Kiss of Moonlight
Stephanie Julian
Plagued by nightmares. Stalked by kidnappers. Tamra McMillan needs a safe haven. When tattooed bad-ass Kyle Rossini steps into her life, the last thing she expects to find is a sanctuary from her demons or steaming hot sex. In fact, everything about him screams danger. But appearances can be deceiving. The tender possessiveness of his touch, the hunger in his eyes, the scorching sensuality of his kiss—all of it sears him into her soul and brands her as his for life.
But otherworldly forces are afoot and death hovers…
Etruscan werewolf Kyle is a loner. The king’s assassin with a killer’s instincts. The last thing he needs is a mate who could be placed in danger because of him. Until he meets the one woman who needs him more than he needs his solitude. When Tamra, battered but not broken, stumbles into his world and tumbles into his bed, she captures his heart. And nothing—not kidnappers or visions of his possible death—will keep him from her.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Kiss of Moonlight
ISBN 9781419925399
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Kiss of Moonlight Copyright 2009 Stephanie Julian
Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower
Photography and cover art by Les Byerley
Electronic book publication October 2009
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Kiss of Moonlight
Stephanie Julian
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Better Homes and Gardens: Meredith Corporation
CNN: Cable News Network LP
Google: Google Inc.
Jeep Wrangler: DaimlerChrysler Corp.
Jim Beam: Jim Beam Brands Co.
Lifetime TV: Lifetime Entertainment Services Cable LT Holdings Inc.
Mario: Nintendo of America Inc.
Mercury Cougar: Ford Motor Company
Superman: DC Comics
Glossary
Arus: magical power inherent in the Fata and Enu, races of Etruscan descent
Boschetta: Etruscan coven, traditionally comprised of thirteen streghe
Candela: Etruscan sprite, tiny magical beings with wings and a certain glow about them
Etera (pl. eteri): Etruscan for foreigner, used to describe regular humans
Enu: humans of magical Etruscan descent
Fata: elemental beings of magical Etruscan descent
Folletta: Etruscan female fairy
Linchetto: Etruscan night elf
Malandante: Descended from the Etruscans but born with a bent toward evil, with a taste for power and wealth
Salbinelli: Etruscan satyr
Strega (pl. streghe): Etruscan witch
Versipellis (pl. versipelli): literally “skin shifter”—shapeshifters including Etruscan Lucani (wolves), Norse Berkserkir (bears) and French loup garou (wolves)
Chapter One
“So, Dad, did you notice someone moved into the Johnson place?”
Kyle Rossini pulled his head out from under the hood of the ’68 Cougar and caught his daughter’s bright aquamarine gaze. “And you would know this how?”
Taking a closer look, he noted Cat’s windblown strawberry-gold hair and her pristine shorts and t-shirt.
She’d been out running in her pelt.
He sighed. “Cat, you’re not supposed to be out that far. Your mom’ll have my head if something happens to you.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “Mom’s more worried about you right now.”
Shit. “Tell your mom to worry about her mate.”
“Daddy Dan’s worried about you too.”
With a sigh, Kyle wiped his hands on the rag hanging from the waistband of his filthy jeans and leaned against the fender to stare at his daughter.
Catene Rossini Ferrante stared back with all the wide-eyed innocence a fifteen-year-old girl could muster. And damn if she didn’t pull it off. Then again, he was somewhat prejudiced.
The baby she’d been had stolen his heart the moment her mother had put her in his arms and told him he was her father. Which turned out to be only half true. His best friend Danilo Ferrante had an equal shot at that title.
Good thing he and Dan had been strong enough friends to weather the resulting years. And when Dan and Margie had finally decided to set up house shortly after Cat’s birth, Kyle had thrown them a party. And finally admitted, if only to himself, that he was relieved to see Margie settled with a man who loved her the way she deserved.
But Cat would always be his daughter. And Dan and Margie had never contested his claim to the little girl’s heart. Hell, Cat had three parents who loved her desperately. What was wrong with that?
However, it also meant Kyle had three people who worried about him.
Shaking his head, he tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Answer my first question. What were you doing all the way out there?”
Cat shrugged with all the grace of her beautiful mother. “Running. I lost track of where I was.”
Kyle shook his head. “Yeah, not buying that, little girl. Damn it, what if someone had seen you? Or worse.”
Cat rolled those pretty eyes again. “Please. No one saw me. There’s no one out here. You live in the middle of nowhere.”
“Except you said there’s someone in the old Johnson place.”
Cat’s mouth screwed up in a grimace. “Well, yeah. But she’s young and sad. And really scared, Dad.”
Kyle frowned. “What do you mean, scared?”
