Fox, Morgan - Tempted by the Moon [Moonlight Shifters 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (15 page)

Her eyes widened at Jonah’s revelation, but why? Wasn’t that what she expected him to say? Fuck no.

Then her mind splintered into a million pieces when Jonah added, “Twice.”

Lips parted, anger filling her mind and chest, she barked, “What the fuck for? Was he trying to kill him first?” Fury burned in her eyes, heat radiating out like the blazing raise of sunlight.

“No, I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Dominic’s deep voice boomed from behind her.

She whirled around to face him. He stood like a warrior, arms at his sides, legs slightly parted. His eyes deep and searching, mouth pressed into a tight line. “If I wanted him dead, he would be.”

Anger, fury, vengeance, and so many other emotions churned in her belly and charged to the surface. She stepped forward and struck Dominic hard across the face. Unflinching, he stared down at her.

A crooked smile tugged at his lips. “Feel better?” he asked.

Her hand stung like hell, but she wouldn’t dare admit that to the big brute standing in front of her. He was on her shit-list. She only wished she had the strength to do something about it.

“What the fuck were you thinking, shooting Sebastian?”

Rounding, she faced Jonah, her voice scraping against her throat angrily as she screamed, “And where the fuck were you? You promised me, Jonah. You promised me you’d bring everyone home in one piece. Not fucking dead!” Tears welled in her eyes once more, trickling like a stream down her face.

Damn these tears. She needed to figure out a way to grow some balls and turn into the woman she used to be. Not this blubbering, emotional idiot.

“Jonah did his job, Brie, exactly what he was supposed to do. He stayed out of my way.” Dominic growled. Through gritted teeth, he snapped, “And as far as what I was thinking...I was thinking that Sebastian is one of the fiercest damn lycans I’ve ever known and he’s been infected with some damn virus that helps to mask his scent and ability to come up on even me without so much as a fucking sound.” Hissing, he continued, “I was thinking that I’d better drop him before he kills every last one of us. I was thinking that maybe you’d like to not be raped by a rabid fucking alpha male with only one thing on his mind—fucking and killing
you!
”

Brie gasped, arguing, “Sebastian would never hurt me.” She wanted more than anything to believe the programmed words moving past her lips. Had forced herself to, but staring into Dominic’s wild, dark eyes, she didn’t know if her feelings about Sebastian were accurate. She was afraid of Sebastian and for good reason—he was dangerous.

Was it worth the argument with the enormous wall of muscle closing in on her? She was starting not to think so.

Pressing his massive chest up against Brie, he forced her to take a step back, neck craning to look up at him. “No, Sebastian wouldn’t, but that son of a bitch would.” Dominic pointed towards the chained man on the ground. “He’d do everything I said and more, and he’d do it without even thinking twice about it.” He growled, leaning towards her. “An alpha in mating heat is aggressive enough, if you haven’t noticed. Add a little fucked-up mutating virus to the mix and you can be sure that the end result will not leave you warm and fuzzy.” His dark eyes burned into Brie, his need for her to understand what he was telling her obvious in his fierce gaze. “Get your head out your ass, Brie. That’s not Sebastian.”

Turning on his heels, Dominic moved towards Sebastian and slung the six-and-half-foot alpha over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He lugged Sebastian the entire way back to the cabin, not speaking a single word to anyone. His shoulders were tight, blood rushing up his neck. She’d done a great job pissing him off.

She cringed, knowing that slapping Dominic had been stupid and blaming Jonah even dumber. Why had she done that? They were protecting her—at all costs. Sebastian would have appreciated their help.
Not scolded them for their efforts.

This new and different life she was living was quickly spiraling out of control.

She remained silent, holding on to Jonah’s hand because he would not let go of hers. Face hot, she was embarrassed and angry because she had let her emotions turn her into a silly, irrational woman. Damn it. She’d spent her entire life competing in the arena of men and in a few short months, she turned into just another emotional woman who couldn’t reason because her hormones were ruling her brain. What the fuck was that about?

Shit, shit, double shit.

“You okay?” Jonah’s voice purred into her ear, offering comfort she didn’t feel she deserved. She’d treated him unfairly. Honestly, she was shocked he’d actually cared enough to ask.

Shaking her head, she admitted, “No. I’m such an ass, Jonah. I can’t believe I overreacted like that. What the hell was I thinking slapping Dominic and screaming at you?”

“Don’t think anything off it, Brie. You were freaked. You thought Sebastian was dead. I did the same thing to Dominic when I came up on the scene.” He brushed her hair away from her face, tucking her hair behind her ear, his touch warm and caring. “Both of us owe him a huge apology.”

She came to a stop, and Jonah turned to meet her gaze. Brow pinched tight, she asked, “You hit him, too?”

Frowning, Jonah chuckled. The sound more like a deep throaty sigh, he said, “Not exactly.” He lowered his eyes to look at the ground. Shame washed over his face.

“Jonah?” she called softly, squeezing his hand.

“I tried to hit him, but he sort of hit me instead.” Jonah rubbed his jaw, indicting exactly where Dominic had punched him. “I over reacted just like you and I feel like shit about it. Dom’s been my friend my entire life. When I saw Sebastian lying on the ground…” He paused, blowing out a pent-up burst of air. “Within a split second, I forgot about the man Dominic was, and I thought the worst of him.” He met her gaze once more. “He might not admit it, but Dominic’s got to be furious with me.”

Sighing, her stomach squeezing tight, she added, “No, Jonah. He’s furious with both of us.”

