Fox, Morgan - Tempted by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Morgan Fox

  “No, you’re right, but I don’t know how I can explain what just happened when I don’t understand it myself.”

  Groaning, Sebastian’s eyes opened, blinking slowly and adjusting to the bright lights overhead. “Dr. Shaw, please stop harassing my mate. She doesn’t have the answers you seek.” He smiled, wanting another moment alone with Brie and her full, sensual mouth. “But I have the answers.” Returning his gaze back to Megan, he said, “First, I’d like some clothes, and then feel free to take whatever samples of my blood you need. You’ll see for yourself that I’m cured. I’m sure it would be best if we all go downstairs where I’ll be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions.” He found Brie’s hand resting on his chest and gave it a gentle squeeze. Damn, he loved this woman, and he’d scream it from the tallest mountain if she asked him to.

  Megan’s jaw hung open, her eyes blinking every few seconds. Was she still breathing?

  “Dr. Shaw? Are you all right?” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

  She nodded, pushing to her feet and taking a few steps back, looking as if she were afraid to turn around and give them her back.

  Ignoring Dr. Shaw, he returned his attention back to Brie, his woman who had never taken her eyes off him even as he instructed the doctor. He raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers.

  “Thank you, honey. Thank you for saving my life.”

  A single tear trailed down her rosy cheek, and he brushed it away with the back of his knuckles. “You made me feel like a brand new man. My beast is contained, and my mind is quiet of everything but my own thoughts. No more voices telling me to do things I didn’t really want to do. No more anger filling my head, just the love I have for you.”

  She collapsed on top of him, cradling his body against hers. “Oh, Sebastian, I’m so relieved. I thought you were going to die. I didn’t think you were going to take my blood. I was so scared my instincts were wrong. I wasn’t sure that what I was feeling was even my emotions, my thoughts. So many things have happened since you’ve been gone, so many things that are scaring me.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against his hard chest. “I’m sure these changes your feeling are scary, but don’t be afraid of them, baby. These powers you have are a gift, and once we understand them, you’ll be okay.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.”

  She pressed her lips against his and moaned. She whispered, “But you’re here now.”

  And with those words, his heart shattered. He would never be the same man again, and he was glad for that. Being with Brie made him a better man, and he would cherish her for the rest of his life. “I’ll always be here for you, Brie. There is no other place in the world I’d rather be than with you. I owe you everything…my life, my heart, my very soul. Everything that is me…is yours.” More tears streamed down her cheeks, and he gently brushed the streaks of wetness away with his thumb. “No more tears, honey. I don’t want to see you sad. We have so much to live for, so many things to explore and discover together. I promise you this…I’ll be with you every step of the way…you, me, and Jonah.”

  The kiss he placed on her mouth was like a brand. The possession in the touch of her lips smoldered deep inside him. This was what he fought so hard to regain. The warmth of her touch, the passion in her kiss, the love that filled his heart with such exuberance felt like the magical blessings of heavenly angels. Brie was his angel, his enchanting little spirit that filled his soul with the renewing power of life and love.

  Now, he just had to explain to her what kind of mystic creature she truly was and the reason for her preternatural powers.

  * * * *

  After he dressed and Megan had taken the samples she needed, his friends, excluding Dominic, stared at him as if he was an alien and had suddenly grown a second head. After the long, uncomfortable silence, Brie suggested they all move into the living room. He could feel their need to ask questions, but the surprise of what had happened didn’t seem to register well with anyone, especially Jonah. His scowling face and darkening gaze made it obvious that his younger brother was angrier than a bull after Santa in his giant red suit.

  Ryken and Luken held up the wall, arms folded over their chests, one leg bent at the knee and propped up on the wall behind them, looking every bit the twins they were. Brie, Jonah, and he took a seat on the couch, while Reyes stood at the opposite end of the room, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

  The physical distance struck Sebastian as odd. Reyes was customarily the center of attention, the public speaker, but currently he stood the furthest away. His eyes darted periodically up the stairs, but the only person who was up there was...Dr. Shaw.

