Read Online Lover's Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novella by Katie Reus - Free Book Online Page A

drink from me.”
    “You’ll do exactly what we say . . . but he doesn’t want to drink
from
you. He just wants to make sure what he’s getting is the real deal. Wants to see exactly where the blood is coming from.”
    Nikan scribbled on the note pad.
You want to see Chandra first.
    Antoine nodded as he spoke into the phone. “I want to see Chandra, know that she’s okay first.”
    He laughed again. “No fucking way, but I’ll let you talk to her.”
    There was a brief rustling in the background; then a female voice came over the line. “Antoine?”
    “Chandra,” he breathed out on a sigh of relief. “Are you hurt?”
    “No, I . . . I’m fine, but . . . I’m s-scared, Antoine.” Her words were slow and measured as if she was trying hard to get them out. “How long . . .” She trailed off, and Nikan heard Gregorio in the background telling her to shut up.
    “I’m so sorry, Chandra. I’m doing everything they say. I’ll get you—”
    Nikan shook his head sharply. He didn’t want the vamp making any sort of promises to save her. The brothers didn’t need to be suspicious that there was a plan in the works to help her.
    Antoine swallowed hard again and nodded. “Just promise me you’re not hurt.”
    “I promise.” She slurred the ‘s’ as she spoke. “I can’t tell you more, but I promise I’m okay. I . . . miss you.”
    Antoine closed his eyes and his jaw clenched once. “I miss you too.” His voice was ragged.
    Nikan felt a rush of pity for the guy. If anything happened to Esperanze, he’d go insane. And anyone who got in his way . . . his wolf flexed its claws, not wanting to travel down that path. Esperanze was anxiously sitting on the edge of the bed, safe in this hotel room with him. He was going to keep it that way.
    Gregorio came back on the line. “See? We’re taking care of your female. Now listen carefully.” The rogue shifter outlined instructions to where Antoine would be going in a couple hours then disconnected after a threat not to tell anyone or else.
    “Does he call from the same number every time?” Nikan asked the moment they disconnected.
    Antoine shook his head. “No, it’s a new one each time. I have an acquaintance I trust enough not to repeat my request, and I asked him to trace a couple of the numbers. All burner phones. They must toss them after each time they call me. I have no way of contacting them because they always call me.”
    Nikan inwardly cursed. It had been a small shot. A possible way for his packmate Ryan to track these guys down. His phone buzzed once indicating a message, and when he glanced at the ID, he gave a wry smile. Ryan.
    As he opened the message, Esperanze sidled up next to him. “Is it important?”
    “Maybe . . .” He scrolled through Ryan’s brief message outlining the lives of the Moretti brothers, holding the phone out so Esperanze could read too.
    Ryan’s text told them that the brothers were packless, parents likely killed by vampires five years ago according to a cold case file. The address on their licenses was bogus, listing an abandoned warehouse, but he hadn’t had time to run their financials. Not much, but Nikan knew Ryan would come through if there was any information to be found. As he finished the message, his phone rang. “Yeah?”
    “Found someone to help you guys. Name’s Thabit, he’s a feline—jaguar shifter,” Connor said.
    “He doesn’t mind helping out a couple of lupines and a vamp?” Nikan didn’t give a shit about species differences. His mother had been human, had been turned into a shifter because of her pregnancy with him, and his father was a white shifter. He might have grown up on a reservation, but he’d grown up in a time where racism and prejudice had been more prevalent.
    “Not at all. He’s on his way to your hotel room. Said he’s at your disposal.”
    “How long until he gets here?”
    “Half an hour, maybe less. He doesn’t live there but he’s in the