Blue Moon Rising (The Patroness) by Natalie Herzer Page A

place.”
    He just shrugged. I couldn’t believe it. Weird shapeshifter bunch.
     
    The visit to the shapeshifter hangout didn’t go as smoothly as plan n ed and since the chances that they would let us in again were extremely low we had started to walk away, patrolling, and automatically we fell in an even step.
    Kylian looked at me from the side and I could see a flicker of blue in his eyes. “Are you hurt?”
    “No,” I lied. My hip hurt like hell after it had served as a buffer and my dignity showed some scratches.
    “You aren’t very popular here, huh?”
    “Well, Sherlock, my guess? They don’t like me killing their family. Though I’ve never killed a shapeshifter without a good, solid reason.”
    “I believe you. No reason to defend yourself,” he said softly.
    That that one sentence made me feel warm and relieved, scared me. I didn’t want to want his sympathy or understanding. “What about the sniff test?”
    “Negative. The rogue wasn’t in there the last couple of days.”
    What a shame. Would have been too easy and just too good to be true anyway.
    I looked up at the night sky and saw a few little stars winking back at me. “The moon is waxing. Just a few days left. Will you be forced to change?” Normally shapeshifters could change their forms at will and would only be forced to do it in the night of the full moon. Except the strong ones, who had learned to resist even the call during that mysterious night.
    “Yes.”
    “Oh.” It just escaped my lips. I had expected him to be one of the strong ones, giving the fact that he was the pack’s and Council’s assassin.
    He turned to me and we stopped. “Because it’s the Blue Moon. Some of us might withstand the first moon, but no one can resist the second one. Under the Blue Moon we’re all the same.”
    Of course. The second full moon in a month, known as the Blue Moon , had too strong a pull for even the toughest shapeshifters. Every one of them would have to run in the wild. Alone , or w ith a pack protecting them. It was called the Hunt since that’s what they mostly did that night.
    “Since we can’t trust the Parisian pack I won’t be able to join them in their Hunt. So I’ll have to find a place somewhere else to run a bit.”
    I nodded. “I know a place. Michel’s pack owns forest area a little out of town, they’ll probably go there. But there are also some small woods right on the eastern outskirts. That should do it. I think you’ll have some peace and quiet there if not necessarily a lot of space.”
    His face lay in shadows. “Will you show me, at the night of the Blue Moon?”
    “Sure, why not.”
    He lowered his head, inhaling my scent again. “You smell delicious, you know that?” I wasn’t even able to shake my head, his deep voice was captivating. “Of flowers and herbs. But there’s also something fresh underneath, like a nearing snowstorm in a dark winter’s night.”
    “Had a poet for breakfast, huh?” I said, my voice not as calm as I wanted it to be and my heart drummed erratically in my chest. He must have heard it.
    Ignoring my comment Kylian angled his head and found my lips. His mouth was soft and warm on mine and I wanted more. Don’t lose it, don’t lose-
    I lost it and kissed him back, winding my arms around his neck. He moved and suddenly I found myself deliciously pressed against his strong chest, with a cold wall at my back. Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder rumbled above us. He tasted divine, of darkness, man and a little beer. Heat and desire were soon rising fast and the kiss gained an unexpected but welcome aggressiveness, as his eager tongue brushed mine again and again.
    Then he tensed, broke the kiss off and snarled.
    Surprised I looked up at him and muttered, “Am I kissing that bad?”
    His eyes were a clear blue, the animal surfacing.
    “Kylian?” I was starting to worry when he jerked again and roared in a ragged mix of fury and rage.
    “Run!” Then he fell onto his