Moonlight and Midtown Read online

  “No police,” warns Az. “They keep lists of shifter dens. This is my home, not some animal preserve.”

  “Right.” Knox pulls his cell from his pocket and punches a few buttons. “Hey, Alec. I need a favor. Lucky’s is overrun with humans. I need you to get over here and help me clear the place out before I kill anyone. Oh, and you have to cast some new wards… No, I don’t know what happened to the last set of spells. Az says magic is changing. You need to up your game here.” Knox listens for a minute, then focuses on Az. “Alec wants to know if wrapping his new wards in solidity spells will help them stick around.”

  “Solidity spells.” Az narrows his golden eyes. “Yes, that should work.”

  Knox speaks into his phone once more. “Az says solidity spells should do it, so get over here… What? No, I don’t care if you’re still playing Kazimir’s Gate with Elle. Transport your lazy ass to Lucky’s.” He pushes End Call and jams the phone in his pocket. “That guy makes me crazy sometimes.”

  “He likes to push your buttons,” I say. Knox and Alec have been friends since they were kids. Alec has made teasing Knox into a kind of art form.

  All of a sudden, a bright orb of red light appears inside the room. Warlock magic. I wince, covering my eyes with my forearm as the brightness grows and takes the form of two people. With a final burst of red light, the spell ends.

  Alec and Elle are here. On a side note, I’m glad to see that they’ve both showered and changed since I last saw them. Now they both wear jeans and long henleys. As always, Alec has paired his look with a sports coat. No doubt, the thing is packed with wizard gemstones. Alec thinks that man-bags of stones only advertise you’re a wizard, and he likes to keep his skills secret.

  Az lifts his chin. “Good to see you, wizard.” He then focuses on Elle. “And the ward of Blackaverre. Welcome.”

  Blackaverre is Elle’s fairy godmother. Turns out, Az has been around hundreds of years and knows pretty much everybody and everything. That’s how he could tell if the solidity spell would work.

  Knox glares at Alec. “Thanks for making time.”

  “Always.” Alec winks. “It seems you have a human problem.” Alec reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of gems. “All I need to do is cast a few spells. Fear, extra speed, loss of memory. That way, they’ll want to go and not remember a thing about this place. That ought to do it.”

  “And I’ll use my powers, too,” adds Elle. “I’ll ask them to leave, not come back, and forget the place existed. Only I use my natural charm, not magic.” She winks at Alec. His tanned face reddens.

  “Will that work?” asks Knox.

  “Elle is fae,” I explain. “Part of her magic is that she can convince anyone to do pretty much anything.”

  “Sound good,” says Knox. “And I’ll usher people out the door and try not to kill anyone.” He focuses on me. “How about you?”

  “Bryar Rose will stay and keep me company,” says Az.

  My brows lift. “I will?” Az has never asked to spend time alone with me before.

  Knox’s stance stiffens. I can scent his protectiveness from across the room. “What’s wrong, Az?”

  “This is for Bryar Rose alone.” Az has a deep voice that says, I mean business.

  Knox focuses on me. “Are you cool with that?”

  “I’m fine,” I say. “Go clean out Az’s den.”

  It doesn’t take long for Alec, Elle, and Knox to leave the room and get to work. Within seconds, the noise of human voices and overloud music starts to die down. My friends are clearing out the bar without too much trouble. In fact, the humans even stop pounding on the door to Az’s room. I cross the floor to kneel beside him.

  “What’s going on, Az?”

  He shifts his massive wolf’s head to focus right at me. “Tell me about these dreams of yours. The ones of Ancient Egypt.”

  Shock prickles across my skin. “How do you know about that?”

  Azizi chuckles. “I know a lot of things. Let’s just say being alive for hundreds of years has its advantages.” His voice lowers. “Tell me about your dreams.”

  “I see ancient Egypt, a room full of papyri, and Knox. But I haven’t had them since I shifted a month ago and starting dating Knox. Why? Should I still be having them?”

  “Yes. In them you’ll see the Void, an ancient being. As magic rises again, so does the Void to swallow it up.”

  The Void. That can’t be good.

