Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan (14 page)

Tristan’s jaw tightened. “That’s different,”
he said.

“I just bet it is.” Everly laughed. “Don’t
worry, I will be careful,” she said. “I think you’re the one who
needs to watch out. Trouble could be closer than you think.” She
gave Tristan a pointed stare.

Izzy snorted. “Tell me something I don’t
know.”

“Okay,” Everly said, taking her statement as
a request. “You cannot change your fate on this one.”

Gooseflesh prickled along Izzy’s skin,
despite the growing heat.

“Neither can I,” Everly added softly. “When
the time comes, remember that.”

The resolve in her voice worried Izzy. She’d
never heard that tone from Everly before. They needed to talk.
There had to be something they could do to get out of this
mess.

“Ready to mingle?” Tristan asked, kissing her
cheek.

The move distracted her from her dark
thoughts. “As I’ll ever be,” Izzy said.

* * * * *

Tristan tried not to show any reaction when
the tarot cards were turned over. He didn’t believe in those kinds
of things, but Everly wasn’t a normal reader. She was a
Sighted-One, so he couldn’t dismiss her findings out of hand.

It bothered him that she saw him and Isabel
as lovers. Not because he couldn’t imagine it anymore, but because
he could. She’d worked her way under his skin and Tristan had no
idea how to get Isabel out.

He touched the lodestone around his neck.
Thus far, he hadn’t felt even the slightest pulse. Perhaps the
Darkling had left New Orleans. Wishful thinking on his part, since
it hadn’t gotten what it had come for.

Tristan glanced at Isabel. Her fair skin
glowed in the sunlight. It was a stark contrast to her purple
sundress, yet somehow as a whole it worked. Too well for his peace
of mind.

Human males walked by with their necks
craning to get a better look at her.

A growl rose from Tristan’s chest before he
could stop it. Isabel didn’t seem to notice the men, but she
certainly heard the growl. Her gaze cut to his, and her hazel eyes
narrowed.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

Tristan stared at her for a moment. “Making
sure people mind their manners.”

“What?” she asked in confusion.

She had been totally unaware of the
attention. Isabel really didn’t know what kind of effect she had on
men, had on him. Tristan clasped her hand and tugged.

“This way,” he said. They’d take a stroll
along the river then circle back into the Quarter. He wanted to
make sure Isabel’s scent permeated the area and that she was highly
visible. In that dress, he wouldn’t have to worry about the
latter.

Heads continued to turn as they strolled
along the Mississippi River bank. Tristan tried to relax, but it
was impossible with so many males sniffing around. Inside, his
beast bared its teeth and snarled. Outside, Tristan pulled Isabel
into his arms and kissed her often enough to send a message to the
men around her.

Every time he kissed her, Isabel’s gaze grew
unfocused, and her luscious scent deepened. If only she weren’t
human. It would be far too easy to get used to this, get used to
having her in his arms.

Tristan needed to think of something else,
something to distract him and his beast from the urges pummeling
his body. “How long have you known Everly?” he asked.

“Not long,” she said. “I met her when I first
hit town a month ago.”

“She should leave,” he said.

Isabel gave him a sad smile. “I know, but she
won’t. She told me she’s tired of running,” she said, her voice
weary. “Can’t say I blame her. It gets old.”

“You sound tired, too,” Tristan said.

“I am,” she said. “But there’s not a lot I
can do about it. I’m more concerned with Everly’s vision.”

He was, too. Tristan tried to imagine what it
would be like moving from place to place, knowing that you were
constantly being pursued. The beast in him rose to the surface and
growled.

Isabel laughed at him. “What’s up with all
the growling?” she asked.

“Sometimes my beast likes to voice its
opinion at inopportune times,” he said.

“Do you have conversations with it often?”
she asked.

Tristan shook his head. “Not really. We
rarely disagree with each other.”

“Interesting,” she said. “Where do you
live?”

The change of subject surprised him. “I have
homes in many places,” he said. “My favorite is in New Mexico.”

“Wow,” she said. “I wouldn’t have pictured
you in the Southwest.”

