Stolen Under a Full Moon

Chapter 1

Present day...

The wedding magazine mocked me from the bar table. White dresses and promises of happily-ever-afters. All lies when your father picked your groom, and your future mother-in-law controlled every detail down to the napkin colors.

“Maddy, you know what bars are for, right? Most people don’t read in them. At noon.”

I kept my eyes on the glossy pages. Tobias had been complaining for twenty minutes straight, each whine more irritating than the last.

“It’s quiet enough to read during the day. Most people aren’t in bars at noon, let alone a vampire bar.”

The Devil’s Trap reeked of stale beer and magical smoke. There was no cheap, modern seating. Everything was made of sturdy, weathered wood, bricks, and stone. It had a distinctly seedy feel. But during the day, it served excellent coffee and stayed quiet.

My one tiny rebellion.

A proper shapeshifter lady shouldn’t be in a bar, but it was neutral ground. It was probably the safest place in Savannah outside our home, which I’d desperately wanted to escape for a few hours.

My brother sighed and shifted in his seat again. I knew I hadn’t ended his complaining. I just wanted to be left in peace to stew over my upcoming nuptials.

“Toby, why don’t you go do whatever it is you want to do? You’re driving me crazy.”

He straightened. “I wish you’d stop calling me Toby. It makes me sound six. I’m older than you. At any rate, Father said I was in charge of your safety today.”

My jaw clenched. Being a woman in our world meant constant supervision, and lately, my father, the great Lord Alfonso Lykaides, had been paranoid about it. Desperate to keep me from tarnishing my reputation before he could marry me off to secure his political alliances. It didn’t matter that I’d never stepped out of line. Tobias was the one to rock the boat. Or at least he had been. I was the rule follower.

“I’m twenty-four, Tobias. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“But this is an Allied bar. You remember what that means, right?”

I scowled at him. Of course, I remembered. Wereanimals were welcome here, which made it dangerous for shapeshifters like us. The violence between our peoples had gotten worse in the last four years, ever since Father’s security initiatives had... intensified.

But places like this were sanctuaries. When you entered, you agreed to abide by the rules, and if you struck the first blow, the consequences were decided by the owner of the establishment.

And I’d heard you didn’t want to get on his bad side.

“The vampire who runs this place doesn’t allow violence on his property unless he’s the one fighting. Even if he supports wereanimals, he wouldn’t let them hurt me.”

“Fine. I’ll go then.”

I snorted. “That didn’t take much convincing.”

He flashed that grin that got him into trouble with Father’s council friends. “I’m bored out of my mind, and there’s this gorgeous woman who just left...”

He winked and strode toward the door. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my magazine, though the words blurred together. Not like I got to pick my own dress anyway.

I was supposed to be browsing for wedding things. Getting inspiration for my perfect day. But between my father, fiancé, and future mother-in-law, I didn’t think I’d get much of a say in anything. This was a political event tying two prominent houses together. Everything had to be perfect. There would be nothing left for me to do except show up and say the words that would trap me forever.

The thought of my marriage filled me with sick dread. A future of planning my husband’s parties, running his household, and bearing his children. That was it. My entire life mapped out.

It might have been perfect if I’d loved him.

My fiancé. Vyktor Ashford III. I should be grateful. He was powerful. A respected leader in our military. Even handsome in that cold marble statue way. Ice-chip eyes and hair so blond it was nearly white. The kind of man other shapeshifter families would kill to have their daughters marry.

Of course, I was convinced he’d never cracked a smile in his life. When he looked at me, it was cold and assessing, as if he were cataloging my flaws for future correction.

And... God, I was pathetic, but the thought of him didn’t make my heart race. The thought of our wedding night made me just a…lot queasy.

A great basis for an eternal marriage.

I glanced around the bar, envying the modern women. Short skirts, low-cut tops, and some even wore pants. No one was hovering, telling them how to behave. Not to laugh too loudly, or that they were eating too much.

