Midnight Moonrising

by K. S. Haigwood

  Phoenix cleared the screen then slid the device back into his pocket.

  “Lexi’s a mess,” Jaxon said as he stepped up beside Phoenix and nodded to the detective. “I can take her home if you’re finished with her.”

  Alex shrugged. “She can go. I have her number, but I doubt she’ll be able to tell me anything else. She was at the bar getting drinks when it happened. Nobody is saying anything. The club was crowded and loud, and then there was a dead girl on the dance floor all of a sudden. Over half the possible witnesses hit the door running before anyone even called 911.”

  The bright light flashed one last time as Jaxon walked away, and the guy behind the camera looked up. “I’m done here, Rhodes. I’ll get them to you first thing in the morning.”

  “Thanks,” Alex said, and then nodded to the coroner, letting him know it was his turn to party. “I want to send that dagger to lab as soon as possible. Maybe we’ll get lucky and there’ll be a print on it.”

  The coroner moved in with a body bag, but all Phoenix could think about was killing everyone in the room so he could grab that dagger and get the hell out of there. Mena’s, as well as his prints would be on it. Too many people had seen him come in Hellhound, so that was out of the question. Maybe he could cause the coroner to have a wreck and take it from the body then.

  He took out his cell again and texted Jaxon: Get the dagger!

  Chapter 6

  Mena

  The night had been thrilling and utterly exhausting. After accepting the offerings from all twenty-seven men and women interested in becoming my Beta, they had agreed that they had put me through enough torture for the night, and allowed Daryn to take me home.

  I thought they were all qualified for the job, but I didn’t personally know any of the twenty-seven, besides Daryn, who had given me a very pretty necklace with a clear green peridot jewel as the charm. He had said that the stone was said to host magical powers and healing properties to protect against nightmares and to bring the wearer power and influence. I thought that was sort of perfect, given my situation. He also said the jewel matched my eyes. I have to admit, I blushed. He was really a sweetheart, but I feared he wasn’t second in command material. I prayed I was wrong, because he seemed to be the type to sacrifice his own life for someone he cared about, and that was important, too.

  I didn’t feel my wolf was interested, though, not in him nor any of the other twenty-six in the running. I tried to tell her with my thoughts that she would have to pick one or I would do it for her, but I felt no emotion from her, at least not on that topic. Maybe she just needed time to get to know them a little better.

  Beverly, the elder who told me that I was the Alpha and would have to choose a Beta by the full moon, had advised me to spend some time with each one of them. I already knew what Phoenix was going to say about that, but he didn’t own me and I was not his girlfriend. Besides, it wasn’t like I was going on a date with them; I was simply interviewing them for a very important job. Even three girls had offered me gifts; surely he would understand.

  I had taken Daryn’s advice about using bodyguards. It really wasn’t like I had a choice in the matter; as soon as everyone caught wind that Jessica was missing and could possibly be a threat to me, the twenty-seven started scheduling shifts in threes. I supposed it was more time I would have to get to know them better, and made a mental note to go grocery shopping after the press conference was over. I couldn’t let them stay in my home without at least feeding them.

  The blue Corvette was parked in the same place it had been when I left my house, and I wondered if Phoenix had waited for me here the whole time I had been gone.

  Daryn’s knuckles went white as he gripped the steering wheel. I had no energy to deal with this tonight.

  “He’s not a bad guy, Daryn. Relax,” I said as he put the car in park and cut the engine.

  “You can’t possibly know that, Mena—”

  “Let me put it this way, I was married to a werewolf pack leader for twelve years and I never had a clue about that part of his life. It should be extremely difficult for me to trust anyone after what I’ve been through this week, but I trust Phoenix, and I trust you. This war between the vampires and werewolves is over, and anyone who disagrees with me will not be trusted by me any longer.”

  Daryn stared at me with sad green eyes, but finally nodded once. “Okay, Mena. If you trust him, then I will try, too.”

  I smiled as I opened my door. “Thank you, Daryn. I—”

  I was whisked out of the vehicle and pulled into Phoenix’s arms so fast I didn’t even have time to scream.

