In the Light of the Moon (Dark War Chronicles) (15 page)

Garret took advantage of her moment of hesitation and took her down to
the ground again. She didn't give herself a choice and shifted. Letting all her
fear and panic feed her panther, she snarled and grabbed Garret by the throat,
throwing him off of her.

Kass sat back on her hunches and watched Stephen, willing him to try
and attack her. Stephen walked around her as Garret stood back up. "So
your shifts are the same, why didn't you attack him the other night?"

She snarled at him, and her gaze went to Garret who was stalking her
from the bushes. Stephen called his claws to his hand. "You think you're
still good enough to take us both."

She nodded and wiggled her tail. It had been a long time since she and
her panther felt this strongly about something and both of their instincts
screamed to kill. Garret came at her from the side, but she swatted him down
and narrowly avoided Stephen's claws as he brought them down over her.

Stephen tried to grab the scruff of her neck, but she bit his ankle.
Teeth tore into his flesh as she dragged him to the ground. The taste of his
blood felt amazing in her mouth as he let out a strangled scream. Garret landed
on her, knocking her off her feet, and pinning her down on the ground again. Nipping
at her neck he tried to keep her down. She shook off the confusion of the
almost friendly nip, and bared teeth at him. She dug her claws into his chest,
telling him to back off. He pulled back with a whine and looked up at Stephen.

"Come on Kass, you're out numbered here, we want you to come home.
We don't want to kill you."

Kill you, not harm you. She didn't like the wording and backed away
from the two snarling. With her body low to the ground she watched the two in
front of her. She knew at the very least that she could out run them, until she
heard the snarl behind her and the female scent grew stronger.

Sarah tackled her from behind, knocking Kass sideways and trapping her
against a rock where all three of them surrounded her. She got up and shook her
head, trying to stay steady as they closed in on her. She let out a roar to
alert anyone around her that she had lost that she needed help.
Where is Lucius
, she thought as Stephen
avoided her snapping teeth and grabbed the scruff of her neck. A strange
stinging sensation went through her fur and growled at Stephan.

"It's time to come home sister, father has been missing you and we
need you to help us with the war." He laughed and dragged her out of the
forest. Kass watched as Lucius’ mansion grew further way and her body refused to
fight against the male that was carrying her. She didn't think that she had hit
her head that heard, her yellow eyes looked up at her half brother's trying to
ask the question.

"I put a sedative in you when I grabbed your scruff. You'll be out
in a few minutes. We couldn't risk you trying to wreck the van, even with the
silver cage." He gave a chuckle. "We remember how powerful you were,
but it does seem that some of that power has faded. Father will be
disappointed. He seemed to think that you would have grown stronger once you
left us."

Panic tried to bubble up in her, but the drug kept it squashed down.
Her paws twitched as she tried to tell herself to run, but soon she felt her
panther retreat. With a flow of fur and skin, her brother was holding her by
her hair instead of her scruff. He looked at her. "That was quicker than I
thought. You look like hell."

"How could you do this to me?" She whispered. With everything
she could muster she tried to fight but her limbs only twitched.

He shrugged. "War is war, now rest."

Kass hissed as her skin brushed against the silver bars when her
brother threw her in the back of the cage, but darkness claimed her as they
drove and took the pain away.
 

Jax downed a drink and motioned for another
one. "She ran out again? What the hell is going on with her, this isn't
like her."

"She said something about someone being after her." Derrik
shook his head. "You shouldn't be worrying about her." He looked up
as the crowd parted.

Jax turned around to see Lucius making his way through the crowd
heading straight for him. Jax downed the drink that Derrik had poured for him.
"What brings you here? You're precious killer isn't here."

"Where the hell is she?" Lucius grabbed Jax's throat and
pulled him off the stool.

Jax laughed and tried to wiggle out of Lucius' grasp. "You almost
actually sound worried about her. Don't you think you should go look for her
instead of assuming that I know where she is? I haven't seen her since the
night we slept together."
 

"I smelt her family all over my property, the only way that they
would know where she was is if you told them. She is gone, her blood is on the
ground and I don't know where the fuck they have taken her."

Jax stopped struggling when Lucius' grip became tighter. "I swear
I had nothing to do with it. I've been here drinking most the night."

Lucius looked to Derrik who nodded. "Kass ran out when I asked her
about why she attacked a customer."

"Was it another panther?"

"Nope, some poor guy who tried to make a move on her." Derrik
shrugged and motioned to Jax. "He's bound and determined to get drunk to
forget about Kass for the night. Don't think he told the clan where she
was."

Lucius let him down and shoved him back towards the bar. "Where
were they staying?"

"At the hotel you found me outside of, but I'm sure they've moved
on. I know they were talking about setting up shop in the woods outside the
territory of wolves so that they wouldn't have to worry about politics, but
that's it." Jax rubbed his throat trying to shake off the pain. "You
think they actually got her?"

Lucius nodded. "Yeah I do, and you're going to go get her
back."

"You want me to go rescue the panther you lost and won't let me
mate?" He laughed. "Why don't you just go get her. Certainly you know
where the clan lives."

"I can't step foot in that territory. You can, you don't have any
loyalties."

"I do this, you let me mate her."

Lucius laughed. "I don't think you're really in a place to
negotiate."

"Oh, I think I am. You want her back but can't go get her. I get
her back and I get to mate her." Jax snapped.

