The Werevamp Diaries: Moon Beam Dream (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 5) Read online

  The Werevamp Diaries: Moon Beam Dream

  (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book Five)

  Olivia Hardin

  Copyright © 2016 by Olivia Hardin

  All rights reserve. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Moon Beam Dream (The Lynlee Lincoln Series, #5)

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Trivia from Olivia

  About the Author

  TROUBLE doesn’t end here! Check out ALL of the Lynlee Lincoln Series in this suggested reading order:

  THE WEREVAMP DIARIES: MOON BEAM DREAM (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 5)

  © Olivia Hardin 2016

  I’m not good with death. Yeah, it’s true I’m a doctor and a vet, but I’m damn good at my job and death doesn’t happen often when a life is in my hands. Whether I’m working my medical magic or letting my werewolf out so she can kick some a**, I can always count on me to get the job done. I was totally willing to put my life on the line to fight for my BFF... now we’ve saved her from the grim reaper and I was really hoping things would settled down for all of us.

  But I guess it just doesn’t work that way. Instead I’m dealing with a tricky medical case that may be beyond my abilities, not to mention a baby situation that I totally never saw coming. And I’m not sure if it’s just the stress of all that, but a weird tension is cropping up between me and the love of my life.

  All I want is to find a way to protect all of those most important to me, but it seems there’s a new test behind every door. Can’t a girl catch a break?

  Dedication

  To C., T. and D.: You’re all too young to read this right now, but one day... maybe ;-)

  Until then, just know that I love you to the moon and back!

  My best friend is going to die... unless we can save her. I always knew about death visions and since Lynlee was a witch, I understood that one day she’d get hers. But in my mind that wouldn’t happen until we were both over a hundred years old, sipping mojitos on the back porch of some old-age home for MAUCs. That was how it was supposed to be. We certainly aren’t supposed to be preparing for her death now, when she’s about to get married to her perfect boyfriend who just happens to have two perfect kids. How the hell is this even happening?

  I’m not good with death. Yeah, it’s true I’m a vet and a doctor, but I’m damn good at my job, and death doesn’t happen often when a life is in my hands. And that’s just what I’m counting on now. We’ve got a plan, and it’s a good one. And we have an ace in the hole, too. Tig called Prieto, a fallen angel to come help. Whatever it is that comes out of those woods to try to kill our friend, we’re gonna do all we can to stop it...

  But that brings me to my next problem. Sandy. I love him to the moon and back, but he’s just a sandman. As he keeps reminding me, he’s descended from the gods so he’s not without some trick. But hand-to-hand isn’t high up on his list of talents. And with the possibility of losing Lynlee hanging over my head, I just can’t bear to let him put himself in danger... hopefully Tig can help with that, too.

  Prologue

  Rhiannon had her hands on her hips, head cocked to the side as she listened to her boyfriend tell her that he was a badass. They were in Beck and Lynlee’s kitchen, waiting for her BFF to get back so that she could begin her curse-breaking spell. Sandy was doing his best to derail Rhiannon’s secret plan to keep him out of danger.

  “I know you just can’t seem to bring yourself to believe it, but I have been in battle before. Have I told you how I took down two gryphons during my training? Do you know how fierce they are? I am more than qualified, and it just doesn’t make any sense for me to be hundreds of miles away while this is going down. The least I can do is keep watch, close to Beck and the kids.”

  It hadn’t been that long ago that Sandy had been beat to a pulp by a dark witch and her partner. Rhia was relatively sure tonight’s fight would see them facing an even more dangerous foe. “Sandy, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. Tig says that by putting you at the safe location, you can help them get to safety if they need it. I mean, what if these baddies somehow try to follow them through the door? You have to be there to help them.”

  He gritted his teeth and drew back, a look of disdain on his face. She blushed a little as she wondered if he might be aware of her little subterfuge. Tig Durhnam, Lynlee’s former boss, had done a great job of trying to convince Sandy that he could best serve them on the other side of his magical door. It seemed her boyfriend wasn’t entirely persuaded.

  “Babe,” she pleaded, reaching out and putting her hands on his forearms. “Do you know how long Tig’s been around? He’s been a Neutralizer for probably longer than we’ve been walking this earth. He knows what he’s talking about. Let’s trust him. Besides, I have to be at my best, not worrying about you deviating from the plan we already agreed on.”

  “Let’s be fair. I agreed to nothing.”

  She dropped her head and smiled up at him with hooded eyes. He inhaled a long breath and nodded. “All right.” He pulled her close, both arms squeezing her so tightly she squealed a little. Maybe he was stronger than she thought.

  “Break it up.”

  They pulled apart to find Lynlee watching them, a feigned look of disgust on her face.

  “Hey! Did you get them?” Rhia asked, her tone as serious as the look on her face.

  “Yep, got ‘em. You guys ready?”

