Snarling at the Moon

A wolverine with a painful past collides with an elf who
glows like the full moon. Her rage meets his calm.

Sera  has  been  trying  to  make  ends  meet  since  her  family
kicked  her  out.  After  years  away  from  home  in  a  fey
menagerie,  she  had  dreamed  of  being  normal  again.  It
wasn’t  possible,  and  she  lived  a  subsistence  life  until  a
strange woman named Pansy arrived in her field.

After negotiations, Sera is sent to the Crossroads where

her term begins with a full body makeover that turns into an
evening of dancing with a man who makes her heart light
for the first time in years.

After the good night comes a night of flashbacks and she

suddenly remembers what she is.

Atter has been warned that Serapha has her issues, but he

doesn’t want to skirt around them, he wants to help her
through her pain and to the other side, with him.

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This  book  is  a  work  of  fiction.  Names,  characters,  places,
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Snarling at the Moon

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0219-8

Cover art by Carmen Waters

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Chapter One

erapha glided through the snow on her skis, one step
after another took her further and further from her home.

When she had made her trail into the forest clearing that
would glow with green during the summer, she removed
her skis, stripped off her clothing, stood in the centre under
the wide and all-encompassing moon and she screamed.

When her voice was raw, she transformed to her beast

and snarled and thrashed her body in the snow.

The release of sound was all she was allowed since her

return to her family, but since they chose to put her out
because of her exposure to the enemy, she only had the
wilderness to hide in.

All local predators were gone. She had scared them off

weeks ago. With care, she marked the interior of the clearing
with her claws and was getting ready to return to human
when there was a blast of light in the centre of her territory.

Magic. It was strange, it tasted nearly fey, but it was also

shifter. With a snarl, Serapha began to run toward the
woman standing in the middle of the snowy glade.

“Holy shit!” The woman yelped and magic propelled her

up and into a tree.

“Serapha Deemar? I am here with a message from the

Crossroads, and it would be really great if I could talk to
you, human to human.”

Serapha snorted and crouched for a moment before

shifting into her normal form. She put her hands on her hips
and cocked her head. “What is it?”

Zenina Masters

“Uh, aren’t you cold?”
Serapha chuckled. “No. You can come down now.

Despite the teeth, I don’t bite.”

“Right. Well, my name is Pansy, and I have been sent

with an invitation for you?”

Serapha headed to her neat pile of clothing and started

getting dressed. “You seem unsure.”

“I am not sure that I have the right person. I mean, you

have the marks of a bladed collar around your neck.”

“I was held in a menagerie, yes. Why, is that a problem?”
Pansy rubbed the back of her neck. “I was told you have

been declared unmatchable by the Crossroads for a shifter
mate.”

“Right. What other options are there?”
“That is where this gets a little weird. Certain fey who are

amenable to a shifter mate have been invited to the
Crossroads. We are inviting the males first...just in case.”

Serapha chuckled. “Interesting concept, but I have neither

the funds nor the family resources to donate to a trip to the
Crossroads. My clan has kicked me out for being weak
enough to be captured and being stuck with my teeth
pointed and visible in my human form.”

Pansy nodded and swallowed. “None of that is necessary.

You have been called up because you have been deemed a
good match for someone with non-human magic that isn’t a
shifter.”

“So a fey.”
“Yes, do you hate the male fey very much for what they

did to you?”

Serapha chuckled softly. “Not hardly. It was a male fey

who leaked the information to the Guild that allowed us to
be rescued. I was being held in the menagerie of one of their
females.”

Snarling at the Moon

She finished putting on her clothes and turned to her ski

boots. “Can you meet me at my cabin? It is five kilometres
that way.” She pointed.

“Uh, I suppose. How are you getting there?”
“The same way I got out here. I am going to ski.” With a

grimace, Sera snapped her skis into place, gripped her poles
and glided silently into the forest.

She used the time to mull over the offer as she shifted her

weight and propelled herself until the trees were a familiar
blur. A fey. One of the fair folk. She remembered the woman
with  the  scarlet  hair  and  powder-blue  skin  with  the  dark
blue  eyes.  That  woman  was  very  fair,  and  if  Serapha  ever
saw her outside in the human world, she was going to pull
her  tongue  out through  her  jaw.  Lady  Norviss  escaped  the
raid  that  freed  her  menagerie  but  that  wasn’t  going  to  last
for long.

There were hunters seeking out the cruel bitch, and when

they found her, they were going to call Serapha, or she
would know why. She needed to be there when they
brought that bitch down.

A mate. Huh. She had given up on the idea of a mate

when she hadn’t even been able to make an appointment for
the Crossroads the first time. She hadn’t even had the fangs
at that time. Her temperament had been enough to keep all
thought of her being a good companion and proper partner
from being considered a viable outcome. They had
emotionally profiled her.

She couldn’t help her upbringing among the wolverine

clan.  They  prided  personal  strength  over  every  other
personality trait aside from aggression. Serapha had always
been  fit,  but  never  strong,  though  she  was  exceptionally
aggressive when the moment called for it. Today, she was on
her  best  behaviour  and  she  had  already  completed  her  full

Zenina Masters

moon ritual. She was calm and ready to hear what was
about to be laid out before her.

It was a good thing she was calm. Pansy was a nervous

wreck, but she did make a lovely pot of tea.

The cheery potbellied stove that provided the heat she

needed required additional fuel, and as soon as she got into
the interior of her space, she removed her ski boots and
loaded the stove with chopped wood.

Pansy was perched on one of the counter stools and

monitoring the teapot.

“Thank you for making tea. I forget about the niceties

sometimes.”

Pansy nodded. “You are entitled. How long were you

held?”

Serapha rubbed her exceptionally sharp teeth with her

fingers. “I believe it was two years. Fortunately for me, most
humans around here just think I went through a gothic
phase and got my teeth capped in the process. They are
indulgent with a factor that makes me a sub-creature to my
family.”

“I see. I really do. I was embedded with fey magic before I

was born. Until this year, it meant a completely different
response when I went anywhere in the shifter community.
Now, I am sought out for my skills, but for you, well, I had
to go to you.”

Serapha snorted. “I still don’t see why. I am not really fit

for company, let alone a mate.”

“You are ideal for a member of the fey community then.

They live so long that they enjoy being shaken out of their
complacency now and then.”

“How does that work? Do they just remarry over and

over?”

“No. For this to work, the binding has to be between a

meeting of equals. They blend your magic with his, and his

Snarling at the Moon

with yours. The result is something new. A shifting fey and
a magic-using shifter. The idea is that a child with the blend
of powers will be able to have more children than the fey can
have on their own. They are fading from our world; their
magic is going wild and trickling back into the earth with
each death.”

“So, the fey are an endangered species?”
“Yes. If they died more frequently, it would be more

apparent. There are less and less births each year and
nowhere near enough to replenish the lost. They are indeed
an endangered species.”

Serapha inhaled the wild berry smell of her tea. “How

long do I have to consider it?”

“I was hoping that I could send you tonight?”
Serapha coughed. “Tonight? Why so soon?”
“Because the fey are using seers and the best candidates

for you are being sent in the next three days.”

Serapha sat down and stared at the stranger in her tiny

home. “Why?”

Pansy made a happy rumble as she nibbled at one of the

cookies she had liberated while she was waiting.

“They are eager to get this project underway. There has

been one excellent match and a few near hits. They didn’t
manage a solid connection, so we are trying for the next
most likely powerful female that their seers have seen.”

Serapha grabbed a cookie from the chipped plate. “So, a

bitchy wolverine is the best you could do?”

Pansy coughed again. “They picked you, I just found you.

My husband is a honey badger, so I know all about living
around bitchy members of the weasel family.”

Serapha winced. “Ouch. Well, I commend you for your

evident patience, but I am still not sure about this.”

Pansy looked around deliberately. “I don’t see anything

here keeping you right now.”

Zenina Masters

“But if I go, when I come back, I will have to prime the

water again. That is annoying.”

“Nice try, keep going.”
“Uh...I don’t have the money?”
“The fey are paying.”
“I don’t want to stay there indefinitely.”
“You can ask them for a four-week limit. Everything is

paid for, from your purchases to your stay at one of the bed
and breakfasts, as well as all your food. You don’t need to
bring anything. Just you. Think of it as a winter vacation.”

Serapha wrinkled her nose and sighed. “Well, I was just

howling for change, so it would be hypocritical of me to
ignore your offer. One month?”

“Four weeks. Give it a chance. By the way, it smells good

in here. That isn’t something I am used to with wolverines.”

Serapha took the dishes and washed them, drying them

before  she  answered.  “They  pulled  my  scent  glands.  I  go
through  the  motions,  but  I  am  no  longer  one  of  my  own
kind.  They  can’t  sense  me,  so  to  them,  I  don’t  exist.  The
constant fangs are amusing; the lack of scent got me exiled.”

“Oh.” It was Pansy’s last word for a while.
When Serapha had cleared up and cold air was taking

over the cabin—the fire was out and all was silent—she
nodded to her ride. “I can go now.”

Pansy led her outside and watched her lock up. “It is safer

out here. Trust me. The first time I went through the
Crossroads portal, I blew the hell out of the building.”

Serapha smiled weakly. “Oh good. How many folks have

you sent to the Crossroads since?”

“You will be the first, but I think I remember the way.”

Pansy winked and lifted her hands as if there was rising
music only she could hear.

Serapha felt the familiar wrap of shifter magic with the

taste of something sweeter before the light wrapped around

Zenina Masters

Chapter Two

erapha staggered as she landed. Three elves turned to her
with surprise in their gazes.

“Um, excuse me. Pansy sent me.” She flexed her hands

and her claws thickened as no one spoke.

A woman with snow-white hair and an exasperated

manner came to her. “I am sorry. We were not warned that
you were arriving, and the fey take more briefing than the
shifters do. They are not used to listening to instinct. It
messes with their pretty faces.”

The woman’s tone was so low that only Serapha heard it.
She chuckled.
“My name is Teal and I am guessing you are Serapha?”
“I am.”
“Please, come this way and we will do all the necessary

paperwork.”

Serapha chuckled and let the woman lead her by the arm.

Based on scent, her guide was a swan. Her inner beast
perked up. It liked to eat swan.

She throttled back her impulses and focused on being

human for a while.

