Bound by the Moon (A Royal Shifters novel Book 5)

by L. P. Dover

  Amelie’s cabin comes into view, and she already has it decorated for Christmas. I feel bad because I’ve been living in Wyoming for a couple of weeks, and today is the first time I’ve had free time to see her. Colin and I are planning a special Thanksgiving dinner, and I wanted to invite her in person. To say we have ulterior motives is an understatement.

  Amelie walks out onto the porch and waves when I pull up. I get out of my Jeep and wave back. She has on a cream-colored sweater and jeans with fur-trimmed brown boots. I wish I could tell her everything I know, but I promised I wouldn’t.

  “Exactly,” Colin says in my mind. “We can’t interfere.”

  “All right, nosy ass, you need to get out of my head. I’m about to have girl talk, and you don’t belong.”

  Colin’s laugh makes me smile. “Fine. I’m out. I’ll see you at home.”

  Amelie giggles when I walk up the steps to her. “Talking to Colin, huh? You got that silly smile on your face.”

  I laugh. “I had to tell him to go away.”

  Amelie opens the door. “I’m happy to see you two are doing so well. I knew you would.”

  I walk inside, and she goes over to the kitchen counter where there are two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, topped high with whipped cream. She hands me one, and I breathe in the chocolatey scent. “This smells fantastic. Thank you.”

  She moves over to the couch, and I sit next to her. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by to visit yet. It’s been crazy the past three weeks. I’ve barely had time to breathe.”

  Amelie waves me off. “It’s okay. You’re here now. I was ecstatic when I heard you were going to stay in Wyoming.”

  I take a sip of my drink, and it’s pure heaven. “It feels right being here. I know it makes Colin happy. Plus, we had a vision of us at his house. We’re going to have two kids, a boy, and a girl.”

  Amelie holds a hand over her heart. “Oh, Kami, that’s amazing. It looks like we have a lot to catch up on.”

  “We do,” I say, taking another gulp of my hot chocolate. “Tia and Sawyer are in Nova Scotia right now. They found her parents.”

  Amelie gasps. “Are you serious?”

  I nod. “Yep. I was right beside her when she called them. They cried for hours on the phone. The next day, she and Sawyer boarded a plane.” Tia had been separated from them ever since she was a little girl. I can’t imagine the loneliness she felt all these years. It’s strange not living down the street from my parents anymore, but I belong with Colin now. My family will always be close to me.

  “What about her magic?” Amelie asks. “Sawyer doesn’t know about that or us, does he?”

  I shake my head. “Not yet. After this week in Nova Scotia with Tia’s family, he might find out. He’s going to ask Tia to marry him. Keeping her magic from him might be a little difficult if they tie the knot.”

  Amelie slaps a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I’ve missed so much. Tia’s going to get married, and you’re going to complete the bond next week.” Tears fill her eyes. “So many amazing things are going on.”

  She will be a part of something spectacular too, if I can just get my plan to work. “Speaking of next week, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?” I ask her.

  Her lips purse as if she’s deep in thought. “Don’t know. I’m thinking of cooking a turkey. I found a good recipe online.”

  “Forget that,” I say, grinning wide. “Colin and I are having a dinner at the house. I want you to come. Our families are going to be there, and I consider you a part of it.” Zayne will be attending as well, but he doesn’t know we’re inviting Amelie.

  Amelie’s eyes light up with excitement. “That’s sweet of you, Kami. I’ll be happy to come. I can make a sweet potato casserole.”

  My stomach growls. “Perfect.”

  We finish our hot chocolate and talk about her class and what she’s teaching them at the moment. She’s so good with kids that I can see her having a dozen of them. I want to ask her if she’s started feeling any mating signs, but I don’t want her asking questions about why I’m asking. Zayne won’t answer any of Colin’s questions, so we’re only going off of assumptions. With Zayne watching over Amelie most nights, I have a strong feeling he’s her true mate. If he is, I want them together. They both deserve to be happy.