Why did shapeshifters have to be stuck in Victorian times? Immortality was supposed to be a gift, but not when you were a young woman controlled by men centuries older who refused to change with the times.

I sighed and flipped another page. A romantic love story behind some picturesque wedding.

I’d have the picturesque wedding; they’d make sure of that, but I’d never have the love story.

“So you come into a bar to read? That doesn’t seem very fun. Most people come here to party.”

The voice rumbled from in front of me, deep enough to send a shiver down my spine. I almost looked up, but once you made eye contact, people thought that was permission to chat. I wasn’t feeling chatty.

I lifted my coffee without taking my eyes off the magazine. Irish cream sweetened it. “This is my version of partying.”

Large, calloused hands slipped under my magazine and pulled it away. “Interesting reading material?”

I scowled but still refused to look up. Why couldn’t he take a hint? “Nothing that would interest you. Wedding magazine.”

“Hmm... You don’t look very interested either. I’d think a bride would find it more engaging.”

He turned it around to read, then straddled the chair across from me like he was settling in. I looked up to glare at him, and my breath caught.

Messy dark hair fell into warm brown eyes that held a hint of mirth. Stubble shadowed his jaw. A ratty t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. He had a streak of grease or dirt across one high cheekbone that made him seem all the more charming. His tanned, muscular arms stretched across the table as he read my magazine.

And his scent… God, what was wrong with me? Oak and whiskey and something male that made my stomach clench.

So different from my world, where not a hair was allowed out of place.

Power rolled off him in waves, making my skin tingle. His beast lurked just below the surface, but was tightly leashed. Most of us kept our animal so buried that you barely felt the brush of magic. We were all worried about losing control. That a shift might bring madness. He didn’t seem to worry about that, and I wondered if he shifted regularly.

I cleared my throat. “I shouldn’t bother with it anyway. All the decisions are being made without me.” My voice came out breathier than intended. Wonderful. I cleared my throat. “But if I don’t show some interest, my future mother-in-law will despise me even more than she already does.”

“You don’t sound like you care much about that.”

I bit my lip. “Well, I didn’t choose the groom either. But my life will be easier if she can at least tolerate me.”

Why was I telling him this? Was the stress and bitter disappointment making me crack?

“Are you going to leave so I can read?”

His lips curved into a half-smile that was pure flirtation. “No.”

I crossed my arms. “Was there something specific you wanted?”

He shrugged and released my magazine, crossing his over the chair. “Just talking to a pretty woman. What’s your name?”

Heat crept up my cheeks at the little compliment. “Maddy Lykaides.”

“Priscilla Madeline Lykaides?”

Shoot. He was probably someone who expected me to know him, even though I’d only met him once in some crowded ballroom over a year ago. But… I’d never seen a noble as casual as him. “Do you know my father, Lord Lykaides?”

He smiled, but it seemed tight and cold. “In a way.”

Ugh, if he wanted to discuss some political move my father had made that he disagreed with, I might fall asleep. Everyone assumed that because I was the daughter of Lord Lykaides, I had his ear. Really, my father didn’t care about anyone’s opinions, let alone mine.

I smiled and tried to keep things light. “He’s the only one who calls me Priscilla, apart from my fiancé. I prefer Maddy.”

I extended my hand. Instead of kissing it like any shapeshifter gentleman would, he shook it. His skin was so warm, calluses rough against my palm.

“I’m Laedan.”

I waited for more. Nothing. “Son of?”

He looked confused. “Benjamin.”

I forced a smile. If basic introductions confused him... “I don’t recognize the name. What’s your surname? I thought I knew all the shapeshifter nobility in the area.”

He ran a hand through his hair, showing off gorgeous, flexing arm muscles. “So why didn’t you choose your husband yourself?”

Avoiding the question. Interesting. “Almost all shapeshifter marriages are arranged among the nobility. Are you a commoner?”

