Full Moons and Mistletoe
Alyssa Rose Ivy
Contents
Copyright
Books by Alyssa Rose Ivy
1. Alexandra
2. Ryder
3. Alexandra
4. Ryder
5. Lexie
6. Ryder
7. Alexandra
8. Ryder
9. Alexandra
10. Ryder
11. Alexandra
12. Ryder
13. Alexandra
14. Ryder
Afterword
Hunt
Preface
Mara
Ian
Dire
Prologue
Mary Anne
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Alyssa Rose Ivy
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written approval of the author.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover design by MG Book Covers & Design
Cover photography by Lindee Robinson Photography
Books by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1)
Focus (The Crescent Chronicles #2)
Found (The Crescent Chronicles #3)
First & Forever (The Crescent Chronicles #4)
Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1)
Search (The Empire Chronicles #2)
Stay (The Empire Chronicles #3)
Savor (The Empire Chronicles #4)
Storm (The Empire Chronicles #5)
Seduction’s Kiss (The Allure Chronicles #0.5)
Lure (The Allure Chronicles #1)
Lust (The Allure Chronicles #2)
Lost (The Allure Chronicles #3)
Love (The Allure Chronicles #4)
Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #1)
Dusk (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #2)
Dawn (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #3)
Forged in Stone (The Forged Chronicles #1)
Forged in Ice (The Forged Chronicles #2)
Forged in Fire (The Forged Chronicles #3)
Hunt (The Grizzly Brothers Chronicles #1)
Heat (The Grizzly Brothers Chronicles #2)
The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (Hazards)
The Hazards of a One Night Stand (Hazards)
The Hazards of Sex on the Beach (Hazards)
The Hazards of Mistletoe (Hazards)
The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend (Hazards)
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology)
On The Rocks (Mixology)
Derailed (Clayton Falls)
Veer (Clayton Falls)
Wrecked (Clayton Falls)
Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)
Perilous Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #2)
Enduring Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #3)
Life After Falling
Full Moons and Mistletoe
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1
Alexandra
I turned the key again, hoping this time it would start the car. The snow was growing heavier, and I was getting later. Nothing. Not even a choking sound. “Damn it.”
“Damn it,” Langdon echoed from the backseat.
I turned around. “Don’t repeat what Mommy says when she’s upset.”
He smiled. “Damn it.” This time the words were accompanied by laughter.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax. It wasn’t my three-year-old’s fault I couldn’t afford a new car right now. He hadn’t been the one stupid enough to a have a fling with a drifter. That had been me. I was the idiot who fell for Ryder’s bright blue eyes and jet black hair that went almost to his shoulders. It had been the hair I noticed first, and then I’d gotten sucked in by the eyes. Before I’d known it I was accepting a drink from a stranger, the first of many cardinal rules I broke that weekend.
I turned back around and tried the key. This time it turned. I sent up a silent prayer. At least something was going my way.
I backed out of the parking spot, sliding on the icy pavement. Maybe one day the landlord would remember to salt the night before a storm. Maybe one day I’d find a better place to live. Complaining was out of the question. Finding a place to live hadn’t been easy, and I wasn’t ready to start the search again.
“Damn it.” Langdon repeated as I made the turn onto the interstate. At least the larger roads were salted and plowed, but by the looks of the storm they wouldn’t be clear for long. I was already tired of winter, but spring was still months away. It was only December after all.
“Stop saying that.” I kept my voice as level as possible. I didn’t want to fight with Langdon right before I dropped him off. I’d never spent a night away from him since he was born, and I wasn’t looking forward to changing that now, but I didn’t have a choice.
I took the exit to my best, and only real, friend’s house. She rented the garden apartment of her cousin’s building. It was a much nicer apartment than mine, and her cousin gave her a great discount. I had to keep the jealousy in check when I was around Nancy. I didn’t need a fancy apartment. I had Langdon, and he was the one thing in my life I could never live without.
I drove slowly down her street and parallel parked along the curb. I was sticking out, but I wouldn’t be there long enough for it to matter. At least I hoped not. All I needed was more car trouble. I weighed the benefits of trying to parallel park again. It wasn’t worth it. I pushed open my door and stepped out into the cold air. My sweatshirt didn’t provide much warmth, but I had forgotten to grab my coat in my rush out the door. I’d have to live without it because I had no time to go back for it.
I helped Langdon out of my ancient Civic and grabbed his duffel bag, trying to stop the tears that threatened to spill.
It was only going to be a few nights, but even one night seemed like too long.
“Come on in, it’s freezing out!” Nancy ran out into the snow wearing only a tank-top and yoga pants. She picked up Langdon and hurried back inside.
I closed the car door and followed behind.
