I followed Ridley through the front door. Octavia and Ivette stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Octavia had a black tote bag slung over her shoulder, which I assumed housed Benji’s meal.
“I take it he woke finally,” Octavia muttered. “We brought him the equivalent of a vampire buffet.”
What she’d said would have been funny if I wasn’t worried about everyone inside being Benji’s second course.
“Tell me what I’m looking for when I wipe the guests’ minds,” Ivette said.
Ridley filled them in while I kept an eye on Julian and Benji through the open front door, waiting to see if he’d break free again. I hated to admit it, but I didn’t trust him. Neither did my wolf.
“Please, come inside.” Ridley stepped in the house and motioned for Octavia and Ivette to do the same.
“Don’t worry.” Ivette slipped past me and stepped into the house. Her hand came to Ridley’s shoulder. “He’s going to be okay. We’ll take care of everything.”
“Actually,” Octavia said. She paused in the threshold of the house and held the black tote bag out to her sister. “You go ahead and take care of all that. I think I’m going to check the woods. I have a feeling this is Roman’s work. He’s toying with us again.”
I’d thought the same. At least someone was on the same page as me.
“I’ll come with you,” I insisted.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Concern flared through Ridley’s voice.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve been searching for him since he stepped foot in Mirror Lake anyway. This is no different.”
It wasn’t. Besides, if what happened to Lucy was because of Roman, there was a good chance he was still around here somewhere. Maybe this was our shot at finding him.
Ridley adjusted her glasses, but her eyes remained fixed on me. “Be careful, okay?”
“I will.” I nodded toward Benji. “You too.”
A small, sad smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
I headed down the porch steps and removed my silver jewelry. If I was going to search for Roman, I wasn’t doing it in human form this time. Excitement burst through my wolf as she realized what I was doing.
“You ready for this, wolf girl?” Octavia asked in her dry, sharp tone. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure my brother is still around here somewhere. This has to be his work. It reeks of him. He enjoys screwing with people like this too much for it not to be. Chances are this stunt was meant to unhinge your newly turned friend in there. It was all for his amusement, I’m sure. He turns into such an ass when he lets his bloodlust take over.” I didn’t have to be looking at her to know she’d rolled her eyes. It was implied in her tone.
“So, are you?” Octavia pressed. She shifted to look at me and placed a hand on her hip.
“Am I what?”
“Ready.”
I slipped out of my clothes and tossed them onto the brittle grass. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
6
My wolf crept through the woods, staying close to Octavia. It was easy to pick up on the scent of Lucy’s blood, considering there was a clear trail of it leading from the woods. There was also something else. Another scent that hung in the air. It was familiar to my wolf. The closer to the woods we got, the stronger the scent became.
“He has to be close,” Octavia insisted. “I can sense him.”
Movement to my left captured my attention. Something blurred through the woods, too fast for me to distinguish what it was, but I knew. So did my wolf.
“Roman,” Octavia seethed. “I know it’s you. Come out, brother. Let’s play.”
Playing with Roman was the last thing my wolf wanted to do. If his sister’s words helped to lure him out though, so be it.
A twig snapped a few feet away. Roman stepped into view. He was less than ten feet away. His eyes were dark, and his fangs extended. Everything about him reminded me of Benji in that moment. Guilt stabbed through me at the thought because it was unfair. Benji was nothing like Roman. There didn’t seem to be a shred of humanity left within Roman.
Roman was a monster.
He sauntered forward, and my wolf braced herself. Her teeth bared, and her muscles grew tense. She was ready for a fight and noticed when Octavia shifted into a fighting stance as well.
“Hello, brother,” she hissed.
If Roman heard her, he didn’t give any indication. His eyes were on me as he continued forward.
I struggled to decide what move I should make when he reached us. Should I wait that long? My wolf growled. Her jaws snapped as she hunkered down. Roman was too close for her comfort. He didn’t seem fazed by my wolf’s act of aggression. He only smirked as he continued walking.
Time shifted into slow motion. My heart hammered in my ears. This was it—the moment I was finally able to go against the biggest evil I’d ever known for round two.
The problem was: It didn’t happen.
Octavia lunged between us before Roman reached me. As the two of them went at it, blow for blow, I watched their every move, waiting for an opportunity to sink my teeth into him. The only way we were going to beat Roman was if Octavia and I were able to tag team his takedown.
When the chance presented itself—I took it.
My wolf lunged toward Roman’s leg. She sank her teeth in deep and bitter blood burst across my tongue. Still, my wolf refused to let go. Instead, she held tight. Curse words exploded from Roman’s mouth; they fueled my wolf. She liked knowing he was in pain. Satisfaction slipped through her. Satisfaction was a weakness, though. The sensation distracted us long enough for Roman to retaliate.
He backhanded me.
The blow was so powerful it sent me smacking into a nearby tree. Pain radiated through me. Dots speckled my vision. Seconds ticked away before I was able to force myself up. When I did, a loud crack burst through the air. The sound was familiar—one that caused my heart to kick-start.
