Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  Elias’ voice said, “There’s six of them with high-powered rifles.”

  “I could take that few of them out on my own.”

  “Don’t be cocky, Grimm. Remember what I told you. One day you would need your pack, and we’re here. We protect our own.”

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  “Where’s the female?”

  “In my cave.”

  “Is she well?”

  “She’s unharmed.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m planning on bringing her to meet you.”

  “Oh? Why?”

  “Lacy’s my mate. She’s agreed to be mine and, with your permission, will be moving to Dark Moon Falls.”

  Elias huffed a laugh and said, “That’s one way to get you to stay put.”

  Levi’s voice then came through the link. “That’s great and all, but we’ve got some bad guys to get rid of.”

  Elias replied, “Agreed. Let’s get on that STAT. Fan out, surround their group, and await further orders.”

  Grimm plodded through the brush as silently as possible, certain that the other members of his pack were doing the same. Though their wolves were immense, their size didn’t prevent them from being extremely stealthy when necessary, like in that moment.

  As he approached, he overheard his target’s whispered conversation.

  One said, “I’m picking up activity.”

  Another muttered, “Where?”

  Grimm peered through the leaves to see the man make a circle in the air with his finger. He had a device in his other hand, which Grimm understood to be the tool he’d used to determine that they were there. The guy then pointed in the direction where Grimm had stationed himself to attack from once Elias gave the okay.

  A different male raised his weapon. He didn’t fire, but looked through the scope. “Yeah, he’s right there. I’ve got him in my sights.”

  “Take him out.”

  Just then, Elias’ mighty roar rang through the trees. The assassins jumped, rattled by the sound. They recovered a second later and moved to position themselves in a tight loop with their rifles raised. Each pack member in the hunt joined Elias’ battle cry until it was a deafening noise. Grimm bared his fangs, clawed the dirt, and released a deadly growl.

  As he watched the men, he saw the terror pass over their features and felt not an ounce of pity for them. They had come to kill his woman, his mate, and he vowed to make their deaths brutal. He only wished that whoever had sent them would learn of their fate as a lesson of what awaited anyone stupid enough to follow in those guys’ footsteps. But no bodies would be going to any morgue. They wouldn’t be found at all.

  One of the guys threw his weapon onto the ground and screamed, “I’m out!”

  He took off into the forest, and soon his wails of pain and cries for mercy filled the air. A moment later and he made no other sound.

  One of them yelled, “Those fuckers murdered Jim!”

  Another, whom Grimm gathered was their leader, said, “Get ‘em, boys.”

  The five guys fired their rifles in rapid succession, and Grimm lowered himself to the ground, making himself a more difficult target. He listened for anything that would mean a member on his team had been hit, but nothing came.

  Levi said, “Stay down until they stop. Wait for the right opportunity. Don’t force it. We’ll wait them out if we have to. Go for the guns first and then the kill.”

  Minutes passed as the staccato of bullets being fired rang out. Eventually, the triggers clicked rather than shot, indicating a lull in the activity.

  A guy yelled, “Reload!”

  Elias shouted through the link, “Now!”

  The pack broke through the brush, each one of them running towards a different man. Grimm rushed the guy nearest to him, who was hurriedly finishing up with his weapon. Grimm leapt into the air, batting the gun away with his front legs, and sank his teeth into the guy’s neck. They fell to the ground, and Grimm shook him violently until he heard and felt the snap of his spine. That wasn’t enough to satisfy Grimm, and he increased the pressure between his jaws until the head separated from the body.

  Lifting his muzzle, Grimm surveyed the area. The team was covered in the blood of their enemies, who lay lifeless in the dirt.

  Levi’s voice said, “That’s all of them. Who’s on point for clean up?”

  Grimm said, “I’ll do it. I know the perfect spot.”

  Levi replied, “Kit, help him out.”

  The dark brown wolf said, “Yes, sir.”

  “The rest of us are going to run the woods to make sure there aren’t any more of them.”

