Shifting the Night Away (60 page)

Her sister’s stilettos rapped across the floor. “Just tell me who to kill, sweetie. Both?”

“Neither.”

The shaggy wolf shook with such force that spit flung out the sides of his mouth.

Ditto for the dragon-lizard thing, now burping sulfur and coating her walls with slime.

“Are you sure? Care to tell me what all this is about?”

Johanna thudded against the walls and slid to the floor. “It’s like this…”

She explained everything. The matching scents, Zed Corlin’s obsession and everything Baron had told her about Nikki’s death.
 

Jack shifted back first and stalked to his jeans, now ripped to pieces. He picked up his phone and gun from the strips of cloth. Still naked, he held the cell with one hand and the firearm with the other. It was trained directly at the shifting Baron. “It’s Jack,” he said to the person on the other end of the line. “Run the name Zed Corlin and tell me what you know.”

Johanna slid over to Baron’s side while they waited. His arm latched around her, though his face was still red with veins threatening to pop out his head. He looked like a man about to lose it. Smelled like one too. “Jack, please!”

Jack’s head jerked up and he lowered his weapon.

Kate didn’t.

Jack smiled.
 

Kate didn’t.

“Zed Corlin is under investigation for the murder of one Nikki James. Her case has been reopened.” Jack tossed his phone to the floor. “My bad.”

 
“Your bad?” Baron charged and only stopped inches from Jack’s face when her arms wrapped around him, begging him to calm down.

“No, let him go, Johanna.”

“I wouldn’t have called you if I’d done something wrong. Had Zed tied both women to me, it’d have taken the heat off him. I call you for help and you shift.”

“You shifted first.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did to.”

“Fuck it. Shoot him, Kate.”
 

Jack cracked his neck as his bones popped back into place. “You’re pissed. I get it.”

“Pissed?” Baron stepped forward again, chest heaving. She calmed him down the only way she knew how. With a kiss. It might have worked, if Jack had shut up.

“The guy’s a bad seed. Hell, according to central records, even his mother put out a restraining order against him. Some poor lady named Theresa.”

“Theresa?” Baron rocked back against the wall, repeating the name in haggard breaths. She almost asked what it meant, then remembered the story of Nikki’s faithful maid and laid her head on his chest. Jealously and madness had caused all this, but as Baron looked around the room, he realized that only love had been strong enough to bring them out of it.

Epilogue

A ringing phone yanked Johanna to the hostess station. “Lucky Capone’s Grill.”

She strained to take the reservation over Kate’s growling and Jack’s equally thundering response in their Argument of the Evening. Baron’s head popped out from the kitchen and the combatants retreated to their corners, arms folded and lips twitching.

Such was Johanna’s new life and it was a damned good one. She had her man, her sister, a new career and a new sense of self that came with managing all those things. She’d come into her own and all because some silly wolf needed a business license so long ago. Now, it was a time for peace. A time to grow. She couldn’t think of a single thing that could ruin her mood…

“You’ve lost your friggin’ mind!”

…not even Kate completely losing her shit.

The whole restaurant turned to see her sister toss a glass of red wine into Jack’s face, before storming out into the night. Her gaze shifted from the back of Kate’s head to the grinning policeman. His hands were raised, one pointing to the other. “Maybe I copped a feel.”

“Oh, Jack!”

He winked and took off after Kate.

Baron came up behind her and sighed against her shoulder. “I haven’t banned them from our restaurant yet.”

“I know.”

“That’s how much I love you.”
 

“I know that too. After this next service, how about a quick dance on the rooftop before closing?”

Baron leaned down to kiss her, wrapping her in the safety of his love, his heart and his embrace. “Haven’t you learned by now? I’ll always come when you call.”
 

About the Author - Lyn Brittan

Thank you for reading Moonlight Embrace.

Visit
http://lynbrittan.com/newsletter
for new release alerts.

Or just stop by
Lyn's website
and talk about whatever ;)

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/LynBrittan

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/AuthorLynBrittan

Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/LynBrittan

Rematch

By

Rachel Slate

One

Fangzhang Island
 

624 days since the first outbreak of the Red Death

Those sparkling green eyes would be his undoing.

Li Tieguai scowled at the newest morsel of temptation the Matchmaker had deposited in his household. Thick lashes framed eyes with a down-turned, feline cast. Pouty, pink lips that begged to be nipped and licked. Porcelain skin framed by red-streaked ebony hair. Her curvy hips were encased in tight leather pants and her breasts pushed upward by the bodice-style top she wore. Damn.