“Why?” His fingers lingered on her bare
shoulder after he brushed her hair away from her face.

Isabel shrugged and casually stepped out of
reach. “I don’t know. You look more Nordic than Navajo,” she
said.

“I do have a Nordic heritage, but I prefer
the sunshine and warmth over the cold and gray skies,” he said.

“You don’t look like you get a lot of sun,”
she said.

“I don’t tan easily,” he said wryly.

Isabel laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Tristan asked.

She put her hand over her mouth to hide her
smile. “I just pictured you in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt,
sitting on a turtle float in the middle of a pool.”

“Is that so hard to imagine?” Tristan asked,
liking the sound of her laughter, even if it was at his
expense.

Isabel’s shoulders shook. “Yes, it is,
Frosty.”

He laughed with her. “I must do a better job
of distracting your smart mouth.”

She flinched.

“What’s the matter?” Tristan asked, unsure of
what he’d said or done to cause the reaction.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard a real
laugh from you,” she said. “I was beginning to think you’d never
learned how to laugh.”

“And you find the sound frightening?” he
asked.

Isabel shook her head. “Just the opposite.
It’s quite nice and unexpected.”

Tristan wasn’t sure how to respond, so he
didn’t. He held her hand as he led them down to a docked
riverboat.

“One of these days I’m going to take that
ride.” Isabel pointed to the boat.

Tristan had the sudden urge to get her
tickets.
You’re not here for fun.
For a moment, Tristan had
forgotten why they were here. He’d been so caught up in touching
her, kissing her, and holding her that he’d lost focus.

“Mind if we do it some other time?” he
asked.

“You want to go, too?” she asked, surprised
again.

Tristan glanced at the boat. He would enjoy
the ride, if she were with him. “Sure,” he said, then turned right
so they were heading back into the quarter.

“How will we know if this works?” Isabel
asked.

“He’ll make a move.” Just the thought of the
Darkling trying to rip Isabel out of his hands made his beast
snarl.

“You’re doing it again,” Isabel said.

“Sorry,” Tristan said. “I didn’t mean to. The
necklace around my throat detects the Darkling’s magic. I’ll know
he’s coming long before we see him.”

“Magic? As in Harry Potter or watch me pull a
rabbit out of my hat?” Isabel pulled her hand out of his and
stopped.

“Neither,” he said.

“But you’re telling me that magic is real,”
she said.

Tristan debated how to respond. He decided to
be honest with her. “How else would you explain your abilities or
what I’m able to become? The powers might be different, but they’re
nothing short of magic.”

“But.” She rubbed her forehead and took a
deep breath. “I guess I never looked at it that way.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “You’ve spent
your life running from us monsters. When you view an entire species
that way, it’s hard to see beyond your preconceived notions.”

He was right. Izzy knew he was right, but it
was a lot to take in. Her world had been filled with humans and
monsters without anything in between. Now he was telling her there
was even more to the world than she’d imagined.

Izzy had never once asked herself what was
behind the ability to shift. She’d simply assumed they were all
evil and left it at that.

Magic... just the word conjured all kinds of
images in her mind.

She glanced at Tristan. “If you’re magic,
then why don’t you feel your power pulsing in the necklace?”

Tristan opened his mouth and closed it again.
“I’m not sure you’re ready to hear the answer to that question,” he
said.

“Try me,” she said.

“Like humans, there are both good and bad
Moonlight Kin. We have far more gifts than humans could ever
imagine, but we also have a shadow side,” he said. “A very dark
shadow side.”

“You turn into wolves and the Darklings?” She
took a step back. That would be bad. Very bad. Izzy wasn’t sure
what she’d do if Tristan said yes.

“No! Never that,” he said. “I told you the
truth when I said that the Darklings are from another world. Our
shadow sides reside in another world. They do not belong here.
Every time they’ve crossed into this world, they’ve caused
bloodshed and conflict between humans and the Kin. Most humans
don’t distinguish between monsters. When pushed, they want to kill
them all.”

Guilt made Izzy look away, but she had to
know more. She needed to know everything. “That doesn’t explain why
you can wear the necklace without it reacting.”