“Whatever you are thinking would be a very bad idea.

We were not chosen for our charm. My mate, Tony, and
myself were selected because we are the primes of our
species. The avatars of the bird spirits. Ancient gods in living
flesh.”

Serapha cleared her throat. “Was I drooling?”

Snarling at the Moon

“No, but from your file, you have been living wild. The

more we let our beasts out, the harder it is to remember
societal niceties.”

“Fine. You have a point. I will try and behave.”
Teal grinned, and they sat down to work on details of the

agreement for the fey match. Serapha mentioned the four-
week limit and Teal wrote it in.

When the contract was done, Serapha signed it, got her

charm to pay for goods and services and Teal took her on a
tour.

Serapha quirked her lips. “So, why is everyone staring?”
“You look a little wild. It is around your eyes and in your

clothing. The fey insisted on a new spa being set up, and I
think you are an ideal candidate for a full workup if you are
willing.”

Serapha looked down at the smears of dirt on her hands

from working with the stove before she left. “I think a mani-
pedi is in order.”

Teal didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Serapha by the arm and

hauled her bodily to the building that didn’t even have a
sign up.

“Emmy, Stephan, head to toe and everything in between.

She needs a heavy soak and I don’t know how much
peeling. You are working with layers.”

Serapha scowled. “Hey!”
“It’s true.”
She sighed and grumbled as the two determined badgers

approached her. She let them coax her into a back room, and
once she was naked, she was bundled into a shower, a bath
and a steam room with a speed that made her dizzy.

For the first few moments with Stephan, she had felt

nervous, but as he simply looked at her skin and not her
body, it made it easier.

Zenina Masters

Serapha finally sat still in the steam room and let the heat

soak in. She moved her head and felt the scars of the bladed
collar and the scent-gland removal tug with every motion.
She was basically here for the free stuff. What fey in his right
might would want an angry, scarred and fanged mate? They
prided themselves on appearance and her appearance was
definitely lacking.

* * * *

Atter watched the dust-ruffled woman being led away from
their group, but he wanted to keep staring.

She held her head high, her hair needed a good

scrubbing, but it was thick and lush with a white streak in it.
The sharp teeth that she displayed when they stared at her
were a little surprising.

His lips quirked when a tiny movement drew his

attention. Her hands had claws that were receding as she
walked away with the female guardian.

His two companions dismissed her and turned to watch

the approach of the male guardian.

Tony sorted their small medallions and marked them like

pets.

Atter scowled and one of his companions commented.
“We are to be marked like animals?”
Tony paused and a wave of glittering darkness moved

across him, more power than the fey had felt in decades.

“You are marked as fey courting shifters. The shifters that

are amenable to your attentions are wearing bracelets with a
matching stone. Their charms will glow when you get near
them. It will help you identify when you get close. Everyone
here who does not live at the Crossroads, wears a charm. It
identifies you for purchases, opens your quarters and lets
you buy anything here. It also shifts with you.”

Snarling at the Moon

Atter watched his companions perk up before watching

the  woman  across  the  way  settle  with  the  other  guardian.
Despite  the  surface  grime,  she  had  a  settled  appearance,  a
calmness  that  he  did  not  associate  with  the  shifters  he  had
met in his life.

Tony followed his gaze. “Don’t even think about it. We

only brought her in because your seers pinpointed her as a
potential for a match. I sincerely doubt that she will be
receptive to you.”

“Why not?” Atter looked down at himself. He was

pleasant, he was charming and his beauty was remarked on
by both sexes.

“I will tell you when I show you to your guestrooms for

the duration of your stay if you are still interested in
knowing.”

Atter’s interest was aroused. “Please.”
With all the paperwork taken care of, they went on their

tour of a place Atter had only dreamed about setting foot in.
The power of the shifters was all around them, in the very
ground the walked on. Threads of human and fey magic
coursed along and made things tolerable.

Atter looked around for sight of the woman who had

come in on a wave of fey magic tangled with that of shifter
enchantments. He nodded to the other fey in the bar and on
the street. A handful of familiar and exotic faces were in the
Crossroads, and he and the other two he arrived with
brought it close to ten.

The Bright Soul was a charming bed and breakfast, and

when the host was revealed to be a djinn, it filled they fey
with a bit of relief. They were in familiar territory, and
Teebie was delighted to show them around.

Tony grinned. “Teebie can answer any questions you

have, and I know there will be a few.”

Zenina Masters

Atter raised his hand. “I would still like to know about

that earlier matter.”

Tony smiled and nodded to Teebie. “I am just going to

give Artur Atter Nightsong a little briefing on some of the
shifter-fey issues he might come up against.”

Teebie nodded, retrieved the other two fey from the tea

party they were having and showed them to their rooms.

Tony waved Atter through a door and into a sitting room.
“Have a seat.”
A trolley with coffee and snacks floated into the room and

settled next to them as the door closed.

Tony sighed. “Teebie is a very good hostess.”
“Tell me about the other woman. The grubby one.”
Tony poured the coffee and handed a cup to Atter.
Atter reached forward and snagged a cookie.
“Are you familiar with the penchant some of your kind

have had for keeping shifters in private zoos?”

Atter scowled. “I am aware of the practice.”
“Well, the woman you saw was one of those held shifters.

She was put into a crush box that forced her into her animal
form, a bladed collar was put around her neck and under
her skin, and they surgically removed some of the signature
aspects of her beast.”

Atter put the cookie down as his stomach roiled.
“Surely the healers could have helped her.”
“If she had been healed within a few months of the

surgery, yes. She did two years as her beast, and when she
came out, she could not fully shift her teeth and the scars are
still with her.”

He nodded and asked, “Why was she so unkempt?”
“From the reports we have, because of the surgery, she is

no longer considered to be a shifter by her family. She has
been living alone since she was set free by the Guild, and

Snarling at the Moon

with no family resources and her physical appearance—the
fangs—she cannot work for her living. She is living wild.”

“Her family rejected her for what was done to her?”
Tony sighed. “You have to realise that each type of shifter

has a different method of communication that goes beyond
speech.  There  is  sound,  sight  and  scent.  If  any  of  those
signals are tampered with, it makes it hard to communicate
once  shifted.  Despite  what  the  fey  think,  we  have  a  highly
organized  social  structure  within  our  animal  forms.  When
something tampers with that, it makes the other members of
that society uncomfortable, and uncomfortable animals bite.
It was for her own safety.”

Atter scowled. “I have an animal form, but it isn’t like

that.”

Tony snorted. “I know. What you call an animal form is

just a shape. If you are invited to join lives with a shifter, you
will understand what I am speaking about. But you wanted
to know why she looks the way she does, and that is why.
Now, welcome to the Crossroads. Teebie will show you to
your room.”

Atter nodded and rose to his feet, setting the coffee down.

“Thank you for shedding light on the situation. I did not
think that any of those who were taken by my kind would
be willing to consider a fey as a mate.”

“She does not blame all fey, only the one who took her.”
With that, Tony left the room and Teebie entered.
“Please come with me.”
Atter was still trying to imagine what had been done to

the woman with the slow smile and bright eyes. He followed
his hostess to his room, unpacked his bags and wondered
where the dark-haired beauty was staying.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Three

atching Emmy dig months of dirt out from under her
nails would have been more fun if Stephan was not

hauling a comb through her hair. The conditioner hadn’t
done much.

She winced as he tugged. “Now you know why I just

braided it.”

Stephan finally commented. “What is it made of, steel

cable?”

Emmy grinned and Sera laughed.
“No. I have always had really thick hair. When it is

straight, it will hang that way for weeks without tangling.
Too much time in the bush and no hot water and well...you
are dealing with it. Sorry.”

“No hot water?”
“Well, I can use the pump and heat it up on the stove, but

my hair needs to unravel under water. I didn’t have a big
enough bucket. Doing it dry just takes too long.”

Emmy chuckled. “Stephan, fill the sink.”
His chair squeaked and water flowed. “Anything to speed

this up. Emmy, move your station.”

It was obviously a brother-sister act that she was dealing

with. They not only looked similar, but they smelled like
they were family.

Everything was on wheels, and soon, Sera was lying with

her hair in the sink and the warm water swirling around her
ears. Stephan was making happy, satisfied noises and Emmy

Snarling at the Moon

finally finished the cleansing and scrubbing of Sera’s
fingertips.

Emmy pulled out the bottles of polish, and she looked at

them. “Are you sure about this?”

“With the dress that you brought out for me, trust me. I

remember how I used to look. Hot-rod red is always a good
look.”

Emmy sighed. “And the toes?”
“Everyone needs a little acid green in their life.”
Stephan was humming happily as his comb started to

make progress.

Sera leaned back and let them take over her extremities.

Her beast was confused, but her human was very happy.

The entire process had taken three hours, and Sera

wanted nothing more than a cheeseburger, though the dress
she was wearing said evening out at the ballet.

She thanked the exhausted Emmy and Stephan and

watched as they high-fived each other over the
transformation of her appearance.

“We will send the clothing that I picked out for you over

to the Bright Soul. Anyone will be able to lead you there, but
if you get lost, go find Teal or Tony or a blue woman. She is
your hostess, Teebie.”

“So, you are throwing me to the wolves?” Sera arched her

newly shaped eyebrows.

Emmy chuckled. “Wolves, elves, whatever you stand still

for.”

“Fair enough. How do I look?”
Stephan put his hands on his hips. “You are lovely. If I

had not been here for every moment of the transformation, I
would not have believed it.”

“Aw, shucks. That is so sweet. Now, where can I get a

burger?”

Zenina Masters

Emmy held out her hands in a plea. “Get them to cut it in

half so you don’t ruin your nails and don’t bite your
fingers.”

“Yes, ma’am. Have you already burned my clothing?”
Stephan gave a beatific smile. “Three hours ago.”
She made a face and Emmy picked up the large basket

full of clothing, makeup and toiletries. The shoes for the
evening were already on her feet and others had been
delivered to her room, wherever that was.

Lifting her chin and closing her mouth to conceal her

extended canines, she headed out the door of the spa and
followed her nose to the café near the end of the block.

To her surprise, one of the fey got to the door before her

and he held it open. “Good evening, my lady.”

She smiled tightly and nodded her head in thanks. Sera

passed him and entered the café, moving to a booth on the
side of building and settling into place as her doorman
slowly followed her.

