by Morgan Fox
Moonlight Shifters 5
Bewitched by the Moon
Tiffany Miles is a fey witch with a magical birthright. Forced by her people to align with the lycans, she discovers that doing so has placed her in grave danger.
A nefarious vampire queen seeks to gain control of her magical powers—powers she has no idea how to control.
Forced into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Tiffany turns to Zane McCoskey, a lycan doctor who has been bewitched by her since the first moment he set eyes on her. Enslaved by unquenched desires, he learns that the beautiful blonde is his mate, and the fevered attraction turns him inside out. The fierce nature of his beast is released, and he will stop at nothing to protect what belongs to him.
Only the courage and strength they find in each other’s arms can save them all from certain death.
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 62,532 words
BEWITCHED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 5
Morgan Fox
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
BEWITCHED BY THE MOON
Copyright © 2013 by Morgan Fox
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-827-4
First E-book Publication: April 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
In memory of Zane Douglas McCoskey. Thank you for being a part of my life and a part of this story. You are greatly missed.
For my amazing husband, Eric, who listens to me rattle on about characters at all hours and for supporting me in the midst of all the crazy ups and downs. Thank you for being my dream come true.
And for Lydia Mazza. Your love and support mean more to me than you may ever know. Thank you for being my friend.
BEWITCHED BY THE MOON
Moonlight Shifters 5
MORGAN FOX
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
The cold, lethal fingers that wrapped around Tiffany’s throat began to squeeze tighter, choking her, cutting off the air that once filled her lungs. The dark, foreboding presence of death hovered over her. Its massive size draped around her slender frame like a suffocating shadow.
Pressed against the hard earth, she struggled against her attacker. Instinctively, she took hold of the hands that threated to end her life. Her lungs burned, unable to take in any air. Panic ripped through her mind.
Suddenly, her vision blurred, and all she could see was the watery image above her, a red-eyed figure dressed in black, its foul breath upon her face.
Vampire!
Her face heated as the blood pressure in her body built with such an intensity she feared her head would explode. Her chest tightened and burned. Her heart pounded like a hammer, nailing her ribs with a fierce, brutal blow, reminding her that her death was imminent.
As her thoughts darkened, she gasped for breath. Her fear spiraled out of control.
Every ounce of her magic was rendered useless. Alarm and terror had blinded her, forced her to forget all that she had learned as a young witch. Now she would suffer a death she should’ve been able to prevent. The vampire would not only drain her blood, but absorb her power. Her people would be in danger, and it was all her fault.
Why had she chosen to walk home alone? Why hadn’t she approached Ryder, the were-panther-wolf hybrid who had been spying on her to escort her home? Why hadn’t she simply called a cab?
Her senses, her intuition had been on high alert, but still she ignored the warning.
She had no one to blame but herself. She was naive to think she was safe because she wasn’t a lycan. She should’ve known evil would come for her. She was the lycan leader’s assistant, after all. The moment Mason Levi targeted Brie, she should’ve returned to her people. That would’ve been the smart thing to do.
I’ll never be safe again.
Sebastian McCarthy had promised to protect her. He assured Tiffany’s people that under his watchful eye, she would be safe and sound within the lycan pack. For years she had believed him, but not anymore.
His overconfidence is going to be my undoing.
While Sebastian and his mate, Brie were hiding safely at McCarthy Ranch, she was making sure his legal firm remained functional, not bothering to worry about her own security. Why had she been so careless, so stupid?
Tiffany had assumed the protection spell she’d used to mask her abilities would keep her out of harm’s way. How wrong she had been.
I’m going to die. She shuddered. I’m not ready to die.
A sheer blinding force rocked her in the stomach. All the remaining air in her lungs whooshed out and a racing, throbbing panic swelled inside her. Pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before pummeled every nerve throughout her body.
It wasn’t enough that the vampire was preparing to bite her, end her life. Now it planned to toy with her and beat her to the point that she wouldn’t have
the strength to resist.
She flipped to her belly and frantically clawed at the ground beneath her, trying desperately to get away.
She didn’t make it far.
