Page 27 of Bad Moon Rising
“Why am I lucky?” She maintained a facade of confidence.
“Honor is branded into that one’s soul, which guarantees he’ll step up to protect you, even if he is not supposed to. Even if he’s not his own person and cursed to serve a human for the rest of his life, he’ll resist if he’s ordered to hurt you. All lycan females are guarded by the males, but that’s not what drives him.” A look passed between the two guys, one she couldn’t interpret.
“What drives you?” she asked Roman.
He averted his gaze and didn’t answer.
“Guess I’m lucky, then.” She stared at the raised marks on Dom’s face, wondering if the ones she could feel but not see on the back of her neck were similar white circles. Had it hurt to get the marks? Perhaps they were drawn on like a tattoo.
Dom said, “Of all lycans, Roman would be one of a slim minority who’d be…” He rocked his head from side-to-side as if searching for the right word. “Uh, shall we say, morally ambiguous when it comes to magic. At least, what the Lycan Council considers moral.”
“Why?”
“I’m not morally ambiguous,” Roman interrupted. “I have faith in God. Hell, I’ve met and worked with one of his angels.” He touched a tree near him, seeming confused about how he could be here when the surroundings didn’t seem to know he was actually here.
“Faith and morality are two entirely different things. Most lycans despise magic and witches, except for the glamour that keeps your identities a secret from humans. Long ago, lycans waged war with witches. Neither won, but neither lost. The lycans’ hate and distrust for magic persists. Except with him.” Dom nodded toward Roman.
“I’m not equivocal on magic. I hunt those who abuse it.”
“Yet, you use it yourself when needed, which is worthy of execution by the Council. They’re narrow-minded male twits who don’t tolerate what they can’t understand or control. Too bad they don’t follow the lead of the oldest of your species even if it’s a she, right Roman?”
Roman scowled at him.
“No one is supposed to know she survived, isn’t that right, Roman? I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Stop reading me,” Roman ordered. “You’ll leave her alone.”
Roman had a girlfriend or partner?You know nothing about him and haven’t known him long enough to feel this disappointed he might not be free.Hell, she was possessive.He could be married for all she knew.
Dom said, “You use magic. Don’t lie. You read runes, right? Tarot cards? The scrying glass? What about the beads of Circe meant for protection that are around your right wrist, the one opposite your curse mark?”
“I face off with creatures who… I use these talismans to stay alive. To ultimately protect humans. The Council looks the other way because of the curse.”
“They look the other way because they need someone competent to deal with the creatures you’re sent to wrangle back under control.” Dom’s startling pale blue gaze met hers again. “Honor, again. Did he tell you what he does? Who he’s bound to serve for all eternity?”
“Not her business,” Roman said. “She has no reason to know.”
“It’ll be her business soon enough.” Dom turned to her, his expression closed, but engrossed in his study of her. His eyelids dropped to half-mast, and he perused her lips. His inspection dropped down her body. “Discovering your last memory has a price.”
“No.” Roman stepped between the two of them. “It’s not worth it, if it has anything to do with you touching her.”
“It’s not your decision.” Dom lips pressed together slightly as his eyebrows drew inward. “It’s hers. I’m not sure I want to try this either, but…” Insecurity verging on fear passed through his gaze. “My gut tells me you have to figure this out, Nova. It’s important not only for you, but for all of us.”
“What are you suggesting be done?” Roman asked.
“The most powerful magic for my kind is attraction…sexual. Me pushing into your mind looks like it’s not going to get us anywhere, given your stubbornness to fight it. If we generate a huge boost of magic, then I might be able to get a single glimpse into your past.”
“How do we do that?” She put her hand on Roman’s forearm and tried to push him out of her way, but he didn’t budge. She peered around him. “You’re not suggesting…”
“Not sex. Hell no.” Dom shook his head. “As attractive as you are, that’s a firm no for me. I’m sorry, but my interests are engaged elsewhere.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Not sure this is going to work. Not sure I can do this. We can try a kiss. For it to succeed and generate the necessary magic, it’s going to have to be real. That’s the tough part. Not a peck of the lips but an earnest, heartfelt, tongue-grinding kiss.” He stepped around Roman to make eye contact with her, and looked pained as he whispered, “The kind that makes you want to fuck and be fucked.”
Roman’s face tightened. His body went rigid. Why did she feel as if it’d be cheating if she kissed Dom? She didn’t have a declared relationship with Roman and didn’t remember anyone else from her pre-amnesia life. Roman might be a hands-down winner for having the full package if in a contest against Dom or Flynn, in her opinion, but Dom was handsome in a dark, devilish kind of way.
“Aren’t you concerned I’m not the only one who will be paying a price?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know about Dom’s death. Her hand still rested on Roman’s bare skin. Why didn’t she see Roman’s death?
“I’ve decided I’m willing to pay up. Are you?”
“What are you two talking about?” asked Roman.