He pursed his lips, and darned if he didn’t
look cute. She bet he made that same face when he was little. The
look made her want to rise onto her tippy-toes and kiss him, but
that would be inappropriate after what he’d just shared.

“Moonlight Kin magic is part of this world.
This lodestone is designed to pick up the magic of creatures from
other worlds,” Tristan said. “Including our shadow side.”

“If they’re part of you, why can’t you make
them stay in their own world?” she asked.

“Can you make your shadow stop following
you?” he asked.

Izzy looked down at her shadow. “I suppose
not.”

“Neither can we,” he said.

Izzy’s stomach rumbled.

Tristan grinned. “Hungry?”

“Sounds like it,” she said. “I know right
where to go.”

Izzy led Tristan to St. Peter Street. She
didn’t stop until they reached Yo Mama’s Bar & Grill.

“What’s this place?” he asked, staring warily
at the front of the building. “It looks...”

“Like a bordello?” she finished for him.

Tristan nodded. “I was going to say dive bar,
but it resembles that, too.”

“The décor is a bit of both, but it has the
best burgers you’ll ever eat in your life,” she said.

They climbed the stairs and settled at a
table near the small bar. Instead of sitting across from her,
Tristan sat next to her, his leg brushing hers.

Every time he spoke, he leaned in close to
her ear and brushed her sensitive lobe. At first Izzy thought he
was doing it because the music was so loud, but he did it no matter
what was playing on the jukebox. Was this part of their
performance?

His actions left her feeling antsy and
unsure. She tried to separate reality from make-believe, but the
line blurred in her mind. It didn’t help that Tristan played his
role so convincingly.

Their burgers arrived, and they tucked into
them. Izzy scarfed down half her burger before she noticed Tristan
staring at her.

“What?” She wiped the ketchup off her fingers
and hoped she didn’t have more on her face.

“I love that you like to eat,” he said. “Most
human females don’t.”

Izzy put her napkin down. “That’s not true.
Most women
love
to eat. They just don’t for fear of getting
fat.”

He laughed. “You don’t have to worry about
that.”

“I do,” she said and grinned. “But my fear
doesn’t outweigh my love of food.”

“I don’t like skinny women,” he said so low
that Izzy almost missed the comment.

She wondered if Tristan even knew he’d spoken
aloud.

“Can I have a bite of your burger?” he
asked.

Izzy never shared her Yo Mama’s burgers, but
she couldn’t bring herself to tell him no. “Sure.” She put her
burger down and waited for him to pick it up.

He didn’t.

“I thought you said you wanted a bite,” she
said.

“I do,” Tristan said.

Then what was he waiting for? Surely he
didn’t want her to feed him. Did he?

Izzy picked up her burger and brought it to
his mouth. Ketchup and mayo dripped down her fingertips.

Tristan grinned and took a big bite. “It’s
good,” he said after swallowing.

Izzy put the burger down and picked up her
napkin, but before she used it, Tristan captured her hand. He
brought her fingertips to his mouth and sucked on each one, licking
them clean.

Every suck and every lick triggered a
reaction in another part of her body. By the time he finished
cleaning her hand off, the spot between her thighs was throbbing
and Izzy was squirming in her seat.

“Thank you,” she croaked.

Tristan’s eyes sparkled. “Anytime,” he said,
his voice rough.

It wasn’t until later, when they’d left the
French Quarter, that Izzy remembered that there’d been no one in
the bar to see their performance.

* * * * *

Izzy walked through town with the monster.
They were holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears like
lovers.

Had she taken the wolf to her bed? Just the
thought of her lying in the beast’s arms made Stone crazy. What was
she thinking?

The monster released her hand then slid his
palm down to rest on the small of her back. It was a cozy act. The
kind of act that implied intimate knowledge.

Fury filled him. Why would she beg him to
take her away, then throw herself at the white beast? It made no
sense. They laughed, then the monster leaned in and kissed her.

Stone waited to see what Izzy’s reaction
would be. He hoped for anger, but got breathlessness and fluster
instead.