Moonlight Kin 4: Tristan Read Online Free PDF Page A

all cared about the humans, as if
they were more than mere prey. This wolf was different.
Single-minded. Dangerous.
    The entrance to his perpetually dark world
swirled before him. The Darkling saw the full moon glowing on the
other side, illuminating the thick forest. Magic crackled in the
air. Not much farther.
    The white beast couldn’t follow him, unless
he wanted to die. The magic would take away his ability to shift
into his wolf form and eventually kill him.
    Only one wolf that he knew of had ever made
it out alive, and he’d needed a portal rune stone to do it. His
thievery had earned him a bounty on his head. Unfortunately, no
Darkling had been able to locate him and claim the prize. Rumor had
it he was dead.
    The Darkling raced across the blackened ash
that fell beneath the opening and jumped. He landed in his realm,
his heart pounding in his chest, then turned to face the menace
behind him.
    The white wolf skidded to a halt, its nose
nearly touching the entrance, and glared at him.
    The Darkling laughed, but the sound came out
as a shrill bark. He stood at the entrance taunting the beast,
knowing full well he could do nothing about it.
    Next time , he vowed, then trotted
away.
     
    * * * * *
     

Chapter Four
     
    Izzy sat back on Everly’s lumpy burgundy
couch to watch the sun rise. She’d only managed to get a couple
hours of sleep, which was two more than her friend. Everly had been
up all night doing God only knows what in her back room.
    Black candles flickered from various
candelabras, highlighting the empty eye sockets of a half dozen
skulls scattered throughout the living room.
    One of the skulls next to a hastily erected
altar in the corner looked suspiciously real. Izzy didn’t say
anything, since this was New Orleans and nearly fifteen percent of
the population practiced voodoo. She didn’t think Everly fell into
that category, but she couldn’t say for certain.
    The scent of frankincense choked the air.
Everly said it helped her think. The scent gave Izzy a headache,
but she didn’t complain. She was too grateful to Everly for taking
her in.
    Her friend came out of the bedroom and sat
across from her on a beanbag. Her dark brow furrowed in thought as
she picked at her chipped black nail polish. The sun peeked through
the dark purple curtains. Everly scowled when a ray hit her and got
up to slam them shut. Darkness once more enveloped the room.
    Izzy sighed and closed her eyes.
    “Tell me again how you met him,” Everly
said.
    “Which one?” Izzy asked without opening her
eyes. She felt as if she could sleep for days.
    “The snowy one,” she said.
    “I sensed him while I was reading cards in
Jackson Square last night,” she said, then paused. “At least I’m
pretty sure it was him.”
    “I remember feeling him nearby,” Everly said.
“It made my skin crawl.”
    “Yeah, mine, too,” Izzy said. So why hadn’t
her skin crawled when she ran into Tristan later?
    “He wanted you to come with him?” Everly
said.
    Izzy sighed. “Yeah, they both did. The
strange part was they said they wanted to help me for the exact
same reason.”
    “Weird,” she said.
    “I know,” Izzy said. “What are the
chances?”
    “Too high to be a coincidence,” Everly
said.
    “That’s what I thought,” she said.
    “One of them has to be lying.”
    Izzy glanced at her. “Well, one of them is a monster.”
    Everly bit her lip. “Good point,” she said.
“What are you going to do now?”
    Izzy thought about it, but her tired,
sluggish mind wouldn’t cooperate. “I don’t know.”
    If she were smart, she’d call her sister,
Mindy, but Izzy didn’t want to drag her into her drama. Besides,
she’d left her baby sister to keep her safe. Phoning Mindy for help
would defeat the purpose.
    “Do you think he was telling the truth?”
Everly asked.
    “Which one?” Izzy asked, giving up on getting
any sleep.
    Everly shrugged. “Either one.”
    Izzy shook her head. “I don’t know.” She
pursed her