Kas Mason isn't just a werewolf. She's also a Goddess. One of the Moon Goddess' fifty daughters known as the Menae. After Kas dies from starvation in the dungeon of her own packhouse, at the order of her mate, Bronx, the Moon Goddess gives her a second chance at life. When Bronx, children of her friends, and children of the ranked members of the pack suddenly go missing, it's up to Kas to accept her heritage and fight for the ones she loves the most to bring them home, even if it costs her life. Note from the author: This is the third book in The Blood River Series. I recommend reading Forever in the Future and Forever in the Past AND Daughters of the Moon Goddess before starting this book.
View MoreMarco’s POV
“Don’t pull the trigger.”
My name’s Marco Sanchez.
“Don’t. Pull. The trigger.”
I’m twenty-four years old. I’m a werewolf. My wolf’s name’s Clash.
“Don’t pull the fuckin’ trigger.”
I got a beautiful fiancé. Her name is Musu Goba.
“Did you fucking hear me?!”
We’re gonna have pups soon. Twins. A boy and a girl.
“Marco!”
And if I manage not to pull the trigger on my pistol and murder my Alpha, maybe I’ll get to see them someday.
“MARCO! YOU LISTENING?!”
“CLASH, I HEARD YOU! SHUT THE FUCK UP, ESE! I’M TRYNA CONCENTRATE!”
“Marco, I can’t take the voices anymore.”
“I just need you to focus on stopping me so we don’t kill the Alpha.”
“She tricked us. We trusted her and she tricked us. And you told her to leave!”
“Not now, Clash. We gotta focus on stayin’ alive and not killing anyone.”
The gun is shaking in my hand, pointed at my Alpha. I’m tryna lower it, but I can’t. I wanna lower it, but one of the Luna’s sisters just used some sorta magical bullshit to force me to keep it on him. It’s taking all of my wolf’s strength to stop me from pulling the trigger. She’s gone, but that bitch’s voice is bouncing around like there’s a million of her in my brain.
The metallic scent of blood is thick in the air. It’s stingin’ my eyes. Or maybe it’s tears? It don’t matter. The other puta just killed my female Beta, and it feels like a hole is burning itself into my chest cause the pack bond is breaking.
I stood there with my gun ready and couldn’t do a fucking thing. I watched these brujas [witches] slice her in half with magic. Kas, my Luna, let her. She just stood there and watched. Lenora wasn’t just our female Beta. She was Kas’s sister-in-law. I trusted my Luna, and she turned on me. She watched those bitches command me to shoot the Alpha and didn’t do shit about it. For a second, I thought she was gonna stay and not follow the creepy ass hands sticking out of the portal she made. I told her to leave. Ain’t nothin’ good would come from her staying.
There’s running coming from the hallway. Milo, my Beta and Reggie, my Gamma come running into the room. When they come through the door, it’s like a balloon pops.
I ain’t never let my gun hit the ground before, but it ain’t in my hands no more and for the first time in my life, I’m cool with that.
I just ran a thousand miles. That’s what it feels like. My heart is pounding like a sledgehammer, sweat’s pouring down my face, and every muscle in my body feels like it’s on fire. At least the voice in my head ain’t there no more. Now it’s like my brain is empty.
I try to throw my head back and howl with my pack when they mourn for Lenora, but I can’t catch my breath.
“Stand up and honor her if you ain’t got a voice.” Clash is tryin’ to give me energy, but his voice is all chopped up. Whatever that bitch did messed with my wolf, too?
I pull myself off the floor onto one knee and lower my head, but a hand around my throat stops me. I get lifted up and off the ground like a rag doll and slammed into the wall. I can feel the drywall behind me crack. Suddenly, I’m lookin’ straight into the eyes of the Alpha. No, not Alpha Bronx Mason. Worse than that. His wolf, Saint.
“WHERE’S MY MATE!?” He snarls at me with onyx eyes and thick canines.
If you ever think you been scared, no you haven’t. Not unless you was lookin’ straight at this face. All I see is anger and hate. It’s rolling off him so thick I can feel it. Shit. I can practically taste it. It’s kind you hear horror stories about. The kind you see on tv, makin armies drop bombs on innocent people.
I’m tryna shake my head, but he’s got me around the neck too tight. I should be showin’ my neck to him, but he got his hands wrapped too tight around it. Blood is dripping onto my shirt from his claws. Clash can’t heal me fast enough to stop it.
“I don’t know, Alpha.” My instinct is telling me to grab his thumbs and snap them. Clash won’t let me. We can’t hurt our own Alpha.
