Rise of the Moon (A Royal Shifters novel Book 3)

by L. P. Dover

  Her gaze saddens when she looks at me. "Yes. I've tried to get him to stop, but he won't. The Lyall's are loyal, and they're true to their word. Sometimes I think it's keeping him from finding his mate."

  "I think my dad's guilt is what keeps him from his," I murmur, turning my attention back to the road. Even if I didn't agree to have him as my protector, he would've vowed to be it anyway.

  The first trailhead we get to is at Taggart Lake. I pull into the parking lot, and there isn't a single car around. We hop out of the car and start on our way down the trail. Everywhere you look, there are blankets of smooth snow, no footprints whatsoever except for the occasional hoof prints of the elk.

  We walk through the snow, and it makes a crunching sound with each step I take. "I don't know why, but I love the sound of walking through snow."

  Faith giggles. Her steps are nowhere near as loud as mine. "Not if you're trying to sneak up on someone."

  I look over at her. "Have you ever had to kill anyone?"

  She shakes her head. "Not yet. Hopefully, I don't ever have to. Micah's trained me my entire life. If I get in a situation where I have to fight, I'm confident I can take care of myself." She says the last part loud enough for Micah to hear her. A low growl echoes through the woods, and we laugh.

  "I think I can too," I roar. "I seem to recall a certain wolf falling in a hole the other day."

  Faith snickers. "That was epic. I would give anything to have your kind of magic."

  "I wish you could too. Then maybe, I wouldn't be so much of a freak."

  She grabs my wrist, halting me. "You're not a freak, Laila. You're special."

  "Thanks. I don't know what I would've done the past month without you and Amelie." She lets me go, and we continue on our way down the trail.

  "You know, Christmas is coming up. We should get a tree," Faith suggests.

  The idea makes me smile. For once, I'll be able to celebrate the holidays with my real family. "That would be great. I don't think I've ever had a normal Christmas."

  "No Christmas tree?"

  I snort. "Definitely, not. No, the Sierra Pack didn't celebrate the holidays the traditional way. Their Christmas presents to each other were hunting down and killing other wolves. Always bloodshed."

  Faith scrunches her nose up in disgust. "What the hell? I can't imagine what that was like."

  "Let's just say it wasn't full of holiday cheer. I take it Micah always made sure you had a good Christmas?"

  She nods. "We used to get a tree and decorate it. Then, on Christmas day, we'd have a huge dinner, just him and me. I would make all the trimmings, and he'd bake the ham. Then, for dessert, I'd make some fudge and peanut butter balls."

  My stomach growls. "Please tell me you'll make them for this Christmas."

  "Of course," she laughs. "Can't have Christmas without treats."

  "Or without magic," I add, veering off the path toward the thickest blankets of snow. I place my hands over the top of it, and as soon as I feel my power, I open my eyes and smile as the snow twirls in a little mini-tornado.

  Faith gasps. "What are you doing?"

  "Watch," I whisper. In my mind, I know what I want the snow to become. A few seconds later, I reach into the fluffy pile of snow and pull out a large, frozen snowflake. I lift it for Faith to see. "If you want, I can decorate the house with these."

  "Oh, my God," Faith squeals. "That is amazing." She takes the snowflake and holds it in her hand. "It's not melting."

  I shake my head. "No, it won't. Not unless I want them to."

  "I didn't know you could do this kind of stuff with earth magic?" she said, gazing at me in awe.

  I shrug. "Honestly, I don't know what all I'm capable of. From what I've read in my mother's journals, my power is slightly different from the normal fae. I can do things that a lot of them can't."

  Faith lifts the snowflake in the air and studies it. "You could be like Seraphina. Maybe your wolf side is magical too. Mix that with your fae abilities, and you could be some super fae shifter witch."

  I burst out laughing. "Super fae shifter witch. I like it."

  When we finally reach Taggart Lake, I gasp in amazement. It's frozen and surrounded by the majestic Teton mountains. I hop up onto a huge boulder and look down into the water. It's so clear it's like looking through glass. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow and watch the steam billow in the wind. I feel a shift in the earth behind me, and that's when I hear an unfamiliar voice.

