Blood Moon (4 page)

“You should be throwing me out, but if you don’t have the good sense to do it, I won’t force your hand. I’ll stay, for a little while anyway.”

“I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.” Lukas pressed another kiss to her palm, pulling her with him toward the kitchen. She started to move away when she realized her feet bare, but was surprised when he gripped her hand tighter.

He gave her an apologetic smile, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I can’t seem to let go of you. I’m a little afraid you’ll disappear.”

She smiled, tenderness nudging her heart. “I know, but I want to put my shoes on.”

“This is your home now. You don’t need them.”

“I’ll feel better if I have them on. It’s a habit.”

He reluctantly released her, but as soon as she slid her feet into the sneakers and tied the flannel around her waist, he took possession of her hand again.

“Alec’s finished patching up Steven. Apparently, he’s awake and wants to speak to you,” Thaddeus announced from the doorway.

Horror washed over her. Having to endure stitches and the resetting of bones without sedation made her knees weak. “Awake? Didn’t they put him under?”

Lukas shook his head. “Unfortunately, you know regular pain pills don’t help Shifters. We don’t have the resources yet to get drugs that can do something for him. We’re still working to add a medical room to the grounds.” He grimaced. “I’m not particularly popular with the Council and it affects our ability to get those kinds of supplies.”

He then nuzzled her ear, whispering, “Don’t worry. He’s a strong kid.”

Following him through the doorway, Aria breathed out a sigh of relief. Steven appeared marginally better, now that the blood and gore had been washed away. With one eye swollen shut, purple and blue bruises covered the rest of his face. His arm had been reset, splinted and wrapped, resting on his chest. Even with a Shifter’s regenerative capabilities, he would be in considerable pain for a while. Any other injuries remained hidden under the sheet. Aria had no desire to see his wounds—she’d seen enough the first time. Steven’s head turned in her direction as she and Lukas stopped at his side.

“Thank you.” The soft words escaped through puffy lips. She winced as if the effort cost her instead of him. “I owe you big.”

Aria patted his uninjured hand gently. “I’m glad I could help.”

Alec appeared behind them and smiled at his patient. “He’ll be as good as new with a lot of rest and TLC.”

A light touch on Aria’s back made her release Steven’s hand. She moved back a step and looked up at Lukas. He smiled, but his expression remained serious. “Was it Ethan and his gang?”

Steven’s mom, who had been watching the exchange, jerked in her seat. “Is this really the best time?” 

Lukas patted the mother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Heather, but I need all the information I can get.”

Steven started to nod and stopped, grimacing. “S’okay, Mom. Ethan, Lloyd, Josh, and Martin. I swear, Lukas, I didn’t start anything. Didn’t even know they were around until they dragged me into that place.”

“Don’t worry. I know you didn’t start it. Haemon’s bunch never needs an excuse. Did they mention any reason for trying to kill you?”

Aria digested the bit of information. Haemon was closer than she’d thought.

Steven licked his dry lips. “They might have mentioned something about you, but honestly, they didn’t really say anything other than insults until after I was on the ground. Then I just wanted to protect my head.”

“Why didn’t you shift?”

“I couldn’t. I tried, even though someone might have seen it, but I couldn’t. The guys seemed to know it, too. They kept taunting me about it and daring me to try.”

Unable to shift? What on earth had Haemon done now? Her heartbeat rose and she focused on taking deep breaths. Haemon had a strange fascination for objects with unusual abilities. He talked about them non-stop. She vaguely recalled the long, involved ramblings consisting of myth, rumor and legend, especially the mention of a talisman created to protect the wearer from Shifters. Designed to keep them human and reduce their abilities. Her body froze as she tried to collect her thoughts.

If he’d actually found such an item, and given it to the boys, why hadn’t it worked the same way on Ethan and his cohorts? The carrier might have been fine, but the others would have been diminished. Her own abilities would have suffered, but they didn’t. Now she wished she’d paid more attention to what Haemon had said during her time as his captive audience.

Lukas said something else, and Steven frowned in reply. “I’m not sure. All I can say is that something weird was going on. They were alone, but they had more power than normal. They were drunk on it.”

“Were any of them wearing jewelry?” Aria interjected. 

