Claimed by the Moon

by L. P. Dover

Gasping, I close a hand over my mouth. I’d give anything to see my mother again. “That’s amazing. I can’t believe Laila didn’t tell me.”

  Zayne sighs. “She was afraid it’d pain you, especially since you just lost your mother.”

  Tears burn my eyes. “I would’ve been happy for her. She didn’t have all the years with her mother as I did with mine.” I glance down at the stone. With all the talk about Alina, I have a feeling she’s the one who gave it to him. “Did Alina give it to you?”

  Zayne’s lips pull back, and he nods. “She did. She told Laila it would help me find my way.” He kisses me gently. “And it led me to you.”

  “How?” I ask.

  He holds up the stone. “When I touched it, all I saw was you. I knew then you were my mate, and it killed me because I had no clue how to get close to you.”

  This makes me smile. “Luckily, you found the courage.”

  Zayne snorts. “I had no choice. The goddess of the moon wasn’t going to give you the mating signs until I worked for them.”

  I laugh. “She works in mysterious ways.”

  “That she does,” he agrees. He glances down at the stone and then back to me. “Do you want to hold it? It didn’t work on Colin when he touched it, but I don’t know what it’ll do with you considering you’re a part of it.”

  Heart racing, I stare at the stone, wondering if I should touch it or not. Magic is unpredictable. Taking a deep breath, I hold it in as he carefully places the rock in my palm. A sense of warmth spreads throughout my body, and it feels as if I’m in Zayne’s arms, safe and protected. It’s as if there’s a wall surrounding me that nothing and no one can penetrate. Memories flash through my mind like a movie, and Zayne’s face is all I see. Nothing else exists except him.

  The second Zayne takes the stone, I gasp and grab my chest. “Holy hell. That was intense.”

  Zayne’s eyes widen. “What did you see?”

  Tears fall down my cheeks. “You. I could feel your love inside the stone. It’s exactly how I feel when I’m around you.”

  He smiles sadly. “Keeping it with me helped me to feel close to you. I couldn’t go a day without touching it.”

  “Well, now you have me, and I’m not going anywhere.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him down to my lips, loving the deep growl that rumbles in his chest. He deepens the kiss and grips his fingers into my waist.

  “I love you, Amelie. I never thought I’d be able to say those words to anyone ever again.”

  I press my forehead to his. “I love you too.”

  His phone dings with an incoming text, and he grabs it out of his pocket quickly. “It’s Colin,” he says, reading through the text. “Knox just walked outside and called out your name. He’s looking for you.”

  “You need to go,” I tell him. “We can’t screw up now.”

  He nods and kisses me again. “I won’t be far. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  As soon as he’s gone, I climb back up on the boulder and lie down on the cold rock. The sky is clear, but I can smell the hint of snow. It’d be nice if it would, and then I could hide under its white blanket and disappear for a while. The last thing I want to do is go home. So until it’s time to go to Tyla and Sebastian’s, I plan to stay away. If Knox wants to find me, he’ll have to hunt me down.

  For the past eight hours, I ran through the woods and even found a waterfall I didn’t know existed. It’s incredible what all you can find in nature when it’s not overrun with people wanting to destroy it. Pulling out my phone, I look down at the time, realizing I only have an hour until I need to be at Tyla and Sebastian’s for dinner. The sun will be going down soon, and I’m still several miles away from my house. Unfortunately, I can’t call or text anyone because I’m too far out in the middle of nowhere with no service.

  I decide to head back, but not to my house. If I go straight to Tyla’s place, I won’t have to see Knox or Kara. So it’s probably best I don’t go back at all tonight.

  Slowing my pace, I trudge along through the forest, wishing I could stay in the middle of nowhere forever. As a child, my mother would take me out in the woods, and we’d live off the land for days at a time. It was some of the best moments of my life.

  A twig snaps behind me, and I jerk around, scanning the area around me. I can smell a bear close by, and then another twig snaps in the general direction of it. However, when I turn back to my path, I let out a scream when someone appears I wasn’t expecting.