“WHERE IS SHE?” He pulls me toward him and slams me into the wall again. It knocks the wind out of me, but if you think I ain’t gonna answer, you crazy.
“She didn’t say. She tricked me, Alpha. She fucking tricked me.” I barely understand my own words. It feels like he’s gonna pop my head off like a grape, but I at least I’m tellin’ him the truth.
My vision’s getting dark. I can’t believe I’m gonna go out being choked to death by my own Alpha. He’s more than just my leader. We’ve fought together in wars. We’ve saved each other’s lives. I’ve protected his wife for over two years. He trusted me to teach her how to protect herself and fight.
I trusted her. Right up until she turned her back on our whole pack. What happens to my mate? To our children? Will everyone think I’m a traitor? What the fuck did I just do? Goddess, why’d you lead me down this path?
“Bronx, don’t kill him.” Gamma Reggie tries to pull him off. “He might have information we need. You can’t kill him. We have to find out what he knows.”
My friends from the pack guard come running into the room. Some are in wolf form, others in human form.
“Alpha? Where did they go?” They look around, trying to find the bitches that killed Lenora.
“It was the Mavri Magea.” He answers, but he’s still glaring at me. I feel his grip lighten up a little. “All of them. They did this to my sister. How many pack members did they kill?”
“So far, we’ve counted thirty-seven. We’re still doing a headcount to see who’s missing.” Someone answers. The guards look at me, then at each other. “Alpha, where’s the Luna?”
“Collar Marco.” He snarls. “Take him to the dungeon.”
Fuck. I’m screwed.
“Alpha, what?” Tyree, the Luna’s other guard, steps forward and looks at me like he’s confused.
“YOU WANT TO JOIN HIM, TYREE?!” The Alpha uses his Alpha tone and lunges at him, but Reggie holds him back. I fall on my hands and knees when he lets go. The air rushes into my lungs and makes me cough. I’m finally able to expose my neck, but it’s too late. “ARE YOU A TRAITOR, TOO?”
“N-no Alpha. I-I’ll get it right away, sir.” Tyree runs out of the room and I feel my chances of getting out of this get smaller.
I slide my hands over my face while they’re all distracted and send a mindlink. “Musu, mi Corazon. Tell me you’re safe.”
“Marco, mon loup [my wolf]! Where are you?” Her sweet voice rings in my mind. “I’m in the bunker.”
“Whatever you hear about me, it ain’t true, Musu. You know me. I’m ain’t no a traitor.” I talk as quick as I can. “I don’t got a lotta time, but I love you and our pups. With all my heart. I love you.”
“Marco, what-” I cut the mindlink before she can ask me what’s happening. I don’t know what the Hell to even tell her.
“Bronx, you didn’t answer Tyree.” Gamma Reggie sounds hesitant. “Where’s Kas? Was she taken prisoner? We need to get a team together to search for her.”
“Spread the word. Kas Latmus committed treason against the Blood River pack. She stood by and watched the Mavri Magea murder Lenora. She willingly walked through a portal to join them. If she wants to clear her name, she will return and defend herself against the accusations.” The Alpha announces. He squats down and grabs the back of my neck. “Marco helped them. He held me at gunpoint. Lenora tried to stop him, but you did exactly what that bitch told you to do. Didn’t you, Marco?”
Fuck.
“Yes, Alpha.” My voice hitches. It’s the truth. If I argue, he’ll snap my damn neck. If I agree, I’ll get collared. I don’t know which is worse.
Tyree runs back into the room just in time to stop the Alpha from asking more questions. “Alpha.”
I look up and see he’s got on thick leather gloves. He’s holding a silver collar with sharp spikes running around the inside. They’re just long enough to pierce the skin when the collar’s locked in place. It blocks you from being able to mindlink. The front of the collar has shackles, with a few short links. Just long enough for your hands to hang six inches in front of your face. Silver is poisonous to us. If it touches your skin, it burns you and your wolf can’t heal it. Some people say if you wear it long enough, your wolf can’t talk to you. You get slowly poisoned until you die alone.
“Tyree, why don’t you prove you weren’t helping them?” The Alpha stands up and sounds smug. “Go ahead and collar Marco for us.”
“A-Alpha?”
“Go ahead. If you are loyal to the Blood River pack, you’ll have no problem collaring a traitor. Right?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Tyree takes a knee next to me. I hear the lock jingle as he unlocks it. Under his breath, he whispers. “Bro.”
“I did what he said, Tyree.” I mumble and keep my head down. “Go ahead. I ain’t fightin’ it. I’ll deal with the consequences.”
