying to come up with ideas with Zar to get into the hotel and one of them change.

  Fortunately, Isaac backed me up. Calm, reasonable, going over the negatives of the hotel staff calling the cops because someone let a wolf in, and the positives of waiting and working together to find Gabriel.

  I don’t think Zar was listening. Even so, bit by bit, we got everyone around the edge of the little park to the waiting motorcycles.

  I was glad Zar wasn’t driving—having ridden with Andrew. Also, Kage, with his bloody wrist, was on Jason’s bike with Jason driving. Home. One piece. All we needed for the night now.

  Even I couldn’t stop thinking of Gabriel on the way, completely forgetting to consider plans for our next meeting with Dieter until we reached home and I noticed Max’s bag again.

  “Everyone get some sleep. Try, please,” I told them as we pulled off helmets and started to part ways.

  Zar was already leaving. I couldn’t see his expression in the dark but hurried after him.

  “Zar?” Catching his free hand while he held the bag with the other.

  He blinked as he looked at me, seeming to have trouble focusing his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. We just couldn’t stay now. We’ll work together and find him. You know that.”

  Zar nodded.

  “Are you all right? Do you want to talk?”

  He shook his head, squeezed my hand, and went on toward home. I almost followed—didn’t like the idea of him being alone. Then remembered he had his mother and middle brother there. Jed had told me he couldn’t sleep in skin. Now he was being forced to remain in that form. Maybe the two of them would finally have a shared interest to discuss.

  “I’d like to talk,” Andrew said as I turned back to find him behind me. “So if you’d fancy coming over to, you know, clean my house, put away my toys, anything you—”

  “Good night, Andrew. I’m praying my bag is brought to your hotel tomorrow—today, whatever it is—by the airline driver. They should ask for you. Can you please bring it back?”

  Andrew smiled. “Delighted, Cassiopeia.” He pointed. “It’s the last house, right side of the workshops, yellow door.”

  I stared at him.

  He went on smiling.

  “Thank you.” I walked down a pathway in the dim light toward Kage and Jason’s row with them.

  Isaac walked with me while the two were a little ahead. They were distracted by Kage’s arm, which he held up protectively by his chest while Jason wanted to see it, telling him he needed to change. It was the right hand and I hoped it would be okay with only his change to heal.

  Where the alley opened up for him to turn off for his own place at the front of the property, Isaac paused. I stopped with him, Kage and Jason walking on toward their place with Kage telling Jason to lay off.

  “Are you all right there?” Isaac sounded concerned, taking my hand in both of his, watching me closely.

  I’d told him about this stop-gap and my arrangements to settle in the light of day at Atarah’s with my travel possessions restored. She’d have let me barge in there at this hour, yet it didn’t seem like any way to build better guest/hostess relations.

  “I am. Though it will be nice to have my own space. Isaac? Is Atarah really all right with having me? She didn’t ask just because she feels obligated?”

  “I believe she offered because you are a guest of her pack and she wishes to help you feel comfortable here. Not only because she feels indebted to you. If that’s what you mean?”

  “Do you know her well?”

  He hesitated. The look in his eyes shifted, something intense, withdrawn. A flood of memories spurred by the question?

  “You’ve slept with her?”

  Isaac laughed. “What? No, I have not.”

  “You looked weird. Sorry.” I smiled. “I don’t care if you did. I only… What was that look?”

  Isaac shifted his gaze to my hand he held, stroking my knuckles with his thumb. His hands dwarfed mine.

  “Everyone in the pack has a special relationship with Atarah. She does readings for us and helps us make decisions by consulting our charts. She’s genuinely insightful and deeply knowledgeable about astrology. If she does your chart, she can tell you things about yourself that will make your hair stand on end. You know some time ago I lost my mate. While I went through that, Atarah was the guiding star in my life. She knows me as well as anyone alive. But … do I know her well…?” A gentle smile. “Only so-so.”

  “Then I will be sure to ask her about you.”

  “Please do.” He bent his head, drawing up my hand at the same time to kiss. “You might start by asking her what she told me, almost a year ago, about this summer. About what would be happening in my chart for this time.”

  “You could just tell me.” My pulse quickened with the feel of his lips and beard brushing my skin.

  “Not at the moment.”

  “You would leave me in suspense?”

  “My apologies. Anyway, what I was going to say was you are welcome to stay with me tonight or any other, as you wish. My door is open.”

  “Do you have a guest room?”

  “I do not.”

  “I promised myself when I came back here I’d borrow a quiet couch. Clearly, that was a fail, but I intend to get back on track with Atarah’s room.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Why do I want a guest room? If I don’t … if I went home with you, for example, it would prove I was only here for selfish reasons. I couldn’t go with you now anyway or hurt others’ feelings. And it would mean that, nineteen days from now…” I dropped my gaze, throat tight. “I don’t think I could survive August twenty-fourth if I kept going with my heart and not my head on this … holiday.” Letting out a breath. “And, lest you think that is hypocritical, where I am now comes with slightly divided space and has been weirdly good for my mental grounding. Now I need even more of that grounding. There may be some free writing, meditation, or list-making involved in the morning.”