  Concerned for Lacy, he said, “These guys aren’t going anywhere. I’m going to check on my mate. I’ll be right back.”

  “Cool. I’ll go wash up in the river while you’re gone.” Kit changed into his human form at the same time Grimm did. Kit looked Grimm over and said, “Dude, you should probably take a bath too, unless you want to scare your lady.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  From her spot in the back of the cavern, Lacy could hear the sounds of the battle. She wrapped her arms around herself and curled into a ball as fear for Grimm’s safety raced through her body and mind. The roars of the wolves were terrifying and loud and she trembled at their rage. Violence crackled through the air like lightning, something the likes of she’d not been exposed to in her past.

  Gunshots rang out, and tears poured down her face at what she had brought to Dark Moon Falls. Although Grimm had said it wasn’t her fault, guilt panged in her heart, mixed with anger and certainty that it was her ex-husband who’d caused the danger to occur.

  The screams of the dying were short, and she strained to differentiate the voices, hoping with her entire being that Grimm wasn’t amongst them. She gave thanks when she didn’t hear his tone and sent up prayers for his return to her. As she did, she recalled Grimm’s teasing her when he’d carried her up the cliff.

  Lacy couldn’t—didn’t want to—imagine being without him. Though she didn’t understand why their connection had been so strong and sudden, she was grateful that it had been.

  Silence came quickly, and Lacy didn’t know what that meant. Grimm had told her to stay where he’d placed her, and she did.

  Minutes passed until she heard him call out to her.

  “Lacy!”

  Jumping from where she was seated, she ran to the opening and peered down.

  There he was, handsome, rugged and alive!

  She shouted, “Are you okay? I was so worried!”

  “I am, beautiful. They’re no longer a threat to you.”

  “Did anyone get hurt?”

  “No. My pack is strong, and they’re all fine. There’s no need for concern.”

  Lacy sighed in relief, while noticing that Grimm wasn’t climbing up the wall.

  “Are you coming home?”

  Grimm smiled up at her and it was then that she realized what she’d called the place they were staying. She didn’t regret it. It was how she felt.

  “I’ll be back shortly. I wanted to check on you, and make sure you were all right. The area of the battle needs to be cleaned, and I volunteered to do it.”

  Lacy grimaced and told herself not to let her mind wander to what she was certain he was referring to.

  “Alright. Hurry back to me, Grimm.”

  “I will, my mate.”

  Lacy watched him disappear between the trees and out of sight, and decided to lie on the mattress to wait for him. She placed her hand over her heart and murmured, “Mate.”

  She opened her eyes to see Grimm beside her. He was stretched out with his head propped up in his hand.

  Lacy whispered, “Hi.”

  “Why are you dressed, beautiful?”

  Grimm’s clothing faded from his frame, and she quickly tossed off what she had on. Then, he slid on top of and inside her, and her world was made whole.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Carla yanked Lacy into a hug and yelled
, “I was close to losing my mind, Lacy! Joe’s fucking insane sending those thugs after you!”

  Lacy took a step away from her and lifted a finger to her lips.

  “Shhh… Let’s not broadcast it. How’d you find out?”

  “I thought that shifter you met ran off with you or kidnapped you when you didn’t show up that night. I had no idea what had happened, so I went to the sheriff to file a missing person’s report. Once he calmed me down, he sent me back to the motel to wait for word. Turns out they arrested two guys who’d shot a gun in the woods. Once they were in custody, they thought they were going to be handed over to the pack and spilled the beans. The sheriff shared it with me, once the Alpha told him he could. Otherwise, I don’t think he could have given me that information.”

  “It’s been crazy, Carla, but that’s not the only thing that happened.”

  “Well, tell me in the car on the ride home. I checked us out and have your suitcases packed and in the trunk.”

  “I’m not leaving. That’s what I came to tell you.”

  “Pardon?”

  Just then, Grimm approached Lacy and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her.

