Claimed by the Moon

by L. P. Dover

  Tears fill Laila’s eyes. “Don’t worry. She knows.” She kisses my cheek and opens her car door. “Go and get some rest. I’ll call and check on you and Amelie later.”

  Nodding, I stand back and watch her disappear down the driveway. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on Amelie, and I can hear her deep breathing as she sleeps. I quietly walk up the porch stairs and into the house; I don’t want to wake her. When I get into the bedroom, I take off my boots and gently crawl into bed with her. Amelie’s caramel-colored hair fans out over the pillow, and my sheets smell just like her, apples and strawberries. I slide my arm around her and rest a hand on her stomach. Amelie snuggles into me, and a sexy snicker escapes her lips. “It’s about time you joined me.”

  I kiss the back of her neck. “You needed your rest.”

  She turns in my arms and faces me. “So do you.”

  “I have plenty of time to sleep. Now that everything’s taken care of, we can finally relax.”

  Her brows furrow. “Kara?”

  I nod. “She’s under the sleeping spell and on her way to California. So she won’t be bothering us again. All we have to do now is wait for the full moon.”

  Amelie moves closer and places a hand on my cheek. “If only we’d bonded on the last one.”

  “Things happen for a reason, Amelie.”

  Her lips pull back seductively, and it makes my need for her rise. “All of this would’ve been easier if we’d taken each other’s blood. I could’ve heard your thoughts.”

  “Nothing’s stopping us,” I say, staring down at her lips. “All you have to do is tell me when you’re ready.”

  She touches her lips to mine. “I’m ready now.”

  Closing my eyes, I hold her tighter and deepen the kiss. My fangs sink into her bottom lip, and the taste of her blood is sweet on my tongue. She does the same with me, and the prick of her teeth makes me ravenous to be inside of her, both body and mind.

  The link opens between us, and I can see into her mind and hear her thoughts, but then we’re both thrust into a vision of our future. I’ve listened to stories from Sebastian and Colin on what it’s like, and I never thought my day would come when I’d get to experience it.

  I can feel Amelie’s hand in mine, and when I look over, she smiles at me, and I can see the excitement on her face. “What do you think we’re going to see?”

  I kiss her hand. “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.”

  The world is hazy at first, but then it clears. We’re in the field behind my house, and the ground is warm beneath our feet. Laughter echoes in the distance, and Amelie’s hand tightens.

  “It’s our boys. I know it.”

  We follow the sound to the edge of the field, and that’s when we see ourselves. Our twins look to be around seven, and both have the whitish-blond hair of a royal. However, their eyes are the same gray as their mother’s.

  “They have your eyes,” I whisper to Amelie.

  She cups a hand over her mouth. “They’re so beautiful.”

  In the vision, I’m training them how to fight just like my father taught me. I can feel so much love inside of me for those boys. It’s the same way I love Laila. Amelie turns her head, and she gasps at something behind us. When I turn, that’s when I see her coming toward us, holding a strapping young baby boy.

  “Three boys,” Amelie whispers. “It’s just like you and your brothers.”

  A chuckle escapes my lips. “We’re in trouble now.”

  We watch the other Amelie stand by me and encourage our sons to keep up the hard work. Amelie stands in front of me with tears in her eyes. “This is our life, Zayne. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

  I pull her into my arms. “Neither could I. This is where I belong.”

  She lifts on her toes and kisses me. “Where we belong.”

  37

  Amelie

  THREE WEEKS LATER

  * * *

  “Congratulations,” Micah says, his voice coming over the speaker. He’s not the first one to congratulate us today. I’ve had numerous calls and texts from everyone back home, saying how happy they are that Zayne and I are finally going to complete the bond. “The full moon is tonight,” Micah adds with a snicker. “Although I heard it through the grapevine, you two are already expecting twins.”

  Grinning, Zayne lies down on the blanket and sets the phone between us. “You heard right.”

