I pulled on a pair of sweats and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. My stomach growled in agreement.
Within minutes, bacon sizzled in the skillet. I whipped up some of my favorite stuffed French toast. Aylin wasn't one of those women who worried about carb counts. Hell, she was curvy in all the right places and knew how to accent her hourglass figure.
I placed the bread into the skillet, grinning like a fool when the smell of vanilla and cinnamon filled the kitchen. It was homey. Domestic. I never thought of myself as a Betty Crocker, but with Aylin, I would wear that crown with honor.
Insistent pounding at my door interrupted my homey thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I wasn't expecting any visitors. I wiped my hands on a kitchen towel, slung it over my shoulder and walked to the door.
I doubted any satanic bastards would knock before pursuing me or Aylin.
“What?” I opened the door. I shivered. My body wasn't reacting to the chilly air, but to the deathly glare I received from the youngest member of the pack—Aylin's brother, Andrew.
“You bastard!” Drew shoved past me.
“Sure, Drew, come on in.” I shut the door and returned to the kitchen to flip the French toast.
“Where is she?” Drew stomped to the kitchen, then the living room, before heading back to the bedroom.
Before he entered the hallway, I blocked his way. “Hold up, man.”
“I want to see my sister.” Drew pushed forward. “I know she's here.”
“Drew, calm down, man. She's sleeping. It was a rough night for us.” I held up my hands to block another push. The half-moon on my wrist glowed.
“You bastard!”
Drew swung his fist through the air. I blocked the right hook, but his left jab connected with my jaw. I grunted.
“Okay, man, that's your only freebie for the day.” I gave him an opportunity to back away, but the son of a bitch swung again.
I didn't think twice. I tackled him at the waist. We went down, demolishing my coffee table.
Wood chunks littered the floor. Glass shattered as we rolled around. I could have dropped him quicker, but didn't want to hurt the young pup. Plus, Aylin would be pissed if I did.
Drew kicked, hitting my stomach right below my liver. I gasped. “Fuck!”
“Drew?” A confused and pale Aylin leaned against the wall.
“Aylin.” I scrambled to my feet and stepped toward her, but the smoke alarm chirped. “Ugh.” I raced toward the kitchen.
Aylin and Drew's footsteps followed close behind.
I grabbed the smoking skillet from the stove and tossed the burnt French toast into the trash can. I tossed the skillet into the sink. Smoke bellowed up from the water. “Shit.”
Drew grabbed a napkin and dabbed at his bloody lip.
Grabbing a towel, Aylin waved it back and forth in front of the alarm to clear the smoke. Once the annoying chirping stopped, the silence became deafening.
“Well.” Aylin jumped on my island, her bravado falling short with her shaky hands. “Something smelled wonderful before it burnt to ashes.”
I grinned, pretending not to notice how frail she looked. “Oh, it will be wonderful.” I pulled eggs from the fridge to start over.
“Aylin, what the fuck?” Drew stalked toward her, eyeing her imprint then my own.
“Hey, man,” I said, “watch how you speak to your sister.” Couldn't he see how weak she was?
Drew narrowed his eyes. “Mind your own.”
I walked toward the island. Aylin's face flushed. I cupped her chin and placed a gentle kiss against her lips. “I am. Aylin's mine.” I left no room for doubt in Aylin's mind or Drew's.
She shoved me backward. “I—” she placed way too much emphasis on that one word “—am my own.”
I linked our fingers together. The strands of our imprints joined in a dance of their own. “I wouldn't want it any other way.” I laid another light kiss against her lips. This time she didn't shove me away.
“Since when did you complete a soulbond?” Drew's fists clenched at his sides. “You've both just put the whole pack at risk.”
“We haven't completed the bond,” Aylin clarified.
“Sure, whatever.” Drew huffed.
“Man, seriously. Do you have no manners?” I grabbed a bowl and whipped up more batter.
“This coming from you,” Drew said.
I mocked hurt, but smiled. He had a point. Changing the subject, I asked, “Who's hungry?”