I fought to blink away the dots lingering in my vision as I spun around. Just as I suspected, Octavia lay on the ground. Motionless. Her head twisted at an odd angle.
Roman had snapped his sister’s neck.
While I knew it wouldn’t kill her, her being out cold didn’t bode well for me. It meant I would have to take on Roman alone.
My eyes traveled to him. He stared at me as a sick smirk twisted the corner of his lips.
“Finally, we’re alone,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. Like I said before, I’d love to go head-to-head with you. You’re spunky, and I find you quite interesting. Ready to go against me, Little Wolf?”
The nickname stirred something inside me. It brought up memories of being in Regina’s lab in the city and her vampire goons.
Little Wolf was what Neo had called me, and just like I had with him, I was going to show Roman how little I was.
“Feel I’ve underestimated you? Is that what that look in your eyes is?” His head tipped to the side as though he were studying me. “You’re a fighter. Always right in the thick of things, showing no fear. Doesn’t mean you’re not afraid of anything though. Does it, Little Wolf?” His wicked grin grew as he inhaled. “Because you are afraid. I can smell it on you,” he whispered.
My wolf howled and dug her paws into the ground. She wasn’t scared. I might be, but she wasn’t.
“You sure you want to go up against me, Little Wolf?” Roman asked. His tongue skimmed over his fangs.
My wolf bared her teeth as well. She wanted to sink her teeth into his neck and rip it out. The trace of fear I felt subsided as I let my wolf have control. She didn’t wait for Roman to make the first move. Instead, she made it herself.
A low growl pushed from somewhere deep inside my chest as my wolf zeroed in on where she wanted to latch onto him—his throat. She lunged forward but missed her target by a mile.
Roman moved faster than anticipated.
My mishap had him laughing as I catapulted to the ground behind him. That mistake was all he needed. He descended on me, sinkin
g his fangs into the back of my neck. My wolf howled in pain as my eyes squeezed shut.
My wolf pressed her paws into the Earth and bucked against him. Her movement wasn’t enough to shake us free, but it was enough to make Roman work harder to suck us dry.
Shit. This was it.
I’d taken on Roman Montevallo, the Midnight Reaper, by myself and lost. What would Eli think? How would he react to me no longer being here in physical form but only in spirit? What about Gran or Gracie? My parents?
Another howl burst past my wolf’s lips as she bucked against Roman harder than before. She was a fighter and so was I, but it didn’t seem to do either of us a damn bit of good.
Roman was stronger.
“Stop!” someone shouted. The voice was familiar, but in my current frame of mind, I couldn’t place it.
In the next instant, Roman was pulled off me. The sound of a struggle broke out. I flipped onto my side, searching for who had come to my rescue. It wasn’t Eli. I would have felt him. However, that didn’t mean it wasn’t someone else from my pack. They were supposed to be here soon.
Two vampires battled one another a few feet away. The inhuman speed they fought one another with made it hard to follow their fight. Pain radiated from the back of my neck as dizziness overtook me.
How much blood had I lost?
My wolf nudged me as she whimpered. She was worried about us. When she stepped aside, allowing me to shift back into my human form, my fingertips brushed against the puncture wounds at the back of my neck.
Roman had bitten me. He’d tried to suck me dry.
Shit.
Warm blood coated my fingers. The feel of it made me woozy. Dots swarmed my vision again, and my breathing picked up pace.
“Are you okay?” Julian asked. He rushed to my side.
He’d been the one to save me.
My gaze skimmed the woods around me. Where was Roman? Octavia was the only other vampire nearby. I focused on her. She was still passed out, her neck bent at the same awkward angle as before.
“I think so,” I muttered. “Where did he go?”
“He bested me,” Julian spat. “I thought I had him, but he got away. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” My fingertips brushed against the puncture wounds on the back of my neck.
“No, Mina. You’re far from fine.”
What was he talking about? Was my neck worse than I thought? A tremble slipped through me. My vision danced again as panic chilled my veins.
“What do you mean?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“Roman has now tasted your blood. He’s marked you. Same as he did the woman inside. And with Jane Hawker,” Julian said. His voice was low, remorseful. “You’ve become his prey, Mina.”
7
“I should call Eli.” My words were shaky as they left my mouth.
I’d dressed and now stood in front of Julian. My veins hummed with fading adrenaline. I found my cell in my back pocket but was reminded it was dead by the unchanging black screen when I pushed the top button.
“Here, use mine. He needs to know what happened.” Julian held his cell phone out to me.
I secured my silver bracelet on my wrist before reaching for it. My fingers grew cold as I scrolled to find Eli’s number. He was going to freak when he found out I’d been bitten.
Holy shit. I’d been bitten. I’d never been bitten by a vampire before.
My fingers reached around and brushed against the area again. Flickers of pain danced down my neck. Warm, sticky blood had already soaked into my shirt.
Jesus, I was going to look like something straight out of a slasher flick soon.
Julian moved to Octavia. Either the scent of my blood was getting to him, or he was worried about her. It was hard to tell. It always was with Julian. He was hard to read.
I placed more distance between us just in case there was too much temptation to pick up where his brother had left off and held my breath as I tapped Eli’s name.
