In the Light of the Moon (Dark War Chronicles) (11 page)

“Hey baby girl.” She smiled, her canines just a little more pointed.

So many questions flooded through Kass’ mind, but only one came out.
“How’d you find me?”

“A little birdie told me that you’ve been working here under a
vampire.” She leaned forward. “Cosmo please.”

Kass turned to make the drink and delivered it to her sister. “Great,
didn’t know there were such little nosy birdies that knew I worked here. When
did you shift? Seems you’ve spent a lot of time in your new form.”

“Just after you left us.” Her eyes flickered down and then back to
Kass. “Dad’s doing, you know, control training.”

Kass knew all too well. She took a deep breath. “So you’re still living
with them.”

“He wishes you’d come home, Kass, he’s changed. He understands that he
was wrong.” Sarah folded her hands and put her chin on them. “He understands
that you’re the most powerful female the clan has ever had.”

Shaking her head, she tried to calm the fear crawling through her. Her
beast paced below the surface and the familiar pain started in her chest. She
closed her eyes and focused on Jax. How she felt when he calmed her beast
helped the panther retreat. With a deep breath she opened her eyes. “No. I work
under Lucius now and I’m protected by him.”

“Heard you kill for him.” Sarah narrowed her eyes. “That you’ve lost
all your control.”

“Not true.”
 
She looked up
as she heard the door, but didn’t see anyone. “Are the others with you?”

Sarah shook her head and slid into a seat. “They don’t know that I
came. I wanted to talk to you alone.”

Kass saw the subtle hitch in Sarah’s breathing and the small dilation
in her eyes that betrayed her lie. “But they know where I am.” Kass made it a
statement.

Sarah met Kass’ eyes. “Of course. We’ve known for a few years.”

“Impossible.”

“You think so little sister?” She sipped her drink and leaned back on
her stool. “Why don’t you come home Kass, I’ve told you that things have
changed.”

Kass snorted. “You think I would believe that, after years of being
force taught control. Just so they could try to kill me by starvation, fights,
and whatever the hell else they threw at me?”

“I thought you had been lying about all that, now I know, now I can
protect you.” Sarah begged. “Don’t leave me there alone.”

Kass searched Sarah’s yellow eyes for something, anything that would
tell Kass she spoke the truth. Tears at the corner of her eyes made Kass sigh.
“I’m bound here. I can’t.”

“So much for family, dad always said you cared more for yourself. Clan
means loyalty, and here you are bound to a fucking vampire.” Sara threw the
Cosmo at Kass.

Kass knocked the drink out of the air. The glass shattered as it hit
the floor and the bar went silent. “Security,” she called.

Two of Lucius’ vampires came up and each grabbed on of Sarah’s arms.
“We’ll take care of her.”

Kass watched Sarah be dragged out, but the woman smiled at Kass. Taking
deep breaths, she went to get the broom to sweep up the glass. Mae came over
and looked down at her. “Not like you to piss off customers.”

“Yeah, well she wasn’t welcomed here.” Kass swept up the little pieces
of glass. “And I need to go.”

“Your shifts not over.” Mae raised a brow, “and we’re swamped.”

“Well then I need to call Lucius because that,” Kassity pointed to the
door, “is something that puts me in danger.”

Mae snorted. “Something that scares the big bad panther?”

“Remember the attack the other night? Same group, fuck me.” Kass ran
her hand through her hair trying not to panic. “I can’t believe this is
happening.” Her beast stirred and she put a hand to her chest. “Not now cat, we
have to figure this out. Lucius, need to talk to him.”

“Why?”

“Because despite how much we both hate him he can actually protect me.”
Kass sighed. “Just gonna call him and let him know what’s going on.”

Mae let out a deep sigh. “Go, I’ll cover for you.”

“Thanks.” Kass slipped into the back room and pulled out her phone. The
vampire hated phones, but would pick up knowing it was an emergency. When it
clicked to voicemail she growled.

“You must be desperate to call me.” Lucius said from the corner.
“Didn’t think it was going to be something you really wanted to tell me over
the phone.”