  “What the hell? You scared the shit out of me,” I snap, clutching my chest. My heart beats so hard it hurts.

  Knox holds up his hands. “I’m sorry. I should’ve let you know I was close.”

  I glare at him. “Why didn’t you?”

  He sighs. “It’s a hard habit to break, Amelie. I hid who I was for two hundred years.”

  Storming past him, I continue on my way toward Tyla and Sebastian’s. “So, I guess you felt the need to follow me?”

  “You’ve been avoiding me,” he says, keeping up with my pace. “I wanted to find you and tell you I’m sorry.”

  Stopping mid-step, I turn around to face him. “Sorry? For what exactly?”

  He steps toward me. “For giving you an ultimatum. All I want is for us to have a fresh start. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. Finding you was proof that we deserve a second chance. I know we have the potential to be true mates.”

  Taking my hands, he pulls me in close and tries to kiss me, but I step away and turn my back on him. “The Great Luna’s not going to reward you with a true mate if you deliberately try to kill Zayne’s. Instead, she’ll punish you, and by doing that, it’ll ultimately punish your true mate as well. If you can’t find her, she’ll never find you.”

  “I told you I’d leave if you came with me, Amelie,” he growls.

  “That’s not enough,” I say, jerking around to face him again. “I want you to be happy, Knox. But, honestly, I don’t think my leaving with you will be enough. I’ve been mated to the wrong wolf before, and I’m not doing it again. I can’t let you drag me down with you. You need to move on from the past. Only then will you get what you want. The Great Luna knows what’s in our hearts. If yours is dark, I’m afraid not even I can save you from that.”

  Looking in his eyes, I can see his emotions warring within him. He knows what I said is the truth, but he still fights against it. I thought I could get through to him, but there’s a darkness behind his eyes I don’t think will ever go away.

  “Do you love me, Amelie?” he asks.

  As I stare at him, I can remember all the good times we had together. I experienced a lot of firsts with him, and I’ll never forget that. He was my first real love. “I will always love you, Knox. But right now, I’m going to use the words you used on me last night. It’s up to you to make the right decision before it’s too late.”

  Turning on my heel, I run away from him, and I’m thankful he doesn’t follow. Will he listen to what I had to say and do the right thing?

  I don’t know, but I can hope.

  31

  Zayne

  Watching Amelie and Knox together tests what little patience I have left. I want to rip him apart every time he touches her. The rage inside of me grows more intense with each passing second, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself if he tries to take things further with her. She’s my mate. Mine.

  Amelie says her last words to him and runs off in the direction of Tyla and my brother’s home. Knox watches her go, and I can feel his desire to run after her, to claim her as his. He loves her, and I can see it. She’s his weakness, just like she’s mine. Knox takes off in the opposite direction, and I let him go. I know exactly what I’m going to do with him, but it’s not the right time. Instead, I head straight to Tyla and Sebastian’s, and Amelie is already inside, telling Tyla everything that just happened with Knox. I can hear the pain in her voice, and a part of me despises the fact that she still cares for him. However, I know her heart is mine, and
nothing will change that.

  Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I call Colin.

  “Hey,” he answers. “Everything okay?”

  “Are you near Kami?” I ask.

  “Yeah, she’s right beside me. What’s up?”

  “Can you get her to search for Kara? She’s been too quiet, and I don’t like it.”

  “I’ll find her,” Kami calls out.

  I can hear her tap away on her computer, and then a few seconds later, she huffs. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

  I sigh. “What?”

  “She’s at your house,” she hisses in disgust. “How pathetic can this psycho bitch be?”

  It doesn’t surprise me in the least. “Kara knows we’re watching her. She’s doing it to aggravate me. At least, I know to stay the hell away from there. It’ll only cause me trouble.”

  “Want me to go over there and kick her out? I’d be happy to,” Kami suggests with excitement in her voice.

  “No. We’re going to hang back and be patient. Tomorrow is the party, and after that, everything will be taken care of.”