Steven paused, closing his eyes, a line between his brows. “Yeees. Ethan had a weird silver piece around his neck. Never seen it before. A couple of the others had pierced ears, but that’s all I remember.”

Definitely the silver piece. No one sent a Shifter out with such, until maturity. The results were too unpredictable. Silver enhanced any unusual abilities for some. A normal Shifter, with no extra gifts, would find the touch of silver uncomfortable at best, searing at worst.

Lukas bent over Steven, resting his palm over the boy’s forehead. He grimaced slightly and then drew back. Steven’s entire body relaxed.

“I might have to ask you some more questions later, okay?” Lukas waited until the boy nodded, then pulled Aria and Alec to the other corner of the kitchen.

“What was that?” Her neck craned to see Steven’s face, then she looked back at Lukas, surprised.

Lukas shrugged and released her wrist. “I eased some of his pain.”

She crossed her arms, watching him suspiciously. Just how much was she missing here? “You and I are going to talk later. You couldn’t do anything like that before.”

“Yes. We’ll talk.
Later.
”

She didn’t like the finality in his tone. He leaned against the counter, dragging his hands through his hair. Alec mimicked his action by the island in the kitchen. The intensity of Alec’s regard made her uncomfortable. The older man was wiry and thin, but he still held an air of authority and intelligence. She supposed his opinions were not often challenged.

“How bad is it, Alec?” Frustration tinged Lukas’ voice. Aria wondered what else had gone on before her arrival. His tone and the way he’d handled the whole situation gave her the impression Steven was not the first Pack member hurt by Haemon.

The doctor released a breath and scrubbed at his forehead with one hand. “He has a broken arm, a hairline fracture in his leg, several broken ribs, multiple internal injuries, a concussion, and was dangerously close to puncturing a lung. I didn’t even try to count the bruises.”

A low rumble vibrated in Lukas’ chest. “Will he be all right?”

Alec nodded. “It’s going to take awhile. When he’s passed out again, we’ll carry him upstairs to the extra room. He can’t be moved more than that for a few days.” Alec’s gaze shifted to Aria. “What I found particularly interesting is that he shows signs of healing, which I had nothing to do with.”

Lukas smiled at her. “Got anything to tell us, honey?”

She shrugged, rubbing her arms. “No.”

Lukas’ eyebrow rose nearly to his hairline, irritation and surprise filling his expression. “I’m sorry. Care to try that again?”

“No, I have nothing to tell you.” Aria batted her lashes.

“Aria…” he warned.

Aria ignored him, crossed her arms and looked at Alec. “It didn’t hurt anything, did it?” She held her breath until he answered.

Alec shook his head. “No. There were more internal injuries than there are now, and he wouldn’t have survived the trip here without your help.”

“I was a little afraid something might go wrong. I was still so angry…” She hadn’t realized how worried she’d been. His reassurance allowed her to relax.

“Are you really going to ignore my question? I need to know the truth,” Lukas demanded, nudging her arm with his elbow.

 “I called in a favor. I may be gifted, but I’ve never been a healer.” She bit her lip, unwilling to admit Cern’s involvement. Until she knew where things would lead, it was best to keep him out of the conversation. Cern had always been a friend, even with the dark side to his personality, but she couldn’t bring herself to betray his confidence.

“I thought you were Outcast. Who would have done you a favor?” Alec flushed under his beard after blurting the question. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t call in any favors from a Shifter. Just a friend.”

“Does the friend have a name?”

 “Of course, he does. But it’s…complicated. Now can we move on?”

Aria shifted uncomfortably, noting Lukas’ smile, not quite genuine. Maybe turning the conversation back where it had started wasn’t the best idea.

“I’ll find out the rest of the details eventually. I can be very persuasive.” Lukas winked at her, and she gulped at the underlying possibilities at his words. “For the moment, I’ll be satisfied if you tell me what happened. There were four of them, Aria. I know they were only cubs, but I’d like to hear how you got them to run. Did this
friend
help you?”

Aria heard a little jealousy in Lukas’ question, and it made her feel inordinately pleased. “Good Lord, no. He’d have only gotten in the way. As for how I got them to run”—she shrugged, attempting nonchalance—“they upset me.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I’m much better at fighting than I used to be. I’ve also discovered losing my temper isn’t beneficial. They were young, stupid, and thought I wasn’t much of a threat. It wasn’t hard to be scary enough to frighten them off.”

