Claimed by the Moon

by L. P. Dover

  “I’ll ask her to be my date,” I say. “Because there’s no way in hell I’m letting her go with anyone else.”

  Laila grins. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

  The second I walk through the door to my house, my phone rings. Colin’s name flashes across the screen.

  “Hey,” I answer.

  “What’s up? What are you doing?”

  I toss my car keys onto the kitchen counter. “Just got back from visiting Laila and Sera.”

  “Nice. What are you doing tonight before you keep watch over at Amelie’s?”

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Well,” he says in his usual smart-ass way, “Kami and I are taking Whitney out on the town here in about thirty minutes. She’s the new FBI recruit Kami’s been training. Want to go? Amelie will be with us.”

  I was prepared to say no until I heard Amelie’s name. “Then, I’ll come,” I say.

  “Great. We’ll see you then. We’re going to the Snake River Bar.” He hangs up, and I go into my bedroom to change into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. When the time comes for me to leave, I get in my car and head into downtown Jackson Hole. It’s a Saturday evening, so it’s going to be packed.

  The parking lot isn’t full yet, but it will be soon. I find a spot and head inside. Colin and the women are sitting at a table in the corner, and he waves at me. Amelie is with them, laughing and talking to Kami, and the other woman, who I assume is Whitney. Amelie gets along with everyone, and they all seem to love her. It doesn’t matter if it's humans or shifters; it’s hard not to be drawn to her. I don’t even feel worthy of her, even though I’ve spent my entire life protecting others and trying to do the right thing. Amelie notices me drawing closer and rakes her gaze down my body, smiling when she lifts her eyes to mine.

  “You look great,” she says, grinning wide. “I think this makes two nights I’ve seen you without your fancy suits.” She’s attracted to me; I can see it in her silvery-gray eyes. It makes it hard to resist her. One day soon, I’ll be able to show her how much I crave her.

  Colin chuckles. “It’s a world record.”

  Kami stands and places a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Just ignore my mate,” she says to me. “I know I do.” They all laugh, and I have to smile. His comment didn’t bother me. “Zayne, this is Whitney Grainger. She’s the new female FBI recruit I’m training for the next few weeks.”

  Whitney lifts her hand I shake it. “It’s nice to meet you, Whitney.”

  “Likewise.” Her gaze passes back and forth between Colin and me. “Are you two brothers? You look alike.”

  Shaking my head, I let her hand go. “Not brothers, but we’re family.” I look over at Colin. “Even if he is a pain in my ass at times.”

  There’s a seat next to Amelie, so I walk over and take it. She turns to me and smiles. “I’m glad you could come out tonight. I have to say, I’m a little shocked.”

  I shrug. “I’m trying to be more sociable. Last night was the first step.”

  She glances down at her empty glass and then behind us to the bar. “Do you want to go to the bar with me to see what they have on tap?”

  “Sure. Let’s go.” I stand, and she walks right beside me through the crowd of people. Men stare at her; their lust is potent in the air. When they catch me glaring at them, they turn away, their desire replaced with fear.

  There isn’t a seat available at the bar, so we squeeze into a spot beside two drunk women who talk about all the men they want to have sex with. Amelie turns to me, trying her best not to laugh, and leans in close, her hair brushing across the side of my face.

  “These women are insane. Do you hear this?”

  I breathe her in, and it takes all I have not to touch her. “I do. It looks like they plan on having fun tonight.”

  Amelie snickers. “That’s for sure.”

  The bartender notices Amelie and his eyes light up. He looks no older than twenty-five with shaggy brown hair that looks as if he hadn’t washed it in weeks. Then again, that’s what people like these days. He walks over and casually rests his elbows on the bar so he can lean in closer to her. “Hey, Amelie. How are you?”

  Amelie’s smile brightens. “Good. You?”

  I don’t like his familiarity with her—the bartender shrugs. “Can’t complain. I’m getting some pretty awesome tips tonight.”