  Colin scoffs. “At least, until you get back into town. Once Knox and Kara see that Amelie’s your mate, you’re going to have a fight on your hands.”

  “Good,” I growl. “I’m ready for it.”

  The night passes on slowly, and the only thing that gets me through it is knowing that tomorrow at this time, I’ll be on a plane with Amelie, flying far away from here. Once the lights go out in the house, I lean against one of the many pine trees, loving the feeling of the cold bark against my back. In the sky, the stars are brighter than they’ve ever been before, but the clouds start to roll in, bringing the crisp scent of snow. Being out in the woods all night reminds me of my time in Canada with my family. Before my brothers were born, my father taught me everything on how to live off the land. He trained me to fight and to become a protector. That’s what the Lyalls had been for centuries … protectors. I don’t regret my role in life, but I often wonder if my parents would still be alive if I hadn’t taken Colin and ran when the Yukons attacked. Of course, I could’ve stayed and fought. But then again, Colin could’ve been killed if we didn’t leave. I had sworn to his mother I would protect him, and I did.

  Another hour passes, and I focus on Amelie’s breathing as she sleeps. I’d give anything to be right beside her, touching her smooth skin as I hold her in my arms. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the green stone so I can feel its warmth and see Amelie’s face. I close my eyes and smile as visions of my mate play through my mind. There have been times I’ve gotten lost in the stone’s magic for hours. However, this time, it doesn’t last long at all.

  My eyes jerk open, and I slide the stone back into my pocket. I’m not alone in the forest; Knox isn’t far away. He edges closer to my brother’s cabin, and my body vibrates with the need to shift. Knox isn’t even trying to hide the fact that he’s there. I edge around the house, and I can see him in the distance, his eyes focused on one of the upstairs windows that happen to be the guest bedroom where Amelie’s at. He moves closer, and the rage inside of me builds. I unleash my power, letting him know I’m right there with him.

  A few seconds later, he sees me approach, and his eyes begin to glow. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “You’re the one showing up at my brother’s doorstep. I could ask you the same thing,” I hiss. “You don’t belong here.” Knox’s jaw clenches, and he goes silent, his focus shifting to the upstairs window. “Ah, I see. So you’re here for Amelie. Do you think she’s your mate?” His fists tighten, and he doesn’t say a word. “You do, don’t you,” I say, taunting him. Two can play this sick game of his. “Maybe I should kill her.”

  Knox’s eyes shift, and his claws extend from his fingers. “Don’t you fucking touch her.”

  I step closer, knowing he can feel the fury inside of me. “It’s only fair. If you threaten to kill my mate, I’ll do the same with yours. It’s called an eye for an eye.” I stop several feet away from him. “If you think I’m going to let you come here and threaten me when I haven’t done a single fucking thing to you, then you’re mistaken. I was the one loyal to our pack. You let the thought of power get into your head.”

  Knox’s body trembles with the need to shift. “You better not lay a goddamned hand on Amelie.” Now he knows what it feels like to have someone threaten the person you love. Amelie is his weakness, and I can see that now.

  I nod toward the cabin. “Amelie’s at our mercy. She’s in my brother’s house. I can text him right now and tell him to snap her neck, and he’d do it.”

  Knox growls. “Tyla would never let that happen. Amelie’s her family.”

  I shrug. “That may be true, but it won’t stop me. You’re outnumbered, and you clearly didn’t play your cards right. We have your weakness right where we want her.”

  Knox storms over, and I brace myself for the fight about to come. I’m ready to end this. Knox stops right in front of me, and I can see the murderous glint in his eyes; my plan worked. I needed to reverse the situation on him so he’d know what it felt like to have someone threaten to kill the one you love.

  “Looks like we’ll just have to handle things a different way,” he hisses angrily.

  I throw out my arms. “What are we waiting on? I’ve been ready to end this the day you arrived.”

  Knox shakes his head, his eyes glowing with hatred. “Right now, isn’t the time or place. But soon.” Turning on his heel, he takes off into the darkness, and all trace of him is gone, but I know he’s still close.