Father would chew me out if he knew I was talking to a man so far below my station. Alone. In a bar. I was going to get an earful if this got back to him.

He nodded. “I suppose you could call me common.”

“What does that mean?”

“My people don’t have nobility.”

The words hit me like ice water. There was only one thing he could mean. The only people I could mistake for a shifter who didn’t organize around noble bloodlines.

Wereanimal.

My stomach dropped, and chills broke out on my arms. I was sitting across from a wereanimal. One powerful enough to hide what he was until he chose to reveal it.

I jumped to my feet just as my father burst through the black double doors leading into the club. “Priscilla!”

His voice cracked like a whip. He rushed toward us, face twisted with rage. He grabbed my elbow and shoved me behind him hard enough to make me stumble.

My father drew a silver blade hidden under his suit, and I heard the scrape of chair legs across the stone floor. Several people rose to their feet, ready to break up the oncoming fight. Two vampires and a half a dozen people I’d assumed were human, but I now knew must be werewolves.

“Father,” I hissed. “Put the blade away. Fighting is forbidden here.”

“Shut up!” He snarled at me, but after a tense second and a glance around the room, he put the blade away. “So this is where you’ve been hiding yourself, werewolf? I admit, gaining a vampire as an ally was intelligent for one of your kind.”

Laedan’s expression was cold enough to make my stomach tight. “Nice to see you too, Lord Lykaides. You’d think you’d learn not to underestimate my people. It seems like your intelligence should be in question here.”

Father’s hands balled into fists. “Stay away from my children, scum. I might not be allowed to kill you in this bar, but you have to leave sometime.”

Laedan laughed, bitter and sharp. “You know, old man, I thought I’d be hurting innocent children when I saw that picture on your desk. It’s so nice to know your kids aren’t babies anymore.” His gaze traveled down my body in a way that made heat and fear war in my stomach. “Glad they’re not babies anymore.”

Father’s entire body went rigid. He pulled me against his side, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. “Priscilla, this is the leader of the local werewolves. The one who’s been killing innocent people.”

Laedan’s lips pulled back in a snarl. “I’ve killed no innocents. Everyone I’ve killed has been a soldier or one of the medical staff who worked in those death camps you oversee.”

Death camps?

“What’s he talking about?” The treatment facilities were supposed to help wereanimals. Keep them contained for everyone’s safety while Father’s medical teams worked on a cure.

Wereanimals were dangerous to themselves and others. Containing them was my father’s top priority as the leader of the house in charge of keeping the supernatural world from being discovered by humans.

At least, that’s what Father always said. But the rage in Laedan’s eyes made me think he at least believed what he was saying.

“He’s lying, Priscilla. He’s a killer. One of the rare alphas with control, and he uses it to murder our people.”

A true alpha. I shuddered. He’d been so close to me. He could have torn me apart. Just like what happened to my mother...

If what our people said about him was true, he’d killed women and children.

Laedan pulled out a photograph. My eighth birthday. The last one with my mom. He waved it in Father’s face.

Father snatched it with a growl that made me jump. I’d never seen him lose control like that. “I’m going to kill you. Leave now, before I forget where we are.”

Laedan grinned and quirked a brow. “You leave. I’m running the bar while Nyx is gone. If you want to fight, patrons here will back me. And I do want to fight, because when you lose, your daughter will belong to me.”

I swallowed, and it went down like a rock. “Father, we should go.”

Laedan chuckled. “She’s a smart girl, Lykaides. She knows I’d beat you. Do you really want her to be helpless and left with me? Like those wereanimals your people torture in your facilities. Like my pregnant wife you murdered. My son never even got to take his first breath because of you.”

The raw agony beneath his rage made my heart twist in my chest. If this were true...

He’d kill us for it.

My father’s hand clenched painfully around my arm, and I grimaced. Laedan’s narrowed gaze clocked the movement, and for a second, I wondered if he’d attack.

