Mirror Lake Wolves 01 - Moon Kissed

by Jennifer Snyder

  “Thanks.” I forced my eyes away from him. Seeing him in pain always killed me.

  After breakfast, I dressed and found my bracelet. Once I had it secured on my wrist, I decided to go for a walk. I needed time to process what I’d learned about Taryn. Should I talk to Eli about it? Wasn’t it time we told his dad what we knew about Glenn’s disappearance? I wasn’t sure what he’d do, but telling him seemed better than keeping the secret to ourselves any longer.

  Especially now that there was a baby involved.

  Dark clouds were rolling in when I stepped outside. The promise of rain lingered in the air, and I wondered if we’d have to postpone the celebration dinner tonight because of it. It wouldn't be the first. The last time it rained during a celebration dinner, the canopy a pack member had bought was destroyed by the downpour.

  “Congratulations, Mina, dear,” the Bell sisters said in unison as I passed their porch. I waved and flashed them a polite smile as I continued toward the woods. “Looks like rain. If you’re heading to the lake for a swim, you best hurry.”

  “Yeah. I hope it holds off for the dinner tonight,” I called back to them.

  A gust of wind whipped through my hair. It was definitely going to storm tonight. I could smell the rain hanging in the air. A vehicle heading my way had me stepping off the gravel road so they could pass.

  “Congratulations, Mina,” another of the pack members said from inside the cab as it cruised by.

  “Thank you,” I called out to them before stepping back onto the road.

  “In a hurry to get somewhere?” a familiar voice asked. The rich rumble of his voice had me pausing in my tracks as my stomach flip-flopped.

  Eli sat on the wooden steps of his trailer. A burlap sack was on the ground between his legs, and there was a black trash bag to his left. He held an ear of corn, shucking it.

  “No,” I said even though I was positive he could tell it was a lie.

  Of course I was in a hurry. My guilt from knowing what had happened to Glenn was suffocating me. I needed to submerge myself in nature so I could breathe.

  “What is it, can’t stand everyone congratulating you this morning?” he asked as he continued to peel back the silken husk of the golden corn. “Or is it that you heard about Taryn?”

  “Both.” I sighed as I tucked a stray hair behind my ear the breeze had released from my ponytail.

  I moved to where he sat and grabbed an ear of corn from his bag, hoping chatting with him about it all would ease what I was feeling. My hands began the familiar process of prepping the corn to be eaten, and I felt my heart rhythm slow. The thoughts racing through my head chilled out, and I told myself it was from doing something I’d done a million times, not from being in Eli’s presence. Gran purchased fresh corn from the farmer’s market every summer. When she did, it was always mine and Gracie’s job to shuck it for her. That was all this feeling was.

  “I was shocked to hear about it, too,” Eli insisted.

  I chewed my bottom lip, unsure if I should voice the question pounding through my head.

  “Do you think we should say something to your dad now?” The words propelled themselves past my lips on their own accord.

  Eli shook his head. “I told you, he’s busy with something else.”

  “This is important. This involves a member of our pack. It involves someone abducting members of our pack and selling them,” I pressed. There was nothing more important than this. There couldn’t be.

  “Trust me. What my father is handling involves members of our pack as well. It’s just as important, if not more so.”

  “I guess I just don’t understand what could be more important than this.”

  Eli sighed. “I can’t tell you, Mina. I would if I could, but I’m not at liberty to give you any details.” A rawness entered his voice when he spoke. I believed him. If he could tell me, he would have. It must be big if he was sworn to silence. “Besides, we don’t have any proof. We don’t even know where Glenn was taken. What good would telling my dad what little we know do?”

  “It would ease my conscience,” I admitted. Eli didn’t speak. Instead, he continued peeling off the corn husk and tossing it in the garbage bag beside him. “Don’t you feel bad for keeping it to yourself?” I had to ask. How could I not? The guilt was what was eating at me most.

  “Not particularly. It’s not enough information for anyone to do anything with.”

  My stomach twisted. “Then we have to get more.”

  “I figured you’d come to that conclusion.” He smirked as though he knew me so well. “How do you propose we do that?”

  I thought for a second. “We can continue to scope out the woods at night and see if Shane or his brothers mention anything else about where Glenn was taken. We can check out his oldest brother’s vet clinic, too. Maybe there’s something there. A clue or something.”

  I tried to think of anything else we could do but came up short.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  I placed the ear of corn I’d shucked into a bucket on the step behind him and reached for another one. “Where did you get all this corn?”

  “It was payment for a job I did. I helped one of the farmers in town mend their fence.”

  It didn’t surprise me. Eli was always doing side jobs for trade. “What are you going to do with all of it? It’s a lot of corn.”

  “Eat it,” he said in a smart-ass tone.