“Just what I said.” Cat huffed. “She’s scared. She’s so scared I could smell it from the tree line. I think you should go over there and make sure she’s okay.”
His frown turned into a scowl. “What? Why?”
Cat bit her lip. “Because I’m worried about her.”
“You just saw the woman to— Damn it, Cat. How long has she been there and how long have you been checking in on her?”
His daughter tried for innocence. And fell damn short this time. His expression must have warned her he wasn’t falling for it and she huffed. “Well, if you’d get out of this house more, you’d know she moved in a week ago. But you’ve had your nose stuck in this old heap. Daddy says you’re in avoidance mode. Daddy says you’re blowing him off and he won’t be able to cover your a— ah, butt for much longer. He said Cole’s starting to ask questions.”
Shit, that was even worse than Dan and Margie worrying about him. “And just how long have you been eavesdropping on your pare
nts’ conversations?”
Cat held his gaze steady. “We were talking at dinner last week. I told you, they’re worried. And I am too.”
Vaffanculo. That was the last thing in the world he wanted. Reaching for her, he tugged a strand of gorgeous red hair, remembering how much lighter it had been when she’d been a baby. When it had been so much easier to keep her in the dark. Safe. Protected.
“I’m a big boy, Cat. You don’t have to worry about me. There’s nothing wrong.”
Unless you counted the fact that he’d nearly died six months ago. But that was to be expected when you were a soldier, especially one with his unique talents.
He’d been solo on that assignment to deliver a message for Cole, as he had been since Dan had retired several years ago. No one from his cohort, not even the tribuni had known what he was up to.
So when he’d been injured, he’d had no one to drag him out. He’d almost died before he’d gotten to Doc.
“Daddy, I’m not an idiot.” Cat was going for a gold medal in teenage-disgust eye rolling. “I know something happened last winter, something you don’t want to talk about. And that’s okay. There are gonna be things I’m not gonna wanna talk about either sometimes. But you’ve just seemed so…out of touch lately. And I know it has something to do with what happened.”
Well shit. How the hell had she figured that out? Only he and Cole, the lucani king, had known why Kyle had delivered that message. And why he’d been shot for it.
What had he let slip? And what did she really know? It couldn’t be much because if she’d known how close to death he’d been…
He covered his concern with a smile and completely ignored the question in her eyes. “When did you get too big for your britches?”
“Oh please.” There went the eyes again. “What are britches, anyway? I’m fifteen, Daddy. Not a baby anymore. I understand much more than you think. And I’m stronger than you think.”
Yeah, she was. But she would always be his baby first and foremost and therefore his to protect. He nodded, smart enough to know not to talk down to her. “Sweet—”
She cut him off with one finger in the air. “So are you going to check on her or what?”
Tenacious should have been Cat’s middle name. “Why are you so insistent I check on some eteri I don’t even know?” Cat blinked and Kyle had his answer. “Vaf— Damn, Cat. You talked to her, didn’t you?”
Her long-suffering sigh sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Vaffanculo, what if this woman had been sent to find him? To hurt him? The people he dealt with would have no qualms using his little girl as a bargaining chip. Which was why Cat only stayed with him for short periods of time. He hated that he couldn’t live close to her, that he worried about her even more when she stayed here.
He took every precaution to safeguard this house and these grounds in eastern Berks County. The wards were airtight around his two square acres, including the open field surrounding the house and the small forest to the south. No one got through without his knowledge. He allowed Cat the run of the forest but he’d laid down the law about going beyond the tree line outside of the wards.
That tree line bordered the Johnson property.
“No, Dad. I didn’t talk to her. She talked to me. And look,” she held her arms out in front of her, her eyes wide in mock amazement, “I’m still here. You know, someday I’m going to move out into the big, bad world. Oh the horror. And I’ll actually talk to eteri every day.”
He’d never admit it to Cat, or anyone else, but that was his worst nightmare—his daughter alone in the outside world, no longer under his watchful eye or living with Dan and Margie.
The outside world was encroaching too fast. And for descendents of the magical Etruscans like Kyle and his daughter, who controlled an ancient and powerful magic, that world would chase them down with Uzis then strap them to tables and torture them with lab instruments.
Still, he knew from experience that forbidding his daughter to do something was a sure way for her to want it. Which was why he gave her the run of the forest during the day. At night, she was only allowed to go out with him. Or with Tivr, if the Lord of the Silver Light was around. Which happened a lot more often than not lately. The Etruscan God of the Moon had always had a soft spot for Cat.
