Resisting the Moon: A Royal Shifters Novel (22 page)

“That was for me.” He cracked his knuckles. “This is for my father.” He punched me again, then slashed his claws across my chest. Blood oozed through my shirt as my skin split open. Before he could hit me again, his attention was drawn to the door opening. “What the hell are you doing in here?” he growled.

“Just checking on you, dear brother.” The voice sounded like music. I couldn’t see her, but judging by the look on Amelie’s face it had to be Laila. “I thought you could use some help. You need to conserve your energy for tonight. Besides, you have a lot to get prepared.”

Clenching his teeth, Jaret huffed and backed away. “Be sure to make it exponentially painful.”

She laughed and it sounded exactly like her mother’s. It pained me to think of Alina’s child as being evil. “Don’t worry about me. I know what to do.”

Jaret walked out of the room and so did the other wolves, their footsteps hard and determined as they left the house. I couldn’t hear anyone else moving around, not even Tyla.

“You are such a conniving bitch,” Amelie hissed. “I trusted you.”

“I’m not your enemy,” Laila replied softly.

Amelie scoffed. “Liar. You better hope I don’t get out of here. You’ll be one of the first ones I kill.”

I heard Laila’s steps edging closer. I saw the wolfsbane plant in her hand before I looked up at her face. She looked exactly like her mother, the same red hair and slender body . . . but her eyes were different; they were blue instead of green. I felt like I’d been kicked in the gut. I recognized them. They weren’t Vincent’s, but another’s. I wondered if she knew the truth.

“Plan on using that on me?” I asked, hooking a glance at the plant. How was she even able to hold it?

She tossed it to the floor. “Looks like you’ve had enough already.”

“Like you care,” Amelie grumbled.

Laila rolled her eyes and freed me from the rope. “I wouldn’t be down here risking my life if I didn’t.”

“Where’s Tyla?” I demanded. “What’s happened to her?”

She pulled out a vial. It smelled like Tyla’s blood. “Hold out your hands.” I did as she said and she dropped a few drops of the blood on each open wound. My burns healed up as if nothing had ever happened. “Tyla’s fine. She’s upstairs sleeping.”

I jumped up, the chair slamming down on the floor. “What did he do to her?”

Laila backed away, holding her hands up in the air. “He didn’t violate her, I promise. I wouldn’t have let that happen.”

“Then why does he smell like her?”

She sighed. “He got in bed with her this morning so her scent would be on him. It was just to get a rise out of you. When I got back into town last night and found out he’d switched plans, I had to do something. My only option was to give her a tonic to put both of you to sleep.”

“How did it work on me?”

“I have a way of linking things. I knew you’d go crazy if you could see what was happening in her mind. That’s why I made sure you passed out along with her. Jaret doesn’t like sleeping with women if they aren’t coherent. He likes the fight. If she’d fought him, he would’ve killed her, and then you would’ve died seeking retribution.”

“Fucking cocksucker,” I growled low.

She pointed to Amelie. “I was also the one who linked the moonstone to Amelie’s mind. I knew you and Tyla would find it. It was the only thing I could think of to keep you informed and also keep my distance.”

I pulled the moonstone out of my pocket. “What’s the purpose of all of this? Are you with your brother, or against him?”

“You should know the answer to that, Sebastian. My mother loved you and your brothers.”

We loved her too, but my affections weren’t that of a lover. She had captured Zayne’s heart when we were kids. I didn’t tell my brother what’d happened to her until
after
I’d killed Vincent. Ever since then, he hadn’t fully forgiven me for not telling him sooner. I also never told him she’d given birth to a child—a child I didn’t believe to be his, until now.

“She died when you were an infant. How do you know that?”

She cringed at my words, her pain filling the room. “I’ll tell you everything when time allows. Right now, you have to trust me.”

“Don’t believe anything she says,” Amelie snapped. “She’s no better than her brother. Can’t you see it’s just a scheme? Jaret probably put her up to it.”

Tears filled Laila’s eyes and she turned to Amelie. “I know you don’t believe anything I’m saying, and I don’t blame you. Just know, I’ve lost more than you could ever imagine. But your forgiveness is what I’ll seek when all of this is over.”

She paused and her gaze flitted down to her clasped hands before addressing her again. “And there is something you should know.” She glanced at me and then back to Amelie, ashamed. “You’re not pregnant.”

Amelie gasped and clutched her stomach. “What are you saying?”

Releasing a shaky breath, Laila closed her eyes. “I originally told you and Jaret that because I knew it would keep you alive. It was the only thing I could think of at the time. The tea I gave you to drink each week had an herb in it to keep you from conceiving. I couldn’t let him have that kind of hold over you.”

Amelie dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll be free of him then?”

Laila nodded. “As long as my plan works.”

“Which is?” I asked.

“Getting us all out of here alive. I’ll do everything I can to keep Tyla and the baby safe. But when the time comes, I’ll need your—”

“Stop,” I shouted, my heart racing. I looked over at Amelie and judging by her wide eyes she had to have heard what I did. “What baby?”

Brows furrowed, Laila glanced back and forth at us and then sighed. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know. But then again, I guess it is a little soon for that.”

