“We’re from Miami. We’ve only been here six months, so we need to make sure things are going to work out before we change. See you tomorrow.” She wiggled her fingers and strutted away.
His mind reeled. Miami? Did they know what happened to the witch in the morgue? Could they have been involved?
The battle to think with the right head raged inside him. He wanted to know every inch of Rain’s body and every thought in her mind. The primal instinct to protect her, to make her his, roared inside him. If he listened to his beast, he’d know she couldn’t be involved.
Then again, his wolf thrived on emotion. His feelings about the sexy witch could be clouding his judgment. Lord knew he’d been wrong about witches before. He wouldn’t make the mistake of trusting one again, no matter how deep these strange, new emotions ran.
First order of business: report the new info to the alpha. Contract or no, Luke might change his mind after he heard the news.
Chapter Five
Isaac Mercado huddled under a scratchy, green blanket in the back seat of a Greyhound bus headed for Louisiana. Everything felt scratchy against his paper-thin skin, but the thought of his torment ending soon was reason enough to endure it.
Every time the bus hit a bump in the road, jostling him in the seat, sharp pain shot through his joints, threatening to shatter his bones. He shifted to his left hip and leaned his forehead against the window. The coolness of the glass did nothing to tame the fever trying to consume his entire body, and a bruise formed within seconds of the hard surface pressing against his skin. He attempted a sigh as he leaned on the cushioned headrest, but it turned into a hacking, wet cough, his chest threatening to explode with each forced breath.
A woman in the seat across the aisle covered her nose with the neck of her shirt and turned her back to him.
He splayed his fingers against his legs and winced as the knuckles cracked into place. The blue color that previously occupied his fingertips had spread all the way to his wrists. His blood had turned against him, refusing to circulate properly through his veins.
His own magic used as a weapon to defeat him.
He rotated his wrists and wiggled his fingers, encouraging his cursed blood to flow again. A trip like this would require at least two weeks in the swamp to recover. Floating semi-submerged in the murky water eased the pain enough for him to focus his mind. The combination of mud and algae soothed his dry, cracked skin, and the remote location provided the privacy he needed to meditate for hours at a time.
The world thought him dead, and now that his true powers had been revealed, it needed to stay that way.
He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the prickling sensation in his legs. His feet had probably turned purple in the three hours since he’d boarded the bus in Florida. The pounding in his head was only matched by the pain of his predicament.
A witch of his magnitude reduced to meditating in a swamp, surviving on frogs and nutria for nourishment? Well, it was his own fault for tangling with a witch whose power matched—possibly exceeded—his own.
He’d be head of the council by now if his plan had worked, sitting comfortably in a mansion in the mountains. His tulpas—shadow-like entities he created with his mind—serving him, the entire witch community worshipping him.
But she had to screw it all up.
His revenge would be well worth the wait. If seven years of living alone in the swamp had taught him anything, it was patience. Two weeks of recovery would be plenty of time to get his body into shape enough to find and drain another witch. He could spend the days focusing on his tulpa, recharging the entity, increasing its power so it could walk the streets of New Orleans and execute his plan.
The witch he’d drained last week had been magnificent. Her life force had been strong like her magic, her gift of sight giving him the temporary ability to finally locate the one responsible for his demise. Too bad he’d burned through all her energy finding the bitch and sending his tulpa to New Orleans to dump the body. Hopefully, by now, his enemy was scared shitless, watching her back and jumping at every shadow. If she wasn’t yet, she would be soon.
And then he’d make her suffer.
Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a small glass jar. The witch’s eye sloshed in the liquid as he turned the container and peered at the bright-blue iris. The orb contained enough magic for him to find his target once he arrived in the city.
A small child squealed from the seat in front of him, the shrill pitch of his young voice cutting through Isaac’s ears like shards of glass. The boy reached his tiny hand around the seat, grasping the back as he squished his tear-streaked face between the seatback and the window. His eyes widened as he looked at Isaac, his mouth falling open, his body freezing in shock.
