If he can save her from her past, she could be his future.
Shifter Rising, Book 1
Natasha Moon is running for her life. Though she’s managed to evade a forced mating, she arrives at a California safe house with no idea if the parents who entrusted her to an enigmatic Alpha are alive or dead.
The lone wolf who gets her to safety draws her like a magnet. But to him, she seems to be just another shifter in need. Just another female he thinks he can boss around.
Liam Grey avoids attachments at all costs. With his own demons to fight, he sticks to relocating shifters in trouble, not playing social worker. But when beautiful, fragile Natasha shows up desperate for more than just a place to stay, his inner wolf howls for a chance to give—and be—everything she needs.
Liam has his hands full keeping Natasha safe from other shifters, and from his own desire. But when Natasha’s ex-boyfriend tracks her down, Liam will have to push beyond the brink to keep her for himself—or lose her for good.
Warning: Contains an Alpha who can’t help sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted, and a feisty female who secretly wishes he’d rethink his paws-off policy.
Promised at the Moon
Rebekah R. Ganiere
Dedication
This is dedicated to the man who saved me and helped me become the woman, mother and writer I am today. Thanks, Bug.
Chapter One
Natasha raced through the darkened woods behind her home, heart pounding, harsh, icy breaths burning her lungs. The canary-yellow-and-black emergency bag her parents made her keep under the bed bounced against her spine, weighing her down. The set of keys her mom had shoved at her before pushing her out the basement window cut into her right palm.
“Keep moving.” Tate’s commanding voice floated through the Bluetooth. “You’re almost there.”
Gunshots rang out behind her. Natasha turned. Papa! A sharp pain pierced her bare foot. She stumbled, grabbing on to the nearest tree, and lifted her foot. A small bead of blood welled on the skin. She swiped at it. Nothing major. She had to keep going.
“You’ve stopped. Is something wrong?”
“I’m cut,” she panted.
She scanned the familiar surroundings, her excellent night vision catching everything. The tall, slender trees looked like giant matchsticks in the dark. What was she doing? A howl echoed behind her, followed by a second and then a third.
“If you want to get to safety, keep moving,” Tate urged.
Natasha took off again. The howls increased in sound and proximity.
“They’re getting closer,” she cried.
She zigzagged through the sparse foliage. A branch caught her under the left eye, slicing into her flesh. Tears blurred her vision and stung her cheeks like tiny, wet bees.
“You’re about a hundred yards from the car. Don’t stop.” Tate’s voice buzzed in her ear through the Bluetooth like a voice inside her head.
Move! Her feet ached from trampling over the rocks, sticks and brambles that carpeted the ground like land mines.
She skidded out onto the dirt road, trying to keep her balance. The cool, late-summer wind blew against her bare arms, making them pucker with goose bumps. Her pink cami and gray yoga pants did little to keep out the chill. The scent of damp leaves filled her nostrils.
“Are you still there?” she asked.
“Yes.” Tate was little comfort.
“I’m at the road.”
“Go fifty yards to the left and you should see the car.”
Natasha ran down the dirt access road her parents had cleared but never used. She’d always known her parents had a contingency plan for their escape if something ever happened. Most shifters did.
The windows of a dark Honda glinted the closer she got.
“There it is!”
Moving quicker than humanly possible, she aimed the key remote at the car and slammed her thumb down on the button. A scent hit her nose, stopping her short. A cry escaped her lips as her heartbeat faltered.
Out of the shadows to her left a large male appeared. An involuntary squeak escaped her lips.
“Are you at the car?” asked Tate.
Natasha’s stomach twisted like a wet rope. She sucked air into her lungs, trying to catch her breath. The tall male advanced on her, blocking her means of escape.
“Hello, Nat.”
“Daniel.” Her pulse thundered in her ears.
“Going somewhere?” He dragged a long nail down the side of the car. She winced at the shrill, grating sound. “I came for you, but you weren’t home. You know tonight’s the deadline, sweetheart.”
“Get to the car,” said Tate.
“I already gave you my decision. I won’t be your mate.”
Daniel sighed. “We’ve talked about this before. We’re meant for each other. The merging of our two packs is needed for the good of both. You made a promise.”
How did he still not get it? She’d broken it off with him months ago. “That was four years ago. I was sixteen. I didn’t know what I was saying.”
“My parents were mated at sixteen.”
“Those were different times.”
Natasha moved sideways around the car toward the passenger side, wishing her father were there. Her parents had prepared for this scenario. She couldn’t make it all for nothing. As much as it ripped her up inside, she had to keep moving forward.
“Did you kill my parents?” she choked.
Daniel stared at her, and his eye twitched. “They’re trying to keep us apart.”
She stopped moving. Her rib cage caved in, ready to crush her thundering heartbeat. “Did you kill them?” she screamed.
“I wasn’t in the house when the shots went off. I’m sure they’ll be just fine if you come with me.” He licked his lips, a motion she’d seen him do a million times. She used to find it sexy, until she’d realized it meant he was lying.
