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

by Alicia Montgomery

  Suddenly, Victoria's eyes cleared and she was knocked back, toppling to the ground. "No!" she screamed.

  "What happened?" Stefan hauled her up to her feet. "What did you do, Victoria?!"

  "It wasn't me!" Victoria swore. "It's not..." she looked down at the bowl and then at her daughter. "You slut!"

  Stefan pulled her aside and looked at the bowl himself, then at Cady. "What is the meaning of this?"

  The cloud around Cady's mind cleared and she shook her head. "What do you mean?"

  Her mother grabbed her arm and yanked her towards the bowl. She cried in pain. "Look! Your blood!" Victoria shoved her head down and Cady peered down. The two pools of blood gathered on opposite sides, almost repelled from each other.

  "I don't know what this means!" She yelped in pain again as Victoria dug her nails into her hair and yanked her upright.

  "You're not compatible! In fact," Victoria removed her hand from her hair and grabbed her abdomen. Her eyes grew wide. "You're already carrying a child!"

  Stefan roared, sending the house shaking.

  ***

  "You slut! You whore!" Victoria screamed at her daughter as she dragged Cady out of the ballroom. She shoved her against the wall. "Did you know you were pregnant? No, obviously not!" A loud crash came from the ballroom.

  Cady felt the wind knocked out of her and her first instinct was to place her hand on her belly. "How can you be sure?!" she asked. She can't have been more than two weeks pregnant. Oh god, was it the night of the Blood Moon? "I took...precautions!" The morning after pills, she took them as soon as she could. Was she too late?

  "Not good enough, I guess! Magic doesn't lie, your blood wouldn't mix with Daric's because you're already pregnant!" Her mother spat. "Who is it? Is it that Alpha!? You dare let a Lycan defile you and put a pup inside you!"

  Oh my god. A child. A baby. Nick's baby. A rush of emotions went through her. She had to escape, do everything she could to protect it. "No!" she denied. "It was a...human lover, someone I met at a bar!" If they knew it was Nick's baby, they might use it against the Lycans or worse, force her to get rid of it.

  "You lie."

  Victoria and Cady looked towards the doorway. Daric stood there, his arms crossed. "It's the Beta's child, isn't it? You lay with him just before we arrived at the hotel. You've been with him for a while now."

  "No!" she protested. "It's not his! I've had dozens of human lovers, it could be any one of them!"

  Daric walked to her and peered down at her. "Oh no, little one, another lie. You've only been with him."

  She began to sob, and she covered her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No...no please..."

  "The Master wants her back in the ballroom," Daric didn't even wait and took Cady by the arm and guided her back in the room.

  The ballroom was empty, though the wooden dais lay in the corner, smashed to pieces. Stefan stood in the middle, his arms crossed. "Bring the filthy Lycan whore here! I will take care of her." He pointed a finger at her.

  Victoria seemed distraught, but unable to move. Daric cleared his throat. "Master, would it not be more prudent to keep her alive? For leverage?"

  Stefan put his hand down. "What do you mean?"

  "If she does carry the spawn of the Lycans's Beta, we can use her as leverage."

  "No!" she protested. "And Nick, he won't want me or the baby! He hates witches! His parents were killed by witches and he'll never recognize any child we had! His grandfather would disown him!"

  Stefan looked from Cady to Daric. "You're sure she's carrying the Lycan's child?"

  "I can't be sure until we see the child, but what would we lose, if we waited?" Daric shrugged his shoulders. "We're already prepared to house her here until a child comes. Besides, it's early yet, we may still be rid of the child."

  Cady gasped at his callousness. "You son of bitch!" she cursed.

  "Hmmm..." Stefan looked thoughtful. "Take her away for now and let me think on this."

  "Yes Master," Daric bowed his head. He made a motion to grab Cady, but stopped as a loud crash came from outside.

  "What was that?" Victoria whipped around.

  "Master!" One of the mages wearing a hood rushed into the ballroom, shutting the door behind him and bracing against it. "They're here!"

  "Who?!" Stefan asked angrily.

