Free Blood Moon by Heather Kuehl Page A

magazine and turned to me.
    “She’s making friends?” she asked.
    “Evidently Dez could get her the Symbol of Khor without a price.”
    She growled. “I told Rose we couldn’t trust her.”
    “Who are you?” I asked, changing the subject.
    “Sharice. Rose’s daughter.”
    My mind reeled. How in the world could this be Rose’s daughter ? Rose was a witch, and this was a magic wielding vampire. If a witch got turned into a vamp, their magic would disappear. Same thing if a witch got turned into a Were. This in itself was an abomination.
    “Rose is freaking out about the twins,” I muttered to myself.
    Sharice’s hazel eyes flashed with anger. “I am not some abomination that needs to be killed,” she snarled. Standing up, she stalked across the room to where I lay. She bent down, digging her long, manicured nail into the bandage on my arm until I hissed in pain. “You will do well to remember that.”
    As Sharice returned to the sofa, I heard the front door open and footsteps as the person walked into the room. Sharice looked up, smiling and nodding at me.
    The woman looked like she was in her seventies, with her white hair tied up in a tight bun. Her steel blue eyes flashed with triumph when she saw me. Rose Mykal, witch leader of the Blood Moon Corporation said, “Hello, Sarah. How great it is to see you. I see you’ve already met Sharice.”
    “I had the pleasure,” I growled.
    When Rose flexed her fingers, I felt a shock of pain slice through me. “Manners,” she warned.
    “I’m here, Rose,” I said quickly, “ready to accept my punishment for breaking my contract. You can leave the Weres alone now.”
    Pain reverberated through me. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do, dog? The witch bred with that mutt. The abomination has to be dealt with.”
    “She had twins,” I screamed as the pain started to burn within me. “One’s a witch and one’s a Were. There’s no atrocity there.”
    Rose shook her head as she sat on the couch next to Sharice. I saw the resemblance as they sat side by side. Sharice had told the truth.
    “Just kill her already,” Sharice begged. “I want to get back at them for killing Samson.”
    “I killed the dragon,” I said as pain ricocheted through me. Rose didn’t even need to keep eye contact with me for her magic to work. I gritted my teeth as I realized the stupidity of my actions. Of course Rose wasn’t going to give up just because I came here. She wanted the DeLocket Clan dead and nothing would stop that. What about Damian? How long would he live after they found out about his assistance ?
    “The vampire Lord will not be harmed,” Sharice said. “He’s a part of this.”
    I wanted to ask a part of what, but Rose’s magic shot through me.
    I felt something familiar in my mind, but my agony-ridden thoughts couldn’t decipher it. I tried using my wolf, but the pain kept those abilities at bay as well. The pain blinded me, and I felt like a human waiting for Rose to tire and end my existence.
    “Leave her alone, Mykal.”
    I wanted to cry as I heard Jared’s British accent. The witch never moved as Jared walked into the room. Sharice glanced at him, but turned her attention back to her reality show.
    “She’s being punished for her crimes, Fontaine,” Rose said matter-of-factly. “I’d leave if I were you.”
    “I can’t,” he said. “I have a message for you from Damian.”
    Rose turned her head a fraction of an inch and her magic stopped ravaging my body. “Yes?”
    “He said that torturing the woman he loves is no way to get back on his good side.”
    In a movement too fast to see, Rose jumped onto her feet with her face inches away from Jared’s. “You tell him that I had no choice. I wasn’t going to risk everything for a human!”
    I felt rage will my mind, and knew that it wasn’t Sharice or Jared. Damian’s anger bubbled over into me. Using Damian’s rage to my advantage, I easily turned it into strength and flexed.