Bewitched by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 5] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Morgan Fox

  “Tiffany,” he said, trying with all his might to tell her she belonged to him. Forever. He choked. The idea of her rejecting him was crippling. He didn’t want to hear her panicked words, her fear that she would be stuck with him for the rest of her life.

  As a lycan, he may never be able to hold another woman, kiss her, and love her as he would Tiffany, but that wasn’t her fate. Tiffany had a choice, and the idea that she would choose to be without him was paralyzing.

  Where is this self-doubt coming from? Why am I immediately assuming she’d say no?

  Just then his bedroom door flew open. Ryder stood glaring at them both. His eyes raked over Tiffany, and the wild gleam in his eyes had her tugging her towel tighter around her. Then his venomous stare darted to Zane, and he wondered if the towering giant was about to rip his head off.

  He could try.

  “I thought you should know,” Ryder began, his upper lip curling as if disgusted. “Dominic, Reyes, and Megan have returned.” His gaze drifted back to Tiffany, softening a little, appearing almost disappointed. “They wish to speak to you.”

  Not bothering to close the door, he turned and left, fleeing from sight as abruptly as he had appeared. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve assumed Ryder was not pleased that he’d been with Tiffany. The glare in his eyes resembled jealousy, but why would he be jealous? Ryder was a panther, and Tiffany was a witch. He may have wanted to sleep with her, but surely Ryder would understand once he learned that Tiffany was his mate. Before that could be addressed, he’d have to confront Tiffany. Something he was not about to do now.

  “You better get dressed before the other three come barging in here, too,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t pry further.

  She held his gaze for a second before nodding, and then disappeared around the corner in the direction of her room. Her sudden absence left him cold. He was desperate to have her as a wolf would have his mate, but he wouldn’t chance that she didn’t want to assume that role. She had a choice. He didn’t, and presently, he wasn’t brave enough to discover her answer.

  What a coward.

  * * * *

  “You know how a good fight puts me in the mood,” Dominic said, lifting Megan up onto the counter, sliding up between her legs.

  She moaned as his teeth nipped at the crook of her neck.

  “Will you please stop manhandling my mate,” Reyes said with a flicker of annoyance in his voice.

  “Last I checked, she belonged to me, too,” he said, grinning. Dominic bucked his hips forward, and she groaned again. “Besides, I think she likes it.”

  Megan giggled.

  Tiffany cleared her throat, hating to interrupt, but they had requested to see her, and she was actually quite curious as to why. “You wanted to speak with me?”

  Reyes smiled warmly. “Yes, Tiffany, please come in and have a seat. Were you injured?” he asked in a very parental sort of way.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine and thank you.” She suddenly felt timid. Something about being surrounded by all that primal testosterone was making her uncomfortable. She wasn’t normally like that, but since she had proven useless against the vampires, her confidence was lacking.

  I don’t act like this with Zane.

  “Good,” Reyes said. “Sebastian called me, said that he would like us to bring you to McCarthy Ranch as soon as possible.”

  Tiffany knew this already, but she was still not sure that Sebastian was thinking clearly. Maybe Brie’s pregnant brain was affecting him, too. He might be afraid that the vampires would get to her, but they couldn’t. Not while at Reyes’s estate. “But aren’t we safer here?”

  Reyes flinched a little at her question, obviously not expecting her to argue since Sebastian had made his request known and who was she to argue with the leader of their pack. She was weak and defenseless, little ole Tiffany. “Yes, but—”

  Dominic interrupted and said, “Technically, sweetheart, we’ll be sitting ducks once we leave this place, but if Sebastian feared you were not safe traveling with the five of us, he wouldn’t risk it.”

  “Are you sure?” she snapped and then bit her lip. Why had she said that? Was she just angry? Annoyed? Yes, but that didn’t give her the excuse to disrespect the people who had protected her. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

  Megan hopped off the counter and took her hand, sitting next to her on the sofa. “Of course you are,” Megan said in her soothing doctor voice. “For whatever reason, Lilly is focusing on you. Any sane person would be a little scared by that, and truthfully, this is all a lot to process. But know that as long as the five of us are with you, we won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Thank you,” Tiffany said softly.

