I settled on the sofa in the living room after Roxy had shooed me out of the kitchen. She was content with making sandwiches by herself. I turned on the TV, aware that it was the first time I’d been in the room by myself.
I put on the only channel I knew that was capable of distracting me long enough to get some rest - Food Network. It always worked a charm.
*
“She was amazing Riley, she pulled it apart like it was a packet of crisps!” Lara? I was trying to make sense of what I was hearing, but a darkness clouded my eyes pulling me under. Sleep was beckoning once again, and I drifted off…
*
I woke up to the sound of even breathing, it was hypnotic and calming. I turned over seeking the warmth that radiated towards me. I snuggled closer and rested my head on the bare, chiselled chest beside me. I blinked a few times before realising it was Riley.
I was taken aback as confusion ran through my mind. I was laying in my bed, with Riley. How did that happen?
His shirtless body enhanced his strength as his taut muscles rested beneath my arm. I didn’t want to disturb him, he looked extremely peaceful as his worries slipped away while he slept. While he exhaled the stress, he breathed in harmony.
He moved his arm and wrapped it around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I held still for fear of waking him. I wasn’t ready to head back into the real world. I breathed in his scent and let it fill my lungs. I loved the way he smelled, it was addictive to my senses.
I closed my eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. I bathed in the feeling of his body close to mine, and hugged him tightly. I never wanted to let him go, it was a feeling I could easily get used to.
*
The feeling of Riley playing with my hair stirred me from my sleep. Dreaming had been my favourite time of the day, but waking with Riley beside me far exceeded my dreams. Finally, reality was better.
My wolf was calm as harmonious waves travelled through our connection. Sleeping with Riley had obviously soothed her.
Don’t kid yourself, it soothed you too.
I smiled to myself, my wolf was a sassy female. He kissed my forehead, and the sensations that passed down my body echoed my feelings about him. He had such a boyish charm that it reminded me he was only twenty-six. With the amount of responsibilities he had it was easy to mistake him for an older man.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Mmhmm,” I mumbled. “Though I don’t remember coming to bed.” I smirked and raised one eyebrow.
“You’d crashed on the sofa when I walked in, and I’d assumed you’d be comfier in here,” he shrugged as he answered.
“And where’s the part where you joined me?”
“I can leave if you want?” He attempted to move, pulling the covers aside.
“No!” I shouted as I held on to him. “I was only messing. Please stay,” I asked.
He settled back down and pulled me closer. I loved the feeling of his arm around me.
“I haven’t slept that well in a long time,” he said, as his thoughts turned pensive. The lines across his forehead creased as his eyes became more distant towards his musings.
“It seems sleeping with you agrees with me, Luna.”
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending more nights sleeping with Riley. The thought excited me, though I knew I was getting ahead of myself.
“I’m glad I was able to help. You can sleep with me as often as you’d like, you’re not so bad to cuddle.” I winked at him before I lost my nerve.
“Oh, really?” He looked mischievous.
With a wicked grin he leaned over and tickled my body, and I screamed out in response. Riley was torturing me with his evil plan.
He straddled my hips to stop me from moving, and it wasn’t fair. I fought him off as much as I could, but between his constant tickling and my need to wriggle I wasn’t getting very far. He was loving every minute, if the size of his grin was anything to go by.
It was time to play dirty, and Riley definitely deserved it. Fire shouldn’t be fought with fire, but in Riley’s case, he definitely needed a taste of his own medicine.
I skimmed my hands across his abdomen and tickled my way up his body. Result! He was ticklish!
I’d gained the upper hand as I’d distracted him long enough to forget what he was doing. I pushed him off of my hips and rolled him over, and straddled him . He desperately tried to grab at my hands, but I was determined to beat him at his own game.
I was having a lot of fun laughing at Riley, and in one lightning-fast move he grabbed my arms and pulled me down. He crushed his lips against mine and I quickly responded as the reason for laughing faded away. The mood in the room shifted as desire swept through my body.
I matched his pace, tongue against tongue. The sweet taste of him filling my senses as he moved his hand through my hair to cradle the back of my head. His other hand grazed along my arse, and pulled me closer to him. He pressed his body against mine and I felt the full force of his arousal. Passion flared through my veins, and I couldn’t contain myself.
I deepened the kiss, biting his lip in the process. He responded with a carnal growl and pinned me to the bed. I was at his mercy and it felt good. I wrapped my legs around his waist, bringing him closer.
My skin grew sensitive to his touch and wetness gathered between my legs. I ached to be touched by him. I’d never felt like that before.
“Luna, we have to stop.” It was hard to believe him when he continued to kiss me.
“Why?” I was having a really good time, and now he wanted to stop?
“I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”
I felt like ice had been thrown over my body. My desire had faded like a switch had been turned off. I definitely wasn’t turned on anymore.