“If she wants you, and if she doesn't then you have to leave her
alone." Lucius laughed. "As my killer and without any interference
from any of the panthers. Understood?"

Jax nodded. "Yeah, I guess that sounds fair. Now if you would
excuse me, I need to finish my night so I can start my hunt in the
morning."

"I can't believe that I had to come to you for help."

"I can't believe you lost her. You should have known that she
needed protection."

Lucius ordered a drink. "She can normally protect herself, I
shouldn't have given back some of her control. Fuck, her panther should have
taken over and torn them apart."

"If she had complete control she could have as well. She was much
stronger with her control."

"She was much too brash as a young panther."

"You say that, but you are using her and her power." Jax
laughed. "And you think she was too brash."

Lucius nodded. "Josh pampered her because she had so much control
and she was so strong that she thought that she could win against anything and
anyone. She got her ass kicked by some wolf because she was trying to steal.
That’s when I first started sending her out on jobs. She continued to be cocky
and take unnecessary risks, almost getting caught several times. Then her human
side got the better of her and she started feeling guilty."

"That's when she got shot, when she was supposed to die."

Lucius nodded. "She turned herself in at one of those...safe
houses for lycans, so she was registered as a panther. She got shot during one
of her missions because she hesitated. That’s when I found out about the clan
wanting her back, I took advantage of it.”

“She was out for a while then and you stripped her control then.” Jax
filled in the rest.

Lucius nodded. “Then I killed Josh.” He shrugged. “And Kass still ended
up back with her family.”

“Until I get her.”

“That’s right.” Lucius raised his glass. “Forgot to mention, you fail,
I will kill you. I like the taste of panther blood.”

The pounding wouldn’t stop even as she placed
a hand against her head. She opened her eyes and growled at the bright light
that greeted her. She touched her neck, pulling her hand back with a hiss and
looking at her blistering fingers. “Silver.”

“That’s right daughter, silver.” The male voice caused her to spin
around. His hair was the same blond she remembered and his eyes the same blue
as hers. “Welcome back to the land of the awake.”

She rubbed her head. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”

“Thought Sarah said she explained this to you. I need your power.” He
sat cross-legged in front of her. “I have some people interested in you.”

She pulled her knees up to her naked chest. “I want clothes.”
 

“No. Turn around and let me look at you.” He snapped.

“Pervert.” She snorted and pulled her knees tighter.

He scrunched his nose up. “I’m looking for a mark.”

“A mark?”

“Yes. I didn’t see one on your chest when you were brought in, but it’s
possible for it to be on your back or I’ve even seen one wrapped around a leg
before.”
 
He motioned for her to
stand. “Just let me look or I’ll drag you off your mat.”

“What kind of mark?” She slowly stood and turned around for him.

“One that’s not there.” A growl trickled from between his lips. “Your
mother assured me that it would show up eventually.”

She turned around. “My mother?”

“Yes. Fuck. I needed that mark to appear. Guess we’ll just have to wait
it out.” He snapped.

“Why would my mother tell you such a thing?”

He chuckled. “Your mother was an immortal my dear, your mark should
appear. Though, since you weren’t really an…expected consequence this might be
my punishment.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” She sat back down and pulled
her legs back up to her chest.

“Your mother wasn’t my mate, Kassity, and she wasn’t willing to be with
me.”

Kass paled at the news and stared at him. Instead of the normal fear
she felt when facing him, anger ran through her and touched her beast. They
both wanted to take a chunk out of him.

“That’s why she gave you to me. Because she knew that the other
immortals would abandon her because of you.” He shrugged. “Then she was killed.
Head cut off, body burned. Cruel twist of fate.”

“You had her killed.”

He nodded. “She was worthless, not like you. You are powerful.”

“I’m not helping you. I’m Lucius’ killer, not yours.” She snapped.
“He’s the one who took me in, he’s the one who nursed me back to health, who
fed me, sheltered me-“

“And stripped you of your control.”

The reminder hit her hard, but now she understood why Lucius had done
that. “It’s so my human side doesn’t get in the way of the kill.”

“Makes you stronger.” He caught on. “You feel a sense of loyalty to
him, don’t you?”

She remained silent and looked away.

“Oh, you do.” He laughed. “Where was he when we got you? Obviously not
there.” He turned. “I’ll leave you to think about things.” He walked out,
shutting the door behind him.

Jax took a deep breath as he walked up the
stairs that led to the wrap around porch. A couple days travel away from
Lucius’ territory led him to the Black Moon Clan’s land and he could smell
Kassity. He rapped on the door and waited. His ears picked up a scuffle inside
before the door swung open. Sarah met his eyes as she tried to run her fingers
through her tangled hair.

“What are you doing back here?”

“I wanted to see if you guys managed to snag Kass.” He crossed his
arms, trying to come across casual. He kept control of his heart and his
breathing with practiced techniques.

“No.” She paused with her fingers and her breath caught while she
struggled to get her heart back to normal.

He nodded. “Good, I want back in.”

“Oh?” Garret came up from behind Sarah. “You were pretty adamant about
keeping her away from us. What changed your mind?”

He shrugged. “I’m a mercenary, thought my other client could make me a
better offer. Turns out he can’t. I go where the money is.”

“Your services are no longer required.”

“You have her then?”

“Yes.”

Jax took a step forward. “I want to see her.”

“What?” Sarah asked, her mouth opened in a little surprised ‘o’.