  “That sounds grim.” Isaac gazed at me seriously.

  “It is.” I looked up. “It’s horrible. It’s a lot of work. Even stress.”

  “Worth it, though. For peace of mind and self-assurance in one’s own choices.”

  “Thank you, Isaac. Most people don’t seem to understand these things.”

  “Oh, but I do. You’re a very intelligent person and very intelligent people have an impractical habit of over-thinking things, sometimes to the point of crippling hang-ups in the process of living.”

  “Someone has to do it. We can’t live in anarchy and all run
around at random, going ahead for whatever strikes our fancy at the moment rather than thinking, ‘Is this right? Is this the best thing for the people around me? Are my choices today going to harm myself or others in the future?’ It’s a lot to consider.”

  “In the meantime, as one considers, what of life in this Moon?”

  I bit my lip. “I wish you’d all stop saying that.”

  “Forgive me. But this is not the twenty-fourth of August, Cassia.”

  I looked into his eyes by the yellow outside lights near us, forming a picture inside them of that invitation, the open door, his waiting home and bed.

  “Are you going to tell me what she said in your chart?” I asked.

  “It will have to wait until another time. I hope you sleep well and peacefully in your divided space, Cassia.” He was bending his head to me very slowly.

  “I hope you get to work on time.” I reached, also slow, pulling him in.

  “I’m sure I will. Thank you for being so … considerate for all of us.” Isaac turned his face.

  “You’re welcome.” I kissed him and held on and thought of going with him. Preferably by Isaac carrying me home as if I had no choice, trapped in his arms.

  “Moon bless.”

  “Moon bless,” I returned.

  Then he was walking away. Leaving me feeling split in two.

  Chapter 22

  Kage was waiting for me in the doorway. Then I knew why Isaac had withheld. He’d been able to see our audience. Kage had pulled off his shirt and boots, then apparently grown distracted that I hadn’t followed and he’d returned to look for me. His ears were good enough to hear all we’d been saying, though at least Jason was badgering him.

  “Kage, please change. If you do and that doesn’t mend you’ll have to see Joanna or Bethany. It’s serious.”

  “What are you doing?” I asked as I walked up with him glaring at me.

  “Getting my feelings hurt.” Cold, a growl. His skin was beaded in sweat, a fever already burning from that bite.

  “Kage…” I sighed. “What do you want? Would it not hurt your feelings if—?”

  “You think we’re a bunch of yearlings, don’t you? Even though you’re what? Probably my age.”

  “Maturity isn’t necessarily about years—”

  “And you think it’s mature to treat everyone else like pups?”

  I stopped on the threshold, stung. “I’m sorry, Kage. I didn’t mean to do any such—”

  “Not enough that you run with every male you see to test the pack? Got to toss in insults?”

  “Will you please change?” Jason hung onto his good arm, trying to get him to move. “Cassia hasn’t been insulting anyone.”

  “Don’t leave that wound,” I said, my own face burning, not sure where this was coming from.

  “That’s what it is you like about him? Older and a cold fish? Feelings of steel? While you ‘appreciate me telling you how I feel’ you’re really just having a laugh, aren’t you?”

  “My relationships are not your business,” I spoke quietly, yet my voice, and self, shook as his words came at me like knives. “But no, I don’t actually find Isaac cold at all. You just have to get to know him because he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve either. And I never—”

  “So it’s aloof that’s what you’re into? Don’t know why I ever tried talking to you. You want what? A male to act like he doesn’t care right up until sex? Then is he all demonstrative—?”

  “Kage, that’s enough.” To my added surprise, Jason spoke sharply. “Leave her alone. She’s not accountable to you and she didn’t do anything wrong. She can run with whoever she likes without your permission—or anyone else’s.” He pried Kage away from the door. “Change and take care of your arm before there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  He pushed Kage to the bedroom, but didn’t stay, shutting him in there and hurrying back to me.

  “Cassia—”

  “Don’t apologize for him.” I stood stiffly in the doorway, night bugs flitting past for the light in the kitchen, heart pounding as if Kage had been threatening me.

  Fine. I swallowed, blinking fast. This was a weird, crazy setup in the first place. I couldn’t say how I’d ended up able to justify it in my mind to feel like this was a nice place to be and think over my life, whereas sleeping with Isaac would obviously be way too emotional and was something to step back from.

  This wasn’t thoughtful and mature.

  This was just plain stupid.

  My stuff was more or less packed. I didn’t even have a change of clothes. Bathroom. Clean up. Shove everything else in my backpack. Go.

