Red Moon Secrets (Deadly Beauties 3)

I struggle, barely matching a human in strength.

The wind stirs, inviting a new darkness into the mix, and a blast of dark power encircles the night stalker, ripping him off me and slinging him back. Drackus. Thank fuck.

I drop to the ground, heaving for air, and then I look over in time to finally see the sights and hear the other sounds around me. Snarls and howls fill the air as Reese appears with his gang of unruly wolves, vicious and bloodthirsty under the red moon. With one alpha command, he releases them from their unseen leashes. He won't be able to have any control for long, but maybe it'll be long enough. He becomes a blur of fur as he rushes in to join them, howling a battle-cry just before his dagger-like teeth sink into the first bit of flesh.

The wolves attack the many dark users that emerge, the night stalkers that are barreling out of the circle, and the hordes of other followers my twisted aunt has gathered. Then I see Drackus, smiling as he holds two lycans by the throats, his eyes dark and dangerous as he stares out at the chaos.

"Time to let the pups play," he says before tossing Sierra and Amy to the ground, treating them as though they're weightless puppies instead of monstrous beasts.

They scramble to their feet and charge headlong into the path of destruction. They have no control over who they attack though. I pray they hit all the right targets.

Drackus inhales deeply, as though he's tasting the power and drawing from it, and then he unleashes his own hell, fortunately finding enough control to hit the right ones. My night stalker attacker is unconscious for the time being, so I focus on searching for the one I need to see the most.

Finally, my frantic scouring pays off. I see Kane on the ground, holding Castine by the throat as he struggles to kill the sire that stole and saved his life with one bite. I throw out a pitiful excuse of power in an attempt to help, but it does nothing to her. Protected by her amulet, she's untouchable when it comes to me.

"Kane, destroy her amulet!" I scream.

"I can't," he growls, still struggling to keep her pinned, desperate to choke the life out of her before she can free herself. "Get the hell out of here!"

I look up as Thad's poser tries to wriggle back up to his knees, but before anyone else can say anything, two dark shadows emerge from the hole, and two bodies materialize before us. They're holding hands when they find their physical form, which shocks me. They're corporeal—not spirits. How is that possible?

Dark hair wraps her waist, black lips twist up in a bone-chilling smile, and her dark eyes find her lover's. His hair is almost as long as hers, his eyes are just as evil, and his sinister grin is as terrifying.

"Mother," Hilly utters in a praising tone, tears filling her eyes.

Instantly, my frenzied eyes go in search of my mother. She was fighting with Hilly. Where'd she go?

I finally see her struggling with my cousin, who seems to be more powerful than I am with my witch half. Then I turn to see Drackus as he vaporizes. When he almost reaches Dragona and Damon, he's brought back to physical form, forced to the ground in a fetal position, and he screams out in pain.

The bitch from hell barely any exerted effort to bring down one of the most powerful warlocks. She even goes so far as to turn her back on Drackus when she feels he's no threat.

"Daughter," Dragona coos, smiling at Hilly as she walks closer, gently stroking her cheek. "You've done well."

I look on in horrified amusement, still seeking the power that has abandoned me.

Hilly stares at her with dreamy eyes meant for worship, and my heart sinks to my toes. We'll never beat them now—they're out. We needed to close the gates before they escaped.

Hilly seems to have gone from an intimidating mastermind to a child adoring her mother. It's sad, but it's a little hard to sympathize with her right now.

"But," Dragona says, still stroking the cheek of her daughter, "one day you'll turn on me."

"Never," Hilly says, still seeming mesmerized.

"I see all, daughter," she says softly, and then she leans down and kisses her forehead.

Hilly's face distorts, her screams deafen the ears of all, and she drops to her knees, writhing in pain.

Mom screams for her fallen sister, and so does the cousin I never knew existed, when she sees her mother taking her last breath. She runs toward them, but Dragona flicks her back with yet another barely-there effort.

Kane is still tangled up with Castine, who he's lost his grip on, and now they're exchanging blows. Drackus is still trapped in a cloak of pain, and the others are all fighting battles I can't help them with.

"Alyssa!" the Thad imposter screams again, but it draws the attention of the woman I never wanted to notice me.

"Alyssa," Dragona says, grinning darkly with sadistic delight, and then Damon turns to see me, too—his eyes darkening.

"Finally," he murmurs, smiling as he stretches. And just that fast, I'm on my knees, held in front of the portal, so close to Gage an

d Thad's twin that I can almost touch them.