Blue Moon Dragon (20 page)

“I’m going to the woods. I need to run.”

“I’ll give you an hour then come to meet you,” Jess said.

Brandon hesitated before nodding. “Be careful.” He kissed her in the familiar way that made her toes curl within her boots before striding through the open door, shifting to black wolf as she watched.

Jess smiled. If ever a man made her heart pound, it was Brandon Lupinus. A part of her was selfishly glad he’d been cursed since otherwise she’d never have met him. Her breasts tingled as her mind drifted to sex and how good it was between them. Jess tidied away the strips of discarded paper and started to prepare the room for painting. Another four-poster bed stood in the middle of the room, covered with sheets to keep the worst of the dust off while the room was decorated. The floor was bare wood since the carpet was rolled up. Once she hung new bed and matching window curtains, the room with its own balcony and view over the woods would be popular with guests.

Jess filled the last small hole in the wall nearest the door and set the bowl of filler aside. Time to meet with Brandon. She took the path that wound through the gardens. It led behind the house and into the woods—a path that circled through the oaks and beech trees and back to the front of the manor. A small brook bubbled busily as it wound its way to join the Mercep River.

Jess brushed past a willow tree growing on the banks of the brook and headed deeper into the woods. The afternoon sun shed dappled patterns over the ground. A bee buzzed around the early wildflowers and a thrush twittered cheerfully from the low branches of an oak.

Jess walked slowly, enjoying the fresh air and savoring the peacefulness. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to remember the manor belonged to her. The tomboy was fast becoming a success story.

A short howl pierced the air. Jess smiled, her heart jumping into a crazy beat of excitement. Brandon. Maybe she could entice him into making love outdoors…

Chapter Five

Brandon’s head jerked up at the call of the wolf, cut off before it wound into full howl. His hackles rose and a snarl vibrated deep in his chest. He scented for intruders, cocking his ears at the sweaty stink of man. When a woman’s scream rippled through the air, Brandon broke into a run. Jess? Fear kicked him in the gut and he upped his pace, cutting through the woods instead of taking the path, heading toward the sound.

Blackberry and bracken ripped at his thick coat but Brandon kept going, terrified for Jess’s safety. God, he loved her so much. He didn’t intend to fail again, especially when it came to Jess. When the clearing came into sight he slowed to take stock, his sides heaving from exertion.

Three men. Two holding a young woman while the third pointed a gun. Not Jess. His nose twitched at the sweet stench of alcohol and something else. Drugs? Worry escalated as he debated how to proceed.

The two men held the woman firmly, squeezing her breasts, fondling her ass and worse. Her sobbing pleas tugged at him.

Elsa had cried and pleaded.

“Take your time, boys,” the gunman said. “We won’t be disturbed here.”

One of the men ripped off her shirt. The woman screamed, the sound cut off abruptly when he slapped her face. She sobbed, her thin shoulders shaking. Brandon felt her fear. It shimmered in the air, tearing at his guts, ripping the scabs off painful memories.

The gunman first. Brandon slithered closer on his belly until he was in position to attack. He leapt, striking the man directly in the chest, teeth snapping as a feral growl rippled from his throat.

The woman cowered, screaming again in panic.

“What the fuck?” one of the men cursed.

Yep, they could see him well enough. As he’d hoped, the gun flew from the man’s grasp at the force of his weight. Brandon grabbed the man’s leg and hauled him along the rough ground with not the slightest remorse.

“Get him away from me, you morons!”

Brandon sank his teeth in a little farther and the man ceased his fight. Not dead. Fainted.

The other two men released the woman and backed away. Probably heading for their vehicle. Brandon stalked them, cutting off easy escape. He growled.

“Fuck, told you this was a bad idea,” one of the men snapped.

Brandon growled low and menacing. He should have spoken up instead of going along. Acted like a man. A leader instead of a blind follower.

As Brandon should have with Elsa
.

Fury built in him. He’d make them sorry.

“Brandon! Watch out! He has a gun.” Jess’s terrified warning pierced his anger.

God’s teeth, Jess
was
here. In danger, but he had to save the girl first. He growled fiercely.

The man he’d jumped had regained consciousness and possession of the gun. He aimed it at the girl and squeezed the trigger. Brandon leapt in front of the girl without a second thought. He felt the bullet rip into his shoulder. Impossible. He was a ghost. Yes, he had substance, but he could still fade out enough to pass through solid objects.

