by K.N. Lee
Sivath’s painting showed him as mid-aged, but wearing a kind expression. Silvering hair swept across his head with sloping shoulders. No sign of jewelry or golden chains. He seemed a simple goblin who, according to Shadow, suffered health complications. She never got a chance to meet Sivath, though, in hindsight, she wished she hadn’t listened to the local gossip in order to fit into the community.
But all the regrets wouldn’t change what happened. On the bright side, she’d prevented Shadow’s death and changed fate because of her vision. She had been right all along—her premonitions were about helping those about to die. And while she hadn’t received any more visions yet, nothing was stopping her from making a difference.
She rubbed her belly as a tightness around her middle caught her breath. Probably just the spicy lentil stew she’d craved at breakfast. The pain subsided, and she blew out a breath.
Shadow insisted they moved into Klurt’s house. Bigger accommodation for a growing family, and she couldn’t disagree with that logic.
She emerged from the office and stepped into a green field surrounded by beeches. Their branches rustled in the cool breeze. Ahead of her stood three rows of wooden stalls filled with all sorts of fresh produce and prepared food. The usual Wart Markets continued. But she and Shadow started a daily market for locals. Everyone sold and bought what they needed with the only requirement being they cleaned up after themselves. She would still rely on her vision to save goblins, not make money, so tarot reading was out.
“Babe,” Shadow called out from amid a cluster of goblins. He emerged from the crowd dressed in his cargo pants and a black t-shirt. He carried a container with yellow fruit. Within seconds, he stood next to her, his eyes on her belly and his smile widening. “Best food to help coax the little one out.”
He offered her the pineapple chunks, and she salivated. The fruit was sweet and filled her mouth with juice. “Delicious.” She ate two more pieces. “You training the new recruits today?”
“Yep. These goblins will be stronger than the Guardians in the realm.”
She laughed and entered the office, then set the pineapple on the desk. Shadow shut the door behind them and stood at her back. His arms sailed across her hips, holding her stomach.
She nestled closer against his hardness. “You’re ready to go after this morning’s marathon?”
“Every time I look at you, I want to strip you.”
She adored when he talked to her that way. She turned her head to face him. His lips were on hers, hands squeezing her breasts. A moan fell from her mouth, and her body tingled with desperation to have Shadow take her.
“Sex will help your aches and pains.”
“Goblins are just outside,” she said, glancing at the covered window. “And what about the training?”
“I’ve locked the doors, and my team isn’t due for another half hour. Now, if you promise to keep quiet, so will I.” His touch trailed down the side of her body and lifted her skirt to her waist. The coolness of a feather against her flesh. His thumbs hooked into the band of her panties and pulled them down.
“Damn. You got the cutest butt.” He took a mock bite from her backside, sending her pulse into a frenzy. With his mouth now on her neck, his fingers slid to the warmth between her legs.
Zana mewled, convinced she could spend days on end having sex with Shadow. Sure, it was what got them unexpectedly pregnant, but she wouldn’t change a single thing.
When Shadow’s breath fluttered across her shoulder, a sudden cramp curled in the pit of her stomach. Just as Povian had explained.
She gasped and gripped Shadow’s arms. “Oh shit. It’s coming. I think I’m about to have the baby.”
Shadow snapped to her side, his arms holding her tight. “What do we do?” He kissed her face. “I’m going to be a father.”
Zana laughed despite the growing cramp. She had been right that first night she’d met Shadow. That was how her life was meant to be. She finally had a family, and, for the first time in years, she belonged.
Afterword
Thanks for reading Lunar Shadows. Are you curious to read more in The Guardians series? FALLEN ASHES is now available.
Last of your kind? Check. Being hunted by everyone? Check. Waking up magically bound to the world's most cocky and annoying assassin? Wait, what?
Survival has always been on the top of Fallen's To Do List as being the last Dragon shifter in Tapestry had painted a target on her long ago. But after being captured and magically tethered to an assassin who could kill her in an instant, time is running out. With the fate of an entire world at stake, Fallen has to find a way to get out alive, with or without her unwanted companion...her incredibly sexy unwanted companion.
Exiled from the Kingdom and on a mission to save his stepfather from the Collector, Saber's life is already a mess. But he never could imagine that he'd be hexed into a mindless shadow assassin or worse, being kidnapped and mystically-bound to a hot blonde vixen that has a crazy obsession with fire. Sexy/strange/fire-chick aside, he has got to find a way to get out of there but Fallen isn't in the least being helpful with their escape plan. Seriously, can things get any worse?
Magically-bound, determined, and both fighting an undeniable attraction, can Saber and Fallen work together to free themselves and save their world by defeating the Collector? Or will time slip out of their grasp and all will be lost?
The next Guardians book is coming very soon.
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
Read More from T.F. Walsh
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Of Howling Moons
Nicole Zoltack
Chapter 1
He would never forget the first time he saw her.