  She knew Dominic, Megan, and Reyes meant well and that they believed they would protect her, but there was something in the pit of her stomach that said they were making a huge mistake. Leaving the protection of the walls that surrounded them would put them all in grave danger. Tiffany had to figure out what she was going to do. She had to contact her people, even though Sebastian warned her against it.

  “When do we leave?” Tiffany asked, needing to know how much time she had.

  Megan turned to Reyes, who said, “We leave the day after tomorrow. We could all use a little rest, and it’s too dangerous to travel at night. It might only be a few hours to McCarthy Ranch, but it’s best if we move during the day.”

  Dominic stepped forward and said, “In the meantime, you should get some rest and try not to worry your pretty little head.”

  Nodding, she rose to her feet, turned, and headed back to her room. Once locked inside, she picked up the phone and dialed her mother’s number. The line rang only once before her mother answered.

  “Tiffany. You were never supposed to call here. It’s too dangerous,” her mother’s voice erupted from the receiver.

  Eve Miles was a tough woman and had always seemed to have the best intentions for her daughter. Tiffany wanted to believe that the hardest thing her mother ever had to do was send her away to live with the lycans. The distance between them had left a vacancy inside Tiffany that had never been filled by another.

  “Mom, I’m so sorry, but I need your help.” Tiffany truly didn’t know where else to turn. If anyone could help Tiffany figure out her out-of-whack magic, it had to be her mother.

  Concern suddenly seemed to weigh heavy on Eve’s tone. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  Tiffany’s body trembled. Anxiousness exploded from deep inside her. “My powers. They’re not working. Something’s wrong with my magic.”

  Her mother’s soft smile, the one she remembered gazing at for years as a child, beamed through the phone as she spoke. “Tiffany, nothing’s wrong with your magic. Every fey witch goes through an adjustment phase. You just have to figure out how to concentrate. Once you master that…your magic will blossom.”

  Could it be as easy as that? “Are you sure? I don’t feel like it’s going to blossom anytime soon, and now the vampires are after me.”

  “Vampires?”

  Tiffany moved to stand, gazing out the window which faced the rear side of the estate. The view was spectacular, land and trees as far as the eye could see. “Yes. Sebastian pissed off a century-old vampire, and now she’s trying to sink her fangs into me.”

  “Are you safe where you are?” Eve questioned, her voice nervous and full of tension.

  Tiffany placed her free hand on her forehead and then combed her fingers through her damp hair. “Yes, but Sebastian wants me to travel to where he is. I’m afraid we’ll be attacked once we leave here.”

  Eve drew in a sharp breath and slowly released it. “I have faith in Sebastian McCarthy. Surely, you’ll be safe with his men. How many of them are there?”

  Tears threatened to spill from Tiffany’s eyes. Frustration and fear consumed her. She was absorbing her mother’s panic. “Five, but I don’t want to rely on them. I want to be able to defend myself.”

  “Shhh, baby girl, don�
�t worry. You’ll be safe. Do what Sebastian tells you,” her mother commanded. “I’ve put my trust in him, and you should, too. Keep yourself calm. Keep your focus sharp. If your magic fails you…run.”

  Tiffany nodded absently, unable to argue with her mother. It seemed everyone knew what was best, but her. “All right, Mom, I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Be safe.” The line went dead.

  * * * *

  For hours Tiffany sat on the edge of her bed unable to sleep. The night was nearly over and the morning sun was revealing itself in the distant sky. Beautiful pinks, purples, and blues danced along the horizon, while the darkness that had been cast over her the night before began to vanish away.

