Moon Bound: LaRue Series, Book 4

by Grant, Donna

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this,” Skye said as she rose and paced the living room.

  Elise frowned because she’d had that same feeling since Kane left. “How so?”

  “Delphine has a certain modus operandi,” Addison said. “She doesn’t wait around to kill those she wants out of the way.”

  Elise’s hands were shaking as she placed them on her desk and rose to her feet. “There was ample time for Delphine to attack. Days, in fact.”

  “That’s what I’ve been going over in my head,” Skye said. “You told us how the weres attacked Kane. If she had wanted him dead, they would’ve killed Kane and you without a second’s hesitation.”

  “But they didn’t.” Elise swallowed, her chest feeling tight. “Nor did they do anything on the second attack.”

  Addison’s face was lined with concern. “She could have. I know that she’s powerful enough to kill someone with just her mind.”

  “So why spare Kane and me?” Elise asked.

  Skye crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s a very good question. There can only be one reason.”

  “She wants him for something.” The idea made Elise sick to her stomach.

  Addison dropped her head back on the sofa. “Not again. After everything we went through to get Riley back.”

  “Delphine won’t take Kane’s memories,” Skye said.

  Elise frowned when Skye’s dark gaze turned to her. “What?”

  “She’ll use you against him,” Addison said. “She’ll use all of us.”

  “And here I thought she’d left us alone because Kane warded the house.” Elise pulled in a shaky breath. “Tell me there’s more to do than sitting around waiting.”

  Skye snorted and looked away, which was answer enough.

  Suddenly, Mr. Darcy jumped off Addison’s lap to the arm of the sofa. He let out a hiss while staring out the window to the back yard and then growled low in his throat.

  “I do believe we’d better prepare,” Elise said.

  Addison quickly stood. “Minka put spells on the house. No one can get in unless we let them inside.”

  “She’s right,” Skye told Elise. “We’ll be fine.”

  Elise wished she could believe that. She’d feel better if Kane were with her, but she imagined he had his own problems to deal with.

  “Come back to me, Kane,” she whispered as the first werewolf stepped out of the trees.

  * * *

  “Holy fuck,” Court mumbled.

  Solomon silently agreed as they watched Delphine’s form shift into something resembling black smoke before it wrapped around Kane, blocking him from their view.

  “We’ve got to do something,” Myles said.

  Solomon was trying to think of the best way to attack when Delphine—and Kane—disappeared.

  Court raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “What just happened? I mean, did y’all see that?”

  “Of course, we did,” Myles snapped.

  With his brothers looking to him for answers, Solomon did his best to hide his growing fear and unease. “She wasn’t surprised to see us.”

  “It was like she wanted us here,” Myles said.

  Court put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “If Delphine can change into that black smoke thing now, then we are screwed.”

  Minka walked out of the copse of trees behind them. “She’s more powerful now.”

  Damn. That’s not what Solomon wanted to hear. “Kane didn’t fight her.”

  “She didn’t give him a choice,” Court said.

  Myles blew out a breath. “Perhaps. But he wasn’t happy to see us.”

  “Don’t condemn Kane yet,” Minka warned.

  Solomon glanced at her before facing his brothers. “She’s right. We don’t know what Delphine told Kane. When we got here, they were talking.”

  “Yeah. Talking. Because that’s what Delphine does.” Court dropped his arms to his sides and turned away, cussing beneath his breath.

  Solomon’s gaze met Myles’s. “What do you think?”

  Myles slowly shook his head. “I know Kane well enough to know that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep us out of another battle with Delphine. Even if that means sacrificing himself.”

  “I know.” And that’s what made Solomon so heartsick.

  He should’ve seen this coming. He should’ve tried to talk to Kane about it instead of putting it all on Riley.

  “We need to call Riley,” he told them. “I want to know everything she and Kane talked about while they were living together.”

  Court immediately headed back toward Elise’s house. Halfway there, they all came to a halt. Solomon grabbed Minka and pushed her behind him.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  He turned his head to her. “Weres.”

  Court kicked off his boots as he pulled his shirt over his head. Minka turned away as Court removed his jeans and shifted before running off ahead of them toward the right. Myles gave Solomon a nod before he undressed and shifted and then disappeared to the left.

  “Do it,” Minka told him.

  Solomon hesitated, but he knew just how powerful his witch was. He gave her a quick kiss and hastily removed his clothes before he called forth his wolf.

  Once in were form, he looked up at Minka, who stood beside him, her hand sinking into the fur at his neck. Her gaze was directed straight ahead, in the direction of Elise’s house. He didn’t need to ask to know that magic was already building within his woman.

  She took a step forward. He remained beside Minka, and with every step, words began to tumble from her lips as the spell she cast grew.

  * * *

  “Shit,” Skye said when she saw the werewolf.

  Almost immediately, two more joined the first. Elise went for her shotgun, but by the time she got it loaded, loud growls reached her.

  “The boys are here,” Skye shouted.

