Blood Moon

By C.V Leigh

Recovering from previous events, the Kincaid brothers have gone their separate ways. But when Zane goes missing, they once again pull together. Jacob and Derek follow the scent. Joined by the demon Kelsea, Tess and Lauren help the brothers search for Zane, travelling across the United Kingdom.

It’s not long before Zane’s disappearance is linked to Gaea, the vampire Jacob and Lauren met in Salem.

As they search for their brother, more secrets surface, threatening to tear the family even further apart. Can they repair the damage? Will the pack survive when the ultimate sacrifice has to be made?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
• Release date: Mar 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005890803

Book preview

Chapter One

Tess Lowry tapped her nails against her front teeth. She read the email once more and wondered if she should call someone. They’d want to know. Alistair should know. It had been several months since Jacob had returned from Salem with Lauren Summers in tow. He’d given them a brief overview of what had happened, with the British Paranormal Council filling in any gaps the Council of American Paranormal Activity—CAPA—had tried to cover up.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat, then pawed her neck when the feeling wouldn’t go away. For a brief second, she thought she might choke; it took a second for her to realise it was all in her head. The anxiety swelled inside her mind, crushing all other thoughts. It had steadily been getting worse since they’d moved back to Edinburgh. Part of her wondered if she should have insisted on staying at Faol Hall.

The Kincaid family home was hidden away in the depths of the Cairngorms, miles from the nearest town of Taedmorden. The isolation usually made her feel slightly uncomfortable, but over the years, she’d grown quite fond of the old place. Still, it was tainted with memories she’d rather not have, like the taste of Nathan Trevell’s blood saturating her tongue after she’d ripped his throat out.

Tess slapped her hand to her mouth, raced towards the small private bathroom attached to her office, and dropped to the floor in front of the toilet. Bracing her hands against the white seat, she coughed up acrid phlegm and catarrh and spewed it into the bowl. She sank back on her heels, then reached up and flushed it away, but it didn’t get rid of the guilt still swimming around her stomach.

It wasn’t just Nathan she tasted. Jacob was there as well.

It had only been a kiss, but it had been the biggest mistake of her life. Regret seemed like such an understatement. Kissing Zane’s brother had been the ultimate betrayal. She was Zane’s girlfriend, his mate, and she’d all but destroyed his trust in a single moment.

Closing her eyes, she wiped away the tears brimming over her lashes. She opened her eyes, stood up and went to the sink to splash cold water on her face; she was the head of Sanguis Luna Law now, with a prominent seat on the BPC. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see her falling to pieces. She had to be strong. Not only for the company and the Council but for the family as well. For Alistair. For Zane.

She headed back to her desk and re-read the email sent by Rosalind Murray, the new head of CAPA. Gaea had gone to ground once more.

Grazing her teeth across her bottom lip, Tess scanned the screen. Jacob had told them about Gaea, Queen of the Vampires. She’d helped him or had at least seemed to be helpful. She’d willingly given him a potion meant to break the curse which had been hanging over the family for more than a decade. It went deeper than that, though—Tess was sure of it.

Vampires were curious and morbidly fascinating creatures. They crept through the shadows, and until recently, it had been thought they’d been all but extinct. They were entitled to seats on the Council, although they never appeared at meetings, adding to the theory. It was difficult to monitor their movements.

And now, one had seemingly crawled from the woodwork before receding back into oblivion.

There was more to it, though. A team had been dispatched to Montridge Manor, the ancestral home of Darius Sinclair, Lauren’s lycanthrope father. An update would be sent later, Rosalind said at the end of her email.

Tess sucked in a breath. She could email Imad. He’d spent years in the New York offices and recently transferred to London. He might have a better idea as to what was going on. She could hack into CAPA’s system—she’d done it before. But she had more to lose now. And Zane wouldn’t approve. After all that had happened, she had to keep him happy. His support meant more to her than Alistair’s.

She picked up the phone on her desk and punched in Zane’s mobile number. It rang and rang until his voicemail kicked in.

Hi, you’ve reached Zane Kincaid. I’m probably working or out of range on a call, so leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Or you can text me like a normal person would.

Hey, it’s me, she said on a long sigh. Just checking in. It’s… She flicked her wrist to check her watch. Christ. It’s six o’clock already. I’m going to go home in a minute. I need to talk to you. I had an email from America, and I don’t really know what to do with it. She paused. Anyway, I’ll tell you about it when I see you. Or speak to you. I’ll order Chinese and leave some in the fridge. Text me when you know what time you’ll finish and— The phone beeped loudly, announcing she’d run out of time to finish her message. Shit. She glanced at the receiver before putting it back in the cradle.

