Human males walked by with their necks craning to get a better look at her.
A growl rose from Tristan’s chest before he could stop it. Isabel didn’t seem to notice the men, but she certainly heard the growl. Her gaze cut to his, and her hazel eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
Tristan stared at her for a moment. “Making sure people mind their manners.”
“What?” she asked in confusion.
She had been totally unaware of the attention. Isabel really didn’t know what kind of effect she had on men, had on him. Tristan clasped her hand and tugged.
“This way,” he said. They’d take a stroll along the river then circle back into the Quarter. He wanted to make sure Isabel’s scent permeated the area and that she was highly visible. In that dress, he wouldn’t have to worry about the latter.
Heads continued to turn as they strolled along the Mississippi River bank. Tristan tried to relax, but it was impossible with so many males sniffing around. Inside, his beast bared its teeth and snarled. Outside, Tristan pulled Isabel into his arms and kissed her often enough to send a message to the men around her.
Every time he kissed her, Isabel’s gaze grew unfocused, and her luscious scent deepened. If only she weren’t human. It would be far too easy to get used to this, get used to having her in his arms.
Tristan needed to think of something else, something to distract him and his beast from the urges pummeling his body. “How long have you known Everly?” he asked.
“Not long,” she said. “I met her when I first hit town a month ago.”
“She should leave,” he said.
Isabel gave him a sad smile. “I know, but she won’t. She told me she’s tired of running,” she said, her voice weary. “Can’t say I blame her. It gets old.”
“You sound tired, too,” Tristan said.
“I am,” she said. “But there’s not a lot I can do about it. I’m more concerned with Everly’s vision.”
He was, too. Tristan tried to imagine what it would be like moving from place to place, knowing that you were constantly being pursued. The beast in him rose to the surface and growled.
Isabel laughed at him. “What’s up with all the growling?” she asked.
“Sometimes my beast likes to voice its opinion at inopportune times,” he said.
“Do you have conversations with it often?” she asked.
Tristan shook his head. “Not really. We rarely disagree with each other.”
“Interesting,” she said. “Where do you live?”
The change of subject surprised him. “I have homes in many places,” he said. “My favorite is in New Mexico.”
“Wow,” she said. “I wouldn’t have pictured you in the Southwest.”
“Why?” His fingers lingered on her bare shoulder after he brushed her hair away from her face.
Isabel shrugged and casually stepped out of reach. “I don’t know. You look more Nordic than Navajo,” she said.
“I do have a Nordic heritage, but I prefer the sunshine and warmth over the cold and gray skies,” he said.
“You don’t look like you get a lot of sun,” she said.
“I don’t tan easily,” he said wryly.
Isabel laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Tristan asked.
She put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. “I just pictured you in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, sitting on a turtle float in the middle of a pool.”
“Is that so hard to imagine?” Tristan asked, liking the sound of her laughter, even if it was at his expense.
Isabel’s shoulders shook. “Yes, it is, Frosty.”
He laughed with her. “I must do a better job of distracting your smart mouth.”
She flinched.
“What’s the matter?” Tristan asked, unsure of what he’d said or done to cause the reaction.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard a real laugh from you,” she said. “I was beginning to think you’d never learned how to laugh.”
“And you find the sound frightening?” he asked.
Isabel shook her head. “Just the opposite. It’s quite nice and unexpected.”
Tristan wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t. He held her hand as he led them down to a docked riverboat.
“One of these days I’m going to take that ride.” Isabel pointed to the boat.
Tristan had the sudden urge to get her tickets. You’re not here for fun. For a moment, Tristan had forgotten why they were here. He’d been so caught up in touching her, kissing her, and holding her that he’d lost focus.
“Mind if we do it some other time?” he asked.
“You want to go, too?” she asked, surprised again.
Tristan glanced at the boat. He would enjoy the ride, if she were with him. “Sure,” he said, then turned right so they were heading back into the quarter.
“How will we know if this works?” Isabel asked.
“He’ll make a move.” Just the thought of the Darkling trying to rip Isabel out of his hands made his beast snarl.
“You’re doing it again,” Isabel said.
“Sorry,” Tristan said. “I didn’t mean to. The necklace around my throat detects the Darkling’s magic. I’ll know he’s coming long before we see him.”
“Magic? As in Harry Potter or watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat?” Isabel pulled her hand out of his and stopped.
“Neither,” he said.
“But you’re telling me that magic is real,” she said.
Tristan debated how to respond. He decided to be honest with her. “How else would you explain your abilities or what I’m able to become? The powers might be different, but they’re nothing short of magic.”
“But.” She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath. “I guess I never looked at it that way.”
“I’m not surprised,” he said. “You’ve spent your life running from us monsters. When you view an entire species that way, it’s hard to see beyond your preconceived notions.”
He was right. Izzy knew he was right, but it was a lot to take in. Her world had been filled with humans and monsters without anything in between. Now he was telling her there was even more to the world than she’d imagined.
