Ann H

by Unknown

  Full Moon Bites

  by

  Jaden Sinclair

  Published by

  Melange Books, LLC

  White Bear Lake, MN 55110

  www.melange-books.com

  Full Moon Bites ~Jaden Sinclair ~Copyright Ó 2011

  ISBN: 978-1-61235-256-5

  Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Credits

  Editor: Karen Morse

  Format Editor: Nancy Schumacher

  Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus

  Full Moon Bites

  by

  Jaden Sinclair

  A rare red moon has hit the shifters all around, bringing out an unexpected heat for the males and an unwanted cycle for the females at the same time. It draws together unlikely couples, mating them for life. However with the rare moon also comes new threats—threats that will test each and every shifter around.

  Author Website

  www.jadensinclair.com

  To Jennifer and Brent Dowell. You asked, I deliver. Enjoy your creation, it was a pleasure to write them up for you.

  Other stories by Jaden Sinclair at www.melange-books.com

  The Proposal

  “Kiss Under the Mistletoe” in Holiday Treats

  S.H.I.L.O.- S.E.T.H.

  Interplanetary Passion

  Outerplanetary Sensations

  Love at First Sight

  SHIFTER SERIES

  Stefan’s Mark

  Claiming Skylar

  Dedrick’s Taming

  The Prowling

  Cole’s Awakening

  The New Breed

  Seducing Sasha

  Draeger Legacy

  FORBIDDEN TALES SERIES

  Forbidden Temptation

  Forbidden Rapture

  Forbidden Innocence

  Full Moon Madness

  Jaden Sinclair

  Chapter One

  Jennifer Dowell watched from the woods as the male she had followed was dragged from the trunk of the car—rather he was dumped out. He had a hood covering his face and his wrists were bound with rope. Jennifer also picked up a faint smell of blood. Her fears should’ve kept her where she hid, but the curiosity that always got her into so much trouble had gotten the better of her. Sneaking closer, she just had to see where they were taking him and why they were taking him in the first place.

  She happened to be driving home when she saw the guy on the side of the road or more like in the ditch. Another car came up behind him and she saw them get out and quickly rush him, taking him down and tossing him into the trunk of their car. That was it! That was all it took for her damn curious little mind to want to know more, and of course it didn’t help matters that she had heard her father talk about strange things happening to them all lately.

  There had been rumors she heard a few months ago about males disappearing. Male shifters in fact and when they came back, of the few that did, they weren’t the same. Her father didn’t say anything more about it, mostly because he didn’t think that she needed to hear it but she did. She wanted to know why someone was out there taking the males and doing what they were doing. She had this nagging need to just know more.

  Oh if her father only knew what she was doing! Jennifer shook her head at the thought of what Isaac Dowell would do if he knew that his one and only daughter was outside a warehouse, peeking into a window, watching as the male that got dumped out of the trunk was being hung up by chains. Her eyes widened as she watched them chain the male, stripped, and cleaned him, leaving the hood over his face. They gave him some type of shot in his shoulder, and then the others stood back as a woman got closer.

  The woman talked to him, touched him as she moved around him and the others and stiffened. He turned his head away from her and jerked or tried to jerk out of her reach.

  A branch snapped, making Jennifer jump and before she could scream, a hand went around her mouth while an arm yanked her back against a strong, brick chest. She stiffened and tried to pull at the hand around her mouth, only to fail.

  “Shhh,” a deep male voice said low in her ear. “Don’t make a sound. I’m not going to hurt you. Understand?” She swallowed and nodded. “Are you going to scream?” This time she shook her head and the hand covering her mouth slowly released her.

  Jennifer jerked out of his hold; she quickly turned and stared wide eyed at the man who just grabbed her. She opened her mouth, only to have him put a finger up to his lips, silencing her as he rose up to peek into the same window that she had been looking into.

  “God damn it, Brent,” he growled. “How could you do something so damn stupid?”

  Jennifer moved further away from him, licking her lips, looking around to see if anyone else might join them. When she looked back at him, she almost lost her cool when she saw him bring out not one, but two handguns.

  “Who are you?” She breathed out.

  He cocked one of the guns back before giving her his attention. Once he did, she lost her control. Dark, forbidding eyes locked with hers and for a brief second they changed to a deep dark red. Because it being night, she didn’t get a very good view of his facial features, but she did get a good feel of his body. A large man, and from the scent she picked up, a shifter male at that.

  “Reed,” he said. “Reed Pearce and that dipshit hanging by the chains is my little brother, Brent.” He shoved the one gun into his waistband and checked the other. “Now who are you and why are you out here all alone?”

  Instead of answering him, Jennifer turned with the intention of running away. He grabbed her by the jacket instead, holding her in place. That action brought out the fight in her. She turned, swung, and hit him in the face with a closed fist. He let go and she took off running, not daring to look back behind her to see if he might be coming or not.

