Turn of the Moon (A Royal Shifters novel Book 1) (4 page)

I don’t want to get in the car. Instead, I turn around and get my first glimpse of the mysterious wolf. He’s standing beside a black Jeep with his arms crossed angrily at his chest. His light brown hair is hidden underneath a navy baseball cap, and he’s dressed in a white T-shirt and ripped jeans. His bright green eyes meet mine and my wolf stirs deep inside, calling to him. The only word floating through my mind is something I am not expecting.

Mine.

Our eyes meet, but the connection breaks when Sebastian forces me into the car. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He slams the door and gets in, squealing the tires as he races us down the street and away from the green-eyed wolf. I look back through the window and he is gone.

My world shimmers and I am sucked into another place and time.

Hands hold me down, but it’s not out of aggression, it’s passion fueled. I moan as the green eyed wolf pushes himself into me, claiming me. I love the way his skin feels against mine and the way we move together. I’ve never felt so close to anyone before. It’s almost as if we’re connected somehow.

“Bailey, wake up,” a voice called. It was the voice in my dreams, the voice of the wolf.

When I finally woke up, I wasn’t in the woods . . . and I definitely wasn’t alone.
His
scent surrounded me, not only in the air, but on my body.
What the hell?
Clenching my teeth, I growled and tried to roll off the bed, with no such luck. Apprehended, with an arm across my stomach, I felt him straddle my waist, chuckling as he pinned my arms above my head.

“Let me go,” I demanded, glaring up into his glowing gaze. His touch made my body tingle, almost like an electrical current passing from his body to mine. It was strange, yet I welcomed it, even though my mind was telling me to knee him in the junk.

“Good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty. I trust you’re well rested?” he asked, smiling wide. I half expected him to look at my body, but he kept his focus on my eyes. Point for him.

My cheeks burned. “I slept fine. But if you don’t get off of me, I’m going to make sure you choke on your balls. Your choice.”

He smirked and rolled off. There was a T-shirt on the edge of the bed he snatched up and slipped on. He wasn’t mated, because if he was I would smell another female on him. There was nothing other than the woods, the unique scent of our Arctic bloodline, and something else. I just couldn’t place what that other smell was.

“Calm down, Bailey. You know very damn well I’m not going to hurt you.”

I snatched the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around me, huffing. “You’re right, you’re not.” He laughed and it only pissed me off more. “How do you know my name?”

Staring at me with those hypnotic eyes, he ran a hand through his tousled, light blond hair. “I’ve known you for a long time now.”

“You mean stalked,” I clarified. I had to admit, he was a good looking stalker. All I could think of was wrapping my legs around his body and gripping that hair of his while he spread me wide. I could see it clearly in my mind from my dream. It felt so real, as if it actually happened.

He chuckled darkly and bit his lip. “Oh, it will happen, angel. What you saw and did in your dream was our future. It wasn’t easy sleeping beside you when I couldn’t touch you.”

Eyes wide, I jumped out of the bed and backed against the wall, clutching the blanket tight. “How the hell did you know what I was thinking?” Surely, I didn’t say it out loud. I was about to go into full panic mode when a calm swept through my body like warm lavender. I didn’t feel like myself. “What’s going on?” I whispered.

Cautiously, he edged closer. “Bailey, it’s okay. My name’s Ryker. I want to help you, not hurt you. Through our bond I can calm you down, but I can’t do it forever. Right now, I need you to listen to me. There’s so much I need to tell you.”

“Through our bond?
What are you talking about?”

Holding out his hand, he beckoned me closer. “Here, take my hand and tell me what you feel.”

I stared at his hand before he snatched mine instead. Immediately, my body lit up like fire, coursing through every vein. I could feel each emotion inside of him like they were my own. There was passion, happiness, concern, and even . . . love. How could that be? The longer I touched him, the more I wanted—the more I craved. I didn’t want to let go.

“Why do I feel like this when I don’t even know you?” I asked.

Ryker pulled me close, and all I wanted was for him to put his arms around me, to touch me with those strong hands of his. “You do know me, Bailey. It was a long time ago, but I knew I would never forget your face as long as I lived.”

Eyes wide, I gasped. “When? Where? I don’t remember you other than seeing you in my dreams a little bit ago. Well, that, and your eyes seem familiar. Why do they seem familiar?” I muttered the last question to myself.

Tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, he smiled and caressed my cheek. “I was there the day that other wolf picked you up from college. I was pissed when I saw you leave with him. The day I was able to come for you, was the day I lost you.”

“So the dream actually happened? Why don’t I remember you from that day? And how could you even sense me? I was under a shielding spell. No other wolves should’ve been able to find me.”

“Magic doesn’t work against a mate, angel. Don’t get me wrong, whatever voodoo shit you had surrounding you made it difficult, but I was still able to find you. I had to tread carefully when you went back to Canada, however.”

“Oh my God, how is this even possible? I’ve never heard of mates being able to do that.” I’d never actually heard anything about what happened when wolves mated. I felt so lost. Letting go of his hand, I stepped back. “Whatever you’re doing to my emotions, stop.”