“You mean you didn’t have to fight with them?” Alec interjected.

Aria shot him a look that should have stripped paint. “I didn’t say that.”

“What happened, Aria?” Lukas’ arm slid around her shoulders. “The whole truth, if you please.”

She released her breath slowly. “The leader, the one you call Ethan, is part of Haemon’s Pack, and recognized me. I was walking back to my motel room and caught a whiff of fresh shifter blood from the shop. It was obvious the building had been empty awhile. No one should have been there. I couldn’t just leave, because I’ve been on the receiving end of those kinds of situations before, and I wished someone would’ve stopped and helped me.”

Lukas’ hand hovered over her shoulder for a moment and dropped away. Anger and sympathy warred in his glance. Pity was the last thing she needed. “By the time I arrived, Steven was in pretty bad shape. I wasn’t even sure he was still alive, and I lost my temper.”

Her eyes traced the pattern of the linoleum at her feet, recalling the scene in the alley. “In my defense, I gave them ample time to leave. But they saw a female and assumed I was weak. They were easy to take care of.”

In her mind, she could still see the three teens lying on the ground, dazed. She’d been angry and careless. Ethan had escaped her attention while she dealt with the others. He had waited until she finished, before he grabbed her from behind. The memory made her skin crawl. 

As if Lukas sensed what she was thinking, he asked, “What about Ethan?”

She slid a glance at him, debating how much to reveal. “He got behind me while I was distracted by the others. It was my own fault—I was careless because they were young. He copped a feel and started whispering things in my ear. Things about how I’d killed you and how my fate was my own fault. About the things he’d like to do to me when Haemon finished with me.”

Lukas gave a loud growl. The rage on his face made her glance away. She smiled slightly, looking back at the floor. “The minute he mentioned you and he started boasting about what they were going to do, I lost it. I don’t even really remember what I did, but when I was finished, he was bleeding and his friends had to carry him out. It’s a safe assumption he’ll have a reminder of me for the rest of his life.”

“That won’t be very long if I ever find him.” Lukas rumbled. When Aria opened her mouth, his hand slashed violently through the air. “The minute he touched you, his life was mine. Later, when we’re alone, you’ll tell me exactly what he said.”

She crossed her arms. What he didn’t know couldn’t make him upset. “I don’t remember.”

“You’ll remember later.”

“It’s over with, Lukas.”

“Like hell it is.”

Alec cleared his throat, and smiled at Aria. This time, the gesture appeared more genuine. “I have to go check on my patient and get a few of the others to help me move him. If you see your friend, again, give him my thanks.”

“I’ll do that.”

Lukas stared at her for a few moments more, then pushed away from the counter. The muscles in his jaw twitched, and Aria knew he was dying to demand the details from her now, but didn’t want an audience. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have to check in with Aaron and speak to Thaddeus. After that, we need to talk.”

He smiled, but his gaze lingered on the dark smudges she knew lay under her eyes. “How long ago since you slept through the night or had a full meal?”

“A few hours?”

“You were never a good liar.”

“Only around you,” she retorted. He stood there, arms crossed, waiting for an answer. Throwing up her hands, she rolled her eyes. “I can eat later. I don’t want to eat alone and I’d be willing to bet you haven’t eaten either.”

“Are you sure?”

“Lukas. I’ve been without food longer than this. I’ll be fine. You can take care of business, we’ll talk, and then we can eat.”

“All right. Aaron needs to meet you, anyway. He’s my Beta, and he needs to meet my Mate, formally.”

She didn’t really think a formal meeting would change her opinion of Aaron, or vice versa. Scowling, she let the comment slide. There’d be plenty of time to argue later, without the audience. People milled about the kitchen, cleaning up pieces of gauze, dishes, and mopping the floor. Each one pretended to be absorbed in their tasks, while listening intently to their conversation.

She followed him out the door through a large dining room into a spacious study where Thaddeus and Aaron stood next to the window in deep discussion. They were like looking at night and day. Aaron had a distinctive dark appearance with his auburn hair and an olive complexion, while Thaddeus had golden hair and ice blue eyes. It suited their personalities.