Getting up, she grabbed her handbag and jacket before heading out of the office. Carla, her PA, had already left for the day. In fact, most of the office was empty, save for the cleaning staff, a couple of security guards, and a few solicitors working on tricky or well-paying cases. She made a point of waving, smiling, or saying bye to them all.

Her phone trilled as she drove home. When she pulled up outside the townhouse she shared with Zane, she swiped the screen to see his message.

Pulling a double shift. Will finish at 5. Don’t wait up. X

Typical. They’d been like passing ships for several weeks. Or had it been months? It seemed like ages since they’d last shared a meal together or said more than two words that weren’t via text or voicemail. She was sure he was avoiding her—not that she could blame him.

Tess got out of the car, locked it, and went up the steps to unlock the door. Once inside, she dropped her bag and coat on the sofa. After ordering Chinese, she went upstairs, changed into some pyjamas and collapsed on the sofa to wait for the food to arrive.

Through all of it, the email played on her mind. Clearly, Rosalind thought they should be aware the vampire had disappeared. CAPA wasn’t usually willing to hand over information so easily, so Gaea must be important somehow.

Tess leaned back into the sofa and glanced at her mobile phone, wishing Zane would call so she could at least talk to him properly. Instead, she found herself texting Jacob.

Where are you? Need to talk.

A few moments later, he replied: Following the North Riding pack. Will call with an update later. How’s Zane?

She sniffed away a laugh. Of course, he’d headed to Yorkshire after the pack that had turned their sister-in-law, Megan. North Riding was where this had all started. She shouldn’t have been surprised he was hunting the last of them down. Nathan Trevell’s pack had gone to ground years before—Tess had still been human when the last rogue member had disappeared. But they weren’t dead, and no doubt some of them were still lurking in the Dales. She didn’t know what Jacob hoped to find there, but he was obviously following some kind of lead. And had failed to tell them.

Alistair wouldn’t be impressed at being left in the dark. He was already furious with his younger brother for all the deceit. The betrayal.

The lump in her throat returned. She was just as much to blame as he was. Yet Alistair had been quicker to forgive her than he had his brother.

Her thumbs moved quickly over the screen.

Fine. We’re all fine. Call home and at least let them know you’re alive.

She dropped her phone to the cushions and let her eyes close. She was tired. She needed sleep, if only for a moment. She just needed to sleep.

Chapter Two

Derek Kincaid stared straight ahead into the empty office with a blank expression and his feet resting on the edge of his desk. Behind his blue eyes, his mind raced over the events of the past few months. No one could have predicted any of it. The death of his uncle, Nicholas, had been unexpected, traumatic, and covered up by the British Paranormal Council with disturbing ease. But it was nothing compared to the lies, deceit, and betrayal that had been uncovered. The revelation that not only had his father, Malcolm Kincaid, slaughtered the family of Alistair’s wife, but was also still alive, had disrupted the entire pack. For years, Alistair had sat at the head of the table, the pack Alpha. He’d cared for them, protected them. And now… now nobody knew what to do.

Alistair had remained in the family’s ancestral home of Faol Hall with his wife, Megan, and their two children. Zane and Tess had returned to Edinburgh, with Tess taking over the Scottish offices of the family business, Sanguis Luna Law, while Derek had headed to London. Jacob had disappeared, taking his new hybrid girlfriend with him.

Derek squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was connected to Jacob in a way none of the others were. They’d shared a womb for nine months, and although they were polar opposites, they were more than just brothers. He hadn’t been surprised when Jacob and Lauren had stolen off into the night. Lauren had experienced her first change, and as a true lycanthrope-witch hybrid—natural born, unlike Megan, who had been changed—the BPC had been very interested in her existence. He would have run away too if he’d been in their shoes. What was strange, though, was the fact Jacob had made no attempt to contact his twin brother. He’d expected something. But nothing.

A knock on the door caught his attention. Derek blinked and sucked in a breath. Come in, he barked. The door creaked open slowly, and the slender frame of Imad appeared. Derek blew out the thoughts that had been giving him nightmares and migraines for months and beckoned him in.