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

  Heart racing, I get on the offense and jerk around. Faith does the same. I can feel her wolf on the surface, alert, and ready to strike. A guy steps out from the trees, dressed in black leather pants and a black shirt, open in the front to reveal his pale skin. I can feel his magic. He's fae. Judging by the dark hair and icy blue eyes, I know he's not a summer fae like me, but winter. My mother wrote about all the different fae in her journals.

  "Who are you?" I shout.

  He holds up his hands. "I don't have long. Just know I'm not here to hurt you. My name's Beck. I've been waiting for you to get away from the Sierra pack for years. I promised your mother I would come for you." I freeze at his words, and Faith grabs hold of my arm. Growls erupt behind me, and Beck turns his attention to my father and Micah, who are probably only two seconds away from attacking. Beck steps back towards the trees. "I'll be back, Laila. One way or another, I'll find a way to you."

  The next second he's standing between the trees, and then bam. I see a hazy shimmer, and then he's gone.

  After the encounter, Faith and I leave to go back home with my father and Micah close on our heels. I'm in shock. I've never been approached by another fae before, nor do I know what it means. Faith and I sit on the couch while Micah stands guard at the door, and my father paces the floor in front of us.

  "And you said this has never happened before?" my father asks.

  I've already told him this. "Yes, for the millionth time. All I know is that his name is Beck. I have no clue who he is or what he wants."

  Micah glances out the door window. "We all know Alina was good. This guy could be too."

  My father huffs. "True, but we don't know. I can't take any chances. For all we know, he wants her to go back with him. I can't let that happen."

  Eyes wide, I jump to my feet. "You mean to the Land of the Fae?"

  He stops his pacing and looks at me. I can see the fear in his eyes. He already lost my mother, and I know he doesn't want to lose me. "If you go there, I don't know if you'll be able to come back," he replies, his voice torn. "I can't cross over and save you. I'm not fae."

  Micah sighs. "We have to tell the pack. Everyone needs to be on guard in case this is a bad thing. I'm hoping it's not, but we've never dealt with any of the fae other than Alina."

  The mention of my mother's name makes my father wince as if he's been struck. It kills me to see him in pain. He focuses on Micah and nods. "I'll get everyone together. You stay here and keep the girls safe."

  He storms out of the house, and then he's gone, just a white blur racing through the trees. I walk over to Micah but keep my gaze on the woods. I have a feeling things aren't going to go the way I want.

  "What happens now?"

  I meet Micah's gaze, and he sighs again. "Once my brother lets everyone know what happened, you'll probably have more wolves watching over you."

  Groaning, I lean against the wall. "Micah, I just came from a pack that kept me under lock and key. I can't go through that again."

  He nods, and I can feel his genuineness. "I know. It'd be a lot easier if you were mated. The mind to mind link comes in handy sometimes."

  Faith jumps off the couch. "She does have a mate. She felt him."

  Micah glances over at her and then to me, his mouth gaping in shock. "Seriously? Why didn't you say anything? Who is it?"

  I shrug. "Don't know. I felt him at the party last night."

  Micah runs a hand through his blond hair. "Holy shit, this is crazy. We
need to find out who it is."

  I grab his hands. "Please don't say anything. Let's keep this between us. At least, until the meeting is over."

  He huffs and shakes his head. "Dammit, Laila. Why do you women always make things difficult for me?"

  Faith giggles and kisses his cheek. "Because we love you."

  He scoffs. "Yeah, right." His eyes bore into mine, and I know he can sense what I'm trying to hide. "Why are you scared, Laila?"

  Turning my back on him, I walk to the other side of the room to peer out at the mountains. In my reflection, I can even see the worry in my eyes. Why am I scared? The answer's simple.

  "I'm scared because I don't know who it is Micah. The guy is going to be a stranger. I know it's a huge thing to find your true mate, but I don't have the full mind of a shifter. For years, I hated that side of me, especially after seeing what the Sierra pack was capable of." Tears well up in my eyes. I glance over my shoulder at him and Faith. "I'm more fae than anything."

