Claimed by the Moon

by L. P. Dover

  I walk into the kitchen and grab two glasses out of the cabinet, thinking he’ll sit down, but he doesn’t. Once filled with ice water from the refrigerator, I set both glasses on the table. Only when I sit down does he decide to follow suit.

  “I hope you like the food. What types of meals do you normally eat?” I ask, taking a sip of my water.

  He sticks his spoon into the bowl, and I hold my breath as he takes his first bite. “Nothing like this,” he replies, meeting my gaze. “You’re a fantastic cook.”

  “Thanks. I have my mother to thank for that. By the time I was five years old, I could cook a whole meal by myself.” Dipping my spoon into the bowl, I bring it to my lips, relishing the first bite.

  He smiles. “Same. However, it wasn’t a hearty meal like this. My family were fishermen for the village. My grandfather taught me to clean the fish and cook them over the fire. So, if I wanted to eat, I had to do it myself.”

  “Were things tough back then?”

  Zayne shakes his head. “Honestly, I think things are tougher now. Things were a lot less complicated then.”

  I take another bite of my food. “I can see that being true. Besides being a fisherman, what else did you do to earn money?”

  “Let’s see,” he says, looking off in concentration. “I fished for many years, and then after that, I worked in the gold mines with Sebastian and Micah. It’s how my family gained their wealth.”

  Mouth gaping, I can’t believe my ears. “Wow. I can’t imagine what it was like to find gold. Did you keep any, or did you turn it in for money?”

  His lip turns up slyly. “I might have some gold bars stashed away somewhere.”

  Shaking my head, I take another bite of my food. “That’s incredible. So, after that is when you probably went off to college, right?”

  He nods. “I got my degree and went back to the pack. Eventually, I started Lyall Architectural Design and changed it to L&S when Colin joined me.”

  “I’m glad he followed in your footsteps. I know you two aren’t blood, but he considers you his family.”

  Zayne lowers his gaze to his food and smiles. “I think of him as a son.”

  I finish the rest of my chicken and dumplings, and so does Zayne. “Do you want some to take home?” I ask him.

  He glances over at the crockpot, and I can see it on his face that he does. “Is that okay?”

  Grinning, I get up and scoop him several helpings into the plastic bowl I had out earlier. While I’m finishing up, Zayne grabs our dishes off the table and rinses them out in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher. I turn my head away from him so he can’t see me smile.

  After he finishes the dishes, he leans against the kitchen counter while I put away the rest of the chicken and dumplings into another container. “We talked about me all through dinner, so now it’s your turn. Do you plan on staying in Wyoming permanently?”

  Setting the crockpot bowl in the sink, I turn on the hot water so it can soak. “For a while, yes,” I reply, drying off my hands.

  When I turn to him, his gaze narrows. “For a while? Are you thinking of going somewhere else?”

  I shrug. “I’m not sure yet. I know I can’t stay at the elementary school forever because people will notice me not aging. Either I’ll have to quit and do something else entirely or move to a different city so I can teach at another school. This is where having your own business comes in handy. You’re lucky in that regard.”

  A sigh escapes his lips, and he looks away as if something’s on his mind. “I never thought about you having to leave the school.”

  I wave him off. “It’s no big deal. Wherever I go, it won’t be too far from here. I can’t leave my family.”

  Zayne peers over at the clean table and then at the sink. “Do you need any more help cleaning up?”

  Grabbing his bowl of chicken and dumplings, I hold it out for him. “No, I’m good. Thank you for cleaning the dishes. It’s the one thing I loathe about cooking.”

  Chuckling, he reaches for the bowl. “Anytime you want to cook, I’ll clean. It’s the least I can do for a homecooked meal.”

  My heart jumps in my chest, and I smile. The thought of having Zayne over again excites me. “We’ll have to make that happen.”

  Zayne stares at me for a few seconds and smiles as he turns away. “Yes, we will.” He walks into the living room and glances around at all my decorations. “Do you go all out for other holidays as well?”

