Fox, Morgan - Ravished by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Morgan Fox

  Sure, he realized now that the trouble in paradise was his fault, but she had a choice and she could’ve chosen him. She hadn’t. She’d picked the easy way. She picked Jonah. Maybe what he had done was a dirty trick, but what did he know at the time. He was just a horny guy with strange urges and he didn’t know what the fuck to do with all the emotions and sensations rampaging through his body.

  Perhaps they were all piss-poor excuses, but it was the truth. He only wished he had been smart enough then to understand what it all meant. He hoped he wasn’t too late to make things right with Megan, even if it meant they just enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh together. He’d gladly accept that as long as she didn’t walk away from him again.

  Standing in front of the coffee machine, he pressed the button for a black coffee and waited for the machine to do its thing. A strange pull had him wanting to make the coffee brewing contraption go faster so he could return to Megan. The bonding pull was so fierce he didn’t think he could breathe without seeing her. How he had fought the connection for as long as he had was beyond him.

  “You getting one of those coffees for me?” Reyes asked from behind him.

  He chuckled. “Now why in hell would I do that?”

  “Oh, right. I forgot you’re still an asshole.”

  Dominic laughed harder, a deep, throaty sound that had Reyes chuckling right along with him. He disliked fighting with his friend and was glad they could share a stress-free moment together.

  “I’ll get you a coffee, but you have to carry it. I’m not your bitch.”

  “Fair enough,” Reyes said, grinning.

  The smile on Dominic’s face was wiped clean as his knees almost buckled out from under him. A blunt force of panic and fear slammed into his skull. The blinding tension of emotions sent him grabbing hold of the machine in front of him for balance. Strangely, Reyes was right alongside him, leaning against the wall, grabbing hold of his head as if experiencing an onslaught of stabbing pain. Brain-blistering vibrations rocked him as frightened screams pummeled his head and pierced his eardrums. Unable to prevent the madness from debilitating him, he was practically rendered paralyzed.

  Then he saw the parking garage and shadowy figure bearing down on him. He heard the scream again and knew it wasn’t actually him the image was hovering over. It was Megan. She was the one screaming, the one in so much pain.

  What was happening? Who was the person bearing down on her? At present, he didn’t have time to make heads or tails or it. All he knew was he needed to find Megan and fast.

  Steading his body, Dominic grabbed Reyes’s arm, and shouted, “Megan’s in trouble.”

  He yanked Reyes behind him as he tried to force their way down the long corridor toward the parking garage. Both men stumbled for a moment, using the wall as a brace to keep them upright. Their bodies didn’t respond to the demands of their brains. Something was off. His body didn’t feel like it belonged to him, and after the strange vision that plagued his mind, he’d say the connection growing between him, Megan and Reyes was the reason. Somehow, he was linked with Megan on a clairvoyant level. How that was possible, he had no idea.

  “Can you walk?” Dominic asked, the words leaving his mouth in large, pain-filled gasps.

  “Yes, but I don’t feel right,” Reyes said as he grabbed hold of Dominic’s arm more firmly. “Something’s wrong.”

  “I know. I think it’s Megan. She’s in danger. We’ve got to get to her. Use the wolf. It might be our only way.”

  Filling his lungs to capacity, Dominic called to his wolf, commanding him to surface. Instantly, wild and untamed blood pumped fiercely through his veins, pushing past the telepathic dictator forcing him to hear and feel Megan’s agonizing screams and pain. Clearing his mind and body of everything, Dominic embraced the power of the wolf. His body enlarged, claws and canines sharp and ready for attack. Still in human form, he used the benefits of the wolf to charge forward, shoving to his full height. Dominic fought for control and by the grace of God succeeded.

  “Come on, old man,” Dominic said with a snarl. “Fight past the mental link, and help me save our mate.”

  Reyes roared as his wolf emerged, dangerous and formidable. He quickly followed after Dominic. Dominic dug deep, using the power of the beast inside himself for added strength. It seemed the supernatural link that rendered him and Reyes vulnerable as men was unable to break through the walls erected by the wolf. This proved to Dominic that the telepathic connection he’d felt splintering his brain with images of Megan had come from another source, a powerful being that somehow joined them together.