  “Maybe I have seen a strange figure in my dreams. What does the Void look like?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me.” Az moves to lie down, resting his muzzle on the concrete floor. “If you saw him, you’d know. The Void is a fearsome enemy.”

  His words make my hair stand on end. “I thought I was done with the fearsome enemy thing. Wasn’t fighting Jules bad enough? That guy was king of the zombie-mummies.”

  “Jules? He was nothing.” Az huffs out a breath. “You’re getting stronger. As you grow in power, so do the Void’s followers.”

  “The Void’s followers? Do you mean there are more zombie-mummies?”

  “My sources tell me that the Denarii are gone now.”

  “All of them? Do you know if we got Reggie?”

  Az squints. “Who was he?”

  “Reggie was this nutty Denarii that Knox had locked up in the basement of Alec’s office building.”

  “That Denarii.” Az nods slowly. “The one who escaped.”

  “That’s the one. Is he dead?”

  Az sniffs. “If my sources say all the Denarii are dead, then that means Reggie as well.”

  I wince. Somehow, that answer doesn’t feel as comforting as it should.

  “We don’t have time for the Denarii,” continues Az. “The followers of the Void are the Shadowvin. They are creatures of ancient magic who are returning to our world.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “What does that mean?”

  “You haven’t had the dream of the Void yet. He possesses ancient magic. That power will wipe away every word I’ve said until the Void deems the time to be right. Keep translating papyri. When you meet the Void in your dreams, you’ll remember this conversation.”

  “I’m going to forget talking to you?” I wince. It doesn’t seem real.

  “The moment you step out into the hallway, yes.” Azizi sighs. “In any case, after you dream, you will start to remember. When that happens, come see me. I’ll do what I can to help.”

  “Thank you.” The Void and the Shadowvin…it all seems too awful to be true.

  A loud crash sounds from inside the bar. “I better go check on my friends,” I tell Az. “Thank you again for everything.”

  Az closes his eyes. “Until you dream again,” he says in his low voice.

  I leave the room and step out into the now-deserted hallway. As I pass over the threshold to Az’s room, a flash of white light fills my vision. An arctic chill crawls across my skin, like thousands of frozen needles pushing into me at once.

  Magic is at work.

  For a moment, my head feels as white and empty as the light around me. After that, the hallway returns to normal. I scrub my hands over my face. There was something important that Azizi was telling me, but it all seems like a dream now.

  The memory feels just out of reach, and then it disappears entirely.

  I step around in a slow circle. What was I doing here again? I check on my inner animal, but she’s still konked out after the battle with Knox.

  That thought kicks my mind back into gear. I’m here with Knox to help Az from the humans.

  Speaking of which, where are the humans anyway? The hallway is deserted. The humans are gone. I’m about to check on Azizi one last time when Elle steps into the hallway.

  “What was that crashing?” I ask.

  “Now that the mortals took off, the weres are fighting one another. That’s pretty typical.” Elle steps closer. “What did Az talk to you about?”

  “He asked me about my d
reams and then…I mean…” I shake my head. For some reason, I can’t recall anything after that. I’m about to ask Elle what that means when I hear more crashing from the main bar, followed by the low whisper of a high-pitched female voice.

  “Knox is mine.”

  With my new were senses, I can hear the possessiveness and rage echoing through the strange woman’s voice. My inner wolf, who’d been fast asleep after her fight with Knox, perks right up. Any thoughts about discussing my conversation with Az disappear.

  “Our mate is being claimed by another,” my wolf growls. “He is ours!”

  A surge of primal energy moves through me. My wolf is right. Knox is my mate and no one else’s. My hands clench into fists as I take off toward the bar. Elle follows along behind me.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks. “Your eyes have gone all golden.”

  “Someone is talking about Knox.”

  “I didn’t hear anything.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I say. “It’s a wolf thing.” I kick open the door to the main bar, and then I see it. Some were girl in an all-denim outfit who’s draped across Knox.

  And she’s kissing him.

  I’ve never been angrier in my life. Neither has my wolf.

  Whatever happens next, one thing is certain.

  I’m ready for a fight.

  Chapter Five

  For the record, Knox told me about the particular werewolf who’s now hanging off his face. Her name’s Joy. I’ve never met her before, but Joy looks exactly how Knox described her.