  When it’s time for me to leave, Amelie walks me out onto the porch. “Thanks for coming over. Maybe we can go Christmas shopping soon. You’ll love our downtown stores.”

  “Sounds great.” There was a time when I avoided touching her, but I have to know her fate.

  I hug her tight, and she gasps, stepping away from me with her eyes as wide as saucers. “Oh, God, Kami. You just touched me. Does that mean I’ll be in your dream?”

  There’s a look of curiosity in her gaze, but I can also sense her hesitation. “I don’t know,” I answer in all honesty. “You’re the first unmated female I’ve touched in months. The only person I dream with is Colin.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she walks over to the railing and peers out at the woods. I look out there too, but of course, I don’t see anyone. Zayne can hide his presence because he’s a royal.

  “Do you want to know who he is if I dream about you?” I ask, keeping my voice low. A part of me feels terrible for touching her without her consent, but I’m only trying to help her.

  Amelie glances over at me. “Not yet. If my mate shows up in your dreams, that’s all I want to know. I don’t want you telling me who he is.” She blows out a sigh and turns her attention back to the forest. “I’ll find him one day.”

  “Okay,” I reply. “When I see you on Thanksgiving, I’ll let you know what I saw, minus who your mate is. I hope this works.”

  She smiles. “I do too.”

  “Is it bad I feel guilty for touching Amelie?”

  I slide into bed beside Colin, and he pulls me into his arms. “We’re only trying to help her and Zayne. I know they have to be mates.”

  Laying my head on his chest, I breathe him in. “Hopefully, we’ll find out tonight.” I trace a finger over his abs. “With the holidays coming up, I’m looking forward to playing matchmaker again. We’ll be around so many wolves. Just think of all the people I can help. That is if I still have the gift.”

  Colin tilts my chin up. “Why do you say that? We still share dreams. I’m sure you haven’t lost it.”

  I shrug. “We’re about to find out. Amelie says she doesn’t want to know who her mate is. If Zayne is it, he’s not exactly the easiest person to talk to.”

  Colin chuckles. “That’s for damn sure. We’ll help them as much as we can, but it’s best to late nature take its course.”

  If we leave it up to Zayne to make the first move, we’ll be waiting for an eternity. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Colin's heartbeat drums underneath my ear, and I snuggle into his warmth. I’m nervous about my dream, so sleep doesn’t come so easily, but I welcome it with open arms when it does.

  I look around, and I don’t recognize where I’m at. Usually, I’m the first one to enter my dreams, but Colin beat me to it. In front of us is a beautiful two-story home with blooming bushes and flowers in the front yard. The grass is greener than any yard I’ve ever seen. The place reminds me of a fairytale, almost magical.

  Colin has his back to me, staring up at the house when I approach him. “What is this place?” I ask. The one thing I love about my dreams is that a lot of the settings are places Colin has been. I can see the world without even having to travel.

  Colin glances back at me and reaches for my hand. “It’s where I grew up.”

  Gasping, I look up at the house. “Oh, Colin, it’s beautiful.”

  His eyes sadden. “It doesn’t look like this anymore. When the Yukons came, they burned everything to the ground.” He turns back to the house. “This is how I remember it.”

  I squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  Bring my hand to his lips, he kisses it softly. “It’s okay.
I came by here plenty of times to maintain my mother’s garden. It was her favorite place.”

  “Show me,” I murmur.

  He pulls me around the side of the house, and I can already smell the wildflowers and roses. The garden door is shut, but it’s as if it comes to life when he opens it. There are so many colors, and everything is in bloom. The path leads us through the garden, and when we get to the fountain, I see that we’re not alone.

  Dressed in a long flowing pink dress, Amelie walks along the path, smelling the different flowers. I don’t know why Colin can experience the dreams with me, but others can’t. Amelie doesn’t see us as she strolls past. We follow her through the garden, and I glance around to see if anyone shows up. Usually, when I’ve dreamt about mates, they show up pretty quickly.

  “I don’t remember it taking this long,” Colin says, sounding concerned.

  “It doesn’t.”