Isaac reached for the boy’s hand, gripping the soft, life-filled skin in his frigid grasp. Warm energy flowed into Isaac’s hand, restoring the tawny color to his skin as it cascaded up his arm to fill his chest. He inhaled the first deep breath he’d been able to take since he drained the witch and closed his eyes for a long blink to revel in the healing sensation.
The boy fell slack, leaning against the window before collapsing into his mother’s lap. Isaac released his hand and stretched his arms over his head. What was it about young life that felt so damn good? He attempted a smile, but the shriveled skin of his upper lip split, and the coppery taste of his traitor blood oozed into his mouth. He hadn’t drained nearly enough energy from the kid to make smiling worth it. Any more, though, and he’d have killed him. Now the boy would sleep for the rest of the trip and wake up with a vague memory of the monster in the seat behind him. He’d done the kid’s mother a favor.
Chapter Six
Rain glided under the archway at the entrance to Louis Armstrong park and passed the life-size bronze marching band statues on her way to her favorite bench. Settling onto the seat, she gazed out over the man-made lake, admiring the fountain flowing in the center of the water. The sound of the spray and the splash of the drops as they hit the surface caused a familiar ache inside her chest. As much as the sound brought comfort to her ears, it also reminded her of how much she’d lost.
A couple strolled along the brick path, pausing on the footbridge to steal a kiss before continuing on their way, and a woman spread a blanket beneath a massive oak while three small children played tag on the lawn behind her.
The early autumn sun warmed Rain’s skin, and she closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the peaceful serenity of the scene. She smiled as she unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite. Not only had she won the werewolf wedding, but the pack’s sexy second-in-command had been tasked to handle the cake.
Her knee bounced in anticipation at the thought of seeing Chase again. Him asking her to dinner had come as such a shock that she hadn’t been able to form a proper sentence. Her first instinct had been to say yes. To go to dinner with him and hope he intended to have her for dessert. Thankfully, her brain had taken over before her mouth could react, and she’d said no. With her luck, he’d only asked her because he was suspicious about her lack of magic.
In fact, the more she thought about it, the more that seemed to be the case. He’d probably been assigned to watch her. To make sure she didn’t pose a threat to the pack. The flitting elation at seeing him again that she’d felt a moment ago fizzled out like a can of soda left open overnight. Either she’d imagined the smoldering way he’d looked at her yesterday or he’d been faking the attraction.
Either way, it didn’t matter. Her curse made getting close to people impossible. She wouldn’t risk hurting anyone else. And with what happened the last time she fell for a man—whether she’d fallen on her own or had been pushed—getting anywhere near love was out of the question.
She’d go along with whatever charade he had planned. Build a friendship like Snow suggested. With the blue moon a few weeks away, she didn’t have much time to earn his trust.
She sighed and took another bite of her sandwich. The
cool cucumbers crunched between her teeth as she watched the colorful auras of the people in the park. Even humans had life energy that created a muted tone surrounding their bodies. Usually pale blue or green, it didn’t sparkle with magic like that of a witch or werewolf.
Across the pond, stretched out on a blanket, a woman with a deep-orange werewolf aura lay next to a human. The man glided his fingers up her bare arm before leaning in and kissing her. Did the man know he was dating a supernatural creature? Most humans didn’t know they existed.
Another orange aura caught Rain’s eye, and she nearly choked on a cucumber as Chase came into view. A small girl, around six or seven years old, squealed in delight as she clutched his arm with both hands and he lifted her from the ground, setting her on her feet in front of him.
“Do it again,” the little girl cried, and Chase beamed a smile, lifting her into the air once more.
Rain’s mouth hung open, so she forced it shut. If Chase hadn’t been scrumptious enough before, seeing him playing with a child—and enjoying it—made him mouth-watering. There was no pretense to his smile, no ulterior motive behind the sparkle in his eyes. He was simply happy, and the beauty of it whisked the air from Rain’s lungs.
