by L. P. Dover
They close in on the cabin, Micah right beside Cedric while Colin and the other wolves band together. With him being a royal, he can shield his presence along with those around him. Cedric has Micah to keep him off the radar. The rogue wolves have no clue they’re about to be ambushed. Cedric and Micah make their way to the back door, and Cedric kicks it in. Two men in the kitchen are caught off guard, and Cedric rips the head off one while Micah attacks the other. Chaos erupts in the other room, and all I can hear are growls and yelps as the fighting commences. Cedric catches the wolf’s scent he was looking for and storms into the living room, only to see him shift and bolt outside.
“He found him,” I whisper, keeping my eyes closed. Sweat breaks out on my forehead, but I feel chilled. There’s so much rage and darkness in Cedric’s mind.
“Found who?” Amelie asks.
“The wolf whose blood we found mixed with Seraphina’s. Cedric believes he’s the one who killed her.”
The room falls silent, but in my mind, I can hear everything as if I’m right there with Cedric and the fight. He shifts mid-air and chases after the wolf, gaining on him inch by inch. Tree branches scrape his sides, digging into his skin, but the pain only fuels him to move faster. He lunges for the wolf and digs his fangs into the back of his neck, ripping out a mouthful of flesh. The wolf yelps but keeps on fighting. Cedric tears into him, making him suffer from each bite until he’s lost all energy. A few minutes later, the wolf collapses onto the ground, his chest heaving up and down as he bleeds out.
Cedric stands over him and watches him struggle. I wait for him to deliver the killing blow, but all he does is stand there.
“Are you okay?” I say to him.
“I want him to suffer.”
I understand completely. Through his eyes, I watch it all. Another few minutes pass, and the life leaves the wolf’s eyes. So many emotions race through Cedric’s mind, but mostly I sense his grief.
“Come back, Cedric,” I plead. “It’s over.”
“Something tells me it’s not. I have this strange feeling.”
What he’s feeling is coming from me. He doesn’t know it’s Dorian who spelled the rogues; I kept that part away from him. When I tell him, I’m so afraid he’ll blame me for Seraphina’s death. I know it was me they were coming for.
Twenty
Laila
The cabin is warm and cozy with the smell of cinnamon apple cider wafting from the kitchen and the sound of the crackling fire in the fireplace. Christmas has finally arrived, but more importantly, there’s a full moon tonight. I’m about to find out my fate. Cedric and I are going to complete the bond. It’s simple. All we have to do is make love while the moon is at its peak. Our powers will be shared, and our bodies will change. My royal blood will make Cedric stronger than ever before. He’ll even be considered a royal. My outcome, however, is less certain. It’s true, I’ll be stronger, but in what way, I don’t know. We’ll find out soon enough. The night is unique, especially since there hasn’t been a full moon on Christmas in twenty-nine years.
The past few days have gone by in a blur. Cedric doesn’t blame me for Seraphina’s death, but the guilt is still there, eating away at my heart and soul. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop blaming myself. The pack held a funeral for Seraphina and the other elders. We buried them at the elder’s circle. Beck and I have combed the woods every day for the past week to see if we could pick up on Dorian’s magic, but we couldn’t find a trace. Everything is quiet, peaceful, almost like the calm before the storm. Even though it’s dark outside, the moon shines against the snow, making it shimmer and glow. My wolf stirs inside of me, ready to be claimed.
I can see Cedric’s reflection in the window, his gaze concerned as he approaches. He hasn’t shaved in a few days, so his face is stubbly and rugged. “How many times have I told you,” he says, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He kisses the side of my neck and breathes me in. “You can’t keep blaming yourself. Seraphina wouldn’t want that.” I need to remember to block him from my mind. Sighing, Cedric squeezes me. “That’s the last thing you need to do.”
Keeping my focus on the radiating moon, I can feel the power of it growing stronger. I slide my hands over Cedric’s warm arms, the electricity shooting through my veins. The time is almost here. “It hurt my heart today being at the party without Seraphina there. She was like a mother to you.” The pack celebrated the holiday by having a massive feast at Ryker and Bailey’s house. My father didn’t attend, so afterwards, we visited him along with Sebastian and Micah.