  Micah closes the distance between us. He looks so much like my father. "You may be mostly fae, but whoever your mate is will love you for who you are. Embrace it. It's a love I'm hoping to find one day."

  He wipes away my tears, and I wrap my arms around his neck. "Thanks, Micah. You'll find your mate one day. I have no doubt." Now all I have to do is figure out who mine is.

  Five

  Cedric

  I've been at it all day, trying my best to bury myself in work, but nothing's working. I was supposed to meet Bethany at her house after the party, but she’s the farthest thing from my mind now. The desire I once had for her is completely gone, like it never existed. I can't think of anything but my mate; only I don't know who she is. Or do I? Deep down, I have a feeling I know who she is, but it can't be right.

  "Hey, Convel!" Ryker shouts.

  "Yeah," I holler back, gritting my teeth as I grip the fallen tree in my arms and throw it off the trail. Ryker and I are park rangers for the Grand Teton National Park. The winter is slow with tourists, but we still walk the paths to clear out any fallen trees that would hinder hikers. It's the perfect job for someone like us.

  Ryker joins me, and his brows lift when he sees the tree I just threw. "Damn, Hercules."

  Chuckling, I brush the snow off my uniform. "What can I say?"

  Ryker narrows his gaze further down the trail. "It's getting late. I don't think there's anything pressing we need to handle as far as I can see. We can pick back up tomorrow. I think there are more trees down this year than I've ever seen before."

  I nod. "Agreed."

  We have three miles until we get back to the trail entrance. The snow is about a couple of feet deep, and there's still more coming down. Ryker and I always take the more challenging trails over our human co-workers. Before we came along, there were casualties left and right.

  Ryker clears his throat. "So … I noticed some tension between you and Colin last night."

  My teeth clench, and I try my best to tamp down my anger. "He doesn't like that I'm friends with his sister."

  Ryker shakes his head. "That may be part of it, but he's also jealous of you."

  I scoff. "Why? I'm a simple gray wolf. Not a royal or an arctic like you guys."

  He's royal now because he bonded with Bailey. If I were to mate with a royal, I would become one too. Ryker stops in front of me; his expression is serious. "Colin is jealous of you. That's his problem. He sees the way the entire pack respects you. They look to you more so than him." He places his hands on my shoulders. "You've always been an alpha, Cedric. That's why I trust you with our pack."

  We continue on our way, and thoughts of my mate come flooding back. I've tried not thinking about her, but my wolf is impatient. Jealous even. It pisses me off thinking of her being around other men.

  "Care to tell me what's on your mind?" Ryker asks. "I can feel your anger."

  With a heavy sigh, I keep my focus on the trail. "There's something I haven't told you."

  "What is it?"

  I stop and face him. "Last night at the party, I felt my mate. She was there."

  Ryker's eyes widen. "Holy shit, you're serious?"

  "Yeah, but I don't know who she is. I just know she was in the building."

  Ryker throws his arms around me. "Dammit, brother, this is awesome. We'll find her. It's obviously someone you've never interacted with, or else you would've known." I thought about it, and there's only one female who comes to mind. Laila. She's the only female I have yet to actually meet face to face. I feel fucking stupid even thinking it. There's no way someone like her could be my mate.

  Ryker's phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket. He looks down at the screen, brows furrowed. "Hey, Zayne."

  I can hear Zayne through the phone, saying something happened to Laila. The mention of her name sparks something inside of me. Protect her. I'm on full alert, my wolf just underneath the surface. I want to go to her to see if she truly is my mate. If she is, I want to claim her in every way possible. I want to keep her safe. What makes it worse is that I know it won't happen like that. She's different; a royal and half-fae. I'm a former rogue and a simple gray. Not worthy of her.

  "Meet us at my house. Cedric and I will call the others." Ryker huffs and slips his phone into his pocket. "We have to go. Now."

  We run the rest of the way down the trail, which only takes a couple of minutes. Once in his truck, we head on our way out of the park. "What the hell's going on?" I growl.

  Ryker blows out a sigh. "I don't know what it means. Zayne said that Laila and Faith went out for a hike. They were just a few miles away from us, but too far for us to sense them."