  “Look what I found spying around outside,” Dominic’s voice blasted into the room a second before his big body broke through the door.

  A beaten bundle of man bounced off the floor with a solid thud at Jonah’s feet, and immediately everyone stood, staring down at the bloodied lump on the new area rug.

  “Who’s that?” Brie gasped. “And get his bleeding carcass off my new rug,” she bit out, hands on her hips. “Didn’t we just go through this less than a week ago?”

  Dominic’s eyes finally found Sebastian’s. “What the fuck, dude, you’re awake and up? Did Megan actually find a cure?” The cocky grin was wide enough to light up the room.

  Arms folded over her chest as she descended the stairs, Megan said with utter repugnance, “Don’t sound so surprised, you big dumbass.”

  He arched a brow mockingly. A tempting smile creased his lips.

  Reyes growled, drawing everyone’s attention in his direction.

  Dominic’s eyes narrowed, inclining his head towards his grumbling friend. He rumbled, “What the hell is his problem?”

  “Nothing,” Reyes roared, glancing towards Megan, who simply turned her gaze as quickly as she blinked. Returning his attention to their new guest, he asked, “Who the hell is that?”

  Whatever was on Reyes’s mind, Sebastian was going to find out, and if anyone could dig into the mind of his oldest and dearest friend, it was him. It was easy to sense there was something worrying his friend. His strange behavior was testament to that. And whatever it was somehow included Dr. Shaw.

  “Don’t know. I was too busy kicking his ass to find out. My bad.” Dominic chuckled.

  The sandy, blond haired man balled himself up on the ground, covering his face and begging, “Please don’t let him hit me again. I didn’t come here to fight. I have a message for one of the McCarthy brothers.” The words were muffled from behind his arms still hiding most of his face.

  “Who are you?” Brie whispered softly, kneeling at his side. Sebastian’s hand rested on her shoulder, while Jonah pressed in at her other side.

  Peeling his arms away from his face, his innocent brown eyes looked up to meet Brie’s, a soft plea hidden within them. He gasped, “I’m a messenger, I swear. I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

  Charging at him, Reyes grabbed the back of his shirt, jerking him up off the ground and nearly knocking Brie down with the violent movement. “A messenger from whom exactly?”

  The man didn’t fight back. His limp body was no smaller than Reyes’s. He was in shape from the look of him, but he didn’t seem to have the will to defend himself. What gives? Was this some kind of a trick? Was he really some kind of super-villain and at any moment he might turn against them? They’d have to take every precaution until they figured out for sure.

  Megan stepped off the last step of the stairs, and Reyes growled in her direction, halting her movements. “Stay back,” he warned, as if protecting her from some great danger. “I don’t trust this little shit. He reeks of wolf, but one I’ve never encountered.”

  With an arched brow, Megan asked, “And I assume you’ve met every werewolf in the world?”

  Reyes glared, dropping the man back on the floor.

  “Di
dn’t think so,” she scoffed and took another slow step towards the man lying on the floor, his full features hidden by the couch and the people standing around him.

  Brie continued to whisper softly to the bleeding wolf. He coughed hard, a wheezing sound coming from his chest. “I think his name was Levi, Mason Levi.”

  Sebastian’s guard went up, and he interjected, “How do you know Mason Levi?”

  Gasping, he said, “Honestly, I don’t. I was taken after my shift a few nights ago by a man who threatened to kill me and a woman I’ve never met. He said he’d find everyone we knew and kill them.”

  Jonah barked, “And how did you find us?”

  “This man, the one who kidnapped me, he said I was to come to McCarthy Ranch and let you know that Mason wants to trade, this woman for Brie Ferguson.” His words trembled from his lips as if he were freezing to death.

  Sebastian, Brie, and Jonah exchanged tension-filled glances, fear swirling in the depths of Brie’s blue eyes.

  Sebastian questioned, “And what’s so special about you or this other woman that he thinks we’d give him, Brie?”

  Shaking his head, he answered, “I don’t know, but he seemed very convinced you’d do exactly what he wanted for fear he would truly harm the other woman.”