He turns me around in his arms. “Yes, she was.”
I look up into his steely gray eyes. “Sometimes, I wish we had normal lives. There’s so much death in our world. When we have kids, they won’t even know who their grandparents are.” All of them were murdered except for my dad.
Cedric brushes a hand down my cheek. “No, but they’re alive in here,” he says, placing a hand over his heart. “And in you,” he adds. “You still have a family. You have your father and your uncles. I’m sure they have centuries of stories to tell.” Laying my head on his chest, I listen to his heartbeat. I find myself doing it a lot at night when we’re in bed. Cedric glides his fingers up and down my back soothingly. “Do you miss being with Amelie and Faith now that you moved in with me?”
I smile. “Of course, I miss them, but I love being here more.” I was supposed to start my apprenticeship with him in a couple of days, but after Seraphina’s death, Cedric decided to take more time off work. Once the New Year comes, he’ll be back at it, and I’ll be learning how to become a park ranger. In the meantime, I’m working on my interior design. I completed Mr. Tanner’s home and moved on to smaller jobs around town. Cedric takes my hand and pulls me over to the Christmas tree, his eyes lit with excitement. He nods toward the couch, and I sit. “What are you doing?” Reaching underneath the tree, he pulls out a gift I didn’t even know was there. I purse my lips and glare halfheartedly at him. “I thought we said no presents this year.”
Cedric glances down at the wrapped gift and sighs. “I know. Completing the bond tonight is the best gift you could ever give me. It’s just …” He kneels in front of me and sets the gift in my lap. “I wanted to do something special.”
Sliding my finger under the tape, I rip off the wrapping paper and lift the box lid. As soon as I see what’s inside, I can’t stop the tears from falling. I reach in and trace the patterns with my fingers. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper, completely in awe of my gift. It’s a brown leather-bound journal, and engraved in the leather are designs I know I’ve seen many times before. They’re my mother’s floral doodles she’d draw on the edges of the paper inside her journals. Most of them looked like flowers intertwined with vines, very fae-like. “Are these her actual doodles?”
Cedric looks down at the journal and smiles. “They are.”
“How did you do it?”
His twinkling eyes meet mine. “I have my ways.” But then he laughs and traces the doodles with his finger. “Seraphina loved her laser engraver, and I knew it would work on leather. I know that since you love your mother’s journals, you could document your experiences for our kids. That way, they’ll always have something of yours.”
More tears fall down my cheeks. “I think that’s an amazing idea.” I clutch the journal to my chest and kiss him. “This is the best present ever.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He wipes the tears off my face and turns his attention to the window. “It’s almost time. I can feel the magic getting stronger.” When he focuses back on me, his gray eyes flash to his wolf’s. “That is if you still want to be my mate.”
Standing, I reach for his hand and pull him up. He towers over me, and I love how protected I feel when he’s around. “I want nothing more.” Holding my hand, he follows me out of the living room and into his bedroom. We’ve made love many times, but tonight, it feels like the first time. I’m nervous but in a good way.
Cedric rele
ases my hand and walks over to the window, sliding the curtains away so the moon can shine into the room. It’s as if I can feel its magic all around me. I move over to the bed and slowly slide back onto the mattress while Cedric prowls over top of me, spearing me with his heated gaze. I love it when his eyes shift back and forth from human to wolf.
Gently, he lifts my shirt, trailing kisses up my stomach and over my breasts before unlatching my bra and slipping it over my head. I groan as he bites my nipple playfully before moving down to take off my pants.
Cedric watches me like a ravenous animal. Wolves are dangerous and protective of the ones they love. His heat-filled gaze never leaves mine the entire time he slides my pants down my legs and tosses them onto the floor. My whole body trembles in anticipation, and it makes him smile.
“You are so damn beautiful.”