I rested my hand over my father’s. “You’re hurting me. Besides, Laedan didn’t do anything to me. He was disruptive, but he didn’t threaten me until you showed up.”

I realized my mistake a second too late. I never should have defended this man to my father. His face turned red with rage a second before he slapped me. The magical force behind it snapped my head to the side, copper flooding my mouth as my teeth cut the inside of my cheek. My ears rang, and I would have fallen if he hadn’t been gripping my arm.

It wasn’t the first time I’d gotten a slap. It had never happened in public, though.

“Stupid girl! You let that thing near you, and you defend it? Do you have any idea what your fiancé will think when he learns a wereanimal put its filthy hands on you? You’ll never speak to another wereanimal again, or I’ll beat some sense into you.”

His hand rose for another blow.

Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist.

“Touch her again, and I’ll tear your throat out, whether we’re in this bar or not.”

Laedan’s canines had elongated into fangs. Father’s grip on me loosened, and I stumbled back from the impending violence.

“Father?” Tobias strode toward us, the doors banging shut behind him. He pulled me into a protective hug before examining my throbbing cheek. His gaze locked on Laedan, recognition flashing across his face. Had they met? “You struck my sister, you bastard!”

“Laedan didn’t hit me. He didn’t even threaten me until Father arrived.”

Tobias stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “What were you doing with him?”

“Nothing. He sat down next to me. We were talking.”

Laedan released Father’s wrist and stepped back.

Tobias brushed past him and extended his hand to the werewolf. “Thank you for stopping him from hitting her again.”

Laedan studied the offered hand before accepting it.

“Couldn’t let such a pretty face get damaged.” His gaze dropped lower, lingering on parts of me that had nothing to do with my face.

Tobias tensed but kept his cool. Surprising since my brother had always been a hot head.

Father’s voice came out strangled. “We should leave before this thing contaminates her any further with its presence.”

Something dangerous flashed in Laedan’s eyes.

Before anyone could move, he’d slipped past them both. His arms circled my waist, hauling me against him. Then his mouth was on mine.

My first kiss.

I was too shocked to move. His body was hard against mine, radiating heat that made my knees weak. Coffee and danger on his tongue as it stroked mine with shocking intimacy. Every nerve ending lit up like I’d been struck by lightning.

What was happening? Why wasn’t I fighting? Why did I—

He released me and stepped back while I stood there, dazed and breathless. A satisfied smirk curled the edge of his sensuous mouth before he shouted, “Markus! Get these people out of my bar.”

One of the vampires stepped forward, probably prepared to hurl us bodily from the bar if he had to. Tobias raised his hands in surrender.

“We’re leaving.” My brother put his arm around my shoulders and steered me toward the door

I could feel Laedan’s gaze burning into my back. The taste of him lingered on my lips. That shocking moment of feeling alive.

What the hell had he done to me?

And why did part of me want him to do it again?

Chapter 2

Six months later…

The ballroom reeked of too much perfume and not enough fresh air. Jasmine and rose were battling it out for dominance, while underneath lurked the musky scent of too many people crammed into too hot a room.

Every shapeshifter noble on the East Coast had shown up to witness my wedding. A week of parties, dinners, and displays had led to this pre-wedding masquerade ball. I was exhausted down to my bones.

Twenty-four hours. That was all I had left.

The champagne was sour going down, but it made my forced smile easier to maintain. My cheeks ached from hours of pretending to be the happy bride-to-be. Tomorrow I’d be Vyktor’s wife. Tonight I was drowning in bubbles and congratulations.

My last night of freedom, and I was spending it with people who thought I should be happy.

My brother kept shooting me worried looks from across the room. Tobias could read me. We hadn’t discussed it, but he had to know I was unhappy with the match. After four or five glasses of champagne, maintaining the facade was getting harder.