  I slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Well, yeah. I figured that much.”

  “Seriously though, I’m using most of it tonight for the dinner. The rest I plan to blanch and freeze.” He ripped off a handful of husk and shoved it in the black trash bag beside him. “You don’t have to help. You can head to the lake, but before you go I have something for you.”

  He stood and reached into his pocket. My heart hammered against my rib cage. Eli had something for me?

  When he pulled out a tiny silken sack and held it out to me, my curiosity piqued.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything,” I said as it took the bag from him. It weighed almost nothing. My mind reeled with what might be inside.

  “It’s nothing major. Just something I thought you could use,” he said as he repositioned himself on his step.

  I loosened the drawstring top and dumped the tiny bag’s contents into the palm of my hand. A silver ring spilled out. I plucked it from my palm and stared at a beautiful silver crescent moon attached to a silver band.

  “You’re going to have to wear silver more, you know. Gotta keep that wolf of yours in check. Plus, when I saw it in the shop, I thought of you,” Eli said with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you,” I said as I continued to stare at the ring. It was delicate and simple, but stunning. It was perfect.

  “You’re welcome. Put it on,” Eli insisted. His eyes were on me. I could feel them. When I lifted my gaze to lock with his, I noticed how bright his eyes were. Emotions swirled through them that had my breath hitching in my throat and butterflies flapping. “See if it fits.”

  I slipped the ring onto the index finger of my right hand. “You got the right size.”

  “Good.” Eli tossed another husk-free ear of corn into the basket behind him. He stood and reached for his front door. “You thirsty?”

  I licked my lips. “Yeah, I could go for something. Got any soda?”

  “No, but I’ve got apple pie moonshine.” He winked.

  “Is that all I’m ever going to drink over here?”

  “Would that be a bad thing?”

  “I guess it could always be worse.” I laughed.

  “So, is that yes?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll have a sip. After all, I am celebrating.”

  “Damn right you are. You’re Moon Kissed now,” Eli said before disappearing inside his trailer.

  I grabbed another ear of corn and began shucking it. My cell chimed with a new text. It was Alec.

  Hey, getting ready to head to Mirror Lake D
iner for lunch. Want to come? I’m meeting Shane and Becca, plus Benji of course.

  I reread his text, debating on how I could decline. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hang out with him or some of his friends. Shane just ruined the scenario for me. Plus, I didn’t want to dip out on Eli. A part of me wanted to hang around and help him shuck corn while I sipped apple pie moonshine.

  Actually, I have to take my sister somewhere. Can I take a rain check? - Mina

  Yeah, sure. No problem. Maybe we can hang out later this week, or even this weekend.

  Definitely. - Mina

  I hated lying to him, but lunch might turn into dinner and I couldn’t miss the celebration with my pack.

  “Here you go,” Eli said as he stepped out of his trailer. There was a red solo cup in both hands. “I poured it into a cup this time, since we’re drinking outside. That way no one scolds me for allowing an underage girl to drink alcohol in my presence.”

  “Nice,” I said as I shoved my cell back into my pocket. Eli handed me a cup, and I took it.

  “Everything ok?” Eli asked as though he could pick up on the unease trickling through my system.

  I tucked a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. “Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I don’t know. You look like something is bothering you. Figured I’d ask.”

  Guilt trickled through me, but I was quick to force it away. There was no need to feel guilty. I was hanging out with my pack today, which included Eli. We were celebrating. All of us. Not just Eli and me.

  “I’m fine,” I said as I plastered a smile on.

  “Yes, you are.” Eli grinned. His eyes appraised my long legs and heat rushed to my cheeks. My grin grew until it crinkled the corners of my eyes, and I slapped him on the arm. “There’s a real smile,” he insisted. His eyes darkened with a heavy sense of determination I wasn’t aware he possessed.

  I licked my lips as the sticky heat of passion rushed across my skin from the look in his eyes. Eli leaned closer, his teeth skimming his bottom lip as his eyes remained locked on mine. He was going to kiss me. I should have moved, but I didn’t. A part of me wanted his lips pressed against mine, to taste him across my tongue.

  It was wrong, but it couldn’t be denied.

  Inches remained between us before I was able to get a damn grip. Everything about him had pulled me in, begging me to remain where I was, to let it happen.

  I leaned away from him, but it was two seconds too late.

  His lips brushed across mine, causing my entire body to respond at the feel of him. My stomach coiled as his tongue snaked out to tempt my mouth. I exhaled a tiny moan I was instantly ashamed of. Eli pulled away, sending shockwaves of heat pulsing through me. My body and mind went to war. One wanted more while the other could only think of Alec.

  Sweet, southern, sexy Alec.

  “I’ve always wanted to do that,” Eli whispered, his breath caressing against my face.

