Resisting the Moon: A Royal Shifters Novel (14 page)

He shook his head. “Doesn’t sound familiar, why?”

I shrugged. “I think Amelie’s mated to him. I had a cop friend search for him, but the name doesn’t show up anywhere.”

“Have you found anything else that could help?” he asked.

I glanced back into the house, where I knew the stone was hidden. “There is one way, but it doesn’t come without a price.” I faced him again. “We found a moonstone on Amelie’s journal. When I touch it, it thrusts me into her memories. But when I use it for a long period of time, it zaps my energy. If we were attacked, I’d be too vulnerable.”

“Fuck,” he grumbled. “I don’t like the sound of this. You’re not safe here.”

“I know. We’ve already been attacked once. Those are the wolves you found at Amelie’s. They’d said they were instructed to kill anyone who showed up over there. I don’t know what that means.”

Letting my hands go, he ran them angrily through his hair. “I don’t either, but I’m going to help. We’ll find Amelie and bring our pack together.”

My heart hurt at hearing his words. I wasn’t a part of his pack anymore. He pulled me into his arms and I pulled out of his embrace.

“Sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me. It’s just . . . he’s my mate now,” I murmured.

“You were supposed to be mine.”

“I know, and it would’ve been a mistake.” It hurt to say it, but it was the truth.

“But you’re not mated yet. Why?”

The thought made me smile. For the longest time, I’d thought I was cursed. Everyone I’d loved died on me, or at least I thought they had. Finn was alive and well. “I didn’t want to lose him like I’d lost you. I never got over it, Finn. I loved you then, and I always will. But I’m not a part of your pack anymore. I haven’t been for a long time. If you don’t want to help me find Amelie, that’s fine. I’ll understand.”

He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “You may not be mine anymore, but you will always be a part of my pack. I’ll be back in a couple of days with the others. They’ll be happy to know you’re alive.” Tearing the towel away, he handed it to me and smiled. “You sure he’s your mate?”

“Oh, get out of here with that.” I rolled my eyes and smacked his shoulder. “Sebastian’s already on edge as it is, we don’t need him coming down here to kill you. I’ve seen in his mind and it’s not good. You being here only makes it worse.”

He nodded. “I understand. But he needs to know I’m here to help. You and Amelie were a part of my pack. That’s not something I’ll just forget.”

“He’ll understand,” I said, hoping I sounded convincing.

Finn glanced inside the house, then back to me. “Somehow, I’m not sure I believe that. I’ll see you later.” He gave me his phone number, then shifted into his wolf, taking off into the woods.

When I got inside, I called for Sebastian, but he was shielding himself from me. “Sebastian?”

I headed upstairs and went straight to the bathroom when I heard the shower running. The door was partially open and steam billowed out. I took off my clothes quickly and snuck inside. The shower doors were steamy and when I opened them, I expected to see Sebastian in there, but it was empty.

A chuckle came from behind just as I was pushed under the running water. “Hey! That’s not funny.” I pouted, turning in Sebastian’s arm to playfully pinch his nipple.

He closed his lips over mine, pressing his body tightly against me. Trailing his mouth down my neck to my breasts, he bit my nipple and looked up at me. “I had to get his scent off of you.”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

“I know. I heard you talking to him. But that doesn’t mean he won’t still be a problem.”

“He won’t. He knows you’re my mate. You have to trust me.”

Grabbing my legs, he lifted me up, wrapping them around his waist. “I do trust you.”

“Even without taking my blood?”

He backed me into the wall and circled his hips, sliding his cock against my center. “Yes, love. As much as I want to feel you completely, I can trust you without it.”

With Finn back from the dead, my fears were squashed. I didn’t really have a reason to hide from him. Leaning my head to the side, I brushed my hair away from my neck. “You don’t have to go without it anymore,” I replied.

Sebastian froze. “What are you saying?”

I clutched his face in my grasp. “I’m ready, Sebastian. Don’t get me wrong, I’m afraid of the visions, or lack thereof, but I know we need to do this. I’m ready. I want you completely.”

His eyes shifted and I watched as his fangs lengthened. He leaned down and ran his tongue along my neck before sinking his teeth into my skin. The bite felt orgasmic, and that was when the vision started. Flashes of light, and glimmers of Sebastian laughing, played through my mind. It happened all too quickly and then it was gone. Once we were sucked back into the here and now, Sebastian pulled back, his eyes and teeth shifting to normal.