  Big hair.

  All-denim outfit.

  Strong sense of entitlement.

  Oh, Joy.

  The topic of Joy came up when Knox and I were sharing our dating history. My side of the conversation was short; I’d only ever kissed Knox. For his part, Knox has dated a lot. As a warden, Knox didn’t think he could take a mate, so he overcompensated with dating. And considering how Knox travelled the world killing Denarii, my guy had a lot of opportunities to date. Joy was on the no-dating list because the first time they smooched, she didn’t so much kiss Knox as over-lick his face. Ick.

  I scan the bar, trying not to focus on how Knox keeps pushing Joy away and she keeps not getting the hint. About a dozen guys wait along the walls. Based on their scents, all of them are weres in their human forms. Elle and Alec stand by the front door near the bouncer, Gage.

  No one is talking.

  All eyes seem to be on me.

  My limbs tremble with rage.

  A tiny voice in my head—presumably my human side—reminds me that I should be gracious, wait for Knox to scrape Joy off, and then saunter out the front door with my man, Hollywood style. But then, Joy licks Knox’s ear.

  That voice doesn’t stand a chance.

  I am so pounding this girl into the floor.

  “Set me loose,” croons my inner wolf. “I’ll tear out her throat and quickly.”

  White-hot fury heats my veins. My wolf form tears out of me, and I do zero to stop it. Within seconds, I’m huge, white, furry, and out of my mind with rage. I dash across the room, bite into Joy’s shoulder, and tear her off my mate. She skids across the floor and then hops up to stand. We weres are quick healers. Whatever bite mark I made on her shoulder is already gone.

  “What are you, crazy?” Her poufy hair now has a flat spot on the side of her head—that’s from where I threw her across the floor. It’s an improvement.

  “I am Knox’s mate,” I growl.

  That gets a big reaction. Half the room gasps, which isn’t surprising. Very few werewolves can speak.

  “But Knox is mine…” stammers Joy. “And you…”

  I claw the wood flooring with my right front paw. Scrrrratch.

  “Leave now or I’ll get angry,” I warn.

  Knox saunters to my side. “Look, Joy. I’ve vowed not to fight your pack. But Bry here? Not so much.”

  When I speak again, my voice is a low rumble. “This is the part where you leave.”

  Joy doesn’t need to be told twice. She races for the front door, shoving Gage out of the way as she speeds toward the street.

  The moment Joy’s gone, all the rage seeps from my body. My wolf, who’d been exhausted before, becomes downright catatonic. It’s not so much a thought as a reflex when I shift back. My body shrinks. Bones realign. All fur vanishes.

  I’m becoming human again.

  And naked.

  In a room full of strange weres. Welcome to my personal nightmare.

  Luckily, Knox thinks quickly. He grabs a checkerboard tablecloth from a nearby high-top. As I shift forms, Knox wraps it around me like a sheet. In this moment, I’ve never been happier for his quick reflexes.

  Once I finish shifting, I pull the cloth more tightly around my shoulders. For the first time, I really scan the male weres around me. There are no females other than Joy, but that’s not surprising. Girl weres are really rare. In terms of the guy weres, it’s a mix of ages, but some of the younger guys seem familiar.

  “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” I ask.

  “We’re not Knox’s pack, if that’s what you’re asking,” says one guy. He’s got gorgeous shoulder-length blond hair. It’s really impressive, considering how I know for a fact that he can’t use product. Shifting and styling solutions don’t mix.

  I shake my head. “That wasn’t what I was asking.” Next to the guy with the awesome hair, there’s a teenager with unruly dark locks and big ears. I scan him carefully. “You look familiar, too.”

  He waves at me. “I’m Abe and I’m not pack, either.” He gestures to the guy beside him. “This here’s Hollywood. So you know, the only weres that Knox connects with are you and him. Not us. That sucks because Knox is a warden.” He kicks at the floor. “He’d be a great Alpha.”

  “Abe,” growls Knox. “The warden thing is supposed to be secret.”

  “Why?” asks Hollywood. “You’re the only massive black wolf with an Alpha aura that I can sense a mile away. And Bry here is clearly your mate.”