  “Lacy is my mate, and I am hers. She’s staying here with me.”

  Carla shrieked, “What?”

  Lacy gave a short laugh. “It’s true.”

  Placing her hands on her hips, Carla said, “So, you’re going to move in with him and his mom?”

  Grimm answered for both of them. “No, Elias has assigned us a cabin near her, but far enough away for privacy. Lacy’s considered pack now.”

  “What about the stuff in your apartment? A job?”

  Lacy waved away her friend’s concerns. “I don’t need any of that, and I’ll find something to do around here.”

  “Lacy, I understand long-distance relationships are hard to navigate, but are you certain of your decision? This is so fast, and you’ve just come out of a destructive period in your life.”

  “I’ve thought about everything you said, and I know I sound nuts, but I’m not. Grimm makes me feel things I never have before. He truly cares about me, Carla.”

  “But you’re going to be here by yourself.”

  Grimm spoke up, “We’re pack and we rely on each other. It will be the same for Lacy.”

  Lacy whispered, “Please be happy for me, Carla.”

  “Oh, honey. I am! If anybody deserves joy in this world, it’s you after what that jerk did. Are you going to notify the judge who tried his case about the attempt on your life?”

  “I’m going to let Grimm, Elias, and the pack decide what to do. I want to forget about all of it and start my new life with my mate.”

  Carla glanced at her watch, “Walk me to my car?”

  “Sure.”

  Grimm said, “I’ll stay here and give you time with your friend.”

  The women walked together to the vehicle, and once they reached it, Carla turned to Lacy.

  “What did you do to bag that guy? Girl, you need to clue me in on your tips and tricks in the sack because the way he looks at you is like you’re his entire world.”

  “I don’t know what brought Grimm and me together. Call it kismet, magic, I honestly have no idea.”

  “When’s the wedding?”

  “We don’t need one. Grimm presented me to Elias and claimed me as his. Grimm said we could have a ceremony if I wanted one, but I don’t. Been there, done that. You know?”

  “Are you scared of meeting his mom after making this commitment? What if she’s awful?”

  “Compared to Joe’s family?” Lacy huffed a breath. “I’ll take my chances with my mate’s mother being a nicer person than they were. From what I’ve experienced, shifters are better people than any human I’ve known, besides you, of course.”

  “Who knew that any of this would happen? We were just coming on a girl’s trip.”

  Lacy gathered Carla to her in a strong hug.

  Once she released her, she smiled and said, “Thank you so much for bringing me to Dark Moon Falls.”

  Epilogue

  Lacy gripped Grimm’s hand as he led her to the cabin that he’d ran away from as a youth. He’d delayed her meeting his mother in order to get their own home settled, and also to wait for news about what happened, if anything, to her ex-husband in the aftermath of their ordeal. When Elias informed them a few days later that his sources had notified him that Joe had suffered a fatal accident in prison, she breathed a bit easier with the knowledge he could never try to harm her or Grimm again.

  Afterwards, it’d been a rush of activity for them, and as they’d moved into their dwelling, she’d caught sight of her mother-in-law, who observed them from afar. Lacy would raise her hand in greeting each time she saw her, and she did the same to Lacy.

  “We should have come sooner, Grimm.”

  “It’s fine. She’s over the moon that I found my other half. There’s no rush in family meeting mates, but our Alpha must be informed as quickly as possible. That’s why you met Elias as fast as you did.”

  “I hope she likes me.”

  “She’ll love you. Not as much as I do, but she will.”

  “I love you too, Grimm.”

  The door opened the moment they stepped on the stairs leading to the porch, and the woman Lacy recognized as Grimm’s mother smiled at her with warmth. She held her hands clasped together in front of her and was wearing a simple, gray shift. Her hair was cut in a bob that hit her neck in the middle. She didn’t have a single silver strand that Lacy could see, and she had to be well into what would be elderly in human years.

  Grimm embraced her. “Mom, this is Lacy, my mate. Lacy, this is my mother, Nora.”