  Amelie has to have a mate. She deserves to be happy after everything she’s been through. Colin and I follow her through the gardens not only once but twice. Each time, Amelie seems to enjoy the flowers more and more. We stop at the fountain, and I sit down on the stone edge to glide my fingers through the water.

  “How am I going to tell Amelie this? It’ll break her heart if I tell her I didn’t see her mate.”

  Colin sits beside me and sighs. “I don’t know. I’m just as shocked as you are.”

  We walk around the garden for hours, but then we leave Amelie so Colin can show me the rest of the house. I got to see his room and the corner of the closet he used to hide in when he’d get in trouble. It was surreal being able to see into his past and walk around the rooms he grew up in.

  “Should we go back outside to Amelie?” Colin asks.

  I can’t stop feeling disappointed; it weighs heavy on my chest. “Yeah. We’ve been here for hours. I’m sure we’ll be waking up soon.”

  When we get outside, Amelie is still in the gardens. I keep waiting for someone to show up, but they never do. Time ticks by, and the familiar tingling sensation spreads through my body. It’s the feeling I get when I’m about to wake up.

  Colin stands beside me, and I look up at him. “Guess this is it.”

  He stares down at me, and I know he can sense my disappointment. “It’ll be okay. Maybe if you touch Amelie again, you’ll have another dream.”

  Turning my focus back to Amelie, I sigh. “I hope so.”

  The dream world starts to shimmer, but then something grabs my attention at the far end of the garden. I grab Colin’s arm and point at the man who just appeared.

  “Colin, look!”

  Quickly, he focuses on the man and smiles. Walking toward Amelie is a certain royal arctic with piercing blue eyes. Her mate has arrived.

  26

  Kami

  Thanksgiving Day

  There are so many things to be thankful for, one being our family and friends. Tia and Sawyer are officially engaged and plan on marrying next summer. When Colin showed them the design he made for their house, they were ecstatic and planned to get started building it right away. It turns out Tia did tell him about her magic and that I’m aware of it too. By telling him this information, he’s gotten more curious about everything else, especially the time when he slept for those two days in Minnesota while I killed four of the most dangerous criminals on our target list. I have a feeling he knows I’m not normal, but he hasn’t asked me yet. One day, he will, and I’ll tell him what I am.

  The dinner was one of the best Thanksgiving meals I’ve ever had. I’m used to everyone sticking around after the meal and conversating for hours on end, but I think they were all excited for Colin and me to complete the bond tonight, so they all left early except Amelie. Unfortunately, Zayne was the only one who didn’t show. Colin says he felt his presence close by earlier, but then it disappeared. I guess he figured out Amelie was here. I don’t know what he’s afraid of. Mine and Colin’s plan of getting them together didn’t work. Maybe he’s right; I should let nature take its course. All I wanted was for their mating signs to appear. It doesn’t look like that will be happening anytime soon.

  Amelie scoops the last of her sweet potato casserole into a Tupperware container. “There you go. You can have it for leftovers tomorrow.”

  She hands me the tub, and I set it in the refrigerator. “Thanks, Amelie. I might have to hide it from Colin.”

  “I heard that,” Colin shouts from the other room.

  Amelie smiles. “You two have fun tonight.”

  I can feel the pull of the full moon, drawing me closer to Colin. “Don’t worry, we will,” I say, winking at her.

  Amelie grabs her keys off the kitchen counter and averts her gaze. She hasn’t asked me anything about the dream, but I have a feeling it’s because we weren’t alone.

  “Is there something on your mind?” I ask her.

  She clears her throat and bites her lip when she looks at me. “Is it that obvious?”

  I shrug. “A little. I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about.”

  Her eyes search mine. “Just tell me if you saw him. That’s all I want to know.” A smile spreads across my lips, and she breathes a sigh of relief. “He was there, wasn’t he?”

  “He was,” I answer, wishing I could tell her.

  She holds a hand over her heart. “Good. If I decide I want to know who he is, I’ll be sure to ask.” Opening her arms, she closes them around me and hugs me hard. “Happy Thanksgiving, Kami.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving to you too.”