  Elise hurried to the window and watched as two wolves attacked the three werewolves facing the house. She had no idea which one was which as they came at the others from opposite sides. The clash was fierce and brutal.

  Both Skye and Addison were shouting and clapping. Elise stood with the shotgun in her hands, wondering what she should do. What were Court and Myles doing back at the house? Had they located Kane?

  “Oh, hell,” Addison murmured.

  Elise’s gaze jerked to the sight of Minka walking from the tree line with a huge white wolf by her side who was obviously Solomon. Minka’s lips were moving, her gaze locked on the three interlopers.

  Solomon crouched down, his lips peeled back to reveal his long fangs as he growled and jumped into the fray along with his brothers.

  Minka remained, her arms now lifted out to her sides and her face turned to the sky. Elise looked up at the clouds to find them darkening and slowly swirling into a cone shape.

  Suddenly, more werewolves surrounded them. Elise ran to the front of the house and saw them coming at them from all sides. She rushed back to Skye and Addison, her heart hammering in her chest.

  “Minka needs to get inside. She’s going to die out there,” she said.

  Skye shook her head of black hair. “The weres won’t be able to get close to her. Watch.”

  Elise’s gaze was drawn to the witch. Just as Skye predicated, every time a werewolf tried to attack Minka, they were struck down by lightning.

  “Her powers continue to grow,” Addison said, a smile in her voice.

  Elise wasn’t sure how to feel about any of it. She didn’t fully understand what was going on, and it didn’t help that this was her first time in such a battle—and meeting Kane’s family. She was doing her best to keep her composure, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Kane.

  “Elise!”

  Her head jerked to the side. That was Kane’s voice. Hadn’t the others heard it? She looked to Skye and Addison, but both were focused on their men.

  “Elise. I need you. Please.”

  “
Did y’all hear that?” she asked, her eyes locked on the door to her clinic.

  Skye clapped. “That’s my man! Go, Court! Kick some ass, baby!”

  Elise glanced at the women before she walked to the door and opened it. She peered inside, but there was no sign of Kane. Her hands were clammy as they gripped the gun.

  “Elise, Delphine has me trapped. I need help, but my brothers can’t hear me.”

  “Kane? Where are you?” she asked as his voice grew fainter. “Kane!”

  She looked over her shoulder again. There was no telling how long the battle in her backyard would last. But there was one thing she knew—Kane needed help.

  “Skye! Addison!” she called, but neither heard her over their yells to their men.

  She looked at the door leading outside. What was she going to do? She had no magic, no ability to shift. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage. Maybe she could surprise Delphine and get off a shot at the priestess’s head.

  Or she could be walking to her death.

  14

  “Why are you fighting the inevitable?”

  Kane briefly closed his eyes. He kept asking himself that same question. Delphine continued to push her proposal, and at first glance, it seemed perfect.

  Too perfect.

  Well, aside from the fact that he’d give her his support. It would almost be worth it if his family were free of such a person, but if she were in control of the city, would they really be safe?

  Or would Delphine find some way to kill them?

  Kane shoved aside the moss that hung from a low limb as he looked across the water to where his brothers had been. He’d tried to call out for them, but whatever Delphine did to block out the sun had also prevented his voice from reaching them. By the time the black mass left him, he found himself on the isle, and his brothers gone.

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting,” Delphine snapped.

  He turned his head to her and glared. “And I don’t like being forcibly taken.”

  “We weren’t finished with our conversation.”

  “What did you do to my brothers?” he demanded.

  She rolled her eyes. “Really? We’re in discussions, and you think I harmed them?”

  “It sounds exactly like something you’d do.”

  Delphine grinned. “It does, doesn’t it?” She shrugged, sighing loudly. “However, I promise that I did nothing to them. I kept you hidden until they were gone.”

  “Then where are they?”

  Her lips curved into an evil smile. “I may have sent my wolves to keep watch on the house.”

  “If anything happens to my family or Elise, I’ll never help you.”

  “I’ve done this long enough to know how far I can push things, Kane. My weres are merely there as a reminder of my power. They won’t harm anyone, though they will protect themselves if assaulted.”

  He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest as he faced her. “No doubt your weres put themselves in just such a threatening position so they would be attacked.”

  “They have orders to do nothing but watch the house.”

  “Right. And I’m the Pope.”

  Delphine laughed as she eyed him. “Why not agree to my terms? I’ve given you everything you could want.”

  “Except my freedom. I’ll be shackled to you.”

  A black brow rose. “Careful. My patience is running thin.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “What’s wrong with siding with the most powerful being in New Orleans? Nothing. No one will dare go against you. I’ll allow you to keep the silly rules your family instigated.”

  Kane laughed and dropped his arms. “You can’t be serious? Those ‘silly rules’ as you call them, will stop you, as well.”

  “They’ll apply to everyone but me and my followers.”

  “So my so-called power will be in name only.” Figured.

  She blew out a harsh breath. “Look at the big picture. New Orleans is just the first step. I’ve much larger plans. I’ll take over the state, and eventually, the country.”