“Thanks for doing this.” I closed the door to her apartment behind me, careful not to knock off the wreath precariously hung on a single hook.
“Watching my favorite little man?” Nancy hugged Langdon before setting him down on the wood floor. “I don’t mind, but you need to find him, Lex. Don’t give up until you do.”
“All I have is an address I got from someone who knew someone. He’s probably not there.”
“He said he was from Forest Ridge. Now you have an address. What else do you need?” Nancy put her hand on her hip. “What you’re doing is stalling.”
I was stalling, but I also worried the handwritten scrawl of an address would be a complete dead end. I didn’t have the time to search the whole town, and it would be dangerous. The address was the only clue I had to find Ryder: the man also known as Langdon’s father. At least in the biological sense.
“I’d go with you, but—” Nancy started.
I interrupted. “It’s better if you watch Langdon. I don’t know what I’m going to get myself into.”
“I still can’t believe you slept with one—” She lowered her voice to a near whisper.
“A shifter. You can say the word, Nancy. My son is one of them.” It had taken me a long time to accept. I’d known there was something different a
bout the sexy man who’d taken me home that night—but I’d never imagined he was something other than human. Everything about him had called to me. It was physical attraction at first, but it only grew each moment we were together. By the time I ended up in bed underneath him I didn’t care what he was. I only cared that he was there with me.
Nancy looked down at Langdon. “You don’t know that for sure.”
“You haven’t seen him on a full moon.” I had, and that was my main motivation for hunting his dad down. I’d never have been willing to search for Ryder if I didn’t think Langdon needed him. I didn’t need Ryder even if my body ached every time I remembered the two nights we spent together.
“There’s another full moon coming up.” Nancy wiped her damp feet on the rug. Only she would have gone outside in the snow while barefoot.
“That’s why I’m going now.”
“You could wait out the storm. Give it another day,” Nancy suggested. “I know I said you were stalling, but waiting a day won’t change anything.”
I shook my head. “I’d just chicken out.” I watched my son. He was petting Nancy’s grey striped cat while sitting beside her Christmas tree. The cat would have bitten the hand of anyone else. “I don’t want to leave him.”
“Langdon’s going to be fine. I have the whole weekend off, and I can take him to his day care on Monday if need be. You have all the time you need.”
“I know he’s safe with you, but I’m going to miss him.” I only hoped the time apart would be worth it in the end.
“The sooner you find Ryder, the sooner you can come back.” Nancy patted my shoulder. “You’re doing the right thing. Don’t lose sight of that.”
“I’m going to call you tonight. Ok?” Waiting until the evening would be hard, but calling too often wasn’t fair to Langdon or Nancy.
“Call anytime and I’ll put him on.” She nodded toward the door. “You have to do this.”
“Langdon?” I called out his name.
He turned and ran over with a huge grin on his face.
I blinked back the tears that refused to stay away. “You be a good boy for Aunt Nancy. Mommy has to go somewhere, but she’ll be back soon.”
“Don’t go.” His eyes widened.
“It will only be for a few days.”
“Take me.” His eyes pleaded as much as his words.
“I can’t.” I wanted to, but it was too risky. I picked him up and hugged him close to my chest. “I love you.”
He rested his head on my shoulder. “Mama, what about Christmas?”
“I’ll be back by then. It’s only going to be a few days.” I struggled to stay composed. If I started to cry he would too.
“You promise, promise?”
“Pinky promise.” I mustered the biggest smile I could.
“Ok, Langdon. Let’s find something fun to play with.” Nancy took him from my arms. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you get back. Besides, the snow is getting worse.”
“You’re right.” I didn’t want to leave, but that didn’t matter. I had to. I owed it to my son to get answers, and the only place I could get them was from his father.
2
Ryder
Another night, another city. That’s how my life was starting to feel. My pack thought that also meant another girl. But it didn’t. Not since the weekend I’d thought I’d met my mate—but she’d disappeared before I could know for sure.
I knew nothing about her except her first name and she was from somewhere outside Philadelphia. There were thousands of Alexs out there, and none of them was the one I was looking for. I was starting to think she’d given me a fake name.
It had been four years, and I was no closer to finding her now than I was when I woke up to find my bed empty. Everywhere I went I’d looked for her, but she was never there. My brother had me half-convinced I’d made her up—and I would have believed it if it weren’t for the memories that played through my head each and every time I went to sleep. She was my mate. I knew for sure—otherwise I’d have gotten over her by now. I’d find her one day; she couldn’t hide from me forever.
I packed my bag in yet another nondescript hotel room. I’d done the work I’d been hired to do, and after a few weeks on the road I was ready to head back to Forest Ridge. There wasn’t much waiting for me there, but as the Alpha of my pack I had to show my face once in awhile. I also needed some new assignments. The Dragons were good at keeping me busy.
