Blood Moon: Book 2 of the True Mates Series: A Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance

by Alicia Montgomery

  "You're Dr. Cross?" Alynna couldn't contain the astonishment in her voice. "Er, sorry..."

  The other woman laughed. "Don't worry, I get it all the time." Dr. Cross spoke with a slight posh English accent. "I graduated university at 18, and then took another two years to finish my two PhDs. Biochemistry and Bioengineering."

  "Why have I never heard of you before?" Alynna eyed her suspiciously. "And I haven't seen you around, even at The Enclave."

  "She's kind of our secret weapon," Grant explained.

  "Dr. Cross is officially employed as a scientist in Fenrir's Food R and D division," Nick clarified. "But, she's actually our expert in all things magical. We've been funding her research and studies for two years now."

  "Secret, so... no one knows Lycans are studying magic?" Alynna asked suspiciously.

  "A precaution," Grant assured her. "And one I'm glad we decided to take, considering the current circumstances."

  "It's an honor to meet you, Alynna. I've been wanting to study you and get up close...I mean not study you like an animal or anything! Not that I think you're a zoo animal!" Dr. Cross turned beet red. "Sorry, you're not the only one who tends to put her foot in her mouth! But the fact that you're a True Mate Lycan offspring from a human-lycan pairing and a True Mate yourself...it's a fascinating study! I've been asking Dr. Faulkner for samples from you to study any possible magical properties, but-"

  "Dr. Cross, please" Grant interrupted, barely hanging on to his patience.

  "I'll let you have any sample you want," Alynna joked. "If you can tell us more."

  "Right," she took out her tablet and opened up her files. "I just finished my examination of the mailroom and the device itself. I can say with 90% certainty that it was Ognevaia."

  "Only 90%?" Alex asked.

  "Yes, well, Ognevaia leaves no traces, so I can't be 100% sure unless the maker of the bomb confirms it. But all the signs are there - the relative size of the device and the blast, the green color of the flames reported by some of the eyewitnesses, and I've basically ruled out all other possible explosive chemicals the bomb maker could have used. I could uhm, examine the bodies as well...but I don't think it's necessary at this point."

  "What else can you tell us about the bomb itself?" Alynna asked, staring at Dr. Cross' pad.

  "Well, nothing more than you already know, given the video evidence. The subject entered the premises sometime around 2:30 am and planted the bomb on the south east corner of the mailroom. The device was rigged with a timer, not a remote, to go off at 8 am, perhaps to coincide with the morning rush into work."

  "Right," Alynna tapped her fingers on the pad to get a closer look at the remains of the device. Satisfied, she continued. "What about witches? What can you tell us about them? Could they have done this?"

  Dr. Cross took her glasses off. "Well, we don't know a lot about how their society works, I'm afraid, since they don't keep records and they don't exactly talk to us."

  "But I thought that you studied magic and magic comes from witches?"

  "Well, I study magic itself, not witches in particular," Dr. Cross explained. "Er, it's kind of a broad subject, what I'm researching and the Alpha has given me free reign to learn as much as I can without sticking to one particular topic. Witches and warlocks are the main magic-wielders in our world, dealing with nature magic, but there have been studies and research that suggest we Lycans held magic once too. But again, I'm still working on a few sources, but no witch will talk to a Lycan about these things."

  "What is nature magic?" Alynna asked, curious.

  "Well, it's difficult to explain in one sentence, but take Ognevaia for example. This substance comes from nature, a mixture of various ingredients, like herbs and elements like wind, water, fire, earth. The substance itself is inert, but once it's powered by a witch's magic - by saying the right spell or incantation, that is - it becomes a powerful potion."

  "So anyway, aside from their general hatred of us," Alex changed the subject. "What motive could the witches or whoever these people are, have to bomb us?"

  The scientist shrugged. "I'm afraid that's not my area, Mr. Westbrooke. I'm not very good with people and their motives."

  "I think we know why," Nick finally spoke up. "They want to destroy us, of course."

  "But why us?" Alynna asked. "Why the New York Clan, why not the High Council or even start small? Witches don't have a centralized organization, right?" Dr. Cross shook her head. "How could one coven even begin to mount an attack on a clan and so sloppily too? Poisoning with Belladonna, then a bomb? It doesn't make sense to me."