Izzy had never once asked herself what was behind the ability to shift. She’d simply assumed they were all evil and left it at that.
Magic... just the word conjured all kinds of images in her mind.
She glanced at Tristan. “If you’re magic, then why don’t you feel your power pulsing in the necklace?”
Tristan opened his mouth and closed it again. “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear the answer to that question,” he said.
“Try me,” she said.
“Like humans, there are both good and bad Moonlight Kin. We have far more gifts than humans could ever imagine, but we also have a shadow side,” he said. “A very dark shadow side.”
“You turn into wolves and the Darklings?” She took a step back. That would be bad. Very bad. Izzy wasn’t sure what she’d do if Tristan said yes.
“No! Never that,” he said. “I told you the truth when I said that the Darklings are from another world. Our shadow sides reside in another world. They do not belong here. Every time they’ve crossed into this world, they’ve caused bloodshed and conflict between humans and the Kin. Most humans don’t distinguish between monsters. When pushed, they want to kill them all.”
Guilt made Izzy look away, but she had to know more. She needed to know everything. “That doesn’t explain why you can wear the necklace without it reacting.”
He pursed his lips, and darned if he didn’t look cute. She bet he made that same face when he was little. The look made her want to rise onto her tippy-toes and kiss him, but that would be inappropriate after what he’d just shared.
“Moonlight Kin magic is part of this world. This lodestone is designed to pick up the magic of creatures from other worlds,” Tristan said. “Including
our shadow side.”
“If they’re part of you, why can’t you make them stay in their own world?” she asked.
“Can you make your shadow stop following you?” he asked.
Izzy looked down at her shadow. “I suppose not.”
“Neither can we,” he said.
Izzy’s stomach rumbled.
Tristan grinned. “Hungry?”
“Sounds like it,” she said. “I know right where to go.”
Izzy led Tristan to St. Peter Street. She didn’t stop until they reached Yo Mama’s Bar & Grill.
“What’s this place?” he asked, staring warily at the front of the building. “It looks...”
“Like a bordello?” she finished for him.
Tristan nodded. “I was going to say dive bar, but it resembles that, too.”
“The décor is a bit of both, but it has the best burgers you’ll ever eat in your life,” she said.
They climbed the stairs and settled at a table near the small bar. Instead of sitting across from her, Tristan sat next to her, his leg brushing hers.
Every time he spoke, he leaned in close to her ear and brushed her sensitive lobe. At first Izzy thought he was doing it because the music was so loud, but he did it no matter what was playing on the jukebox. Was this part of their performance?
His actions left her feeling antsy and unsure. She tried to separate reality from make-believe, but the line blurred in her mind. It didn’t help that Tristan played his role so convincingly.
Their burgers arrived, and they tucked into them. Izzy scarfed down half her burger before she noticed Tristan staring at her.
“What?” She wiped the ketchup off her fingers and hoped she didn’t have more on her face.
“I love that you like to eat,” he said. “Most human females don’t.”
Izzy put her napkin down. “That’s not true. Most women love to eat. They just don’t for fear of getting fat.”
He laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I do,” she said and grinned. “But my fear doesn’t outweigh my love of food.”
“I don’t like skinny women,” he said so low that Izzy almost missed the comment.
She wondered if Tristan even knew he’d spoken aloud.
“Can I have a bite of your burger?” he asked.
Izzy never shared her Yo Mama’s burgers, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him no. “Sure.” She put her burger down and waited for him to pick it up.
He didn’t.
“I thought you said you wanted a bite,” she said.
“I do,” Tristan said.
Then what was he waiting for? Surely he didn’t want her to feed him. Did he?
Izzy picked up her burger and brought it to his mouth. Ketchup and mayo dripped down her fingertips.
Tristan grinned and took a big bite. “It’s good,” he said after swallowing.
Izzy put the burger down and picked up her napkin, but before she used it, Tristan captured her hand. He brought her fingertips to his mouth and sucked on each one, licking them clean.
Every suck and every lick triggered a reaction in another part of her body. By the time he finished cleaning her hand off, the spot between her thighs was throbbing and Izzy was squirming in her seat.
“Thank you,” she croaked.
Tristan’s eyes sparkled. “Anytime,” he said, his voice rough.
It wasn’t until later, when they’d left the French Quarter, that Izzy remembered that there’d been no one in the bar to see their performance.
* * * * *
Chapter Eleven
Izzy walked through town with the monster. They were holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears like lovers.
Had she taken the wolf to her bed? Just the thought of her lying in the beast’s arms made Stone crazy. What was she thinking?
The monster released her hand then slid his palm down to rest on the small of her back. It was a cozy act. The kind of act that implied intimate knowledge.
Fury filled him. Why would she beg him to take her away, then throw herself at the white beast? It made no sense. They laughed, then the monster leaned in and kissed her.
