Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan Read online

  Isabel glared at him. “Can you really blame me, when it’s obvious you don’t care about anything but your mission?” she asked.

  Tristan jerked as her words lashed him, scoring deep. He’d been so frightened for her. So scared he wouldn’t reach her in time. He’d been a fool.

  The warmth that had encased them last night evaporated. Tristan felt the cold inside of him return and openly embraced it. This was familiar. This was what he needed. He should’ve known there was no place for warmth, no place for her in his life.

  “Thank you for the reminder.” His words froze the air between them. “I’d temporarily lost sight of what was important.”

  Isabel blanched, and her color drained. “I didn’t mean—”

  His hard gaze stilled her words. “Yes, you did. Now let’s go.”

  Izzy felt horrible. She’d purposely hurt him, which was something she never did to anyone. It was like Tristan brought out the worst in her. She stared out the truck window as they drove to the cabin.

  Time only added to her sense of guilt. She hadn’t really meant what she’d said to him. Izzy had been so shocked by Stone’s suggestion and her reaction to it that she’d lashed out.

  She glanced at Tristan. His stony expression never altered. She didn’t think there was anything she could say that would make things better.

  * * * * *

  He didn’t speak to her for the rest of the night. The silent treatment got on her nerves so bad that Izzy decided to head to bed.

  She didn’t know what time the vision struck. Izzy felt danger drawing nearer. She pushed back the haze that normally clouded her visions and gazed deeper. Izzy wanted to see what—or more appropriately who—was coming.

  Her sense of dread grew. In her vision, Izzy saw trees all around. Trees with thick undergrowth. Trees that shook as the danger closed in on her. Hands parted the bushes.

  Izzy turned and ran...straight into Tristan.

  His hands closed around her arms.

  Izzy glanced behind her, but there was no one there. Tristan’s normally cold eyes shimmered like warm mercury. Before she could ask him to release her, his mouth claimed hers.

  She remained tense in his arms for all of a minute, then Izzy’s body melted. The heat between them flared even hotter as he deepened the embrace.

  Tristan released her shoulders, and his hands dropped to her waist. He pulled her closer. Close enough for Izzy to feel a hard ridge. She gasped, and his tongue swirled around her mouth.

  Izzy’s heart stuttered, but this time it wasn’t from fear. This time it came from desire. She pressed her hands to his chest then slid them up around his neck.

  Tristan groaned and his fingers bit into her waist.

  She couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. Izzy stripped his clothes off. Her hands trembled as she made contact with his bare skin.

  “Do you want me?” he asked against her lips.

  “Yes,” Izzy hissed.

  Tristan nipped her bottom lip, then grabbed her T-shirt with both hands and tore it off her body. Izzy gasped as the rest of her clothes followed.

  Within seconds she was naked and standing before him. Her body quivered as he cupped her sex to test her readiness.

  “I will be here soon,” he rasped. “It’s only a matter of time before you welcome me inside.”

  What was he waiting for? She was naked and ready now. Izzy couldn’t be more welcoming if she tried.

  “Take off the rest of your clothes,” she said.

  Tristan smiled and shook his head. “Not yet,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “You’re not ready.”

  The moisture pooling between her thighs said otherwise. Izzy felt the brush of his lips, then sharp teeth scored her skin. Her nipples hardened, and she grew restless in his arms.

  “I want you,” she said, all but begging him to take her.

  Tristan licked the spot at the base of her neck where it met her shoulder. “You only want this part of me.” He guided her hand to the front of his jeans and left it resting on his erection.

  Izzy shook her head. “No, you’re wrong,” she said. “I want all of you.”

  He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. “All of me?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

  Izzy would swear to it, if it meant he’d get undressed. “Yes.”

  Tristan smiled at her, revealing his extended canines.

  It took a second for Izzy’s desire-fogged brain to register what she’d glimpsed. The moment she did, she jerked away.

