Dark Moon
Authors: Elizabeth Kelly
DARK MOON
(Red Moon Second Generation Series)
By Elizabeth Kelly
Copyright 2014 Elizabeth Kelly
This book is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Adult Reading Material
Cover art by: LFD Designs for Authors
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
“He is a handsome man, is he not?”
“I hadn’t really noticed.”
Avery smiled at her oldest daughter and stroked Sophia’s dark hair.
“Dani seems quite taken with him.”
“Aye, she does.” Sophia stared out her bedroom window. Kaden and Dani were standing next to the barn, and she watched as Dani threw her head back and laughed before resting her hand on Kaden’s arm.
“It’s driving your Uncle Marshall crazy.”
“Why? He is married to a human. Why should he be bothered that his child is infatuated with one?” Sophia asked.
Avery shrugged. “I think it’s the fact that Kaden hates Lycans.”
“Dani is as human as he is.”
“True. But her father and her brother are not.”
Sophia didn’t reply. Kaden’s sister Bree was engaged to Sophia’s half-brother James and like it or not, Kaden would soon have a very close relationship with the Lycans. She sighed. She understood why Kaden hated the Lycans. He and Bree had been kept as slaves by a Lycan named Draken. James and Nicky had stumbled onto Bree in the forest after she had been attacked and hunted for sport by Draken and his pack, and James had used his healing powers to save her life.
It had not taken long for Bree and James to fall in love and when Draken had come after her, bringing Kaden with them, Bree had offered herself in exchange for Sophia’s sister Leta. The young girl had been captured by the powerful Lycan, and Draken had quickly agreed to the exchange. Kaden had been stabbed and left for dead by Draken, but James and Avery had healed him. Once he was healed, they had set out after the pack of Lycans to save Bree.
Sophia shivered. It had only been two weeks since she had nearly died at the hands of Draken and she couldn’t seem to shake her fear.
Everything had gone according to their plan. Kaden had offered Sophia in exchange for his sister and Draken, instantly taken with Sophia and eager to make her the mother of his pups, had agreed. Once Bree and Kaden were safe, James and the others had attacked the Lycan’s camp and saved her.
That’s not exactly true. Kaden saved your life. He killed the Lycan about to tear your throat out, and stopped you from shifting with that silver collar around your neck. If it hadn’t been for him, you’d be dead right now.
“Sophia? Are you alright my love?” Avery’s warm hand stroked her back through her shirt and Sophia took comfort from her touch.
“Aye, I am fine.”
“Are you sure? Leta said she heard you crying out last night.”
Leta’s bedroom was next to hers, and Sophia forced herself to smile at her mother. “I’m fine, mama. I just had a bad dream.”
Avery squeezed her waist. “Tell me about it.”
Sophia hesitated. The dream had been awful. She had been back with Draken, the hideous silver collar around her neck, and his hot breath blowing on her face as he had leaned over her.
“You’re mine, Sophia.” He had smiled down at her as his teeth lengthened and sharpened. “You’re mine.”
She had woken from the dream, sweating and afraid, and couldn’t fall back asleep. She had lain in her bed and stared out the window as the darkness faded and the sun rose in the sky. She supposed it didn’t help that Draken had escaped before they could kill him. The Lycan was out there somewhere, and it would be foolish to think that he would not attempt to take his revenge.
She shook her head. “No mama. It was nothing.”
She watched, her stomach tightening with what she refused to admit was jealousy, as Dani took Kaden’s arm. He glanced briefly at the house, she could have sworn he was staring directly at her, and then followed Dani into the barn. Sophia had kissed Kaden in that very barn, had felt his erection against her abdomen and his hand on her breast, and try as she might she couldn’t forget the way it had felt.
It was ridiculous. The man hated Lycans and she had never once mated with a human. Not that she was opposed to the idea of mating with a human; she had just never met one that interested her.
Kaden interests you.
She snorted angrily. That might be true, but Kaden had made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with her. He had kissed her in the barn because she had practically thrown herself at him. It hadn’t taken him long to come to his senses, and since the moment he had pushed her away he hadn’t spoken a single word to her.
She realized Avery was still watching her and she cleared her throat. “Dani will be upset when Kaden leaves tomorrow.”
“If he leaves.” Avery said quietly.
Sophia stared at her. “He will, mama.”
Avery shrugged. “He may not. He loves his sister very much. He may find it more difficult to leave her than he realizes. He has been here two weeks, and even he would have to admit that Bree is very happy with us. He has seen for himself that not all Lycans treat humans the way that Draken did.”
“He hasn’t spent any time with us. The last two weeks he’s been with Bree or Dani, or in the barn helping Ian with the horses. He’s been actively avoiding anything to do with our family.”
“That’s true.” Avery sighed. “But the last few days, Bree has gotten him to agree to eat dinner with us. It’s a step in the right direction.”
Sophia snorted. “He stares at his plate, eats his dinner, and leaves. He won’t speak a word to any of us unless he has to.”