  “Tig wants me on the other side of the door. If you think that’s best, that’s what I’ll do. But I can fight just as well here as I can there.”

  Rhiannon drew a hand up to her forehead and shook her head. Her man was just determined to find a way to get out of waiting on the other side of Tig’s magical door.

  “No, let’s go with Tig’s instincts. I want to be sure Beck and the kids stay as safe as possible.”

  Sandy melted into sand and disappeared. Moving into the back of the kitchen, Rhiannon slowly removed her clothing, folding each article and placing it in a neat pile on the floor in front of her. There were some candy bars in a jar beside the sink, and she grabbed up three of them. Ripping off the wrapper, she stuffed them all into her mouth. Once swallowed, she knelt down on the cold tile and willed her body to begin shifting. The magic burned from the pit of her belly, coursing through her veins. Her bones and muscles le
ngthened and distorted even as masses of light brown hair grew all over her body.

  “Guess that means you’re really ready,” Lynlee said.

  Rhiannon inclined her wolf’s head, carefully picked up her clothes with her mouth and followed her friend into the night. While Lynlee and her protégé Rolayna worked the spell, Rhiannon kept a close watch on the tree line, knowing that the attackers would come from that direction. She panted as she paced, her hot breath disturbing the ground in front of her as she sniffed for enemies.

  And then it began. A hoard of demons burst through from the forest, the leader immediately leaping in Lynlee’s direction. Rhiannon tried to head him off but only succeeded in attracting the attention of a few of his compatriots. They were humanoid but reptilian, with large sharp horns protruding from their shoulders.

  They took turns leaping on her, seeking to impale her with their spines, but each time she managed to shake them off. One of the big lizards finally managed to get a dig in, scratching her across the left shoulder. She roared more in anger than pain, grabbed his back leg between her sharp teeth and tossed him back. His snake’s tongue slithered out of his mouth as he motioned the other creature to get her.

  Bracing for the impending attack, Rhiannon stood with her legs braced apart, her back bowed. But just as suddenly as they appeared, the two demons backed away from her and then turned tail and ran into the forest.

  Confused for a moment, Rhia looked around and realized that all was eerily quiet. Tig, Beck and Rolayna were all in a group, and the fact that she couldn’t see Lynlee sent a wave of fear through her. As fast as was possible she transformed back into a human and threw on the clothing she’d stashed in the forest.

  “Shit! You’re hurt,” she cried out when she finally got to Lynlee’s side, medical bag in hand. “Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding like a stuck pig.”

  That was an understatement. Lynlee was hemorrhaging from a gaping wound across her torso, and for a second Rhiannon froze in horror. Then her medical training kicked in, and she began tearing open packages of compression dressings to staunch the flow of blood. There were voices in conversation all around her, but she stayed in the zone, mentally taking stock of the injuries as she applied the most immediate care.

  When Lynlee finally passed out, Beck looked at Rhiannon with a panicked expression.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got this, okay?”

  He moved his head in a sharp nod.

  “Get her in the house now. I’ll be right there. Rolayna.” She turned to the apprentice witch. “I need you to boil some water. Tig, Sandy and the kids?”

  The little goblin saluted. “They’re in the safe place. I’ll go get them.”

  “No,” she said a little louder than she intended. “Wait. Let me get Lynlee stabilized before you bring the kids back. But tell Sandy I’m okay.”

  Chapter 1

  Weeks later...

  Sandy raised a perfect black eyebrow and leaned forward to shift the plate towards Rhiannon. A huge grin split her face, but she didn’t hesitate even a millisecond in grabbing up the last sticky bun. It took her just a few minutes to devour it, then she took her time licking the last of the gooey glaze from her fingers.

  “You’re such a sweetheart,” she told him, then stood so she could peck a kiss to his mouth.

  “Mmm.” He ran his tongue across his lips, tasting the remnants of sugar left behind from hers. “Well, if I eat another one, I’ll have to spend two more hours at the gym. You, my love, don’t have that problem.”

  She shrugged, then picked up her coffee and stretched her legs. “Guess I’d better get to work. I appreciate breakfast.” After he’d dropped a few bills onto the table, she hooked her arm into his and walked out of the restaurant with him. “Especially since you were up all night working.”

  “It sounded like you had a busy day ahead, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to see you.” He yawned. “But that said, I’ll probably crash as soon as I get home.”

  “Well, if you have any trouble getting to sleep, I know a guy who can help with that,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes as he opened her car door for her. Sandy looked incredibly sexy, hands slipped into the pockets of his jeans, and his head tilted back in a way that suggested he might be considering tossing her onto the hood of her own vehicle for some action. She leaned against the window so that her face was close to his.

  “I thought you were my girl. You aren’t supposed to be cavorting with other guys.”

  “Well, I know, but this guy’s a sandman. There are some things he can do that other guys just can’t.” His lips were just inches from hers, and she licked hers in anticipation.

