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Red Rose Publishing
www.redrosepublishing.com
Copyright ©2007 by Rose Marie Wolf
First published in 2008, 2008
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CONTENTS
Dedication:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
AUTHOR BIO
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Dark Moon Magick:
Book Four of the Moon Series
By
Rose Marie Wolf
Dedication:
This book is dedicated to Cindy, because you were the first one to love this book.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dark Moon Magick by Rose Marie Wolf
Red Rose™ Publishing
Publishing with a touch of Class! ™
The symbol of the Red Rose and Red Rose is a trademark of Red Rose™ Publishing
Red Rose™ Publishing
Copyright© 2007 Rose Marie Wolf
ISBN: 978-1-60435-158-3
Cover Artist: Brenda Porter
Editor: Melissa Glisan
Line Editor: WRG
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away.
This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.
Red Rose™ Publishing
www.redrosepublishing.com
Forestport, NY 13338
Dark Moon Magick:
Book Four of the Moon Series
By
Rose Marie Wolf
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter One
The room was cold and sterile. It quickly reminded Rose Barnett just why she hated hospitals, even though it wasn't a hospital room at all. It just looked like one, felt like one. The cheery drawings of happy families on the wall did very little to make the atmosphere feel any different to her. She rubbed her bare arms and tried not to shiver.
She waited patiently for Dr. Nesbitt to return. Her gaze roamed around the room, taking in the sterile environment. The table—or was it a bed? She could never really tell—was cold and hard and the paper gown she wore barely covered her nakedness, not that she was ashamed. She leaned back, letting her bare back touch the metal and she hissed in a breath at the chill.
She tried to relax and closed her eyes. She sniffed, but her stuffy nose wouldn't let her breathe in anything. She was partly glad for that. She could only imagine the medicinal smell of the room. She hated it.
Her hands automatically went to her stomach, cradling her pregnant belly. She tried to picture the baby within but she couldn't. All she saw was her mate's angry eyes and Simon Conner's hateful grin. She shuddered and removed her hands. Her eyes flew open.
The cold feeling she felt before was nothing compared to the icy sweat that began to drip down her back. Every time she thought of Simon, she felt a sudden dread. It was like something was wrapping around her heart and squeezing the very life out of her.
She had been in heat when he had taken her. She couldn't help what she had done. The lust was powerful. It made her feel almost violently ill.
Simon Conner. She never wanted to hear that name again for as long as she lived. He had done enough to them, had succeeded in ripping their lives apart. After his raid on the Paranormal Research and Development safe house, and her subsequent kidnapping, Simon Conner grew to be a formidable force, a werewolf gone bad. He was hunter bent on destroying them all, in retaliation for Jason having nearly killed him nearly four years ago, he had come back and nearly succeeded. But Simon was gone now, really dead. And Jason was gone, had been for the past eight months, leaving Rose alone and pregnant.
Only he didn't know about the baby. She hadn't told him. She had only found out moments before he left. Now she didn't know where he was and hadn't heard from him at all in the past months. For all she knew, he could be dead.
As if sensing her thoughts, the baby inside of her kicked. She placed her hand on her swollen stomach, feeling the baby move around. She rubbed her stomach.
"Sorry, Little One,” she said softly, looking down. “It's not my fault.
Or was it? She had struggled with her feelings of guilt for the longest time and part of her still blamed herself. Her lack of control and subsequent actions with Simon had led to the confusion of the paternity of her baby. It could be Jason's. It could be Simon's.
It was that thought, most of all that sickened her.
Finally, she decided not to think of it any more. The doctor would be in soon.
She continued to rub her belly and stare at the door, waiting impatiently. She just wanted to get this damned check-up over with, she had other things to do.
"It'll be okay, Little One,” she said again, wondering if it really ever would be.
The door opened and Dr. Nesbitt entered. With her stuffed up nose, Rose couldn't catch her scent at all, but she knew the woman smelled of antiseptic and some flowery perfume that made a strange, but intoxicating combination. She sniffed again, but it was futile.
"Hi, Rose,” Dr. Nesbitt said a little too cheerfully. She looked down at her chart a moment then smiled at her. She was an older woman, with graying brown hair and bright blue eyes. Rose had known Deborah Nesbitt all her life. She was the PRDI's resident physician and had a knack for psychic healing. Though some of her methods were considered unconventional, she was good at what she did. “Sinuses still giving you trouble?"
"Yes,” Rose answered without hesitation, noting how horrible she sounded with her nasal passages blocked. “And I hate it."
"As a werewolf, I can imagine so.” The doctor nodded sympathetically. She sat in her chair and rolled toward Rose. “How long have you been stuffed up this time?"
"Few days, but it's really bad. I can't smell anything. It's driving me mad."
