Dark Moon (10 page)

Bree squeezed her hand excitedly.  “Aye, I know he would.  He’s always wanted to learn how to read.”

“Good.  I’ll mention it to Aunt Maya and ask her to talk to him.”  Sophia glanced at the sleeping Leta, and Bree slid off the bed.

“I think I’m going to go to bed.  I imagine James and the other two will be back anytime now.”  She hesitated and then quickly kissed Sophia on the cheek.  “Thank you.”

“For what?”

Bree shrugged.  “I know planning the wedding isn’t your idea of fun, and I appreciate how patient you’ve been about it.”

Sophia smiled.  “I’m enjoying it.  I swear.”

Bree smiled.  “Good night, Sophia.”

“Good night, Bree.”

* * *

“Why do you wear swords?” Kaden took a drink of his beer as James set his empty mug down.

“For protection.”  James replied.

Kaden rolled his eyes.  “As if you need them for protection.”

Nicholas laughed.  “He has a point, James.  Honestly, I use mine mostly for chopping up firewood.”

James shrugged as Nicholas snickered.  “And let’s not forget the ladies love seeing a long, thick sword on a man.”

“Gods Nicky, you’re drunk already.”  James grunted.

“Am not!”  Nicky took a gulp of beer.  “I’ve only had six.  And it’s been watered down so much, it hardly tastes like beer.”  He banged his empty mug on the top of the bar and the bartender wandered over and picked up his empty mug to refill.

“Can I get you another as well, my lord?”  She gave Kaden a slow and inviting smile.

“No thanks.”  He glanced disinterestedly at her as James looked over his head and raised his eyebrows at Nicholas.

Nicky shrugged and reached out to stroke the dark-haired woman’s arm.  “What time are you done work, my lady?”

She looked him up and down briefly, found him wanting, and returned her gaze to Kaden.  “I’m done in an hour or so.  Perhaps you would care to stay and have a drink with me?”

Kaden stared, really stared, at her for the first time since they had sat down.  His gaze lingered on her mouth and the way her breasts nearly spilled out of her low cut top.  She leaned against the bar, giving him an unobstructed view down her top.  He gave her a polite smile.  “No, thank you.”

She frowned as Nicholas snorted loudly. 

“What?”  Kaden asked as the woman turned away to pour Nicholas another beer.

“Nothing.”  Nicky said innocently.

“The swords.  Why?”  Kaden prompted.

Nicholas eyed him closely.  “Our mother is human.  Dad thought it would be wise if she knew how to protect herself.”

“She’s a healer.”  Kaden frowned.  “Any wound she received would quickly heal itself.”

James smiled a little.  “Our father believes in being cautious when it comes to our mother.  Some might accuse him of being overprotective.”

“Aye.” Nicky agreed.  “A trait my brother has inherited when it comes to his woman.  I, on the other hand, understand that a woman craves her freedom and can take care of herself.”

He winked at the bartender and she rolled her eyes before setting the beer down in front of him.

James laughed.  “I’m sure Sophia would have something to say on the matter.”

Nicholas scowled at him as Kaden grinned. 

“Anyway,” Nicholas continued, “dad hired a human to teach mama how to use a sword.  She picked up on it quite quickly, and encouraged our father to learn it as well.  So she would have someone to practice on, she said.”

He took another drink before continuing.  “When Sophia and I were old enough, dad decided to teach us to use the sword.”

“Nicky turned out to be an exceptional student.”  James interrupted.  “He’s better than all of us combined.  Once dad realized that, he allowed Nicky to take over the training for the rest of us.  He’s teaching Evan and Bree right now, and eventually when Leta is bigger, he’ll train her as well.”

“But why?”  Kaden asked.  “I can see why he would want your mother to learn, but you can easily protect yourself without a sword.”

James shrugged.  “There’s no harm in learning and,” he paused and lowered his voice, “it helps us blend in with the humans.”

Kaden looked curiously at him.  “You would hide your true nature?”

Nicky shook his head immediately.  “No.  But we’re not going to go around announcing it.  We already have enough issues with mama and James being Reds.  We don’t hide the fact that we’re Lycans but for some reason, seeing us with swords eases their minds.  Perhaps it makes us more human in their eyes.”

James grunted and spilled some of his beer as he was jostled from behind.  Nicky made a low, snarling noise deep in his throat.