I usually loved parties. Dancing was the only time I got to flirt, to feel alive. But as couples whirled past in their elaborate masks and gowns, all I felt was loathing for this society that had forced me into this marriage and expected me to smile through it.

I stood at Vyktor’s side while he discussed politics with my father. My fiancé hadn’t looked at me once tonight. I was a decoration, silent and pretty, who would give him sons. Daughters were useless to shapeshifters. Case in point: tomorrow, I’d be traded away to bring my father more power.

Vyktor polished off his glass of champagne and snapped his fingers at a server to bring him another. “What did you want me to oversee?”

Father leaned closer. “Straight to the point, as always. I’d like you to head the new wereanimal containment facility. I know you’re prepared to send soldiers, but I think we need more than that. I’d like someone I trust in command. We just had one raided last week. I need the new one to withstand attacks from vampires and wereanimals. It needs someone competent in charge.”

They’d been discussing the construction of this new outpost for weeks now. Over the past five years, the wereanimals had whittled down my father’s troops. With enough raids on facilities and assassinations, even the staunchest supporters of his cause had started leaving his ranks. They were concerned they’d be marked for death.

Which was why he was marrying me off to get a new army. Vyktor hadn’t had the same troubles in his territory as my father. His army was still loyal. He had fewer facilities in his territory, and none had been attacked.

But this was the first I’d heard of him monitoring them personally. What did that mean for me? I hoped it meant I stayed in some large empty house, alone, while Vyktor was out securing my father’s interests.

Vyktor’s pale brow arched. “Vampires? We can try, but they’re formidable creatures. No amount of guards could withstand them in great numbers.”

Father lowered his voice. I leaned in, trying not to be obvious. This wasn’t considered appropriate fascination for a woman, but they kept discussing it as if I wasn’t there. I was bound to pay attention at some point.

“We believe there are only two or three vampires involved. Surely you can handle that many.”

“Yes, but we risk starting a war. King Octavian keeps careful watch over his subjects. He won’t take kindly to any dying by our hands.” Vyktor’s ice-chip eyes glinted. “As much as I hate those dead creatures, I don’t long for war with them. They would obliterate us.”

I snorted at ‘dead creatures.’ Vampires died to transform, but their hearts still beat. They weren’t corpses.

Both men turned to stare at me.

Oops.

I cleared my throat. “Is this the new outpost you’ve been discussing?”

Father scowled but answered anyway. “Yes. We’ve had several destroyed, but more outbreaks of lycanthropy than ever. We need a place to keep these new unstable wereanimals. I only hope we catch the beast infecting more people and can lock him up for good. Lives have been lost. They’re organizing.”

He spoke the words to me, but I knew they were for Vyktor’s benefit. He was trying to emphasize how much he needed support.

I frowned. “But I thought they weren’t controlled enough to organize. That they’d fight to the death over territory?”

Vyktor nodded. “Usually, yes. But they have a powerful new alpha. One with just enough control to lead them, but not enough to curb his violent impulses. Dangerous.”

“Laedan?” I don’t know why I said his name. I’d thought about him too much over the last few months. I’d gather drips and drabs of information about him from my father. None of it had been good, but I was still fascinated.

Father’s glare could have frozen the blood.

Vyktor’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I glimpsed something underneath his perfect control. A streak of rage and violence that made my stomach clench. Laedan was clearly a sore subject.

“You know of him?”

Father jumped in before I could speak. “She had a run-in with him some months ago. I hope you’ll be more attentive to her safety than her brother.”

“My dear Priscilla was near a wereanimal?” Vyktor’s tone was worried, but his eyes stayed winter-cold.

“Yes, Laedan spotted her at that vampire bar, The Devil’s Trap.”

Vyktor turned that shrewd gaze on me. “What were you doing in a bar?”

“I was tired of wedding shopping. I went for coffee and to look at magazines.”

His jaw tightened. “That’s inappropriate for a female.”

Father shook his head as if I’d shamed the family name. “I’ve tried telling her. Tobias has taken her there, and she keeps going back. Her brother lacks the spine to stop her.”