  Laughing, I shake my head. “Not like Christmas. If I could keep the decorations up all year, I’d do it.”

  Zayne meets my gaze again. “Who says you can’t?”

  “Good point. I’ll have to consider it.”

  He holds up the bowl of chicken and dumplings. “Thanks for dinner again. I’ll enjoy this tomorrow night as well.”

  “Good. And don’t forget to join me on my Friday runs if you want. Maybe that can be when I cook dinner.” I’d like to see him more than just once a week, but I don’t want to appear needy. It’s a miracle he’s here with me right now. There’s something about him being around that puts me at ease. Maybe it’s because I got used to Micah staying with me all the time. He was Faith’s protector, and when she lived with me, he was always here. Zayne looks similar to Micah, but they couldn’t be more different.

  Zayne nods. “Sounds good. I’ll be here.” He walks to the door and opens it. The snow has accumulated even more on the ground, and it doesn’t look as if it’s going to stop anytime soon. “I hope you have a good night, Amelie.”

  “You too,” I say, really wishing it wasn’t time for him to go.

  His attention lands on the book I have resting on the couch. He smiles at it and then over to me. “Have fun reading tonight, even though you already know what’s going to happen.”

  I shrug. “Maybe so, but I love it.”

  He walks out into the snow and glances at me over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Amelie.”

  Leaning against the doorframe, I wave. “Goodnight. I’ll see you soon.”

  Once he disappears into the forest, I watch the snow fall for a few more minutes before retreating inside. My mind is reeling at the events of the night. The last person I ever expected to be in my house is Zayne. Grabbing my phone off the coffee table, I scroll to Laila’s number and call her. The phone rings a few times, but then she answers.

  “Hey,” she says in between giggles.

  “Hey, yourself. What’s so funny?”

  She laughs again, and it’s so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear for a second. “Sera just peed all over Cedric, and I can’t stop laughing.”

  Slapping a hand over my mouth, I cackle so hard my eyes water. “Now that I wish I could’ve seen.”

  In between laughs, she sucks in a breath. “Me too. It was pretty hilarious.”

  “For you, maybe,” Cedric grumbles in the background.

  Cedric continues to ramble on, saying how it’ll happen to Laila next and that he’ll laugh his ass off when it does. Out of all the mated couples in the pack, Cedric and Laila are the most entertaining. Colin and Kami come in a close second. I enjoy hearing them all banter back and forth with each other.

  “All right, we can talk now that Cedric’s done complaining about his golden shower. How was your day today?”

  “Good,” I reply, wondering how she’s going to react when I tell her what I did. “I went for my Friday night run and came back to eat my chicken and dumplings.”

  “Ah, yes. Chicken and dumplings. Your cooking is one of the things I miss about living with you.” It was fun having Laila and Faith live with me. There were never any dull moments.

  Moving over to the couch, I sit down and squeeze my eyes shut. “I wasn’t alone,” I confess. The line goes silent for a few seconds, and I open my eyes.

  “Oh yeah?” she says, her voice curious. “Who was with you?”

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. Of course, it’s not every day you tell your best friend that you h
ad dinner with their father. But, then again, our lives are different from humans. Zayne might be over two hundred years old, but he’s not considered an old man, and he doesn’t look like one. If anything, knowing he’s had worldly experience makes him even more desirable.

  I clear my throat. “Your dad.”

  She gasps. “Seriously? How did that happen?”

  “I don’t know. He showed up in the woods, and we got to talking. After that, I told him I had a crockpot full of chicken and dumplings and invited him over. I didn’t think he’d take me up on it, but he did.”

  Laila giggles. “Awesome. I’m glad to see he’s getting out more.”

  I bite my lip sheepishly. “So, you’re okay with this? I didn’t know if you’d find it strange with me talking to him.”

  “Not at all,” she exclaims. “My dad needs a friend within the pack who isn’t his brothers or Colin. Not to mention, it gives you someone to talk to. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “Worried? Why?”

