Resisting the Moon: A Royal Shifters Novel (16 page)

Tyla

“A
re you sure you’re okay?” Blake asked. “You’ve never asked me to do this kind of stuff before.”

“I know. Just please trust me when I say I can’t really explain it right now. Maybe one day I will.”

He sighed. “I don’t mind helping you, Tyla. When do you think you’ll be coming back?”

“Hopefully soon. Call me when you find out something.”

“Will do. Stay safe out there.”

We hung up and I prayed he found something soon. Our options were running low.

“He’s starting to ask a lot of questions,” Sebastian said.

I slid my phone in my purse. “He’s a cop, of course he’s going to ask. The thing is, I know he’d keep our secret if I told him what we are.”

“But you can’t. Humans don’t have the capability of understanding what we truly are. They see werewolves in the movies and in books, and would jump to conclusions. It’s best we keep our secrets.”

The reason I wanted to tell him was so I could stay at the ranch and work. I didn’t want to have to move on somewhere else.

Taking my hand, Sebastian lifted it to his lips and kissed it. “I know you don’t want to leave the ranch, but now that we’re together, I can take you anywhere you want to go, give you anything you want. If you want your own ranch with your own horses, I can give you that. Just say the word.”

“You’d do that for me?” I asked.

We’d just arrived back at the cabin. He shut the car off and faced me. “I’d do anything for you, love. All you have to do is ask.”

“And I will,” I said, getting out of the car. I looked up at the sky and could feel the moon drawing near. The power of it was stronger than it had ever been, pulling me toward Sebastian like a moth to a flame. At that very moment, the decision was made. I wanted to complete the bond, to be a royal.

Sebastian froze in his tracks and turned to me, his heated gaze fixed on mine. “You sure that’s what you want?”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I squeezed him tight. “With all my heart. Are you sure it’s what
you
want?”

He chuckled. “You have no idea.”

Once inside, he gave me my space so I could mentally prepare for the night to come. I sat by the window and attempted to read, but even my favorite pastime could do nothing to quell my nervousness.

The sky grew dark and the clouds gave way to the moon. It was the perfect night and almost time. Bonding with someone wasn’t meant to be taken lightly. Thinking back to my time with Finn, I had been naive to even consider mating with him when I knew he wasn’t my true mate. We would’ve been miserable.

Sebastian retreated outside while I went to the bedroom to take a shower. Before getting in the steamy, hot shower, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Bailey:
Good luck tonight!

Me:
What are you talking about?

Bailey:
I just got off the phone with Sebastian. He sounds like a different man. Looks like there’s a lot you need to tell me when you get back.

Me:
What did he say?

Bailey:
Only that I better not call back tonight. Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Love you! Be safe out there!

Chuckling, I sat my phone on the counter and hopped in the shower. Everyone back home had probably bet on the likelihood of me and Sebastian mating before we returned—
if
we returned. I had to believe we would.

The water felt amazing as it cascaded down my skin. I heard footsteps in the bedroom and half expected Sebastian to join me in the shower for a little foreplay before we sealed the deal. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The bathroom door opened slightly and I felt the cool breeze of the night air sift inside. I could smell the trees and the incoming snow that would arrive by morning.

“Sebastian?” There was no answer. What was he doing? I finished rinsing out my hair and turned off the water, grabbing the towel I had draped over the rack. The lights were off in the bedroom. “Sebastian?”

Wrapping the towel around my waist, I slowly tiptoed to the door, heart racing. Why wasn’t he answering me? I turned off the bathroom light and peeked through the slit in the door. Sebastian wasn’t there, but the whole room was lit up with candles. The window was wide open, letting the moon shine its magic inside. It looked even more magical with the silky curtains blowing in the breeze.

Light footsteps sounded on the wooden stairs and I froze. When Sebastian walked through the door wearing only a pair of pants and carrying another candle, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m not an intruder, you can come out,” he said, setting the candle on the dresser. He stalked over to me and I trembled when he pulled me into his arms.

“You didn’t answer me when I called your name. I was worried.”

He brushed a hand down the side of my face, his blue gaze turning dark with need. “Anyone coming near this house would regret it if they tried. In fact, anyone who tries to stop us will meet a very slow and painful death.”

“When you say it like that, it kind of turns me on.” I chuckled.

His attention turned to the window and his eyes glowed. “It’s time, love.” Gripping the edge of my towel, he slowly pulled it away, letting it fall to the floor. A deep growl rumbled in his chest when his gaze raked over my body. “Are you ready for this?”

“More than ready.” I stepped toward the bed and sat down, sliding across the silky sheets. Sebastian stood at the edge of the bed and unbuttoned his pants, letting them slide down to the floor. His thick length hung heavy between his legs and I had the overwhelming urge to taste him. My whole body trembled with need.

Keeping his gaze on mine, he crawled onto the bed and kissed his way up my body. Spreading my legs apart, he flicked his tongue over my clit, making me jerk. His warm breath blew across it as he spoke, making the yearning worse. “I feel like I’ve waited an eternity for this,” he breathed.