He answered on the second ring.
“Julian, hey. Is everything okay?” Eli asked. People yelled in the background. Either our team had gotten the ball or we’d scored.
“Actually, it’s me.”
“Mina? I’ve been trying to call you. Why haven’t you answered? Everything all right?”
His concern filtered through the phone. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for how he would react to what I said next.
“Yes and no.”
“What the hell does that mean?” he demanded. Obviously, he wasn’t in the mood for vague answers.
My hand moved to the back of my neck. I pressed my fingertips to the wound and felt the warmth of my blood meet with them, causing me to cringe.
“It means, yes, I am okay, but I’m also not okay. Eli, I was bitten.”
He didn’t speak. In my head, I imagined his body becoming rigid and his eyes squeezing shut as a slew of curse words built on his tongue.
“What happened?” His tone was icy.
The sounds of the football game faded, and I knew it was because he was placing distance between himself and the excitement so he could hear me better.
“Benji attacked you?”
“No.” I could see where he might think that, though. “It wasn’t Benji.”
“Who was it then?”
He knew. Now that Benji was taken off the list, he knew there was only one other vampire who would attack me.
My heart palpitated as the coldness in my fingers began to spread. I didn’t want to tell him—it would only fuel his anger—but I knew I had to.
“Roman,” I said. “He attacked one of Rowena’s guests while she was walking on the nature trail behind the inn. Octavia and I went to search for him, and he attacked me.”
I didn’t need to tell him anything more, did I? I could just cut to the chase. It was easiest.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” His breathing had picked up. Was he pacing?
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
I knew where this was going. He was beating himself up for not being here, for not being able to stop me from being bitten. I didn’t want him to go down that road.
“Eli, I said I’m fine.” I was about to add that Julian had saved me, but I figured it would only add fuel to what he was feeling.
“Okay. All right. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” His words were still clipped, making his tone contradict his words. “Where’s your phone? Why are you calling me from Julian’s?”
Shit. Now I’d have to tell him about Julian.
“Uh, it’s dead. I must have forgotten to charge it last night.” I licked my lips. “And, Julian was the one who saved me from Roman. He pulled him off me. He let me use his phone to call you.”
“And, where is he now?” Eli asked. It sounded as though he was speaking through gritted teeth.
I didn’t know who he was talking about. “Julian or Roman?”
“Roman.” His name came out in a disgusted tone.
I glanced around, skimming the woods. “I have no idea.”
Eli released a breath. “I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. Not with the way Roman was smirking at you when we saw him at the game.”
And, here we go.
“Ridley needed me. Benji too. You couldn’t have known this would happen. No one could have.” My fingers moved to my neck again. The piercing pain had faded to a dull throb. “I’m fine. Really.”
At least I hoped I was. Dissipating pain seemed like a good thing, but it was my vision that was becoming a cause for concern. Everything was starting to blur around the edges.
Was this what shock felt like? Possibly the beginnings of a panic attack? Too much blood loss?
“No. You’re not fine, Mina,” Eli growled. “You were bit. Attacked. Hurt. However you want to label it. And I should have been there. I shouldn’t have let you go to the inn. I shouldn’t have even suggested it. I should have known Roman would head the
re to see how Benji was or to follow you. I should have known what his sick smirk directed your way meant.”
My lips pressed into a thin, white slash while I listened to him go on. I didn’t like the way he was saying things. It made it seem as though he controlled me.
“You wouldn’t have been able to stop me,” I snapped. “I wanted to be there for Ridley and Benji. I would have gone regardless at some point. They’re my friends.”
Even though Benji wasn’t his normal self right now, he’d proven in the attic with Ridley that there was a piece of him still inside somewhere. He just needed to be able to keep hold of it.
“Yes, I would have been able to stop you. I’m your alpha.”
Oh no, he didn’t.
“But, I wouldn’t have,” Eli insisted before I could speak. A loud exhale filtered through the phone. “I know how much being there for them means to you. I’m just pissed you got hurt. I’m pissed I wasn’t the one who saved you. Just—” He paused as though he was carefully choosing his next words. “Promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Roman was/is part of the Midnight Reaper group. Don’t forget that.”
My anger toward him melted.
“I know. I’ll be careful. I was. I had Octavia with me. It’s not like I went after him alone.”
“Lot of good having her with you did,” Eli scoffed. Out of the Montevallo family, she seemed to be everyone’s least favorite and this moment added to her disfavor greatly.
“Will you stop?” I scolded him. “I’m fine.”
Julian cleared his throat. I shifted around to glance at him.
“You’re not fine,” he insisted. “Tell him the truth.”
“What was that?” Eli asked. Obviously, he’d heard Julian.
“Right. About the bite...”
“What about it?” Eli asked.
I swallowed hard. “Apparently, when Roman bites someone, he gets a taste of their blood and sort of marks them.”
“And that means?” Eli pressed.
“Remember Jane Hawker? How he played with her mind before he killed her?”
“You mean, he’s going to screw with you now?”
Moon Captured Page 4