  Tristan’s hard laugh filled the silence. “Told you,” he said softly. “I won’t touch you until you want all of me,” he said, then turned to go.

  “Wait!” Izzy shouted as the vision faded.

  She blinked into the darkness, wondering if she’d spoken aloud. Her body was so aroused it ached. Please be asleep. She sent the silent prayer up into the ether.

  Izzy turned her head toward the couch and found Tristan staring directly at her. His silvery eyes glowed in the dark. She inhaled sharply and caught a hint of her desire wafting on the air. If she smelled it, then it was a good bet that Tristan could, too.

  The question was would he act upon it?

  And if he did, would she stop him? The answer she received left Izzy blindsided.

  Tristan continued to stare at her.

  I want you, a little voice inside of her whispered.

  He stiffened as if he’d heard her thought then slowly turned over, leaving her to stare at his pale back.

  Izzy punched her pillow while cursing her visions. Normally they came true, but in this case, the chance of that happening was slim to none.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Ten

  “Today we’ll try again,” Tristan said, taking a bite of bacon. “But this time I’m going to stick by your side, since you’ve made it clear that I can’t trust you.”

  “I thought you said your presence would keep the Darkling away,” she said.

  He glanced at her, but his expression remained hard, unyielding. “There are other ways to draw it out. Ways I’ve avoided until now because of the discomfort they’d cause.”

  Discomfort? Izzy didn’t like the sound of that. She stared at him across the kitchen table. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  “If it’s worried that it’s going to lose you to another wolf, it’ll become desperate to grab you,” he said.

  “I don’t understand.” There was no warmth in Tristan’s slate eyes.

  He pushed his breakfast aside and walked around the kitchen table. He stopped in front of her.

  “What are you doing?” Izzy craned her neck and scooted back, but there was nowhere for her to go.

  He grabbed a fistful of her shirt and yanked her off her feet. Tristan’s lips came down upon hers in a searing kiss. The kiss left Izzy breathless and shaken.

  It took her a moment to recover and pull herself together. “What was that for?”

  “To give you a taste of what’s to come,” he said, his voice hard and raspy. “Try to play along. It’ll be more convincing that way.” Tristan returned to his seat and finished eating his breakfast like nothing had happened.

  Pain sliced Izzy. How could a kiss heat her to her toes and leave her so cold? Whatever softness she had witnessed from him the other night was now long gone. Tristan was back to being all business, and she was to blame.

  She thought about Stone’s warning again... It’s either them or us.

  Would this hunt come down to life or death? Izzy sure hoped not. What would happen if it did? The question left her nauseated.

  Izzy shoved her breakfast aside. No longer hungry.

  * * * * *

  Tristan still felt her lips pressed against his. His anger had subsided, but not the hurt. He wanted to hurt Isabel back. Show her what it felt like. Glimpsing her pained expression, Tristan was confident he’d succeeded.

  You did what you had to do, a little voice said.

  So why did his actions feel so wrong?
And why in hades did she always feel so right in his arms? If that kiss got any more convincing, they’d end up on the bed.

  Tristan shoved his food away as Isabel stomped off to the bathroom. The second the door closed behind her, he ran a trembling hand through his hair. This whole situation was getting out of hand. Maybe he needed to call in another Enforcer to take over. There weren’t many, but there were a few.

  Even as the thought flitted through his mind, Tristan wouldn’t do it. Just the idea of another wolf staying in the cabin with Isabel had his hackles rising.

  “Get your head in the hunt,” he muttered.

  Thirty minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Isabel stepped out. “Ready,” she said.

  One look at her in that strappy purple sundress and the air rushed out of Tristan’s lungs. She couldn’t go out like that. Isabel couldn’t go anywhere dressed that way.

  The sundress plunged just low enough to give him and every other man a tantalizing view of the soft mounds filling the front of it. The dress nipped in at her waist, emphasizing how small it was, before flaring out at the hips.