  32

  Amelie

  It’s New Year’s Eve. I’ve dreaded this day, but I also know it’s for the best. After eating dinner at Tyla and Sebastian’s, I stayed the night to give myself a break from Knox and Kara. However, halfway through the night, I could feel Knox’s presence close by the house. Then, soon afterward, Zayne’s energy blasted through the forest. It put Sebastian on edge because I could hear him pace the living room floor below me. When I tried to go out there, Sebastian and Tyla both stopped me. For the rest of the night, I sat by the window, my heart feeling as if it was about to burst out of my chest. I couldn’t hear their voices, but I knew Knox and Zayne were together. There was so much tension coming from the forest it suffocated me. Their energies disappeared around the same time, but I know they’re still out there, watching the house from the woods.

  A knock sounds on the door, and Tyla walks in, wearing a pair of doughnut pajama pants with her curly blonde hair pulled into a bun, with a peacefully sleeping Brooke in her arms. “I wish I could sleep like her,” I whisper. I glance out the window one more time and sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

  Tyla’s expression softens, and I can see the worry on her face. “Me either. I wish I knew what went on out there. The good thing is that Zayne and Knox are both alive. I didn’t hear any physical fighting in the night.”

  Neither did I, even though I kept waiting for it to happen. And if it did, no one was going to stand in my way of going out there. I let Tyla and Sebastian stop me last night, but it makes me wonder if I should’ve found a way out there. Standing, I turn to Tyla, and I can feel the exhaustion creep its way through my body. “What am I going to do? I feel guilty but also relieved that I’m leaving tonight. When Zayne and I get back, and Laila wakes Knox up from the sleeping spell, he’s going to see that I’m mated. I don’t know if I can handle seeing the look of betrayal on his face.” My eyes burn, and I start to feel nauseous again.

  Tyla frowns. “I know it’s going to be hard. I remember Knox from all those years ago. He was always good to you.”

  Rubbing my hands over my face, I wipe my tears away. “That’s what makes this so difficult. All I want is to see Knox happy and move on from this anger he has with Zayne, but nothing I say helps.”

  Tyla steps forward. “You tried, Amelie. But, unfortunately, some people can’t be saved.”

  I grab my boots off the floor and slip th
em on. “It’s not over yet.”

  “Are you going home?”

  Once my boots are tied, I peer out the window and then back to her. “I want to talk to Knox one more time before the party tonight. I’m hoping what I said to him last night got through. Maybe that’s why he came, to tell me he’s going to change his course.” Tyla nods, but I can see it on her face that she doesn’t hold out much hope. I kiss Brooke on the forehead and smile at Tyla. “Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I needed some space.”

  Her gaze narrows. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here until the party?”

  Shaking my head, I smile down at Brooke. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to try to sneak in some packing.”

  Tyla steps out of the way. “Just be careful. Do you want me to drive you home since you don’t have your car?”

  I hug her gently to keep from waking the baby. “No, I’ll run. I could use the time to think.”

  She follows me downstairs, and Sebastian is out on the porch when I walk outside. Holding his phone, he turns to me, and there’s an unreadable look on his face I can’t decipher.

  “What’s going on?” I ask him.

  This is one of those moments I wish Zayne and I had taken each other’s blood. Then, I’d know exactly what happened last night.

  Sebastian pockets his phone. “My brother texted. You’re safe to go.”

  I’m so confused I don’t know what to think. Sebastian steps out of the way, and I slowly walk down the porch stairs. Once I get past their yard and into the forest, I take off at a run. Zayne’s energy stays behind, but then it disappears. I can feel Knox getting closer by the second, but he doesn’t close the distance, not until I get to my cabin.

  As soon as I get into my yard, I turn and wait for Knox to appear. He slowly walks toward me, his eyes blazing. “You’re not safe here, Amelie.”

  Those are not the words I expect to hear out of his mouth. “What are you talking about?”