“I’m so sorry, bro.” Tyree murmurs. I squeeze my eyes shut when I feel the heat of the silver on my skin. After just a few seconds, the pain sears around my neck. I sit up on my knees and let Tyree take my hands and lock them into the shackles. I can feel the Alpha glaring at me, but I don’t dare look at him. The silver sizzles when it touches the skin on my wrists. I can already smell the flesh burning.
“Put him in the soundproof cell.” The Alpha crosses his arms. He sounds deadly calm with his orders. “I don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t know where Kas is. Milo, check on him once a week to see if he’s ready to talk. Collar stays on until he’s ready to cooperate. One meal a day. Other than that, no communication. No visitors.”
Tyree and Reggie hoist me up by my armpits and take me down to the dungeon down the backstairs. At least they giving me that bit of respect. No one’s gotta see them locking me up.
“Guys, check the binders in her office.” I murmur as we walk down the stairs. “She keeps everything in the binders.”
TWO YEARS LATER “There’s no way this is it, Lex.” I stare at the ancient temple. “This is what we’ve been looking for, for almost two years, and it’s abandoned. Leticia must have had the wrong coordinates.” “Well, Zeus doesn’t like people looking for them.” She huffs at me. “If you want their help, have faith and believe that you’ll find them. I recommend closing your eyes and fixing your damned mindset, Kas. That’s the only way we are going to get home.” Leticia was released from the Waiting Room about six months after she and Aphrodite were sent there. After a while, she realized she didn’t need to use dark magic against the Goddess of Love. When her thirty days were up, she got to leave, but Aphrodite is still trapped there. The Menae have tried to counsel her on what she needs to do to escape, but she refuses to comply. We used Leticia’s informants and connections to find out where The Fates reside in hopes of helping change Bianca Beryl’s thread. It’s an outside chance, but M
“Hey Little Sister, I got a little somethin’ for ya.” Milo’s hand pushes past the door of my office with a plate containing an omelet, sausage, toast, and a pastry. “Can I come in?” “Of course you can.” I lean back in my seat and smile, secretly grateful for the interruption. “Mrs. Miller is worried that you’re not eating enough.” He sets the plate and silverware rolled in a napkin on my desk followed by a cup of coffee. “Are you doing okay?” “I won’t lie to you, Milo, so…” I press my lips together and look around the office. “No, I’m not okay. It’s been almost three weeks and still no word from Bronx. I have no clue when he’ll be back and there’s literally nothing I can do about it. Maya and Dre keep asking about him. The last time they saw him he was fighting the Minotaur, then he disappeared into a portal wearing his boxers and your tac vest. I can tell Tavi misses him, too. I’ve been letting her sleep with one of his shirts, so at least she has his scent with her, but… do you k
“Kas, pacing a hole in the floor won’t help.” Lex jumps in front of me, blocking my way. “You heard Mother. We need to be patient. Why don’t you sit down and eat something?”“Is food all you think about, Lex?” I drop my shoulders and try to step around her, but she side steps, to stay in front of me. “It’s been hours. What if Zeus put Bronx in Tartarus or something?”“Kas, I love you, but you’re driving me nuts.” She pulls on the edge of my nightgown to the small table. “No news is good news. Now sit. Eat.”The table has a delicious spread of breakfast foods and pastries. None of it looks like it will take the knot out of my stomach. I settle for a cup of tea with a pleasant Jasmine aroma and look out the window. The enormous white horses buck and play in the field with no cares in the world. My mind wanders. I wonder what is happening to our pack right now. Who is watching our children? Does Lady Camille still have Tavi in the coven’s realm, or was she able to bring her home? Are Co
Kas’s POVThe scent of honeysuckle pulls at the edges of my mind. It reminds me of my mother. I open my eyes. Where I could be. It’s an airy room, but there are no defined walls. I see low backed, ornately decorated chairs surrounding a small table with a teapot and fine china cups. There is a wide window on my left. The window is open, letting the honeysuckle scent in on a gentle breeze. Outside, there is a meadow with a few olive trees and large white horses grazing. Coffee and dark chocolate overtake the honeysuckle, making me smile. I roll on my side in the silky white sheets. Bronx is sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. He is pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. A lit cigarette rests between his fingers. I watch a fine stream of smoke rise from the tip. It leaves the burnt tobacco aroma I thought he left behind years ago.“Please don’t be mad, Baby. I just needed this one.” He whispers without looking at me before he takes a long drag from the ci