  Brie was the next to speak, her eyes wide as she stared at the young man kneeling on the ground beside Reyes. “What’s your name?”

  “Zane,” he responded quickly, his voice horse and barely audible. “My name is Zane McCoskey.”

  “Zane?” Megan gasped as she pushed the others out of her way as easily as a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and knelt beside him. “Oh God, Zane, I didn’t know it was you, I’m so sorry.” Her intense gaze raked over Dominic, seething with rage. “I’m going to kick the shit out of you when this is over, you fucking barbarian.”

  “Megan, wait,” Sebastian order.

  Her eyes sprung to meet his, her need to ignore his request was written all over her face, but she didn’t dare challenge him. She put her arms around Zane instead and held him against her.

  “Zane, who’s the woman Mason mentioned?” Sebastian’s voice was calm, but insistent. His authoritative essence bloomed out of him.

  Swallowing, Zane looked up to meet his inquisitive gaze, answering, “Her name was Tabitha. Tabitha Burns.”

  “Shit,” Jonah roared.

  Brie’s legs gave out from under her, and both Sebastian and Jonah were there to catch her.

  “Oh God, no, not Tabitha?” she whimpered, reaching for both Sebastian and Jonah’s hands.

  “I know, baby girl. I know.” Sebastian turned his gaze to Zane and began giving orders. “Reyes, help him up. Take Zane to one of the private rooms where Dr. Shaw can clean him up. Dominic, find our guest some clothes that fit, and see to it that Dr. Shaw has everything she needs to take care of Zane. You are at her beck and call from now on. Also consider yourselves on protection detail for Megan until I say otherwise. I can’t risk anything happening to her. She’s the only one at this point that can make heads or tails out of the virus.”

  Dominic grumbled, rolling his eyes at the obvious thought of being stuck with Megan.

  “Don’t even say a word, Dominic. Just do as I’ve asked and deal with it.” Sebastian’s words lurched off his tongue without mercy.

  “Dr. Shaw?” Zane’s eyes filled with hope, a look that seemed lost on the young man’s face at first glance. “Do you mean, Dr. Megan Shaw?”

  Brow furrowed, Sebastian questioned, “Yes, son, she’s the one holding you.”

  Eyes bright with hope, he stared up at Brie, “Please take me to Dr. Shaw. She’s my boss. I work for her.” Zane’s eyes closed, and he slumped over as if drugged, programmed to give his message and then turn off like a light switch.

  * * * *

  Brie watched as Megan’s foot tapped with so much aggressive force she was surprised that her foot hadn’t actually broken through the floorboards. She was pissed like a rain-drenched cat that Dominic had made meat soup out of her colleague’s face. Eyes ignited with a penetrating stare, face flushed fire engine red, there was no mistaking Megan’s dislike for Dominic’s brutish ways.

  More than ever, Brie was curious to discover the details that transpired between the two. A fiery redhead and a dark and mysterious knight, yep, they’d make a hell of a pair. Maybe that was the problem.

  Zane was a handsome man, a young werewolf by the looks of his golden brown eyes and smooth, flawless olive skin. Apparently a young doctor, too—Megan’s protégé.

  Megan’s hate-filled gaze could burn holes straight through bone, and without a shadow of a doubt, Dominic felt each pain-laced glance.

  On occasion, as he caught sight of her looking at him, he would demonstrate an exaggerated shiver. Then he would narrow his eyes in a threatening manner, but the action hadn’t deterred her from continuing her venomous stare. The two were sure to kill each other before the night was up.

  “Tell me again, why did you not talk to him before you beat him up?” Megan asked, her nostrils flaring, waiting for Dominic’s reply.

  “Look, he was snooping around and he smelled like wolf.”

  “That’s because he is a wolf, you dumbass,” she shouted, hands balled into tight fists at her side.

  “I didn’t know who he was, and he reeked of fear. What would you have had me do, wait until he got the drop on one of you? Perhaps next time someone’s lurking around, I’ll wait for them to kill or rape you before I decide to intervene. Perhaps then you’ll shut the fuck up.”