“Wait, that didn’t sound how it was meant to. What I mean Luna, is that I’m so turned on by you, I’m struggling to not rip the clothes off your back. I want to devour you, but I don’t want to hurt you, and right now I’m afraid I will. You have no idea how much I want you, I can barely keep my hands off you. Even earlier, I struggled to see you half naked around everyone else. It damn near killed me.”
I sat in shock at Riley’s admission. “Riley, you make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I can’t explain it, it’s like you’ve lit a fire inside me.”
“You are incredibly beautiful, Luna,” he said, swiping the hair out of my face.
He rested his palm against my cheek, which caused my skin to tremble. Riley thought I was beautiful?
Why wouldn’t he? He is the one for us.
Don’t get ahead of yourself wolf.
Stop selling yourself short then.
I sighed inwardly, the conversation was over before Riley could notice, but my wolf was as aware as before. The tingling that persisted in the back of my mind was a tell-tale sign of its own.
“I don’t want to rush you into anything. I want you to trust me, and I’m going to do this the right way. Will you go out on a date with me?” he asked.
“Yes!” I replied happily. He hugged me tight, and kissed the top of my head. I felt sated, and incredibly excited. Riley had feelings for me too, and enough to ask me on a date.
“Thank you for walking into my life when you did.”
His words melted my heart as I thought about how grateful I was for meeting him. He’d given me a whole new life.
“No Riley, thank you.”
Chapter Nineteen
“We have to go, Luna,” Riley whispered as he moved from the embrace we were locked in. I didn’t want to move, being with Riley had me completely satisfied, everything else was inconsequential.
“What time is it?” I asked having noticed the sky had darkened as it peeked between the curtain folds. I’d opened them that morning, but Riley must have closed them.
“It’s just after eight.”
“Oh.” I’d slept for a good few hours, much longer than I’d anticipated. “Where are we going?�
��
“Kitchen. Besides my growling stomach, I’ve arranged a pack meeting.”
“In the kitchen?” I was confused, I’d been told pack meetings were held in one of the buildings outside because it was bigger. What made tonight different?
“It’s only a small one, just for those living in this house. I can’t worry the pack as a whole, at least not yet. There’s so much going on, I don’t want to ruffle more feathers than I have to.”
His shoulders heaved as the weight of his responsibilities rested heavily. In that moment I wanted to scoop his worries away, and throw them in the trash after they’d been shredded into tiny pieces. The stress he’d slept away was already ebbing its way back again. “With everything that’s happened today I never had the chance to talk with you. After tonight, things won’t be the same again, but I need you to trust me that no matter what I say, I will make sure that everything will be alright.”
Riley had me curious, and a little worried too. His statement made me feel like quite the opposite would happen, and in my experience it generally did. That was life’s version of a break-up mantra. An adage to ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’
“I trust you, Riley.” It was true, I did. He hadn’t given me a reason not to, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have reservations about what was to come, especially when I didn’t even know what he was referring to.
I wasn’t a total idiot because I was clearly infatuated by his ruggedly handsome looks. I hadn’t lost all reason and common sense.
He kissed me lightly, and I savoured the feeling of his lips against mine.
“Let’s go eat, they’ll be waiting for us.”
True to his word everyone had gathered at the table, and waited patiently. The knowing grins that stared directly at us hadn’t gone amiss, and I couldn’t hide the blush that crept through my cheeks.
The food that adorned the table had my mouth salivating within seconds. I plated my dinner, and sat at my usual spot, while Riley took his. The distance between us felt greater than it was, and it didn’t feel good to be apart. I tried my best to console my wolf, she too was whimpering at the loss of connection. Crazy as it seemed.
“How are you feeling, Faye?” I asked, to distract my running mind.
“Much better now that my body has had time to rest.” She definitely looked better as a rested glow settled around her petite frame.
Dinner was delicious and I expressed my thanks to Roxy who’d prepared the meal. We’d mostly sat in silence, waiting for the moment the meeting would begin.
“A great deal has happened today,” Riley began, as plates of cake made their way across the table. “Our excursion into town earlier wasn’t a success. The street names I’d been bombarded with directed us to back-alleys which connected to run-down flats, not too far from town. They weren’t much to look at, and the stench of drug abusers was everywhere. We were too late.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“We found three dead bodies,” Shane answered. I gasped in horror, as did the others. “The venom from the bite hadn’t taken, but we suspect that may have been because they’d had drugs in their system already. It would have blocked the poison from spreading, and would attack their heart instead.”
“They’d had no chance of survival from the moment they were bitten,” said Riley. “What’s even more worrying is that there were two unaccounted for.”
“How do you know that?” Faye asked.
“When I went in search of Luna, she registered in my mind like a light bulb. It became brighter the closer I got, and when I brought her here it dimmed like someone had turned a fade-out dial. My job was done, she’d joined the pack.”
I took another bite of my cake as I listened. As interested as I was, it was too appealing to leave untouched.
“The others have gone. They’re like blank spots to me now. It’s almost like they hadn’t been there in the first place.”
