Ann H (12 page)

He let her go, grabbed her back and,
taking her hand again walked from the room. Missy followed him, mostly because
she was still in shock.
When did my life
change?

Out the door, into what was left of the
night, she looked back once more at the house that had been her home for over
ten years. Feeling not one ounce of guilt she went with Brent to the unknown
and prayed like it would be better than what she has had so far. Hell, anything
would be better than her life here.

Epilogue

Brent stood next to the lake, staring out
at the water, thinking about the hell that he went through in the past
forty-eight hours. Damn if it hadn’t been one hell of a time.

Reed found them in the nick of time. Her
uncle and cousin were around the corner when they got into the truck. Yet, that
wasn’t what had him speechless or stumped.

Heading here, he learned Missy’s last name
was Wycough, but that was what had him shaking his head. The one that was
selling them out, selling their names to this bitch who in turn also sold them
as sex slaves to a guy named David Wycough, Missy’s other uncle. That bit of
information put a little snag on things.

“Hey you okay?” Reed joined him on the
bank on the water.

“Have you heard any word from Brandon?”

“Not a word. I got a funny feeling that he
was grabbed or something. Not like him to not at least call in after I asked
for a big favor.”

“How are the girls?”

Reed glanced over his shoulder at the
cabin that was lit up. “Jennifer is getting her settled in. We should be okay
here for a while, at least until we get a plan.” Brent nodded. “So, um, care to
tell me about it?”

“Not really, no.” Brent shook his head
slid both hands into his pockets.

“That bad then?”

“Only if you want to scrub your balls
until they’re raw.”

Reed broke out in a laugh. “That bad huh?”

“Oh, she was
not
good looking in the least.” He snickered. “If it weren’t for
that drug, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten it up.” Reed laughed again. “Yeah,
laugh it up.”

“I’m sorry man, really I am.”

“Not feeling it.” Brent took a deep
breath, letting it out slowly. “So what are we going to do about this other
uncle?”

“Revenge is a bitch,” Reed sighed. “Just
like hate. It festers like a disease on an open wound.”

“And Wycough has a big gap.”

“They killed his brother. That would be
enough for any of us to want to kill and destroy.”

“You think Missy is going to be okay with
all this shit going on?”

“She’s been through a lot, but I got a
good feeling she’s going to be just fine now. We all are going to need to stay
together and keep our eyes open. This has just started. We were just caught in
the crossfire.”

Crunching behind had them both turning.
Jennifer walked up to them, put her arm around Reed’s waist, and smiled at
Brent.

“How is she?” Brent asked her.

“Sleeping,” she answered. “Between what
her uncle did, you, and the whole running away, it’s wiped her out.” Brent lowered
his eyes, guilt hitting him. “She’ll be okay.”

“How she doing about the news with her
other uncle?” he asked, looking up at her.

Jennifer pulled away from Reed then.
“Shocked. She had heard that he too was killed, and it might have been
attempted for all we know. I think once the ruling had been made to exterminate
the human family she shut down in a way. Tried to live a lie and forget she is
also human.”

“Well that son of a bitch she lived with
never let her forget it,” Brent snapped.

“No, he didn’t.” she agreed softly.

“What I don’t get is how the hell the
Council would rule to take out a family? They never get involved with who we
mate, especially if it’s with a human.”

“Maybe it wasn’t the Council,” Jennifer
said. “Maybe they don’t even know anything about it.”

“Well I know what I’m going to do,” Brent
stated. “She’s not going back. I’ve mated her, she’s mine, and I don’t give a
fuck if she’s all human or half.”

Reed smiled, “And that is just what I like
to hear.”

“Come on you two,” Jennifer said, tugging
at them both. “I fixed a very large pot of stew.”

“You can cook?” Brent teased.

“Oh you have no idea,” she laughed back.

Instead of sitting down to eat, Brent went
into the bedroom that would be his and Missy’s. She lay on her stomach,
sleeping with the covers only half on her. He saw her shiver, went over and sat
down next to her, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. When he pulled away,
she grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“Don’t leave me,” she mumbled in her
sleep.

He thought for a moment that Jennifer
might’ve given her something, but then recalled that the woman who worked there
gave her something and then when he showed up he kept her awake longer. Now
that everything had calmed down, the drug to help, her sleep was taking hold,
dragging her in deep.

“I’m never going to leave you,” he
whispered, bending over and kissing her on the cheek. “You’re stuck with me for
life.”

She smiled, her eyes still closed.
“Promise?”

“Just try to get rid of me.”

She heaved a deep sigh and she was out.
Brent stayed there watching her sleep, holding her hand and kissing her face.
Peace. He felt so much peace just sitting there, touching, and looking at her.
His mate. His love.
 