Within seconds, the hands that had been surrounding her throat were now gripping hold of her hair and slamming her face into the hard ground repeatedly. Stars exploded, flickering bursts of light igniting from behind her eyes. A bubbling acid filled her belly, a nausea that chased up her throat and out of her mouth.
Blood!
The bitter, metallic taste oozed from between her lips. The pain that flared inside her started at her feet and trailed up every nerve, vein, and muscle, ending in her head. Even her hair throbbed. There wasn’t a single spot on her body that didn’t hurt, didn’t make her eyes water.
Before she could catch her breath, she was immediately lifted from the ground and forced back around. A hard fist connected with the side of her face. First hitting her on the left side and then again on the right. Her body went limp.
Her mind, once drenched in fear, was now growing dark and absent of thought. All that was left was the last spark of her power, a flicker of magic that taunted her, reminding her of how weak and vulnerable she had become. The last piece of who she was supposed to be.
The chosen one…
The next blow to her head would end her. She knew it. But the hit never came. Instead she heard a growl unlike any she’d ever heard before. It wasn’t a wolf. She knew the fierce sounds the lycans made, but this was nothing like that. This was something so much more feral, aggressive, and deadly.
The weight of the vampire was no longer crushing her. The cool, crisp night air engulfed her, wrapping her within its cocoon. She couldn’t see a thing, her eyes were still unable to focus, but her hearing was on cue. She could make out the wild and untamed roars of the vampire and beast, a beast that had come to her rescue. The scent on the air told her what it was.
Nothing would erase the musky aroma from her memory.
The tearing sounds of flesh sent a shiver charging down her spine. The wild cry that followed forced the hair all over her body to stand on end. They were battling beside her, and she was useless to do anything but lay there. Her body was unresponsive, terribly weak, and fatigued.
A solid thud filled her ears, and a burst of air whipped over her. She cringed as the vampire and beast fought, their bodies colliding. Vulnerable, she waited for them to land on her, to include her in their battle.
Focusing on the unfolding action around her, she cried. More and more fear and panic seeped out of her. Then silence surrounded her. She wasn’t sure how many moments passed, but suddenly she was captured within the naked arms of a strong, powerful man. The energy that pulsed out from his flesh into hers was warm, a sensual tingle that calmed her almost instantly.
“I’ve got you,” his deep, soothing voice rumbled into her ear. His warm breath tickled her skin. “He can’t hurt you anymore.” His large, powerful hand brushed back her tousled hair. He growled, but it didn’t frighten her. It was more like a sound of frustration, anger toward the situation at hand.
Then, she was lifted from the ground, her body cradled up against his firm chest. “We need to get you to the hospital,” he said with an urgent tone.
Her mind instantly went on the defensive. She couldn’t go to a traditional hospital. They’d never understand her ability to heal. She wasn’t normal. She could easily kill a human. “No! I can’t,” she breathed. Trembling with fatigue, she tried to push against his chest. Her efforts were useless.
He shushed her, rocking her like a small child. “I know, Tiffany. I’m taking you to Dr. Shaw’s. You’ll be okay.”
Tiffany? Dr. Shaw’s?
“Ryder?” she whispered his name. His masculine scent filled her nostrils. Her heart pounded as she realized she was safe. Finally. “You came for me.” She nuzzled her face against his solid chest. Hard sinew molded to her. “Thank God you did. He would’ve killed me.” She whimpered, her fingers digging into the hard tissue of his shoulder. His skin was damp, slick with sweat.
“Tiffany,” he breathed softly. His hands and fingers gently massaged the soft skin of her arm and leg as he held her. “Don’t speak. Let me get you to the clinic.”
Effortlessly, he stood with her in his arms, and with a speed she could only imagine having, he ran hard and fast, jumping over objects that lay in their path. In a few short minutes, they blasted through the doors of the clinic. The bright lights above her head forced her eyes to squint.
“We need help,” Ryder roared.
She heard the rush of hospital staff heading their way, tearing her from Ryder’s arms, and placing her onto a bed. They rolled her down the cold, bright hallway. Ryder held her hand. She was grateful he hadn’t left her. Even though she was safe in the protection of the hospital, she had never felt so alone.
