"You monster," I whispered. I glared at my mate, a man I hated so much it burned in my veins, making my hands shake. I wanted to jump onto him and tear his throat out, but the fucking bond wouldn’t let me.
Jordan looked down at his phone, watching the screen, then raised his eyebrows at me. "It's your choice. Join me...or watch them all burn."
There was nothing I could do. I couldn't fight Jordan, and even if I managed to reach out to Kaden for help, the Sun Witches could easily burn our entire pack lands within seconds. I wasn't going to let innocent wolf pups die for me—or anyone else in my pack.
Defeat flowed through me, and I bowed my head. There was no way out of this. I had to go with him.
I took a step closer, meeting Jordan's eye. “I’ll go willingly if the Sun Witches—along with the Leos and your allies—all leave without harming anyone in my pack. Swear it on our bond, and I'm yours.”
“You really are attached to them, aren’t you?” He tilted his head and smiled as if this had been his plan all along. “Fine, I swear it on our bond.”
I thought he might still be lying, but then he barked orders into his phone, and moments later he showed me that the Sun Witches were leaving. They seemed to go poof, vanishing in a burst of sunlight, but at least they were gone. I caught sight of other wolves rushing through the leaves, heading out of the pack lands. I closed my eyes, thankful it was over.
Jordan held out his hand to me. "It's done. Now come with me."
I wanted to slap his hand away, to tell him to shove it up his ass, but I bit my tongue and took it instead. The instant we touched, the mate bond screamed yes, yes, yes, and I wanted to both cry and cheer as it swept through me. Jordan's presence filled my mind, becoming so big it blocked out every other sound and sight except for him. He was my world. My everything. My mate.
NO, my mind screamed. Kaden is the one, not him.
I clung tightly to that small shred of my sanity as Jordan helped me into the backseat of the van, never once letting go of me. He slid in beside me and offered me a blanket to cover myself with. I glared at him as I wrapped it around myself.
As we pulled away, I saw Kaden standing in the trees on a ridge above us, where he must have had a full view of me willingly getting in the car. Dark fury twisted his face, but there was something else there too. Something like heartbreak.
I knew exactly what he was thinking—that I couldn't resist the mate bond and decided to be with Jordan after all. Just like he'd said I would. I reached my hand back toward Kaden, placing it flat against the window, wanting to scream his name and tell him I had to do it to save the pack, but we were already gone. I lost sight of my alpha in the trees as the car drove off.
“It’s going to be a long journey back to Leo territory,” Jordan said, as he stroked my hand with his thumb in a way that made my body ache for more of his touch, even as I cursed his existence. “I need to make sure you don’t try to escape again. You’re surprisingly good at that."
"I won't escape," I said, lying between my teeth. As soon as night fell, I'd be out of here. I'd run back to Kaden so I could explain everything. As long as I could get Jordan to stop touching me.
"No, you won't." He opened a small box, pulling out a syringe. His hand moved to my arm, gripping tightly, as I realized what he was doing. "I'll make sure of it."
"No!" I pressed myself against the car door, trying to get as far away from the needle as possible, but Jordan boxed me in, looming over me. I tried to jerk away, but Jordan's hold was strong, and his touch made me weak.
Jordan’s cold, arrogant expression didn’t change as he lowered the syringe to my arm. I turned away from him, unable to bear looking into his face any longer, while the sharp pinch made my breath catch. I clawed at the door handle, trying to get it to open, but whatever Jordan had injected me with was fast-acting, and my limbs quickly stopped working. No, I tried to scream, but I blacked out before I could even get the word out.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I woke surrounded by iron bars. Fuck, this is becoming a bad habit, I thought.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe I was dreaming, and when I opened my eyes I’d be in my room, and none of this would have happened.
No such luck. When I opened my eyes again, I was still looking at the interior of a strange cell. Did all the packs have prisons or just the two I'd been captured by? The Cancer pack had never had one, which I was suddenly grateful for. Dad would have locked me up in one at least once out of spite.