“I think you two have some explaining to do.” Drew tossed the bloodied napkin in the trash. “I went to Aylin's house and discovered a crazy bitch there. A kooky thing, who tells me Aylin is with her soulbonded mate. Imagine my surprise when she points me in this direction.”
Aylin lowered her head, but never faltered. “Sorry, Drew. I should've told you.”
“Shit, Aylin, I mean how long has this been going on?” He pointed at Connor. “Is that why Gabriel attacked him last night?”
“Nothing's been going on. Gabriel thought he could stop another soulbond by attacking Connor.”
“But he didn't.” I waved my hand at her, displaying our imprint.
“Fine,” she admitted. “Gabriel must have known you were my mate. But he failed.”
“Only because of the blood magic,” I said.
“Wait, shut the door!” Drew squinted at Aylin. “You completed blood magic? Aylin, you know better.”
“I had to, Drew. Using dark magic was the only way to save Connor from death. Blood magic can only be reversed by blood magic.”
“No, it isn’t. You know the risks of blood magic. It's dark. The taint of the spell can live within you for weeks. It can cause you to turn dark.” Drew glared at me. “And you let her.”
“Hmm...” I was unconscious at the time, I wanted to say. But I didn't. I couldn't. “You're right. I should have been stronger, but I wasn't.”
“Connor would have died,” Aylin added.
“You don't know that.” Drew placed an arm around her shoulders. “I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.”
“First, I know Connor would have died. Second, I'm not going anywhere. And third—” she shoved Drew away “—quit trying to protect me. I'm older, remember. I protect you.”
“But I'm supposed to protect you. I'm the man of the family.”
“I can defend myself.” Aylin jumped off the island and set the table, while I scooped up the stuffed French toast. The bacon, though, was beyond saving.
“So you say,” Drew said.
A timid knock on the wall sounded, followed by a very quaint, “Excuse me.”
Luna walked into the room, her small, pale frame taking hesitant footsteps. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but the door was open. I came to check on you two and see if you were okay.” She eyed Drew as if deciding whether she needed to protect us from him.
Aylin grabbed her in a brief hug. “Thank you. Without your skillful observation—” she pointed to me “—this bastard probably would've died.”
“Hey, this bastard has a name.” I couldn't wait to hear Aylin scream my name while in the throes of passion, but I tamped that thought down for later.
Luna wiggled her foot from side to side and peeked at me through strands of hair, then lowered her gaze again. “I did nothing other than state the obvious.”
Drew huffed. “I'm out, but we will talk later, Aylin.”
He scowled at Luna, who returned his hateful stare with the sweetest smile I had ever seen. The eighteen-year-old child would give Drew a run for his money one day.
“I'd better go too. See you later.” She ran after Drew.
Aylin laughed and took a big bite of her breakfast. “God, I'm starved.”
Me too, but I wanted more than what was served on the kitchen table.
Chapter Eight
Aylin
I stood outside Connor's cabin in the late evening air. My skin tingled with the need to shift. My wolf paced, excited at the freedom that would come when my more
primitive side surfaced. I embraced the change. The magical essence swam through my body, taking control of my human half. I raised my head to the sky and called forth my animal spirit.
My body contorted—bones stretching, skin spurting fur, and my face becoming longer, narrower. Sharp canines pierced through my gums. My eyesight sharpened. A sleek auburn wolf replaced my human form.
I shook from side to side, the tension from the shift fading with every jolt. The wild called to me like the caress of a lover. My inner self grinned.
I needed to be free.
To run.
My paws pounded against the frozen ground of the forest. I ran from Connor, our bond, and the life that was being forced upon me. A twig snapped. My ears perked, but I didn't slow down. I didn't care who paced in the distance. I was free.
My heart sped with the exertion. The frosty air condensed my breath to frosty clouds.
I howled and ran faster. My eyes narrowed on the path of the shallow stream. Water splashed, soaking my fur. The crisp air burned my lungs and chilled my soul.