  My stomach somersaulted. Had I always wanted to kiss him too?

  Eli placed distance between us, allowing me the space I needed to remember how to breathe. He lifted his cup in the air. “To being Moon Kissed.” A wolfish grin spread across his face. “Finally.”

  “Yeah, finally,” I said with a smile as I tapped my cup to his.

  I took a swig of the liquid fire he’d poured for me and went back to shucking corn, trying to ignore the feeling his kiss had stirred to life inside me.

  Celebrate.

  That’s what I was doing today. Everything else would come tomorrow.

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading Moon Kissed, I hope you enjoyed it! Please consider leaving an honest review at your point of purchase. Reviews help me in so many ways!

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  PROLOGUE

  GOOD REASON

  Angela Avery snuggled the soft, warm body that was wrapped tightly inside a pink fleece blanket close to her chest. The little girl she held was perfect in every way. Peeling the edge of the blanket back once more, Angela allowed herself a glance at her beautiful baby girl. She stared at her chubby, rose-colored cheeks and her tiny button nose as she gently ran the tips of her fingers through her darling daughter’s feather-soft, caramel-colored hair. It would darken one day to be the same shade as her own; Angela knew this without any doubt because she had glimpsed the future—her daughter’s future—not so long ago.

  It had been a game really; at least that was how she had thought of it that day, a bit of entertainment for herself, a little more magick in her life. She had been foolish to think that way—Angela knew this now. She should have stuck with creating energy balls, stone magick, or even candle magick—but she hadn’t. She’d been too interested in clairvoyance and seeing the future. Angela frowned as she remembered the things she had hoped to see that day—herself married and living happily ever after. The vivid clip of her vision from that day flashed through her mind involuntarily for the millionth time since she’d first witnessed it. Closing her eyes, Angela took in a deep breath and pushed the image away, sealing it behind a door in her mind once more.

  The little girl snuggled up against Angela and released the most peaceful-sounding sigh imaginable. Contentment relaxed the delicate features of the sleeping baby’s face even more, and a tear trickled from the corner of Angela’s hazel eye as she realized this would be the only time she’d ever be able to hear that tiny sigh of contentment. Footsteps sounded from down the hall. Angela wiped the tears from her eyes and straightened her back. She would not let her final moments with her daughter be tainted by the harsh reality of what she was doing. There was a reason for this, she reminded herself, a good reason.

  “I’m doing this to save you,” she whispered aloud, more to tame her guilt and ease her conscience than for her daughter’s tiny ears.

  Bending down, she kissed her darling daughter and whispered her name, “Addison Avery.” It was a good name, a beautiful name, and even though Angela didn’t want her daughter to be exposed to the type of lifestyle she had grown up in, it didn’t mean that she wanted to give up on all family traditions. This was why she had chosen a first name for her daughter that began with the letter A, same as hers and every woman on her side of the family, as well as passed down the family last name of Avery. She saw it as a way to give her child a little piece of herself, a tiny piece of her biological family to take with her through life.

  The footsteps paused outside the entrance to Angela’s room; time with her daughter was nearing an end. Rewrapping the blanket snugly around Addison's tiny frame, Angela kissed her daughter for the last time on the forehead and whispered, “You are safe, you are whole, you are well. Guided by the light of the Goddess and the God, may happiness come to you wherever you dwell.”


  The door slowly creaked open and in walked the plump older lady who had helped with the delivery. Her lips twisted into a sympathetic smile as she crossed the room to stand beside Angela’s bed.

  “It's time, Miss Avery,” the older woman said as she extended her arms for the delicate pink bundle Angela held. “You’re doing the right thing, honey. Don't beat yourself up thinking you're not. As young as you are, there’s no way you could raise this little bundle all by yourself.”

  If only she knew, Angela thought to herself, how right of a thing she was actually doing. Pulling her newborn daughter tighter against her chest, Angela traced her eyes over every soft curve, every patch of pink skin, memorizing even the most minute details.

  “I love you, little Addison Avery. That’s why I'm doing this, because I love. I hope one day you'll understand,” Angela said as she passed over the bundle that was her daughter. Tears blurred her vision and dripped from her chin.

  Angela watched as the elderly woman turned and exited the room, closing the door tightly behind her and sealing Angela away from her daughter forever. She reminded herself of the reasons she was doing this, of the reasons she’d given her child up for adoption. The vivid image of a grown-up Addison falling into choppy ocean waters and dying flashed behind her closed eyelids.

  As more tears than she ever thought possible flowed from her eyes, Angela prayed silently that the spells she’d done to counteract her daughter’s early death and the fact that she’d given her away would be enough to save her from the magick that stirred within her hometown, the magick that stirred within her.