Blood Moon

by Kristy Centeno

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Blood Moon (Secrets of the Moon Series)

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Blood Moon

  Secrets of the Moon Saga #3.5

  Kristy Centeno

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Blood Moon

  Copyright © 2015 Kristy Centeno

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: (ebook) 978-1-939590-65-7

  Inkspell Publishing

  5764 Woodbine Ave.

  Pinckney, MI 48169

  Edited By Melissa Keir.

  Cover art By Najla Qamber

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Chapter One

  Marjorie limps out of the kitchen, her heart heavy with doubt. Though I want to ease her worries, I can’t. There are too many things we both need to consider. Too many conflicts of interest.

  “So this is it?” Alexis storms into the room just as Marjorie sneaks out of the house to have a private conversation with Bray. “You’re resigned to let her go.”

  “Short of tying her to my bed, I don’t see how I’m going to stop her, Alexis.” I march toward the dining room table and pull out a chair opposite the one Marjorie had been sitting on. “It is what it is.”

  Alexis’ eyebrows pull together as he glares at me. “You’re taking this remarkably well.”

  He’s hinting at something, but I choose to ignore it. With Marjorie in the house, I make an extra effort to keep my temper in check as best as I can. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  His right shoulder lifts. “I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “It’s nothing. Shit, I’m all over the place today. Don’t worry about it. It’s stupid...” he trails off as he leans against the doorframe. “She’s out there speaking with Bray, you know.”

  Though I’ve closed my ears to what they are discussing for the sake of privacy, I’m very aware she has left me sulking with my overwhelming emotions and could very possibly be arranging for a new place to stay. I don’t know how to deal with all this. She’s leaving. She’s leaving me. It’s hard to come to terms with her decision, but what choice do I have? If I bully her into staying, she’ll end up resenting me. I can’t live with her disgruntlement any more than I can live without her.

  “I know.” I glance down at my hands. They are disfigured from all my punching, dealing with my frustration. I’ve broken a couple of fingers this week. I might break a few more if things continue down this path. “Just stay out of it. If she decides to take refuge with Bray for a while, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

  “She’ll put distance between us.”

  “That’s the whole purpose of this separation,” I point out.

  “Shit.” Alexis pushes himself off the wall. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this confused in my entire life.”

  I glance up, my eyes connecting with his. I can easily read the confusion on his face. Seeing Alexis this rattled is both sad and amusing. He’s always been so in control of his emotions, so happy, so calm. I’m the restless one, driving my family insane with my endless need to get my point across.

  “Neither have I,” I confess. I’m torn between staying and abandoning my family, torn between letting Marjorie go and keeping her, and torn between loving Marjorie and my brother. “Sometimes I feel I’ll break in two.”

  Alexis’ gray eyes seek mine. “You have.” He snorts. “I’m standing right here.”

  Fighting the urge to slap him upside the head much like Gage does, I say, “Thanks for reminding me.”

  Alexis chuckles, the momentary tension between us melting away. “Can I ask you something?”

  “It better not be another of your stupid questions.”

  His face takes on a look of indignation. “When have I ever asked a stupid question?”

  “Do you want a detailed list? Or would a simple example suffice?”

  He waves one hand, dismissing me. “Never mind. And no, it’s not a stupid question.”

  “Fine.” I give in, but I’m hoping I don’t come to regret it.

  His expression changes yet again, this time his features take on a more serious look. “Do you think we would have gotten along better had we not been twins?”

  In the past, I’ve asked myself that question often. I wasn’t sure why Alexis and I argued as frequently as we did. Or still do for that matter. Especially, since we seem to get along well with our other siblings. Josephine and Gage are twins too, but they seldom get confrontational with each other. Even less so with the rest of us.

  Gage, big and intimidating, is actually very docile and quiet, even shy at times. Josephine, though sweet and kind, can be very fierce when it comes to protecting the people she cares about. Marquis is the voice of authority in the house, though his dominance sometimes comes in conflict with my own. Alexis, well, I can’t say enough how polar opposites we are. He’s everything I’m not in every way but one. We both care for Marjorie; have bonded with her in a way that puts us in a situation neither of us wants to be.

  They say identical twins share a bond unlike that of any other set of siblings, but it has never been so with Alexis and me. Ten out of nine times, we don’t get along. For the most part, we disagree on everything. He’s lively, chipper, calmer about things. Because of his personality, I don’t understand the contention between us. I don’t ever remember it being any different. Even as kids, we squabbled until it drove our mother crazy.

  In spite of our competitiveness, we do have one thing going for us. We share a mental link which rivals any of the other family members.

  “Honestly, it’s hard to know for sure. Why do you ask?”

  His gaze studies me for a moment longer. “I’m curious. Sometimes I think about the ‘what if’s’. I wonder if we’d been better off not sharing the same face.”