I started to take in my surroundings when I felt a tug on the bond. Shit. I knew exactly who was coming.
Jordan strolled into the room, a smug smirk on his gorgeous face. “I’m glad to see you’re awake."
"I find that hard to believe." I crossed my arms. "Where am I?"
"You're in Leo territory. Welcome home."
"Home?" I glared at him. "Have you forgotten how you rejected me at the Convergence? How your pack killed my family? And how you seemed pretty intent on killing me too?"
“A lot has changed, Ayla.” Jordan spread his arms wide, and a ripple of desire went through me at the sight. “Thanks to you, I’m the alpha of the Leo pack now. With the help of the Sun Witches, I'll soon rule over all of the other packs—and you'll rule by my side, as my alpha queen."
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The idea was so ridiculous, it was comical. “I will never be with you. I’d rather be dead.”
Jordan's face changed, losing the charm and replacing it with something sinister. "The way you look at me says otherwise."
“Why didn’t you just have someone kill me?" I asked, focusing on my anger. It helped distract me from the need to throw myself at his feet. "Or why not ask the Sun Witches to remove the bond so you can be free of me?" I snorted. "Me, the half-human mutt. That's what you called me, after all, when you said you wanted me to suffer. Or have you realized that the best way to make me suffer is to force me to be with you?"
His eyes gleamed, and I thought he might lunge forward and strike me like he'd done back at the Convergence. "You're mine, Ayla. And like I said, things have changed. I have big, big plans for you.”
“Oh great,” I said. “Can’t wait to hear them.”
Jordan’s face went even darker, but he just turned away and left. No offer of food or water. The door slammed behind him without another word, and I was alone once again.
I sank down onto the cot, my anger dispersing, only to be replaced by hopelessness. I was being held captive by my worst enemies, and no one was going to rescue me. Kaden wouldn’t come after me. Not after what he’d seen. I was truly on my own.
Kaden, I thought fiercely as I stood up and began looking for ways to escape this prison. I’m going to prove you wrong. I will fight this, and I'll find my way back to you. Somehow.
The one thing I had going for me was that Jordan underestimated me. He didn’t know that I’d spent my time with the Ophiuchus pack training to fight. He didn't know I was Moon Touched.
I rubbed the pack mark on my arm, finding comfort in the knowledge it was still there. I wasn’t the same scared, helpless weakling that Jordan had tortured at the Convergence. I was a fighter now.
I was a member of the lost pack.
THANK YOU for reading Moon Touched! Will Ayla find her way back to Kaden? Find out in Star Cursed!
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No matter what your sign is, please don’t be offended by my portrayal here! I’m exactly on the Cancer/Leo cusp (July 23), and though I have some traits from each sign, I’ve never felt like I fit either one perfectly. That’s why I chose to write about a heroine torn between those two packs, and though my portrayal of them may not always be favorable, remember what Ayla said: “There was something wrong with the Zodiac packs, something festering from within…” Something a strong heroine like herself is going to get to the bottom of, perhaps? We’ll find out more in the next two books, plus we’ll spend some
time with the other signs. And if this series does well, I’d love to write books about each of the different signs too!
If you want to talk about the series and get teasers and more from future books, make sure to join my reader group!
Excerpt from Demon King
I made a deal with the devil. Now he claims I’m his fated mate.
Chapter One: Hannah
Only a desperate woman made a deal with the devil—and I was on my way to ask him for a favor.
I couldn’t help but wring my hands while we went up, up, up in the elevator. Generic club music played softly in the background as I stared at the sleek mirrored walls and dark silver buttons, trying to avoid looking at the two imposing men either side of me. There was no escaping them. They filled the entirety of the space with their broad shoulders, thick necks, and well-pressed black suits, barely leaving me room to suck in a breath. They were hot as hell, just like everyone I’d seen in The Celestial Resort & Casino, but scary enough to make me wonder if coming here was a huge mistake.