“We can take it from here, Mr. O’Laughlin.” The moment she heard the calm, alluring voice, she knew exactly who it belonged to. There was no other sound in the world that could make her heart skip the way it did when he was near.
Zane.
“I’m not leaving Tiffany alone,” Ryder said with a growl.
The tension between them was noticeably thick and heated. The air that surrounded the three of them felt electric. So much energy sparked around her like a violent thunderstorm. When Zane rested his hand on her shoulder and Ryder’s hand stayed laced with hers, her pulse fired into an intense and alarming rhythm.
“Then maybe you can do us all a favor and put some clothes on,” Zane said sharply, tossing him a sheet to cover himself. “You’ve got blood all over you. Maybe you should go clean up, too.”
She could feel the annoyance in his words. Why Zane felt that way, she had no idea. Had Ryder done something to him?
“Tiffany,” Zane called out softly. “This is Dr. McCoskey. I’m going to take care of you.” With a stethoscope, he listened to her heart. “Can you tell me what happened?”
She shuddered, her voice shaky. “I was attacked by a—”
“A damn vampire,” Ryder said sharply, finishing her words.
More untamed energy seeped from him into her. She was breathless as his life force filled her with strength. Ryder was helping her heal, and he didn’t even know it.
Zane’s hands explored her body, squeezing and rubbing her arms and legs, poking and prodding at her ribs and belly. She assumed he was checking her for broken bones and internal injuries. She didn’t feel broken, just badly bruised.
Slowly, her vision cleared. The magic within her drew energy from both men. The longer they stood near her, touched her, the more she would drain from them. She wouldn’t take much, just enough to see clearly and begin healing herself. Their paranormal energy was like a jolt of caffeine flooding her system. Instantly, she was more alert and able to concentrate.
Her eyes widened. “Lilly sent someone to kill me,” she said plainly. Her heart and blood pressure finally returning to normal.
“How do you know it was Lilly?” Ryder questioned, his eyes locking on hers.
She could feel his need to know as if the need had been her own. The connection they shared, thanks to her magic, was extraordinary.
Tiffany cleared her throat. “The vampire told me. He said, ‘Lilly sends her regards,’ and then he was on me.” She sniffled. “He was there to kill me.”
Zane brushed back her hair, his fingers gliding over the side of her face. In that moment, she felt it. Zane desired her. He had for a long time. His anger over what had happened to her was a window into his soul. She’d never known he’d felt that way. She’d always assumed her feelings were one sided.
She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. He didn’t pull away. The security she felt laying on the bed between Zane and Ryder was the most peaceful calm she’d ever experienced. After the grueling evening she had, a little serenity was much needed.
“What happened to him?” Zane asked, his eyes darting toward Ryder.
Ryde
r’s free hand wrapped around the side rail of her bed as he leaned in Zane’s direction. “I killed him,” he said coldly.
Zane nodded. “Good. The bastard deserved no less.”
She thought she saw a smile tug at the corner of Ryder’s mouth. “I’m glad you feel that way, Doc.”
Zane moved in closer to her, checking her pupillary response. As she gazed up at him, she could see the unique blend that made up his eye color, a soft swirl of green that started at the pupil and blended into a deep brown throughout the iris. Never in her life had something captivated her more. He had the most breathtaking eyes, and she found herself unable to focus on anything else.
That was until Ryder’s voice set her heart beating just a little faster. “Did the vampire bite her? She’s unnaturally pale. Maybe she needs blood?”
Her eyes swelled, and her heart nearly leapt from her chest. She couldn’t allow them to give her blood. If they did, it would taint her magic and it could even kill her, but she couldn’t tell them that. She couldn’t let anyone know who and what she was. She was already in enough danger now that Lilly had marked her for death. She didn’t need others joining the “Kill Tiffany” bandwagon.
“No, please,” she begged, reaching up to take hold of Zane’s lab coat. “I don’t want blood. I can’t!” Her breathing was ragged as she locked onto his surprised stare. “Please, Zane, I don’t want anyone else’s blood.”
Even though she was healing, her body was still so fragile, so weak. Her elevated pulse was only making things worse. Trembling, she released her grip on Zane.