“What could that mean?” Lara asked.
“I don’t know. If they were dead like the others then I’m pretty sure we’d have found their bodies, but we didn’t. The only logical thing I can think of, is that they’ve been claimed by another pack.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Faye shouted.
“Are you seriously entertaining this idea?” Lara asked.
They were clearly unimpressed as their anger spread about the room. Riley waited for their outburst to finish before continuing. Judging by their faces, the guys had already gone through this discussion, most likely in their pursuit of finding an explanation. For now, I was happy to observe their reactions considering I didn’t know much about Lycan politics.
“We may be the only pack in Wales, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone trying to sabotage us. It’s happened before.”
“No Riley, we think it’s happened before. There’s a big difference,” said Faye.
“You’re telling me you believe mum and dad’s death was an accident?”
“Of course not. But, that doesn’t mean we can assume it wasn’t. We never found any evidence that justified it to the contrary.”
The tension in the room thickened as their heated discussion continued. I felt like an intruder, but I was adamant about staying. It was a pack meeting after all.
“Let’s suppose I’m wrong. How do you explain the traps, and the sudden increase in bitten wolves? You know yourself that Luna is the first to join our pack.”
“Power,” Roxy whispered. Silence spread around the room as we thought about what she’d said.
“If someone needed money, all they’d need to do was increase their size in numbers right?” I asked, and Riley nodded. “Then maybe that’s your answer.”
“You could be right, but if it’s money they want, where do the traps come into it?” he asked.
“They’re poaching on your territory right? And maybe that person knows it. The traps could be their way of a diversion. Distract you long enough with the pack, and they’ll run free with the prizes.”
“That sounds plausible,” said Nick. “When did you get so intelligent, you little mastermind.” He winked at me.
“Actually Luna, that’s brilliant,” said Riley. “And Roxy, you’re right too. Power consumes us all, but it’s our conscience that keeps us grounded. For some the greed devours them completely, and with our kind gluttony transpires to insanity.”
“Insanity?” I echoed.
“Yes, the beast battles with the man between right and wrong, until the darkness takes over them both. By then the conflict in here…” Riley tapped his head. “Becomes unbearable.”
“That sounds awful.” I sat in silence, while I soaked in the information.
I had a clear impression that I was only turned for the sake of money, which made me feel sick. I wasn’t a violent person by nature, or at least I wasn’t before, but now I’d give anything to sink my claws into the low life that had done this to me for monetary gain.
I wasn’t suffering. Riley’s pack was wonderful, but that didn’t take away the pain of knowing my life as a human was robbed because of pure selfishness.
“Though this matter is far from over there is other news I must speak of.” Riley ran his hands through his hair. “Kyle, Will and Jake are almost fully recovered. After today I don’t think they’ll ever drop their guard again. They were incredibly lucky that they didn’t lose their limbs. They’ve been reprimanded, but I’m still disappointed. Lara, you should have known better,” he stared her down.
“I swear we checked the clearing before we played,” she hung her head in shame.
“Obviously Lara, you didn’t check well enough! Do I need to go into detail of just how bad it could’ve gotten out there?” His voice raised as his temper flared.
“Calm down Riley, Lara knows the repercussions that could have been. You don’t need to be so hard on her,” said Faye with her arm wrapped around her baby sister.
“How else will she learn? Do you know what it would have been like if the call I�
�d gotten earlier was to say that Lara was the one trapped?”
“Yes Riley, because I would’ve gotten the same one!” Faye shouted. “We’re angry and we’re annoyed, but not at each other!”
I could understand the turmoil Riley was going through. The thought of Lara injured, or worse, didn’t sit well with any of us. Riley grunted in acknowledgement.
“And you’re sure the others are on the mend?” I questioned, amazed at the speed of their recovery.
“Yes, and they have the both of you to thank for that.” He directed his attention towards Faye and I. “You did incredibly well today, Faye. Your healing gave them the time they needed to reach the hospital.” She blushed with the appraisal.
“And Luna, if you hadn’t been there to pry the traps open in the first place, perhaps they wouldn’t have stood a chance in making it at all.”
I cleared my throat, my emotions betrayed me as warmth fled from Riley’s approval.
“You’re all probably wondering about Luna’s strength. I would be too if I didn’t know already…”
“You know what’s wrong with me?” I interrupted.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Luna. I knew the moment you shifted that something was different. It’s why I had to leave so suddenly the next day. I had to visit the Ancient Guardians.”
“What do they have to do with this?” Shane asked.
“A few months ago they’d told me about a prophecy they’d had. I didn’t give it much consideration because I’d had no clue as to when it would come true, or if it even would. You know what they’re like with their fondness for riddles.” They didn’t question Riley’s secrecy which was surprising, but added the value of trust they had in him. I could respect that.
“Did you see Luna in her wolf form today?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Faye and Lara with suspicious undertones coating their voices.
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