I grabbed a handful of his hair and squeezed as he plunged his tongue deep inside. “Sebastian,” I called out, close to losing control. But he stopped and smirked at me before licking a trail up to my breasts. “You are so evil. Luckily, two can play at this game.”

I reached between his legs and wrapped my hand around his arousal, stroking his length. He sucked in a breath and pushed himself up and down inside my hand. The tip of his cock grew wet and I wiped the moisture away with my thumb. Licking my lips, I brought it to my mouth and closed my eyes, moaning as I tasted him.

Watching me suck on my fingers, he lowered his mouth to my breast and nibbled on its peak. “You’ll be the death of me, love.” He grazed my skin with his teeth, but didn’t draw blood. I was glad he didn’t. Whatever our next vision would be, I didn’t want to see it on this night.

Reaching between my legs, he spread me wide and aligned himself at my opening. The moon glowed inside the bedroom, its magic swirling, like invisible threads all around us. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them. As soon as we completed the bond, those threads would be inside us, tethering us together. His magic would be mine, and mine his. I’d become a royal.

Pushing until he was as deep as he could go, I gasped and squeezed my legs tighter around his waist, pushing him farther in. We moved together as one, our bodies and minds fully connected. The bond we’d already opened up, floated to a whole new level. Our power merged and as each second passed, I felt stronger than I ever had before.

My insides tightened and I felt my release threatening to break free. Fisting his hands in my hair, Sebastian grunted with his hard thrusts, his cock pulsating inside me. I cried out as I finally reached the edge and trembled from the best orgasm of my life. Sebastian pounded his hips into mine as he chased his release, arms clutching me tight.

When he reached completion, I gasped as those magical threads bound us together. His soul was inside me and mine in his, unbreakable. I prayed if anything ever happened to him, death would take me as well. There was no way I could live without him from this day forward.

Leaning on his elbows, Sebastian bent down and kissed me, our bodies still connected. “I wouldn’t be able to live without you either,” he murmured against my lips. “I love you, Tyla.”

Heart racing, I looked up at him and let the tears fall. “I love you too, Sebastian. I’m sorry it took so long for me to realize it.”

He brushed the hair off my face. “Don’t worry, love. We have the rest of our lives for you to make it up to me.”

It was a task I was more than happy to accept.

Tyla

T
he moment I woke up, everything was different. My vision was sharper, my mind clearer, and the bond connecting me and Sebastian together had never been stronger. I felt like I could lift a tractor trailer with no issues at all; although, I wasn’t about to try it.

Sebastian rolled over and opened his eyes. “Good morning, love. How do you feel?”

“Amazing. You?”

He stretched and sat up. “Never better. And to think, you didn’t want any of this.”

I smacked him on the back. “Hey, I never said I didn’t want it. I was just too scared to take it, only to lose it.”

He turned and leaned over me, brushing the hair off my face. “There’s something I haven’t told you. I didn’t want to bring it up because I was afraid you’d mate with me for the wrong reason.”

“What is it?”

He glanced over at the blue stone sitting on the desk. The sun shone through the window, giving it a glow. “I talked to Seraphina the other day and she told me something that might help us. Now that we’ve mated, it might actually work.” He rolled to the side of the bed and fetched the stone. I wanted to touch it, but I didn’t want it to suck me dry. Sitting back on the bed, he grabbed my hand. “Seraphina said that if we mated, our power would be stronger than the stone, that it probably wouldn’t take your energy away as a royal.”

Eyes wide, I gasped. “If it doesn’t take away my energy, I can keep looking through it.”

“Exactly,” he mentioned happily. “Wanna try it and see what it does?”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and nodded. If I could look through the stone any time I wanted, there was more of a chance we could find Amelie. “Let’s do it.” When the stone touched my hand, I expected the jolt of electricity to suck away my power, but it didn’t come. My mind opened up and I could see through Amelie’s eyes. Sebastian squeezed my hand and I gasped. “I can feel you. It’s not completely taking me under. Can you see into my mind?”

“Yes.”

With my eyes still closed, I concentrated on the visions. Amelie was no longer in the dark basement, but in a car. There were bruises on her wrists but she wasn’t restrained. She was in the front seat, looking out at the woods as they drove past. “That road looks familiar,” I said.

I felt Sebastian jump off the bed. “That’s because it’s not far from here. She’s on her way back.”

Heart racing, I kept watching. “Who are you with, Amelie?” I whispered, hoping she’d turn her head. The next road they took was one I definitely recognized. “They’re at her house!” How could that be? Something must’ve happened while Sebastian and I had been indisposed the night before. I was grateful for seeing the visions, but wished I could hear. It was like everything was on mute. “Maybe this is just a memory?”

“It can’t be,” Sebastian said as they pulled up to the house. “The dead wolves are still in the driveway.”