“Lady, I see you are eating alone. May I join you?”
She waved for him to sit; amusement grew inside her.

This was going to be hilarious.

A waitress named Molly brought them menus, and Sera

smiled slightly.

“I will just have a cheeseburger with bacon and fries, and

a cup of water with lemon, please.”

The elf sitting across from her addressed Molly as well. “I

will have a salad with chicken and a cup of tea.”

Sera tried not to roll her eyes. She enjoyed salad now and

then but not just chicken. She had grown up in a large family
with a taste for large meals in the evening and boisterous
activity afterward.

“So, lady, when did you get in? I have not seen any new

arrivals through the shifter portal.”

Snarling at the Moon

She cocked her head and took in his startling green eyes

and mink-brown hair. He looked like a tree come to life.

“I arrived a few hours ago, but I had something to do.”

She quirked her lips.

“Ah, it must have been while I was in the forest. It is

really quite something.”

That settled that. He was one of the forest fey that she had

heard of since she was a child. She had never seen one
before, so she stared a little too long.

“Are you as entranced by me as I am by you?”
Sera blinked and leaned back. “No. I just have never seen

a forest fey before.”

He sighed in disappointment. “Pity. You are entrancing.”
The burger arrived and she daintily cut it into four pieces.

“Thank you, but hold that sentiment.”

She opened her mouth, let her lips slide back to show her

teeth, and he jerked as she bit ravenously into the burger.

Her admirer was out of the chair and out of the café in

under twenty seconds. Sera sighed, and when Molly brought
the salad over, Sera pointed to a spot near her left hand. “Put
it down here. It has been a while since I have had food this
good.”

Molly looked to the empty space. “Did you scare him

off?”

“He thought I looked sweet and pretty. Like many men,

he was fine until I opened my mouth.” Sera winked and
took another bite of the burger. Molly laughed, patted her on
the shoulder and walked back to the kitchen.

When Molly returned, she had a cup of ranch dressing

and grinned. “He seemed more of an olive oil and lemon
kind of guy. You look like you know what a day’s work
actually is.”

Zenina Masters

Sera continued on her burger and avoided nicking her

new nail polish. The fries were next and the salad
disappeared with the dressing and the chicken.

Two fey came in, and it was obvious that the tree guy had

warned them off. They looked at her and sat on their own
without coming over.

When Sera was done, she declined dessert and swiped the

charm over the pay plate. Molly wished her luck and gave
her a thumbs-up before sending her on her way.

Sera straightened the silky black gown over her hips, and

she stalked out of the café and to the Crossed Star Bar.

Three fey took a look at her and turned their backs. She

shrugged and headed to the bar where a perky woman was
working.

“What can I get for you?”
“Something orangey? I have been craving orange today.”

Sera smiled.

The woman grinned, rubbed her hands together and set

to work. When she was done, she presented Sera with a tall,
thin glass with layers of colour ranging from pale yellow to a
deep scarlet.

“Drink it without stirring. Each layer is a different

flavour.”

Sera grinned. “Alice in wonderland?”
The bartender gave her a thumbs-up.
Raspberry, cherry, orange, tangerine, lemon and a weird

sherbet flavour all came to her as she drank. The next thing
that hit her was the huge buzz of drinking five ounces of
alcohol. “There was booze in every layer?”

The bartender grinned and extended her hand. “I am

Spike. I will be one of your bartenders. The other one is
Chuck, but I am much more fun.”

“Sera. I am one of the new fey-match candidates. This

should be a fun vacation. It seems that none of them want to

Snarling at the Moon

come near me.” She chuckled and swayed a little. “I think
it’s the fangs.”

“Yes, they are very impressive. You are one of the weasel

family?”

“Yup.” She got to her feet and bowed. “Serapha the

broken wolverine, at your service.”

The world spun around her, so she settled on the stool

once again.

“Broken?”
“I was held in one of those menageries for a while. They

did things to me that made my beast angry enough to keep
my fangs in place at all times.”

“Whoa. How long were you held?”
“Two years.”
In a matter of a minute, two more drinks lined up in front

of her. “I won’t say that you need this, but one night to
forget isn’t a bad thing.”

With the straw in, she sipped at the first of the new

drinks. The colours were the same but the flavours were
different.

“How did you do that?”
“Fey magic. It will give you a helluva headache if you

don’t let yourself flush it out of your system tomorrow. One
day on, one day off.” Spike chuckled and went to attend the
other patrons.

Sera took her current drink and she turned around slowly

to get a feel for the room. There were shifters courting
shifters, but they couldn’t see her. She was invisible to their
senses and that little fact freaked them out.

When she had taken in the courting couples and the folks

just having a drink in the bar, she finished her rotation and
faced Spike again. “Why don’t I freak you out?”

“The lack of scent thing? I have been here a while now.

You are not the first. You are not the last. I work with a

Zenina Masters

snake shifter, my husband is a swan and I am a nearly
extinct species here under the shifter equivalent of witness
protection. Once you have done a month at the Crossroads,
you have a whole different scale for weird.”

Sera lifted her glass and drank to weird.
“The power in you, that is different. That is something

that ripples around you with every motion. It was probably
that that attracted Trebor, and seeing the animal so close to
the surface sent him running in here.”

“So, he gossiped about me?”
“As fast as he could. There are a few fey here strong

enough to hold their own with you, but he isn’t one of
them.”

“Who is?”
Spike grinned. “I am not going to tell you. You would go

out of your way to scare them off.”

Sera picked up her third drink. “See? Bartenders really do

know everything.”

Snarling at the Moon

Chapter Four

tter entered the Crossed Star, and he saw the woman
from the Meditation Centre. Only, her appearance had

altered so dramatically that it was her power signature that
confirmed her identity.

Her tangled braid was now a heavy black wave down her

back with a silver streak that was not due to age. It was as
much a part of her as the golden tone to her skin or her pale-
blue eyes.

The scruffy clothing was replaced with a black silk gown,

and she was kicking her feet in the air like a child as she
chatted with the bartender. Her shoes were under the
barstool.

He walked in with a nod to the other fey and took a seat a

few chairs down from his lady.

He didn’t know why he was so sure, but she struck

something inside him. The stillness of her form echoed in the
space surrounding her. When she moved, it was like
watching light on ice.

Atter caught the bartender’s attention. “A shot of vodka

and a glass of whatever she is drinking.”

The woman looked over at his lady and raised her brows.

“Are you sure? You might not have the metabolism for it.”

“I will take that chance.”
She grinned. “I did warn you.”

Zenina Masters

The woman poured with her back to him, and when she

produced the brightly striped cocktail, he blinked. That was
a lot of colour.

His shot looked like a pallid glass of water next to the

blinding drink. He took a sip and raised his brows at the
flavour. It was every summer berry he had ever tasted. Cool
mint was the next layer and it went on and on.

When the straw sucked futilely at the bottom of the glass,

he sighed and took the shot. His body hummed with energy,
part magic and part sugar.

Before he could order another drink, he got to his feet. If

he continued, he would be hugging the bar in no time.

“Excuse me, lady. Would you dance with me?”
She turned slowly and faced him. The bright white fangs

in her mouth gave her a feral look, but her pale eyes
betrayed her shock. She had truly thought to skip through
without anyone asking her to dance.

She blinked slowly and finally she licked her lips. “I don’t

have my shoes on.”

Atter grinned. “I can take mine off if it will make you feel

better.”

The bartender muttered, “It is now or never. Better get it

over with.”

His lady hopped off the barstool, and he had to catch her.

Her body pressed to his and there was a riot under his skin.
“Easy, lady.”

Her wide eyes would have done an owl proud. “You are

pretty.”

“And your beauty shines in the night, but I still wish to

dance.”

* * * *

Snarling at the Moon

Sera’s  head  was  spinning,  and  her  new  support  beam
smelled as good as he looked. He had  pure white hair, not
the yellowy white of the northern reaches, but white with a
touch of the silver of the moon. His eyes, hair and skin were
the  same  colour.  He  was  a  man  made  of  moonlight  with
pointed ears and a wicked smile.

She stood up straight, her body whining as she left his

heat. Sera let him lead her to the dance floor, her feet still
bare. It didn’t matter. She didn’t like shoes anyway.

He pulled her against him, and they swayed to the music,

his body brushed against hers and she returned the favour.
She was amazed at her nerve, but she was honest enough
that those cocktails were backing up her normal brash
behaviour.

When the music picked up the pace, he stepped with her,

twirled her and sent the silk of her dress spinning outward
in a circle. She laughed and landed back against his chest
with a light thud.

He swayed with her to the jazzy tune, and they flicked,

twisted and jumped to the music, the occasional bright glow
flared up when they touched. When she landed on her butt
and laughed helplessly, he lifted her to her feet with ease.
“And that is enough for tonight.”

She was still laughing when he flipped her over his

shoulder and picked up her shoes from the floor.

He kept his hand circumspectly on her knees to keep her

steady. “Where are you staying?”

“The Bright Soul or Spark or something.” She snickered.
“How convenient. That is where I am staying.”
“Is Teebie looking out for you, too?”
“She is. She is a marvellous hostess. Have you met her?”
“Nope. They hauled me off and scrubbed me. They even

painted my nails. Aren’t my toes pretty?”

She wiggled her feet.

Zenina Masters

He laughed. “Acid green is under used as a toe colour.

Your feet are as stunning as the rest of you, though a little bit
grubbier.”

“It happens. Dirt happens. The world is covered with dirt.

To  think  that  everyone  is  clean  just  because  they  have
bathed  recently  is  stupid.  Everybody  wears  dirt  each  and
every day, unless they are in a clean room.” She was waving
her  arms  and  chatting  wildly.  Sera  knew  she  was  going  to
regret this in the morning, but she couldn’t stop talking.

“Fair enough. Why were you wearing so much of it when

you arrived?”

That sobered her slightly. “You saw me?”
“I did. I was with Trebor and that other idiot, Maksin.”
She was still hanging upside down, but she perked her

head up. “Idiots? I like to claw up idiots.”

“You would wreck your manicure.”
She slumped back and sighed. “You are right. Hey, my

hair is nearly dragging on the ground.”

He slid her up and over his shoulder, into his arms.

“Better?”