The moonlight shines against his face. “So are you.” Then I rake my gaze down his still clothed body. “I think it’s time you lose those.”
His eyes glow again. “With pleasure.”
Propping myself up on my elbows, I bite my lip and watch in fascination as he slowly removes his clothes, teasing me. The bulge in his pants strains to be let out, and my impatience grows even more intense. I can feel the wolf inside of me, almost as if she’s pacing back and forth in a cage, desperate to claim her mate. When Cedric finally lowers his pants, I groan. My insides tighten with anticipation, waiting for him to take me.
He kisses his way up my leg, starting with my ankle, up to my knees, and along my inner thigh, where he nips my tender skin. Once he reaches my stomach, he trails his tongue all the way up until he comes to my breasts, testing my readiness with his fingers.
“Damn,” he groans, his voice deep and husky. “You’re so fucking wet.”
I spread my legs wider. “Just ready for you.”
Groaning, he licks and sucks on my sensitive nipple while thrusting his fingers inside of me, the pad of his thumb rubbing against my swollen clit. My orgasm builds so fast I can’t even catch a breath before it explodes. I arch off the bed and fist my hands in the sheets as my release heightens and spreads throughout my entire body.
Sucking in a breath, I hold a hand over my chest. My heart is racing faster than I’ve ever felt it before. “That was amazing.”
Cedric chuckles. “I’d like to say it’s all me, but we both know the moon intensifies everything.” Smirking, he situates his body between my legs, the tip of him at my opening. “Feeling you clench around my fingers almost made me lose my shit. I love knowing my touch can make you come.”
“It does more than that,” I say, throwing him on his back on the bed, straddling him. “It drives me insane.”
Now I’m the one starved and hungry for more. I kiss him hard, which only fuels his lust even more. While rubbing my sensitive breasts along his chest, I move my core over his straining cock, teasing him.
Cedric grips my hips and growls, “I want to be inside you, now.” His control is slipping and I love it. As much as I want to torment him, I can’t. Even I don’t have the patience to tease him.
I lift my hips slowly, only letting the tip of him graze my opening before I gently lower myself onto his pulsating cock. “Is this what you want?” I whisper, feeling my body burn with need.
He holds my hips, rocking me gently back and forth, going slowly until my body accommodates his size. He fills me, stretching me, but I need more. Digging my nails into his shoulders, I slam down on him as hard as I can. Cedric bucks underneath me and takes in a sharp breath. “Fuck, this feels so good.”
I look over at the window, at the moonlight shifting and changing before my very eyes. It swirls like little magical tendrils, floating in the air. They fly closer to us, but they won’t take hold in our bodies until we complete our bond. I’ve heard stories about what happens when two wolves complete the bond, but they don’t compare to how it really is. It’s beautiful.
Cedric slides his hands up to my breasts and then up to my face, drawing my attention back to him. “I love you, Laila.”
I kiss his hand. “I love you too.”
He moves his hands to my waist, gripping me hard as he thrusts his hips up, his cock delving deeper inside of me. “Keep going, baby. I’m ready for you to be mine and mine only.”
“Then that’s what you’re going to get.”
I close my lips over his, ravishing him with my tongue. My body rocks hard against him, and he grunts as his cock lengthens inside of me. He’s close, and I’m on the verge of losing control. I ride him until the tingling in my core grows more intense with each passing second. The magical threads move closer to us, surrounding our bodies. Cedric grips my hips harder and pulls me down to him, his lips closing over my breast. Our bond opens up to a whole new level. I feel more connected to him than I ever have before. The power inside me trickles out of my body, and I can feel it flowing into him and vice versa. His soul is a part of me, and mine is a part of him. Throwing my head back, I cry out as my release overtakes me. Cedric slams his cock into me and holds me down as he finishes inside me. Satiated, I collapse on top of him and try to catch my breath.
Still connected, I sit up slowly and watch as the magical strands bind us together, forming an unbreakable bond. The only thing that could break it is death. Cedric looks up into my eyes, and his mouth gapes. He grabs my face with both hands and pulls me down to him. A look of shock passes across his face, but then he smiles.