Who was I kidding? Of course it was a mistake. But it might be the only way to find my best friend.
The elevator dinged, signaling we’d reached the penthouse, and when the door opened, I let out the breath I’d been holding. More models-turned-security guards stood outside a big, black, shiny door. As I stepped out of the elevator, that black door was thrown open and a man in a disheveled gray suit rushed out. His wide eyes were full of something like panic or fear, and he jostled hard against my shoulder as he tried to escape.
“If you’re smart, you’ll turn around and run,” the guy yelled before one of the muscular guards grabbed him by the arm and dragged him toward the elevator. He didn’t even struggle, and soon the elevator door shut him in, barely droning out his last word. “Run!”
I swallowed hard but steeled myself as I headed for the open door. Each footfall felt like one step closer to my doom. I glanced between the guards perched on either side of the door, but they barely acknowledged me as I walked through. I’d already gotten approval to speak with Mr. Ifer from a man in a suit downstairs, so I supposed they were expecting me.
Just inside the door was a small foyer with a huge painting of stylized black wings spread wide on a pure white canvas. I knew little about art, but found myself staring up at it, drawn to the way the brush strokes looked like angry slashes.
I shook myself and continued down the hall, along black marble floors with a touch of silver veining in them, and entered a large living room. The sight of expensive, black leather couches and a grand piano made me freeze. I’d expected to meet Lucas Ifer, CEO of Abaddon Inc and the rumored mob boss of Las Vegas, in his office, not his own home. Momentarily stunned by the sight of it all, I took in the backlit mirrored bar along one wall, the large, sleek fireplace across from it, and the floor-to-ceiling windows on the end with an impressive view of the Las Vegas Strip, not to mention the infinity pool on the balcony.
The man I’d come to see leaned with his hand on one of those large windows, staring out at his domain like a brooding king. Or a kingpin, maybe. I could only see his profile, but it was striking enough to make my heart miss a beat. I cataloged him while I waited for his attention to land on me, as I didn't dare disturb such dark, dangerous perfection. An impeccable black suit framed broad shoulders and tapered down to narrow hips, before hugging a perfectly rounded ass. Sunlight kissed short, thick hair that looked almost black except for highlights of rich, chocolate brown. Below that, perfectly trimmed dark stubble accentuated a chiseled jaw, leading up to the cheekbones of a god.
Whatever I’d expected from the man they called “the devil” in hushed whispers, it had not been this.
“Come to ask for a favor?” His voice washed over me with a delicious British accent that somehow made his words sound both smart and sensual. “As you saw, it didn’t go so well for the last fellow. Then again, he tried to renege on our bargain. I trust you won’t do the same.”
His words rolled off his tongue like sex and sin, but also reminded me why I was here. I shook my head a little to clear my thoughts and to snap out of the daze he’d put me in. “Yes, I am. Here for a favor, that is.”
He turned from the window to face me, and the light and dark played over his face in the most beguiling way I’d ever seen. The full force of his presence hit me in the gut like a fire bursting into life from the strike of a match. Forget the men outside—they were nothing compared to him. I actually forgot how to breathe under the weight of those eyes, an emerald color I hadn’t realized was humanly possible until today. And that mouth…dear lord, was that a mouth made for sinning. I could already imagine it whispering naughty things in my ears before his lips left a trail of lust down my skin.
Something about him was familiar too. I searched my limited memory for a time I could have met him, but surely I would’ve remembered someone this remarkably gorgeous. No. There was no way we’d met.
Yet… I knew him somehow. Instinctively, primally, deep in the core of my being, he felt like something I… It was right on the tip of my tongue. The thought I couldn’t grasp before it slid away. I refocused, but it was no use. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe I knew him from before the accident? Seemed unlikely, and surely if he knew me, he’d say something.