  She had one more day to sit and wait, something she was not very good at. She’d already bitten her nails down to the skin and worn the carpet down where she’d been pacing for most of the night. Sleep easily evaded her, and nothing seemed to be able to change that. Except the moments she’d thought of Zane. Just picturing his face in her mind was enough to ease the worry blanketing her thoughts.

  Tiffany craved him, had since they’d first made love. Thinking of him now had her mindlessly tiptoeing down the hall toward his room. With her magic, she mentally twisted the knob to his bedroom door, and crept inside. Shirtless, Zane slept on his back with one arm hooked over his head, the other at his side draped over his stomach.

  Slowly, she stepped out of her clothing, letting her nightshirt drop to the floor. Her panties followed. She hungered for him and if the only peace she could find was in his arms, and in his bed, then that was where she would spend her last day.

  She eased the comforter down from Zane’s waist, revealing more defined muscles, and to her disappointment, he slept wearing boxer briefs. Her breath caught in her chest as she admired his strong, firm body.

  Her breasts grew heavy, remembering how he touched her in the shower. How his cock felt as it slid into her body with torturing slowness. Her mouth watered, gazing down at him.

  Massaging her breasts, she envisioned his hands upon her body once again.

  “Tiffany?” Zane rasped. His eyes widened, staring at her naked body. Her nipples hardened.

  He propped himself up on his elbows as she pulled the comforter down the rest of the way and then helped him from his boxers. He didn’t protest, and as she tugged the fabric down his long, toned legs, his cock swelled.

  Growing wetter, she crawled onto the bed and straddled him, impaling herself onto his cock. He groaned, dreamily staring up.

  “Please, Zane, I need you,” she told him softly, sweeping her lips over his.

  He fell back onto the bed, his arms coming around her instantly. Ravenous for his kiss, she held his face as she drank in the flavors of his mouth. She undulated her hips, driving him deeper. She gasped. The feel of his warm flesh against hers was alluring, intoxicating. She couldn’t get enough of him.

  He skillfully bucked his hips upward, and the jolt of energy they created in the shower returned, leaving her breathless. “Oh, God,” she cried. “Do that again.”

  He did, and the raw stimulation that shot through her had her clawing his chest. He hissed, capturing her wrists and dragging her arms up over his head. Immediately, he clamped down on her nipple, suckling the tip until it was wickedly sensitive.

  Then as if fevered by the wolf, he growled, flipping her onto her back. Raising her legs up so the backs of her knees rested on his shoulders, he drove inside her, thrusting wildly.

  She cried out as the first wave of her orgasm hit. Zane’s cock sank deep, hammering his pelvis forward until she felt his body spasm with release. A guttural sound moved from his chest, his body covered in sweat. He kissed her tenderly and then rolled to the side, lying flat on his back, breathing heavy.

  He reached his arm out, beckoning her to lie beside him. Eagerly she moved to comply, glad he wanted her close. There was no other place in the world she’d rather be than with him.

  Kissing her forehead, Zane mumbled, “Later you’ll have to tell me how I got so lucky to have an angel greet me in my bed.”

  Smiling, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Six

  Tiffany stretched her arms in the air and pushed to her tiptoes, elongating her spine. Her golden, blonde hair swept over her shoulders, draping past her small round breasts and down the center of her back. She placed her hair in a ponytail, giving Ryder a perfect view of her elegant features. He marveled at the subtle curve of her jawline, the smoothness of her delicate skin, the innocence of her green eyes, and the warmth of her pouty pink lips, lips he had envisioned kissing time and again.

  Ryder held his breath as she slowly stepped from the porch and strolled into the plush garden. She obviously hadn’t spotted him lingering in the shadows of a nearby tree. He’d come outside for some much needed time to clear his raging thoughts. His mind had been occupied with jealously over Zane getting to her first. As well as fear over the potential he had for hurting her.

  It was never good when he got angry. Keeping his temper in check was a must. He didn’t want to frighten Tiffany. He needed to remain levelheaded and close to her. He needed to keep her safe, an instinct that was driving him mad.

