Despite the heat, she molded the burning orb until it tripled in size. It illuminated the entire area. The smoke thickened. The increased heat burned my skin, but the crisp air cooled me enough so I still held onto Aylin.
“You can't stop me with that.”
Aylin appeared deaf to Gabriel's taunt. Her confidence pulsated through our bond. She was in her zone and, thankfully, I was with her.
The crackle of ice-covered snow crumpling under the heavy thud of paws drew my attention from Gabriel's evil glare. The lead wolf jumped through the air, snarling, transitioning from leaping wolf to growling man before he landed.
Soon, the rest of the pack joined him, forming a vast protective circle around us and Gabriel. Allowing us to seek justice in any way we saw fit. The pack allowed Aylin and me to be judge and jury, and they would support our decision because Gabriel had done so much harm.
Aylin held onto the orb like a lifeline.
“Honey,” I whispered to her. My skin tingled with the ball's heat, and the acrid smoke burned my lungs. I switched to our internal communication. Do you think this will work?
I got this. Her back straightened.
Our telepathic ability still amazed me, but I was grateful for such a close connection. Our soulbond, no doubt.
Her head shifted slightly. I mimicked the movement and saw what she saw. Luna stood behind Gabriel. Her platinum hair and slight stature made her look like an elf, but her eyes held my attention. Where before they had been a brilliant gray, now, they were a shiny silver. The moonstones of her necklace radiated the same silvery hue.
If I had doubted her power before, I didn't anymore. Aylin's power glowed a fiery red and demanded to be heard; Luna's power illuminated a quiet, unassuming calm that didn't need to be heard at all.
Luna dipped her head, and Aylin nodded.
Connor, you need to open your mind and project the orb into the ground. Once you connect, go through the earth. Don't stop.
Aylin? I asked through our bond.
Now!
She sent the ball swirling through the air, but it lost its momentum and landed at Gabriel's feet.
He laughed. “You missed. You pathetic half-breed.”
I barely heard Gabriel's words over the thumping in my head. Now, now, now. The persistent voice commanded. My arms tingled, the sensation wrapping around me until I felt like the heat would cause me to explode.
My palms broke out in a sweat and crackling fire broke out into my hands. I aimed toward the ground and beyond—past the snow, the grass, the dirt, and even further until a large black hole whirled faster and faster. Cupping my hands, I blew toward Gabriel.
“No, she didn't.” Luna's spoke quietly.
Gabriel toppled into the black abyss. His screams faded as he fell deeper.
Aylin waved her hands. The hole whooshed shut with a thump, extinguishing the fire as if it never existed. “Until next time, you asshole.”
She threw her arms around me and kissed me with a fiery passion that consumed me. “I knew you could do it.”
“Glad someone did.” But I grinned and wrapped my arm around her waist. I wasn't even sure I knew how to deal with what I just witnessed but, apparently, I now had power. Amazing power.
Drew approached us first, hugging Aylin and shaking my hand. “Thank you for protecting her.”
“What?” Aylin looked like she tasted something rancid. “He didn't protect me. We protected each other?”
I laughed and pulled her tighter. She had done it, but I would always be her pinch hitter. I kissed the top of her head. “You did great, babe.”
“Well, Luna helped, too.”
“Yeah, about that.” Drew's gaze darted between his sister and Luna. “How did you all work that one out?”
Luna stood slightly outside the circle, as if she didn't belong to our group.
“Well,” Aylin said, “we sort of understand each other.”
“You can communicate like Bryn and Liam?”
“No, it's different. Connor and I can talk telepathically through our link but, with Luna, I just know what she's thinking. When she lowers her mental walls, I understand her. This was her plan.”
Luna's pale face flushed with Aylin's admission.
“Well, in that case, thank you very much,” I said.
She shuffled her feet and bowed her head. “It was nothing. I'm glad it worked out.”
“C'mon, let's go grab a drink at Murphy's,” Liam said. “I'll call Bryn and have her meet us there. I think we can use a reason to celebrate.”
“Sure thing, man.” I slapped his back and walked hand in hand with Aylin.
An icy chill ran down my back. I stiffened.
She tugged on my arm. “C'mon, honey. I want a drink. A really strong one.”
A flicker of light caught my eye, and I turned. A twig cracked. The wind whistled. But nothing approached us or ran into the woods. I frowned. Odd. I could swear I felt someone starring us down. Hatred crawled over me like a cluster of spiders.
“Hon?” Aylin tugged again.
Was I the only one who sensed the bad vibes?
“I'm coming.” I took a slow step forward and waited for something to happen.
I took another step.
The snow crunched undera third.
I let out a lengthy breath. Maybe I was just paranoid. Making things up in my mind because Gabriel wasn't the type to go down easily. We had won another battle, but what about the war?
What chance did we have of truly wiping him of his powers? After all, he led the charge to stamp out all soul-bonded couples.
Aylin tilted her head as I ignored her attempts to pull me along.
“Seriously, Connor, I'm parched.”
Burying my reservations and attempting to forget about Gabriel, I pasted on a smile. “Well, we can't have that now, can we?”
Still, one day, he would return.
***
Aylin
I placed two juicy, humungous New York strips into the broiler and began chopping a salad. Connor was due home any minute from his construction of my new house, or I should say Luna's house, as I would rent to her for the time being.
I grabbed a tomato from the strainer and sliced.
“Isn't it wonderful?” Cassiel's heavenly voice rang through the kitchen.
My hand slipped and the knife sliced through my fingertip.
“Son of a gun!” I yelped.
“Oh, dear. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.” She waved her hand, and the laceration healed.
“It's fine. You're always welcome here.” I sat on the bar stool across from Cassiel. “So, what brings a member of the Table of Seven to my kitchen?”