Long, high-heeled leather boots completed the sultry enticement.

“Absolutely not.” She straightened her shoulders, causing those lush breasts to perk forward, and stuck out her hip, planting one hand on the inward dip of her waist.

“You will bow before your new master.” Standing next to the girl, the Matchmaker’s left eye twitched. A member of the Council of Elders, she was not accustomed to being disobeyed. The Council issued commands from the Jade Emperor—the ruler of the Heavens.

“That won’t be necessary.” Li stepped forward into the sunlight of his courtyard, positioning himself between the two women. “She will not be staying.” The last thing he needed was another test.

“There, see?” The minx huffed. “Matchmaker, I’ll accept any position, but not here. Not with him.” She jerked her chin at him like he wasn’t an immortal. Like he couldn’t crush her beneath his fist in the blink of an eye.

Bloody hell. He crossed his arms and deepened his glower to live up to his irascible notoriety. The sooner she was removed from his presence, the better.

“That is enough from you, Wen.” Tapping her long red nails on the sleeves of her pale blue silk blouse, the Matchmaker turned to the servant girl like a mother scolding an errant child. “You failed my test. You will assume whatever punishment I deem fitting.”

His shoulders tensed as his new servant complied, executing a flourishing bow. Oh, no. She was
not
staying.

“And you?” The Matchmaker planted her fierce glare on him, making him swallow hard. He might be an immortal, but even the gods hesitated to provoke this female. “You have never refused one of mine before. We have an arrangement, do we not?”

Yeah, well. He glanced to the right, and to the left, taking in the view of his gardeners. Over the years, the Matchmaker had assigned plenty of servants to his household. Most of them were recruits who’d failed to become members of her secret league of assassins—The Lotus League. Outcasts. Beings who belonged neither on Earth nor in Heaven.

Not one of them female.

“They don’t look like her.” He narrowed his gaze at the cat-eyed seductress.

“Excuse me?” The siren named Wen uncrossed her arms and fisted her hands. Definitely too much fiery enticement there.

The corner of the Matchmaker’s mouth curved. “Tempted, Li?”

He leaned in close. “It would please you to break me.”

She sighed. “There is no test here. Wen Pierce has failed to become one of my Lotus. I require somewhere to, well, store her. In essence, you would be doing me a favor.” Her brow arched. “I don’t care where you keep her. You can do with her as you like. She is yours.”

“The hell he can.” Wen’s pale skin flushed a bright red. The color enhanced her features, making him think of other ways to induce this glow on her.

Fuck.

“Very well.” This was no argument he could win. Besides, if the Matchmaker did play at some scheme, she’d quickly learn he’d far surpass the challenge. Every day he suffered the bitter torment of his one moment of weakness. One servant girl wouldn’t distract him from his penance. He’d stow her away, somewhere he wouldn’t have to gaze upon her. He bowed his head at the Matchmaker.

She patted his arm. “You should keep a close eye on this one, Li Tieguai. She has a tendency toward reckless curiosity.” Turning on her heel, she sauntered back through the columned corridor of his residence.

Reckless curiosity?
Just what he needed. Groaning, he raked a hand through his hair and stole a glance at his newest servant. She gripped her left wrist in her right hand, but he made out the pinkish hue of her fresh tattoo—a flowering lotus.

Failed, had she? How? He bit down on the question immediately. He’d do this “favor” for the Matchmaker, and no more.

***

Wen glared at her new “master.” Surly temperament? Check. Iron-fisted reputation? Check. Drop-dead gorgeous? Unfortunately, check. He wasn’t supposed to be. Ages ago, his servant had accidentally cremated his body and legend had it Li Tieguai had been forced to assume the body of a hazard, lame beggar.

Legend was wrong.

She would have gladly gone to any other immortal’s household. But Iron Crutch Li? The servants in his household never got reassigned. No one
ever
left this cursed island. She’d never find redemption here. Or avenge her brother’s death.
Matthew.
The ache in her heart pulsed and she fisted her hands, steeling her resolve. To claim her spot as a Lotus, she’d have to figure out how to get away from this place. Starting with convincing her new
Master
that he really didn’t want her here.

Store me. Ha.
The Matchmaker would soon learn she couldn’t get rid of Wen so easily.

He continued to regard her with his stern gaze, distaste evident in the hard set of his square jaw. She lifted a brow and returned his rude stare. “Look, I don’t want to be here. You clearly don’t want me here. Why did you let her walk away?” She blew out an exasperated breath and crossed her arms.