“What is it?” I ask, clutching his hands.
He stares at me in awe. “Your eyes. They’re amazing.”
Heart racing, I look around the room, but there’s no mirror, but then I see my reflection in the window. My eyes are glowing, just like they would if I was a full shifter. Everything feels so different in my body, stronger and free. My wolf isn’t caged anymore.
I look down at Cedric. “Do you think …” I can’t even finish what I’m going to say. Do you think I can shift now? Excitement bubbles in my veins. The urge to turn intensifies, but I can also sense my fae magic, desperate to be let loose.
Cedric sits up and squeezes my thighs. “There’s only one way to find out. Let’s go.”
I slide off of him, and he takes my hand, pulling me out of the bedroom to the front door, both of us completely naked. When we get outside, the snow melts underneath my feet. I touch the ground, and I immediately feel the earth’s magic. It absorbs into me as if nothing changed. I still have my fae magic.
Cedric kneels next to me, and I look over at him with tears welling up in my eyes. “I still have my fae magic. I didn’t lose it.”
“It’s a part of you.” He reaches for my hand and pulls me up. “And now I’m a part of you. Let’s see what you got.” Taking a step back and another, he smiles and holds out his arms. “Catch me if you can.” His body shimmers in the moonlight, and he transforms into his wolf, only now he’s different. He’s more muscular, and on his chest is a white patch of fur that wasn’t there before; it’s a sign of my arctic blood flowing through him.
“You can do this,” Cedric says in my mind. “Just close your eyes and concentrate. I can feel your wolf, so much more than before.”
Closing my eyes, I picture her in my mind. I can see her as plain as day—a white and gray wolf with glowing blue eyes. My entire body starts to tingle and grow warm. It’s euphoric and strange, but it feels good. I give in to the magic, and my body shifts. The next thing I know, I’m on all fours, and the earth feels different on my feet. Cedric stalks toward me, rubbing his body alongside mine.
“How does it feel?”
I look into his wolf eyes. “Amazing.”
He gives me a wolfy grin in return. I can see what I look like in his mind, and it’s what I envisioned. My fur is white, but with a gray patch on my chest, just like he has a white one on his.
“Just wait. It gets even better. Now let’s see how fast you are.”
“You’re on.” I take off for the woods, high on adrenaline, magic, and love. I’ll never for
get this night as long as I live.
Twenty-One
Laila
THREE MONTHS LATER
March 25th
It's been a busy week. Thankfully, today is Friday, and we have the weekend off to relax. I'm still in training to be a park ranger, and Cedric is a wonderful mentor. With tourist season coming up soon, we've had to put in the hours to ensure the trails are safe. Having my earth magic has come in handy. I've been able to restore fallen trees and dying shrubs, something I wasn't capable of before. Every day, I learn something new about my magic. I can do so much more than I ever could. A part of me worries about what that might mean to the dark fae. Dorian is still out there somewhere, but we can't find him. Cedric still talks of revenge, but I don't think it's smart to hunt him down.
"What are you writing about?" Cedric asks from the doorway.
I gently close the journal with a heavy sigh and set it on the nightstand beside our bed. "Just the usual," I reply. I slide off the bed and walk over to him. "You know, our day at work and what's going on in our lives."
He opens his arms, and I slide mine around his waist. "Did you write how sexy your mate is?"
Laughing, I lean up on my toes and kiss him. "I'll be sure to add it."
"Good." He nods toward the hallway. "The burgers are off the grill, and everyone will be here soon." His hands slide down to cup my ass. "We could always get a quickie in if you want."
With Bailey and Tyla both closer to having their babies, there's been a lot of talk about us having one too. I'm not pregnant yet, but that's not from lack of trying. I'm sure it'll happen at the right time. Taking his hand, I pull him toward the bed and push him down onto the mattress. Before I can unbutton his jeans, I hear a car closing in. Cedric groans and then laughs. "Of course, they decide to come early."