  Tristan’s gaze traveled down before reversing direction.

  The material ended just above her knee, showing off her shapely legs. Isabel was quite literally stunning.

  It took Tristan a moment to recover. “What are you wearing?”

  Isabel glanced down at her dress. “I would think that would be obvious,” she said.

  He clenched his jaw and tried again. “Why are you wearing that dress?” he asked.

  Her blond brow arched. “You said we were going in town to draw the Darkling out. You said we were going to pretend to be a couple, or at least you implied as much,” she said. “We can’t really make someone jealous if we’re dressed as slobs.”

  “I never dress like a slob,” he said, insulted by the insinuation.

  “Okay.” Isabel rolled her eyes. “Maybe not sloppy, but definitely casual.” She walked deeper into the room. “We won’t attract attention if we’re dressed like all the other tourists. We need to stand out.”

  She had a point, but Tristan didn’t have to like it. He stared at her, trying to ignore the curves that were no longer hidden beneath baggy clothes. It was impossible. Without effort, Isabel had just turned a hard day into sheer torment.

  “Give me a minute to change, and then we’ll get out of here,” he said.

  * * * * *

  The tension continued to build on the drive into town. Izzy caught Tristan admiring her legs a couple times and wondered if he even knew he was doing it.

  The look on his face when she’d stepped out of the bathroom was one she wouldn’t soon forget. Izzy had heard of people being stunned speechless, but she’d never witnessed it firsthand. And she’d certainly never expected to cause such an event.

  Part of her felt unduly pleased that she’d been able to surprise him. That hadn’t been Izzy’s intent when she’d put the sundress on, but it was a nice byproduct.

  They parked just off the French Quarter near Louis Armstrong Park then strolled toward Jackson Square. When they reached the square, Izzy spotted Everly’s dark head near the west end.

  Tristan scanned the people with quiet intensity.

  “Mind if we stop at Everly’s table?” she asked.

  “I’m surprised she’s up so early,” he said.

  “She probably hasn’t been to bed yet,” she said.

  Tristan slipped his hand in hers. It should’ve been awkward, but for some reason the fit seemed natural.

  “Lead the way,” he said.

  They walked hand and hand over to Everly. Her dark eyes widened when she caught sight of them and widened some more when she saw their joined hands. Her pierced brow arched.

  “It’s not what you think,” Izzy said.

  “Yes, it is.” Tristan raised her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of her knuckles.

  She felt his tongue snake out to taste her. Heat spread from Izzy’s hand down her arm before rocketing through her body. If it got any hotter, she’d have a heat stroke.

  “What are you two up to?” A smile played across Everly’s face as she indicated for them to sit down.

  They took the seats in front of her table. To an outside observer they’d look like a couple of tourists getting their cards read. Only she and Tristan knew the truth.

  Everly shuffled the tarot cards on her table then turned them over slowly. Her gaze focused intently on what they revealed.

  “What are you doing?” Izzy asked, growing alarmed as the cards fell. She didn’t want a reading, especially in front of Tristan. Goodness knows what the cards would say.

  Everly grinned. “Thought it would be fun to see what’s really happening here.”

  Izzy’s jaw set. “I already told you,” she said.

  “You and I both know just how deceptive appearances can be.” Everly stared at Tristan.

  Izzy couldn’t see his eyes narrow, but she felt his body tense and the grip on her hand tighten.

  “You say one thing. He says another,” Everly said. “I don’t think either of you know the truth.”

  “What do you see?” Tristan asked, showing more teeth than necessary.

  Everly flipped another card. The Lovers appeared. She tapped the card with her index finger. “That’s the same thing I got in my vision,” she said.

  “But you can be wrong.” Izzy heard panic and desperation in her voice. Seeing the card reminded her of the vision she’d had last night.

  Everly glanced at her. “Sure, I can be.” She paused. “But not twice.”

  “We are not sleeping together,” Izzy blurted.