An instinctive need to run forward had me continuing on my path. But the frantic yip of a young pup in trouble brought me to a swift halt. I listened.
Head raised, tail high, I sniffed the air.
The familiar scent of two male pack members calmed me.
A snarl followed by another distraught yap raised my hackles. I leapt over a downed log, ran amid thistles, and splashed through muck before I jumped into a clearing.
A small, silver pup lay on her back, submitting to two male wolves that circled and snapped at the young female. I snarled at them, inserting myself between the pup and the wolves like a mother protecting her child.
Stop! She is no threat.
Howls reminiscent of laughter greeted my plea. My lips curled in a snarl, exposing my sharp canine teeth.
Aylin, go home! Mack, the larger one, growled.
Not a chance. She's with me.
Continuing to circle, the wolves goaded me to submit, which was something I would never do. I was the enforcer, not some young female new to the pack.
When Mack circled too close, I snapped. He jumped back and growled a low warning that I didn’t heed.
Aylin, she's not pack. Alpha Lowell ordered that no one is allowed on pack land during this time. Mack’s smooth rumble ran over my body, commanding me to listen.
He was right, but I hadn't introduced Luna to Bryn and Liam. They would accept her. I hoped.
I'm bringing her to them today. The lame response rolled off my tongue like rain down a windowpane. I should have introduced Luna to them sooner, but I had had other things on my mind. Connor's cocky grin flashed through my mind and heated my skin.
Mack shifted into his human form. The man hovered over me in his flannel sweater and tight jeans. His six-foot-four frame demanded I relinquish my wolf. Damn it! I wanted to run and be free. Now, I had to be an adult and face the protectors of the pack.
I called back my wolf and urged her to allow my human side forward. She shook her head, wanting to stay and guard her new friend. Her hesitation surprised me. My wolf and I were always on the same page, but tonight she rebelled. My inner self snarled and commanded her to step aside.
I hated to argue with my wolf. It had been too long since I allowed her to run free. And we needed this. But I also needed to speak with Mack, and he preferred human form.
C'mon girl, I cooed to my wolf. We'll run afterwards. I promise.
She whimpered, but moved to the deeper part of my mind, allowing my human side to step forward. The shift came easily. I tossed my long, red hair over my shoulders and eyed the two men before me. Mack and Cole were good men and great for the Lowell pack. They honored Liam, but didn't agree with my position within the pack. Few understood why I was the enforcer. Only those whom I had to handle would agree with Liam's decision.
I faced down these two testosterone-filled men who deemed Luna a threat.
“You escort her off the premises, or I will,” Mack said.
I tilted my head. It wasn't often that someone within the pack challenged me, but this was a new time. Liam worried about his wife and unborn child. The command to keep all non-pack members off our land was vital, and I had defied that order. But Luna was Bryn's half-sister, and I had a feeling she would help us in our fight against the rebels and Gabriel.
Bryn and Liam would understand once I introduced her to them.
“No, I will take her to Liam. She is no threat.” I cued Luna to shift, hoping she took my advice and showed the guys she wasn't a risk. It took several minutes of earth-shattering silence before she shifted into her human form.
Sunlight glinted off the platinum hair of the small woman stood beside me. Her dark eyes darted between the men and me. She shivered. I placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her nerves.
“What?” Eyeing Luna with curiosity, Mack took a step forward. “She's a relative of Bryn's?”
“Yes, a half-sister, and I haven't introduced them yet.” I held out a hand, stopping Mack's approach.
His eyes darted to my imprint, and he gasped. Such an unmanly snort.
I tried hard not to laugh. Honestly, I did, but when my chuckle escaped, I couldn't stop. The soulbond was new, and I had been trying to forget about it with my wolf's run, until these two interrupted it.
The crash of reality came back full force. I laughed harder. My secret was out.
Mack's eyes sparked with interest, and Cole took a step back, his fingers falling short of holding up the cursed cross.
“Uh-uh.” I waved a finger at Mack, who ignored my warning and took another step forward.