I realized I was staring and jerked my gaze away, out over the view. Las Vegas in the daytime wasn't nearly as impressive as at night, when the city was lit up as if some preschoolers had sprinkled giant tubs of glitter over an expanse of desert. Even so, the bustling city against the backdrop of the mountains in the distance momentarily took all of my focus, giving me a second to gain my bearings again.
“Tell me your name,” Lucas said.
His voice, that accent, my god.
“Hannah.” I finally met his eyes again. “Hannah Thorn.”
“Hannah.” My name rolled off his tongue like a sip of expensive Scotch. I shook my head and blinked away the thought. I didn’t drink. Why would I think about the smooth burn of a drink I’d never had?
He tore his eyes from me like it was difficult for him to do so. Almost as if he was drawn to me as much as I was to him. A fanciful notion, and one I immediately dismissed as he walked behind the bar.
“Drink?” Lucas held up a decanter and a crystal tumbler that sent a rainbow of light shards bouncing around the room.
“No thanks. I don’t drink.”
He hummed low in his throat, a sound of dissent. “Pity. We could have a lot of fun if we got drunk together.”
He reached for different glasses and shoveled ice into them. Three perfect cubes hit the sides of the glasses with a chinking sound. Then he grabbed a jug of clear liquid from under his counter, and I held up my hand in the universal gesture for stop.
“I meant it. I don’t drink.”
“And I don’t give alcohol to anyone who isn’t a willing recipient.” He picked up his glass and took a big swallow of the contents. “Sadly, just water.”
He held the second glass out to me. As I wrapped my fingers around it, our hands brushed against each other, and the fire in my gut erupted again, sending heat all over my body and down to my core. The feeling that I knew Lucas redoubled, like a memory just outside my grasp, or a word on the tip of my tongue. And with it came a rush of desire so strong it took my breath away.
His gaze intensified. Did he feel it too?
“Sit.” Lucas gestured toward the black leather couches.
I perched on the edge of one and held my glass in both hands, my grip tightening as my nerves stretched thin. Anxiety wound in my chest and mixed with the desire pooling between my thighs, making me feel light-headed. I glanced at the nearby piano, trying to bring my emotions back under control. This was all too big. Much too big. What the hell was I even doing here?
Lucas sat on the couch across from me and spread one arm along the back. He rested an ankle on his knee in the perfect picture of poise and calm control. “Now, how can I be of assistance?”
; I took a deep breath, trying to channel some of that calm control for myself, even if I only pretended. I was perfectly happy to fake it, even if I would never make it. Not around someone so disarming.
“My best friend is missing,” I blurted out. Way to fake poise. “Her name is Brandy Higgins. She was staying here, in this hotel, for a conference, but she never came home. I tried to find her myself, but I haven’t had any success, and when I went to the police they were dismissive. Especially when I told them she’d been staying here.”
“You must be a very loyal friend. Very few are brave enough to ask me for a favor.” He looked at his drink and shook the ice around in the glass, the sound it made almost musical. “The rest are extremely desperate. I wonder, which one are you?”
I glanced down at my hands, but then forced myself to meet his eyes, trying to channel bravery along with my desperation. “Both. Brandy is more than a friend. She’s like a sister to me, and she has a little kid and a sick mom at home counting on me to find her. I’ve been living with them ever since her divorce to help out, but if she doesn’t return…” The thought was too terrible for me to consider. I straightened my spine and stiffened my shoulders, shoving my anxiety into a tight ball in my chest as I faced Lucas with determination. “I heard you’re called the King of Las Vegas, and that nothing happens here without you knowing about it. I figure if anyone can find Brandy, it’s you.”
I didn’t mention the other rumors I’d heard about him, like the fact that he was basically a mob boss who ran the city, and how people referred to him as the devil in nervous whispers and behind locked doors. Even the police seemed afraid of him.
“You both sound like a proper pair of saints,” Lucas noted, his lips quirking at the corners. “You said she went missing here, in The Celestial?”
Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves: The Lost Pack Book 1) Page 24