Kass tried not to jump when he appeared. “I need you to free my beast.
Sarah showed up here and you know it’s only a matter of time before the others
show up.”

“I can’t free her right now, you’ll have to relearn some of the control
and I can’t have a rampant panther in my territory. Strange that Sarah would be
the one to show up, don’t you think?”

Kass nodded and sat down. “Yes, I thought that. But she’s…changed, you
can tell that she’s been forced to be in cat form too much when she didn’t have
control. Her hair, her eyes, even her teeth have changed.”

“You spend a lot of time in cat form, and none of your features have
changed like that.”

“Because I still have some control, I’m stronger than she is. I’ve
always had better control over my cat than the boys, even as a cub. They’re
weaker, because their mother wasn’t a strong shifter. Sarah hadn’t even shown a
second form until I left.”

Lucius nodded. “So your mother must have had stronger blood.”

“Yes, but that’s neither here nor there. They are coming for me, they
want me to come home. Sarah said that my father has changed and that she can
protect me there.” She fidgeted with her fingers and looked down. “Part of me
wants to believe it, because clan is everything.”

Lucius shook his head. “Not to you though, clan only means pain and
fear. Remember those days Kass, remember how they tried to kill you on hunts,
how your food was limited, the cages, the collars, the forced shifts.”

“And you’re much better?” She growled, looked up at him. “You’ve put me
cages and forced me to wear collars. You’ve stripped me of my control and limit
my hunts.”

Lucius raised a brow, a crackle of power forming around him. “You
really want to bring that up right now? Because you know you are better off
with me. Think about the agreement we just made. You wouldn’t be allowed that
with your father. You are also still alive, remember that Kassity. I took you
in and yes I used you to control Josh and I control you with things such as the
cage and the collar, but only because I am the leader of this territory and you
are one of my people. I cannot be weak. I discipline my own human on lines that
are just as harsh. I remind you of where you have been, but also bring you to
your full potential. I’ve stripped you of your control, yes, but you are
stronger for it.”

Kass shivered at his power. “Josh never would have done that to me.”

“Josh was weak and the only reason he rescued you was so he had a way
into my territory and something that I needed. I had no use for a weak vampire
like him, which is why I killed him. He couldn’t protect you, but he had a weak
spot for you after, and only after, he realized that you had a human side.”

She swallowed. “You lie, I was just like a sister to him, regardless of
my beast.”

“Remember back and really think about it.” He held up a hand. “When you
have a chance to actually think on it. Right now you have to worry about the
other panthers. I will release some of my control on your panther, so that you
may shift at will because I know you can control that without my help, but I
want your word.”

She narrowed her eyes. “On?”

“That you will not run. You will not run away from this, or me.”

“My word. I’m done running.”

A cruel smile formed on Lucius face. “How do you end a sentence like
that?”

“Master.” She whispered and he placed a hand on her head. She gasped as
she felt something pull deep inside her, suddenly she and her cat could think
together again instead of separately. She took a few deep breaths as she was
trying to get ahold of it again. There was one thing that came through clearly
that her and her panther agreed on: fight. They must fight.

Jax walked into the hotel room that Garrett
had invited him to. He looked around at the torn up carpet and shredded bed.
Splinters of wood littered the floor from what once was a chair…possibly a desk
or both. “Trashing hotels for fun?”

“Our sister doesn’t quite have the control we wish she did. She got
upset over a situation at a bar and kind of lost it. You said you wanted to
talk to us?” Garrett motioned to the man from before, sitting in the ruined
chair in the corner. “You remember Stephan.”

Jax nodded to him. “Nice to have a name to go with the face. Yes, I’m
here to return the half of the money you gave me. I’m done. She ain’t coming
back by my hand.” He pulled a backpack off his shoulder filled with the cash
he’d taken from them.

“You think you can just walk away from this? You were hired to locate
her and bring her to us. We know where she is, but Lucius makes it hard for us
to get to her. She’s well protected from us.” Stephan stood. “You’re making a
mistake.”