  Stretching my legs in front of me, I lean against the chair’s backrest. “It’s not the face I have a problem with. It’s the over the top, somewhat immature personality that drives mad.”

  His right eyebrow goes up. “Fair enough. You have a problem with my nature. But it’s not like you're all sunshine and good weather either.”

  “True,” I murmur, glancing away. “I admit to being a little inflexible.”

  “Inflexible doesn’t even begin to describe you. You’re more like strong-willed, obstinate, unbending—”

  “I get it,” I snap, irritation rising. “Those are just things I can’t change. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

  “You have?” he tosses an incredulous look my way. “I haven’t seen any change but I’ll take your word for it.”

  These conversations do very little to appease my restlessness. “You’re an ass, Alexis.”

  He
has the nerve to chortle. “I’m just messing with you. I can get in your head,” he points to his crown with one finger, “remember?”

  “You never let me forget,” I toss back. “But all joking aside, there’s something I do want to say before I lose my nerve.”

  He stands perfectly still, attention on me. “What is it?”

  “I want to thank you...for...everything. For being there as a strong means of support even through our bickering and fights. It’s really meant a lot to me that you’ve never turned your back on me even though there were times when I really deserved it.” I should have said this before, but pride swallowed my common sense and everything went downhill from there. When it comes to sharing feelings, I’m not particularly good at it. Not unless it’s anger, frustration, or anything in between.

  Alexis appears out of sorts for a moment. “What are brothers for? I mean, I know we don’t get along most of the time, but I’m always there for you regardless. You’d do the same for me. I know it.” He’s right. I’d do anything to make sure he’s safe. I care and I’m glad he knows that.

  “Good, so we can stop with this whole gushy stuff now, right?” This is as emotional as I can get.

  “Sure,” Alexis remarks with a grin. “I think we, uh, have come to an understanding.”

  “But now that we’re clearing things up we should try harder at least...to get along, I mean.” I cough into my hand, uncomfortable under Alexis’ scrutinizing gaze.

  Alexis folds his arms over his chest. “That’s going to be hard with Marjorie around. The bonding process isn’t known for its subtleness and with the three of us together under the same roof it’s going to be one hell of a challenge.”

  “We owe it to her to try and to the rest of the family, too.” I stand, pushing the chair with the back of my knees. “And if you talk with Marjorie, don’t bring up the subject of her leaving at all.”

  “You mean, I can’t give it a shot?”

  “No. She doesn’t need you harassing her.”

  “But—”

  “Let it be, Alexis.”

  “Seriously, Kyran? God, you are impossible.” He turns on his heels and exits the kitchen the same way he wandered in, quietly and with a frown on his face.

  I stand in the middle of the room, my keen hearing picking up Marjorie’s slow steps as she limps back into the house and bumps into Alexis in the foyer. They exchange a few words, words I block out in order to keep my anger in check. Despite my warning, I know he’ll try to encourage her to stay. He’s not one to follow rules, especially mine.

  A moment later, I sense him helping her up the stairs. Having had a trying day, I’m sure she must be tired, mentally exhausted, and with confusion affecting her. The gravity our predicament weighs heavily on all our shoulders. Stress is a real, uncontrollable factor we all have to deal with now.

  They make it to the second floor where Alexis guides her into my bedroom. From this point on, I shut them out completely.

  “There you are.” The sound of Josephine’s voice draws my attention away from them.

  “You were looking for me?”

  “Marquis wants to see you.”

  Already my hands itch in anticipation of what promises to be yet another argument between my older brother and I. If he wants to speak with me it probably has something to do with Marjorie and every time he brings her up, we always come to a disagreement of some sort, ending in a nasty fight.

  “I don’t think I want to hear what he has to say.” Not this instant anyway.

  She saunters right up to me and punches my arm. “Don’t be such an ass, Kyran.”

  I stumble back a couple of steps. “You know how well those talks end, Josephine.”

  Her blue eyes roam over my face. “That’s because you need to tone it down. Marquis is the alpha and you’re not a very good listener.”

  “You don’t have to be nasty about it,” I quip, though I’m not going to deny how much her words sting. She’s good at putting me in my place without making me feel as if I’m a nuisance to deal with.

  Amused, she sticks her tongue out at me. “Someone has to say it how it is.”

  Letting out air, I allow the tension to leave my shoulders, relaxing completely. “I’m sorry I’m such a jerk sometimes.”

  Josephine’s chin lifts a bit. “I know you don’t mean any harm.”

  That’s the problem, I realize. My anger gets in the way of my relationship with my family. Aside from Marjorie, they are all I have left.

  “This family has more than its share of problems. One of them being that we have two dominant males. It’s throwing our little pack off balance.”

  I stare at her hard for a minute. This is not the first time someone accuses me of being dominant. Kenny has pointed it out and even Bray has made reference of it.