  “The country?” he repeated, shock reverberating through him.

  Delphine gave him a knowing look. “You don’t think I can do it?”

  “I believe there are others out there who would fight you to keep you from doing exactly that.”

  “And they’ll die. I’ve already got the djinn on my side. The vampires are waiting for you to side with me as I’ve promised them you would.”

  Kane was shocked to his very core. While he and his family had been trying to keep themselves alive and stop whatever scheme Delphine had going on, she’d been moving pieces behind their backs, altering the game altogether.

  The mistake they had made was thinking she was only after the LaRues and Chiassons. It had never been just about them, and if they had stepped back and looked around, they might have seen it.

  All these months, they’d thought they were winning against Delphine, when in fact, while they could claim the skirmishes, she would win the war.

  “Why did you take Riley?” he demanded. “Was she just a diversion?”

  Delphine shook her head. “Riley was meant for so much more. She was stronger than I realized. I should’ve kept a tighter rein on her.”

  “It was George who ruined it for you.”

  She cut her eyes to the side, anger in every feature. “He was obsessed with her. If he’d just waited, he could’ve had her and anyone else he wanted.”

  To hear Delphine talk so blithely about Riley made Kane’s blood boil. Yet he kept it hidden. There was no way Delphine would get away with everything she had done.

  The only thing stopping him from attacking her now was that she’d kill him without Kane being able to get any information to his brothers.

  But the thought of siding with her, even as a sham, might be the end of him.

  There were no other choices for him. If he refused her, Delphine would kill him then go after his family and Elise. They wouldn’t survive. His cousins would be next. All the while, Delphine would continue her quest to rule the city, state, and country.

  Who would be left to stop her? Who would dare rise up against her?

  The only reason the witches had helped them in the past was because they worked as a team. Hell, even the Moonstone Pack was scarce. It was only the LaRues who held that tenuous pact together.

  If the LaRues were killed, the witches would go into hiding. The Moonstone Pack would scatter like before. Even if he didn’t side with Delphine, the vampires would eventually fall to her. It was simply a matter of time.

  Then the way would be clear for Delphine to gain all she wanted.

  “I need an answer,” the priestess demanded.

  Kane turned his head to the side and watched a crane snag a fish from the water before flapping its white wings and flying away.

  “Let me talk to my brothers.”

  “No,” she replied.

  He swiveled his head toward her. “If I don’t tell them why I’m taking your offer, they’ll attack you, and you’ll kill them.”

  “I can stop them in other ways. Wiping their memories would be easy enough,” she said flippantly.

  Kane gawked at her. “Don’t you dare.”

  She gave him a flat look. “If you’re going to leave your family, wouldn’t it be easier for them if they didn’t remember you or anything they’ve been doing all these years? Let them believe the paranormal is something for movies and books.”

  “Will you do the same for me?”

  “If you’d like.”

  Kane turned his back to her and braced a hand on a tree. No matter which way he looked at it, he couldn’t find a way to best Delphine. Not now, at least. And if he didn’t do it right away, and she gained more power, the harder it would become—until it eventually became impossible.

  “Your answer, Kane,” she demanded.

  He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter what, his life would be Hell. At least he could
give his brothers and cousins some peace to live a normal life and raise their families.

  “I want to talk to my brothers.”

  “Give me your answer first.”

  Shit. He was going to hate his life.

  “Kane.”

  He frowned. What was Delphine’s hurry all of a sudden? She had been patient, coaxing even, but all that’d changed over the last few minutes.

  Just as he was turning to ask Delphine, his gaze spied movement across the bayou. His heart fell to his feet when he saw Elise.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he asked as he whirled to face Delphine.

  Agitation lined her face. “I’d hoped you would agree without needing that final push. Seems I was wrong.”

  * * *

  “I can do this. I can do this,” Elise told herself as she marched through the bayou to the place Kane’s voice had led her.

  She saw him across the water, standing with his hand on a tree. A woman with long, black hair and dark skin marking her exotic beauty was behind him.

  Delphine. So that’s what the Voodoo priestess looked like.

  Elise wanted to take aim with her gun, but Kane was too close to her, and at this distance, she might very well hit him instead of Delphine.

  She walked closer, watching as Kane turned to Delphine, and they began arguing. Was that a good sign? Damn, she didn’t know. Elise knew very little about what to expect. Maybe she shouldn’t have followed the voice.

  But she had been so sure it was Kane. Now, not so much.

  “Elise, leave!” Kane bellowed.

  His words halted her. It confirmed her worries. Kane hadn’t led her here. Delphine had. That made Elise despise the woman more than ever—and she didn’t even know the priestess.

  Her blood ran like ice when she heard the low grumble of a growl behind her. Elise slowly looked over her shoulder to find a werewolf.

  Kane walked to the edge of the small mound of earth in the middle of the water but drew to a stop when an alligator rose up from the water before him.

  There was no going back for her. And she was fine with that. From the moment she’d saved Kane in his wolf form until now, she was where she belonged—with him.