The scent of blood filled the air. His blood. Brandon faltered. Another shot echoed in the clearing, slamming into his side. Pain hit him but he urged the woman behind a large tree to safety, nudging her with his body. His head swam, a peculiar blackness crawling through his mind. The shifting process started, the bullets popping from his shoulder and side as he changed from wolf to man.

“Brandon?” Jess’s panic was clear. She couldn’t see him.

Brandon stood abruptly, wavering for an instant, desperate to get to Jess. He felt weird. Different. His clothes! His eyes widened as he stared at his black breeches. They were from his time—the clothes he’d worn on the day Elsa died. They were covered with blood—both Elsa’s and his.

Walk the ghostly world. Howl at the moon. Alone Brandon Lupinus until need forces you to act as a decent man should.

A laugh burst from his tight throat. The curse. It was broken! He had fulfilled the terms of the curse by helping the woman.

He whirled around, elation filling him. Jess. He needed to hold her with human instead of ghostly arms, to kiss her and love her as a man. He ran into the clearing, searching for his love.

Where was she?

A third shot rang out.

“No!” His cry of horror ripped through the clearing. He covered the ground to Jess’s side in seconds flat, squatting at her side.

Too late
.

Pain filled her eyes and blood bubbled from a hole in her chest. Brandon cradled her in his arms. “Jess, sweetheart. Hold on. I’ll get help. Hold on. You can’t die.
I love you
.”

“Love you.” Her eyes fluttered closed and she went limp in his arms. A ghostly form separated from her body as he watched.

“No!” Brandon checked for a pulse. Nothing. He shook her but she remained still. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks. In the distance, a siren sounded. It moved progressively closer. The girl must have found help from a night patrol. Relief was tinged with pain.

Too late for Jess.

He’d lost her.

Brandon stood and turned to face her murderer, fury rippling through him in a giant red wave.

A fourth shot echoed in the clearing. With astonishment Brandon stepped back, pain clawing at his chest. Fresh blood bloomed on his white shirt and waistcoat. He staggered then fell, his world turning black.

* * * * *

“Brandon, wake up.” The scent of flowers and woman dragged him from the dark. Cool, smooth hands wiped his brow and straightened his clothes.

“Jess?” Brandon bolted upright, his head going straight through her arm.

Jess laughed. “Whoa, that was weird! I hope we can still make love.”

“You’re a ghost.” Sorrow throbbed in his heart. He hadn’t managed to save Jess. She’d never have children or grow old. “You’ll never see your family again unless they visit the manor.”

“A ghost?” Jess frowned. “I can’t leave?”

“I don’t think so.”

Her forehead smoothed out. “I guess that will be okay. I love the manor.” She stroked his cheek. “Don’t be sad. You saved the young woman. Besides, we will always be together now.”

Brandon drew her close and kissed her tenderly. It was true. They could never be parted now. He smiled with real happiness. “I love you.”

* * * * *

Ten years later

“Gather around,” the perky guide said. “Legend says Tavistock Manor is haunted by very special ghosts. One is a werewolf ghost.”

“Don’t believe in ghosts,” a teenage boy muttered from the back of the group.

“Don’t be so sure. At full moon, the howl of a wolf echoes through the night. And sometimes when you walk along a passage there are sudden cold spots.”

“Humph,” the boy repeated his doubt.

Brandon and Jess watched, their heads poking through the wall to survey the latest batch of tourists.

Brandon sighed. “More unbelievers. I believe it’s your turn.”

“Okay.” Jess popped right through the wall, sauntered up to the teenager and tapped him on the shoulder. “Boo!”

The boy let out a girlie screech and fled, the rest of the tour party not far behind.

Brandon grinned and gave a thumbs-up to Jess while the tour guide sighed loudly.

“Really, Aunt Jess,” Kelly, a teenage version of Jess said, scarcely blinking when both Brandon and Jess blinked into sight in front of her. “Now I’ll have to go and round them up. You play havoc with the tour schedule when you do that.”

“But it’s so much fun,” Jess said as she twined her ghostly fingers with Brandon’s. “Are there guests staying the night?”

“Yes, and Dad told me to tell you to keep the chains and hijinks out of the bedrooms. We want our guests thrilled not petrified to death.”