She looked down behind her and nodded. “You know,

because you are so fixated on dirty.”

“I am very pale. It stands out on me.”
She smiled brightly at him. “At least you don’t wear all

white. That would be stupid. The dark fabric makes your
skin glow.”

“My skin glows anyway. I am an elf of the empty

wastelands.” He paused, “And here we are. Home for now.”

She looked up at the broad Victorian-style home and

smiled. She whispered. “Do you still have my shoes?”

He chuckled. “I do still have your shoes. Did you want

them on?”

“Yes, please.”

Snarling at the Moon

Her elf walked to one of the porch swings, and he settled

her on the swaying wood before kneeling at her feet.

His elegant hands lifted each foot, dusted it off and

slipped it into the corresponding shoe. He then assisted her
to her feet and offered her his arm for support.

“Thank you, sir.”
“Thank you, lady. I have not had an evening this

entertaining in hundreds of years, nor with such a ravishing
partner.”

The dress was hiding her scars. She remembered that as

they entered the Bright Soul and she met her first djinn.
“Hiya!”

The blue woman smiled with an amused twist to her lips.

“Serapha Deemar, welcome to the Bright Soul. I see you
have met Atter?”

“Sera, please. We didn’t actually introduce ourselves. We

stuck to sir and lady all night.”

She shrugged, and Teebie gave her a friendly smile. “We

will get you up and off to bed. Tomorrow, you can look at
the world through more sober eyes.”

Teebie put her arm around Sera’s shoulders, which was a

pretty mean feat considering that she was six feet tall in her
heels. Teebie was considerably smaller.

They went up the stairs and worked to get her through

her doorway and into her bed. Teebie immediately took of
her shoes and went to work on the rest of her.

“Where did the moon go?”
Teebie was helping her wrestle free of her dress. “The

moon?”

“The pale man who was with me. He was fun.” She

announced it a moment before sitting up on the bed.

Teebie snorted and took a look at her. She stilled. “Are

you fine like that or do you want me to help you strip
naked?”

Zenina Masters

Sera clutched a pillow and rubbed it against her face. “I

am good. Thank you for the help. I will be more coherent
and less fluffy tomorrow.”

“You sleep as long as you need. You have had a trying

day.” She waved her hand and floated a light sheet over her
guest before leaving the room.

* * * *

Teebie nearly doubled over at the pain running through her.
The scars that crossed Sera’s body had been made with no
care for her healing neatly. Her body was formed well, but
the glossy remains of her torture gleamed in the dim light.

How someone could take out what made a species unique

and destroy it, while making the remaining shifter live in a
body they couldn’t control with damage they couldn’t heal,
was a cruelty that Teebie couldn’t imagine.

Teal was waiting in the common room downstairs, and

when Teebie came in, she poured them each a glass of
apricot brandy. “So, you saw.”

“I did.”
“They don’t know how she survived. When they found

her, she was completely beast. It took months to bring her
back from her beast, and when she came back, the beast
stayed with her.” Teal shivered. “Those teeth are also not for
decoration. She can and will use them for self-defence.”

“She had one of Spike’s special cocktails and apparently

managed a lecture on dirt at the top of her lungs. Having a
fey bring her out into the open is going to take some doing.
He is going to have to get her to trust him enough to show
him her scars.”

Teal smiled. “What about her wanting a man enough to

want him to look beyond the damage? Atter was after her
pretty hard.”

Snarling at the Moon

“I don’t think she has ever gotten to that point. She is still

wearing the damage like a shield. All she has to do is let the
scars catch the light and folks will get uncomfortable.”
Teebie sighed and sipped at the brandy. After a moment, her
lips quirked. “Molly likes her.”

Teal raised her eyebrows. “Well, in that case, she gets

moved to a different shelf in my mind. It takes a lot to
impress Molly.”

“I think Molly can see the survivor and the humour that

managed to make it through the trials.”

Teal sighed. “Spike likes her, too.”
Teebie chuckled. “There we have it. She may be an alpha

predator with attitude issues, but she can still make friends.”

“It is good to know. She may be here a while.”
Teebie looked toward her upper floor. “You think so?”
“You don’t?”
“I have my suspicions that she is in the beginning of her

mating dance. It just will take a while to find out who is
leading.” Teebie chuckled.

“Do you think he knows?”
“He knows. He doesn’t know why he knows, but he

knows.”

Teal sighed. “This used to be easier.”
“I know, but this is a lot more fun for me to watch.”
Teal cracked into a giggle, and Teebie snickered with her.

It was true. Having the fey on board made the entire ancient
tradition of meeting a mate take on new aspects that they
had never considered.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Five

er body was hot and fighting sleep. Sera clawed at her
neck and fought the collar that was still there in her

dreams.

She tried to scream, but a strangled snarl was all that

came out, just as it had when she was trapped. With shaking
hands, she dug through the closet where her new clothing
was hanging and she grabbed a robe.

Tying it around her, she left her room and ran down the

steps, aiming for the front door. It opened as she
approached, and the solemn figure of Teebie let her out into
the fresh night air.

Sera ran as if her life depended on it; her sanity certainly

did. The field behind the Bright Soul beckoned her, and she
sprinted through the grass and into the forest beyond.

When she stumbled to her knees, she dug a hole in the

ground with her claws, and when she could dig no further,
she leaned in and screamed until her throat ached and her
voice broke.

With shaking hands, she pushed the dirt in over her

scream, patting the moss back into place.

Her manicure was surprisingly intact. The enamel was

most likely embedded with more fey magic, but while it was
interesting, she needed to get to bed and get some sleep.

She rose to her feet and stumbled out of the woods and

across the meadow toward the back of the Bright Soul.

Snarling at the Moon

Teebie was waiting for her in an open doorway with a
blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.

“Come in and tell me about it.”
“There isn’t much to tell. Every few months, I have an

attack. I am guessing that this one was stress related.” She
shivered spasmodically and let Teebie lead her to a small
sitting room.

She settled in a puffy chair with the blanket around her,

and Teebie handed her the hot chocolate. A basin, pitcher
and towels floated in and settled around her on the floor.

Teebie soaked a cloth and took Sera’s left hand. “Where

did you find that technique?”

“I read about it in a fairy tale when I was young. The

queen who couldn’t speak a word for seven years to save her
brothers from becoming ravens. It works. I literally bury my
pain, but it does weird things to the plant life afterward.
Every plant turns into a bleeding heart.”

She paused. “Thank you, by the way. It is nice to be able

to talk to someone right after an episode.”

“What will you do when you have a mate?”
“Hope that he likes bleeding hearts?” With her left hand

clean, she juggled the cup over into her clean fingers so
Teebie could work on the other.

The warm cup of cocoa relaxed her, and while she was

sipping, Teebie slid her feet into the basin, pouring warm
water over them and soaking out the greenery and earth.

Teebie finished her right hand and went to work on her

feet. She hissed softly. “You cut yourself.”

“It happens. I water the earth with my tears and sow the

soil with my blood.”

Teebie cocked her head. “Do you write poetry?”
“No. My brother is the poet. My sister sings, my parents

write children’s books. I came from a family of the creative,
and here I sit, digging holes at false dawn.”

Zenina Masters

“You also tore your robe.”
Sera looked down. “Damn it. This was new.”
“I can fix it if you like.”
“Could you? I don’t want to ask, you are doing so much.”
“It is my job to be a good hostess, which means seeing to

your health and comfort.” Teebie’s hands were gentle, but
she shook her head. “I can’t get the bleeding to stop. I am
going to have to call Spike in.”

“Spike?”
“She is our resident medic.” Teebie smiled softly. “She is

on her way.”

“You didn’t say anything.”
“I rang a chime next to her bed, and when she pressed it,

it sent a signal to me that she was on her way.”

“Nice. Efficient.”
“We do try.” Teebie wrapped the still-bleeding foot in a

towel and removed the basin and grubby water.

Spike arrived about ten minutes later with a medic kit and

a sleepy face.

Sera became superfluous to the process.
Her foot was elevated and slathered with disinfectant.

Spike used a pair of forceps to pull a large shard of stone
from the arch of her foot. “Damn. I will have to suture it.
Even a shift would leave a portion open.”

“Why?”
“The stone had a chunk of mixed magic in it. It would

hold your flesh open. You will need a day or two of natural
healing before you can shift.” Spike threaded a curved
needle. “It is one of the down sides to the new inclusion.”

“Wonderful.”
She finished her cocoa, and Teebie took the cup away

while the fourth stitch was set in place. “Now a little
wrapping and you will be ready to hobble up the stairs.”

“Oh yay. I can grab ninety seconds of sleep.”

Snarling at the Moon

Teebie chuckled. “Sleep as long as you can. I will keep

your windows dark. When you wake, the light will
increase.”

“You can do that?” Sera was hopeful as Spike wrapped

her foot with gauze and a stretchy wrap.

“I can.”
“You really are a wonderful hostess.” Sera smiled. “And

Spike is an excellent bartender and medic.”

“Are you asking for help to get to bed?”
Sera grimaced. “Actually, no. I was practicing social skills.

You compliment people on their kindness, do you not?”

Teebie blushed. “Yes, you do. I apologize. I have only

recently caught up on your file. You are out of practice. Feel
free to practice on us.”

Spike smiled. “You did an excellent job at the Crossed

Star. I enjoyed watching you dance, but that is off the table
for tonight. You might want to plan a quiet evening.”

Sera nodded. “Right.”
Spike finished and patted the top of her foot. “Come on, I

will help you up.”

Teebie moved to her other side, and the two women got

her up and walking without putting weight on her wounded
foot.

Teebie sighed. “Oh, let me just do this.”
Sera yelped when she was tilted back and floated up the

stairs without anyone touching her. While she was floating,
Teebie upgraded her robe from thin to heavy, dark silk. Sera
was instantly warmer.

Spike nodded, whispered good night and slipped out the

front door with her medical bag clutched in one hand.

Sera waved at her as she was carried in magical arms up

the stairs and down the hall to her room.

Zenina Masters

“I will send a tray up in the morning, but you shouldn’t

be able to smell it until you sit up. Same with the light.
When you get up, the light will come on.”

“Thank you, Teebie.”
“You know, someone is going to call you on that

overcorrection.”