Vyktor crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll put a stop to that once we’re married. Can’t have you scandalizing the nobles.”

I looked down before he could see the defiance burning in my eyes. From one prison to another. At least Tobias gave me air to breathe.

Father’s arm settled around my shoulders. “I’ll keep her away until tomorrow’s ceremony. It’s for the best with Laedan lurking around.” His other hand cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Monsters like him killed your mother, Pris. He would do the same to you.”

My throat closed. The champagne burned back up my esophagus. How dare he bring her up now, in front of all these people? He knew I couldn’t hold it together when she was mentioned.

I hadn’t been there when she’d died. My father had taken us to the country after they’d had an awful fight. She’d been left unprotected because of him. She’d died alone because he’d wanted to punish her.

I tried not to dwell on it. We’d probably all be dead if we’d been there, but it was hard not to blame him. Maybe they wouldn’t have attacked at all if he’d stayed.

I jerked my chin free and spun away, my skirts rustling. I upended my glass. The champagne made my throat ache as I forced it down.

“Excuse me. I need another drink.” I curtsied and turned my back on them.

My father raised his voice. “You’ve had enough!”

I stalked away while he scrambled to apologize to Vyktor. I’d pay for that, but tonight he wouldn’t make a scene.

A servant passed with a tray, and I swapped my empty glass for a full one. My hands shook. I pushed through the crowd, dodging dancing couples as I headed for the garden doors. I needed some air. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. But before I could escape, a callused hand caught mine.

I spun around to meet laughing brown eyes behind an elaborate black velvet mask threaded with silver. It covered his face from hairline to cheekbones, casting shadows that obscured his features. His jaw was sharp, shadowed despite being freshly shaved. Dark hair slicked back with a pomade that made me wonder if it was greasy.

The champagne made my thoughts swim. Those eyes seemed familiar. For a second, I thought—Laedan? But there was no way. The guards would’ve sensed a wereanimal. I wasn’t trained to detect them, but they had been. They’d have sounded the alarm.

The alcohol had made me fanciful. I’d dreamed of Laedan coming to ruin the wedding. I wasn’t sure if I was fantasizing about him or if it could have been anything that would halt my marriage. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about that damned werewolf?

The man smiled, all practiced charm. “I’d be honored if you’d dance with me.” His voice was cultured, the precise diction of the upper classes. This was a man born to ballrooms and etiquette, and I relaxed a bit. Another spoiled noble I could handle.

Laedan might make a wonderful fantasy, but he was dangerous. I hadn’t forgotten that. He hated shapeshifters, my father in particular. He’d threatened us.

I put him out of my thoughts and gestured toward the exit. “I was heading to the patio. I thought I would enjoy some fresh air.”

“I’ll escort you.” He looped his arm through mine.

Warm power rippled along my skin, and I was struck with that strange sense of deja vu again. Shapeshifters usually contained their magic. His leaked out like he couldn’t quite control it. Or didn’t want to.

Not as powerful as Laedan had been, though. There was a calm to it.

I should go outside alone and clear my head, not follow strange men anywhere. But the champagne whispered that one dance couldn’t hurt.

“I’ll take that dance instead.”

His grin was bright and practiced, like my brother’s university friends. He led me to the floor and pulled me closer than was proper. If he got handsy, I was going to stomp on his toes.

“We haven’t even been properly introduced. What’s your name?”

He smiled warmly. “Forgive me. I was so taken by your beauty, I didn’t think. I’m Wren. Lord Wren Montgomery.”

I’d never heard of that family. “I’m—”

“Priscilla Lykaides. I know. The blushing bride to be. Your wedding is all society talks about.”

The music started. We both stepped back at once.

I arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you know this dance?”

His grin turned mischievous. “I’ll admit, it’s been a while since I’ve attended such formal affairs. I’ve been... traveling.”