When I don’t go for an immediate attack, Ares gives me a stupid smile and rolls his shoulders. “Ready to submit, Child of Perses?” “Yeah, I don’t go down that easily, you stupid fuck.” I give him a dry laugh and swing the sword around, letting its weight settle into my hand. I don’t care how desperate things may seem. He won’t get the reaction he wants out of me. I’ll go down fighting.This time Ares half runs, half hobbles at me. I roll to the side to protect my injured shoulder, but he lunges and grabs me by the armpit, digging his thumb deep into the open wound and squeezes hard.I use a jiu jitsu throw Kas has successfully used on me by planting my foot and throwing him over my hip. His ass hits the ground, shaking the throne room. Glass shards shower us from the ceiling, slicing into my skin.Ignore the pain. Ignore the pain.I let my body weight drop into a roll, giving us enough momentum for me to land on top of him. It’s a short-lived achievement. He throws his elbow out and
Ares is standing between me and Kas. I listen long enough to make sure her heart is still beating while I assess the room. Not that it matters. I’m going to destroy him, whether she’s breathing or not. His mouth is full of blood, and the inside of his knee is deeply bruised. I don’t know what Kas did to his mouth or how she could reach that high, but she was trying to take his leg out. He doesn’t seem in a hurry to come to me, so he must be in pain. That’s my girl.“Bingo.” Saint hisses at the realization that our target is already injured. He pushes forward, heightening all my senses. “Are you ready to break a kneecap?”“Give me a second.” I continue looking around. “He’s got at least seventy pounds on us. He’s definitely injured or he would have already attacked first, but I still need to check the room.”The Menae’s barrier is still in place - Ares can’t escape. Broken marble - potential weapons. A section of Aphrodite’s whip - another potential weapon. Puddles of dark blood - sli
The beast’s roar pierces my ears. My muscles strain to keep the door closed while it pushes from the outside. Saint extends his claws from my toes to dig into the floor still slippery with Sondi’s blood. “Saint, I need all your strength.” I grit my teeth and brace myself as the Minotaur slams its body weight against the door.“YOU ALREADY HAVE IT!” He growls. “You think I want that thing getting in here?!”The growling and howls from the other two cells remind me I’m not just fighting for my life and the lives of our packs pups. I’m fighting for our whole pack. “HOLD THE LINE!” I scream out loud. No one answers, but I don’t need them to. I just need them to know that I’m still with them.“Bronx, we’re through the portal.” Milo finally comes through. “We’re on the way.”“We’re under attack!” I pull my head back as the Minotaur tries to push his horns through the cell door. “The entire pack is here. MOVE!”“Get some kids to pull their trackers off.” Reggie sounds out of breath. “It wi
“Aphrodite, let them go.” I growl at the screen. “This is your last warning.”Aphrodite throws her head back and laughs. The sound pierces my ears like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re in no position to give me warnings, Demigod.” She snarls at the screen.There is a flicker and glitch in the feed that makes her pause. Her face darkens at the interruption. She looks beyond the screen then back into the camera, making hand motions I have seen Delilah, Leticia, and Kas use in the past. She’s using magic. Just like Kas said, she must be bad at it.“She’s using magic.” I mutter under my breath. My mind tries to connect with why it’s important, but the screaming coming from Ashley’s cell is distracting me.The feed stabilizes, and Aphrodite regains her composure. “I have control here. Iokaste and I had a deal, and she broke her promise. Now, I will destroy ALL aspects of her life and you will be participants. I’ve already sent a fun surprise to one cell. Don’t worry. There are two more surp
“Marco, I need your help.” I send him a mindlink. “Once we have the kids settled, you can get back to your pups.”“What’s up, Alpha?” He comes over and squats next to me.“We need to get the kids organized and as quiet as possible.” I lower my eyes and concentrate. “Uh, let’s see. Kids wearing a shirt under their uniform sweaters need to take the sweaters off. Figure out how many babies are here. Get them all wrapped in sweaters to keep them warm. Assign the oldest kids to take care of babies. Oldest gets the youngest until you pair everyone up. If there is an odd number, Andy is with you.”“Okay. We can do that.” He stands up to complete the assignment.“Marco, we need them to be quiet. The door opens inward. If anything in that hallway hears them, we’re sitting ducks. Tell them there’s a damn reward for the quietest or some shit.”“Got it, Alpha.” He claps my shoulder. “You help Sondi.”I watch him walk away, clapping quietly to get the children’s attention, then turn back to Sondi.
Luna of the Menae is an adventure novel that tells the story of Kas Mason. Kas is a lot of things; she is a powerful woman, a werewolf, and one of the Moon Goddess' fifty daughters. After dying in the basement of her own packhouse, Kas is given a second chance at life by the Moon Goddess. However, this new life is not without trial. When pack members start to go missing, including her packmate Bronx, it is up to Kas to fight to bring home them home. Adventure and mystery await in the third book in this series.
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