  She lets me go, and I follow her into the living room so she can say goodbye to Colin. Once she’s gone, we have the house all to ourselves. I stroll over to him and lock my arms around his neck. “Tonight’s the night.”

  He snakes his arms around my waist. “Yes, it is. We could take a run and go from there.” His eyes twinkle mischievously. “Maybe I could give you a head start and chase you down.”

  I roll my eyes. “I don’t need a head start, but if you insist.” Not wasting any time, I turn on my heel and charge for the back door. “Come and get me!”

  The door slams open, and I take off for the woods, ripping my shirt and jeans off as fast as I can. Colin’s laugh echoes through the trees. “You better run faster than that!”

  As soon as my clothes are off, I shift. Everything around me heightens. I can smell the pine trees and the clean, crisp scent of the snow; it crunches underneath my paws as I run. Colin will be able to follow my paw prints, but that’s the point. I want him to find me. The moon shines slivers onto the ground through the trees, giving the night a magical glow.

  I can hear Colin behind me, the thumps of his paws thundering across the ground. There’s a small meadow not far from his house that I want to get to before he catches me. In my mind, it’s where I wanted to complete the bond. It has the perfect view of the sky, and tonight, the moon will be shining just right.

  The clearing is up ahead, and I push my legs faster. “I’m about to get you,” Colin teases.

  The second I step into the meadow, Colin’s weight presses down on my back, and we roll across the snow. We both shift back to our human forms, and he lands on top of me, smirking at his victory.

  “That was fun,” he says.

  I cup his cheeks. “After tonight, I’ll be faster.” I’ll be a royal.

  Colin’s gaze roams down to my lips. “Yes, you will. It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this moment.” Over the past three weeks, it’s what it felt like. So much has changed.

  “I’m ready when you are,” I murmur.

  His eyes darken with need. “Once we do this, we’re bonded forever. Are you sure you can put up with me that long?”

  I wink. “I’ll take my chances.” Colin’s raw and hungered gaze bores into mine, and my heart jumps. “Make love to me, Colin.” I don’t have to ask him twice. His lips crush into mine, his tongue tasting me like a starved man. As I wrap my legs around his waist, I try to pull him into me, but he resists like always.
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  He winks. “I can’t help it. It’s hot watching you want me the way you do. It turns me on so fucking bad.”

  “I always want you, Colin.”

  Keeping his eyes on mine, he trails his tongue down my chest to my breast, swiping it across a taut, sensitive nipple. My body lights on fire, and I push my breasts higher in the air, wanting more. He growls low and sucks harder. All I want is to feel him inside me.

  His fingers slowly trail down to my stomach. Getting into position between my legs, he spreads my knees wide and smiles. Blowing lightly over my sensitive skin, he brings his lips over my center and sucks my clit into his mouth.

  “Colin,” I breathe, gripping onto his head as he thrusts his tongue inside me.

  Arching my back, I give into his touch, moaning in delight as he explores me with his mouth while holding my legs out to the side with his weight. All too soon, he pulls away, leaving me breathless.

  Using his tongue, he licks a path down the inside of my thigh and back up while all I can do is pant. Fingers spreading me open, he nuzzles my clit with his nose, keeping his gaze on mine as he fucks me with his tongue. I’m getting close to losing control, and before I can hit my peak, Colin gives me one last lick and continues his torturous path up to my breasts.

  Colin slides up my body and gazes down at me with his sensual blue eyes. Pressing his hips against mine, he positions himself between my legs, grazing his cock along my opening as he swivels his hips in slow circles.

  Taking my face in his hands, he lowers his lips to mine and stays there, breathing me in with just the gentlest of touches. When he pulls back, he caresses my cheeks with his thumbs and tenderly pushes inside me until he’s all the way in.

  Panting, I bite my bottom lip, loving all the sensations exploding all around me. His hips move against mine, and I push mine down to take more of him into me. I can feel the magic of the moon swirling all around us. Soon, that magic will be inside of us, binding us together.