The warmth went away and I was back to feeling in control. I had to get out of there. I thought Ryker would try to stop me, but he didn’t as I stalked past him and down the stairs. There was nowhere to go but out. The magic grew inside me and as soon as I opened the door, I was ready to shift. Unfortunately, there were six wolves standing guard.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“I must really be dangerous to need six babysitters,” I grumbled. What had me confused was the mish mash of wolves standing before me. They weren’t all Arctic’s like myself and Ryker, but different grays, and even a red one. I’d never known an alpha to be over a pack with different breeds.

I’d been outside for two hours, sitting on the front porch with only a blanket wrapped around my body. The ranch had a picturesque view of the Grand Teton Mountains, surrounded by nothing but land and trees. It was the perfect place for a wolf. I had heard about the area and read stories about its beauty, but I never thought I’d actually see it. There was snow all over the peaks and I longed to feel it under my paws.

Unfortunately, there was no way I could do that with glowing eyes staring back at me from every corner. I was beginning to think I was back in the confinements of my own pack. They watched over me the exact same way, afraid I’d run away if I ever got the chance. I left one prison for another.

As if my wishes were heard, the wolves scattered. But then the sound of a car traveling over a gravel driveway could be heard. I started to get up and Ryker appeared in the doorway, dressed in a park ranger uniform. He regarded me warily before nodding toward the car.

“Tyla’s here to keep you company.”

“You mean ‘make sure I don’t run away.’”

Sighing, he strapped the gun into his belt and faced me. By the look in his eyes, I felt terrible for snapping at him. “You’re not a prisoner here, Bailey. I want you to feel free to go and do as you please. Tyla’s here to show you around and be your friend. If running away is what you want, then go. I’m not going to force anything on you.”

I studied him, narrowing my gaze. “Do you mean that?”

He gently took my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. My skin tingled like it always did when he touched me. I didn’t want him to let go, but he did. “I do.”

“What’s up, guys?” Tyla shouted with a wide grin on her face. She had shoulder length, curly blonde hair and gray eyes, not an Arctic wolf but a gray. She seemed friendly enough.

“That’s why I thought she’d be a good match for you,” Ryker murmured.

“Okay, listening in on my thoughts is getting kind of weird.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t listen to everything you say. But I do know you’re hungry. Anyone from a mile away could hear your stomach growling. Tyla’s going to take you to get something to eat.”

I looked down at the blanket. “In what? I don’t have any clothes.”

Tyla reached into the backseat of her silver sports car and held it up. “Now you do, sunshine. Let’s get you cleaned up. I’m starved.” She ran up the steps and patted Ryker on the shoulder. “She’ll be fine, boss. We girls are going to have some fun.”

He shook his head, a small smile splaying across his lips. “Not
too
much.” She winked and sauntered through the door, bag in hand. Chuckling, he turned back to me, smile disappearing. I liked his smile. “I’ll be back tonight. I’m hoping you’ll be here when I return. There’s a lot you still don’t know.”

I watched him walk to his truck and drive away, glancing back at me once before disappearing down the road. “You aren’t seriously thinking of leaving are you?” Tyla asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Turning to her, I glared straight into her eyes. “What if I was? You gonna stop me?” I challenged.

She lowered her eyes and her head. “No. I’m no match for your power. But I do think you need to give Ryker and our pack a chance.”

I stepped past her into the house and sighed. “You wouldn’t feel that way if you knew what I’d done.”

After shutting the door, she stood in front of me, handing me the bag of clothes. “The past doesn’t matter. You’re Ryker’s mate and a true born alpha. I’ve never met another wolf like you before. It’s nice to have a female around who could kick some serious ass.”

She made me laugh and it felt good. “I’m sure you could too. You don’t take me as the type to put up with much bullshit.”

“I don’t, especially when I’m starving. Now, run upstairs and get dressed. I’m taking you to one of my favorite restaurants.” I stood there, staring at her like she’d lost her mind. “Why do you look like that?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. The way you all do things is so much different than what I’m accustomed to. My parents let me go away to college and I loved the freedom, but when I was back with the pack, I was never able to leave the compound. I guess I just figured it’d be like that here.”

“Hell no,” she exclaimed, bursting out in laughter. “We have our own homes, jobs, everything. Don’t get me wrong, we hunt and do a lot of stuff together, but we live like normal human beings. Ryker would never keep you on a leash.”

It was nice to hear that, but I knew I couldn’t stay long. The Yukon Pack would kill them all to get to me. Plastering on a fake smile, I started for the stairs. “Thank you for the clothes. I’ll be right down.” I took a quick shower and put on some jeans and a pink blouse from the bag, along with the pair of boots. It felt good to take a shower. It’d been over a week since my last.

Tyla waited by the door when I got downstairs. “Ready to experience true freedom?”

“You have no idea.” We hopped in her car and she sped us out of the driveway. I was mesmerized by the mountains, by the snow; it was breathtaking. “It’s so beautiful here,” I said.

“Yes, it is. I’m assuming you didn’t see much of this where you came from?”

I shook my head, wishing like hell I could forget everything that happened. “No, and I definitely don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, we won’t talk about it then. How about when you went away to school? What did you major in?”

I glanced out the window and smiled. “Teaching.”

“What subject?”

“Chemistry,” I answered, turning to face her. “I loved working with high school kids.”

She pulled into a steak house parking lot and turned off the car. My stomach growled even louder than before. “You could get a job at one of the local high schools! The school year is basically over, but I’m sure you could find one for next fall.”

We got out of the car and headed for the door. “Are you serious?” Excitement fluttered in my belly.