  "Maybe they're just trying to scare us...or get ready for bigger things," Nick countered. "Primul, this is a waste of time. We need to alert the High Council and we must all prepare for the next attack."

  "I know how you feel, Nick," Grant sympathized. "But Alynna is bringing up good points."

  "But the Council-"

  "We will tell them we needed time to gather all evidence before causing a panic," Grant said in a firm voice.

  "Primul, this is no time to let personal feelings-"

  "If anyone is letting their personal feelings get in the way, it's you!" Alynna lashed. "I can't believe you wouldn't even give Cady a fair chance! What happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

  "That belongs to the court of humans," Nick blurted. "Primul, I have more things to attend to, I'll take my leave."

  Grant nodded and Nick left without a word.

  "I've never seen him like this," Grant sighed.

  "What the fuck is the matter with him?" Alynna asked in an annoyed voice.

  "Alynna," Grant began. "Nick's parents...they were killed by witches."

  Alynna's face fell. "Oh my god! I didn't know!" She buried her face in her hands. "That's why...oh my...Nick..."

  "It's ok," Grant assured her. "He's....he'll need time. Speaking of time, Alynna I have to inform the Lycan High Council by tomorrow. Noon."

  His sister nodded. "I understand. I'll keep working on it."

  "Good, I should go," The Alpha stood up, bid them goodbye, and walked out the door.

  "I should get going too," Dr. Cross stood up and picked up her things. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of anymore help." She turned and walked towards the door.

  "Wait!" Alynna stopped her with a hand on her arm. The young scientist looked at her curiously. "I saw you hesitate when you were talking about Cady. You called her 'the subject'."

  The Lycan shrugged. "I don't deal in speculation. Only facts."

  "Dr. Cross," Alynna pleaded. "Anything you can do to help us...I won't mention it to Grant unless we can prove it. One hundred percent."

  "Well, I've met Ms. Gray a few times," she sounded hesitant. "She was the one who found me and recruited me, actually. She, the Alpha, and Mr. Vrost are the only ones who know about what I'm really studying. She's adored by all Lycans in New York, you know? And wouldn't she be trying to prevent Lycans from learning and possibly getting their hands on magic? And...there's something. I just don't know if it's my place."

  "No, please, tell me," Alynna urged. "Just between us."

  "Well, those videos. They seem off to me"

  "Off? In what way?"

  "Yes. One of the preliminary - very preliminary, I have to warn you - studies I'm looking into is how magic can affect technology. Glamour magic, that is, magic that can fool the eye into thinking it saw something else, has always worked on people, but apparently with some modifications, these days it can work on cameras too. And another witch will be able to detect it, but some of the rumors I've heard say it's easy to spot, if you know what you're looking for."

  "Show me," Alynna pulled her towards her computer and put the footage up.

  "Well see here...this footage from the CCTV from Blood Moon, look at Ms. Gray's face...doesn't it seem like it's glowing and unusually clear compared to all the other faces?" She clicked on the other window. "And the Fenrir footage...there it is again! You can tell it's clearly her. Scroll to the morning,
when the employees come in. Sure, you can make out their faces. But, maybe if you knew them really well, you could tell who it was, but none of their faces are as clear as Ms. Gray's, even in daylight."

  "Could it just be a trick of the light? She was always alone in those videos," Alex offered.

  "Yes, could be, but also, one of the theories is, if this was a witch or warlock, they maybe overused the glamour magic, since they can't exactly calibrate the amount they would need to make it look realistic. But, I don't really...I have some suspicions, but I can't back it up with evidence."

  Alynna looked thoughtfully at the computer screen. "Dr. Cross-"

  "Please, call me Jade."

  "Jade, I can kiss you!" she smiled. "Thank you so much. This...this could be nothing, but it could be just what we're looking for."

  "I'm glad I can help," Jade smiled back warmly. "I have to go, but please call me anytime," she handed them her card. With that, she left.

  "I see the wheels in your head turning, wife of mine," Alex narrowed his eyes. "What's the plan?"