  Amelie glances over at all the people sitting at the bar. “I would hope so. It’s jam-packed.”

  He grabs a clean glass from the tray. “We just got your favorite apple beer put on tap today. You want it?”

  Amelie gasps and turns to me, her eyes full of excitement. “You have to try this beer. It’s my favorite.”

  The bartender’s eyes cut to me, and his smile falters. He straightens up and clears his throat as he reaches for another glass. “Would you like one, sir?”

  “Sure,” I say, loving the way he makes a mess as the beer flows over the edge of one of the glasses. He wipes it clean and fills the other glass before handing them to us.

  Amelie takes a sip of hers. “Thanks, Declan. I know I’ll be back for more, so keep my tab open, please.”

  Declan runs a hand nervously through his hair and shifts his eyes to me before focusing back on her. “Will do. I, um … I was wondering if you’d like to play cards with the group later tonight. Since you beat everyone last time, I was hoping you’d team up with me.”

  I got to hand it to him; he has the balls to ask her out with me standing right beside her. Especially not knowing who I am to her. The one good thing is I can sense his hesitance and fear.

  Amelie sighs. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I can’t. Good luck though. I had fun last time.”

  Declan steps back and does his best to avoid me but his eyes cut to mine, his nervousness bringing a smile to my face. “It’s okay,” he says to her, slowly backing away. “Maybe another time.”

  He hurries off and busies himself with other guests. Grabbing my beer, I look over at her, and she shakes her head, her grin growing wider by the second. “You’re evil. I saw you smile.”

  I shrug, knowing she can see the glint in my eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She smacks my arm playfully, and it’s the first time she’s deliberately touched me. I wait to see if she senses anything, but nothing seems to change. Usually, I’m a patient man, but I feel like I’m being tested. Amelie and I have been through so much in our lives you’d think the Great Luna wouldn’t make us wait to find our happiness. We walk back through the crowd of people toward our table.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Declan was terrified of you. I’m shocked he even asked me to the card game.”

  “Have you dated him?” I ask, hoping I can hide my anger if she says yes.

  Amelie laughs. “Oh, goodness, no. He’s a sweet guy, and I’ve had fun playing cards with him and his friends, but he’s a little too young for me and has a lot of growing up to do. I may look twenty-five, but I have close to thirty years on him.” Grinning slyly, she looks up at me and lowers her voice. “I guess I can’t say much. You have well over a hundred and fifty years on me. You probably think I have a lot of growing up to do.”

  There’s a group of people standing in our way, so we wait for them to move. In all seriousness, I stare right into her eyes. “Not in the least. You’re perfect the way you are.”

  Her breath hitches. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”

  The people move out of our way, but I can’t seem to look away from her. “Are you always this nice to everyone? It seems to come naturally to you.”

  She shrugs, and her lips pull up into a seductive smile. “You can’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You only live once. Might as well make the best of it. All you have to do is allow yourself to let go.”

  Every moment I’m with her, I find myself slowly getting to that point. However, the closer I get to her, the more likely I’m putting her in danger. The problem is that I don’t
think I can stay away.

  11

  Amelie

  Tonight turned out to be one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in my life. It’s one of the reasons why I love being around Colin and Kami. Even Kami’s FBI recruit, Whitney, was fun to talk to. The real interesting part of the night was with Zayne. I can see a change in him. He’s always been the silent, brooding type, but tonight he opened up more. I even caught myself flirting with him. What’s even crazier is how much I enjoyed it. The way he looks at me with those intense blue eyes of his makes me wish for things I’ve never had. A part of me knows I shouldn’t think about Zayne like that. I have a mate out there, and the last thing I need to do is get attached to someone. However, I can’t deny that it’s been nice having him by my side the entire night.