He caught her gaze and waved, and she swallowed the bite of sandwich she’d been grinding between her teeth since he came into view. She lifted her hand to return the wave, hoping to act aloof. He was just a client, after all. But her lips betrayed her, curving into a smile she couldn’t have fought if she’d tried. If he had been sent to keep tabs on her, at least she could enjoy the view.
The girl had dark hair like Chase, and as he tugged her closer, Rain could see she also had his hazel eyes. He handed the child a pink plastic bottle and pointed to a group of children playing beneath an oak tree. She ran toward the kids, and Chase sat next to Rain.
“Coincidence seeing you here.” He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. Did she detect a bit of nervousness in his movements? Surely not.
“Is it a coincidence? Or did my sister send you?”
He cleared his throat and glanced at the girl. “She might have mentioned you’d be here.”
She’d have to have words with Snow later. Although…she did have a smokin’ hot werewolf grinning at her, so maybe she should thank her sister. No. He’s here because his alpha ordered him to keep tabs on me. She needed to remember that. “Is that your daughter?”
The same genuine smile she’d seen earlier returned to his lips as he glanced at the little girl again. “She’s my niece, Emma.”
“She’s adorable.” A flush of what she wanted to call relief washed through her body. Was she relieved? If the girl had been his daughter, then he might have been… “Are you married?” Damn it! Why did she ask that out loud?
He cast a sideways glance. “No, I’m not.”
Oh, goddess, is that a good thing or a bad thing?
“Have you ever been?” She squeezed her lips together. The next question dancing through her brain involved whether or not he liked chocolate and from which part of her body he’d like to lick it, and she would not allow herself to speak that one aloud…no matter how curious she was for the answer.
He gave her his full attention, pinning her with his heated gaze. “I have never been married.” He chuckled. “And I thought I’d be the one doing the interrogation.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Unless it involved handcuffs and his detailed exploration of her body. Stop it, Rain…
Stretching his arm across the back of the bench, he shifted toward her. His position gave him view of both Rain and Emma playing in the grass behind her, and that was obviously why he moved, but when his knee brushed her thigh, her stomach clenched as if the touch had been intimate. She tried to hide her reaction, but his sly glance down at her leg and the crooked grin curving his lips said he knew exactly the kind of effect he had on her.
“Snow said you’re from Miami.”
“We moved here six months ago.” She shoved her half-eaten sandwich into its wrapper and tossed it into her bag. “What about you? Have you always lived in New Orleans?”
“Since I was a teenager. Are there any other Miami witches here?”
That didn’t sound like a getting-to-know-you question. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “None that I’m aware of, but I don’t pretend to know every witch in this city. Do you know every werewolf?”
He straightened. “Of course I do. It’s my job.”
“Uncle Chase!” Emma pranced toward them, swirling a plastic wand in her pink bottle. “Watch this.” Pulling the wand from the soapy solution, she blew on it softly, creating a bubble nearly as big as her face. “Toby taught me if you’re gentle, you can make it grow big without breaking it.”
Emma waved the wand, and the bubble detached to float in front of them. Rain reached out a hand, and the bubble landed on her fingertips. “And if you’re really gentle, you can catch them.”
“Wow! How’d you do that?” Emma reached for the bubble, cupping her hands around the soapy sphere.
“Careful.” Rain smiled as the girl tried to grasp the bubble, giggling as it popped in her hands. “My sister can make them freeze. She turns them into ice bubbles.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Mm-hmm.” She leaned closer and whispered, “She’s a witch.”
“Cool! I’m going to be a werewolf when I grow up, like Uncle Chase. My mom says I might not, but I know I am. Werewolves are the best.”
“Witches are cool too.” Chase said it to his niece, but his gaze locked with Rain’s before lowering to her lips. She was definitely not imagining the attraction now.