  "Well, first I need to call some friends..."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After the gas station, it was another hour of driving before they reached their destination. At this point, Cady really didn't know where they were, only that it was some decrepit old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Victoria had hauled her out of the car, dragged her into the house and then into a room upstairs and locked the door behind her.

  She looked around the room. It was pretty big, decorated in a gaudy, turn of the century style with lots of gold trim and red velvet. There was also no other door except the entrance and it looked like someone had put steel shutters outside the windows. No form of natural light came into the room, but it was well-kept. An hour later, Victoria had come in with a plate of food, and she was so hungry, she didn't even think about what they served her and she just ate everything.

  She lay on the bed for hours, until she was just too tired to fight off sleep. In the morning (or what she assumed was morning), Victoria came again with breakfast.

  "Hungy, dear?" she asked as she put the tray on a table near the door. "Eat up."

  Cady's stomach growled so loudly, she didn't care. She sat down next to her mother and ate all the toast, eggs, bacon, and washed it down with orange juice.

  "Glad you have an appetite," Victoria commented. "There are clothes in the dresser. Go and get cleaned up, then I'll take you downstairs to meet the Master."

  "The Master?" Cady asked. "Who is the Master?"

  Victoria gave her a wicked smile. "You'll find out soon enough. Now go and get dressed!" With that, she left.

  Cady could hardly disobey, after all, she was effectively their prisoner. And she wanted to know what would happen to her now.

  ***

  Although she thought there would only be long gowns and dresses in the closet, she was surprised to find an entire wardrobe with brand new underwear, bras, blouses, pants, dresses, and even shoes, which were around her size. After her shower, she chose to wear a blouse with long sleeves, khaki pants and a pair of flats. Not knowing what else to do, she sat on one of the comfy armchairs and stared up at the ceiling.

  She didn't have to wait for long, however, as the lock clicked and the doorknob turned. Victoria walked in. "Come, dear, the Master is eager to meet you."

  Cady followed her mother as they left the room. The hallways were dark, with only a few candles providing light. They made their way into the main foyer, down the grand staircase, where a large oil painting of a lady wearing a white dress and a large ruby necklace stared down at her, her eyes seemingly following her until they turned into another hallway. Victoria opened the large wooden doors at the end of the hallway, revealing a large, cavernous room. It was rundown and unkempt, like the rest of the mansion, but Cady could tell it was probably a ballroom of some sort, perhaps more richly appointed in its heyday. One side of the room was all glass, with a gorgeous view of the autumn leaves and some mountains in the distance.

  In the middle of the room stood a tall figure, dressed in black robes. The figure pulled down the hood, revealing long, thinning white hair, a pale, withered face and red-rimmed black eyes. "Welcome my dear Cady, please, come closer." Off to his right, Cady realized was Daric, dressed in a loose white shirt, dark leather pants and boots. He looked handsome, yet menacing, with his unmoving blue-green eyes and long hair tied back in a ponytail.

  Victoria pushed her daughter forward. "Here she is, Master Stefan," the older woman preened. "Isn't she perfect?"

  Dark eyes looked at her, almost piercing right into her. "She is...exquisite," Stefan moved closer, and when Cady looked away, he put a his thumb and forefinger on her chin, his long nails pressing into her soft skin. "Do not turn away from me, child," he ordered.

  "Who are you?" Cady dared to ask. "What do you want with me? Why are you hurting the Lycans?"

  "Lycans!" Stefan hissed, letting go of her chin and walking away from her. "Do not mention those vile creatures to me!" he spat. "They are the disease in this world! And we will only benefit when we exterminate every last one of them!"

  "What does this have to do with me?" she asked. "And the witches...they've lived in peace with the Lycans for decades now!"

  Stefan let out a haughty laugh. "Witches!? You mean those weaklings? The so-called Witch Assembly!" He stalked back to her. "They prefer to close themselves off from the world, keeping to their kind, while the Lycans continue to breed and pollute the planet with their presence! My dear, I'm no warlock!"

  Cady looked confused and looked to her mother. "I don't understand! What is going on? I thought you were a witch!"

