Moon Burning

Table of Contents

 

 

—Debbie Macomber,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

 

 

“An ancient race of werewolves trying to survive among humans holds Monroe’s series together. The medieval Scots setting and her strong characters leave their mark on readers in this sexy, stay-up-all-night read.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“These characters are charismatic in their own way, and you find yourself as lost in them as they are in each other.”

—
The Good, The Bad and The Unread

 

“Highly recommended!”

—
ParaNormal Romance

 

“A book that will grab you right from the beginning . . . Likeable characters and an engaging romance make
Moon Craving
a thoroughly captivating tale that I highly recommend.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 

“Ms. Monroe captivates the readers with her spine-tingling explosive action and highly intense, sensual love story.”

—
Fallen Angel Reviews

 

“The characters came to life from page one and I found it impossible to put down; I actually read it in one sitting.”

—
Rites of Romance Reviews

 

“A passionate and wonderful book. Fans of Lucy Monroe will sigh with romantic delight as the pages come alive. Don’t miss it.”

—
Joyfully Reviewed

 

 

 

“Simply awesome . . . Stunningly sexy and emotionally riveting . . . Easily one of the best paranormals I’ve ever read!”

—
Joyfully Reviewed

 

“An exciting tale,
Moon Awakening
is a book I highly recommend, and I can’t wait for the next story.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 

“A sensual, humorous story with intriguing and entrancing characters . . . Outstanding . . . I’m looking forward to future stories.”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

 

 

“[A] wicked and wonderful temptation . . .
Tempt Me
is . . . for any reader hungry for passion and adventure. Give yourself a treat and read this book. Lucy Monroe will capture your heart.”

—Susan Wiggs,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Lucy Monroe’s romances sizzle!”

—JoAnn Ross,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“If you enjoy Linda Howard, Diana Palmer, and Elizabeth Lowell, then I think you’d really love Lucy’s work.”

—Lori Foster,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Monroe brings a fresh voice to historical romance.”

—Stef Ann Holm,
USA Today
bestselling author

 

“A light read with many classic touches . . . Highly enjoyable.”

—
Romantic Times

TOUCH ME
TEMPT ME
TAKE ME
MOON AWAKENING
MOON CRAVING
MOON BURNING

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

MOON BURNING

 

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / February 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Lucy Monroe.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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eISBN : 978-1-101-47710-6

 

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For my son Zach. Your brilliance delights me, your insistence on marching to your own techno tune challenges me, your enjoyment of the paranormal connects to me and your heart touches me! You are a wonderful son and a young man any mom would be proud to call hers. May your dreams be realized, may your heart be blessed with joy and may your life be one of purpose and celebration. You have certainly brought both to mine!

 

Thank you! Much love, Mom

M
illennia ago God created a race of people so fierce even their women were feared in battle. These people were warlike in every way, refusing to submit to the rule of any but their own . . . no matter how large the forces sent to subdue them. Their enemies said they fought like animals. Their vanquished foes said nothing, for they were dead.

They were considered a primitive and barbaric people because they marred their skin with tattoos of blue ink. The designs were usually simple. A single beast was depicted in unadorned outline, though some clan members had more markings that rivaled the Celts for artistic intricacy. These were the leaders of the clan and their enemies were never able to discover the meanings of any of the blue tinted tattoos.

Some surmised they were symbols of their warlike nature and in that they would be partially right. For the beasts represented a part of themselves these fierce and independent people kept secret at the pain of death. It was a secret they had kept for the centuries of their existence while most migrated across the European landscape to settle in the inhospitable north of Scotland.

Their Roman enemies called them Picts, a name accepted by the other peoples of their land and lands south . . . they called themselves the Chrechte.

Their animallike affinity for fighting and conquest came from a part of their nature their fully human counterparts did not enjoy. For these fierce people were shape-changers and the bluish tattoos on their skin were markings given as a right of passage. When their first change took place, they were marked with the kind of animal they could change into. Some had control of that change. Some did not. And while the majority were wolves, there were large hunting cats and birds of prey as well.

The one thing they all shared in common was that they did not reproduce as quickly or prolifically as their fully human brothers and sisters. Although they were a fearsome race and their cunning was enhanced by an understanding of nature most humans do not possess, they were not foolhardy and were not ruled by their animal natures.

One warrior could kill a hundred of his foe, but should she or he die before having offspring, the death would lead to an inevitable shrinking of the clan. Some Pictish clans and those recognized by other names in other parts of the world had already died out rather than submit to the inferior but multitudinous humans around them.

Most of the shape-changers of the Scots Highlands were too smart to face the end of their race rather than blend. They saw the way of the future. In the ninth century AD, Keneth MacAlpin ascended to the Scottish throne. Of Chrechte descent through his mother, nevertheless, his human nature had dominated. He was not capable of “the change,” but that did not stop him from laying claim to the Pictish throne (as it was called then) as well. In order to guarantee his kingship, he betrayed his Chrechte brethren at a dinner, killing all of the remaining royals of their people—and forever entrenched a distrust of humans by their Chrechte counterparts.

Despite this distrust but bitterly aware of the cost of MacAlpin’s betrayal, the Chrechte realized that they could die out fighting an ever-increasing and encroaching race of humanity, or they could join the Celtic clans.

They joined.

As far as the rest of the world knew, though much existed to attest to their former existence, what had been considered the Pictish people were no more.

Because it was not in their nature to be ruled by any but their own, within two generations, the Celtic clans that had assimilated the Chrechte were ruled by shape-changing clan chiefs, though the fully human among them did not know it. A sparse few were trusted with the secrets of their kinsmen. Those that did know were aware that to betray the code of silence meant certain and immediate death.