  Knox pinches the bridge of his nose. “Even more personal stuff.”

  “If you made us pack, then it wouldn’t matter.” The way Abe is talking, this is clearly a major disappointment in his life. A memory appears. Az wants Knox to lead the Northeast pack. I’m guessing these guys are some of those wolves.

  Hollywood tosses his head, making his golden locks shimmer in the bar light. “We look familiar? We were some of the wolves who saved you from that zombie army.” He taps his chest. “We risked our lives. Now by rights, we should be pack.”

  Knox shakes his head. “Az said you helped of your own free will. Bry and I owe you nothing.”

  I look to Knox. “Maybe I should head back to the apartment and get dressed. It’s been a long day. And honestly, this is a super-awkward conversation, especially when you’re wrapped in a tablecloth.”

  Abe gives me pleading looks. It’s as if it were a hot summer day and I was holding the last ice cream cone in the universe. “Don’t you think we should be pack?”

  I clear my throat. Werewolf life rules are something I know zero about. “Well…I don’t know…”

  Knox wraps his arm protectively around my shoulder. “You better get going. This is between me, Abe, and Hollywood.”

  “If you say so.” It’s an effort not to make eye contact with Abe. He really knows how to work those give me some ice cream eyes.

  “You’ve had a big day, Bry. You look exhausted.” Knox glances over to Alec and raises his voice. “You transport Bry and Elle, yeah?”

  Alec nods. “Sure thing.”

  Going up on tiptoes, I give Knox a quick peck goodbye. After that, I speed-walk over to Elle and Alec. Turns out, it’s really nerve-racking to walk around with nothing but a tablecloth to hide your nakedness.

  Knox is still grumbling with Abe and Hollywood. I move to stand behind Elle, using her body as a shield.

  “Did you see my butt at all?” I whisper.

  “Nope, you’re fine
.” Elle shoots me a thumbs-up. “And nice wolf control there, by the way.”

  “She wanted out and I let her; that’s not really control yet.” Disappointment weighs onto my shoulders.

  My inner wolf rouses from her half-sleep. “I still should have torn out her throat.”

  “Noted,” I reply.

  Across the bar, Knox and the two weres keep grumbling away at each other. I catch the words “Denarii” and “buzz off.” Knox is the gruff one, while Abe and Hollywood are still looking pleading and pathetic. In fact, they look so miserable, I’m tempted to walk across the room and ask Knox to rethink the whole pack thing. I mean, I have no idea what it means, but these two guys did try to save my life. Who cares if they want to be part of our group of friends?

  I’m about to step back to Knox when Alec pulls a few gems from the pocket of his sport coat. “Let’s get you ladies home.”

  For a second, I consider passing on returning to the apartment so I can chat with Knox, Abe, and Hollywood. But then I realize it’s very possible that my left ass cheek is hanging out in the breeze. Time to get out of here.

  Gripping the stones in his hand, Alec closes his eyes. An electric sense of magic fills the air. Sometimes with warlock power, the energy vibrates through my body until it feels like my teeth are coming loose. Within seconds, tendrils of red cloud swirl around our feet, marking out the three of us for a spell. Waves of magic tingle across my skin. My stomach flutters, and that’s when I know the spell has started.

  We’re being magically transported home.

  When the smoke clears, Elle and I are back in our apartment. Alec reaches into his pocket once more. “If you don’t mind, I’ll transport back to Lucky’s. Knox has it all under control, but I’m still his wingman.”

  I narrow my eyes at Alec. “You think there could be trouble with Abe and Hollywood? They seemed pretty harmless.”

  “No trouble.” Alec chuckles. “I like watching Knox grump at someone else for a change.”

  “Right.” I can’t help but smile as well. I forgot how Knox is basically Mister Grouchy to everyone else besides me. I’m the only one who gets to see his cuddly side, and I like it that way.

  We say our goodbyes, and Alec casts yet another transport spell. Within seconds, he’s gone. The moment me and Elle are alone again, I reposition my tablecloth for the umpteenth time. A blob of ketchup and some kind of brown goo is now smeared across my right boob. That does it. This werewolf-wardrobe situation has officially gone too far.