  "I am my dear," Victoria said. "For now."

  Stefan laughed again. "I am beyond nature magic, beyond witches and warlocks, and beyond the Witch Assembly! I am a Magus!"

  Cady gasped. "A mage!" she breathed out. Witches and warlocks used elemental magic, found and forged in nature, enhance with their own talent. But mages were essentially witches or warlocks who have broken with the laws of nature in order to seek more power. "You use blood magic!" she gasped. That meant that Stefan had done the one thing witches and warlocks could never do - kill someone and use their blood.

  "That's right my dear!" Stefan confirmed. "I refuse to be bound by weak, elemental magic. I wanted more power, so I could destroy the Lycans!"

  "Mother," Cady cried, looking at Victoria. Did she not notice the change? Her mother seemed more gaunt, the brightness from her hair was fading, her eyes becoming a dark, emerald green instead of their usual bright color. "You didn't..."

  "I'm almost there, my dear," she said proudly. "I've already dabbled in blood magic and I just need a few more spells."

  "But why?" Cady's voice was anguished. She didn't bear any love for Victoria, but didn't want to see her turn into a truly evil mage. "Please...you can't..."

  "Why not?" Victoria's voice was haughty. "You don't understand! You never had power, never felt it! And to be bound by stupid rules when you could change the world! Your father, he cast me aside for his precious Lycans and kept you away from me. I'll finally have my revenge and be rid of Lycans!" Her eyes grew darker. "And now, my sweet daughter, you'll help us make that come true."

  "But I told you, I don't have any magic!" Cady whipped her head towards Stefan. "She told you that, right? I have zero magic or talent!"

  "I know, my dear child," Stefan said. "But we don't want you for magic. We need your blood. Or rather, your bloodline."

  "Charlotte Fontaine, your great-grandmother," Victoria began. "Was one of the original witches from Europe who came to America to establish a coven here. She was part of the first Witch Assembly and her ancestry goes back to the most powerful witches of all time, even to the possible first witch ever recorded, Judith."

  "And so my dear, if it's not evident to you yet," Stefan loomed over her. "Your bloodline, that is, your progeny, will bear the same blood and if you were to mate with another powerful warlock, you coul
d produce some truly talented children, who we can train and eventually turn into mages."

  Cady covered her mouth with her hand, unable to move or speak. Her eyes grew wide. "You're all insane! You're going to...impregnate me and make me churn out your mage babies? Why didn't you do this on your own!" She looked at Stefan and Victoria meaningfully.

  Stefan gave bitter guffaw. "Oh, no my dear, simply impossible. Once I transitioned from warlock to mage, I lost the ability to have children. However," he looked at Daric. "My young protege, still very much a warlock and himself from an impressive and powerful bloodline, will make a fine sire."

  Her eyes trailed over to the handsome warlock, but Daric remained stoic and unmoving.

  "This is crazy!" Oh god, she was going to be a broodmare! And that brute! He would force himself on her until she got pregnant. "You can't possibly think you'd get away with this!"

  The old mage cackled. "Do you think your precious Lycans will save you? They only care about their kind! If they think that the resurgence of the True Mate pairings will save their race, well...I will obliterate them before that happens, just like I did with that old Alpha!"

  "Michael?" Cady's eyes widened. "That car wreck wasn't an accident, right?"

  "Of course not. True Mate magic is powerful, and as soon as that spawn of his was born, it sent a shockwave through the magical world. I knew I had to get rid of him, before they produced more True Mate children!"

  "And Alynna!" Cady's eyes went wide. "You were responsible for all those attacks against her!"

  "Smart girl," Stefan nodded. "Being the only living True Mate spawn, we knew she could also find her own mate. We couldn't risk it. Unfortunately, one of my people bungled that up and now we can't touch her. But, no matter," he eyed her meaningfully. "Soon, you'll be mated to Daric and you two will produce a find brood of mages to wipe every last Lycan off the face of the earth!"

  "No!" Cady didn't know what else to do except launch herself at Stefan. But with a wave of his hand he pushed her away, slamming her against the wall. She cried out in pain as she slumped back. "Mother..." she reached out to Victoria.