“Easy, Nicky.”  James murmured.

The large and smelly man had bumped into James for a record third time, and Kaden had no doubt that he was doing it on purpose.  The man sneered at James as he reached for the jug of beer the bartender had set down on the bar.

“S’cuse me.”  He laughed before grabbing the jug and returning to the table of men waiting for him.

“If he does it again, I’ll be forced to teach the idiot a lesson in manners.”  Nicky said cheerfully.  He downed his beer and raised his hand for another.

“Ignore him.”  James advised.  “He’s just looking for a fight and it’s better if we keep a low profile, you know that.”

“Why?”  Kaden asked.  “I thought this town didn’t have a problem with Lycans.”

James shrugged.  “For the most part they don’t, and we’d like to keep it that way.”

Nicky sipped at his fresh beer.  “In this case, it’s not the Lycan thing anyway.  It’s the red hair.”

Kaden gave James a thoughtful look and James grinned at him.  “We Reds are witches, remember?”

Kaden grimaced.  “Nothing but an old ancient’s tale.  I cannot believe there are humans who still think that way.”

“There are still more humans who believe it than those who don’t.”  Nicholas took another drink.

There was loud laughter from the group of men at the table, and Nicholas stiffened when the voice floated over to them.  “Aye, he’s a big one but the Reds all scream the same when they burn.”

Nicholas drained his glass and set it down on the bar.  He slid off the stool and as he walked towards the table, weaving just the tiniest bit, James sighed loudly.  “Here we go.”

“Good evening, gentlemen.”  Nicky smiled at the group of men. 

They stared at him in sullen silence and his grin widened.  “Do you have something you wish to say to my brother?”

“If I were you, I would not confess to having a Red for a brother.”  The man who had bumped into James said peevishly.

“Aye, but you’re not me, are you?”  Nicky replied.  “Frankly, I would rather have a Red for a brother than an overgrown goat like you.”

The man stood up, pushing his chair over angrily.  “You dare to insult me?”

Nicky laughed.  “Insult you?  That was hardly an insult.  Now, if I
was
going to insult you, I would have said something about your smell.  Tell me - do you actually bathe in horse shit, or do you just sleep in it?”

The man roared with anger and charged at him.  Nicky grinned fiercely and swung sharply to his left.  He stuck his foot out and the man tripped and went sprawling on to the floor.  Nicholas leaned down and smacked him lightly on the ass.  “Ready to apologize to my brother, you stupid goat?”

The man’s face turned bright red as he staggered to his feet.  He turned and lunged at Nicky, who sidestepped neatly and laughed when the man fell into his table of friends. 

Nicky turned to Kaden and James.  “I thought goats were nimble.”

“Nicky!  Watch – “

James’ warning came too late.  The glass pitcher of beer came crashing down over his head and drove Nicky to his knees.  Blood and beer ran thickly down his face as he shook his head to clear it.  He was yanked roughly to his feet and two men pinned his arms to his side as the man he had tripped stood in front of him.

“Not so much of a smartmouth now, are you?”  He grinned as he drew his fist back.

Before he could punch Nicky, his arm was grabbed and he was swung around to face James.

James squeezed his arm and the man screamed as the bones in his forearm cracked.  He dropped to his knees, and James gave him a look of disgust before he turned to the men who were holding Nicky.

“Let him go.”  He advised quietly.

Movement flickered to his left and he turned just as two more men jumped him.  They knocked him to the ground, and the three of them began to fight and roll on the floor of the bar as one of the men holding Nicky brayed loud laughter.

Nicholas turned and smiled at the man on his left before head butting him in the face.  There was a sickening crack as the man’s nose broke and he howled with pain and dropped to the floor, his hands covering his gushing nose.

The second man threw his arms around Nicky’s neck and began to squeeze.  Nicky drove his elbow into the man’s stomach, and the man made a thick, coughing wheeze but didn’t relax his grip.

Another man appeared in front of them and cocked his arm back.  Before he could land the blow, Kaden was standing beside him.  He grabbed the man by his shoulders and threw him to the ground before kneeling on his chest and punching him repeatedly in the face.  The man made a loud grunting noise and his eyes rolled up in his head as he sagged against the floor.