  “Phoenix, you scared me,” I said, breathless.

  I vaguely heard Daryn’s door shut, but my attention was completely on the trembling man that held me a little too tightly to his chest.

  “Do you never check your damn messages, woman?” Phoenix scolded me, anxiety clear in the tone of his voice.

  I tried to pull away, but the man had a death grip around my body. “I didn’t hear my phone. If you’ll let me go, I’ll look at it now.”

  He huffed, but loosened his grip enough so I could take my cell out of my clutch purse. I had three text messages from him, but just as I began to read the first one, the headlights on a truck temporarily blinded me as it pulled into my driveway.

  I squealed as Phoenix pushed me behind him, and then started running toward the vehicle.

  “Wait!” Daryn shouted, and Phoenix stopped just before he jerked the passenger door off the vehicle.

  The headlights went out, the engine died and nothing but the sound of the low humming from the streetlight overhead could be heard for a few seconds.

  The moment I realized who it was, I sighed in relief that Daryn had stopped Phoenix from making such a huge mistake.

  “Jesus, Phoenix! Calm down. They are part of my pack.” I watched as he took a step back from the truck door, maybe allowing whoever was inside to get out so he could beat them to a bloody pulp. I had to get him in the house and away from them long enough to explain the situation with Jessica. “Please, go to my bedroom. I will be up to talk to you as soon as I get them settled in.”

  He jerked his head in my direction and opened his mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to silence him.

  “Please. I promise I will explain everything. I am more than eager to hear why you are on edge, as well, so please… just go. Give me five minutes.”

  He scowled as he glanced back to the dark tinted window of the passenger door, then turned and started walking toward my house. I held up the door key for him to take, and he paused when our hands touched.

  Leaning in close by my ear, he spoke low, and I didn’t miss the icy warning in his tone. “Five minutes, Mena.”

  I led Daryn and the other two guys to the spare guest bedrooms and showed them where the kitchen was. After telling them to make themselves at home, I stopped at the foot of the stairs and tried to get rid of my nerves before talking the night’s happenings through with Phoenix.

  Where should I start? My shrink would have me committed if I told her even a tenth of the stuff that had happened to me in the last week. I still wasn’t sure I believed it, but if I didn’t, who the hell were all these people in my house? Maybe I was imagining it all. It was possible I’d had a nervous breakdown when I received the news of Marc’s death. Maybe he didn’t cheat on me after all. Werewolves? Nope. Hot vampire king? Nope. It was all in my head. I was a loon.

  Someone cleared their throat. I hadn’t checked the time and, as I looked to the top of the grand staircase, I found Phoenix standing tall and beautiful and glaring down at me. Crap! Maybe I wasn’t crazy.

  “Five minutes was over three minutes ago. They are lucky I could hear every word they said—”

  “Phoenix, let’s just go,” I said as I reached him. “It’s been a long night, and I have a lot to tell you.”

  I was sure he was fighting it, but his lip twitched at the corner, in what I had come to know as amusement. The wicked
man drove me crazy.

  “Will there be kissing afterward… or during?”

  I shook my head as my own lips betrayed me. “Maybe we should talk in the living room.”

  “I’ll be good.” His expression became serious as a single finger came up to touch my chin, tilting my head up so I had a direct line of sight from my eyes to his. “I promise, Mena.”

  I shrugged away and walked by him, hearing the soles of his boots clearly as they stepped on the plush carpet behind me. It was amazing how well my senses had heightened since the change, and it was confusing me how those eyes of his seemed to make me weaker every time I looked at them. I wanted to growl, and my wolf actually did. She didn’t like the idea of us being in my bedroom together—alone.

  After walking through the open door of my bedroom and flipping on the light, Phoenix stopped dead in the doorway and stared straight at the bed, like walking any closer would put him in jeopardy of breaking his promise to me.

  “Mena—” His voice sounded panicked as he glanced to me.

  “It’s all right, Phoenix. I’m not going to eat you,” I said, and deliberately let the corner of my lip twitch.