  “You’re a tease, you know that?” He moved in, his mouth hovering so near to hers that she could feel the heat of his breath.

  She decided she didn’t want to wait for him to make a move. Instead she cupped the back of his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss. “I’ll show you what kind of tease I am tonight, lover.” She whispered the words in a rough voice.

  “I’ll be there at the appointed hour. I’m nothing if not prompt... especially when I’m sure it will be worth my while.” He pecked her lips again.

  “Oh it will be, lover. It...” Her phone dinged from her pocket, and she groaned in annoyance. The special ringtone told her exactly who it was. “Damn, that’s her. She’s become really pushy since she’s been bedridden.”

  “Just since she’s been bedridden?” Sandy’s tone was sarcastic, then after a short pause he laughed. With a wink, he spanked Rhiannon affectionately on the rear end and headed for the alley so that he could transform into a pile of sand and disappear.

  She stared at that spot from which he’d vanished, lost in sexy dreams for a moment until her phone rang again.

  “Damn, girl, are you like completely out of patience, or what?”

  Her BFF Lynlee Lincoln didn’t respond immediately, but Rhia could just about imagine the snarky thoughts rolling around in her brain. “You said you’d be here by 9:00.”

  Rolling her eyes at the exasperation in Lynlee’s voice, she started the engine and closed the car door, bracing her phone against her shoulder. “Listen, girlfriend. I had a breakfast date with my man, and as much as I’m looking forward to ripping those staples out of your belly, he takes precedence.”

  A snort emitted from the other end of the phone. “Good, glad you got the mushy stuff out of the way there instead of bringing him with you and exposing me to it. I don’t think my stomach can handle it.”

  Despite her acerbic tone, it was good to hear the “old Lynlee” again considering she’d died and come back to life just a few weeks ago. Death was just a part of life... no pun intended . . . and Rhiannon should have known Lynlee would find a way to cheat even the grim reaper.

  It hadn’t been without a cost, though. Rhiannon had never seen a wound as bad as the one her friend had received from that demon’s sword. Even with forty-seven staples total, it had been no easy feat for her to close the gash in the witch’s stomach. A demon blade was a tricky thing, and it not only slashed but ripped and shredded the flesh all around. Lynlee might just as well have gone through a meat grinder.

  Witches normally had superfast healing abilities, which was part of the reason they needed paranormal doctors like Rhiannon to care for them so as not to freak out the lay medical person. But this injury wasn’t following the normal rule which made Lynlee very irritable and worried Rhiannon to the extreme. Sure Lynlee couldn’t die now, but what would her life be like with a gaping hole in her belly? Images of the movie Death Becomes Her ran rampant in Rhiannon’s mind for weeks.

  Still, her friend was finally getting better, and so today they were going to try removing the staples. Pulling into her parking space at the apartment complex, Rhiannon reached into the backseat for her bag and then called Tig.

  He answered without so much as a hello. “Let me guess. The queen’s callin’ again.”

  She laughed as she opened the door and stepped in
to the safety of her living room. “And she’s sounding really bitchy about it, too.”

  Standing there beside the door, she waited, and within a few seconds, Tig materialized in front of her. Besides being a former Neutralizer like Lynlee, he was also a goblin with a handy set of magical tricks. At that moment, however, he looked somewhat like a sailor in uniform except that the bottoms were nothing more than a pair of very tight briefs.

  “Ugh, what the...”

  “Hey, hey, hey.” He waved his hand at her as he approached, and she couldn’t help but take a few steps back. “You want my assistance, you got it, but I can’t help that I was in the middle of some very interesting role-playing with a sexy mermaid named Chanice.”

  “TMI, TMI.” She stuffed her fingers in her ears. “Can you just open the door and let me get on with it?”

  Before Lynlee had moved in with her boyfriend the year before, all Rhiannon had to do was drive across to the next town to reach her. These days, it required magic, and since her friend was out of commission, that meant Rhia needed Tig’s help.

  The goblin snickered, then swiveled on his stubby feet and knocked on her front door. Immediately a magical portal opened up, and Rhiannon walked right into the living room at her friend’s house. Lynlee’s boyfriend Beck rounded the corner from the kitchen in response to her arrival.

  “Oh, it’s you.” He grinned, wiping his hands on a dish towel. “Are you hungry? You’re just in time for some breakfast.”

  The man was not only easy on the eyes, but he was a dream in the kitchen. Her mouth immediately began to water. “You should know by now that you pretty much never have to ask a werewolf if she’s hungry.” Or a werevamp for that matter, she thought.

  “You already had breakfast!” came a disgruntled cry from the other side of the house.

  Beck chuckled and shook his head. “You get her to settle down, and I’ll make you some pancakes. You get her to laugh, and I’ll toss in some bacon to go with it.”