September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)

‘What’s he done to you, my wolf? I came for you. He threatened to harm your sister if I didn’t leave.’


‘He plans to keep me until he finds the scroll. So I can’t up and die on him.’ I let Arys feel the despair that racked me. ‘I need you.’

He tried to keep me from sensing the depth of his concern but failed. ‘Stay strong, Alexa. You have to.’

The simple connection to him empowered me in a wonderful way. I might be trapped in the dragon’s lair, but I was still here. My purpose continued to exist and so would I.

After using the facilities and dragging myself through the shower, I stared at myself in the mirror. Dark circles beneath my eyes gave me a deathly appearance. A few faint bruises still marred my left side where my ribs had been broken. Otherwise, I looked relatively well, all things considered.

My hand went to the black teardrop onyx hanging from my neck. Shya had never seemed overly interested in the amulet, but I was thankful to see it just the same.

A bang on the door was my only warning before Falon burst in. I clutched a towel against my naked frame and scowled.

“Get out!”

“Oh please, it’s not like I haven’t seen it before,” Falon said with a roll of his eyes. Leaning against the doorframe, his silver gaze slid over me.

A memory surfaced, a brief but poignant flash of the not so distant past. In front of a room full of witnesses including my own sister, Falon had stripped me naked. Lilah had then forced me to shift.

Falon’s appraising stare wasn’t sexual in nature. At least, it didn’t feel that way. It felt like he was searching me for weakness, finding my flaws and enjoying each one of them.

“I said get out.” To emphasize my demand, I grabbed the bottle of hand soap from the counter and hurled it at his head. It wasn’t my finest moment, but I was seething. Falon was Shya’s way of torturing me. I was sure of it.

He caught the soap bottle and erupted into laughter. “The great, fearsome vampire queen fights her battles with a bottle of hand soap. I wish they could all see you right now.”

“I wish you would get out.” I didn’t have the energy to engage with Falon. My stomach growled, and a caffeine withdrawal headache lurked behind my eyes.

“I just came to make sure you were still breathing. And to tell you that some of your things are here. In the dresser.”

“My things?”

I shoved by him, clutching the towel around me. Jerking the dresser drawers open, I was both happy and distraught at seeing some of my clothing and hygiene products. I pawed through the drawers, finding clean underwear, jeans, and a racer back tank top.

With a zebra print bra in hand, I turned to Falon with a raised brow. “Did you go into my bedroom and touch my underwear?”

“That doesn’t sound like thank you.”

“I hate you.”

“And I love that you do.”

We stood there staring at one another, me with loathing and Falon with grim amusement. It wasn’t worth letting him get me all worked up. Taking a deep breath, I stormed back into the bathroom and slammed the door in his face.

The urge to cry tears of frustration gripped me as I dressed. Willing them away, I bit my lip until I tasted blood. If Shya brought me to tears so easily, I wouldn’t be worthy of stopping him. I was a Hound of God. A little imprisonment couldn’t shake me. Maybe it would even be beneficial.

When I emerged with restored confidence, I found Falon staring out the window. The delectable aroma of food snagged my attention. He waved a hand toward the coffee table in front of the couch. A tray of steak and pasta sat there, steaming.

“Eat something. Then do something with your face. Shya’s hosting a party tonight to celebrate Gabriel’s rising. Now that you’re awake, he’s expecting you to be there.”

“What’s wrong with my face?” I asked, incredulous. “You know what? Shut up. I don’t want to hear the answer to that.”

A stubborn part of me wanted to refuse the food, but I was starving. When I discovered the carafe of coffee, I wasted no time devouring all of it. I looked up between mouthfuls of steak to find Falon watching me. “Don’t make me throw food at you. I don’t want to waste any.”

“He wants you to be comfortable here. Shya aims to keep you happy for as long as it takes to find the scroll. I’m sure he would be willing to meet your other needs as well.”

My jaw dropped. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I meant your blood hunger needs, you filthy animal. What did you think I meant?”

“You know what? Let’s not talk anymore.”

The familiar sound of a cell phone had me up off the couch, searching the dresser for the source of the noise.