Sera wrinkled her nose. “I know. I will deal with that

when it happens. Overly polite is better than not covering
my bases.”

Teebie settled her in the bed, and she tucked her in

without using her hands. When the blue fingers caressed her
forehead, Sera felt the push of fey magic.

“I am sleeping. You don’t need to shove.” She chuckled

softly and drifted off.

* * * *

Teebie sighed as she smoothed Sera’s hair away from her
face. The cruelly shining ring around her neck bore the
marks of scars that were much fresher. Even with the collar
off, Sera still tried to free herself.

Teebie held her tears in as she left the room and silently

sealed the door.

When she reached the landing, she stopped and stared at

the man who was waiting. “Did you require something,
Atter?”

He looked past her. “What is wrong?”
“A slight accident. She will be fine in a day or two.”
“She?”
“Yes, the lovely young lady you carried in earlier.”
His white brows snapped together. “What happened?”
“She went for a walk in the woods and got injured.”
“What was Serapha doing walking in the middle of the

night?”

Snarling at the Moon

Teebie scowled at him. “Keep your voice down. Her walk

was her business. Now, let me pass.”

He stepped to one side, and she could feel him staring

after her. She didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t try
to get into Sera’s room.

She was cleaning up the blood two minutes later when

the sharp zap on her senses let her know he had tried to get
into Sera’s room. She reinforced the protection and finished
disposing of the medical scene.

Teebie heard the door open and close. Snuffling near the

back door got her attention. She walked to the window and
a huge white lion was examining Sera’s blood trail. With his
muzzle to the ground, he followed her path back into the
woods.

Teebie smiled softly. If he wanted to look into the pain, he

had better be prepared when it blinded him.

* * * *

Atter kept his nose to the ground and followed the scent of
Serapha’s blood. It took him several minutes to work his
way through the brambles and undergrowth, but eventually,
he saw where she had been.

The earth was freshly turned and finger marks were clear

in the surface. Atter pawed at the mound, and it came away
in easy clumps.

He could feel magic under his paw, and he kept digging

until it was pushing against the thick skin. He pulled away
the final coating of earth and a shriek of agony soared up
and out. It echoed in his ears and went on and on, an
undulation of pain and suffering.

When the scream finally faded in the air, he shook as he

put the dirt back over the hole and made it seem that
nothing had come to dig up her sorrow.

Zenina Masters

He had heard of such things but never experienced

hidden pain like that which he had dug up.

What had she gone through to make a sound like that

come from her soul? He wanted to know, but only if she was
willing to tell him. Secrets like that were not to be handed
about easily. That kind of pain carried magic in its wake, and
he knew deadly magic when he heard it.

Atter turned back to the Bright Soul and looked up to

Serapha’s window. It was shrouded in magic, but he could
understand it now. Her hostess was making sure she got
enough sleep.

He was not going to wake her until she was ready, but his

enthusiasm for this courtship had gone from a pleasant hum
in his bloodstream to a burning necessity to help his mate
get justice for whatever was done to her.

His desires were slumbering, and the needs of a woman

he didn’t know were taking over his thoughts. He shook his
leonine head and tried to clear it. With a shift back to his fey
form, his mind ceased to be fixated on protecting his mate,
but he could now understand what Tony had tried to tell
them when they arrived. Shifters were driven by instinct,
and when those instincts were thwarted, the beast rose to the
surface to take action.

One day in the presence of his lady had brought his inner

beast out, and he honestly didn’t think that he had
one...until now.

Snarling at the Moon

Chapter Six

hen Sera sat up and ran a hand through her hair, she
felt better. Light slowly increased in her room and the

smell of coffee and a full breakfast filled the air.

Sera stood and walked to the window, her foot twinged

as she stepped on it, but the pain was minimal.

The light outside was bright and the sun was high. It had

to be noon or so.

“Damn. Ah well.” She headed for the bathroom, filled the

tub and worked herself around for a nice soak with her
bandage elevated.

Her hair was pinned up on her head, and she pulled out

the bits of leaf and bark as she let herself relax.

When her muscles had unwound, she drained the tub and

worked on getting out of the slick porcelain without falling
on her face. She wrapped a towel around herself and
hopped into the bedroom for breakfast.

Sera was halfway through the meal when there was a

knock on her door. “Come in.”

Teebie and Spike came in, and they sighed in relieved

unison.

“Was I that bad last night?”
Teebie rocked her hand. “You were a little too pale for my

liking.”

“You were corpse grey. Does that happen a lot?”
Sera sighed. “It is becoming less frequent, but I guess all

the fey magic around here brought it back with a rush.”

Zenina Masters

Spike looked at her neck. “Do you claw at yourself

often?”

Sera touched her neck and collarbone. “I guess it happens

more than it should.”

Spike leaned in and checked the scars. “They will fade if

you let them, but you are not letting them, are you?”

Sera got to the heart of it. “They never caught her. She is

still out there, and she might have another menagerie right
now.”

Teebie nodded. “Ah. I thought that might be it.”
Spike pressed her lips together. “Have you seen a

therapist?”

Sera’s lips tightened. “Four of them. Each one said that I

needed to release my frustration, but no one could tell me
how.”

Spike exhaled sharply. “Right. I am guessing you were

the first of her collection?”

Sera nodded. “How did you know?”
“Your injuries are usually associated with what is

considered a jewel of a collection. She kept you at her side.”

“She did.” The insight that Spike had was surprising.
“I did some work with the Guild and councils to retrieve

kidnapped shifters like you. I was not involved in your case,
but I am aware of the kind of mental trauma shifters such as
yourself experienced in the collars. I am amazed you are still
sane.”

Sera chuckled weakly and finished her breakfast quickly,

mumbling, “I still howl at the moon.”

Spike smiled, “Wolverines don’t howl.”
“Snarl then.”
“That is more like it. I would like to check your foot.”
Sera stuck her foot out, and Spike knelt at her feet,

unwrapping the work she had done the night or, perhaps,
hours before.

Snarling at the Moon

Teebie went to her closet and pulled out some clothing

and a pair of comfy shoes. “You are going casual today.”

Spike whistled softly. “You don’t have to go that far.

There is no damage left. If she is feeling anything, it is
because of the stitches, which I am going to remove.”

As Spike swabbed her foot with sterilizing solution, Sera

giggled and her leg twitched.

Spike smiled and quickly removed the stitches with

freshly unwrapped scissors and forceps.

“Give it a wiggle.”
Sera wiggled her toes and her foot moved freely. No

twinges. “Much better. Thank you.”

Teebie was back in the closet, and she pulled out a

summer dress, a set of low heels and underwear that
wouldn’t show under the pale cotton.

“Can I help you get dressed?”
Sera raised her eyebrows, “Do I have to get up?”
“Nope.” Teebie put the clothing down on the bed and

rubbed her hands together. She focused and the clothing and
shoes disappeared.

When her towel disappeared, Sera jumped, but her dress,

bra and panties were in place. The shoes were a problem.
Sera lunged down, “Wrong feet!”

She unbuckled the shoes and kicked them free, sighing in

relief.

“Darn. Everything else is jut front to back. Sorry.”
Sera slipped the shoes back on the correct feet and she

looked at the shoes. “Emmy has good taste. These are very
pretty.”

Sera got to her feet, and Spike put her implements away.

A few steps later, she stopped. “It feels fine.”

Spike sighed in relief. “Good.”
Teebie smiled and lifted her head. “Ah, new arrival. I

have to go. See you downstairs.”

Zenina Masters

Sera went and found the brush that Stephan had obtained

for her; she sat on the edge of her bed and watched Spike for
a moment before asking, “You have worked with the
council?”

“I have.”
She quickly worked the brush through her locks. “How

many shifters have been sent home after two years as
prisoners?”

Spike paused. “You are the first that I have heard of. I

certainly never thought to meet someone like you here.”

“Ah. Got it.” The inference was that the others, if there

were any, were nuts or dead.

“We don’t do well in captivity.”
Spike got to her feet.
Sera smiled, “And on that understatement, I am headed

downstairs. I feel the need for fresh air.”

“Chuck is on duty at the Crossed Star, so would you like

some company?”

“Please.” She smiled brightly.
They walked out of her room and down the stairs. In the

lobby, they paused, and Sera whispered a question that was
bothering her. “Where did the towel go?”

Spike laughed loudly, and from the dining room, several

elegant faces turned their way.

Sera blushed when Atter came to face her.
Spike cleared her throat. “I will be at the first-aid station if

you want company.”

“Serapha, you are well?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“I heard you were injured last night.” He reached out and

touched her arm, sliding his hand down to her elbow.

“I was. I got better.” She smiled brightly.
“Would you go for a walk with me?”

Snarling at the Moon

She looked at the doors and remembered flashes of her

run from the night before. “Sure.”

Sera linked her arm with his and walked outside with

him, her shoes crunching on the gravel. He glided along
with grace in his jeans, running shoes and a t-shirt so tight
that his skin glowed through it.

They walked away from the businesses and past the field

where shifter couples were frolicking and occasionally
coupling.

“So, you just have sex anywhere?”
Sera snorted, “Me, personally? No. But this is a safe place

with only this purpose, to get folks to meet their mate by
whatever means. The connections are usually fast, our beasts
tell us who they will accept and the physical connection
confirms it.”

Atter nodded. “Your shapes have their own instincts.”
“No. We have two souls. One soul is human and the other

is our beast. Usually, the beasts are attracted to bloodlines,
but occasionally, there is a random event where the beast
appears in a bloodline that it never was before. Spike is one
of those.”

She remembered that much from her tipsy conversation

with the perky bartender.

“I see. What do you think our children will channel?”
She wanted to stumble, but the question seemed natural.

“Well, if I choose to have children, I think they will follow
my beast with your colouring. What shape do you take
when you change?”

He raised his eyebrows. “You know about that?”
“Of course. I got a briefing.”
“I am a lion.”
“Oh, good animal. A little out of place in north America

but a good animal.”

“With no pigment. Do you mind that?”

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She looked up at him and cocked her head. “I didn’t

notice it as unusual. You are already a different type of being
from me. Why wouldn’t you have more interesting
colouration?”

A tension went out of his shoulders, and she blinked

when she realised he was really nervous about that.

They continued their walk until they were alone. Her

nose told her there was no one for half a mile. He led her to a
stream and took a seat on a nearby rock, inviting her to sit
next to him.