  He gave me a stern look from under his eyebrows, and I laughed. It felt good to laugh, maybe even more so because I knew from the way he had acted upon my arrival home, that he had bad news to tell me. I prayed it wasn’t worse than what I had to tell him.

  He moved into the room, leaving the door wide open, obviously thinking maybe that would help him behave himself. That was doubtful. I had seen that look in his eyes before.

  A low growl erupted from my chest and, with wide eyes, I slapped a hand over my mouth in shock.

  The grin slid from his face and he came to a halt three feet from me, and then took a big step back toward the door, holding his unarmed palms out to me. “Mena… your eyes are silver.”

  I shouted through my mind, desperately trying to control my wolf before she took control of me. “No! What are you doing? He’s not going to hurt us! He’s on our side! Stop! Please!”

  The image of Alex flashed through my mind, and I knew it was her who had put it there. I covered my face with my hands and fell to my knees, desperately trying to fight my way back in control to no avail. I had no solution. I couldn’t let her have him.

  “Mena—”

  I shook my head, and sensed that he had stopped moving toward me.

  This was a mistake. It had all been a mistake. My wolf wasn’t going to let us be allies, much less have a relationship. “Stop this! This is my body, and you don’t get to decide what I do with my life!” I shouted at her through my mind as my fury continued to build.

  She growled again when Phoenix placed his hand lightly on my shoulder. The palm of my hand thrust forward and connected square on with the center of his chest, knocking him to his back on the carpeted floor ten feet away.

  “Mena!” Phoenix shouted, worry evident in his voice.

  The wolf jerked my head up, so I could see his shocked eyes. “Get… out… vampire.”

  Phoenix scrambled to his feet and backed toward the door slowly, his palms facing me. I watched him go, scared for his well being and for mine, but I had no voice, no bodily movements, no control of my own.

  “Daryn!” Phoenix shouted over his shoulder as he neared the door. “Daryn! Get in here!”

  I could hear footsteps pounding up the stairs, but all I could think was they would be too late; Phoenix wouldn’t get out before my wolf killed him.

  “No. Please…” I pleaded with her.

  She forced my eyes closed, and hazel eyes stared back at me. I shook my head, but then the image changed to Phoenix lying on the ground, open eyes staring up at nothing, because he couldn’t see anymore; he was dead.

  I gasped and fell to the floor as I tried desperately to rid the picture from my mind.

  “Mena!” Daryn’s voice was unsure as he moved closer. “Mena, it’s Daryn.” He touched my hair, but my wolf didn’t seem to mind him touching me; maybe it was because she knew I wasn’t attracted to him in the same way I was to Phoenix. He helped me sit up and I clung to him like a drowning person would to a life preserver.

  “Tell me what to do, Mena,” Phoenix whispered, and he didn’t try to hide the anxiety in his voice. I knew he was scared. I was scared, too. Why was my wolf doing this? Phoenix was trying to help us.

  I shook my head; it was all my wolf would let me do.

  A low growl reverberated from my chest and the hair on the back of my neck went on end when I sensed Phoenix move closer.

  “No!” I shouted at my wolf. “Leave him alone!” Goosebumps rose all over my body and an energy I had never felt before ignited in my soul. My arms thrust forward violently, nearly jerking my body out of Daryn’s arms.

  “Holy shit!” one of the other pack members said as he arrived in the doorway.

  My hands felt different, and I wanted to look at them, but my wolf’s eyes were trained on the still form of Phoenix.

  Another warning growl echoed throughout the room, and I felt my teeth lengthen against my lower lip. They were sharp, and somehow I knew exactly what to do with them. My eyes focused on Phoenix’s tan neck, and a tongue, longer than my own, slipped out of my mouth to lick along my top lip.

  I was shifting! Oh, God! No!

  I clawed my way back to the top of the bottomless pit, swam my way back to the surface from the bottom of the ocean. Somehow I could feel myself getting stronger as I fought for ownership of my body. I gave it one last push, and had just enough energy to get a warning out before she consumed me again.