The unbonded imprint attracted males, releasing a pheromone that increased sexual interest. Luckily for me, I had an ace in my pocket.
“Aylin.” Mack's husky voice trickled over my skin and turned my stomach.
For once, I was thankful for Connor's lack of restraint. I moved my hair and tilted my head, showing off the love bite on my neck.
“I'll challenge him for you.” Mack knelt in front of me and kissed my knuckles. “You are worth claiming the right way. Who is this fool?”
I pulled back my hand and wiped it on my pants. Connor would not be happy at all. I tried to reason. “Mack, this isn't you.”
“Hmm... Aylin,” Luna said.
“For you, I'll risk it all,” Mack said.
“Man, stop it.” Cole slapped the back of Mack's head.
“Ouch!” Mack stood. His interest did not recede.
“Connor wouldn't appreciate you advancing on his territory,” I said.
“Aylin, I've never known you to place yourself in someone else's hands,” Mack said.
Connor would not be happy. Neither was I.
Stupid soulbond. Mack was a friend. A comrade now acting like a buffoon. A small part of me smiled at the attention, but my smarter half knew that I needed to stop this before he thought he had a chance. The last thing I needed was a challenge thrown out for my affection. “Well, my mate, Connor, has made me see things differently.”
“Mate? Connor?” Mack asked.
“Yup.” The agreement rolled off my tongue like a prayer. The idiot knew exactly what he had done marking my neck and, with my encounter with Mack, I was thankful for it. Damn Connor for being right.
“Why didn't you say something sooner?”
“Listen, I will not discuss Connor and me anymore—” I reached for Luna “—I need to take Luna to Bryn and Liam.”
“Right, the half-sister,” Cole said. “Which half?”
Damn it. “Does it matter?”
“Well, considering Cassiel was in captivity for the last decade, and Bryn doesn't know she has a half-sister, I'm guessing—” Cole eyed Luna with distaste “—that she's a product of evil. Gabriel's bastard child.”
Luna inhaled a shocked breath.
“Wait, a minute.” I curbed my need to make him scream for his harsh words. No child should be defined by their parents. She wasn't Gabriel. Hi
s actions were not hers.
“It's okay,” Luna whispered.
“No, it's not!” I pointed an accusing finger at Cole. “Your parents took off during the rebel attack. They were so scared for their safety that they left you. Does that make you a coward like them?”
“You little bitch.” Cole swung his fist.
I blocked his jab. My temper flared and I kneed him in the groin. “I know, right?”
He hunkered over, grasping his precious jewels. “Fuck, Aylin. That. Wasn't. Fair.”
I straightened my jacket and admired my manicured nails. “No one ever said I fight fair.”
My voice was much stronger than I felt. Condescending men irritated the hell out of me, and it took every bit of training I had not to use my powers to really make him feel my wrath.
Mack helped Cole to his feet and laughed. “Connor has a live one on his hands. I'm a little scared for him.”
I smiled at the compliment. “Thanks.”
Mack grinned. Cole frowned.
Luna laughed. The sound sliced through the tension like a hot knife through butter. “I think I'm going to like you.”
“I can't believe we have another imprint in the pack and now this.” Cole pointed to Luna, shaking his head.
I took a step forward, but Luna stopped me with a hand to my shoulder. “It's okay, I'm used to it.”
“Take her straight to Liam. I'll check in with him in fifteen minutes. If you aren't there, I will find you,” Mack said.
“Understood, and thanks.”
Mack and Cole shifted and raced off to patrol the perimeter. Wolves ran the border on shifts throughout the day and night. Most of the time, it was to let their wolves run free, but recently it had become more important to pay attention to intruders like Luna.
Lucky for us, I was out running and heard her yaps of distress.
“Well—” I ran a hand through my hair “—that was interesting.”
“Indeed.” Luna's mystical voice echoed through the clearing.
I waited a few minutes to verify we were alone. “What do you think about a quick run before we go to Liam and Bryn's?”
The Half Moon: Soulbond Series Book 2 Page 6