  "The-the-the Lycans! And they've brought witches!" the mage cowered, then was thrown towards the wall as the doors flew open.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  "Stefan!" Vivianne shouted as she entered the ballroom. Lara followed behind her, and the Lycan force filed in. Grant, Nick, Liam, Alex, and Alynna stood behind the two witches as Lara waved her hand, the door slamming shut behind them.

  "Witch!" the Magus hissed at Vivianne. "And you brought these dirty creatures too!"

  "What have you done, mage?" The witch's eyes flickered over to the side, where Victoria had taken hold of Cady, a knife at her throat. "And you, dear sister! You would harm your own child, our blood?"

  "Stay away, all of you!" Vivianne screamed. "If you value her life, you will leave now!"

  Stefan laughed. "You fools, you cannot stop me!"

  Nick looked at Cady, his anger boiling and rage barely contained. "Let her go!"

  "Silence, creature!" Stefan ordered. "You do not tell a Magus what to do!"

  "Give up, Stefan," Grant bellowed. "We've got you surrounded. We have more forces outside, and all your mages have deserted you."

  The Magus' eyes turned hard. "You lie! They would have stopped you!"

  "Your pathetic force turned coward as soon as they saw the Lycans in wolf form surround the house," Nick declared.

  "No!" Stefan screamed in anger, the house shaking again. "Daric!" he called.

  "Yes, Master!" Daric sprang forward, stepping in front of Stefan. "Go, Master!"

  Before anyone could do anything, Stefan spun around and disappeared.

  "No!" Vivianne cried as she leapt forward, Lara right behind her. With a flick of his wrist, Daric sent the two witches flying across the room. The women slumped against the wall, the wind knocked out of them and they struggled to get up.

  Liam and Alex went at him next, a black and a brown blur launching at the warlock as they shifted into their Lycan forms. Daric was able to bat them aside, but not before Liam's paw reached out and clawed him on the shoulder. The blonde warlock staggered back as blood stained the front of his white robes.

  Grant and Nick shed their clothes as they transformed, ready to attack the warlock. Grant's wolf was large and imposing, with thick black fur and over 6 feet tall when standing on its hind legs. Nick's wolf, meanwhile, had light golden brown fur, and though not as broad, was just as tall and striking as Grant's. They circled the Daric, covering either side of the warlock so he couldn't escape, snapping and snarling at him as they moved in close.

  Meanwhile, Alynna had slowly walked over to Victoria and Cady. "You're done, Victoria. Give up now and we may be merciful."

  "Ha! Stupid Lycan!" She gripped Cady tighter, the knife cutting into her throat, a drop of blood forming at the tip. "If you come any closer, I swear...I'll..."

  "You'll what?" Alynna asked. "Kill your own daughter?"

  "Or maybe I could kill you!" Victoria aimed the dagger at her.

  Alynna laughed. "Try it, witch. Belladonna couldn't kill me. I'd like to see what your little letter opener can do to me!"

  Cady took the chance and reached out and grabbed her mother's arm, twisting it away. Victoria screamed in pain and her other arm let Cady go. She staggered forward, falling into Alynna's arms, crying in relief.

  "You're safe, now Cady," she soothed, stroking the redhead's back.

  "Alynna...you all found me..." she hiccuped. "You didn't believe them...right?"

  Alynna shook her head, tears springing in her eyes. "No way, Cady."

  She hugged her friend back, then turned around to face her mother. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Victoria drag herself towards Nick, still
in wolf form. He had his back exposed to her as he flanked Daric on the right side, opposite Grant.

  "No!" Cady shouted as she ran, her legs sprinting towards Victoria. As her mother moved to stab Nick with her knife, she shoved her body between them, the knife plunging into her stomach.

  Victoria screamed in anguish. "What have you done!" she grabbed Cady before she crumpled to the ground.

  Both Grant and Nick's wolf heads whipped towards Victoria's screams and sobs, Daric seemingly forgotten. Both wolves growled and ran towards the two women.

  "Victoria!" Daric leapt towards the older witch, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Leave her! We must join the Master! Now!"

  "I can't! Cady!" she cried as blood oozed out of Cady's gut, staining her own hands and clothes.

  The warlock paid her protests no mind as he pulled her into his arms and they disappeared into thin air.

