Blue Moon: Blood Moon Trilogy #3 (28 page)

“Or she,” Nick quipped, parroting me before getting serious again. “Look, try not to worry yourself about it. We’ll jump through that hoop when we get to it.”

Stomach flipping, I drank in the information Nick had to offer, still unsure of how I should feel about this new revelation.

I knew that kids were never really in my future, having seen and experienced the things I had in my lifetime, but now that it was actually happening? Now that I could no longer prevent it? I wasn’t sure what to feel.

Fear and uncertainty were still very much present, but there was a sliver of excitement that seemed to shine somewhere in the depths of it all. Some kind of…primal instinct. Was that the wolf? Was it me? I couldn’t pinpoint it, but I surprised myself by welcoming it and letting it slowly swell.

“I don’t think we should tell the Pack about the baby,” I whispered, shocking Nick. “It’s not that I want to keep it hidden, but they’ll be too protective. I’ve seen how everyone keeps Layla from the fray, and, as Alpha and someone who needs to free my parents and Cordelia from a twisted psychopath, I can’t have that.”

Nick didn’t seem receptive to my request, eyebrows furrowing in disagreement. “Brooke, if I’m interpreting what Bobby said tonight, that baby is what he’s after now. It’s why he didn’t try to use you as his guinea pig when he was holding you captive. You can’t keep this from them. They should know so they can keep you safe.”

“It would be a distraction,” I argued. “They’d be worried about me because of the baby, and that concern could get them killed. If they are kept in the dark, they’ll trust me to take care of myself and can focus on the task at hand: rescuing Cordelia.” Placing a hand on Nick’s chest, I stared into his eyes. “
You
know. That’s enough for now. You can stay by my side. Protect me.”

I could tell he still hated the idea, but he acquiesced, leaning forward and resting his forehead to mine. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

His lips touched mine, gently at first, but soon, I was arching my body into his and weaving my fingers into his soft hair, desperate for the distraction. It was probably highly inappropriate given everything that was on my plate at the moment, but I needed to get lost in him, and his quick acceptance and understanding moved me. I tugged him close, breathing heavily as my body writhed against his.

His hands slid fluidly over my body, warm and tender. His fingers caressed my skin, stroking everywhere, not missing an inch. My hair. My face. My neck. Under my shirt. Over my breasts.

A wild moan broke from my lips, spilling into Nick’s mouth as his kiss consumed me. Unable to control myself any longer, I pulled him on top of me. Groaning, he pressed his chest to mine as I wrapped my arms around him, basking in the need I had to be connected to my mate both physically and emotionally again.

Lost in him, everything else faded away until the horror I’d experienced was nothing more than a bad dream.

One of his hands moved to my hip, fingers slipping beneath the hem of my shirt and tickling the exposed skin of my stomach. My muscles quivered in response, and I expelled a breathy laugh against his lips as his fingers curled against my skin, scratching their way down my back. The spark of desire that had been lit with that first kiss was now a full-blown blaze. My body was on fire, a live wire that snapped and crackled every time Nick touched me.

Looping his thumb into the waist of my shorts, Nick slid them down over my hips, and I shimmied out of them awkwardly while he removed his own pants. Soon, he was pulling me back to him, his hand on my backside, and rolling me on top of him.

He thrust his hips upward, my toes curling when his arousal pressed against me. I moaned against his mouth, allowing his tongue to sweep over mine as he sought to deepen the kiss.

Rough, warm hands continued their journey up my body, pushing my shirt over my breasts as his hands encased them, fingers tweaking, stroking, teasing. My skin rippled with goosebumps, and in a split second, Nick was sitting up, chest pressed to mine, hands splayed on my now-bare back after tossing my shirt to the floor behind him.

Holding his lust-filled gaze, I rose onto my knees before slowly lowering onto him. His eyes threatened to close at the sensation of being inside me, but he forced them to stay open, watching me as we started to move together. His hand found its way into my hair, pulling me toward him and pressing his lips to mine as our hips undulated, propelling us both toward our climax. Overwhelming sensations started to pull me under, waves of ecstasy rolling over me gradually and making my toes curl. Nick maintained a steady pace until we achieved mutual satisfaction, holding back our cries of pleasure out of respect for everyone else in the house.

Panting and sweaty, hearts beating hard, we collapsed to the floor. Nick’s fingers trailed up and down my side, lulling me to sleep. “I love you,” he murmured against the top of my head.

I hummed, pressing myself closer to him and draping a leg over his as I rested my head on his chest. “I love you, too.”

“I know it seems scary,” he continued as I listened to his rhythmic heartbeat, “but we’ll figure this out. Everything is going to be okay.”

I looked up at him, resting my chin on his chest. “I believe you.”

He smiled. “Get some sleep. Battle strategies are stronger when one is well-rested.”

I
woke to sunlight for the first time in weeks. The living room was bathed in warm, rich light as it shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows and spread across the floor. I stretched, feeling blissful and content…for about thirty seconds before I remembered the events of the night before, and it didn’t take long for me to realize I was alone in bed.