Kyle reached deep for his patience. “Cat, we’ve talked about this—”
“And I’ve talked to Mom.” Her expression was dead serious. “She agrees with me. You’re too strict.” Cat’s nose wrinkled. “Well, she didn’t actually say it in those words but that’s what she meant. Besides, I’m not stupid, Dad.” She drew that last word out to something like three syllables and he caught himself before he rolled his own eyes. “I checked her out before I approached her. She’s got no magic. At all. She’s just so lonely. And so scared.”
And that’s what had drawn Cat to this woman. Cat had Margie’s pure heart. Margie couldn’t pass a stray on the street, human or animal, without a smile, a pat on the head and the offer of a hot meal and a safe place to sleep.
As a strega, an Etruscan witch, Margie’s Goddess Gift gave her an affinity with plants and herbs, anything that grew in the ground. She was freaking Mother Nature but she had the same touch with people.
And so did their daughter.
“Cat…”
“Daddy, would you please check in on her? Please?”
His baby girl batted those blue eyes at him and his heart melted.
And Cat’s smile spread from ear to ear.
“Thank you so much.” Cat threw thin arms around his neck and gave him an increasingly rare hug, which he returned before she could get away. “I’m just so worried about her.”
He released Cat as soon as she started to pull away, not wanting to hold her too tight. Never wanting to let her go.
He sighed. “What’s her name?”
“Tamra.” She clapped her hands in front of her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Tinia’s teat, why did he feel as if he’d just agreed to surrender to the enemy? It wasn’t like a female eteri could do much damage to him.
“All right, baby. I’ll check on her tonight.”
* * * * *
Tamra McMillan heard the faint scratch of claws on wood and opened the front door, expecting to see the adorable half-grown black dog that’d been haunting her porch the past three days.
She’d made some rice and ground beef for dinner for herself and she’d saved some for the dog, figuring she’d be hungry. She always seemed hungry.
But when she looked out, the front yard glazed in silver by the almost-full moon, she didn’t see a little dog. She saw a full-grown wolf.
Drawing in a deep breath, Tam froze. The animal sat at the bottom of the two steps that led onto the rickety little porch of the house built by her great-grandfather. It didn’t growl or bare its teeth. It just sat there and stared at her.
As if waiting for her to come out. Or let it in.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t a wolf. Maybe it was someone’s lost pet. She didn’t have a lot of experience with wild animals. Unless they were of the human variety.
Before she realized she’d done it, she rolled her shoulder. Her clavicle had healed well, the doctor said, and it didn’t hurt much anymore. Her leg… That might never be the same, the doctor had told her. The bastard had ripped the muscles when he—
No.
She blocked the image with sheer force of will and focused again on the dog. His head turned to the side as he regarded her. He was a beautiful animal, his black fur sleek and shiny, his eyes a bright topaz. And he was big, at least a hundred pounds.
Had to be a shepherd. She didn’t think there were any wolves in this area of the states anymore.
Maybe he was the younger dog’s father. He certainly had the same shiny black coat.
“Hey, boy. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”
The dog cocked his head to the side, as if contemplating her offer, and she took that as
a yes. She’d already portioned off some of her dinner for the puppy and Tamra really wasn’t that hungry. If the puppy showed up later, she’d give up her meal.
Of course, if she lost any more weight, her clothes weren’t going to fit and she didn’t want to have to buy new ones. That would require a trip to the mall.
All those people rushing around. Too many people to see them all clearly.
She shuddered. She’d force herself to eat something a little later.
It only took her a minute to get the food from the tiny fridge and return. The dog had stayed exactly where he was. She set the bowl on the edge of the porch and stepped away, watching as he looked at her then at the bowl then at her again.
He seemed to smile before he rose and walked up the two sagging stairs to the porch. After sniffing at the bowl for a few seconds, he made short work of the food then turned around and sat back down on the ground.
She smiled, happy to see someone enjoy a meal. “Guess you were hungry, huh? Are you lost, big guy?” She looked at his neck for tags but didn’t see a collar. “Did someone abandon you and the puppy out here? Probably better off without them if they did. Lots of sick people in the world, buddy.”
She knew that for a fact.
After her attack, her doctor had wanted to set her up with a psychiatrist who specialized in her particular trauma. But Tamra hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone. Not then. It’d been too close, too soon. She’d felt dirty.
Hell, she still felt dirty sometimes, usually after the dreams.
She’d wanted to get out, get away. Leave it all behind and start fresh. Somewhere no one knew her. Somewhere people didn’t look at her with guilt and sorrow and avid curiosity. Somewhere she could be alone to work through her issues. Somewhere John Ray Scott would never find her. Even though the police and his doctors swore he’d never wake from the coma. Or be released from prison if he did.
For the past six months, she’d bounced from town to town in New York and New Jersey. Something she’d sworn she’d never do after the life she and her mom had lived.
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