Tears burned behind her eyelids and her legs wobbled. Every inch of her wanted to run back and see if they were okay. If they were dead, how would she make it?
He smiled and held his hand out to her. “Come with me, Nat, and no one else needs to get hurt.”
She moved around the Honda. Think!
He tracked her with precision. His strong, handsome face held a mixture of anger and lust. She inched toward the front of the car and he mimicked her steps with his own.
She held the keyless entry tight in her fist. If she pushed the button again, he’d hear.
“I won’t go with you.” She needed a distraction. She was strong in her own right, but not as strong as Daniel.
“Can you get in the car?” asked Tate.
“If you let me go, I won’t tell the rest of my pack.” Natasha brushed tears from her eyes. Stumbling over a mound of dirt, she grabbed the car for support.
“You need to get him away from the car.” Tate’s flat, clinical voice sounded like a drill sergeant’s.
“Sweetheart, after we’re mated, no one will be able to keep us apart.” He moved at her fast. She gasped, pressing herself against the passenger door.
His piercing blue eyes held desire. He stepped into her space, making her shiver. His body was so familiar she knew every line. She’d seen him grow into a handsome, strong male. His musky scent hit her, no longer bringing with it a wave of longing.
He brushed her cheek with his hand, his palm lingering. When she didn’t pull away, he leaned his body into hers.
“Get him close and the
n attack.”
Natasha swallowed hard. Her head whirled. She tried to push her hair back, but it clung to her sweat-soaked face and neck. Her heart beat so loudly, it sounded like an echo in the night.
“You feel it, I know you do, Nat. The connection between us is unbreakable. No matter where you go, no matter how long it takes, I’ll always find you. You’re mine and I’m yours. I have been, since I first laid eyes on you.” He cupped her face. “Come back with me,” he whispered. His lips dipped down to hers. He lingered, not quite touching. Her body shook as adrenaline pumped through her. He pressed his lips to hers. She breathed in his warm breath, the taste familiar and wrong.
A howl sounded in the distance. Daniel lifted his head and answered the call. Striking out with her knee, she caught him in the groin, doubling him over. He roared in pain and she kicked him again in the face, flipping him onto his back.
“I’ll never be yours!” She slammed her foot into his gut.
“You bitch!” He gasped and rolled to his side.
“Get in the car!” Tate shouted.
Natasha raced to the driver’s side, pushing on the button to unlock the car over and over, making the lights flash and the horn beep. She gripped the cold metal handle and pulled. It didn’t open. She pressed the button again and still the door didn’t open. Daniel banged on the trunk of the car, trying to steady himself on his feet.
Come on! Come on! What the hell is wrong with this thing?
“You’re going to pay for that, Nat!” He spat blood on the ground.
Natasha looked down at the remote. Her finger was on the lock button. Damn! She moved her finger to unlock. Daniel reached the rear wheel well, his arm outstretched. She pushed the button, and the car lights flickered and the horn beeped again. She threw the door open right as Daniel reached for her. Scrambling inside, she slammed the door, locking it. He yanked on the handle.
His bloodied face peered in the window; lips pulled into a sneer, incisors gleaming in the night. He punched the window with his fist.
“Open the door!”
“Start the car,” Tate ordered.
Natasha’s hands shook trying to get the key in the ignition. Daniel reared back his fist and connected with the window again. The glass cracked but didn’t break.
“Please!” she prayed.
Daniel punched again as the car roared to life. Natasha turned her head just in time. Shards of glass showered her hair and neck. A large, clawed hand grabbed her shoulder, grinding the shards into her flesh.
She cried out, put the car in gear and floored the pedal.
Daniel hung on tight, half running, half dragged by the car. His claws dug into her.
“Let go!” She struck out, and he grabbed her wrist.
“Never!”
Natasha wrenched the wheel, pushing him with the car. He stumbled and fell. The car bumped up and down. She whipped her head backward, but everything was obscured in a cloud of dirt.
The roars that came from behind confirmed she’d run over him. She should stop and make sure he was okay, but to do so was a life sentence.
She sped down the dirt road, nose running, tears streaking down her cheeks. She blinked and swiped at her face. She had to see where she was going.
“You’re about a mile from the highway.”
“I think…I think…I think I hurt him really bad,” she blubbered.
“That no longer matters. You’re covered either way. Keep driving.”
“My parents…”
“You need to get to the highway.” His voice had softened. “Head south and keep going.”
“Aren’t you going to stay on the phone?”
“I help people in need. You’re currently out of danger. I’ll text you an address on your emergency phone. You have cash and a handful of prepaid cards. I’ll send you a new ID when you pick a name and get settled.”
“But—”
“I have to go. I have another caller.” His voice held a hint of compassion that had her on the verge of tears again. “Oh, and Natasha?”
“Yes?”
“Take the battery out of your phone and throw them both out of the car so you can’t be tracked.”