  "Goddammn you, no!" Nick howled as soon as he transformed back into his human form. Cradling Cady into his arms, he pulled her close. "No, love, please hang on!" he cried. Blood began to seep into her white linen dress, dripping down the front, the sticky substance covering his bare chest.

  Alynna sobbed, and Alex, who had run towards the scene, wrapped an arm around his wife. She folded herself into him, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Nick rocked Cady's lifeless body against his. "You can't...no...please, Cady, I love you. I never got a chance to tell you..."

  Grant's face was grim as he knelt beside his friend. "I'm sorry Nick..." he put a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry."

  Vivianne and Lara had joined them, as well as Liam. The older witch looked down them with sadness, and her daughter took her hand as she began to cry for the niece, the blood of her blood, she had never known.

  "Cady, Cady," Nick repeated over and over again. He refused to let her go, even as Grant tried to pull him away.

  "Nick, please," Grant pleaded. "We'll take care of her...if you just let her go." He let out a deep breath as Nick remained rooted to the spot. "But...maybe we'll give you a few minutes..."

  Everyone seemed to understand the Alpha's words as they all turned around, making their way towards the door.

  Nick wrapped his arms tighter around her, "I'm so sorry, my love," his anguished words echoed in the room. "I'm so, so sorry...for not believing you, for not telling you sooner...how much I love you and I always have, since that first moment I saw you."

  A loud, gasping sound suddenly filled the room. The Lycans and the witches looked at each other in surprise, then sprang back towards the couple.

  Nick scrambled away as Cady's body convulsed, and she sat up, coughing and gasping for air. He knelt in front of her, stunned as Cady parted the front of her dress. Though covered with blood, the skin under her ribcage was completely healed.

  "Nick?" she looked at the Lycan kneeling across from her. "Why are you naked?" She looked around and her cheeks grew pink. "Oh my god, you're all naked!"

  Nick half laughed and half sobbed as he pulled her towards him and kissed her fiercely on the lips, tasting her as if he'd never get a chance to kiss her again. Cady squeaked in surprise but moaned as he continued to devour her lips.

  A cough interrupted them and the couple looked up at the others, watching them. Alynna and Alex were grinning at them, Grant looked relieved, while Liam and Lara seemed embarrassed, both of them suddenly finding the moldings on the wall interesting. Vivianne, meanwhile, had a knowing look on her face.

  "What are...oh my god!" Cady looked at her mother's twin. "You're..."

  "Vivianne Chatraine," she introduced herself. "I'm Victoria's twin sister. Your aunt."

  Cady's eyes swung to the other redhead. "And you?"

  "I'm your cousin, Lara."

  With Nick's help, Cady stood up and then walked towards mother and daughter. "You're...my family," she declared.

  "Yes," Vivianne smiled, her eyes shining with tears. "We are your family."

  "Hold on, this is great, but," Alynna interrupted. "Cady, what happened? Are you really a witch? Do you have magical resurrection powers?"

  "I thought this would be quite obvious, especially to you," Vivianne looked at the young Lycan woman. "Cady and Nick are True Mates. And she's carrying his child and now, nothing can harm her."

  Nick turned to Cady, his face in shock. She smiled and nodded, and he hugged her to him. "I love you, Cady Gray," he whispered.

  "And I love you, Nick Vrost," she replied, and pulled him down for another kiss.

  ***

  "Well, according to our tests," Dr. Faulkner took off his glasses and placed a file in front of them. "You definitely are pregnant. Very, very early stages."

  "Two weeks exactly," Nick kissed Cady's cheek. "Blood Moon."

  "If you need some time to talk, I'll be outside with the others," and with that, the older Lycan left the room.

  After they rescued Cady and made sure there were no other mages or surprises hiding in the mansion, the Lycan and witch force drove back to New York. They arrived shortly after 3 am, and everyone was exhausted, though elated at their victory over the mages. Liam accepted Grant's offer to sleep in one of the extra suites in his large apartment, while the witches stayed at Nick's penthouse. Cady just wanted her own bed, and so she and Nick went down to her place after helping the witch trio settle in. Nick slept with his arms around Cady all night, as if he was afraid that she would disappear. In the morning, they went straight to the Medical wing of The Enclave to have Dr. Faulkner administer a pregnancy test.