Dr. Nesbitt chuckled. “As I told you before, it's not uncommon for pregnant women
to suffer from sinusitis. The mucous membranes can swell because of your increased hormone levels."
"You'd think with our advanced healing, it wouldn't happen,” Rose looked at Dr. Nesbitt in annoyance. She really did hate having herself limited, especially one of her strongest werewolf abilities.
"Not necessarily.” Dr. Nesbitt shook her head. “You're still susceptible to illnesses, just like anyone else."
"Ah, damn it.” The doctor smiled, but Rose wasn't feeling the humor. The doctor dropped it and looked down at her clipboard. “So, none of the herbal remedies I recommended worked?"
"They did for a while, but it always comes back.” Rose sniffed, clearing up some of the stuffiness. She watched while the doctor made a few scribbles on her clipboard.
After a moment, Dr. Nesbitt set it aside and stood. “I need to have another look.” Rose took in a deep breath but nodded as Dr. Nesbitt approached her. “Just relax like before and stay quiet. The scan will only take a few moments."
"Been through the drill before, Doc,” Rose answered, her voice quavering. The doctor gave her a calming smile but she didn't feel reassured at all.
"Just relax,” she said again, in a soothing voice.
Though Rose had felt the psychic tingle before, she was never fully prepared for it. Dr. Nesbitt was an expert and she was gentle. She slowly lifted her hands to either side of Rose's face and closed her eyes.
In a previous appointment, Dr. Nesbitt had explained what she was doing. Rose knew now what to expect, but it didn't make it any easier. Using her psychic healing abilities, she scanned Rose's face, barely touching her. She could see inside the body, sort of like a human x-ray machine. After a few moments of searching, she could pinpoint the problem and know the immediate diagnosis.
Rose felt the familiar warm tingle and knew the doctor was working her magic. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her mouth as she waited for the final diagnosis. A few moments passed before Dr. Nesbitt pulled back. Rose opened her eyes as she took a few moments to compose herself. Rose knew it was just a part of grounding herself and she waited until the doctor was ready.
Dr. Nesbitt shuddered and let out a deep breath. “You have a chronic sinus infection, one of the worst I have ever seen."
"Great.” Rose sniffed again. “Is there anything that can be done about it?"
"It's pretty bad.” A line formed between the doctor's eyebrows as she thought. “Normally I would prescribe an antibiotic to help fight it, but with your pregnancy—"
"It might affect the baby. Yeah, I figured that,” Rose finished with a sigh. Her hands rested once again on her stomach. The baby wiggled around and Rose quickly moved her hands away.
Dr. Nesbitt continued. “I can give you a nonprescription nose spray. That would help."
"I hope."
"I have some in a cabinet somewhere. I'll get it for you before you leave."
"Thanks."
"It would also be a good idea to lower the stress levels in your life. That could be the main reason why it's reoccurring.” She paused and looked up at Rose.
Rose didn't look at her. Instead, she trained her eyes to look beyond Dr. Nesbitt's head. Reducing her stress levels was a lot of ask for. After all, she was pregnant and uncertain just who the baby's father was: Jason or Simon. And Jason was gone. She was alone. How could she lower that? She let out a breath and refocused her eyes. Dr. Nesbitt had resumed looking at her clipboard.
"You haven't done any shifting have you? Had any unusual abdominal pains?” Rose looked at her in shock. She knew werewolves weren't supposed to shift during pregnancy. All the organs changing, constricting around her womb, were dangerous to an unborn child. Every female werewolf knew this, and so did Dr. Nesbitt.
"No, of course not. I'm not stupid."
"I know that, Rose. At this point in your pregnancy, it's important to keep track of things like this. We don't want to endanger the baby.” Dr. Nesbitt paused and scribbled something. Her eyebrows furrowed together. “How have you been feeling?"
"Tired. Pukey. Stressed-out."
"Depressed?” Rose closed her eyes. Here it is, she thought bitterly. Another lecture. She braced herself for it. She took a deep breath, reopened her eyes and stared at the doctor. Dr. Nesbitt's blue eyes stared straight into hers unflinchingly.
"Yeah, something like that..."
"Being depressed during pregnancy is normal."
"Yeah,” Rose said again. She broke the stare a little irritably. “I've heard it all before.” There was a stony silence for a few moments. Rose stared at the bulge of her stomach. Her face felt hot. She heard Dr. Nesbitt shift her weight.
"I remember when your mother was pregnant with you...” Dr. Nesbitt spoke softly. Rose looked up.
"My mother?"
"Yes.” Dr. Nesbitt resumed her seat, rolling her chair closer to Rose. “I was Janet Faye Sullivan's physician. I knew her well."
"I—” Rose stopped and shook her head. “I didn't know that."