Natasha’s Bluetooth beeped off. She reached the highway and stopped to glance both ways. The adrenaline tapered off and her limbs shook. She hugged herself tightly and bowed her head. She had to do this. Her parents had raised her to be strong. She threw the Bluetooth into the seat next to her and grabbed her phone. She fished out the battery and held it out her window. She stared at it for several seconds before setting it back in the passenger seat.
Gulping down a tremendous breath, she gripped the wheel, turned left and headed south.
* * * * *
An hour later, Natasha pulled into a deserted rest stop. She gazed at the cement restroom. Her ragged breath coursed in and out. She stretched to relieve the ache in her back and realized she still wore her backpack. Reaching to remove the pack, she winced when pain shot through her arm. She tilted the rearview mirror at herself. The cut below her eye had already sealed shut but four pieces of glass protruded from her shoulder and collarbone. With trembling fingers, she pried them free. Small cuts covered her chest and neck. Glass blanketed her lap like party confetti and sprinkled her legs. She stepped out onto the cold asphalt, spilling the shards to the ground. The seat, floor mats and every surface of the car were littered with the small fragments.
After removing her backpack, she set it on the ground and then unzipped it. She pulled out her emergency hoodie and threw it over her bloodied cami. Next, she fished out her sneakers and slipped them on. The rest of the bag contained wads of cash, a full wallet, keys to several safety deposit boxes.
She stared at the pieces of colored plastic that now represented the wealth her family had amassed over the last seventy years as land developers. This was all that she had left. A mournful cry escaped her lips. One of a thousand she’d unleashed over the last hour at the loss of her parents. Never again would she hear her dad call her his bebe. Never again would she change at the full moon, her mother on her left and her father out in front, always protecting and keeping watch for danger. Never again would she smell his aftershave or be tickled by his whiskers or watch sappy old Cary Grant movies with her mom or—
She stopped herself, refusing to crumple to the ground and die of a broken heart.
It was possible her parents were still alive. Maybe they’d gotten out of the house. Her father was an Alpha.
In the front pocket of her bag were two prepaid cell phones. Her hand trembled as she dialed her father’s emergency cell number. It went straight to an automated message, and her hope plummeted.
“Papa, please call me. I’m okay but I don’t know where I’m going.” She sucked in a large breath. “I think I might have killed Daniel. Or at least hurt him really bad. I love you. I love Mama.” She choked back a sob and blew out a low breath. She had to keep it together. He would expect her to. “Please call.”
She turned off the phone and closed her eyes, setting it against her forehead. She needed to get ahold of herself. Her parents had raised her better. In a werewolf community there was always the threat of violence in one form or another. And the thread that held the peace between her pack and Daniel’s was getting thinner. Fights had broken out over territory. Two had almost resulted in death. She’d not counted on the violence being about her. Some of her original pack members had even joined Daniel’s pack. With the money he and his father had spread around, she didn’t know who in her pack she could still trust.
She shoved the phone in her bag and pulled down the sleeves of her hoodie. Her bracelet! She searched the ground and the floor of the car.
Her palms scratched against the pins of glass as she searched under the seats. There was nothing there. Where was it?
Natasha stomped her feet and lifted he
r head and howled into the night. She slapped her hands over her mouth and whirled around to see if anyone had heard. She and the rest of her kind lived as humans every day of the month, except during the full moon. No one knew of their existence, and to show yourself to a human could have dire consequences. To howl in public was reckless at best.
She needed her bracelet. She had less than a month before the next full moon. Without it, she would be helpless against the moon’s sway. She hadn’t shifted in months. Without her wolfsbane bracelet, the shift would be worse than ever, and she didn’t know where she was going or where to run or…or…or—
Drained, she gathered her things, picked up her backpack and used it to wipe as much glass as possible from her seat before getting back in. She leaned forward and rested her head on the steering wheel. Giant heaves wracked her body. The wind whipped through the broken window, bringing with it the scent of the public bathroom.
The need to reach out to her pack for support all but consumed her. But the dread of not knowing who had betrayed her parents kept her from calling anyone. Her family home had been more than guarded. There was no way Daniel had gotten in without inside help. Her pack would be divided by her father’s death. Fighting would start for the new Alpha. Maybe they’d see her as a hindrance.
She wiped her face on her sleeve and breathed deeply several times. All she had was the cash in her bag and a man named Tate, whom she’d never met in person, to get her to safety. Natasha only hoped she could trust him.
Chapter Two
Liam lounged on his motorcycle and checked his watch. The bright Malibu, California sun shone down on the asphalt, making his leather coat too warm. The text from Tate at the Night Shift Relocation Corporation two days before had said a twenty-year-old female named Natasha Moon was in need of emergency help. He’d agreed to get her to a safe house, texting Tate and telling him to have the female meet him at noon.
It was twelve fifteen. Waiting wasn’t his strong suit, but he owed a debt to pay it forward. Because of it, he’d started relocating young people who needed distance from their packs for one reason or another. So far he’d relocated eight shifters.
Promised at the Moon: Shifter Rising, Book 1 Page 1