  “You’re such an ass.”

  “Yep, an ass you keep staring at.”

  “Fuck you, Dominic.”

  “Not even if you paid me, Doc.”

  Practically screaming with immense frustration, Megan moved to the opposite side of the room, far away from Dominic.

  Brie wet her dry lips and swallowed. “Okay, now that that’s taken care of.” She gazed from Dominic back to the doctor and then began, “I know you all have questions about what’s been going on and how Sebastian is miraculously healed.”

  Clearing her throat, she glanced down at Sebastian and smiled. “I don’t know how to explain any of it really. I think what happened...how best to explain this...to begin with—”

  Grinning, Sebastian grasped her hand and said, “What Brie is trying to say is, she is an anomaly among were-kind. Her family history speaks about a girl every so many generations who bears the mark of the moon.” He ran his fingers to the nape of her neck and lifted her hair to reveal such a mark, showing the others. “This woman will have all the characteristics of the wolf except for the ability to transform. She is the keeper of our secrets and the healer of our souls.” He kissed her lips and eased back to see her surprised expression.

  “What?” Brie blinked several times, her mind fogged with confusion. Comprehending the words forming from Sebastian’s lips seemed impossible.

  He smiled at her as if sensing her distress. “Brie, I should have told you before, but I was so messed up with the virus that I couldn’t think straight. I only knew that you were all I wanted, craved. The instinct to be near you was overwhelming. The reason for that was due to your healing powers. They made me able to fight the virus, even if for just a short time.”

  Brows furrowed, she questioned, “Wait, you’re serious about this?”

  “Yes,” he sighed. “When I went to Scotland, I met some very interesting people. People who knew exactly what I was the moment they saw me. I didn’t have to say a word. They were waiting for me and knew I was coming on your behalf, or at least they hoped. They told me the stories of your family, shared legendary tales of women who had done remarkable things within the pack. By the time I headed for home, I was full of so much knowledge. I felt like a walking were-history book.”

  Shaking her head, she huffed, “I don’t understand. These powers...they’re part of my family?”

  “Hold up, time-out. What powers?” Ryken asked, hands held up like a g
iant T.

  Sebastian’s gaze flickered from Ryken back to hers and she watched him, hanging onto his every word. “Brie’s gifts are not important. What’s important is that we must protect her at all costs. If the others capture her, they will try and kill her or do something much worse.” Sebastian’s arms draped around her shoulders, and he placed a sweet kiss to her lips, eyes searching deep into hers.

  Sebastian whispered, “Brie is the Wolf Princess.”

  Surprised gasps and groans zoomed around the room.

  “Wait?” Jonah was the first to speak. “You’re serious? Our Brie is the Wolf Princess?” He caressed her cheek. “I always knew you were special. I just hadn’t realized how much.”

  Brie licked her dry lips, her mouth as dry as cotton. “I still don’t understand what all this means. What about my powers, and what’s a Wolf Princess?” Glancing to Jonah, she asked, “And why are you so quick to believe it?”

  Jonah moved and placed his hand over Brie’s. “If it’s all right with everyone else, Sebastian and I would like to discuss this with Brie in private. This might be a little overwhelming, especially in front of a crowd.”

  No one objected, at least not outright, but she could still feel the curious stares scanning over her like laser beams. She felt naked among them, a succulent meal for a pack of starving wolves.

  Switching gears, a welcomed distraction, Sebastian asked, “What have we found out about Mason? Any new leads?”

  Ryken moved to lean against the wall beside the burning hearth. He kicked his foot up against the wall, arms folded over his chest in his standard pose, and he muttered, “Well, I seriously doubt you’re going to like what Luken and I found out.”

  “What? Tell us,” Jonah encouraged.

  “Seems you weren’t the only one to take a trip to Scotland this past month—there was someone following you.”

  Sebastian’s tone turned defensive as he said, “That’s not possible. I’m one of the best trackers in our pack. I’d never miss something like that.”