I laughed despite myself. “Then why ask me to dance?”

He shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. I got you in my arms.”

The words sent a warm flush up my neck, and I hoped he mistook the blush for the heat of the room and too much champagne.

I took the next step and trampled his foot.

His lips curled. “Do you know this dance?”

“Apparently not.”

We stumbled through the next steps, laughing. We got several disdainful looks from the other couples before we found a good rhythm, and then he whirled me across the floor with ease.

He glanced toward Vyktor, still deep in discussion with Father. “He doesn’t pay you much attention.”

I shook my head. The less Vyktor noticed me, the fewer flaws he’d find to correct.

“Not true love then?”

The bitterness rose like bile. “What does love have to do with anything? It’s arranged. For children and power. I’m fulfilling the only duty women are good for.”

“Leave then. Do you want to spend eternity under that man’s thumb? You should only marry for love.”

My gaze snapped to his. “No one I know thinks that way.”

His hand tightened on mine. “Maybe I spend too much time among humans. Changes perspective on these... antiquated customs. My parents loved each other deeply. Once you’ve seen it, marriage without it seems impossible.”

I lowered my voice and leaned toward him. “I can’t just leave. I’d need money, work, somewhere to live. I’m trained for nothing but running an upper-crust household.”

I hadn’t even given much thought to what I would want to do with my life if I ever left. After my mother died, I’d accepted my fate. The world had seemed so dangerous. But now my world was collapsing in on itself.

The song ended, and I stepped back, but he kept my hand.

“Walk with me.”

He tugged me toward the garden doors. I shouldn’t go with him. One dance was proper, but stepping out into the dark with him was something entirely different.

“He’s not looking,” Wren whispered. “Neither man has looked at you since you walked away.”

That stung more than it should. Even my defiance couldn’t hold Father’s attention.

“It’s still not a good idea to go with you. They might not notice, but all of society is probably watching.” And gossiping behind my back.

But I was already following him outside. Cool night air washed over my flushed skin. The garden smelled of night-blooming jasmine and damp earth. Other party guests mingled on the patio, as desperate for fresh air as I was. Wren released my hand and took the shadowed side steps out into the garden.

The little thrill of excitement bubbling in my chest should have been enough to warn me that I shouldn’t follow him. But this tiny rebellion was more than I’d done in years. When everyone seemed engaged in their conversations, I slipped down the steps after him and followed the path I’d seen him take.

I should turn back. Someone probably noticed me and would alert Father or Vyktor. But tomorrow I’d belong to Vyktor forever.

Tonight, I wanted to pretend I had choices.

I’d lost Wren somewhere in the darkness. There was very little light out here. My night vision was barely better than a human’s by now. It had been years since I’d shifted, and the longer you went without changing, the weaker your magic became. But it was better than risking madness.

A warm hand caught mine, pulling me into the shadows between hedges. I stumbled against his chest, giggling. God, the champagne had turned me into a giggler. Mortifying.

His stomach muscles contracted under my palms as I steadied myself. Even through his evening wear, I felt coiled strength that seemed at odds with his pampered nobility.

“You made me trip, sir.”

He grinned. “Again, it got you into my arms. Can’t say I’m sorry.”

I stepped back, but his hands stayed on me. “Why did you bring me out here?”

“Have you never had a lover’s rendezvous?”

“We’re not lovers.”

He leaned close, breath warming my ear. “Not yet. Haven’t you even snuck around with your cold fiancé?”

I shook my head. Vyktor had barely touched me. He kept a respectable, gentlemanly distance. Exactly as expected. Most of the time, I suspected he despised me. This marriage would be as advantageous for him as it would be for my father. Vyktor might be a noble, but his family was broke, and lower ranking than mine. It’s why he’d become a military commander. He needed money and hungered for more power.

“I won’t kiss you.”

His grin widened. “Are you so innocent you think I’ll be satisfied with a kiss?”