  Dominic and Reyes raced down three flights of stairs, darting down the last hallway into the garage. Both froze as they listened for Megan. Dominic surveyed the scene, documenting everything to memory.

  A breath later, he felt the bonding pull and knew exactly where his mate was being kept. “This way,” Dominic whispered to Reyes, his voice a deep, commanding growl.

  Crawling on the ground, masking their massive bodies in the shadows of the poorly lit garage, he used his sense of smell to home in on Megan and her unseen attacker.

  “I see her,” Reyes said, his voice calm, his silver eyes strangely focused and unblinking. “She’s huddled on the ground near the service elevator.”

  Dominic inhaled deeply again and instantly picked up on Megan’s terrified scent. He identified the direction they needed to move to retrieve her. His claws lengthened farther and ripped into the ground beneath his palms, shredding through the concrete flooring as if it were thin paper. Reyes grabbed hold of his hand, his calming ability unnatural, but appreciated.

  Dominic closed his eyes, sucking in a composing breath. Heart pounding against his ribs, he hissed at the sharp nip of his canines as they sank into his lower lip, allowing him to keep his mind focused. Opening his eyes once more, he was ready to save his mate.

  Dominic meet Reyes’s focalized stare as his tactical brain kicked into high gear. “Let’s separate. I’ll go up and around the last row of cars. You move up the middle. Avoid any areas of draft. We need the element of surprise. I don’t know what we’re up against, but I have a pretty good guess we’re not going to like it.”

  Reyes nodded, and a second later he was moving into position. Dominic seized the moment to do the same, creeping along the wall as low to the ground as he could and focusing his hearing on the erratic breaths of his mate. He possessed the urge to kill and maim like nothing he’d ever felt before.

  * * * *

  Megan’s body bounced off the car like a rubber ball, slamming down onto the cold, hard ground. The air from her lungs whooshed out, unfurling her lungs in a panicked search for more. Rolling to the side, Megan gazed up at the petite Asian devil hovering over her. Her long, silky, midnight-black hair shimmered with the glow of a halo created by the lighting above them. Flaming, blood--red demonic eyes stared down at her, stealing her will to move. Sheer terror robbed her of the ability.

  Never had she been so close to dying. Never had she hated so much that she truly hadn’t lived for anything other than her medical career. Regret was a significant emotion tickling the back of her brain, past the nerves of fear and death.

  Finding her voice, Megan wheezed, “What do you want?” She gasped for air, wrapping her arms around her midsection. The pain throbbing through her body brought tears to her eyes.

  The vile, black-haired raven knelt beside her. Long, bloodred nails clawed along Megan’s arms, neck, and face, teasing her with the prospect of the sharp blade-like fingers slicing through her with the ease of a knife. “You know what I want, Dr. Shaw. There’s never been a secret to that.” Her buttery voice warmed her soul as if enthralling her.

  “Who are you?” Megan asked, finding it difficult to move her body, as if it no longer belonged to her.

  “Now that,” she said, grinning, “has always been my little secret…until now of course.” Pausing to wipe away the sweat that gathered on Megan’s brow, she glanced back to lock gazes
with her. “You may call me Lilly.” The corners of Lilly’s mouth curved into a wicked, full-of-mischief grin. Then as if provoked, she gripped hold of Megan’s hair and yanked, twisting her head and neck, holding it in an awkward, death-defying position. Megan winced as the pain inflicted on her neck blinded her. Had she been human, the supernatural strength the demon used on her would have surely killed her. Lilly closed the distance between them. Her cold breath grazed against the flesh of her cheek. “I’m the one your precious Wolf Princess has seriously pissed off.”

  Megan wasn’t surprised. She’d guessed the moment Lilly used her preternatural strength on her that she was the woman in question. She was the one that had somehow defied science and engineered a new kind of preternatural creature using vampire and lycan DNA.

