Read Online Kiss of Moonlight by Stephanie Julian - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Julian
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his struggles grew weaker. Then he knocked the man’s head against the wall hard enough to make him lose consciousness.
When Kyle was sure the man was truly out, he turned to the one Tivr had pinned in a corner.
“You need to start talking,” Kyle said. “Now.”
* * * * *
By the time Kyle got back to his house, his gut ached so badly, he could barely breathe.
Tivr hunched behind him, his body and face that of a gangly teen not yet a man. As with all deities, even though he was several millennia old, his appearance never changed.
The Bullet for My Valentine t-shirt and faded jeans fit the image. No bloodstains marred his clothes. Kyle had had to ditch his t-shirt in the garbage can outside so he didn’t scare the girls.
Neither man in Tam’s house had been able to tell them who they worked for. Petty criminals, they’d been sent to retrieve Tamra and deliver her unharmed to the man who’d hired them for the job. They only knew a woman was pulling the strings because their contact had used the word “her” once during the conversation.
They didn’t know why the woman wanted Tamra , only that they’d been given a list of places to look for her and told not to come back empty-handed. The man who’d hired them had apparently given them a taste of exactly what would happen to them if they failed. Something extraordinarily painful and apparently magical, if their terrified ravings were anything to go by.
This had been the last place on their list.
After they’d spilled all the information they had, Kyle had taken them outside and killed them. No great loss to society there.
Now, standing with his hand on the hidden latch to the entrance into the safe room, he saw tiny specks of blood dotting the skin. He hadn’t cleaned his hands well enough.
Without a word to Tivr , Kyle turned and headed for the kitchen sink, ran the hot water and scrubbed his hands until they retained no trace of blood.
Then he forced himself to walk back to the hidden door and open it.
“ Catene , Tamra ,” he called down the stairs. “We’re back.”
Then he held his breath and didn’t move.
Seconds later, he heard Tam say, “Kyle?”
A gut-twisting mix of relief and dread settled in his stomach. “Yeah, it’s me. We’re coming down, okay?”
The soft sound he heard could have been a laugh, could have been a sigh. He had no idea.
He took the stairs as slowly as he could, not wanting to scare her by barreling down like a bull. He couldn’t imagine what she’d been thinking while he was gone, what Cat had said. Or what Tam would do when he told her what needed to happen.
He hadn’t let himself imagine the scenario that greeted him when he reached the bottom. His breath caught and held in his chest as he froze.
Tam sat on the floor, the half-grown black wolf on her lap sound asleep. Tam’s fingers slid through the silky fur on his daughter’s neck, petting in a rhythmic motion.
“She fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.” Tam’s voice sounded calm, cool. Almost inaudible. As if she didn’t want to wake Cat. “Please don’t be angry with her. I think she worried herself into exhaustion waiting for you to get back.”
Tam continued to pet Cat as if she’d been doing it for a while now, her fingers gentle against Cat’s pelt.
He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was, “Tam.”
Behind him, he heard Tivr draw in a strangled breath. The god’s body tensed, as if ready to fly across the room and grab Cat away from Tam.
Kyle planted himself in front of the god. Cat didn’t appear hurt. In fact, it looked as if Tam was trying to soothe his daughter.
He drew in a deep breath. “Tam, are you all right? Is Cat okay?”
Tam’s mouth curved in a rueful grin. “Are you asking if I was a little freaked out when Cat changed into a wolf right in front of me? Yeah, you could say that.”
“Did you hurt Catene ?” Tivr’s voice held a deadly menace that made Kyle’s hair stand on end but
When Kyle was sure the man was truly out, he turned to the one Tivr had pinned in a corner.
“You need to start talking,” Kyle said. “Now.”
* * * * *
By the time Kyle got back to his house, his gut ached so badly, he could barely breathe.
Tivr hunched behind him, his body and face that of a gangly teen not yet a man. As with all deities, even though he was several millennia old, his appearance never changed.
The Bullet for My Valentine t-shirt and faded jeans fit the image. No bloodstains marred his clothes. Kyle had had to ditch his t-shirt in the garbage can outside so he didn’t scare the girls.
Neither man in Tam’s house had been able to tell them who they worked for. Petty criminals, they’d been sent to retrieve Tamra and deliver her unharmed to the man who’d hired them for the job. They only knew a woman was pulling the strings because their contact had used the word “her” once during the conversation.
They didn’t know why the woman wanted Tamra , only that they’d been given a list of places to look for her and told not to come back empty-handed. The man who’d hired them had apparently given them a taste of exactly what would happen to them if they failed. Something extraordinarily painful and apparently magical, if their terrified ravings were anything to go by.
This had been the last place on their list.
After they’d spilled all the information they had, Kyle had taken them outside and killed them. No great loss to society there.
Now, standing with his hand on the hidden latch to the entrance into the safe room, he saw tiny specks of blood dotting the skin. He hadn’t cleaned his hands well enough.
Without a word to Tivr , Kyle turned and headed for the kitchen sink, ran the hot water and scrubbed his hands until they retained no trace of blood.
Then he forced himself to walk back to the hidden door and open it.
“ Catene , Tamra ,” he called down the stairs. “We’re back.”
Then he held his breath and didn’t move.
Seconds later, he heard Tam say, “Kyle?”
A gut-twisting mix of relief and dread settled in his stomach. “Yeah, it’s me. We’re coming down, okay?”
The soft sound he heard could have been a laugh, could have been a sigh. He had no idea.
He took the stairs as slowly as he could, not wanting to scare her by barreling down like a bull. He couldn’t imagine what she’d been thinking while he was gone, what Cat had said. Or what Tam would do when he told her what needed to happen.
He hadn’t let himself imagine the scenario that greeted him when he reached the bottom. His breath caught and held in his chest as he froze.
Tam sat on the floor, the half-grown black wolf on her lap sound asleep. Tam’s fingers slid through the silky fur on his daughter’s neck, petting in a rhythmic motion.
“She fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.” Tam’s voice sounded calm, cool. Almost inaudible. As if she didn’t want to wake Cat. “Please don’t be angry with her. I think she worried herself into exhaustion waiting for you to get back.”
Tam continued to pet Cat as if she’d been doing it for a while now, her fingers gentle against Cat’s pelt.
He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was, “Tam.”
Behind him, he heard Tivr draw in a strangled breath. The god’s body tensed, as if ready to fly across the room and grab Cat away from Tam.
Kyle planted himself in front of the god. Cat didn’t appear hurt. In fact, it looked as if Tam was trying to soothe his daughter.
He drew in a deep breath. “Tam, are you all right? Is Cat okay?”
Tam’s mouth curved in a rueful grin. “Are you asking if I was a little freaked out when Cat changed into a wolf right in front of me? Yeah, you could say that.”
“Did you hurt Catene ?” Tivr’s voice held a deadly menace that made Kyle’s hair stand on end but
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