Fox, Morgan - Ravished by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

Grabbing his cell phone, he pretended to talk, hoping the idiot tracker would still think he held the upper hand, allowing Dominic more time to survey without being too suspicious. A bobbing head on the other side of a black sedan caught his attention. The second his headlights flickered over the car, he could’ve sworn he saw the disappearing act of spiky blond hair.

Positive that was the stalker, Dominic drove around to the back of the clinic building and parked his truck in a dark corner. Moments in life like this were the reason he wasn’t ready to challenge for an alpha seat. He’d been given an opportunity to have his own pack, but being second in command to Sebastian McCarthy was just fine for him at present. He loved the rush of adrenaline that charged through his body whenever he was tracking or hunting. Nothing on earth felt as good except when he’d made love to Megan.

Megan was exquisitely spellbinding. The way his body reacted to hers was truly unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. She was the first woman ever to engage him physically and mentally. She challenged him, made him fight her at every turn, but mostly she pleased him.

Damn, I need to end this charade and get my ass home to my mate.
Being away from her was starting to claw at him, scraping away at the back of his mind.

Retracing his steps, Dominic found the spiky-haired wimp crouched down at the side of the same black sedan, whispering into a cell phone.

“Talking to anyone I know?”

The spiky-haired kid fell onto his ass and began scrambling away like a crab until he hit the wheel of another car, stopping him dead in his tracks. Dominic stalked after him, the heavy thud of his boots sounding more like the pounding of rubber grinding against a gravel road.

The scared kid shook his head, shaking like a leaf on a tree. “How did you find me? I did everything she told me to do. She said you’d never see me, you’d never find me.”

His gut twisted as her name whirled through his mind, Lilly? Interrupting the kid’s rampant thoughts, Dominic asked, “Who exactly are you talking about?”

“Oh, God, please don’t kill me,” the kid begged, covering his face with both his arms, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Please don’t let her kill me.”

Dominic’s gaze roamed over the spiky-haired pup, his hands balled at his sides. “Who asked you to follow me?” Wide brown eyes peered up over folded arms, meeting Dominic’s curious stare. “I highly suggest you tell me before I lose patience, young man.”

Both of the kids’ hands shot out, palms flat as if trying to hold Dominic back. “Mr. Mercer, sir, please don’t hurt me. I know who you are, everyone knows who you are. She told me she’d kill me if I didn’t do exactly as she said. Said she’d kill my family, hunt them down and infect them with some horrible virus, something that destroys our kind.” Dominic continued to watch him, tuned in to every word. “I was told to watch you, that’s all, and when you left the parking lot, I was to call it in, but it was a recording. She didn’t answer. I swear I’ve never seen this woman before tonight, but I couldn’t help but do as she asked. I didn’t think I was hurting anyone.”

Dominic stepped back, inhaling the fear of the kid. Nothing but fear and anxiety wafted in the air. “What was this woman’s name?”

“She didn’t say, and truthfully, I didn’t ask.”

“What did she look like?”

“She was a pale-skinned Asian chick with long black hair and ruby red eyes.” The teenaged kid ran his hands through his hair, practically tearing the roots from his scalp. “Shit, I think she was a vampire,” he said, as if just now realizing what he’d come into contact with.

“Yes, that was a Vietnamese vampire you became the errand boy for,” Dominic said with a snicker, finding humor in just how powerful this petite little Asian chick was. “Why did she ask you to follow me?”

“She didn’t give me a reason.” His voice shook as he spoke. “Look, I’m new to this whole fucked-up werewolves and vampires shit. I never believed any of this supernatural crazy crap actually existed until a few months back when I was attacked and turned. I just want to be normal again. Go back to when I was ignorant to this spooky-ass shit.”

So that was how she did it. Dominic knew the kid was a newbie, but hadn’t realized just how new. She used him by manipulating him with fear of the unknown. No wonder the kid looked as though he might piss himself.

“Look, kid, do you have a place to go? Have you had anyone to help you through your transition?”

“No. When I first realized I was a werewolf, I ran away from home. I’ve been living at a shelter, but with the full moon approaching, I’ll need to leave before I hurt someone.” The kid wiped the back of his hand over the tears spilling from eyes. “I can’t seem to control myself when I change.”

Dominic sighed, hating that he always wanted to see the good in others, even though he pretended to not be concerned. “What’s your name?”

“T–Tommy.” His timid voice scraped against his throat.

“Here, Tommy.” He handed the kid a business card. “This is a location you can go where you can find help. The people that run this facility are also werewolves and will be able to help you through your transition. They may even set you up with a surrogate partner to help you until you gain control over your beast.”

“My beast? Is that what’s clawing in my head?” Dominic nodded. “I thought I was going nuts. Most of the time, I feel like my head is splitting in two, but in general, the beast, as you called it, keeps me out of trouble. I’m not sure how I didn’t sense that there was something off about that chick.” He shook his head, clearly frustrated with himself.

“She’s unique and very powerful.” Dominic extended his hand, and the kid took it, rising to his feet. “No one, even me, would have been able to detect her.”

He held the kid’s timid gaze. “Now, go inside that clinic and ask for Dr. Zane McCoskey. He’ll let you use the phone and get you set up with the right person to see that you’re looked after.”

Tommy nodded and with a shy smile said, “Thank you, Mr. Mercer. I’ve heard about you on the streets, whispers about you and how you always look out for others. You’re well respected among our kind, even those who consider themselves lost causes.”