  Once we’re all finished with our beers, we walk outside into the frosty, chilly air. Whitney gasps and crosses her arms over her chest. “How are you guys not freezing?” she asks, her teeth chattering. “I’m in a huge coat, and you’re all ….” She looks at us all like we’re crazy. “In short sleeves. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Kami throws an arm around her shoulders. “We’re used to it.”

  Whitney snorts. “I don’t care if I’ve lived here my whole life. There’s no way in hell I could get used to this.”

  “Eh, it’s not so bad,” Colin cuts in. “But if my balls started to freeze, then we’d have a problem.”

  Kami rolls her eyes and grins at me. “Come on, let’s get her back to the hotel before she freezes to death, or worse, goes insane for listening to Colin’s ridiculousness.”

  Whitney laughs hysterically, and we can all tell she’s a little tipsy. “I think he’s hilarious,” she announces.

  Zayne scoffs under his breath, and Colin lifts his brows at him. “You can’t say much, old man. When was the last time you made someone laugh?”

  “Tonight, as a matter of fact,” I say, grinning over at Zayne. He returns my smile, and it makes my stomach flutter. “He makes me laugh.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Colin chuckles. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  Kami pats his shoulder. “Good. Now let’s go.” Then she turns to me. “Do you mind if we drop Whitney off first?”

  I shake my head. “Of course.”

  Zayne gently grasps my elbow, and I suck in a breath, hoping like hell he couldn’t hear. “I can take you home, Amelie.”

  He slowly releases his hold, and I look over at him. The thought of us spending more time together excites me. “You don’t mind?”

  “Not at all,” he says, pulling out his car keys from his pocket.

  When I glance back at Kami, she waves. “I’ll talk to you soon. Have a good rest of the weekend.”

  I wave back. “You too.”

  They turn toward one side of the parking lot, and Zayne nods toward the other. “I parked this way.”

  We walk side by side through the parking lot, the snow slushy beneath our feet. His little black sports car is parked at the very edge of the parking lot, away from everyone else. I’d do that too if I had an expensive car.

  Zayne opens the passenger’s side door for me, and I get in. “Thank you,” I say, looking up at him.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He shuts my door and walks around to his side. When he gets in, he starts up the car and carefully pulls out of the parking lot. The inside smells like brand new leather, and the dashboard is so high-tech I wouldn’t even know where to begin operating the radio.

  I wave my hand about the car. “This is fancy.”

  Zayne scoffs. “It’s too much, I know. I gave Colin money to find me a car, and this is what he picked. I wasn’t about to take it back.”

  Now it all makes sense. Giggling, I look over at him. “It does look more like Colin’s taste. I often wondered why you drove a flashy car when you like to keep a low profile. But, on the other hand, you look good in it. I know I’d drive it. Although it’s been a while since I’ve driven a stick.”

  His lip pulls up in a smirk. “You’re more than welcome to practice anytime you want.”

  I laugh. “Might want to rethink that. I have no problems taking you up on that offer.”

  Once on the main road, he shifts it into a higher gear and lays on the gas. “Who taught you how to drive a stick? I haven’t met many women who know how.”

  It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about that time in my life. It was about thirty years ago when my family was part of the Redwood Pack along with Tyla and her parents. There was a wolf I met who wasn’t part of the pack; he was just passing through. He ended up staying around for a few years, and we grew close. I loved him, and he loved me, but the time came for him to move on. He said he’d come back, but a few months after he left, our pack was attacked, and we all ran as far and as fast as we could. My parents and I relocated to North Carolina, and I never saw him again.

  “Amelie?”

  Shaking my head, I push the past back into the far corners in my mind. I’ve learned not to dwell on those hard times. “A guy I knew a long time ago taught me.”

  “Was he a wolf?”

  Keeping my eyes on the road, I nod. “He was.”

  It was many years ago, but I still remember the way he looked. He had dark brown hair, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue. I had never seen that color of eyes on any other wolf before.

  “Were you two intimate?” he asks.