  She sighs. “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like you get lonely there all by yourself.”

  Looking around the living room, I stop on my Christmas tree and smile. Am I lonely? Sometimes, but I know it won’t be like that forever. “I’m fine,” I promise her.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes,” I laugh. “I have a wonderful job, a family who loves me, and amazing friends. But, one day, I’ll have more than that.”

  “And you will,” she agrees. “Who knows? It might be sooner than you think.”

  We say our goodbyes, and her words echo in my mind. I sure do hope things happen sooner than I think. Every day that passes, I grow a little more impatient, even though I don’t want to cheat the balance of nature.

  Finding my true mate will happen. The right time will come.

  10

  Zayne

  After leaving Amelie’s house last night, I ran home and then went right back as my wolf. Amelie stayed on the couch and read for hours until she fell asleep with the book on her chest. The snow lasted for most of the night, but the sun came out this morning. I left Amelie’s before she even woke and ran home to get a few hours of sleep. Most of the time, I rest in the woods, but I always keep on alert. With our pack being full of royals, it’s brings a lot of unwanted attention to us. Amelie might not be a royal, but she’s still part of the pack, which means she could be a target. She’d already been attacked once when an alpha from another pack came with his witch to abduct Faith. Micah was the one protecting them that night, and even he fell victim to the witch’s magic. No one is safe anymore, not even with a royal protecting them. That fact alone is what terrifies the fuck out of me with Amelie. What if I can’t keep her safe if our pack is attacked? I know one thing … I’d give up my life if it meant saving her.

  Once out of the shower, I get dressed and check my phone to see a text from Laila.

  Laila: Hey! Are you stopping by today?

  It just so happens I was about to see her. I text her back.

  Me: I am. Do you need anything?

  Laila: No, thanks. I’m just looking forward to talking to you.

  Something tells me she already knows about my time with Amelie. After slipping my cell phone and green stone into my pocket, I walk outside through the eight inches of snow to my car. When I get to Laila’s house, her car is there, but Cedric’s truck is gone. The front door opens, and Laila steps out onto the porch with Sera wrapped in a thick blanket in her arms.

  I get out of the car and join her on the porch. She lifts on her toes and kisses my cheek. “It’s good to see you. Thanks for coming.”

  “No thanks necessary. I want to see you and my granddaughter as much as I can.”

  Sera’s eyes open, and they’re even bluer today. Laila smiles down at her and then up at me. “I think Sera wants to see you too.” Laila nods toward the door. “Let’s go inside.”

  I walk in first and hold the door open for her. “Where’s your mate?”

  Laila chuckles. “The store. Sera needed more diapers.” There’s a baby swing in the living room, and she gently sets Sera into it so it can rock her. “She loves this thing.” Sera stretches and yawns, and slowly falls to sleep.

  Laila motions over to the couch. “Have a seat. Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

  Shaking my head, I sit down. “I’m good.”

  With a sly grin on her face, Laila takes the seat across from me. “I heard you had dinner with Amelie last night.”

  I was right. She does know. “What did she say?” I ask, curious to see if she’s starting to feel the mating signs yet.

  Laila shrugs, and her smile grows more prominent. “Oh, she just wanted to make sure I was okay with my best friend spending time with my father.”

  “And your reply?”

  She giggles. “I said it was great. She already knows I want you to be more social.”

  Disappointment settles in my gut. I was hoping there would be more than that. “That’s it? She didn’t say anything else?”

  Laila shakes her head. “Not really.”

  Her smile wanes, and she sighs. “Don’t get discouraged. I can see it on your face. You wanted something to happen last night, and it didn’t.”

  “I’m trying,” I say, leaning back against the couch. “It’s strange having all of these feelings for Amelie. I’ve been so used to only loving your mother. And now ….”