  Lacy said, “It’s so nice to meet you. May I call you by your first name, or how would you like me to address you?”

  Nora rushed towards her and pulled her into a strong hug that knocked the breath from Lacy’s chest. When Nora let her go, she took Lacy’s hands in hers and peered into her eyes long enough to make Lacy shift on her feet from the up close scrutiny.

  Finally Nora spoke, “Destiny chose well for my son. This is a good match and you will prosper together. Grimm’s time of running away has passed. He is truly pack now because of you, Lacy.”

  She wasn’t sure about that, but nodded in agreement.

  Nora gestured to the interior. “Please come inside. I’ve made one of Grimm’s favorite meals for dinner. I hope you like it too.”

  Lacy replied, “I’m sure I will.”

  Nora’s home was small and charming. A fire was blazing in the hearth, and the furnishings were large with cushions that looked like you would sink into them when sat upon.

  While Lacy was taking in the home, Nora went into the kitchen. Sensing her faux pas, Lacy rushed after her. The space was rustic with a pea-colored farm sink and darkly streaked wood cabinets and flooring.

  When she saw her, Nora asked as she stirred a pot on the stove, “What do you need, dear?”

  “I was wondering how I could help.”

  “Bowls are there, if you’d like to get them down. Spoons are in the drawer beside you.”

  Lacy reached to her right.

  Nora laughed, “No, your other side. You’ll get to know where everything is stored the more familiar you are with the house.”

  Lacy opened a cupboard and brought down three earthenware pieces. They were beautiful and looked to be aged by quite a bit.

  “They were my mother’s. When I go to the wolf in the sky, they will be yours to pass on to my grandchildren, if you have them.”

  Lacy’s immediate acceptance into Nora’s world was at the same time welcome, but also odd to her.

  She said, “Is there anything you want to know about me? Ask me?”

  “What about you should you make me aware of?”

  Lacy mind blanked, and she mumbled, “Umm…”

  Nora looked at her, her features hardened, and she asked, “Do you plan to hurt my son?”

  “No, I lo
ve him with my entire heart and soul.”

  Nora relaxed, and she went back to slowly circling the utensil.

  “Then stop your human musings that make you unsure and anxious. They don’t serve you well, and shifters aren’t like your kind. We don’t deal in games and treachery.” She cocked her head to the side and arched her eyebrows. “Well, at least the good ones don’t, and the pack you’re now a part of is one of the best.”

  “I’m trying, Nora. I want to be a good and contributing pack member, if I can.”

  “You’ll find your way, daughter. We all do.” Nora gestured to the bowls. “Take those to the table, please.”

  Lacy obeyed and placed them on the wood table in the room. Grimm was stretched out over the couch and gave her a wink as she walked past him.

  “I told you she would love you.”

  “The jury’s still out on that, but I’m hopeful. She called me her daughter.”

  “Because you are. You belong to her, and she will protect you as her own.”

  Lacy then realized that she had a lot to learn about shifters, how they viewed the world and those in their sphere.

  Nora came into the room carrying a tureen. “Grimm, come sit at the table.”

  As if her statement were law, he jumped up and rushed to pull Lacy’s chair out for her, and then did the same for his mother. The hierarchy of what Grimm did wasn’t lost on Lacy, his attending to her before his mother. When she looked at Nora, she was beaming a smile at her son.

  Nora stood and went to where Lacy was, lifted her bowl and ladled a fragrant liquid into her dish. Nora set it in front of her, and she saw a swirl of a mix of different types of mushrooms, smelled the scent of chicken broth and ingredients she couldn’t identify.

  Nora then served Grimm and herself.

  When she took her seat once more, she reached over, patted Lacy’s hand and said, “I’ll give you the recipe, Lacy, before you leave. It’s what I made for him when he was growing up, and then each time he came home from the mountains.”

  “Are you sure? Isn’t this is a special tradition between you and Grimm? I don’t want to intrude in your relationship like that.”