“I know this is painful, but what left those scars on your

neck?”

She touched the scars exposed by the neckline of the

dress. “Damn. I forgot about them for a moment.”

“I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious, but I want to

know why those marks are there. They are part of you and I
want to understand.”

She dragged in a deep breath. “It is a long story.”
“I have time.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a

kiss against her skin.

A bright spark snapped between them, and she jumped.

The reaction of her body to the spark wasn’t pain, and it
surprised her.

“Well, when I was young and dumb, I went with some

friends  to  a  party  and  we  got  separated.  A  woman  came
toward  me  and  asked  for  help  finding  her  car.  I  am  pretty
good  at  tracking,  so  I  said  sure.  I  was  stabbed  with  a
sedative syringe and woke up in a crush box.”

“A what?”
She rubbed her neck. “It is a means for traders in shifters

to force us to go from human to our shifted form. When we
feel the pressure of the top of the box coming down on us,
we shift to our stronger forms to defend ourselves. I shifted,
and when they opened the door enough for me to stick my

Snarling at the Moon

head out, they put me in a bladed collar. That is what made
the marks.”

“Why?”
“Shifters can’t shift when they are hooked on something,

with something embedded under our flesh. We heal faster as
beasts, so to save us, our instincts lock us up. That is my
theory. No one has really explained it to me because no one
wants to talk about it.”

He shuddered and squeezed her hand. “How long until

someone came for you?”

“Two years.”
He nearly crushed her fingers. “How did you survive?”
She stroked his hand with her free hand to ease his grip.

“I have no idea, but I did. I was in the menagerie of a
woman who had a vet come in to pull my more obnoxious
scent glands, and when I was finally free, my lack of scent
meant I could never go home.”

“You were kept as a pet?”
“Oh, yeah. I was even included in her formal portraits for

both years I was with her. It was a celebration of my
incarceration for her.”

He looked grim. “Was she another shifter?”
“No. It was a fey. Lady Norviss. I was her pet and

companion for those two years.”

“And then you were rescued?”
“Yup. She escaped, but I managed to take a chunk out of

her on her way out. When they came to the compound, I bit
the hell out of her leg. I was on a short chain, so it was all I
could do.”

“Most would have focused on their own escape.”
“Yeah, but I really wanted her to pay. I still do.”
“What happened last night?”
She sighed and looked at her feet. “I am guessing it was

the alcohol. It woke me in the middle of the night and I was

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still wearing the collar. I clawed at it and then went for a
run. I ended up stepping on a chunk of rock that wanted to
join with my foot.”

“How is it today?”
“Pretty good. Teebie and Spike took good care of me.”
“I would have helped you if you had told me.”
“I don’t want help, though I occasionally need it. Last

night I needed to run and I did. Even when I run, I always
come back.”

He continued to hold her hand. “Why did your family

have an issue with you returning?”

“That gets into the tricky universe of shifters depending

on their beasts, and if a beast is wounded or different, it is
removed from the family. I still talk with them on the phone,
but my physical manifestation is confusing for them. I no
longer smell like a member of the family.”

“So, you lost your freedom, your home and your family

because one vain fey wanted to keep you as a pet.”

Sera swallowed. “That is basically it.”
“I would like to offer you all of the above. Freedom, a

home and a family.”

She stared at him. “You don’t even know me. Don’t you

fey have weird courtship rituals or something?”

He leaned toward her and his pale eyes locked with her

gaze. “I am in the shifters’ Crossroads. I am willing to go on
instinct.”

His lips caressed hers, and the tingle of recognition ran

through her. The light caress sent more sparks into the air,
and she leaned toward him, cupping his jaw with her hand
and he did to hers. They kissed again, and the power surged
in a wave between them, back and forth, as they huddled
close together.

When an amorous couple broke up their moment of

introduction, they separated and got to their feet.

Snarling at the Moon

They didn’t speak as they returned to town, entered the

Bright Soul and headed up the staircase to Sera’s room.

If Atter thought he was her mate, he was going to have to

see the entire collection of damage. If he still wanted her
after full disclosure, he had himself a mate.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Seven

he light was streaming in through the windows,
reflecting off shining surfaces and leaving her no

shadows to hide in.

“Atter, my scars are not just on my neck.”
“Your scars are part of you, and I want the entire package,

not just the skin, Serapha.”

Sera blinked. “I have no idea how to respond to that.”
He smiled and took a seat at the table. “Show me what

you are concerned with, and I will show you that it doesn’t
matter.”

She swallowed and unbuttoned her dress, turning around

and showing him her back as the dress slipped to her feet.
She unclasped her bra and heard his sharp intake of breath
when she swept her hair aside.

When he touched her, she jumped. She hadn’t heard him

approaching. The thick scars on either side of her spine went
to the curve of her buttocks where they became a mass of
cuts and stitches.

He knelt and feathered kisses over her spine, slipping her

panties down and continuing to press his lips to the
thickened skin.

He muttered softly in a liquid language, and it appeared

to be some sort of vow.

His hands held her hips, and he continued to kiss her

back, slowly working his way upward until he was standing

Snarling at the Moon

and pressing kisses to her neck. “They are not marks of
weakness; they are marks of survival.”

She leaned her head to one side as her body slowly woke

under his touch and the sparks that they generated together.
“Are you sure you want to be with me when you haven’t
met my beast?”

He paused. “Do you want to show me?”
She grinned and slipped the bra straps over her

shoulders. “I think it is only fair. You are welcome to return
the favour.”

She stepped away from her dress and underwear and

shifted. When she turned to face him, a huge white lion was
standing where Atter had been.

She snarled at him and approached with her nose

twitching and her claws splayed wide. She blinked in
surprise when her claws were the same colour as the polish
on her human hands. It wasn’t very dignified for a proper
wolverine, but it was just right for her.

The lion with the clear eyes watched her approach and

sniffed  at  her.  She  sniffed  at  him  with  a  low  growl  in  her
throat  as  she  circled  him.  He  turned  slightly  and  watched
with  remarkable  restraint  as  she  crept  around  him.  It  was
proof that  there was  no  true beast in him.  A  proper shifter
would have squashed her flat for her threat display.

She moved around him until she was nose to nose with

him. He smelled like a crisp night in the forest when the
moon was full. To her, it was better than fresh sheets out of
the drier. It was a scent she wanted to roll in.

She shifted to human and threaded her fingers in his

mane. She dug her fingers in deep, and he closed his eyes
blissfully, narrowing them to the point where he looked
sleepy. She stood and walked around him, still rubbing and
stroking his white hide down to his tail. She rubbed the base

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of his tail, and he yowled and his butt went up in the air. She
bit her lips to keep from laughing.

Sera finally finished her tour of his shifted form and stood

in front of him. “I accept your beast.”

He shifted back to his normal shape, pointy ears and all.

“I accept your beast.”

“Excellent. Now, we can have sex.”
His clear eyes widened, and he didn’t hesitate. His

clothing shifted away, and he pulled her tightly against him,
moving her body with his to a silent rhythm.

They danced together, swayed and he eased her to the

bed.

Their skin crackled as he slid his body over hers.
His erection pressed between them, and she could feel it

throb against her belly as he moved back and forth, waking
her skin with the energy that mixed and mingled when they
touched, a magical tangle.

She sighed and he smiled. It was a tangle she was

interested to be a part of. In her beast form, there were few
others  that  could  match  her  for  ferocity.  Here,  she  was
helpless, which was a trick of nature that made her want to
have  a  little  chat  with  the  one  who  made  women  the
receivers.  Sera  had  unlimited  aggression,  but  this  was  the
one place she was on unsure footing.

“I think it is fair to warn you that I haven’t done this a

lot.” She lifted her head to take in his scent and get her close
enough to nip his jaw with the edge of her teeth.

“When was your last time?”
She sighed and slid her hands up his ribs, working her

touch into the deep groove of muscle in his back. “It was
probably in a previous life.”

He leaned back, pushing upward on his arms. “You are

a—”

Snarling at the Moon

She snapped her hand up and pressed it over his lips. “I

hate that word. Go with novice.”

“Novice?” He raised his brows.
“Yes, I am.”
“I will take it slowly, then.”
She chuckled and nipped at his neck, grazing him with

her teeth. “Go at the pace that we set. The magic might
surprise us both.”

His smile was slow. “I am willing to be surprised.”
“The wild wind save me from a willing man.”
Atter stroked his lips across hers slowly, deepening the

kiss when she gripped his hair tightly with as much subtlety
as she could muster.

His tongue navigated her mouth, past her sharp teeth,

and they duelled while her body continued to warm and
spark under his.

Sera liked kissing him; it was akin to having a mouthful

of pop rocks. She had always loved pop rocks.

When he broke their kiss, she was disappointed, but she

tabled that as he worked at her neck, using his teeth on her
in a way that made her beast snarl with enjoyment.

Her nipples were tight and her breasts ached. He seemed

to know what was going on in her body, because his broad
hands  cupped  her  breasts  and  massaged  them  gently  a
moment  before  he  closed  his  lips  over  one  nipple,  and  he
sucked  softly,  his  breath  and  tongue  jerking  a  nerve
connection of sensation between her breast and groin.

She could hear the crackling of energy between them as

he moved back and kissed her, stroking his tongue over
every nick and scar she had accumulated in her time in the
collar.

His hands urged her knees apart, and she resisted out of

reflex. He persisted, and she eased her thighs apart,

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shivering at the cool air that rushed in to touch her
embarrassingly wet skin.

He covered her folds with his mouth, and his hot tongue

worked inside her with amazing dexterity.

Sera squeaked and held onto the blankets next to her hips.

The newness of the feeling blocked her enjoyment until she
managed to relax in his grip.

He moved his head slightly and slid a finger into her

while he covered her clit with his mouth. She began to shift
her hips against the slow press and retreat of his finger.

The enjoyment he was generating moved through her

body until even her fingers were hot. Her toes flexed when
he slid another digit into her and she continued to gasp and
shiver while her senses were overloaded.

The noise she made when she came was a bit of a

surprise. It was a short, sharp cough that preceded her being
flooded with fey magic and spirals of her own power.

He slipped a third finger into her and held her on the

peak as she shuddered with him slowly tonguing her clit.

