I expected her to slap my hand away, to move from my hold; instead she placed her hand over my wrist and held on. Our faces inches apart, her breath mixed with mine. For a moment, we sought comfort from each other's touch. I leaned my forehead against hers and whispered, “Is it me?”
She moved her hand to my cheek then back to my hand braced under her chin. The feather light touch sent chills down my spine, lighting my soul with hope.
“I don't know,” she admitted.
Liam cleared his throat.
“You two are as blind as you are stupid.” Bryn stood from the bar.
I moved away from Aylin, looking into her sad eyes. My heart ached. There had to be a way to find out to whom she was imprinted.
“Excuse me,” I growled.
“You heard me.” Bryn jabbed a finger at my chest. “You act so big and tough like you know it all, but you're just a sap. How long have you been in love with Aylin? And she with you? Huh? I bet you two have been dancing around each other for years.”
Had I been? No. Yes. “Bryn, fuck, it's not that simple. Aylin and I can't be together. It's pack preference. She's the enforcer and I'm Beta. Two high-ranking members screwing around will only lead to trouble.”
“Well, thank God, you're not screwing around then.” She slammed her hands on the bar and pushed herself upright.
“Bryn,” Aylin said, “maybe you and I should have this conversation alone.”
“No, you need to have this conversation with Connor.” Bryn linked fingers with Liam and tugged him forward. “Liam, honey, you don't have any problems with your Beta and your enforcer seeing where this goes, do you?”
Oh, the poor man didn't know he had just walked into a trap. I grinned.
“Um, no. I mean, if it's a true soulbond, then who am I to judge?” He lightly kissed her. “But if it's not, then I don't want any trouble weakening our defensives.”
“Liam, I wouldn't let anything come between me and the pack.” Aylin rubbed the imprint. “Nothing is more important to me.”
“I know, Aylin, but you need to look after yourself, too. Bryn's told me that you've been imprinted for months.” Liam placed a hand on her shoulder.
Months! “What?” I asked.
But they ignored me.
“You can't deny fate. You need to face this head on before it destroys you. And no more running from us.” His stern glare made me take a step closer to Aylin.
“Okay,” Aylin responded.
“Months?” I asked again.
“Since the day of the accident.” She refused to look me in the eyes.
“Shit!” I ran a hand through my hair. “Is that why you've been distancing yourself from the pack?” From me?
“Yes. I didn't want anyone finding out until I found my mate. But my searches ended up to be dead-ends. Then it became embarrassing to admit that I didn't know how this happened. I mean, God! I feel like one of those women who goes into labor without even knowing they were pregnant!” She pushed away from the bar and paced.
“You're pregnant, too?”
“No, asshole!” She didn't find my joke funny.
“I think.” Bryn sat back down at the bar. “I think that maybe Liam and I are at fault for your bond. Or at least we played a role in it.”
I turned a questioning gaze to her.
She shuffled slightly in her seat. “I mean, think about it. Aylin became imprinted the day of the accident. That was the day she almost died. Liam and I poured all the power we could muster into her to save her life. This would have twined our magic with hers. If even a little semblance of a bond existed, our powers could have heightened it. We have no clue how powerful these bonds are.”
“So, are you saying you and Liam are Aylin's mates?” I asked dumbfounded.
“No, you oaf. I'm saying that if Aylin's soul recognized a mate prior to our intervention, then the heightened magic could have sped up the process, causing her to be imprinted and not her mate. Not until the relationship is consummated.”
“A half-bond?” Aylin whispered.
“No, honey.” Bryn paused. “A bond that is easier for you, as a magical being, to accept than say a counterpart who isn't magical. Connor doesn't have powers. He doesn't have the ability to sense the bond prior to its completion.”
I rubbed my wrist. The damn thing was on fire. I wasn't so sure about Bryn's statements, but I didn't want to question her. She knew more and saw more than I ever could.
“Or do you?” Bryn had spotted me rubbing my wrist.
I didn't want to discuss feelings or problems any longer. It was approaching three in the morning, and I was exhausted. My body ached, and my mind spun with thoughts of Aylin and Gabriel. “Listen, I don't want to discuss this anymore tonight. We got lucky that Gabriel came after me tonight. What happens when he decides to go after Aylin, or you, Bryn?”
“He won't come after me. He will lose and knows it. He will try to go after you and Aylin before the bond is complete. It's the only way he will be able to stop it.”
“He doesn't know that Aylin is imprinted. If he did, he would have come after her.” Liam patted her on the shoulder again. “I don't want either of you alone until we find out more about Gabriel and his plan.”
“We could always go to the cabin,” I suggested.
“No, you need to stay within pack territory. With Bryn pregnant, we can't risk dividing our men. We stick together.” Liam shook my hand. “Stay safe, brother. I want to see both of you tomorrow for a briefing.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Aylin walked to the door, her swagger more confident than before. “I'm exhausted.”
“Wait!” I shouted. “You shouldn't be driving alone. Not with Gabriel on the loose.”
“I'm going home. What you do is up to you.”
“Not alone, you're not.”
She winked at me. “Well, then you best keep up.”