  Nick turned to Cady. "Cady, my love, I've just been so happy to have you back, I haven't apologized for the things I've done. I'm so sorry," he took her hands in his. "Can you forgive me? For the things I said a few days ago? Calling you-"

  She kissed him soundly on the lips. "I forgive you. For everything."

  "So easily?" he teased. "Aren't you going to make me grovel at least? Alynna said there should at least be some groveling on my knees."

  Cady laughed, a sound that made Nick's heart soar with joy. "If you want to grovel, go ahead, but it's not necessary." She lay her head on his chest. "I thought I'd never see you again."

  He took a deep breath and held her tight. "Me too," he kissed her hair, inhaling the deep scent. "I've always wondered why you smell so good to me, like caramel apples." He paused, thinking of his conversation with Grant after the Blood Moon. "Apparently, I'm the only one who can smell your scent. You just smell human to everyone else."

  "Really?" she asked. "Oh, you smell good to me too. Like Christmas or winter. My favorite time of the year."

  "Strange, huh?" he stroked her hair. "True Mates, you and me?"

  "I didn't even think it would be possible. First, Alynna and Alex, and now you and me."

  "I meant what I said, if you heard me last night," he smiled down at her. "That first moment I saw you, I was a goner. I fell in love at first sight."

  She wrinkled her delicate brows, trying to remember. "Oh my god! At the airport!?" Her face went red. "I remember treating you poorly because I was so mad Grant wasn't there!"

  He laughed and kissed her nose. "You were adorable. And stole my heart right then and there."

  "I don't believe you," she smirked at him. "You're teasing me. All these years, I thought you couldn't stand me! You were always so distant."

  "Well, it was difficult." he confessed. "Grant used to call you his little sister and well, I took my job seriously. And he would have kicked my ass if I seduced you the same day I met you."

  "And so you waited 10 years..."

  "Ha! You walked into my room that night!" he retorted.

  "To prevent you from tearing up that hotel!" she swatted him playfully on the arm.

  "Well, believe it or not, it's true," Nick took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. "I'll just have to keep proving it to you, now, won't I?"

  He kissed her again, softly and gently this time. She sighed when he pulled back. "I didn't instantly fall in love with you that moment, but all these years, well..
.it took much longer for me, but here I am. I love you, Nick Vrost."

  After a few more kisses, Cady stood up. "C'mon, let's go and join everyone." She turned towards the door, but felt a tug on her hand. When she looked back, Nick was down on one knee. "I said you didn't have to grovel!"

  The blonde Lycan smiled up at her and took something out of his pocket. She gasped. "What?"

  "Cady Elise Gray, love of my life, my True Mate, and future mother of my pups, will you marry me?"

  Her jaw dropped, and it wasn't just because of the huge rock sparkling in front of her. "How did you..."

  "It was my mother's," he explained. "I took it out of the safe before we came to get you. Just in case."

  "Just in case?"

  "Just in case you maybe hit your head and got amnesia, went insane, or got hit with confusion potion and agreed to take me back?" He said sheepishly and pushed the ring closer to her. "I mean, I knew it was a small chance you would forgive me...but still...What do you say Cady?"

  "Yes," she choked as he slipped the ring on her finger. "Yes. Always."

  ***

  After a few minutes, the couple went out to the waiting room, where everyone was waiting for news, including Estella and Jade, who had stayed behind in Manhattan during the attack. The raid on the mage lair was relatively easy, with Nick bringing most of his security forces as backup. Aside from one minor injury, everyone was safe and unharmed.

  "Well, it's confirmed," Nick announced as the entered the waiting room.

  "Oh my god, you're knocked up too!" Alynna shouted happily as she bounded forward, hugging her friend. "Yay! Are you hungry? I am! We can go raid buffets together! I love watching the waiters squirm when they see me!"

  "Two pregnant True Mates?" Alex slapped his forehead dramatically and looked at Nick. "Hope you're ready to have your food budget go up." Alynna punched her husband on the arm playfully.

  "And! Holy smoking cracker jacks!" Alynna took Cady's left hand and held it up to the light. "I hope you have an armed guard for that thing!" Cady blushed and Nick put an arm around his new fiancé.