Jax raised a brow. “I’m refusing the rest of the job. Don’t want the
money, don’t want her hurt.” He threw the bag at their feet.

Garret laughed. “Oh, you like her, do you? Think you can mate the
bitch?”

“Garret,” Stephen snapped. “Calm, certainly he hasn’t bowed to her
charms. You know that she can’t mate, right?”

“That’s a lie,” Jax chuckled and shook his head. He eyed Stephan. He
was a bit taller than Garrett, but wouldn’t be hard to take down first, if need
be.

Garrett raised a brow. “Holy shit, your panther recognized her.” It was
a statement. “You slept with her already.”

“Not really your business.” Jax uncrossed his arms. Letting his hands
fall to his side, he tried to take a non-threatening stance.

“He’s right, and it doesn’t matter. You need to finish the job.”
Stephan flexed his hands. “We need her, she’s the last powerful female of our
clan.”

Jax shifted so his feet were further apart. “And if I refuse?”

“Then we’re going to have problems. You can’t protect her.” Stephan
flicked his hands and claws replaced the fingers.

Jax laughed. “Nice trick, but guess what,” he mirrored the motions with
the same results. “I can do it too.” He dropped to a fighting stance. “You
can’t take me.”

Garret grinned stepping out from behind Stephan. “You think that you
can take both of us?”

Jax crouched and took a deep breath. Centering his thoughts he
channeled his panther. The beast inside him snarled at the idea of someone
wanting to hurt his mate. He’d do anything to protect her. “Try me.”

Stephan launched himself forward and swiped at Jaxon’s stomach.
Catching his claws with his own, Jax pushed Stephan back into Garret. The
panther inside him told Jax to run, that he couldn’t win this fight, but when
he turned to leave the hotel room he found a fully shifted panther was blocking
his way. “You must be Sarah.”

He backed up, and cried out as claws pierced his stomach. He looked
down at the blood and his panther lost it. He pulled away from the claws and
spun around to see which brother they belonged to.

Garret stood there examining the blood dripping down the claws. “Smells
normal, means you’re not an immortal. Goodie, means we can kill you.”

Stephan snarled. “No, let him suffer.” He rushed Jax who stumbled back
and over Sarah. Shifting as he landed, he let out a roar and Sarah backed away.
He turned his gaze to the brothers and bounded towards the closest one. Stephan
caught him, but stumbled back. Jax used his momentum to take the male to the
ground and went to tear out Stephan’s throat, but was pulled away and thrown
into the wall.

He crashed to the ground. Struggling to his feet he shook his head to
fight off the exploding pain there. He let out a growl as Garret’s claws caught
him in the side. Jax snapped at Garret as he laughed. Jax crouched but was
taken out from the side by Sarah. Her weak attempt to pin him was easily
recovered from, but her jaw locked around his foot.
 
The pain shot up his leg and he bit the
top of her neck, tearing her away from him. He crouched in the corner. Favoring
the front left paw, he snarled as Garret closed in.

“Hope you said goodbye to Kass.” He laughed and went to swipe at the
downed panther, and then the phone rang.

The entire room froze. Stephan picked up the phone, “Yes? Oh, no, I’m
sorry for that. No, no, it was just the TV.” He paused. “Why would there be a
fight in our room? No reason the get the authorities involved. Oh, fuck, you’re
kidding me.” Another pause and Steven slammed the receiver down. “Clear out.
Now, leave him. One of the other customers called the police because of the
noise.”

Jax watched as they gathered a few things and then turned to Sarah.
Stephan knelt by her. “This is going to hurt sister, I promise that I’ll take
care of you after.” He put a hand on her head and closed his eyes. Jax watched
as the panther whined and the bones started shifting under the fur. The
familiar cracks and pops told him that she was being forced back into human
form, as the fur retreated he could see that her hair remained the same black
color of her cat. She passed out in Stephan’s arms. He grabbed a blanket and
wrapped her up in it as Garret led the way out.