Heat flooded my cheeks. My brother had said enough that I wasn’t completely ignorant, but not enough to understand exactly what he meant.

“We won’t be doing any of that. You know I’d pay for such an indiscretion.”

He circled behind me. I resisted turning to track him. His breath brushed my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

“Do you even know what I want? Shame you won’t give it. You’ll never know passion with your husband.”

I glared as he came back into view. “Maybe we’ll fall in love eventually.”

Even champagne-drunk, I knew how stupid that sounded.

His smile vanished. Raw rage flashed in his eyes. Then it was gone.

“I know Vyktor’s type. Men like him collect beautiful things. They don’t cherish them. You have too much spirit for him. He’ll break you.”

What spirit? I’d been a dutiful daughter my whole life. Tobias was the rebellious one. At least until the past year or so.

“Oh, Maddy, if you knew what was out there, you’d beg me to take you away.”

The words were too bold for a stranger, too familiar. Tobias had once said the same thing, but from this man’s lips...

He pulled me against him so fast I gasped. Before I could protest, his mouth was on mine.

Soft. Warm. His tongue slipped past my lips, and I tasted coffee and danger. This wasn’t Vyktor’s cold pecks or Laedan’s shocking claim. This was slow, drugging, like he had all night to taste me and intended to savor every second.

My hands tangled in his hair without my permission, and the kiss changed, becoming more demanding. His palms skimmed down my back, cupping my backside. I moaned into his mouth.

He walked me backward until bark pressed against my spine. His hands gathered my skirts, drawing them up my legs. Cool air hit my calves.

I tore my mouth away. “We should stop.”

My voice came out breathy, unconvincing even to me. If we were caught... Father would kill me. And this man knew it, knew the danger he was putting me in.

“Come away with me, Maddy.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Run. Away. With. Me.” He stressed each word.

I shoved him back. “I don’t even know you! And you’re reckless with my safety. You don’t know me either!”

He smiled, trying to recapture the spell. But it was broken. “I’d keep you safe. Call it love at first sight. First kiss.”

The best kiss I’d ever had. Passionate, not cold and obligatory. More lingering than Laedan’s angry claim. I’d gotten to sink into this one, to taste...

Coffee. Exactly like Laedan’s kiss had tasted.

I pressed my hand to his chest as he leaned in again. The pieces clicked together. The familiar eyes. The slipping accent. The barely controlled power. The way he didn’t quite fit the noble role.

“Laedan?”

His jaw clenched. His grip tightened like he expected me to run.

I planned to. But before I could, Vyktor’s voice cut through the garden, calling my name.

Laedan’s head whipped toward the sound, tension coiling through him.

I’d never been more torn. I should call for help. Laedan had lured me out here. He had to have more on his mind than seduction. If even half the stories about him were true, I was in grave danger. But being caught with him like this, skirts hiked up, lips swollen from his kiss...

“Damn that man.” Laedan pressed another quick kiss to my frozen lips. “I’ll be seeing you soon, darlin’.”

He vanished in a blur of inhuman speed.

Soon. The word echoed in my head as my heart hammered against my ribs. I shook out my skirts with trembling hands and wiped my mouth before I stepped out onto the moonlit path. Would Vyktor be able to tell I’d been thoroughly kissed? By a werewolf? The night before I married him?

Vyktor came around the bend in the trail, his pale eyes scanning me with that calculating look. “There you are. Your father’s looking for you.”

“I needed some air.” My voice came out steadier than expected. “Too much champagne.”

Vyktor’s nostrils flared. Could he smell Laedan on me? I didn’t think so. Laedan smelled like any other shapeshifter I’d been around, except for a woodsy, earthy scent I assumed was his soap.

Vyktor’s hand closed around my upper arm, possessive and just shy of painful. “Tomorrow you’ll be my wife. No more wandering. No more bars. No more... independence.”

That was the sound of the cage door swinging shut.