I grabbed a cup of coffee at the only place open in the tiny town. I didn’t bother getting a table. I went right up to the counter, ignoring the garland that covered half the counter top. The young waitress hurried over to serve me.
“How are you doing this morning?” She smiled far too wide for the early hour. She was wearing a Santa hat that was jarring when compared to the dim lighting and brown tones of everything else in the diner.
“I’m doing fine, Crystal. Yourself?” I used the name printed on her name tag. I found people really liked when you used their names. My job took me to a lot of dark places; I had to find light wherever I could.
Her smile grew even bigger. “Can’t complain. What can I get you?”
“A cup of coffee. To go.”
“You leaving?” Her voice fell.
“Yeah. My work here is done.”
“Lucky you,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Not as lucky as you think.” I took the cup of coffee and headed out to the closest place I had to home.
3
Alexandra
The snow was heavy. It was thick and swirling as I drove down the interstate. I was lucky to be avoiding side roads, but it was hard to see, and all I wanted to do was turn back around.
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that to Langdon. He deserved more. He needed more than I could give him. I didn’t mean the material things. I made enough to cover all the basics, but I knew nothing about shifters other than what I read in books. The books didn’t cover how to deal with kids that seemed to want to shift during a full moon.
I had only a few days until the next full moon. I needed to find Ryder, and I needed to find him fast.
I turned on the radio. Music distracted some people, but it helped me focus.
Christmas music. I changed the station. More Christmas music. I switched it off. I didn’t need to listen to that. I tried to stay positive about the holidays for the sake of Langdon, but it was hard to do after I found his letter to Santa that he wrote with Nancy.
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is for my Daddy to come back. Mommy needs him too.
It had nearly broken my heart and filled me with guilt. It was usually hard enough to find him the toys he requested—and to afford them. But even if I found Ryder, I couldn’t bring him into Langdon’s life. How could I explain the concept of a fling to my son? I couldn’t.
By the time I pulled off at the exit to Forest Ridge my fingers were stiff from gripping the wheel. I drove through the unfamiliar streets slowly, hoping I wouldn’t get too incredibly lost. Thankfully I had a GPS on my phone, but I knew from experience that sometimes even a GPS got directions wrong.
I followed the GPS carefully, turning onto a narrow street that desperately needed to be plowed. I drove as slowly as possible, gripping the wheel tightly as my wheels slid over a sheet of ice.
Somehow I managed to pull into the gravel parking lot. The unplowed lot gave no hint to where the actual parking spots were, so I pulled in a few feet away from a large pick-up truck. The only vehicles in the lot were pick-ups and large SUVS. In other words vehicles far better equipped than mine to handle the weather.
3445 Marshall Road South. I took a deep breath and read the address again. That’s all the piece of paper said. I’d been lucky to have gotten any lead, so I couldn’t complain.
The building in front of me was nothing like I’d expected. Not that I’d really expected anything, but a bar wasn’t exactly what I was thinking. However, that’s what it was if I believe
d the name on the neon sign: Sal’s Pub.
I looked down at my old jeans and faded black hoodie sweatshirt. I figured it didn’t matter what I was wearing since it was three o’clock in the afternoon and any patrons at a pub that early shouldn’t care. Besides, this was the shifter side of town. Being human would make me stand out more than my wardrobe.
I was glad I’d worn boots as I took slow and deliberate steps over the snow and ice mixture that covered the ground. All I needed to do was to fall and break something. Miraculously I reached the door uninjured. I pulled it open.
Three pairs of eyes fixed on me as soon as I walked in. Two sets were male, one female, and none were friendly.
“Hi.” I waved in greeting. “Are you open?”
“No.” The girl crossed her arms. She was wearing a tank top that showed off tanned arms with muscles about twice as large as mine. The men’s arms were even bigger.
“Oh.” I thought fast. What now? I had no plan. How could I have driven five hours without a plan? “If it’s okay with you, I’ll just ask you a quick question, and then I’ll leave.”
“A question?” The younger of the two men furrowed his brow. “What kind of question do you want to ask?”
“I’m looking for someone.” I went directly to the point.
“What someone are you looking for?” The older man grinned, revealing white and very sharp looking teeth.
I took a deep breath. “His name is Ryder.”
“Ryder what?” The man stepped toward me.
I resisted the urge to step back even though I was ready to bolt. “I don’t know.”
“There’s no Ryder here.” The girl turned her back. “So get out.”
“You don’t know any Ryders?” I mustered all the confidence I had despite the fact that I knew any of these three could kill me. No one needed to tell me they weren’t human. “None at all?”
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