I sat up, holding the blanket to my chest as I looked around the living room. Nick was nowhere to be found, but I could hear voices coming from the kitchen, so I turned and reached for the shirt I’d been wearing the night before.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Nick greeted, entering the room with two steaming coffee cups in his hands. Excited for the caffeine, I pulled the top on and let the blanket fall to my waist.

“Hey. You been up long?”

Nick shook his head and handed me one of the mugs. “Fifteen minutes, maybe. I heard the others starting on breakfast, smelled the coffee.” He smiled, watching me sip my coffee before I searched for my shorts from last night. They were tangled at the foot of our bed. Once they were on, I slipped from the blankets and picked my coffee up again, joining Nick on the couch.

I stared into the coffee, watching the steam rise from the dark liquid, and I could feel Nick’s eyes on me. He seemed worried, and I noticed his fingers constantly moving against the ceramic mug in his hands. Finally, he broke the silence. “How are you feeling this morning?”

I thought about his question for a moment, taking the time to gauge both my emotional and physical well-being. “Worried.”

“About?”

“My parents. Cordelia.” I bit the inside of my cheek nervously. “Us.”

Nick placed a hand on my lower back, his thumb moving idly back and forth. “You have no reason to worry about us,” he assured me gently.

“I know that, but I can’t help it. It’s going to take some time to get used to.”

“Take all the time you need. In the meantime, can I get you anything? Breakfast is almost ready, and I already let everyone know that we needed to speak with them.”

With a smile, I leaned back against the couch. “Thank you.”

Nick relaxed next to me, his head resting a few inches from mine. The way he looked at me was full of adoration and awe. “You look beautiful this morning.”

I laughed, nudging him with my elbow. “It’s a little early to be drinking, don’t you think?”

He twisted his body to face me fully, bringing his hand to rest upon my belly. It confused me for a split second until reality sank in, and then I placed my hand over his, still a little uncertain how to feel. Everything was still kind of surreal, and I was just about to thank him again for being so amazing about all of this when voices trickled into the room.

“She’s awake!” Zach announced far too enthusiastically for so early in the day.

Nick pulled his hand from beneath mine, and I pulled at my shirt to conceal the slight bulge before sitting up.

“Hey,” I greeted. “How’s breakfast coming along?”

“Layla sent me to come get you. Food’s ready.”

Nick stood first, offering me his hand. We entered the dining room hand-in-hand and took our new seats across from one another. While it would take some getting used to, I couldn’t deny how empowered and confident I felt sitting at the head of the table.

Over breakfast, Nick filled the Pack in on our findings the night before. I interjected where possible, describing the bite mark on the male victim. Jackson spoke up, agreeing with me that it didn’t sound like a vampire attack… But he also didn’t think it sounded like a wolf attack either.

“Then what could it be?” I demanded.

Next to me, Jackson leaned back in his chair, setting his cutlery down on his empty plate. “I don’t know. We might have to do some research, maybe talk to the other victims to see if they remember anything. Maybe they saw something.”

I agreed with him, and asked him to take lead on that while I went after my parents. He was more than cooperative. I told the Pack that Bobby was holding my parents captive, and that he’d told us where. It came as no surprise that the Pack was against Nick and I going alone, and after a long discussion, they made me realize that if we planned to attack during daylight, we’d need their help in searching.

So, Jackson and Roxy were going to question the past victims while the rest of us searched Stampede Park. We’d search in our human forms since it was daylight and we didn’t want to risk exposure should anyone be milling about in the off-season.

As we formulated a plan, the Pack ate. It wasn’t until several of them helped themselves to seconds that I realized I’d barely touched the food on my plate. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten a full meal, my uneasy stomach always forcing me to stop lest I get sick. I felt that familiar roll in my stomach after eating some eggs, but I managed to control it as I set my fork down and pushed my plate away.

Nick cleared his throat from across the table, eyes on me as he indicated to my food with a nod. I knew he was right, but I just couldn’t stomach the thought. He narrowed his eyes when I refused to submit. His frustration continued to mount, and finally I just grabbed a slice of buttered toast and ate it slowly. It helped calm the waves of nausea a little and renewed my energy stores, which I hadn’t even realized had been as depleted as they apparently were.

Appeased, Nick sat back in his chair with a smile and a wink, and I grabbed a second slice of toast as my appetite returned.

When breakfast was finished, I helped clear the table so we could start our search. Alone in the kitchen, I started to fill the sink with water when I sensed Nick’s presence before his hands encircled my waist and then slid around and encased my belly. Even though I’d accepted the gesture earlier, I was still a little conflicted about the situation. Also afraid the others might walk in on such an intimate gesture, I turned around, forcing his hands to the swell of my ass instead.

Leaning down, he rested his forehead against mine. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?”

Nick stood up straight, keeping his eyes trained on mine. “For humoring me and having the toast.”

Rolling my eyes, I laughed lightly. “It actually helped, so I should be thanking you for pushing.”

“I didn’t push,” he argued gently. “I merely nudged.”

Remembering the running water, I quickly turned around and shut it off, startled to find it almost at the top of the sink. Nick grabbed a dishtowel and helped without my having to ask him. It was unexpected and sweet.