Imad stepped over the threshold, looking slightly nervous. His silver-coloured suit, white shirt, and navy-blue tie accentuated the coffee tones of his skin. His jet-black hair had been coiffed and gelled into place. He’d worked for Sanguis Luna Law for many years, and until recently, had been based in the New York offices. Derek had relocated him to London after Jacob had done his disappearing act. Imad had been their go-between when Jacob had been in Salem. If anyone knew what was going on in his twin brother’s head, it would be Imad. Or so Derek hoped.

Imad was one of those people who was good at sniffing out pieces of information others overlooked. He had a knack for tugging on the smallest of threads and had useful contacts dotted around the world, embedded in foreign councils, paranormal and human. He also had an in with the Council of American Paranormal Activity. Nobody bothered to question how he got the information or made the contacts. How wasn’t important.

He clutched several manila files, brimming with crisp white papers. Derek frowned and gestured to the seat on the other side of the desk. What can I do for you?

Mr. Kincaid, sir. Imad sat down and placed the files on the desk. He cleared his throat, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I found your father.

My father? Derek asked, his interest piqued. The last sighting had been when Jacob had met him in the small American town of Monarch Vale.

We believe he’s attempting to restart the Montridge Manor pack, Imad said, referring to the pack of rogue wolves residing in Monarch Vale. They had been ruled by Darius Sinclair until he’d been killed during a battle in Salem. Jacob had seen it all, and Derek had always suspected he and Lauren had more to do with Darius’s death than they let on.

The chair responded to his movement by tilting slightly. Derek stretched his arms behind him and clasped his fingers together at the back of his head. His dark blue shirt became taut across his chest. He ran his tongue over the blunt edges of his front teeth. Really? he asked, almost amused. And how does he expect to do that? Considering he’s supposed to be dead.

Imad picked up a file and rooted through it before handing a sheet over. Derek glanced down. CAPA’s logo was emblazoned across the top, followed by all the information he needed on one Rosalind Murray. Her picture stared up at him. She was pretty, with all the tell-tale signs of being a witch; black hair, bright green eyes, seductive curve to her lips…

She’s the new head of CAPA, Imad said. She took over after Reena Summers was murdered—

I know who she is. Derek dropped the paper to the desk. As he sat up, his feet landed on the floor with a thud. What’s this got to do with Malcolm?

With Darius Sinclair dead, Rosalind sent a team over to Monarch Vale. He sifted through more papers. It’s a small town a couple of hours away from the Canadian border…

Derek blew out an impatient breath and raised an eyebrow.

Erm… Imad hesitated. I mean to say…

Get on with it, Derek snapped.

Yes, sir. Sorry. There was more rifling until he found the sheet he was looking for. Ah! Here it is. He handed it over and continued to talk while Derek read. Mrs. Murray sent a team to Montridge Manor in Monarch Vale. Since Mr. Sinclair’s death, there have been no sightings of rogue wolves. She was concerned the pack might have been disbanded. With no Alpha to lead them—

She was worried about repercussions. Derek nodded. They’d had their own fair share of lycanthropes losing control. It was a disbanded pack that had started this whole mess to begin with. The memory of Nathan Trevell slipped into his mind, staining his thoughts.

They found several bodies on the property, just as Mr. Kincaid described, he said, and Derek remembered Jacob had mentioned the mangled corpses of half-turned lycanthropes he’d discovered while he’d been over there.

And my father?

Imad nodded.

They saw him? They physically saw him? Derek asked, his tone firm.

They found evidence he’d been there. DNA.

They have my father’s DNA on file?

Jacob’s, he said with caution. There was a familial match. It seems they kept some strands of hair they found for their own files.

Derek bristled. Of course, they did. He would have done the same thing—they had done the same thing. A sample of Lauren’s DNA was now BPC property. Just in case…

Still, it irritated him. They had no right. A deep growl resonated through his voice. What? he asked, noticing the slight hitch in Imad’s breathing.

There was also the scent of a vampire. And something they couldn’t place.

What are you talking about?

The team searched Montridge Manor and found evidence Malcolm Kincaid has taken residence there recently. Along with signs of a vampire’s presence and… something else.

Something else? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Imad pursed his lips and shrugged. I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know. A creature they don’t have on file. CAPA is calling a meeting of the United Paranormal Nations. The BPC have asked for a Kincaid to represent them.

Does Alistair know?

Imad shook his head. I only found out this morning. I thought I should come to you first.

Fuck. Derek closed his eyes, then opened them again. The Americans are in the middle of a blood war, and they want to drag the rest of us into it? It’s not happening. He pushed the papers