  I nod again. “For about a year.” I can sense a hint of jealousy from him, but it disappears quickly; it piques my curiosity.

  “Where is he now?” Narrowing my gaze, I turn to him, wondering if I’ll feel his jealousy again. In a way, I find it sexy. Zayne slows the car down and glances over at me. “Was I not supposed to ask that?”

  I wave him off. “No, you’re fine,” I reply, trying not to smile. “And to answer your question, I don’t know where he is. He left, and then our pack was attacked. I haven’t seen him since.” It surprises me how easy it is to talk to Zayne. With other men, you can tell when they have no interest in getting to know you. Zayne's eyes meet mine, and my body trembles in a good way. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked about any of this. Especially with another man. Micah’s the only guy I’ve spent a lot of time with, but we always talked about other things.”

  Micah is his brother, and they couldn’t be more different. Zayne turns down my street and slows down since the road is slick from the snow. “What all would you and my brother talk about?”

  A smile spreads across my face. “Lots of things. Micah taught me how to fight and trained me every day. He constantly tested me on what I should do in certain situations. The man was a good teacher. I was always envious of Faith for having someone like him around. I’m ready for him to get back, but I also want him to enjoy life on his own terms.”

  Micah was Faith’s protector for almost twenty years, just like Zayne was Colin’s until Colin was strong enough to take care of himself. Now that Faith is mated to another wolf, it freed Micah from his duties. I know he’s out on a mission to find the missing royals, but I hope once he’s done, he’ll be able to do what he wants.

  My Christmas-lit cabin comes into view, and Zayne pulls up beside my car. “Yeah, I want him back too. It’s been a while since he’s called.”

  “Do you think he’s okay?” I ask, not liking the worried expression on his face.

  Zayne nods. “He’s fine. If he gets into trouble, he’ll call.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, I reach for the door handle. “Good. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.” I start to pull the handle, but then his voice stops me.

  “Are you reading another Game of Thrones novel tonight?”

  Grinning, I turn back to him. “Of course. I’m almost done with the fifth book. I think after I finish that one, I’ll move on to some sappy Christmas novels.”

  He chuckles, and it makes me smile even more. Every time he lets go, even if his smile or
laugh only lasts for a few seconds, it’s a pleasant sight. It’s as if he grows younger every day. I know he’s seen a lot of evil in this world, and it changed him for the worse, but he’s slowly coming back to life.

  “I hope you enjoy your Christmas novels,” Zayne says.

  “Thanks. Enjoy your time off work.”

  “I will. You’ll be done with school next week, right?”

  I nod. “Yep. I’ll have two weeks off. It’s going to be a crazy week. The kids are always super excited before the holiday break.” I press on the handle, and the car door opens. “Don’t forget about next Friday.”

  Zayne’s heated gaze bores into mine. “I’ll be here.”

  My heart begins to race, so I smile and get out as fast as I can, hoping he’s not paying attention. Once inside the house, I watch him leave through the window. I didn’t want him to go, but I very well couldn’t ask him to stay. There are many feelings swarming through me, and I don’t know what to do about them.

  Why do things have to be so complicated?

  12

  Zayne

  The week passed by very slowly. I tried to think of reasons to stop by Amelie’s house, but nothing ever came to mind. My wolf is desperate to be close to her, touching her. I don’t know how much longer I can stand with the distance between us. Meeting once a week isn’t going to work. Luckily, it’s Friday and time for our run through the woods. It’s going on two weeks, and nothing’s happened on Amelie’s end of the bond. I’m hoping tonight, with us being together, it’ll give her the push I need to get things going.

  I’m almost done placing the finishing touches on a sketch for a client when my phone rings. When I look at the screen, I see Micah’s name. I haven’t spoken to him in weeks.

  “Micah,” I say.

  “Hey, brother.” His voice sounds tired.

  “Are you okay?”

  He sighs. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just coming up with dead ends everywhere I go. How about out there? Anything I should know about?”