Sera slumped back to the bed, and he pulled away from

her before covering her and easing inside with tiny thrusts
that pushed and twisted him into her.

Atter was glowing with power, and to her surprise, so

was she. She clutched his shoulders as he entered her; her
hands gleamed with bright energy as the tension inside her
finally allowed him passage.

Seconds, minutes, hours, it all blended together as they

moved against each other, his pale eyes staring at her, and
her gaze was locked to his.

The crackles of magic were all around them, blinding

them to everything outside their union.

Atter stroked her clit again while adding a twist to his

hips, and it took a dozen grinding thrusts before she gasped

Snarling at the Moon

and arched against him, power moving between them and
through them.

He groaned, and she felt the burn of his own magic in her

veins, inside her and against her skin.

He slowly lowered himself until his weight pinned her

firmly, and he kissed her. The kiss was passionate but sweet.
The sparks of conflicting magic were smaller now, tiny
aftershocks that ran through them as they came down from
the blast of the senses.

Sera stroked her hands up and down his spine lazily and

enjoyed the moment.

* * * *

Teebie  was  concentrating  on  putting  out  the  fires  that  the
shockwave  had  sent  out.  If  this  was  what  happened  every
time  fey  mingled  with  shifters,  no  wonder  the  unions  had
been  forbidden.  The  wildfires  and  electrical  surges  would
have driven folks to believe in the devil.

Her other guests were gripping their tables and staring at

the second floor.

One cleared his throat. “What was that?”
Teebie resumed the tidying of the tea service. “It was a

first union between two powerful beings.”

“Atter mated with that thing?” Trebor laughed.
Teebie felt the tray crack under her hands. “Get out.”
The elf blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Get. Out. What she is is because of your kind, the way

she looks, her social standing in her community, all changed
because of an arrogant fey who wanted to capture and keep
shifters as beasts, pets. There is no place for you here.”

He was shocked but he got to his feet.
With a flick of her fingers, Teebie tossed his bag against

his chest. “Tell Teal and Tony what you like, but do not

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come back here. You are not welcome. You did not arrive
with an open heart; you can take your closed heart and
leave.”

Trebor turned to the elf next to him. “Aren’t you

coming?”

Maksin cocked his head. “No. I find her beautiful, even

with the fangs. Your prejudice should have kept you out of
the Crossroads, but I know you pulled strings to be one of
the first to bring home a breeding shifter bride.”

Trebor stiffened his spine. “Why else would one want a

shifter to mate?”

Teebie smiled as deep, joyous laughter ran down from the

rooms above. “I do not want anything to disturb their joy.
Come with me.”

She grabbed his arm and teleported him to the Meditation

Centre. Teal and Tony emerged and looked at her in
surprise. “Teebie?”

“This one wants a pet he can fuck and breed. Send him

home and tell the fey seers to smarten up.”

Tony’s eyes filled with fury, and he grabbed Trebor’s arm

as the elf protested. Teebie could see the elf fighting, his
muscles bulged and his neck strained. The guardians of the
Crossroads pinned him into the portal and sent him home.

Tony turned and the icon hung from his fingers. “Thank

you for bringing him here before he could begin to poison
the populace.”

Teebie was still vibrating with fury. “No one disrespects

my guests.”

Teal inclined her head. “Well done.”
“I also want to change the bed and breakfast back to the

Open Heart. I will put a scanner on it, and those who do not
have an open heart will not pass the threshold.”

“Done. I will have the beavers make a new sign for you.

Something fancy but tasteful.”

Snarling at the Moon

Teebie inclined her head. “We are about to have another

fey-shifter mating. Can you call the witnesses?”

“Of course. I will send a courier when we are ready.”
Teebie chuckled. “Fancy name for Andy.”
Teal snickered. “The new ritual is fancy. I thought we

needed to make it a little more ornate.”

“It is ornate enough. I have to get back. Atter and Sera

caused quite the reaction. I have never seen that much cold
flame in my life.” Teebie nodded and took her leave of the
guardians.

With him gone, the darkness that she had felt in her

domain was gone. She whistled slightly as she returned to
her home and sent a snack tray up the stairs for the new
couple.

Their formal joining was going to be a bit of an ordeal, but

they would get through it. The balance was important, but
with the damage Sera had suffered, there was no predicting
what form it would take.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Eight

he strange ceremony was a little peculiar. The funny
thing was that they would have to do it all over again in

the human world.

She sent her energy to the centre where it was held, Atter

sent his energy to the centre and it was held, and then, when
they agreed to the mix of their energies, they were struck
and bonded to the power of shifter and fey in equal
measure.

Her body fought the cool surge of energy in her veins,

and it wasn’t until she saw the light of Atter’s face gleaming
with sweat and light that she surrendered to the icy burn
under her skin.

She was floating above her podium, drifting as the sun set

and her skin glowed with the same brightness that Atter’s
did.

A harsh snarling was coming from his side of the ritual,

and she could see the sharp canines flashing in his jaws.
With a laugh, she held her hand out to him, and her instinct
pulled them together.

He was shaking his head as his body fought for

supremacy over the fey magic.

“Give up to it, Atter. Just relax and let it run through you.

It is weird, but it doesn’t burn.”

He whined and pressed his forehead to her shoulder.
The official made the necessary binding to lock their

blended energies in their bodies and it was over.

Snarling at the Moon

A woman who burned with magic stepped forward and

smiled. “I think you two are balanced enough to get the
hang of this in the human world. It won’t take Atter much
time to get his grip, and you have already integrated the fey
magic which is normally the most dangerous part.”

Teal, Tony and Teebie stepped forward.
Teebie smiled, “Your bags are packed.”
“We are ready when you are.”
Atter whined again.
Sera lifted her hand to the locals and smiled. “Just a

minute.”

She took Atter’s hand and lifted her Grecian skirt up to

keep her from tripping, hauling him into the open field
beyond the mating ground.

He was dressed like an ancient knight, and it looked good

on him. The tunic was soft and trimmed with silver, the
fabric was a rich dark blue. She didn’t think she would ever
fall for a man in tights, but he looked really good.

When she was far enough away for even enhanced

hearing, she looked up at him. “Shifting 101. The first thing
you do is anchor to your form with hands and feet.
Concentrate on fingers and everything that goes with it.”

He looked at her with his lion’s features and flat nose.

With a sharp breath, he inhaled and his paws became fingers
and his ears were his own again.

He sighed in relief. “You have to fight that all the time?”
“My beast? No. She and I know each other. You have

been given a new entity to live in your body, and you two
will have to get to know each other. The big key is to run
with them. Live in their environment for a while and they
will leave you alone in yours.”

“How much time does he need?”
“I don’t know. It depends on his personal inclinations. My

beast is still mostly a wolverine, so he won’t want to mate

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with me that way, but knowing that he can take his mate
might drive him back to your normal form.”

He scowled. “So, you manipulate him with sex.”
She smiled brightly and patted his cheek. “No. You do.

Now, let’s have some cake and then get home. I hope you
don’t mind my moving in. I don’t really have much more
than a room with a bed and a woodstove.”

“I have room, pardon me. We have room.”
She chuckled. “You adapt quickly. Put it in writing,

mate.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they walked

to the party. One slice of cake, one rainbow beverage
provided by Spike and they were ready to leave.

Sera could feel the tenuous grip he had on his fey form.

She kept close to him because his lust kept his desire for his
current form active. His lion was going to need a run but
that could wait a few hours.

He looked down at her and smiled with delight. “Your

teeth are normal and your ears changed.”

She yelped in surprise and checked her ears. “Son of a

bitch.”

Where her normal curved cartilage was were two pointed

elfin ears. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Dira was nearby. She drifted close and commented

quietly,  “You  were  not  locked  into  your  human  form.  You
didn’t  consider  it  important.  The  balance  gave  Atter  more
animal  and  you  more  fey.  The  flying  was  part  of  it.  His
family has always surfed along on light. You picked that up
without hesitation. Your learning time will be better spent in
his environment becoming the next person you are meant to
be. You have been daughter, shifter, prisoner, survivor; now,
it is time to add cherished and beloved to that mix.”

Snarling at the Moon

Sera blinked at the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes.

Atter’s arm was tight around her and he held her against the
solid warmth of his chest.

Teal and Teebie came forward and the gathering

shepherded her to the Meditation Centre where an amazing
stack of luggage waited for them.

Sera wiped her tears and looked at Atter, “You don’t pack

light.”

He chuckled. “Only one of those is mine.”
Teebie and Teal came forward, smiling.
Teal explained. “The ladies here decided that since your

family didn’t give you a trousseau, we could manage to put
one together, so we did.”

Teebie nodded. “There are enough clothes there to get

you through the first few months of living with Atter. After
that, he should have set you up with one of those goblin
seamstresses they are always so proud of.”

Atter nodded. “I will get right on it.”
Sera hugged Teebie and Teal in turn, sniffling with a

smile. “I always cry at weddings.”

Everyone laughed, and she stood with Atter on the portal

platform. The guardians charged up, and with precise care,
they were transported off to Atter’s home or at least his
transport point.

Sera was cuddled against him, and she cautiously opened

her eyes when they stopped moving and the light dimmed.

“We are in the folly.”
She looked up at him. “The what?”
“It is a stone temple that was built in the gardens for no

other reason than to look pretty.”

Statues of ancient gods and goddesses lined the pillars,

and she could see a large manicured lawn that led up to a
huge brick house larger than her high school.

“This is your house?”

Zenina Masters

“Our house. Yes.” He smiled and kept his arms wrapped

around her. “Can we shift and run around a little?”

She chuckled. “Yes. Let me just skim out of this dress. I

like it and I want to keep it.”

“Put it in the ether. Interdimensional space.”
“What?”
“We remove our clothing and park it in an

interdimensional space, and when we shift back, we put it
on again.”

He whispered instructions, and when he was done, she

tried them out.

She squawked in shock as she saw that her fur was now

snow white. She heard his laughter, and she turned to snap
at him.

When she was done with her threat display, she went for

a run. Her body took up a rocking gallop that moved her
through the precisely manicured grass with ease.

The lion that eventually overtook her was faster, stronger

and had far more grace than the previous version.

Sera slowed and stopped, rolling to her back and rubbing

back and forth in the grass. When she had stretched and
scratched her itch, she watched the lion run back and forth,
chasing dandelion fluff.