  “Get out, Phoenix! I can’t control her! I don’t want to hurt you, but she wants to kill you!”

  Phoenix let out a groan in frustration and looked at me for only another brief moment, before turning and storming out the door. A few seconds later I heard the front door slam.

  It was safe now. I was safe. Phoenix was gone, so he was safe.

  I could let go of Daryn.

  Chapter 7

  Jaxon

  Jaxon watched as the medical examiner’s van pulled into the parking lot and backed up to a door. He had known the coroner was a member of Mena’s pack from the moment he spotted him at Hellhound; no amount of cologne could mask the smell of a mutt to a vampire’s senses.

  When he’d noticed the clan’s knife sticking out of the girl’s chest, he’d known Phoenix would need him to find an excuse to step outside Hellhound and wait for the coroner to leave with the body. Lexi hadn’t been as upset as he’d led the detective to believe, so Jaxon had hailed a cab and sent her home, alone.

  The mutt got out of the van and walked around to the door of the morgue. Jaxon stepped out from the shadows and casually leaned his shoulder against the brick of the building. His lips curved up at one corner the moment the wolf realized he was being watched; his ring of keys rattled together, like wind chimes in the wind as the elder’s hand shook, desperately trying to find the right one to unlock the door.

  “Mena know you’re trying to frame her for murder? Or is it Phoenix you’re plotting against? Neither would be a smart thing to do, but when have any of you werewolves done anything intelligent?” Jaxon said, and the man’s body went rigid, then his head whipped around to look at him. Jaxon grinned as he pulled a silver dagger, identical to the one shoved through the chest of the corpse in the van, from the scabbard on his thigh. “I’ll be taking the evidence with me tonight.”

  “I—I—” the man started.

  A gust of wind blew a thick scent under Jaxon’s nose, and he turned swiftly to find six great wolves closing in on him quickly. He grinned as he grabbed for another dagger, then gave a loud whistle.

  “It’s time to play, boys!” Jaxon shouted into the night, and then four vampires erupted from the shadows and rushed the beasts.

  Phoenix

  With narrowed eyes, Phoenix watched Officer J. Hardin step out of his cruiser and walk toward an apartment building. His shift had ended and he was alone. That was ex
actly what Phoenix had been waiting on for nearly three hours.

  Staring uneasily at the brightening eastern sky, Phoenix made his move. He couldn’t waste any more of the night wondering why Mena’s wolf had turned on him. That would have to be dealt with after the sun set; he had put off feeding too long as it was.

  As much as he wanted the human to see who his attacker was, with Phoenix being a well known public figure, he just couldn’t risk it. Giving the guy a headache and taking some of his blood would be enough vengeance—for now, anyway.

  Phoenix casually stepped behind a trash dumpster when the officer stopped suddenly and turned his attention in his direction. A cat hissed and scurried up the trunk of a tree between them. Silence filled the night air as he waited for the cop to either go into his apartment or come looking for whoever was stalking him. Either option would have been fine with him.

  “Stupid cat,” the guy spat, and Phoenix shook his head as a smile crept broadly across his face.

  He heard the jingle of keys then rounded the dumpster and was behind the guy before he even got the key pushed home.

  A short surprised sound was immediately followed by a soft thud, and then Phoenix was effortlessly supporting the weight of the man with his arms.

  Phoenix parted his lips to allow his fangs to elongate to their full length, and then he smiled. “Here’s my identification, asshole.” Centuries of experience led him right to the guy’s jugular vein, and Phoenix latched onto his neck until he was past his fill. After he finished, he ran his tongue over the puncture wounds, sealing them up tight. They wouldn’t even be noticeable once the man regained consciousness.

  Laying the officer on the concrete patio outside his door, Phoenix found a broom propped against the doorjamb and laid it beside the guy’s boots, so that it appeared he tripped and struck his head, causing the blackout to occur.

  Well satiated, Phoenix ran for his car. All the blood in the world would not stop that big yellow ball of light from torching his body to ashes if he didn’t get home before it made its appearance. This was one of the times he was glad he drove a fast car.