Chapter Five
Aylin
A heavy fog hovered in the crisp air. Frost tainted everything. I wanted to barrel down the road, but the early morning darkness hid slick patches of ice on the paved highway. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel as I tamped down my need for speed. .
Unlike the trees and grass that were weighed down with the inclement weather, I was free, my confidence returned. I no longer felt exiled within my own pack. The secret was out.
I am imprinted.
Not bonded. Definitely imprinted.
Headlights flashed in my rearview mirror. Connor. The name became a mantra to me, calming my soul. But could I trust him with my heart? With all of me? My independent nature screamed, No, you can't. But the glow of my imprint indicated something completely different.
Ah, the soulbond. My kryptonite.
My parents' unconditional love soulbonded them, but left Andrew and me orphaned. Thanks to Gabriel, the bastard.
“Run, Aylin. Take your brother and hide in the closet. Don't come out no matter what!” my mother screamed.
Splintered wood flew as rebels crashed into our home.
“Patrick and Allie, you've been deemed bonded. Your sentence is death.”
Gabriel's muffled voice crept through the closet where I cowered. Andrew whimpered, but I covered his ears and held him close.
The tires wobbled, then gripped dry macadam, jerking me back to reality. The screams faded.
I moved my wrist; the strands from the half-moon danced—the darkness fighting its way through the light. With my wrist propped atop of the steering wheel, I studied the blackness within the moon. Why was it there?
The truck skidded over black ice. Straightening the wheel and regaining control, I checked the rearview mirror again. Connor's Hummer continued to follow. Relief flooded through me.
The wind howled and the vestiges of my mother’s scream echoed around me, the sounds amplified in the quiet of my truck. I straightened in the driver's seat and turned on a classic Eagles’ song. Two decades ago had passed, yet my parents’ agonizing voices still turned my b
lood cold.
Gabriel had destroyed our family, as well as my hope in true love and happily ever after with my mate. I did what needed to be done, but stopped living. I gave up on life a long time ago. I became numb to the pain. To the loss of family. Of self.
Young Liam saved Andrew and me. He pulled us from the house and showed us a different life. One of discipline, training, and, in its own way, love for the pack. For years, I protected Andrew. When my powers formed, I protected the pack. I would die for Liam and those he considered his.
A pulsating need swam through me, reminding me that I was alive. My heart beat, but I needed more from life. I was tired of being indifferent.
At the last minute, I decided to forego the comfort of my own home and made a sharp turn up the dark path leading to Connor's house. My instinct drove me to my destiny like a modern-day GPS.
I never doubted my gut, which whispered Connor's name.
When I approached the dimly lit driveway, my heart raced. I killed the engine with shaky hands and practiced my breathing. This was my leap forward. My chance to feel something. Anything. I just needed to get out of my truck and face him. The man who was consuming my soul at a rapid rate. Steadier than I felt, I took a slow step out of my vehicle and shut the door. The noise split the silence of the night.
Connor strode from his SUV. All power and pure sex. He approached me like we were connected by an invisible string, and when he reached the end, he lingered. His tall muscular frame heated my body and stole my breath. His questioning grey eyes met mine.
Talk, I reminded myself. Just speak.
Forget about the imprint. About death. Just feel.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and pulled a hand through my long curls. I could do this. “Hi.”
His grin widened. “Aylin, I thought you wanted to go home.”
I leaned against the truck, eyeing him as if I hadn't seen him in a decade. As if my last breath were meant to be captured by his lips. I wanted a connection.
I licked my bottom lip, pulling it slightly between my teeth. “I changed my mind.”
He placed each of his hands against the door, trapping me between his hard body and the cold metal of my truck. His head lowered until our lips were a breath apart. “Why?”
Fire ran through my veins. I raised my hand, the imprint glowing in the night air. Our breathing the only sound in the night. I pulled him closer with the slightest tug.
I wanted to chase away memories from long ago. I needed to feel something other than numbness or pain. Rather than explain, I said, “Because.”
How else could I describe what I was feeling without sounding weak and needy?
His lips ravaged mine with the passion of a man fighting for his life. The inferno inside me built with every stroke of his tongue. I matched his pace, savoring the feeling of unity as our souls found each other.
I ran my fingers through his hair and tilted my head, changing the angle. His hands moved down my back, cupping my ass and pulling me forward. The sensual embrace made me forget about the frosty night. My mind emptied of everything but Connor.
He pulled back, gasping for breath, eyes alert. “Do you hear that?”
What? How could I hear anything over the sizzling fire crackling within me? “No,” I whispered, reaching for him.
He grabbed my hands, halting their exploration. “Shh.”
He must have been oblivious to the turmoil running through my body. Either that or he wasn't as affected as I was by that kiss, because he scanned the property border and ignored my slight whimper.
I sidestepped him, trying not to stomp, and headed for the house. My body cooling with each step.
Leaves rustled. I halted.
We weren't alone. The urgency of my need to feel had placed Connor and me in danger.
He tried to push me behind him—a pathetic attempt to show dominance. I didn't need his help anymore than he needed mine. We were trained. We didn't lose. Flashes of Gabriel's sword and Connor lying on the ground, bleeding, flashed through my mind. Well, almost never lost.