She forced herself to look at Emma. “Maybe your uncle will bring you by my bakery sometime, and she can show you.”
“Can we, Uncle Chase? Please?” She blinked at him expectantly.
Chase rubbed his beard as his gaze danced between Rain and Emma. “Sure, squirt. Anything for you.”
“Cool!” She trotted off to play with the other kids.
Chase cast her an unbelieving look. “Snow can freeze things? Did she change her name after she came into her powers or is it a coincidence?”
“Nothing is coincidence. Our mother knew what her powers would be when she was pregnant. It’s one of her gifts.” A gift that had landed her mom a seat on the national council as foreign ambassador. She could read anyone’s magic, tell exactly what they were capable of and whether or not they posed a threat.
Rain had been her protégé, and she’d learned the importance of power from her mother. Her chest tightened at the disappointment and embarrassment she’d caused her family. If she’d introduced her mom to her last boyfriend sooner, all the trouble might never have happened. She looked at Chase, and her heart raced. Could he be the answer to her prayers?
He arched an eyebrow, and the piercing glinted in the sunlight. “And what are your gifts, Rain? Controlling the weather?”
“I told you; I’m a dud.” She should get up and walk away. If he continued to pry, she might slip up and tell him too much. Then she’d lose her one chance at paying the bills and lifting the curse. No matter how slim that chance might have been, she couldn’t let it slip away. “Why does Emma’s mom say she might not be a werewolf?”
His gaze hardened. “Because her dad’s not. If both parents aren’t weres, there’s a fifty-fifty chance their kids won’t be either.”
“She idolizes you.”
He gazed at the little girl. “I’m the only father-figure she has in her life. She and my sister live with me.”
“It’s nice that you’re there for them.” Her stomach fluttered. Oh, goddess, what was she getting herself into? The more she learned about this man, the more delectable he became. Helping raise his sister’s child. Giving them a place to live. Second in command of an entire pack. He was powerful and kind. A provider. A protector.
“We take care of our own.” Though he stated it as a fact, Rain couldn’t ignore the jab to
her heart, reminding her she wasn’t one of them. She didn’t belong.
She couldn’t quell her curiosity. “It’s acceptable for werewolves to date people outside their species?”
He glanced at his niece, keeping a close watch on her, before focusing on Rain again. “We can date anyone we want.”
“What about marriage…or I think you call it mating, right? Can you mate with someone who isn’t a werewolf?”
“We can mate and marry whomever we choose.” The heat returned to his gaze, and his lips tugged into his signature cocky grin. “Are you in the market for a mate?”
She blinked, heat flushing her cheeks, as she realized how her question must have sounded. “No, absolutely not.” Why couldn’t she think before she spoke? She focused on the couple across the lake. “Take those two for example. Does that guy know he’s dating a werewolf? You seem so secretive; I would assume he doesn’t.”
Chase followed her gaze to the couple on the blanket. “If the relationship becomes serious…if she decides to take him as her mate, she’ll have to bring him into the pack. He’ll be sworn to secrecy. We have rules in place.”
“Interesting.” The fluttering sensation returned to her stomach, as if the idea that she could potentially become his mate appealed to her. Did it appeal to her?
His gaze lingered on the couple across the pond for a moment before he shifted in his seat, his knee brushing hers again. “What’s interesting to me is how you knew she was a werewolf from all the way across the lake.”
What was it about this man that had her body reacting this way? One little brush of the knee shouldn’t have sent her heart sprinting, but she couldn’t deny the incessant palpitations she endured whenever he was near. “I can see her aura. It’s part of my curse.”
He leaned in closer. “Your curse?”
Her heart made a quick dip into her stomach before lodging itself in her throat. Oh, goddess, what had she done?
He took her hand, holding it between both of his. “Is that why I can’t feel your magic? You’re cursed?”
Beneath a Blue Moon (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 2) Page 6