  Tristan released her hand and placed his palm on the small of her back. His thumb made small circles at the base of her spine. If he was trying to relax her, it wasn’t working.

  “Now honey,” he said, nuzzling her, “what starts in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom.”

  Two women passing by snickered and gave Tristan a once- over that made Izzy want to poke their eyes out. Couldn’t they see his hand on her? Was she invisible? Didn’t they notice her sitting next to him?

  Before the next thought struck, Izzy stilled. Was it possible that she was jealous? How could that be? She didn’t even like Tristan.

  Everly kept turning the cards over, ignoring them both. The Devil card appeared. She frowned and flipped a few more over for clarification, but it only frustrated her more.

  The Devil didn’t necessarily mean something bad. It also indicated drastic change depending on the other cards around it.

  Everly flipped the last card. Death.

  Izzy gasped. Like the Devil card, the Death card didn’t mean that someone was going to die. It could be the death of an old way of thinking or the death of an old way of life. It wasn’t always literal...except it was next to the Devil card.

  Everly’s gaze met hers. “You have to be careful. Evil is nearby.”

  Nearby or sitting next to her, Izzy thought.

  She glanced at Tristan. Frosty may be a pain in the rear with a questionable job, but as far as she could tell, he wasn’t evil. This whole situation would be easier if he was bad, but Tristan wasn’t. She’d been around him long enough to ascertain that much. Evil didn’t fix omelets. Evil didn’t hold someone in the middle of the night after they’d had a bad dream.

  No, Snowflake wasn’t evil, but his behavior left much to be desired. Perhaps that was what Everly picked up on.

  “Thanks for the reading.” Izzy pushed her chair back. She’d seen enough.

  “I didn’t do it just for you,” Everly said. “What are you guys really doing here?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay and to let you know that I was all right,” Izzy said. “I also wanted to ask you again to get out of town.”

  Everly shook her dark head. She’d dyed the strands so black they appeared blue in the sunlight. “I told you before, I’m not going anywhere.” Her gaze darted to the cards in front of her.

 
“Frosty says there’s something worse than the monsters running around town.” Izzy touched her hand. “Be careful, okay?”

  Everly laughed. “Frosty?”

  “Don’t call me that,” Tristan said.

  “But it’s okay if Izzy calls you that?” Everly asked.

  Tristan’s jaw tightened. “That’s different,” he said.

  “I just bet it is.” Everly laughed. “Don’t worry, I will be careful,” she said. “I think you’re the one who needs to watch out. Trouble could be closer than you think.” She gave Tristan a pointed stare.

  Izzy snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Okay,” Everly said, taking her statement as a request. “You cannot change your fate on this one.”

  Gooseflesh prickled along Izzy’s skin, despite the growing heat.

  “Neither can I,” Everly added softly. “When the time comes, remember that.”

  The resolve in her voice worried Izzy. She’d never heard that tone from Everly before. They needed to talk. There had to be something they could do to get out of this mess.

  “Ready to mingle?” Tristan asked, kissing her cheek.

  The move distracted her from her dark thoughts. “As I’ll ever be,” Izzy said.

  * * * * *

  Tristan tried not to show any reaction when the tarot cards were turned over. He didn’t believe in those kinds of things, but Everly wasn’t a normal reader. She was a Sighted-One, so he couldn’t dismiss her findings out of hand.

  It bothered him that she saw him and Isabel as lovers. Not because he couldn’t imagine it anymore, but because he could. She’d worked her way under his skin and Tristan had no idea how to get Isabel out.

  He touched the lodestone around his neck. Thus far, he hadn’t felt even the slightest pulse. Perhaps the Darkling had left New Orleans. Wishful thinking on his part, since it hadn’t gotten what it had come for.

  Tristan glanced at Isabel. Her fair skin glowed in the sunlight. It was a stark contrast to her purple sundress, yet somehow as a whole it worked. Too well for his peace of mind.