A mountain lion with glowing yellow eyes stalked the border of the property, its gaze never leaving our location. It approached, head lowered, teeth visible, but not threatening.
I stood beside Connor, arms braced, ready to shift if I needed to. A single mountain lion would be no trouble for two full-grown wolves.
When the mountain lion approached the dim light of the driveway, he shifted into a tall, lanky man. His yellow eyes were prominent on his boyish face. “Please don't stop on my account.”
The familiar voice chilled my bones.
“Mitch.” I took a step forward, fist drawn.
But I was too slow. Connor swung an impressive left hook that sent Mitch stumbling backwards. The gratifying crunch of bones breaking did little to ease my anxiety. Mitch had almost killed me three months prior. The squealing tires and grinding metal still haunted my dreams.
“You've some nerve to show up on pack land.” Connor tackled Mitch to the ground and continued to pound him.
“Enough!” Mitch rolled out of the way and stood with hands raised in surrender. “I didn't come here to fight.”
“No, because instead of two defenseless women in a car, you're facing a man. One who isn't above kicking your ass.” Connor held his fists tight to his sides, tension rolling off his body in waves.
Mitch rubbed his bruised jaw. “That was unfortunate.”
Unfortunate! My temper escalated. It had been purposeful when he sped into my beautiful black beast. It took me months to restore her.
Not to mention what that accident did to me.
I envisioned Mitch sinking to his knees, his face contorted in pain. My body relaxed and my eyes danced with humor. I forced my power outward and moved my hands in a downward motion. His mental barriers did little to extinguish my power.
His legs buckled before he sank to the ground on his knees. “What…the…fuck?” He forced the words between gasps. When he tried to stand, his face turned red.
I released my mental hold, and he fell to the ground. “Consider this your warning. Leave now.”
Mitch eyed the glow of my half-moon. An imprint that he inadvertently caused the moment he collided with my vehicle. He stood and dusted off his pants. “Ha, could you do that before the imprint?”
Like I would tell him I had abilities prior to the imprint and had no clue how the soulbond would impact them moving forward. Instead, I stared indifferently at him.
“So, it's true. Another soulbond.” His evil grin heightened my anger. His eyes fixated on my wrist.
I suppressed the need to make him scream. I didn't know where he received his information, but only two non-pack members knew of my imprint—Gabriel and Nadia. Both of whom Mitch had been in contact with.
Connor stepped forward, muscles bunched tight.
“Whoa, man!” Mitch raised his hands again. “I don't want to fight. I want protection.”
“You lost that right the moment you hurt Aylin and Bryn.” Connor's voice resounded with anger.
“I understand.” Mitch ran his hands through his hair, muttering to himself. He jerked. “If you can't protect me, maybe you will protect an innocent.”
“What?” Connor and I spoke at once.
A small, silver wolf jumped from the clearing. She growled and spittle dripped from her bared teeth.
“It's okay.” Mitch placed a hand out to the small wolf, who whimpered and shifted into a petite woman. She couldn't have been more than eighteen and was terrified.
My heart reached out to the scared kid.
Her small frame resembled Bryn's. But where Bryn had dark hair with forest green eyes, this woman had silver hair with coal black eyes. Other than those differences, the resemblance was undeniable.
“Gabriel's kid?” I asked.
“I know what you're thinking, but she needs help,” Mitch said. “Pack help.”
The young woman looked at his bloody lip and scowled. “Uncle, it's
okay. We'll go somewhere else.”
Her soft voice broke through my reservations. “What's her current status with you and Gabriel?”
Mitch shifted his feet. “She's my niece. Her mother recently died in an accident.” He muttered under his breath before he continued. “Gabriel doesn't know she exists, and I would like to keep it that way. But with the soulbonds, she is at risk and needs protection. Your pack is the only one powerful enough to shield her. Please!”
“What's your name?” I turned to the girl.
“Luna.” She lowered her head.
“Well, Luna, there's not too much we can do tonight.”
I eyed Mitch. “Are you still involved with Gabriel in anyway?”
“No.” His curt answer left little room for doubt.
But I didn't trust easily. I approached. He stiffened, but didn't protest when I laid my hands on his temple. I cleared my mind and directed my energy onto his thoughts. Filtering out all the static, I focused on the honesty of his words.
He spoke the truth. His goal was to protect Luna above everything. She was his only family, and I respected the hell out of that. Especially since I had been in the same situation long ago.
I removed my house key from my key ring and tossed it to Luna. “You can stay at my house for tonight. We'll figure the rest out later. Go about two miles up the road and turn left. My house is the last one up the drive.”
“Thank you.” Luna's small shoulders relaxed as if a weight had fallen off them.
“Don't thank me yet. Liam has the ultimate choice of whether or not the pack will accept you. If they don't, you're on your own.”
“Aylin, are you sure?” Connor asked.
“I'm positive.” I replied.
“Thank you.” Mitch grabbed my hands, then shifted and headed for the woods. He stopped, waiting for Luna.
The Half Moon: Soulbond Series Book 2 Page 4