  "And?" I snap impatiently.

  His eyes snap to mine. Judging by the knowing look on his face, he knows. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from him. "You think it's her, don't you? Laila."

  I shrug. "I don't know. She's the only female I haven't officially met. Everyone else, I've been around."

  Ryker sighs again. "If she is your mate, you won't like this. Zayne said a winter fae approached her in the woods. He didn't say what he wanted."

  "Fuck," I growl, running a hand through my hair. "Nobody knows jack shit about the fae. What if they try to take her away?"

  I don’t know of anyone who has met a fae other than Laila, and she's only half-fae. I've heard about her powers and what she can do with them. Shifters are magical beings too, but that's only in physical strength. The fae are on a different level. They have powers that go beyond ours.

  Ryker looks over at me, concern written all over his face. "That's what we need to figure out. Right now, we have to call everyone."

  I pull out my phone. "On it." I call all of the men in the pack, except for Colin. I'll leave that to Zayne.

  By the time we get to Ryker's house, everyone is in the front yard waiting on us. Out of our entire pack, we have about twenty men now that we've included Zayne, Sebastian, Micah, and Colin. All of them are in the yard except for Micah. He's Faith's protector, so I can only assume he's with her and Laila. Someone better be there.

  Ryker and I get out of the truck and join them. "Tell us all what happened?" Ryker says to Zayne.

  The pack makes a circle around him, and he glances at us all. I want to know what's going on. My wolf is restless, and it's taking every ounce of energy I have to keep my feelings hidden. I don't want anyone knowing about the bond until I'm sure it's with Laila. If she knew already, Faith would've told me.

  "Micah and I were following Laila and Faith on the Taggart Lake trail," Zayne explains, "when a winter fae appeared in the woods. As you all know, Laila is half-fae. Her mother was part of the summer court. I'm not familiar with the winter fae, but that's what the man was."

  Ryker holds up a hand. "Did you sense any danger?"

  Zayne sighs. "No, but I didn't want him getting close to her. He looked at her in a way I can't explain. Almost like he knows her somehow and cares for her."

  Hearing those words infuriates me. I can feel
my fangs lengthen behind my lips and my claws dig into my skin, drawing blood. Ryker jerks his attention to me and places a hand on my shoulder, stepping in front of me so nobody else can see my glowing eyes. "Calm down, brother."

  Taking a deep breath, it only takes a couple of seconds for everything to go back to normal. I've never lost control like that before. When Ryker moves to the side, several wolves stare curiously at me, mainly Sebastian and a couple of the older wolves who are already mated. They know what it's like to feel the way I do.

  "What all did the fae say to Laila?" Ryker asks Zayne.

  Zayne's jaw clenches. "His name is Beck. He said he's been waiting for her to get away from the Sierra pack. He also said that he promised her mother that he'd come for her."

  "Come for her, how? As in taking her away?" I question, hoping like hell I don't lose my shit. If the fae wants to take her away to his realm, he'll have to go through me first.

  Zayne closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Laila is part fae. I love her more than anything in this world. It's her right to go to the Land of the Fae if she wants to. I won't stop her." He opens his eyes, and they glow. "But if any of them try to force her, I'll kill them all."

  I will gladly do the same, but that's not my concern. His words haunt me. It's her right to go to the Land of the Fae if she wants to. What if she does? What if she leaves and never comes back? Unfortunately, I know what'll happen to me if she does, and it won't be pretty.

  Ryker joins Zayne in the middle of the circle. "I know you're Laila's protector, but I want some of my wolves to help you."

  Zayne nods in agreement. "The more, the better."

  "I'll help," I say quickly. "I'll do whatever I can."

  Ryker knows why I want to be there. Everyone else agrees to take shifts, but I know I'll be there no matter what, especially if it turns out she's my mate. I refuse to let anyone protect her other than myself, except for her father.

  Colin glares at me from across the yard, but Sebastian walks over to him and says something that sends him inside Ryker's house. Once he's gone, Sebastian comes over to me and glances over his shoulder to make sure no one else is around.