  Megan was no wimp, but she couldn’t believe the power Lilly possessed, tossing her around like a ragdoll, using superhuman telekinetic power to do her bidding rather than physical strength. Never in her life had she experienced anything like it, a being so menacing and mighty she couldn’t even defend herself. Megan felt useless, even as a lycan.

  “What do you want with me?” Megan asked, her voice shaking, the fear of the unthinkable churning in her mind.

  Lilly cupped her face in her hands. “I want you to give your alpha and his mate a message from me.” Megan held her gaze as she smiled, the incandescence of her eyes growing more crimson. “Tell your alpha that I’m coming for him and those he loves most.”

  Brie and the baby…

  “Yes, Dr. Shaw, Brie and the unborn child,” she said, laughing. “I simply plan to fuck with the rest of you.”

  Lilly knelt closer to her and pressed a delicate kiss to Megan’s lips, an act far from kind. Pulling away, Lilly revealed the evil that she harbored inside herself, launching terrorizing psychic energy into Megan, a peek inside a violent world that had Megan gasping as pain drenched her body and soul. The horrifying visions and sensations submerged her into a realm of the unthinkable. Death and decay consumed her mind. Villainous creatures laughed as they tore their victims apart, leaving their bloody corpses for the others to feed upon. Megan’s body felt as if she’d been soaked in gasoline and set on fire. The smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils. The white-hot flames roasted from deep inside her mind, ripping and scorching her. The blazing heat was so hot all she could do was scream.

  By all that was holy, the pain ceased. Megan’s eyes opened, staring wide-eyed at the spot where Lilly once stood. All that lingered in her place were the shadows of the parking garage and the flickering of the lights from above. Her body was no longer trapped inside the web of power that made her immobile. The blazing of fire, the scents, everything that had caused such excruciating pain was gone.

  Fear, however, still saturated her mind, and the vivid memory of being set ablaze, fresh and familiar. She clutched her hands to her breasts as if hugging herself. The only thing she wanted was the protective arms of her mates surrounding her and sheltering her from the evil that had nearly killed her. Whimpering, she wished she was already inside the enchanting and ravishing world Dominic and Reyes provided, and in her mind, she was already racing there for safekeeping. No matter how she fought against the wolf bonding, both men really did fill her with tender passions, and she’d only be lying to herself if she said she was unaffected by the connection aggrandized from deep in her soul.

  Reyes appeared in her vision, and she blinked as if imagining the welcoming sight of him. She held his concerned gaze for a moment. His lips were moving, but no words reached her ears. She smiled softly and reached up to touch the side of his face. The invigorating realization that she was in fact touching Reyes brought a flood of consoling tears to her eyes. Fear had turned her body and mind inside out.

  He gathered her into his arms and pulled her against him, squeezing her tight. Right away, his touch awakened her soul, giving her the needed comfort and peace she desired. Burying her head against his chest, she let herself sob, releasing all the fear and pain that had consumed her, ravaged and nearly killed her.

  Reyes soothingly rocked her, cradling her like a baby in his arms, his touch so gentle, as if he feared she might break.

  Then she heard Reyes’s sweet-sounding voice soothing her further. “That’s it, honey. I’m here now. You’re safe. The evil is gone. Dominic and I are here to keep you safe. Can you hear me, honey?” Yes, she could hear him, but it was still too much.

  A strong, powerful hand softly rubbed her back. Strangely, she didn’t need to see his face to know the caress came from Dominic. No matter what she thought she wanted, the bonding was occurring between the three of them, and recognizing her mates was inevitable. She would forever know their touch, crave it, need it.

  “Megan, what happened?” Dominic asked, still stroking her back and hair. “Who attacked you, Red?”

  Red. He called me Red again.

  She shook her head, fighting the tears that stung her eyes, trying so hard to appear stronger than she was.

  She eased back from Reyes’s hold and licked her dry lips. Her watery eyes drifted to meet the worried gazes of her mates. Catching her breath, she took hold of Reyes’s hand for fear he might leave her and the devil would return. She whispered, “That was Lilly…our vampire, the creature behind the lycan virus.”