“He just needs more time. You remember how Bree was the first month she was here. She was terrified of anyone she thought to be a Lycan.”
“Aye, but she was only frightened of us. Kaden hates all of us.”
“Does he? I’m not so sure about that.” Avery replied.
Sophia frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
Avery stared thoughtfully at Sophia. She had seen the way Kaden looked at her child when he believed no one else was watching. And Sophia might avoid Kaden more than any of them, but Avery wasn’t blind. The others had attempted to gain Kaden’s trust over the last two weeks, even Nicky had been friendly and polite, but Sophia hadn’t bothered. In fact, to anyone watching, she projected a clear dislike for the large human.
Avery smiled a little. Sophia might have fooled her father and her brothers but she couldn’t fool her mother. The slight reddening of her cheeks, the frequent subtle glances at Kaden whenever he was near her, and the way her eyes darkened when she watched Dani and Kaden together were unmistakeably clear to Avery. Something had happened between Sophia and Kaden, and both of them were doing their best to keep it from the others.
“What do you mean, mama?” Sophia repeated herself.
“Nothing, my sweet. Only that perhaps Bree will still be able to change his mind.” Avery stretched up to kiss Sophia’s forehead. “Come, it’s almost dinner. Let us join the others.”
* * *
Kaden smiled at the young girl standing next to him. He liked Dani, she had a happy, bubbling personality that was infectious, but he was growing distinctly uncomfortable with the way their relationship seemed to be turning.
She touched him at every opportunity, just small presses of her hand against his arm or his back, but he recognized it for what it was. Last night at dinner she had wormed her way into a seat beside him and spent the entire meal brushing her thigh against his. He had subtly shifted further and further to his left until he was practically sitting on his sister’s lap.
Bree had given him an odd look but rather than try and explain with Dani’s father staring suspiciously at him across the table, he had just hurriedly finished his meal and excused himself to the barn.
He grinned a little to himself. It was painfully obvious that Dani’s father Marshall did not approve of his daughter’s crush. Kaden was almost tempted to sleep with the girl just to anger the Lycan.
He stared down at Dani’s pretty face. Who was he trying to fool? The girl was an innocent, and he wasn’t the type of man who would use a woman in that manner. Besides, pretty as she was, she wasn’t his type. Her slender body and blonde hair did nothing to stir his lust. He liked his women dark haired, with full and lush curves a man could get lost in. Wide hips to hang on to when the sex got frantic and rough, and full breasts that overflowed in his hands.
Sophia’s face flashed in his head and he automatically looked at the wall of the barn. He had pushed her back against that wall, had kissed her full mouth and ground his cock against her. He could still remember the feel of her breast in his hand, the way her nipple had tightened against his palm, and her low voice moaning his name.
He looked away quickly as his cock started to harden in his pants. Gods, he was going crazy. Thinking about having sex with a Lycan was pure madness. Besides, he was leaving tomorrow. He would never see the Lycan again.
Dani was chattering to him and he smiled and nodded, only half-listening as his thoughts turned to Bree. He had been unable to convince her to leave with him. He had, in fact, known it was useless after the first few days and had stopped pressuring her.
Bree loved the redheaded Lycan and, as much as Kaden hated to admit it, it was obvious that James loved her. Bree had been spending much of her time the last two weeks with Kaden, and he had been surprised by James’ lack of objection. He had given Bree her space and her freedom to visit with her brother, and Kaden had no sense that the Red was doing it as a way to win his favour.
He had told Sophia that James was trying to control his sister, but he had realized his mistake after only a few days. It was clear, even to him, that the Lycan would do anything his sister asked. It would have amused Kaden to no end that his tiny baby sister had such a powerful Lycan wrapped around her finger, had it not been for his deep-seated hatred for Lycans in general.
And fear
, a voice deep inside his head whispered.
You can deny it all you want, but you fear them as well.
He nodded at something Dani said and stared down at her blankly. He did fear the Lycans. He hated that he did, knew that it made him weak, but he had spent two years as their slave and his entire body was proof of their cruelty. His chest, back and thighs were covered with the reminders of their whips and their claws. Even now, away from Draken’s home, he could feel a shudder run through him at the memory of being chained to the wall like a dog.
He rubbed at the skin on his throat. The band of pale skin, the only reminder of the collar he had worn around his neck for over two years, was still there. He wondered if it would ever go away or if it would brand him forever as a Lycan slave.
“Kaden?”
He realized Dani was staring at him oddly and he made himself smile at her. “Yes?”
“Were you listening to me?”
“I’m sorry, I was um – “
He was saved from replying by the appearance of Leta at the barn door.
“Uncle Marshall is looking for you.” She announced to Dani. She was holding Tia in her arms and she frowned when the small dog barked excitedly and wiggled from her grip. Tia ran to Kaden and he scooped her up, petting her head roughly as she wagged her tail and licked at his hands.
Dani sighed. “What does he want?”
Leta shrugged. “I don’t know. He just asked me to come find you.”