  “Cassia?” Jason closed the front door, having to be up against me to do it. He rested a gentle hand on my shoulder.

  I pulled away. “I’m going to Atarah’s.”

  “Sure.” His voice was soft as his touch, worried. Whereas mine sounded like broken glass.

  Yet I didn’t grab my bag or run into the bathroom because my ears were still ringing from the attack and my feet felt bolted to the floor—and Jason embraced me, kissing my hair. I leaned into him instead.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m not trying to make excuses for him. He had no call to speak to you like that. It’s been a really rough few days. He attacked me the night before for trying to comfort him about you being gone. Now you’re right here and he’s making a huge effort about manners. Then he sees you with… And you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s not about you.”

  I rested my face against his shoulder, eyes shut tight and breathing through my mouth.

  “He’s only frustrated and we’re the ones he can snap at,” Jason murmured. “I’ll take you over to Atarah’s if you want. You can get a few hours’ sleep. But don’t leave here hating Kage for something like—”

  “I don’t hate him.” I stepped away.

  “No … I know.” Jason spoke quietly behind me. “I guess I mean in an abstract sense. I don’t want the three of us to stay trapped in cycles like this—lashing out, hurting each other… I’m sorry,” he repeated.

  I didn’t answer, shutting myself in the bathroom.

  Chapter 23

  I’d just washed my face when I heard a yelp of pain.

  It didn’t make sense. The wound should have closed.

  I gathered the few toiletries I had to throw in my backpack and stepped out.

  Jason sat cross-legged on the living room floor and blanket from earlier, holding Kage’s head against his chest. Kage was a massive Eurasian wolf with a thick coat. His right forepaw dangled in the air as if broken.

  I hesitated beyond the bathroom doorway. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” Jason said, holding onto Kage’s head, rubbing his neck at each side with a rhythmic massaging gesture as Kage leaned into him. “A wound like that should have closed. We’ve never dealt with a vampire bite, though.”

  I knew next to nothing about medicine, human or canine. Nana had been a practiced herbalist and I could recognize and know a few household tricks and natural remedies. No more.

  After a moment’s pause, I crossed the room to finish packing my bag, then turned. I’d never before seen Kage close up and lit in fur. I sat on the edge of the other chair where I could reach him. When I touched his limp paw, lifting it to see the pastern, Kage pulled his head away from Jason’s chest to look at me. I wondered if I needed to jump back. He only gaze sorrowfully.

  I slid two fingers backward across the short, white fur to see puncture wounds, still red and oozing.

  “They’ve at least improved,” I said. “Do you have your own people who can look at it?”

  Jason nodded.

  “Any antibiotics?”

  “Usually we’d take olive leaf for infection. But I don’t know if this is…”

  “Its own special thing? We should have asked Zar more about the bite, but he didn’t seem concerned. Let’s wash it out like this. You should have done that before you changed in the first place. Clear out
all the bacteria you can, give it every chance, then change back. If it still hasn’t healed, we’ll have to wake up someone to look at it.”

  “That makes sense.” Jason looked sheepish. “We’re used to small wounds healing right up. I didn’t think about cleaning it.”

  Kage stood silently between us, his head and ears drooping, eyes downcast, tail slightly tucked between his legs. Was this physical suffering, or was he feeling certain other things he regretted?

  I didn’t bring it up. “Can he put his paw in the sink? He’s acting like he’s crippled.”

  “He can’t handle pain. Always been like that.”

  “Jason, many people don’t like to be in pain.”

  “Not compared to me. All the pups we grew up with. He’d cut is foot or bruise his elbow and get all upset about it.”

  “Coming from someone—” I stopped. Mature. Not going to mention Jason’s reaction to a rat biting his nose in Germany. Instead, I said, “That still sounds perfectly normal to me. Get him over to the sink.”

  Jason stood and waved Kage with him to the kitchen sink. He spread a hand towel on the edge and turned on the tap to let the water warm up.

  I brought antibacterial soap from the bathroom.

  The angle was awkward, but Jason coaxed him to hop up on his back legs at the sink. While Jason again massaged his head, I held his right paw in the water. I washed it a couple of times, keeping the wound under the stream and hoping we were doing some good to flush it out.

  Kage kept flinching and trying to pull his paw away.

  Jason gave me a look. Like, See? Such a pup.

  But I sympathized. It certainly looked painful.

  At first, I said nothing, washing in silence, only focused on the task and of getting out of here, Kage’s recent words still making me bleed, still biting.

  As he winced and panted, though, flesh shivering, involuntarily twitching away, I thought of what Jason had said, and other things about Kage. Right-handed, which he was touchy about, not wanting to be an oddball dextel. Allergies and a weak nose. Apparently pansexual—although something which the shifters didn’t seem to think anything of, positive or negative, still making him different. Now also accusing me of mocking him for being emotionally sensitive.