  “I don’t aspire for the alpha position if that’s what worries you. It’s never been my intention to overthrow Marquis. The alpha rank is his birthright. I’m satisfied with my position in the pack.”

  “Of course, but it doesn’t change who you are. By nature you’re dominant. Sometimes even more so than Marquis. It’s something you can’t avoid. Our families come from a long line of alphas and our mother gave birth to two of them.”

  My dominance has nothing to do with the alpha blood coursing through my veins. Or does it? No, I’d like to think the bloodlust is the culprit.

  “I’m not an alpha and I don’t want to be either.”

  Josephine’s expression doesn’t waver, her eyes stare something fierce, as if she’s trying to decipher an important clue by paying attention to my reaction. “Silly boy. You’re already an alpha.”

  I blanch. “Are you trying to get Marquis all riled up? Shut it already, before he hears you.”

  “Don’t tell me to shut it.” She reaches out and lands another punch on my arm. This one hurts a lot more than the first one; it carries one hell of a kick. “Marquis knows. He’s having trouble assimilating it and trying to come up with a solution.”

  “Solution?” I ask, rubbing my arm where her hand connected. It definitely stings. She’s stronger than she looks.

  “He knows you’re never going to challenge him. And he would never challenge you either. So he has bigger problems on his hands.”

  “Damn it!” Now I’m definitely getting the urge to break something. “This won’t do.”

  “Do you see now why you should talk with Marquis? Make peace.”

  “Does he think I want to go over him for the alpha position?”

  “I don’t think so. I just...I believe he has a problem with your disposition. You’re as pigheaded as they come, I’m afraid. There’s no button to shut off that mind of yours once it gets something stuck there.”

  Fantastic. Now I have something to add to the growing list of reasons why we haven’t been getting along well.

  “Okay, I get it.” I start walking away, stopping inside the threshold. “Oh, and you’re lucky I don’t hit girls,” I toss over my shoulder as I exit the kitchen.

  On my way to the foyer, I hear her soft chuckle of amusement.

  Chapter Two

  Marquis is in his office as usual. The room has become his sanctuary. I envy him simply because he has a place to come to when he wants to be secluded. Wherever I go, I have to be monitored. I don’t even know what alone feels like.

  “You wanted to see me?” I nudge the door closed and take a seat next to Simone’s chair.

  “There are a few things I think we should discuss.”

  “Is it true?” I ask before he can ramble on about formalities and pack protocol, which are things I know by heart already and have no desire to hear again. “What Josephine said?” Though I don’t get the impression Marquis has been eavesdropping on my conversation with our sister, I do know he has an idea of what I’m referring to.

  “That’s not a subject I wanted to discuss right now, but since you’ve brought it up I’ll start out by providing an easy answer to your question. Yes, I be
lieve you’re an alpha in the making.” His words force me to shudder. Alpha? Me? I’m not qualified to be one. Not with my curse. I wouldn’t make for a good leader. My impulsive decisions would probably get half the pack killed.

  “Marquis, I don’t have any intention of being an alpha. Much less rule our pack. I’m perfectly happy watching you do it.”

  Marquis seems satisfied by my reply. “For a while now I’ve been watching our interactions and even though I didn’t want to accept the reality of our pack, I know now there’s no beating around it. It’s rare for a set of alphas to be born in the same family around the same time but it happens. This usually creates hostility between the parties, which we have.”

  “I don’t...”

  Marquis raises his right hand. “Let me finish. Now,” his long fingers tap the top of his desk nervously, “I know we don’t always agree on things, but this isn’t your fault. You’re dominant by nature. Growing up, I hoped it would diminish with time, but that’s not the case. With your bloodlust, your commanding side has only increased. Nevertheless, it’s not a situation we can currently remedy. What I do ask is that you show me the proper respect when it’s due. Nothing more.”

  This isn’t comfortable. A part of me wants to lash out at being reprimanded like some child who doesn’t know any better. The other part argues that Marquis has every right to demand this. Especially, since I haven’t offered him a cordial attitude or showed enough submissiveness.

  “I think that’s fair.” I don’t even want to figure out how he’s going to fix this new problem. As if everything else that’s going on isn’t enough. “So why did you call me in here?”

  Settling back in his seat, he continues by adding, “Well, more or less I wanted your opinion on something.” He pauses, his blue eyes drifting to the side as if he has just recalled something. “While you were out speaking with Marjorie, Bray suggested we initiate a proper vigil by going to investigate the mines where the most recent werewolf activities have occurred.” He turns his gaze on me once more. “As a new alpha, I still have much to learn and agreed to allow Bray to guide me. Because of our predicament, as in you and I being of dominant nature, I believe it would be wise to train you along the lines of the alpha rank to ensure at least one of us will take on the role should something happen to the other.”