Grinning, Dominic said, “Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you hear.” He patted Tommy on the shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “Now, get out of here.”

The smile on Dominic’s face washed away as a cold chill sank to the marrow of his bones. He knew instantly that something wasn’t quite right and his feelings from earlier had been dead-on.

“Isn’t that a sweet sight? Who would have thought that a big dumb brute like you had a heart?”

Dominic whirled around as the heavy Asian accent caught him off guard. Sure, after looking at the petite frame, dark hair, pale skin, and narrowed eyes, he knew she was of Asian descent, but he still found her thick dialect a surprise for a vampire who had to be centuries old. Honestly, he hadn’t imagined the badass vampire who had started a mutating lycan virus and beaten the hell out of his mate to be this small, fragile-looking woman. He thought she’d be bigger, more menacing, and lethal.

He took a step toward his new visitor and suddenly his legs wouldn’t respond to his desire to approach her. He met her smirking expression. “Playing games I see, Lilly?” She’d somehow managed to force his body to surrender its own free will, keeping him locked in place.
Damn, she’s a powerful vampire.
He wished he could say he wasn’t panicked, but he’d only be lying.

She clasped her hands together in front of her as if super excited. “Oh, you know my name. I’m so glad. I really hate pleasantries. I find them such a waste of time.”

Dominic held her sweet, smiling gaze, knowing better than anyone that the appearance was only a mask and the devil himself lingered beneath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a run-in with a vampire. Most like to stay clear of us.”

She rolled her eyes at him in a dismissing manner. “Well, generally, we don’t like the smell of dogs. They truly do give off a foul stench.” She pinched her nose mockingly.

Dominic growled in warning, hating more than anything to be referred to as a dog. Vampires and werewolves didn’t get along for a reason. The revulsion of each other’s species was a known fact, and they simply hated each other too much to play nice.

He knew things were about to get ugly, so he pressed his hand back toward the young wolf and told him, “Kid, you need to get out of here now.”

Lilly clicked her fingers, and the boy’s movements halted. “Oh, no, he’s not going anywhere,” she announced.

Dominic glanced back over his shoulder. His gaze drifted over the boy’s bleak expression, held as if captured in ice. “What have you done to him?”

She giggled. “Silly werewolf, he’s been enthralled, and he will do whatever I command him to do. Just like your sweet little mate did. She was so much fun to play with, obedient as any good dog.”

Lilly twirled a small velvety purse in her hand and tossed it to the ground at the kid’s tennis-shoed feet. “Pick it up,” she ordered him, and he did. “Open the bag and take out what’s inside.” Again, the boy did as commanded. “Wrap it around your—”

“Stop this!” Dominic roared, reaching toward the boy only to have him take a step back, his eyes still focused on Lilly. God, she was going to have the boy kill himself, and he wasn’t going to be able to do anything about it.

“How many times do I have to tell you, lycan? He’s under my power and will do whatever I say.” She pierced him with her wicked gaze. “Now, shut up and watch or I will find your pretty little mate and finish what I started with her earlier.”

Dominic froze. The mention of his mate had his fists balling at his sides and fury burning in his belly. “You won’t get your hands on her again,” he said with a thunderous growl ripping from his chest.

Smiling, she said simply, “Oh, but I will.”

Never had Dominic felt so helpless. He had to do something, but what could he do?

She returned her attention back to Tommy. “Wrap the wire around your neck,” she demanded, the bright whites of her sharp teeth gleaming at him in the darkness. Her power burned over him like scolding water. “Slowly begin tightening the wire.”

His mind was on fire with the need to help Tommy. “What are you doing? You don’t have to do this. He’s just a kid,” Dominic hollered, his feet still glued to the pavement where he stood, unable to move to stop the kid from hurting himself. It still hadn’t stopped Dominic from trying, twisting his arms around, trying with all his might to grab the wire form the kids hands. A warm burst of wind slammed against Dominic’s chest, the harrowing sound of violent screams pummeling inside his brain as a blinding white light erupted from behind his eyes. If he could’ve dropped to his knees and cried like a baby, he would have.

Lilly stepped closer to him, tsking under her tongue. “See what you made me do. Dominic, darling, if you interrupt me again, I will silence you permanently,” she warned. “Would you enjoy having your cock removed from between your legs with a dull pair of scissors?” She cocked a brow. “No? Then I suggest you shut the fuck up and let me play.”

Without a single word spoken, the kid began squeezing the wire tighter and tighter around his neck, slicing through the flesh of his neck like butter. The boy gurgled as the wire began to sever more deeply through the tissue. Within a few short minutes, the wire had gone through all the skin, muscles, and bones of his neck, severing the head from the young wolf’s body.

Tommy had killed himself because Lilly had compelled him to do so.

Dominic stood, mouth open at the horror he’d just witnessed. Unaffected, she strolled over and picked up the young wolf’s head by his blond spiky hair. “Now, we’ll always remember him as an obedient wolf.” She laughed hard as if hearing the most humorous joke. She tossed the boy’s head to the ground, and it rolled a few feet in front of Dominic.

“You’re a monster,” he said, the taste of bile thick in the back of his throat. “You’re an evil bitch and deserve to be slaughtered.”

She inclined her head in his direction. “Are you the one that’s going to kill me, Dominic? Are you the one who’s going to show me true justice?”