Darkness blanketed the city, but the lights from the bars and nightclubs banished the shadows as best they could. The loud music and raucous laughter grated on his nerves. For so long, he had been trapped in solitude, clinging to life, avoiding all others for fear that his next breath would be his last. Maybe coming to Philadelphia had been a mistake.
From his perch on the rooftop of an industrial building, he jumped to the next roof and on and on, moving toward the blackest part of the city. Here, he felt like he could breathe again. He missed the smell of the trees, the crunch of the underbrush, and the crisp, fresh air of the countryside.
A lone figure caught his eyes. The person was moving fast, head high, shoulders back. A female, he realized, as the clouds parted to allow the almost full moon to shine its light on her. For the most part, she melted into the shadows, given that her hair was dark and her coat and pants were black.
Movement from an alley directed his attention. Two men converged and approached the female. A low growl rumbled at the back of his throat, and he gripped the edge of the roof.
But he needn’t have felt any fear for her. She pulled out a gun, the moonlight glinting off the barrel. The guys didn’t back away, though, and she fired a warning shot.
He climbed down the fire escape, but by the time he reached the alley, the guys were long gone, and the woman had disappeared, too. If he wanted to, he could easily track her down, but she had already proven she could take care of herself.
Boy, did he learn that that was true. Hell, she might even be able to take care of him, too.
The screams, the cries, the pain and agony…
The sweats, the chills, the darkness, so much darkness…
Magnus Varg opened his eyes, the last remnants of the nightmare seeping away. He had abandoned the city after ensuring that the men would not harm another any time soon. A speck of blood coated his knuckles, and he wiped it away onto his black coat.
Leaves crinkled underfoot as he sat up and then stood. He would move, find mountains, and continue to look for a place he could call his own. Home. The last time he had slept in the comfort of a bed had been one long year ago. Rain, wind, snow, sleet… living off the land, harvesting nuts and berries, hunting rabbits and squirrels… He did what he had to in order to survive, but was this truly living? While it was nice to ignore the rest of the world with its politics and corruption and money woes and issues, Magnus was not meant to be a loner.
Every month or so, he would approach a city and consider reentering society. Every time, he would leave in search of another place.
This time was no different.
The sun shone down on him, blinding him. He scanned the horizon. Which way to go this time? North to New York? West? Or maybe…
Magnus stilled. The wind shifted, and a familiar scent had the hair on the back of his neck rising. He hadn’t smelled the musky pine aroma of the Blood Warriors in that same year.
Luckily, he had slept in the arms of an oak’s huge roots, and he crouched into a fighting position, half hidden in the nearby underbrush.
Two tall brutes neared, staying downwind. Their voices were low, but Magnum heard every word.
“The Moon Walkers are done. Hardly put up a fight. Sad, really.” This brute was the taller of the two. He had to be six feet six, at least, a wall of muscle.
“I’m just glad we finally found the Nightstar Hunters.” The one’s bald head shone brightly, matching his glistening teeth as he smiled wild, his canines large and prominent.
“Man, you’re telling me. I was livid when Locus dictated that we leave them be. I don’t care if that one we killed had been the one to kill his brother. Locus was weak to let the clan live that long.”
Magnum stilled, holding his breath. These men were talking about himself. It seemed that everyone thought he had died, not just his own wolf pack but the Blood Warriors as well. Not surprising. He had been so close to death that he wished the Grim Reaper would come to take him away.
And, yes, he had killed their alpha’s brother. Colin had come after him, and he had defended himself and his land. It had been within his right to kill the werewolf. But the other Nightstar Hunters—the Nightstar Hunters, he reminded himself. He was no longer a part of that pack—were they all killed? Had the Blood Warriors slayed them all? Because of him? And the Moon Walkers, what had they done to get in the crosshairs of the Blood Warriors?
Maybe he breathed too heavily, or the wind shifted, but the bald brute stopped walking, sniffed, and headed toward Magnus.
He cracked his knuckles, readying for a fight. His bones snapped and cracked as he shifted his form, but he was too late. The brutes had already shifted themselves, and within seconds, they were already on him.
Maybe this time, the Blood Warriors would finish the job.
Chapter 2
Zelda Reedwood parked her pickup truck at the entrance of the countryside. Last week, she had spied a rare herb, and she wanted to pluck some. She was in the middle of a huge botany research project for her bachelor’s degree. Maybe it wasn’t a glamorous career field, but she didn’t care. She greatly preferred to be outdoors than being forced to listen to lectures in a stuffy auditorium, and her research more than made up for tedious speeches and worthless labs. One day, her crossbreeding efforts would pay off. There were already species that were both animal and plants at the same time, but they were marine in nature. The notion of endosymbiosis was her driving influence, the ability to absorb and utilize foreign cells. A plant-animal hybrid who lived on the soil instead of within the waters would be revolutionary.
Her advisor thought Zelda was biting off more than she could chew, and even Zelda had to admit that she was being extremely ambitious, but she had always been the kind of woman to go all in, to never slack, and to dare to dream.