  He was

  A deep, forbidding growl and she went tumbling to the cold earth with a hard body right on top of her. He used her jacket to turn her over to her back, and with wide opened eyes, she stared up at the male shifter that just brought her down.

  Long dark locks of hair fell into his face as he looked down at her. Red eyes shined bright in the night and that hard chest she felt only moments ago now rose and fell as he took deep breaths.

  Sirens went off behind them and lights turned on. Reed held onto her, looked over his shoulder at the building they just left and swore under his breath.

  “Come on.” He got up to his feet and with a hard jerk she too went flying back to her feet. He took off at a run, dragging her behind him.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, struggling to stay with him.

  He didn’t answer her. He just stopped at a large four by four truck and opened the cabin that was on the back. Next thing she knew he had her up in the air and tossed her right inside.

  “Hey!” she screamed, landing on her rear.

  The door slammed shut, Reed yelled back, “Stay put.”

  Jennifer crawled to the door and tried the knob. “Let me out of here!”

  She could hear him running away; most likely going right back to the building they had run from. Gunfire sounded off in the distance and she jumped from it. Her heart pounded in her chest, the fear hadn't hit her before now. Though the strangest thing of all was the fact that all she could think about was how her father was going to kill her once he found out that she snuck out of the
house and came out to this building. If she only kept her nose out of his things, as he yelled at her so many times, then she wouldn’t be in this position.

  “He’s going to kill me,” she groaned, running a hand through her hair, looking around for something, anything that might get her out of his mess.

  Hope flared when she saw the small window on top where the bed rested over the hood of the truck. Standing up, she climbed up and pushed the window open. It’s tiny, but she thought she might be able to push herself out it and get away.

  “Pretend you’re being born, girl,” she said to herself.

  A struggle, but she managed to get her shoulders through the window. Wiggling and pushing her hips followed. Now the part she forgot all about—the drop down to the ground. Jennifer landed hard face down on the cold, hard ground. It knocked the wind right out of her.

  “Good one,” she groaned, making herself get up.

  Taking a deep breath, she looked around. More gunfire, shouting, and then a faint glow as if something just caught on fire. Her curious side wanted her to go and see what was going on, but the side that reminded her if she did that she would be caught again and that had her taking off running in the opposite direction.

  She found her car, just where she left it. Still breathing hard from the run, she got in, started it up, and peeled out. Her hands still shook and she prayed with each mile she got closer to home that her father wouldn’t notice her gone.

  * * * *

  Reed ran as fast as he could, with Brent right behind him. They lost the small group that were chasing after them, and now the building went up in flames. He skidded to a stop next to his truck, frowned and growled low at the back of his throat.

  “What’s wrong?” Brent huffed.

  Reed, still frowning, looked over his shoulder at his brother. “She’s gone.”

  “Who’s gone?”

  Reed went the camper door yanked it open and the growl that had been rumbling in his throat came out in anger. “Son of a bitch!”

  “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Standing, staring at nothing with hands on his hips, Reed stared into the camper trying to figure out how she got out. Then it hit him. She had to have climbed out the small window where the bed was supposed to be. Going inside, he went right up to it and sure enough, he got wind of her scent. Closing his eyes he took in as much as there was, getting a nice look.

  “Reed, what’s going on?” Brent asked.

  “Get dressed,” Reed, answered him. “We’re taking a small detour.”

  * * * *

  As Jennifer came out of her bathroom, tying the knot on her robe, she was greeted with a hand thrust against her face that knocked her right on her ass.

  “I told you to stay put!” Isaac Dowell growled. “You disobeyed me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, rubbing her cheek, holding back the tears. Crying in front of her father did nothing for her, ever. “I wanted to see it for myself.”

  “You could’ve been seen or taken!” he yelled. Isaac Dowell happened to be a shifter in power. He had connections and the respect of everyone that knew him. No one ever dared to disobey him. No one that is but her. “What in the world did I do to deserve a daughter such as you?” That was always his favorite line, one that he used more times than she could count.

  Slowly she got back up to her feet, keeping an eye on him as he paced her room. “I’m sorry.”

  Isaac shook his head. “Bit too late to be sorry, isn’t it?”

  “You were right.” She decided to change tactics with him, like always a change of subject seemed to always work when her father was upset with her. “It is a woman and she did have someone.”

  He still had a glare on his face when he stopped pacing to look at her. Yep, Isaac Dowell was without a doubt pissed off at her and more than likely would be for a few days. “I already knew that. You forget, girl, that I have contacts in this city I know that woman took someone and I know just who it is.”

  Her stomach dropped.

  “I already had things taken care of and then you pull a stunt like this!” He pointed his finger at her. “It’s way past time for you to get mated.”