“Tyla’s
pregnant
?” I asked, hardly believing the words coming out of my mouth.

Laila smiled and nodded. “It’s not every day the father finds out before the mother.”

Footsteps sounded from above and she gasped. “Dammit, they’re back. I don’t have time to explain the rest. Whatever I do, you need to play along, both of you.” She tossed a quick glance at Amelie, before focusing on me. “This is probably going to be worse for you. Can you handle it?”

“You don’t even have to ask.” I would give up my life in an instant to save Tyla and my unborn child. They needed me and I wasn’t going to let them down.

Laila nodded, her gaze sad. “Here we go.” She closed her eyes and whispered words under her breath. The last thing I heard before the darkness took over was Amelie’s scream.

Tyla

I
woke up in a daze, hoping everything that had happened was just a bad dream. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I found myself in Jaret’s bed, reeking of his scent. I was fully clothed, and thankfully, untouched. If he had raped me in my sleep, there would’ve been nothing I could’ve done. Whatever Laila had given me to drink wiped me out. I looked at the clock, eyes widening at the time. I’d been out for almost twenty-four hours.

“Sebastian?”
There was no answer, just a black void in my mind where he used to be. Panic set in.
“Sebastian!”
Where was he? Jumping out of bed, I started for the door, but it opened and Jaret waltzed in.

“Good morning, sunshine. Ready for the finale tonight?”

“Where’s Sebastian and Amelie?” I demanded, refusing to answer him.

His grin widened. “Amelie’s being taken to the barn as we speak. She’s fine for the moment, but I can’t say for how long. Sebastian, on the other hand, isn’t doing so well. You should’ve seen his face when he smelled you on me and I told him I fucked you last night.”

My body shook, fire bubbling in my veins. I needed Sebastian to hear me so I could tell him the truth. Why was our connection still gone? As hard as I could, I lunged and punched Jaret in the face. His head snapped to the side and he laughed. Before I could make another move, he grabbed me around the neck, his movements a blur. He was stronger than me.

“You think you can fight me?” he growled, pushing me back toward the bed. I couldn’t breathe; his grip was too tight. Digging my claws in his hand, I was able to pry them apart to get some air.

“I know I can.”

“Let’s just see about that. How about we give your mate something to
really
be mad about?” He grabbed my shirt and yanked it up. The door burst open.

“Really?” Laila snapped. “Everyone’s waiting for you. There’ll be plenty of time to do whatever it is you want to do later. For now, you have to get ready.”

Huffing, Jaret released my neck. “Fine. Let’s go.” He jerked me to my feet and dragged me out of the door. Laila didn’t acknowledge me, keeping her face a stony mask. If she was trying to help, she wasn’t showing it.

“Sebastian! Talk to me.”
Again I was met with silence.

Laila followed us outside, where two of Jaret’s men awaited us. “Amelie’s tied up and ready to go,” one of them said.

“What?” I gasped. Visions of Josef tied up in the barn flashed through my mind. They’d ripped him apart. I couldn’t let them do that to Amelie.

Jaret’s eyes twinkled. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re about to join her.”

All I wanted to do was fight, but I couldn’t do it on my own. We edged closer to the barn and I was so afraid of what I’d see when I got in there. Sebastian had to be okay. I couldn’t afford to think otherwise. My cousin, however, was a different story. Jaret’s men snickered behind me and it pissed me off. When we turned the corner, I froze mid-step. Amelie stood on the opposite side of the room, naked with her arms and hands bound in ropes, just like Josef had been.

“Amelie!” I shouted.

Her head snapped up. “Tyla.”

“What kind of a sadistic fuck are you?” I growled at Jaret. “She’s your
mate
.”

He shrugged. “Not after tonight. By the next full moon, you will be. First though, I need your help.”

“I’m not helping you do shit.”

He chuckled and waved at his men. “I beg to differ. If you don’t, you’ll condemn your poor cousin to a fate worse than death.” Leaning close, he wrapped his arms around my waist, his voice just a whisper. “My sweet Amelie . . . just look at her up there. She’s so naïve and vulnerable, not the alpha you are. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll have every wolf in this room take a bite out of her as they fuck her until she breaks. Do you want that?”

My stomach clenched. I knew he’d do it. “No,” I whispered.

“Then shut your fucking mouth.”

His men grabbed my wrists and hauled me up to the front, where a set of ropes hung from the ceiling. They tied me up and left me dangling beside Amelie. Jaret’s pack congregated in the barn, like it was just a normal party, drinking beer and gawking at us with their heated gazes. Some of the guys came up close. As one reached out to touch me, Jaret barked out an order.

“No one will touch the alpha but me. The other one is for you.”

Amelie let out a whimper when the shortest guy of the group stepped up and sniffed her.

“You’re lookin’ real nice, all strung up and waiting for me.” His buddies chuckled and swayed, leaning on each other as they continued to drink. “I’ll bet you’re already wet just thinking about my cock.” He shoved his hand between her legs and she spit on his face. “You fucking bitch.” He reared back and slapped her across the face. “Save it for later, you’re gonna need something for that dry ass cunt, or it’s really gonna hurt.” The disgusting man and his groupies roamed over to the rest of their pack to take a round of shots.