  Chapter Seven

  Reyes shut off the engine to his black Escalade and turned to face Megan. Her distant gaze had his heart doing somersaults in his chest and his stomach churning with worry that she might never get over the terror she’d experienced. As strong as she might be, he had no earthly idea what sort of ordeal the vampire had put her through. He simply didn’t know Megan well enough to even guess. That was a significant downfall to embracing the mating instinct. Not knowing the person your soul craved was frustrating at best.

  To make matters worse, Megan hadn’t spoken a word since they left the lab, giving him absolutely no indication of what thoughts were racing through her mind. What he did know was that the moment he’d come upon her in the parking garage and she’d touched him, something deep inside him snapped. All he could do was hold her, fearing that the raging beast inside him would destroy anything that tried to pry her from his grasp. The power of the bond subdued him, his strength and preternatural abilities centering on only one thing, protecting his mate.

  While Reyes took care escorting her to his vehicle, Dominic had reluctantly gone back to give Zane an update on Lilly, the clairvoyant, sadomasochistic vampire with revenge on her mind.

  Sebastian had to be warned, and there was no way Reyes could have relayed the message. Megan wouldn’t let go of him. Not that he would’ve allowed the separation even for a moment, but the impressive death grip she had on his hand and arm was proof enough of her opposition. So instead of both men taking her home, Reyes had been automatically volunteered for the duty, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

  He cringed at the notion of being away from her. The idea alone was enough to infuriate his wolf. Keeping his beast in check was critical considering her state of mind. Now that he’d somehow found his mate to love and cherish, he wouldn’t separate from her until death. That was the way of things for wolves and would be for him as well.

  He’d taken her to her apartment first and grabbed some of her clothing and personal items. He wanted to make sure she had enough clothing to stay with him for a while if needed. Once he had her bags packed, he piled back into his vehicle and drove like a man on a mission to get her safely to his home in Parker.

  His fortress was unlike the quaint, pristine apartment Dominic lived in. Reyes’s home was massive in size, surrounded by cobblestone walls and black wrought iron gates. This newly built home was equipped with the latest in technology for added security and included high-tech audio-visual systems that ran throughout the house. The entire property was wired and ready for World War III.

  Living as a guardian soldier for over thirty years had turned him into a man who valued the security of being able to
relax without fear his enemies were going to pulverize him in his sleep. He meddled in pack lives, and several members of the were-community did not like his interference. It was his job to keep the peace among were-kind. In most circles he was well liked and respected, but in others, not so much. So many times in his life, he had wished he led a normal life, one that allowed him to take a mate, have pups, and raise them like everybody else. Today was not that day. Of all days, he was grateful to have the security of his home and instincts to keep Megan safe. He would see and hear anyone who approached. The electromagnetic security perimeter even detected impulses and power surges from all kinds of supernatural creatures. Even Lilly wouldn’t be able to infiltrate his defenses.

  His gut tightened, hoping he was right.

  Exiting the vehicle, he moved to her side of the truck and slowly opened the door. Clasping his hands together in front of him for fear of reaching out to touch and possibly frighten her, he said calmly, “We’re here, Megan. Are you able to walk alone to the door?”

  Her eyes swelled with terror. “Are you leaving me? I don’t want to be alone, Reyes. You promised you wouldn’t leave me.” She twisted in her seat, stretching her arms out, hands grabbing hold of his shirt, pulling him toward her. “Don’t leave me, Reyes. Lilly could come back. I’m not strong enough to fight her. She’ll kill me. I know it.”

  Gently, he closed his hands over her delicate ones and soothed her with soft, heartfelt words. “Megan, I’m not going anywhere. Nothing on this earth could make me leave you. I’m here for you, and I’ll be here for as long as you want me.” He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted until she met his gaze. Her teary eyes trampled his heart. “If it’s a choice you’re giving me then you should know that I never want to leave you.”