A long stretch and she stood, putting her gown back into

place, ties and all. She quickly grabbed a hank of her hair
and sighed in relief that it was still her normal dark sable.
She loved her hair. It was her favourite part of her.

With a motion of habit, she stroked her scars, but they

were gone as well. Sera sat and waited for her mate.
Eventually, he noticed her and came running over.

She stroked her cheek along his, in the standard marking

ritual. He lapped at her tears with his wide, rough tongue
and rumbled in comfort.

Snarling at the Moon

Sera chuckled and put her arms around his neck, burying

her face in his mane.

A moment later, she was holding her mate and he was

holding her in return.

“What is it, Sera?”
“The marks are gone. They disappeared beneath this

bright new skin.”

“You have your memories, but you don’t need to wear

the damage. This is a new start for both of us. We are doing
this together.”

She chuckled. “How is your beast?”
“He is concerned for you.”
She kissed him and embraced the fey magic pushing at

her, trying to drive away her tears. Elves rarely cried.
Apparently, their magic didn’t like it.

She felt light touching her and pulling her upward. She

held onto him as the pull continued. “What is going on?”

“You are learning to use light-based magic. I prefer lunar

magic, but you seem attuned to the sun.”

He stood and held her hands. “Just go and see what it

wants you to do.”

Thankful that the gown was full and swirled around her

in silken waves as she rose, she let go of Atter’s hands.

Sera shot into the air and hung fifteen feet above the

ground. The power of the sun poured into her and out her
hands, feet, mouth, spine and everywhere in between.

Atter rose in front of her and took her hands again. “Take

it in and wear it on your skin.”

She nodded and followed his direction. When she had

done everything he had suggested, she was back on her feet
and her skin was a soft gold, her ears were still pointy and
her hair was still sable. Whew.

He landed in front of her and kissed both her palms.

“Ready to meet the staff?”

Zenina Masters

“You have staff?”
“We have staff. Some are human, some are not. None

know you are a shifter or that shifters exist.”

“I presume that the non-humans do.”
He rocked his hand in the air. “No one knows what the

goblins know.”

She smiled and looked back to the folly. “Where did the

bags go?”

“The staff collected them while we were running around

on four feet.”

Sera looked to the house. “I suppose we should get this

over with.”

“Ah, if you have that much enthusiasm for our bed, I will

die a happy man...eventually.” He winked and offered her
his arm.

She smiled and took the arm, walking into the new life

with her mate.

Snarling at the Moon

Chapter Nine

erapha tried not to be nervous at her second wedding.
There were elves, lesser fey, human politicians who had

wrangled an invitation and three members of her family
who had come when she called.

Her personal maid helped her with her hair for a final

time. “Lady Nightsong, you do not need to worry. Lord
Artur is enamoured with you. He has finally warmed to the
idea of home and family.”

Serapha patted her belly. “Good thing too, Keepa. I gave

up on not getting pregnant this month so something is
already starting.”

Keepa paused. “You are with child?”
“Currently I am with a cellular cluster.” Serapha looked at

herself in the mirror and had to admit that Keepa’s aunt’s
skills with the needle and thread were amazing.

“Pardon me for a moment, lady. I will be right back.”
In a flurry of claws and teeth, Keepa ran for the door and

headed down the hallway. Sera could hear her go.

Keepa returned in five minutes and smiled. “Apologies,

lady. I had to brief the staff. They will be extra vigilant at the
reception this evening. Not all members of the fey are
pleased by your union.”

Sera swallowed and nodded. “Right.”
“Do not worry. We are now on alert. Nothing will happen

to you or the child.” Keepa smiled her snuggle-toothed
smile.

Zenina Masters

“Thank you. I told Lord Artur last night, and he wanted

to put the wedding through at that moment. I told him to
wait.”

A shimmering pipe blew and it was time for Serapha to

make her long hike down through the halls and her new
community. The dress she wore was white and gold, the lace
dragged and floated behind her for fifteen feet.

The bouquet she held was made of magical flowers, each

with a tiny glowing star inside it. Night was falling and
harpists played as she walked across the upper balcony of
the house and down the steps. Her groom was waiting in the
ballroom at the altar made of roses and light.

She put one hand on the banister and walked down the

curving staircase until she was in the crowd. The fey stood
by, only a few of them knowing what she was. The seers that
had sent him to her stood to one side of the gathering with a
rank of guards around them, keeping them from casual
contact.

Sera smiled at them and inclined her head. The hoods

dipped down as she passed, and she continued her journey
through the wall of strangers.

When she finished the twisting path, she was able to see

Artur Atter Nightsong, her mate and soon-to-be husband.

He smiled, and she smiled in return as she approached

him with steady steps.

Everyone that they had invited was there, and it was

going to be a perfect night, as long as she could keep herself
calm.

The ceremony was short, an exchange of vows and

dowry. Atter offered her three small businesses for her
wedding present and announced that she had already
created parity with her own offerings.

Snarling at the Moon

She twisted her lips in amusement. Use of her womb was

what he was referring to, but it would have been crass to
mention it.

They took hands, were bound by red ribbon, signed

documents for human registration as well as the fey
gathering.

They finally were able to kiss in front of the crowd, and

when the polite and cold clapping was over, it was time for
the part that she had both been looking forward to and
dreading.

“Are you ready?” Artur was at her side and murmuring

in her ear.

“I am ready. I just wish we didn’t have to expose the

pregnancy to get this done.”

He nodded. “I will be at your side and my family is

standing by to assist in the arrest.

She swallowed. “Let’s do this.”

The gifting was more than envelopes for the future. Each

of the fey came and offered a boon.

Sera was hungry but sitting in a formal chair with Artur

at her side made her feel a little bit better as the first eighty
guests came and offered their boons for a future date.

When the elegant woman knelt in front of them, she

bowed. “Lady Nightsong, congratulations on your wedding
day. I offer you a boon for your future use.”

Sera placed a hand on her belly and said, “For the sake of

myself and my child, I ask that your boon be to wear on
your own body the marks you etched into mine.”

Lady Norviss’s eyes widened and her magic wrapped

around her, acting out the boon she had so rashly promised.
Her teeth distended, scars appeared on her neck and that
parts of her chest and back were visible as she fought the
magic she had set free to do Sera’s bidding.

Zenina Masters

Members of the fey council came in and hauled Lady

Norviss away as her moans, hisses and screams echoed in
the ballroom.

Artur held her hand, and she smiled at him as the next

nervous guest approached. She accepted their boon and
smiled at them through her tears.

Her magic called light to burn away the tears, but she sat

through the very quiet revenge and remembered the look of
blind confusion on Norviss’s face until she felt the marks
around her neck. She might not know of the exact damage
she had created on Sera, but she would figure it out.

Artur danced with her until dawn was peeking through

the windows. The magic she had accumulated swirled
around her, waiting to be used.

“Does it always feel like this? Both hollow and full at the

same time?” Sera smiled as they swayed.

“The magic? You get used to it. Folk were generous

tonight. You could make spells, enchant objects or gift it
again if you like.” He leaned forward and sucked the tip of
her ear for a moment.

She went up on her toes. It felt more intimate than him

suckling her nipples. “Do that again.”

He grinned. “I will wait for privacy. You have set the

household abuzz with your announcement by the way.
There are already two sets of bedding underway as well as
baby clothing for every age being crafted. Keepa’s family has
served mine for generations. This means that her children
will have someone to serve.”

Sera chuckled. “You are serious.”
“I am. They are simple and it is good. They are loyal,

aggressive and need someone to provide a home for them.
Building is the one thing that goblins are no good at. We
provide them with homes, they serve us.”

Snarling at the Moon

The service was less arduous than anything on modern

television about the Victorian era. The goblins at the
Nightsong home were happy, protective of the family and
now that included Sera.

The few family members who attended the wedding had

left early but wished her well.

“How twisted is it that we held the wedding to entrap

Norviss?” Sera sighed and pressed her head against his
chest.

“It is the fey way. She knew she was taking a chance, but

she wanted to be included in our social circle. It might have
offered her protection if you weren’t who you were.”

She smiled at his use of the past tense. “How long do we

have to dance?”

“I think we have had enough for the night. They have

seen us. The goblins have caught the mischief spells and
marked those who would have harmed the family. I say we
adjourn to bed.”

“What a polite turn of phrase, Lord Nightsong.”
“Well, Lady Nightsong, with you, subtlety just delays my

inevitable gratification.” He chuckled, his clear gaze smiling
down at her.

“In that case, Lord Nightsong, I will accept your blunt

invitation and require you to carry me to bed in the human
tradition.”

“My lady, I am delighted to comply.”
He lifted her and her frothing skirts, flying across the

crowded ballroom and up to the wide walkway. The crowd
below applauded and he grinned.

“Show off.”
He chuckled. “I look forward to you returning the

favour.”

Zenina Masters

Sera looked at her husband with all seriousness. “The

next time you are in a ball gown, I will carry you wherever
you want to go.”

He grinned and his grin remained as he undid each tiny

hook of her dress, and she unravelled his laces.

He had his work cut out for him, but with his arms

around  her  at  night,  she  hadn’t  made  a  run  for  the  woods
since  she  had  arrived.  Her  snarling  at  the  moon  was  now
confined  to  fights  over  breakfast  for  who  got  the  last  fruit
cup.

She was finally enjoying the parts of life she had missed,

and laughter was the chief among them. The best part was
knowing that she brought him the same.

Different but equal needed to be embroidered on pillows,

and if she mentioned it to Keepa’s aunt, it would be.

Author’s Note

This book marks the cutting down of my schedule. In order
to save my sanity, I am cutting back to three releases a
month. One book under Viola Grace on the first, one book
under Zenina Masters on the first and one book under Viola
Grace on the fifteenth.

I am just warning folks, because I expect to get a lot of

backlash for the first little while.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

viola@violagrace.com

http://www.violagrace.com

About the Author

Viola  Grace  (aka  Zenina  Masters)  is  a  Canadian  sci-
fi/paranormal  romance  writer  with  ambitions  to  keep
writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories
because  the  thrill  of  discovery,  of  all  those  firsts,  is  what
keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls

you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is
all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to
those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the
cheap laugh.

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