She passed a few pine trees and then an oak and paused. Something wasn’t right. Someone else was nearby. Strange. Whenever she had come nearby previously, she had always been alone.
Without hesitating, Zelda set about her task and carefully digging through the dirt to extract intact roots when a sound chilled the blood in her veins.
It couldn’t be. A howl? Wolves? To her knowledge, there hadn’t been wolves in Pennsylvania in over one hundred years!
But there it came again. Now a howl so much as a whimper.
Zelda straightened, her spine stiffening. For the past five years, since she’d turned sixteen, she worked part time at a veterinarian’s office. Reacting purely on instinct, she headed toward the source of the noise, unable and unwilling to ignore an injured animal.
Past several trees, beyond thick underbrush, she continued forward and then halted, listening, needing to hear the sound again to better orient herself.
But the animal kept silent.
Worry filled her at the peculiar silence. Not even insects hummed or birds sang, lending the area a level of disturbing air. Had the animal been injured and passed out… or worse…
Running now in the direction she hoped the animal was in, Zelda paid great attention to her surroundings. The grass here was flattened, and there… over there… was blood.
Her swallow sank into her stomach, and her chest grew tight. On further inspection, she discovered and followed a bloody trail all the way to a huge tree, the trunk rotted and half hollowed, a wolf sitting there, almost hiding.
Zelda stilled. She had heard correctly after all!
The wolf was huge, monstrous even. Large, dark, nearly impossible to see in the shadows the hollow created, the wolf appeared to either be sleeping… or dead.
Should she leave? Yes. Of course. She could call the vet and leave the problem at her door. Despite her experience setting legs and washing bites and completing physical under the vet’s supervision, she had done none of the like entirely solo, and besides, she had no bandages or gear here.
Plus, no animal patience had ever been so incredibly dangerous.
She slid her foot back and then the other. The wolf did not stir. Still, she did not breathe easier, and this time, she lifted a foot back a step.
Leaves crunched, and a twig snapped.
The wolf lifted its head and stared at her. Silver eyes pierced through her, and she froze. Don’t blink. Don’t move. Don’t freak out.
The animal continued to watch her. A shot of panic laced through her as the wolf stood and crept slowly toward her. Only then did she notice that the wolf had no tail. And the eyes, those silver eyes, were intelligent.
The wolf approached, its advance slow but steady. Sudden darkness descended—clouds covering the sun. If the wolf wished her harm, it would make its move now.
The creature did move, but not one she anticipated. It loosed a small cry and collapsed. Light returned as the clouds revealed the sun once more, and Zelda rushed forward, her fright momentarily forgotten. The silver eyes never left her face. When she stood a few feet away, she stopped.
Are you crazy, Zelda? This is dangerous!
With a strangled yelp, the wolf closed its eyes and laid still.
The creature was wounded. The blood must belong to it. How could she care so much for plant and animal life if she would turn her back to an injured beast?
Screwing up her courage, she crouched next to the wolf. With only a slight hesitation, she gently touched its fur. The wolf opened its eyes and whined.
Her fingers gently ran through its fur, and she halted, surprised by how soft the creature was. Her palms brushed against wet, matted fur. The source of the blood. A bite. And there. Slash marks from claws.
Zelda pulled back slightly. Had another wolf done this? Were they not safe?
The wolf still stared at her, but it made no move to harm her and hadn’t bared its fangs. Its chest cavity barely rose and fell. It didn’t have much time.
“Come,” she murmured. “Let’s get you to my car. I have a friend who can help you.”
The wolf howled softly, the sound pedestrian and weak.
“It’s not far,” she urged. Zelda stood.
The wolf collapsed.
No! The animal was far too heavy and large for her to carry. Now what?
Now what! The creature… it was changing!
The sound of bones snapping and breaking and reforming echoed throughout the partially wooded area, and Zelda gasped, horrified. The fur melted away, replaced by tan skin, the features shifting and twisting and becoming unmistakably human.
Zelda’s knees shook, and she collapsed to the ground, sitting on a hard rock. The man before her was naked and bleeding, the injured wolf gone.
The two were one and the same.
Chapter 3
Magnus stared at her, at the strong woman who had fought off the two men the night before. He had managed to wound the werewolves, but they had fled when they heard a car drive nearby. Magnus had been ready to flee, too, despite his wounds, when he caught her scent.
Actually, the notion of seeking her out and hunting her down within the city, to see if she might not be able to help him had crossed his mind as soon as the bald werewolf had bit him. He didn’t know anyone else within the city’s limits, and while time would heal his wounds faster than a human would be able to recover, he would need to lay low and to hide if he wished to remain among the living. Even a werewolf needed a pack of some fashion, a fact that he was becoming more and more aware as of late. He had never been a loner before, and being a lone wolf—not by choice—for a year now had not done a thing to make him enjoy solitude. That was why he had come to Philadelphia and New Orleans before that. As much as he avoided people and other werewolves, a part of him still wished for companionship.