“Did you see that?” he asked.

I didn’t know if what I saw had been good or bad. From what I gathered, our future was still undecided. “At least it wasn’t visions of red,” I said.

He chuckled. “I know it wasn’t what you were hoping for, but it’s a start. We’ll make our own fate, together.”

“Together,”
I agreed silently.

Pulling my lip in between his teeth, he kept his heated gaze on mine and sucked it.
“I hope you’re ready for this.”

I dug my nails in his back and smiled.
“You have no idea.”

Tyla

“H
ungry much?” Sebastian teased.

“Famished,” I answered, chewing the last bite of my chicken. After our tryst in the shower, we’d gotten dressed and driven to the closest store to pick up some groceries. We’d also wanted to go into town to see if we could spot other wolves. No such luck there.

It felt wrong to be enjoying this time with him while my cousin was being held against her will, but Sebastian wanted me to eat before I used the stone. We both knew I needed as much energy as possible, in order to hold onto Amelie’s memories as long as I could.

Grabbing my plate, he put it in the sink and sighed. “You ready to use the stone?”

He wasn’t happy with me using it, but we didn’t have a choice. Walking back over, he set the smooth, blue stone on the table and took the seat beside me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from it. It was as if it called to me somehow.

“I’m ready, but there’s something that’s been bothering me.” He already knew because he could see it in my mind.

“Why don’t you call your parents and ask them? You haven’t talked to them since we left anyway. I bet they’ve called over a hundred times now.”

He had a point. Dialing my parents’ number, I waited for them to pick up. My mother was the one to answer, her voice a high-pitched shriek.

“You sure do know how to scare your mother to death!”

“Hello to you too, Mother,” I said.

“What’s going on? Have you found Amelie?”

Sebastian held my hand and squeezed. “No, we haven’t, but I did find someone else.”

“Who?”

“Finn.” I waited for a gasp of excitement, or any kind of reaction for that matter, but it didn’t come. Her silence confirmed my suspicion. “You knew he was alive . . .”

“Honey, I know what you’re thinking—”

“Save it,” I snapped.

She sighed, her voice sounding defeated. “What did he say?”

“You’re not even going to deny it?”

“There’s no point. I’m sorry for not telling you, but it was for the best. He would’ve found you and you’d be stuck mated to him. Where would that have left Sebastian?”

I didn’t want to think about that. Sebastian nodded in agreement, but it still didn’t change the fact she’d lied to me. And it hadn’t been just my life she’d messed with. “It wasn’t fair, Momma. Finn’s been carrying around the guilt of my death for thirty years. When did you find out he was alive?”

“About ten years after the attack. That’s when he found Sarah and Benjamin.”

“Apparently, several people from our pack have been found as well. Finn says they’ve been showing up dead over the years.”

She gasped. “Oh no. Does he know who’s killing them?”

“No. Make sure to tell Ryker what’s going on so the pack can be on alert. He doesn’t need to let any strange wolves close to you.”

The line went quiet, but I could hear her breathing. Her past actions might have been for the best, but it didn’t hurt any less. “Tyla, dear?”

Sebastian rubbed a hand down my back, soothing me. “I’m here,” I said.

“I’m sorry for lying to you. You have to know it broke my heart to see you suffer, but I was only trying to protect you. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. This path led you to Sebastian. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you just come home? If you can’t find Amelie, there’s nothing more you can do out there. I don’t want you risking your life over this.”

My gaze caught the stone. “I think I have a way to find her. If it doesn’t work, we’ll come home.”

“Just be safe. I love you, honey.”

“Love you too.” I hung up and laid my head on the table.

“Were you serious about going home if we can’t find her?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m hoping that’s not the case,” I said, turning to face him. “We
have
to find her. I can’t imagine what’s being done to her right now. And when I look through the stone, it’s like I’m actually inside her body. I’m afraid of what I’m going to see this time around. If someone’s hurting her, there’s not a goddamned thing I can do.”

He grabbed the stone and helped me to my feet. “At least now you don’t have to see it alone. With our connection, I should be able to see it with you. Maybe I’ll be able to help.”

I hadn’t even thought of that. “Let’s get to it.” I walked over to the couch and sat down. Taking a deep breath, I made sure my mind was completely open. Sebastian held out the stone and I took it, the memories flooding in.