* * * *

As they approached the cabin, Jonah spotted Reyes digging into the back of his black Escalade. He yanked out more chain and two metal bars. At the ends of the four-foot metal bars appeared to be handcuffs of some sort. It had to be something Reyes personally rigged up. Jonah knew him to be great with a welding torch and metal.

“Which room in the house is the best to keep his crazed ass in?” Reyes shouted towards Jonah.

“The media room,” he answered, thinking fast. “There are no windows in that room and only one door.”

“Perfect,” Dominic interjected. “Now lead the way, pretty boy.”

Jonah cocked an annoyed smile at the pretty boy reference and stepped around Dominic, who still held Sebastian. They entered the house and trekked up the stairs, down the hallway, and into the last room located at the opposite end from Brie’s room. He inclined his head, glancing back at her. She stood at the foot of the stairs, her eyes as wide as saucers. He could sense things were hard on her, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to ease her mind because he was just as torn and screwed-up about the situation.

Keeping his frustrations and concerns bottled up, Jonah pushed the leather sofas against the wall, creating space, while Reyes drug in a mattress and tossed it on the floor in the center of the large room. Everything in place, Dominic flipped Sebastian off his shoulder and cradled his big body down onto the cushiony mattress.

Quickly, Reyes ducked out of the room and returned carrying the chains and metal bars. Dominic and Reyes worked together to chain Sebastian down. Spreading his arms and legs wide, Sebastian was bound by thick, heavy chains. The bars were placed between Sebastian’s arms and legs, keeping his body sprawled out, back pressed against the mattress. Then Dominic disappeared for a moment and returned carrying a small, black leather case. Inside, Jonah saw several syringes filled with clear fluid.

Guilt consumed him. He wished more than anything that his brother didn’t have to endure this. Wished none of them had to.

“Don’t tell me.” Jonah chuckled without humor. “More tranquilizers?”

Dominic nodded, his lips pressed in a tight frown. Not a hint of a smile illuminated his stoic face. “Yes. It’s the only way we can keep him relaxed enough to do what we need to do to him. We can’t risk him waking up or getting a little too riled up. In this condition he’s dangerous, Jonah. Don’t forget that.”

Instantly, Jonah responded, “I know.” He patted the larger man on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. “Thank you, Dominic.” Dominic looked up and met Jonah’s appreciative and saddened gaze. “I wouldn’t know what to do without your level-headed thinking. I know it doesn’t make everything better between us, but I do appreciate everything you’ve done for my brother and Brie, but especially for me. I’m sorry I freaked out on you in the woods. You didn’t deserve that, especially from me.”

Dominic nodded once, immediately returning his attention back to the syringes. He grabbed one of the syringes out of the case and injected the fluid into Sebastian’s arm. The unconscious alpha didn’t even flinch, still knocked out from the early dosage.

Jonah could feel that now was not the time to get into things with Dominic, so he let the topic drop.

Sebastian was chained to the bed, sedated, and now the ball was in Jonah’s court. He needed to get in touch with Dr. Megan Shaw and get her out here as soon as possible to start her work on Sebastian, finding an antidote. She was the only one Sebastian trusted to do the testing—was the one Sebastian told him he was going to speak with when they were dealing with just Mason’s viral infection.

Jonah knew Megan personally. He’d spent years in college getting to know her. Jonah trusted her for more than one reason. Like the rest of them, she was a werewolf, too. He’d deal with the fact that they’d been lovers long ago when the need surfaced. That he thought he’d loved her, that he confessed to wanting to spend his life with her.

Shit...

He ground his teeth as another wave of guilt slammed into his brain like a full-on tsunami. With any hope, Brie would never know about their sexual past and all would be well—as well as things could be for a totally fucked-up pack of werewolves, anyway.

* * * *

“Megan, I need your help.”

His echoing words made Megan grin. Jonah had begged for her help. The sound of his masculine, powerful voice always made her blood pump wildly through her veins. She sighed, a moan of appreciation vibrating her chest and throat. She blew out a lungful of air. A shiver of joy moved up and down her spine like the memory of his wild fingers dancing along her skin.

Nibbling her bottom lip, she smiled. Jonah had been an amazing lover, a giving and gifted lover. One she never imagined being with again. But the stars and moon had aligned, and he’d called her, needed her, and she was thrilled to be at his beck and call.

Seeing him again, well, that was the high point of her week—her month even. She couldn’t believe her luck. The brawny were-god wanted to see her, said it was an emergency—trusted only her to help him.

He gave her the directions to his cabin in east Texas, and she drove like the wind to get to him. Excited more than words could express at the chance to be with him and breathe in his erotically woodsy scent.

Damn, she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him until just now. Driving a few hours to get to his home gave her plenty of time to think about the past they’d shared together—a naughty, sexual past.

While she was in medical school, he’d been in law school, and she’d been infatuated with Jonah McCarthy from day one. Once they hooked up, they spent hours making love to each other every chance they got. She was sure he was the one her heart craved—hadn’t considered another man since. Once she thought it was only a silly girl’s fantasy, but what if his call had been to rekindle things and it wasn’t a fantasy after all?

No, she wasn’t a stalker. She just didn’t have time to pursue men. Strange as it was, she’d burdened her days and nights with work, spending almost every waking moment engrossed at the hospital or at her private medical office. She doctored humans as well as were-beings. She was the resident were-doctor, and it was publicly known within the were-community who she was and where to find her.