Yes it was love. How strange that one
could fall in love so fast, but that was just what happened to him and he
didn’t give a shit who knew it.

* * * *

David Wycough stood outside, watching the
house burn. Another shifter dead, another responsible for the death of his
brother taken care of. However, he still didn’t have Missy, but knew that she
was safe. He had his own contacts and his own methods of getting information.
The cook in this house told him all he needed to know was that he’d spared her
life. He discovered that Missy found someone to take her away from the abuse
her shifter uncle inflicted. For now, that would do, only because he had others
yet to take care of.

They called themselves the second Council,
ones that would restore the old way of things for their people. The fuckers who
killed his brother and tried to kill him. The list was a long one, and that
would keep David busy for a very long time.

“The men are finished with her,” one of
his own shifter men said.

David didn’t hate them all. Like the ones
working for him, they hated the new Council. The members there destroy, take,
and each one of the shifters that worked for David lost someone due to those
bastards.

“Then kill her and leave the message,”
David said.

A short nod and the man walked away. David
turned and headed back for his own vehicle. Getting into the backseat, he
turned to the woman who waited for him.

“Impressive,” she said.

“I’m told you lost one.”

“And then he was found.”

“Only to be lost once more.”

“Is there a point here, David?” she
snapped.

David knew about her cruel ways. It
happened to be one of the reasons he picked her for the job. “You’re working on
the side Vintina and I don’t like that.”

“Oh really? Well—”

He cut her off by grabbing hold of her
throat, squeezing, and cutting off her air. “You listen and listen closely. I
run things around here and if you’re going to venture out then that means
you’ll pay more. You want my protection you pay for it. You want the extra
bodies you pay. If you don’t, then I’ll let one of my boys here take it out in
trade with one of your daughters. Do you understand me?” He gave her a shake
and she nodded. Letting her go, she coughed and he sat back, straightening his
tie and jacket. “I’ll expect my payment by the end of the week. Now get out.”

She kept her mouth shut, opened the door,
and got out. Nodding to the driver to take off, David pulled out his phone and
dialed a number. “Keep an eye on her.” It’s all he said, hung up, and sighed.
He didn’t even flinch with the loud sound of a gun being shot. Already in his
mind, he was on to the next house and the next fucker who tried to take him
out.

Scarlet Moon
Fever

Jaden
Sinclair

Chapter One

A
few hours before red full moon

His eyes wouldn’t open! He couldn’t get an arm up,
move his leg, or stop the people that were taking his clothes off. Helpless! He
was so fucking helpless.

Brandon Michael tried like hell to fight, but his body
and mind couldn’t connect. His clothes were taken away from him as he lay on
something hard. Once everything was removed, his arms were pulled up over his
head and iron cuffs clasped over his wrists. A hard yank and Brandon swayed to
his feet, held up by those damn cuffs. They hooked those chains on something,
and leaving him to somewhat hang there in the dark.

“Bring him in.”

Brandon jumped, turned his head toward the sound of a female
voice. Forcing his damn eyes open. They did, but focusing he still couldn’t do.
Fuck!

Bright light shined in the room, blinding Brandon even
more. He’d drugged, couldn’t see, or move, but his fucking heat was upon him
and he didn’t have one warm body close to help ease the pain. Fuck, fuck, fuck
fuck!

“I’m so pleased you could make it,” the female said.

Brandon tried like hell to get his eyes to adjust and
see what was going on around him. Whatever that drug was they stuck him with
seemed to do one hell of a number on him.
Where
is Thorn?

“Well, when you said you had what I have been looking
for, I just had to come and see,” a male said.

“Then I shall not keep you waiting. Here he is.”

“Oh, he is beautiful!”

Brandon cringed inside at the words coming from
another man’s lips. With the full moon, his senses were on high alert, and that
meant he could pick up smells and other things. The scent that came off this
guy had Brandon not only praying but also clenching his ass cheeks.
No way you’re fucking me you dick!

“Did you find a girl?” the man asked.

“Would I have called you if I didn’t have everything
you asked for?” A snap of fingers and another scent joined the room.
Mine!

“I want a sample,” the man demanded.

“But of course.”

Closer that sweet scent came; the closer to him the
more his dick throbbed in pain. Brandon couldn’t hold back a groan. Forcing his
eyes once more to open, he looked down at the young woman who just was shoved
to her knees before him. She didn’t say a word or look up at him. What she did
do was steal his breath, leaving him struggling to get one small amount of air
into his lungs.
 

The girl took his aching cock in hand, and then closed
her lips around the head, sucking half of the length into her mouth and down
her throat. Brandon gasped loudly. He didn’t even have the will power to tell
her to stop or beg her for more.

Just as quickly as it started it stopped.
Through his blurry eyes, he saw a hand push her away, then jerked her to her
feet and shoved her from the room.