“We’ll do that, sweeting,” Brandon promised. “We’re off for a snooze.”

Kelly wrinkled her nose. “
Eew!
”

Brandon and Jess chuckled and hand in hand, they glided through the sunshine, invisible to everyone but family, happy and fulfilled.

Together forever.

The End

Thank you for reading
Blue Moon Dragon
and
Curse of the Wolf
. I hope you enjoyed this book, and no matter what your reading experience, please consider leaving a review.

I’d also like to tell you about my readers’ group. The perks? Well, you’ll receive two free books—one contemporary and the other a paranormal romance. You’ll get previews of new stories and see my covers first. I’m a big reader, and I like to recommend the books I’ve enjoyed plus there are contests, and going forward, there will be access to short stories and ARCs. So, what are you waiting for?
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Happy reading,

Shelley

Excerpt – My Scarlet Woman

Inaugural Middlemarch Singles Ball

“Please stop staring at me.” Emily Scarlet grimaced at Maggie, her sister-in-law and best friend. She scanned the faces in the line leading to the marquee, concentrating on the male ones before turning back to Maggie. “I checked my makeup in my compact mirror five minutes ago. I know I haven’t colored outside the lines so quit with the bulging eyes. It’s not attractive. Don’t you want to catch a man?”

Emily’s hips swayed in time to the catchy beat of the song the band played and mentally checked off the faces while eagerness built. No. No. Possibly…

“I can’t help it. You look so different.” Maggie’s expression radiated confusion as she checked out Emily’s radically changed appearance.

Emily knew she looked different. Better. Her reflection in the bedroom mirror this evening still had the power to surprise her. The sexy, layered haircut and the new golden highlights that shot her from mousy to head-turning. The figure-hugging red dress that ended mid-thigh and showcased her recent weight loss. The strappy black heels that made her legs appear long and toned. The blue contact lenses to correct her shortsightedness, and the breasts that the incredible bra she wore pushed up and out to greater prominence.

Maggie’s brow crinkled in distress. “You’re not the Emily Scarlet I know. I don’t think Michael—”

“Michael is dead.”

Pain darkened her sister-in-law’s face. “It’s been six months. Don’t you think you should take more time before you make changes?”

Emily bit back the cutting reply that leapt to the tip of her tongue. Michael had cheated. He’d lied. The morning of the car accident, he’d had told her he intended to leave her for his secretary. Boring little Emily didn’t compare favorably with the glamorous Tessa. Too frumpy. Too predictable for Michael’s taste. He hadn’t even given her a chance!

Impotent anger grew as she replayed the painful scene. She gripped her black clutch bag so tightly the box of condoms inside buckled beneath the pressure and the cellophane wrapping gave a telltale crackle. She relaxed her grasp and inhaled, trying to push away the ugly past.

Bottom line. He hadn’t loved her.

Emily fixed a smile on her mouth. She didn’t want to argue with Maggie or blurt out the truth about Michael in a burst of temper—not after keeping quiet and protecting the family’s illusions. They had loved Michael, and she refused to hurt the people she cared for even if their son and brother was a dirty, cheating scumbag. She’d suffered enough for them already.

After mentally jerking herself back to the present, she spied a tall, dark-haired man standing with a group just inside the flower-bedecked marquee. Her gaze strolled the length of his body, coming to rest on a very touchable butt. She sighed in appreciation and wished he’d turn around so she could check the whole package. He remained standing with his arse pointing in her direction. Delectable.

She put him on her list and glanced back at Maggie. “Coming to Middlemarch is about having fun.”

The line moved forward and Emily tugged two tickets from the depths of her clutch bag then draped the long strap over her shoulder.

“It’s all about sex,” Maggie snapped. “They have a shortage of women in Middlemarch. I’ve read the papers. This isn’t a dance. It’s a meat market.”

“Yeah, great, isn’t it?” Emily chuckled, attracting the attention of the same group of men she’d just ogled. She winked at them and turned back to Maggie. “You didn’t have to come with me. I told you I was happy to come on my own. I promised to turn into a pumpkin at midnight, catch the train back to Dunedin and stumble into a taxi at the other end, tired and danced out like a good Cinderella. But you insisted on coming. The least you can do is enjoy yourself. Come on, you know you love to dance.”