  This is a new threat! “No one saw me!” she shook her head quickly. “I swear it.”

  “No, someone did see you and I fear it may cause us some major trouble.”

  She was careful she knew she was! Jennifer felt sick and worked damn hard not to throw up on her father’s feet. She thought fast and hard over whom might’ve seen her. No one that she knew of. She’d hid well and saw enough, but knew that no one in that building saw her. The only one that did was that male. He caught her snooping and then locked her up in a camper over his truck.

  “You did it now, girl, and I don’t know if I can get you out of it.” Shaking his head, Isaac headed for the door. He yanked it open and stopped, glaring over his shoulder at her one more time. “Stay in your damn room this time. I don’t need you sneaking down causing more trouble while I try to fix this shit you’ve landed in now. Understood?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Good.” The door slammed shut and she jumped.

  Rubbing her face, she let out a big sigh, wondering now into what kind of trouble she’d landed. That male, Reed, she thought his name was, didn’t seem like the kind of guy to cause her any trouble. After all, he didn’t know her name or where she came from, so what kind of trouble could her father be worried about?

  Shaking off the strange feeling, Jennifer went to her dresser to get dressed. She brought out a baggy pair of boxer shorts and a large t-shirt. Slipping them on, then her robe once more, she went to the window mostly because of her nerves. Why she was suddenly scared she couldn’t explain, but when she looked up at the night sky and got her first look at an upcoming red moon she shivered.

  The legend of the red full moon has always been that of her kind. A legend. They only came around once every century and the tales that were told had the anticipation flowing out of every pore on her body.

  Full red moon brought out an unexpected heat in the males and a small cycle for the females. It paired them up, matching the males to females without a Gathering. Even the protection of a safe house was out of the question. The red moon found them all, leaving every shifter exposed and vulnerable.

  Jennifer rubbed her arms, staring at the moon, wondering if her father knew of it coming, but she doubted it. Now his main concern was the disappearance of young shifter males. He had heard the rumors, just as she had, and for whatever strange reason he took it upon himself to discover if it was true or not. Well tonight, she thought, it was confirmed. Someone was without a doubt taking the males, but why she had no clue.

  She just about turned from the window to head to bed when headlights turning into the driveway grabbed her attention. Looking down, watching the vehicle get closer to the house, her gut once more dropped. The truck that she’d been thrust and locked into earlier stopped right in front of the house and the same male who’d locked her into it stepped out.

  Jennifer’s mouth dropped open as he stood there in the night, sniffing the air. Fuck me! He caught my scent. Her fear left her rooted, eyes locked on him as he kept sniffing the air. A light turned on outside as she saw her father come out and started talking to him. They exchanged words then both looked up, right at her window. She jumped back, heart once more pounding in her chest, mouth dry. Her gut screamed that this wasn’t going to end on a good note, not by a long shot.

  Turning away, she rushed to her bedroom door and locked it. Before long, she heard the front door slam. Closing her eyes, she prayed silently that it was her father, not the other one.

  Knock-knock. “Come out little mouse.”

  “Oh shit,” she whispered, covering a hand over her mouth and backing further away from the door.

  “I know you’re in there.”

  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and told herself repeatedly that there wasn’t anything to
be scared of. Her father wouldn’t let some stranger into the house to do her harm.

  “What do you want?” she called out, hugging herself, backing up even more until she couldn’t back up any more.

  “What do you think?”

  “Jennifer, open this door!” Isaac demanded.

  Instead of answering, she shook her head, not believing what was happening. The knob turned and then the unthinkable happened.

  Jennifer stared in shock as her door flew open. He’d kicked her door open. Once she came face to face with him, it seemed to snap her out of her shock. She dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it in his face before he could reach her.

  “Another door. Are you serious?” he called out, hitting the door, she guessed with a fist.

  “Go away!” she yelled.

  He chucked, “I don’t think so.”

  “Now wait just a damned minute!” Isaac yelled right before her bathroom door was kicked in as well.

  Jennifer screamed in shock. He reached for her, took hold of her arm, and had her out of the bathroom, half dragging her from the bedroom and down the hall.

  “We haven’t talked about this!” her father yelled again.

  “It’s done,” Reed yelled back at him.

  “You can’t just come into my home and take her!” Isaac said back.

  They stopped at the front door, his hold on her arm like iron. Jennifer didn’t know what the hell to say to her father or to Reed for that matter. She simply was speechless.

  “The rare red moon is upon us,” Reed said to Isaac. “And as is my right, I’m taking your daughter to mate.”

  “What?” she gasped, looking up at Reed in disbelief.

  “This isn’t the barbaric way any longer, Pearce,” Isaac snarled. “You can’t just take my daughter like this. It isn’t allowed!”