  As good as he was at remaining unseen, for the first time in his life, he wished he wasn’t such an expert. Now, he wished Tiffany could see right through to him. Sucking in a deep gulp of air, he wanted her to feel the way he felt for her, know the torture she was putting him through.

  Hesitating for a moment, Ryder eased away from the tree and began following her, careful not to reveal his presence. He wasn’t ready to confront her. He needed time to make sense of the way she made him feel. Maybe he would never be ready, but he couldn’t resist the pull to watch her every move.

  After all, it was his job to keep her safe. A whisper at the back of his mind continued to remind him of that fact. Plus, he promised Sebastian and himself. He would simply ignore the carnal needs consuming his mind and body, and he would ignore the possession he felt in regards to her. He’d pretend that keeping her safe was his only job and not his primal calling. Even if inside he told himself it wasn’t possible for her to be anything more than a passing fling, he still couldn’t change the longing he had for her. He would simply pretend it wasn’t there.

  As he followed, ducking behind trees and bushes, he studied her. She appeared to be in search of something. Curiosity had him trailing after her, not wanting to miss what it was she was looking for. As he closed the distance, his gut knotted. The memory of accidently hurting her came rushing back to him as a warning. Shutting his eyes he told himself he’d keep his distance, but he was still going to find out what she was seeking.

  Digging deep, he called on his panther skills and crept stealthily along the row of trees to the right of Tiffany. She hadn’t spotted him. At least she hadn’t given him any indication that she had.

  Then she stopped and knelt down in an open area, several feet away from the bushes and trees. She closed her eyes, appearing to slip into deep meditation. A chill raced up his spine as he watched her. Her once serene face was now filled with the glow of something wild and unfamiliar, as if an essence, a being from beyond was taking over her body, settling into her very soul.

  A crack of thunder drew his attention up toward the heavens. Not a cloud in the sky. Suddenly, a whipping, roaring gust of wind sprung up around him, engulfing him in a ferocious, funneling energy.

  Eyes squinting to block the wind, he peered around a thick shrub and observed her. She was trapped inside a vortex of swirling leaves. The energy surrounding her was visible as the wind whipped in all directions, surrounding her in a protective funnel-like cocoon.

  A tingling warmth of energy crept up his legs and into his torso, anchoring him in place. The power left him breathless. Wide-eyed, he stared down at the ground, remembering the power that had caught him off guard as they fought the vampires. The power awakened his hybrid beasts. Both his wolf and panther pur
red and growled wildly in his mind. His claws elongated, and his body itched as the tiny hairs tingled over every inch of his flesh.

  Is it possible the energy is coming from Tiffany? He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.

  “What are you doing here?” a gruff, unrecognizable voice shouted.

  His eyes shot up to see Tiffany standing before him. But it wasn’t exactly Tiffany. He hadn’t seen her move, hadn’t heard a thing other than the wind in his ears. A wild shiver charged throughout the bones of his body and the air was ripped from his lungs as he gazed into her solid black eyes. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe.

  Demon?

  Then she blinked, and the blackness that had robbed him of thought was gone, replaced by the soft, emerald-green color he’d found hypnotic. He swallowed. In all his years as a hunter, he’d never seen a human’s eyes do as hers had done.

  The energy that held him in place was absent, and his hands instantly shot to her shoulders to hold her. “Tiffany, what the hell’s going on?”

  Her eyes shined bright, and as if whatever had possessed her was no longer, she returned to him. “Ryder, what are you doing out here?”

  The soft, sweet melody of her voice eased him slightly. He pointed at the place where she’d been kneeling. His mind needing answers to visions he couldn’t explain. “What was that? Why were your eyes black?”

  She shrugged her shoulders to free herself from his hold, but he wouldn’t release her. Something was going on with her that he had to understand.

  Tiffany glanced away, her eyes drifting in every direction but at him. “Why are you out here, Ryder? I thought I was alone.” Her gaze shot back to his, her expression that of betrayal. “Have you been following me?”