Kaden stood and looked around in disbelief.  The bar had erupted into chaos.  All around him men were shouting and fighting.  He watched as Nicky wriggled free of the man holding him around the neck, and punched him hard in the stomach.  The man collapsed and Nicky, grinning ferociously, grabbed the bartender who was cowering against the wall and pulled her against him.

He dipped her with a flourish and kissed her hard on the mouth before pushing her to safety under one of the tables.  He made a sound that was half-laugh, half-howl, and then dove at the group of men who were piling onto his brother.

Kaden groaned loudly and followed.

Chapter 9

“Gods, what a night.”  James muttered.  They were standing in the hallway of the hotel and he stretched and cracked his back.

“We need to be on our best behaviour tomorrow, Nicky.”  He said sternly.

Nicky shrugged.  “They started it.”

“Yeah, well you’re just lucky the bartender was willing to vouch for us with the lawman.”

“It’s because I kissed her.  The women can never resist me once they’ve had a taste.”  Nicholas laughed loudly. 

James rolled his eyes and punched him on the arm.  “Quiet, Nicky.”

Nicky, weaving unsteadily, turned to Kaden and clapped him hard on the back.  “You know, for a human you’re pretty good in a fight.  Thanks for your help back there.”

He slung his arm around Kaden’s shoulder and squeezed roughly.  Kaden winced and James tugged on Nicholas’ arm.  “C’mon, Nicky.  Time for you to get your drunk ass to bed.”

“I wasn’t too drunk to save your ass back there, was I?”  Nicholas snickered a little and then grabbed Kaden’s head and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.  “Welcome to the family, Kaden.”

Singing softly under his breath he meandered down the hallway to his room.  James and Kaden stood uncomfortably in the hallway for a moment before James nodded to him.

“Good night, Kaden.”

“Good night.”

They were asleep when he slipped silently into the room.  There was only one bed but Sophia had made a bed of blankets and quilts on the floor in front of the fireplace for him.  He stopped next to the bed.  Leta was burrowed under the covers, he could see just the top of her head poking out, and he gazed at Sophia’s face for a few moments.  A thick strand of her dark hair was lying across her cheek and he carefully brushed it back, making sure he didn’t touch her soft skin.

She didn’t move and he sighed and moved to his bed on the floor.  He took his shirt off, wincing at little at the bruising and swelling on his ribs, and crawled under the thick quilt.  He rested his head on the pillow and carefully touched the swelling under his eye. 

James had offered to heal him but the idea of being hugged and touched by his future brother-in-law was a little too awkward for him.  He had declined with a rough thanks.  He sat up and peered at the bed again.  He could just make out Sophia’s face and he stared at her for a few moments before lying back on the blankets.  He rolled on to his side and stared at the glowing flames. 

* * *

Sophia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling before sitting up and looking to the fireplace.  Kaden was in his bed on the floor.  His back was turned to her and she checked quickly on Leta before sliding out of the bed. 

She guessed it was close to dawn.  The room was dark and cold, the fire had died down to embers, and she wondered if Kaden was warm enough.  She wasn’t cold, even in her thin nightdress, but Kaden was a human.  They didn’t seem to retain their body heat the way Lycans did, and she moved quietly to the fireplace.  She would build the fire up so that he didn’t catch a chill.

She knelt on the cold stones of the hearth and glanced at Kaden.  His arm was over his face but she could see the dark bruising on his ribs.  She leaned in and ran her hand lightly over the bruising, frowning to herself.  How did he –

His arm came off his face, his hand gripped hers, and he yanked her down onto the blankets next to him.  He threw his leg over hers and placed one large hand on her stomach. 

“Why is it that I keep waking to find your hand on me, Lycan?”  He rasped.

She flushed.  “I thought you might be cold.  I was trying to be nice by building the fire up.”

He cocked his eyebrow at her.  “You need to touch me to build the fire up?”

“I saw the bruising.”  She raised her hand and tentatively brushed it across the swelling under his eye.  “How did this happen?  Did one of my brothers do this?”

He shook his head.  “No.  There was a bit of a…misunderstanding at the bar between some humans and your brothers.”

She sighed deeply.  “Tell me we’ll be able to go shopping tomorrow without a mob going after us.”

He grinned.  “Aye, we smoothed it over.  Besides, they started it.  We were only defending ourselves.”

“That’s usually how it happens with my brothers.”  She said sarcastically.