"I didn't think you did.” She reached for her hand and Rose obligingly allowed her to hold it. “You barely knew her. It was a shame what happened. She was taken away from you too quickly."
"I barely remember her.” Rose blinked a few times and her face hardened. She couldn't remember her mother, but she remembered the car accident that claimed her parent's lives. “Why are you bringing her up?"
"Your mother was very concerned for your safety. Everything she did, she did for you, for her child. She—"
"Deborah,” Rose sighed, breaking the formality by using her first name. “Don't lay the guilt on me."
"I'm not laying any guilt on you. I'm just trying to help you."
Rose went silent and pulled her hand away from her. She licked her lips. “Don't do this, Deborah,” she said finally, in a low voice. “Don't try to tell me—"
"Rose, I'm just trying to help you."
"I don't need your help,” Rose shouted.
Dr. Nesbitt didn't hesitate. “But your baby does."
Rose felt cold suddenly, as if the temperature had just dropped. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to fight the chill. She was no longer angry. She was scared. “The baby?"
Dr. Nesbitt nodded once.
Rose let out a deep breath and lowered her head. She felt ashamed that she had let her anger get so out of hand. She wanted to apologize but she didn't.
"I only want to help you and help your baby,” Dr. Nesbitt said in a soft voice. Rose looked away.
There was a long pause. The clock on the wall ticked the seconds away and Rose lifted her eyes to it. Time was something constant, something that always existed, but it was always changing. Time went on.
It was nice to know some things were certain.
"Glen told me,” Dr. Nesbitt said suddenly, bringing Rose out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times, eyes focusing on the doctor's face. She didn't comprehend at first.
"What?"
Dr. Nesbitt hesitated. “Glen ... told me."
"What?” Rose sat up, her paper gown crinkling a bit with her movements. “What did he tell you?"
"He was concerned for your health, so he confided in me, in the strictest confidence."
Rose barely heard her words. Heat rose to her face. “What did he tell you?” She repeated in a lower voice.
"He told me what happened with Jason, why he left. He told me about—"
"No, please don't say his name."
"—Simon."
Rose lifted her gaze, staring angrily at Dr. Nesbitt. The doctor's blue eyes met hers daringly and she saw the concern and—from what Rose could tell—the pity in them. She stiffened her back, prepared to defend herself, but it wasn't necessary. Dr. Nesbitt backed away, grabbing her clipboard looking it over again.
The silence was heavy in the room once more. Rose moved a bit, her gown crinkling loudly. Dr. Nesbitt had her back turned and her head lowered over her desk. Rose heard her sigh then drop the clipboard.
"He said this would happe
n,” she said softly. “He said you would get defensive, angry."
"Remind me to yell at him about it later,” Rose answered bitterly. Dr. Nesbitt didn't respond. Instead, she turned to look at Rose. There was a moment's silence.
"I know there is no easy solution to what you're experiencing, but you must be careful. You not only have yourself, Rose, your child needs you to be healthy to survive. And you need to look past who the child's father is because this baby is just as much a part of you as he is,” Dr. Nesbitt paused. Her eyes turned steely grey and stern as she regarded her. “It's not just about you anymore."
She was stunned silent. Her anger melted slightly. Rose took the words in, allowing them to sink fully into her mind.
"I know your upset, Rose—I would be too—but Glen only told me because he was worried."
"He promised not to tell—"
"Rose.” The edge in her voice made her shut up. Rose glared daggers at her and snapped her mouth shut. “Let's not argue. It's getting us nowhere."
"All right,” Rose said stiffly. “If we're not going to talk any more, can we finish this?” The metal bed was growing uncomfortable and her palms were starting to sweat.
Dr. Nesbitt waited a moment then nodded. She snatched up the clipboard and her pen and wrote quickly. The obstetrical visit had quickly turned into a disaster. They said nothing to each other as the doctor poked and prodded Rose, drawing blood for tests and doing another psychic scan on her stomach.
"Nothing seems out of place,” she said when she pulled back. She wrote again and avoided looking at Rose. “The baby seems pretty healthy, but very small for the third trimester. You're slightly anemic as well. I want you on a strict diet with lots of protein and iron. And I want you to get a lot of rest. Try not to do too much. You need to lower your stress levels."
Rose listened, but her gaze didn't follow the doctor's movements. She stared at the door, mulling over what Deborah had said. What exactly had Glen told her? What did she know about her situation with Simon? She gave a slight shake of her head, a strand of her dark hair falling into her eyes. She brushed it away and stared at the doctor.
Being a short woman, Dr. Nesbitt had to stand on the very tips of her toes to grab hold of the nose spray. She handed it to Rose, their eyes meeting.
Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4] Page 1