“What time are we heading out?”

Nick placed a plate on the counter and picked up the next. “I figure we should head out soon. We’re going to have our work cut out for us given the size of the grounds. We’ll split off into teams when we arrive and search. I want everyone to observe. No one should make a move until they have conclusive information, have eyes on your parents, and have informed us. We’ll tell them of the warning Bobby gave you. That should keep them from acting recklessly.”

The authority with which he spoke forced me to look over at him. I loved his take-charge attitude, because, if I was being entirely honest, this was all new territory for me.

He must have seen something different in my eyes.

“Sorry. Those are just my thoughts. If you see this going a different way, perhaps something a little more tactical based on your experience with the police department, then just tell me. I just know that this is how Marcus would have—”

I shook my head to cut his rambling off. “Stop. Everything you’ve described is exactly how I would run my team in Arizona if this were an investigation. And
never
apologize. I’m still so new to this, and you’re every bit as in charge as I am.”

Nick and I finished up the dishes and reconvened with the others after getting dressed. Within the hour, we were heading into the city, taking three separate vehicles. Jackson and Roxy took his car, promising to fill us in or call if they found anything substantial.

Colby and Zach came with Nick and me in the truck, while Corbin accompanied Vince and Layla in their gold sedan.

“How are you doing, Colby?” I asked, turning in my seat to look at her. She’d looked better, the dark circles under her eyes proving she’d been sleeping even less than she was when I’d first brought her little sister home.

Her eyes slowly met mine, appearing almost dull as a weak smile formed on her lips. “I’m worried. And angry.”

While I certainly understood her feelings and felt she was completely justified to feel that way given everything she’d been through in her short life, I grew concerned for how she might react when face to face with the monster responsible.

“Colby, sweetie?” She continued to regard me as I mentally stumbled over the words I wanted to say. “I need to know that you’re going to be able to control yourself. If you find their location before Nick and me, I need to know you’re not going to rush in there to attain vengeance for your family.”

Her expression didn’t change, which only made me realize that was probably exactly what she had planned to do.

“I’m not joking,” I said, my voice strengthening with authority. “Bobby will kill you—he’ll kill my parents, and probably Cordelia, too. You might feel strong, and your adrenaline will keep you going for a little while, but in the end, you’ll lose because you’re not prepared. You’re mentally and physically exhausted. One slip and he’ll—”

Tears filled her eyes, but she managed to hold them back as she nodded. “Okay. I won’t do anything stupid.” I continued to stare at her, reading her, trying to find some kind of tell. I only sensed sincerity. “I promise.”

Even though I suspected he had her back and was willing to go along with whatever she’d planned, Zach spoke up. “I’ll make sure she follows orders.” His posture and intermittent eye contact with me proved his submission to me as his Alpha, and I nodded my approval.

“Thank you. I know the desire to seek vengeance is strong—believe me, I’ve been there—but I can’t lose any more of this pack.” I paused, playing the card I knew would guarantee Colby’s submission, too. “I promised your father.”

If I didn’t have her full cooperation before, I had it now. 

We arrived at our destination, parking a few blocks away so we could go over the plan once more. Vince and Layla’s car pulled up a few minutes later. Seeing her get out of the car, hand on her larger belly, made me wonder if she was truly up to this. I knew she was strong, but I worried about the life of her child.

Then I realized I should also be worried about my own unborn child’s safety, and I suddenly was.

Nick’s presence by my side, his hand on my back, shifted my focus, and I cleared my throat. “I can’t stress enough how important it is that you all stay back. Bobby was clear what he would do to my parents if I didn’t come alone. You’re here to help us track them down quickly. I’ll go in and get them. Nick will be standing by, out of sight, ready to step in if I get into trouble.”

Nick’s hand left my back, and when I looked up at him, I noticed he wanted to argue this. He didn’t, and he wouldn’t. Not in front of the rest of the Pack, anyway. Alone? It wasn’t in his protective nature to let this go.

“Deviating from the plan not only jeopardizes your safety and the safety of this pack, but it could get my parents and Cordelia killed. I understand you all want vengeance for what happened, but now is not the time to seek it. We wait until
we
have the upper hand. Are we clear?”

Everyone nodded before heading off in separate directions; splitting up was our best chance at finding them before sundown. We would communicate via text if anyone found anything.

Before she could get very far, I stopped Layla. “You’re sure you’re okay to do this?” I paused, knowing that, as an independent woman, I’d be offended if my worth to the team was demeaned because of my condition. “I just mean…be careful, okay?”

Layla didn’t appear offended, smiling instead as she gripped my hand and squeezed it. “You too.” There was a look in her eyes that hinted she might already know about the baby. Had Miranda told her? Was it something she could just sense? If she could sense it, did that mean everyone else knew already, too? “Stay safe. You’ve got a pack to lead.”

Nick and I stayed by the cars, watching as everyone else dispersed. Once they were out of sight, Nick turned to me, anger blazing in his eyes. “If you think I’m going to stand idly by while you—”