  For so long, Alina was the only woman I had room for in my heart. I don’t feel like that anymore, and it makes me feel guilty. Laila comes over and rests a hand over mine as she sits down. “And now, the only person you care about is Amelie. I understand. She’s your mate, and my mother wasn’t. So I’m not upset with you or think bad of you because of that.” She squeezes my hand. “Besides, I’m sure you loved other women before my mother. After living as long as you, it’s bound to happen. The same thing goes for Amelie; she’s over fifty. I know she’s been in love with others before.” Her eyes bore into mine. “But now that’s over. Yours and Amelie’s time is now. There will never be anyone else for you. I have no doubt she’ll feel it soon.”

  Her words bring a smile to my face. “Who would’ve thought my daughter would be wiser than me?”

  Laila beams. “Glad you can admit it.” She pats my hand. “I get it though. Finding your mate is both exciting and scary. I’m proud of you for taking that first step. I know it wasn’t easy breaking through those walls of yours.”

  There are still many walls I have to break down, but I’m getting there. “Do you think Amelie will be happy with me?”

  Laila’s eyes water. “How could she not? You’re the best man I know.”

  “You better not let your mate hear that.”

  Her tears fall, and she smiles. “Cedric knows how much I love you. He’ll even say you’re a better man than he is.” She wipes off her cheeks and blows out a breath. “I know you didn’t come here to watch me cry. Tell me about the Channons. Is Kami still tracking them?”

  I nod. “They’re still far away.”

  Laila purses her lips. “Do you think it was all just a threat and nothing more?”

  As much as I’d like to believe that, I can’t. “No. They’ll come here.”

  Laila’s expression shifts to concern. “If they do, I’m worried about Kara. You two used to be lovers. Is there any chance she still harbors feelings for you?”

  Honestly, I have no clue. I could sense Kara’s lust for me that day at the meeting, but it was mixed in with her loathing for me as well. It’s a fine line between love and hate.

  “I don’t know,” I answer in all honesty.

  Laila releases a heavy sigh. “If Kara comes here wanting you, it could cause problems with you and Amelie.” Kara is relentless when it comes to seducing men. I know how she works. She did everything and anything I wanted her to.

  I run a hand over my face. “I know that.”

  Kara doesn’t like rejection, and she’ll retaliate if I turn her down. It’s been a w
hile since I’ve been with a woman, but I’m not about to screw things up with Amelie. Even if I were plagued with rage and needed the release to quell my hunger, I still wouldn’t give in to Kara or any other woman.

  “The question is,” Laila continues, “are you going to be able to turn Kara down if she comes onto you?” A spike of anger ignites in my chest. I’m surprised she could even ask such a question. Her eyes widen, and she squeezes my hand. “It was just a question. Don’t be mad at me.”

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “I would never do anything like that to Amelie, even if she doesn’t know I’m her mate. But, surely, you know me better than that.”

  She nods. “I do. You’re honorable and loyal. I just want you to be prepared for what could happen if Kara tries to seduce you.”

  “I’m prepared,” I assure her.

  “Good. Now that we’ve discussed that, there’s something else we need to talk about.”

  “And that is?”

  She beams. “Christmas. Cedric and I are having a Christmas Eve party here. I want you to come. It’ll be a good chance for you to spend time with Amelie and socialize with the rest of the pack.”

  Groaning, I can’t hide my reluctance. Spending time with Amelie is one thing. I can handle being around just her; I prefer it because we’re alone. But adding in the entire pack is something else altogether.

  “I’ve been to one other pack party and swore to myself I’d never do it again.”

  Laila giggles. “That’s because you were swarmed with women. They all want the chance to see if one of the infamous Lyalls is their mate. You’re a hot commodity around here. If you don’t want them all over you, you should ask Amelie to be your date. That way, they’ll see you with her and leave you alone. Besides, you might want to ask Amelie before someone else does. There are other wolves in the pack interested in her.”

  The thought of another unmated wolf trying to get close to her pisses me off. I don’t want any of them around her, much less touching her. But, on the other hand, I know she has needs of her own and has been alone for a long time. So far, I haven’t seen anyone at her house, but that won’t last forever.