“It's the minor things in life that you need to hold onto. Like cooking a meal for your man, a slight caress, the sun on your face, the laughter of a child.”
I held my hands to signal stop. “Hold up, no one is talking kids just yet.”
Her laughter made me grin. “Not yet.”
I cringed at her emphasis, as if she knew something. I was determined not to have any children anytime soon. I was still getting used to being in a relationship, and I didn't want to stress about a baby on top of that.
“Anyhow, Uriel sent me to check up on you.”
“I'm fine.” The harshness of my tone surprised me, but it was not Cassiel's fault. If I was honest, it wasn't Uriel's either. Without his interference, I wouldn't be where I was today with Connor.
“You will be.”
“What are you even doing here? I thought you weren't allowed on this plane?” I asked.
“Oh, the funny thing about life is it always changes. The Table of Seven is growing stronger and your pack is inspiring others to follow suit. Soon, our kind will be like we were decades ago. Strong, bountiful and, with those magical species, we will need a more adaptable governing board.”
“And?”
“We would like you to join the Table of Seven as our very own enforcer. We will permit you to
stay here, in this place, but you will have to abide by our rules and report directly to me.”
My foot slipped off the rung of the stool, and I fell against the countertop. Was she serious? I tilted my head, unable to form words. I had wanted nothing more than to be part of the Table of Seven years ago, but once they banished me, I hadn't wanted any part of them. Now? I could have the best of both words.
“What of you?” I asked. “Will you stay here to watch your grandchild grow?”
“Not just yet. It's not my time to return.” Her voice stammered.
“I'm part of Liam's pack. I'm their enforcer. Can I be both?”
“I don't see why not as long as there is no conflict of interest.”
“Then, you have yourself a deal.” We shook, sealing our deal. I was now part of the Table again.
It felt great.
“Oh, I must go now.” Cassiel vanished.
“Hey, honey, is that steak I smell?” Connor waltzed into the kitchen, his shirt stained with a day's worth of sweat and grime.
“Oh, you smell.” I slapped his shirt as he leaned in for a kiss. “And your shirt looks like you rolled around in the mud.”
“If my dirty shirt bugs you that much, I can fix it real quick.” He winked and lifted it over his head. His muscles bunched, and I had a perfect view of his chiseled six pack.
I licked my lips and wrapped my arms around his neck. “So, I had a visitor today. Cassiel showed up and hinted around about some shit changing and how they want me to be the enforcer of the Table.”
Connor nuzzled my neck. “That sounds dangerous, babe.”
I playfully slapped his shoulder. “It's no different from what I do for Liam's pack.”
“And you're okay with this?”
“You know, I am.” I ran a hand down his chest, low on his stomach, stopping just before my hand reached the button of his jeans. “And I'm okay with this.” I pulled himin for a kiss.
“Hmm...then I'm okay with it, too.” He deepened the kiss, and I was lost in him. In our forever.
Epilogue
Luna
The eyes haunted me. Evil glared from the darkness, making me uneasy, but everyone else wanted to celebrate. I held onto my necklace. Power pulsated from the moonstones. The bright silver magic flowed through the mineral and brightened my spirits. The pack deserved to rejoice in their victory. I only hoped they finished celebrating before it attacked.
In the darkness, the eyes preyed upon me like a predator, but I refused to succumb. Not anymore. Iwasn't as weak as I once was. Helping Aylin and being part of the Lowell pack had shown me what strong womenwere made of and I wanted to be one of them. Apotent, independent woman.
Drew looked over at me, his smile wavering.
Maybe I wanted to be a different type of woman. I lowered my eyelids and peeked at him. He watched with interest, curiosity; his gaze was so different from the haunting eyes. Although Drew's stare wasn't warming, it wasn't evil either. I glanced over my shoulder. The creature in the woods lurked near the forest line.
Connor froze. His stiff stance suggested he felt the same haunting eyes peering from the trees. A chill ran through my body.
“C'mon, honey. I want a drink. A really strong one.” Aylin's voice filtered through darkness as she tugged on his arm.
He didn't seem like he wanted to celebrate, but he grabbed her hand and followed her.
I held back, waiting for the group to distance themselves from me. The moonstone necklace's power flickered as I walked across Aylin's front yard. The ley line that encircled her yard charged my power. The moonlight and crisscrossing points of magic beneath the ground called to my soul. As I became centered, I forgot the evil eyes.
Closing mine, I let the moon's power sweep through me. I felt as if I stood in the middle of a magical compass where each directional point intersected the center and encircled me. Instead of being the geographical points of a compass, these represented the elements of the world. The moon's light allowed me to absorb earth, air, fire, and water into my body.
The land called to me like a gentle lover. Its touch whispered across my body. I shivered and held on tight. Home.
The moonstones in my hand darkened. I was a fool to think I would ever be free from the powers that bound me. Toxic magic consumed the silvery power.
I sighed. My moment lost. My peace gone.
“Wow, would you look at that!” Drew pointed to where darkness eclipsed the moon's light.
Author Note
Thank you so much for reading Aylin and Connor’s story. I fell in love with the philosophy of a soulbond — a connection so strong that nothing can break it. I'm hoping you'll continue the journey with me through Luna and Drew’s story.
Coming Soon — The Full Moon.
About the Author
I'm an aspiring paranormal romance writer who loves to write about shape shifters, magic, and love. I'm a homebody who loves curling up on the couch with my Chihuahua snoring beside me. I live in the mountains along the east coast and enjoy the colorful, cold, warm and spontaneous seasons that are prominent in my area.
If you'd like to learn more, please check out my website or connect with me on Facebook.
Website: www.bellacdevine.com
And finally... If you enjoyed my book, and even if you didn’t, please complete a review.
The Half Moon: Soulbond Series Book 2 Page 13