Stone waited to see what Izzy’s reaction would be. He hoped for anger, but got breathlessness and fluster instead.
Was she setting him up?
Stone had thought her desire to escape was genuine, but watching them now, he wasn’t so sure. He pressed the pre-programmed number on his phone.
Izzy didn’t pick up. He hung up and tried again, but she didn’t answer. She was too busy hanging on the beast’s arm and flirting.
He couldn’t let her do this. Not when he was so close. One way or another, Stone would have to stop the beast by her side. Failure was not an option.
* * * * *
Izzy’s phone vibrated when she turned it on, indicating that she had a message. She’d kept the phone off after Stone had left her yesterday. She’d expected him to call eventually but hoped he’d take more time to come to his senses.
She glanced at her watch. It was still relatively early. The sun wouldn’t go down for several more hours. She thought about how she and Tristan could pass the time. Instantly, a carnal image flashed in her mind.
Izzy glanced at Frosty. He hadn’t said much since they’d gotten back to the cabin, but she had caught him looking at her a couple times. As per usual, she hadn’t been able to read his expression. The man should play poker.
Her phone vibrated again. Izzy needed to deal with one problem at a time, starting with Stone. “I need to use the bathroom,” she said.
Tristan glanced up from the paper he read. “Okay,” he said.
Izzy picked up her purse and walked into the bathroom. They’d had such a nice day that she didn’t want to do anything to ruin the mood. She shut the door and pulled out her phone, expecting to see a missed call. Instead, there were at least a half dozen text messages from Stone, each one angrier than the last.
Saw you in town today. What were you doing?
You said you wanted help getting away. Didn’t look like you needed help to me.
How could you bring yourself to kiss a monster? What’s wrong with you? He had his hands all over you and you looked like you loved every minute of it.
It’s us against them or have you forgotten?
Makes me think you’ve been setting me up all along. Have you? I only wanted to help you. Why would you do something like that? Do you want the monsters to catch me?
You’ll be sorry, if I find out that’s what you’ve been doing all along. You don’t know who you’re messing with.
Is that why you didn’t leave with me yesterday? You were too busy screwing a monster. Sick! Now I know why you didn’t want me to hurt him.
I can no longer trust your judgment. Who knows what kind of magic he’s worked on you. For your sake, I hope you’re not around when I take out your boyfriend.
Wouldn’t want you to get hurt by accident.
Izzy felt bile rise in her throat as she struggled to get control of her fear. She turned on the water, so Tristan wouldn’t hear her texting Stone back.
I don’t have to explain myself, but I will because you’re obviously mental. Everything you saw today was... It wasn’t what you think. The whole thing was an act.
But it hadn’t felt like an act. A few times when Tristan had kissed her, it had actually felt real.
The whys are not important—just know that it was. Tristan is not my lover.
Everly’s reading came rushing back to her. She saw them as lovers. Heck, even Izzy had seen them together in her vision. That didn’t mean it would happen. It couldn’t. Izzy’s certainty wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been in the beginning.
The more time she spent with Tristan, the easier it was to imagine them together. It would never last, but Izzy could no longer deny that she wanted him. If only for a night.
Stone’s response was swift. Looked like he was working his magic on you.
Tristan had mentioned something about magic, but he’d made it sound like his was nothing special. Had he lied? The thought that he might have worried her. Worried her enough that Izzy was going to have to ask.
Izzy typed another message. I believed that all monsters were the same. I was wrong. So are you.
Tristan wasn’t like any of the others she’d met over the years. In hindsight, most had left her alone. It had been her who’d run away, and only when she’d received a psychic warning.
You should go ahead without me. Get out of town while you can. I’ll leave once I’m finished here.
Stone’s response was immediate. I am not going anywhere without you. Got it? So get your things packed. I’ll be there soon.
Izzy didn’t need his help. His militant insistence frightened her. I’ve changed my mind. I no longer want to go. Please, Stone, just leave.
If you won’t save yourself, I’ll have to be the one to save you from yourself.
Stone’s message made Izzy shiver. What was she going to do? His heart might be in the right place, but it was obvious that he wasn’t stable.
Izzy felt sorry for him. She knew what it was like to feel like the only sane person in the world. Stone had been on his own for too long. Maybe he just needed time to cool off? Once he did, perhaps then he’d listen to reason.
She turned the phone off and dropped it back into her purse, then flushed the toilet. Izzy splashed some water on her face then walked back into the main room.
Tristan set his paper on the table, when she came out. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, hoping it was the truth.
* * * * *
Tristan noticed the change in Isabel’s complexion. Despite the moisture clinging to the side of her hair, she looked pale. Certainly paler than she’d been when she walked into the bathroom.
He inhaled, catching a sharp scent that indicated fear. What had her so upset? He’d thought the day had gone as well as could be expected. She’d seemed fine a moment ago. Tristan pulled her into his arms as she walked past.
Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan Page 11