  It’s been an ongoing joke among the pack … Zayne and his super sperm. We can’t go anywhere without someone teasing him about it.

  “And every time I hear it, it takes all I have not to rip off their heads,” Zayne says in my mind. With our minds being linked, it’s brought us closer. Zayne isn’t a verbal man, so being able to hear his thoughts and feel what he’s feeling makes our connection stronger. And tonight, when we complete the bond, I can only imagine what it’ll be like.

  I try to hold back my smile and fail. As much as I know Zayne hates it, it makes me laugh every time. That’s why we decided to get away for a while and spend some time in Canada on the Lyall land. I could see it in Zayne’s mind that he wanted to come back here, so I figured right now would be the best time. We could complete the bond in the place he holds most dear.

  Micah chuckles. “I’m starting to think it’s a good thing Sebastian and I didn’t get the magical sperm like you. I’d have kids all over the damn place.”

  Zayne shakes his head, and I burst out laughing. “That would be something.”

  “It’d be a disaster,” Zayne grumbles.

  It feels good to laugh and hear Zayne banter back and forth with his brother. I have a family now, and it’s only going to grow.

  “Having any luck finding the others?” I ask Micah.

  He sighs. “Not yet. All I have to do is be in the right place at the right time.”

  “You’ll find them,” Zayne declares with such confidence. Zayne has never doubted Micah’s capabilities, and neither have I. So I have no doubt he’ll find the missing royals.

  “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you with the Channons,” Micah murmurs. I can hear the regret in his voice.

  Zayne meets my gaze. “We’re fine, brother. You just focus on your mission. And when you come back, we’ll catch up.”

  “Sounds good. I wish you both luck tonight.”

  I snort. “We don’t need luck, Micah. We got this.”

  Micah bursts out laughing. “I’m sure you do. I’ll talk to you both later.” He hangs up, and Zayne sets his phone on the coffee table.

  “It was good to hear from him,” I say.

  Zayne nods and pulls me over onto his chest. “Yes, it was. I miss having him around.”

  I look at him and smile. “I miss him too. He became a good friend.”

  His gaze grows serious. “Before I knew you were my mate, I thought for sure it would happen between you and Micah. You two were always together.”

  Shaking my head, I run my fingers over his stubbly cheeks. “I was waiting for you, and I didn’t know it.”

  The fire crackles in the fireplace, and I snuggle into him more, loving the feel of the plush blanket underneath me. The magic of the full moon grows greater by the second. “I love the place you built here,” I murmur.

  I can feel Zayne’s sadness. His childhood home used to be sitting in the exact spot, but the Yukons had burned it to the ground when they attacked. “It’s not my family home, but I have memories on this land.”

  Visions run through his mind, and I watch them as if it’s a movie. I can see his parents and what his childhood home looked like. He’s lived a long time, so there’s so much to see, and I want to concentrate on it all. But, instead, Zayne makes his memories disappear, and I frown at him.

  “Why did you stop?”

  He smiles sadly. “I’ll show you whatever you want. It’s just right now, we have other things we should be doing.”

  Lifting on my elbows, I turn my attention to the window, and I can see the moonl
ight beaming across the snowy backyard. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  Zayne rolls onto me and covers me with his body. “Are you ready?”

  I kiss him gently. “Past ready.”

  His eyes glow with need. “Well, then, let’s get these clothes off of you.”

  Grabbing the hem of my shirt, he lifts it slowly, and I raise my arms over my head so he can take it off. The second he does, a groan of satisfaction rumbles in his chest.

  “What is this?”

  I knew tonight would be special, so I wanted to be extra sexy. It took all the concentration in my mind to keep it from Zayne. Underneath my clothes, I have on a set of lacy, black lingerie that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. He can still see every square inch of my body underneath. Once Zayne has the outer layer of my clothes off, he sits up and stares at me, his cock pressing against his jeans.

  “You are so damn beautiful,” Zayne murmurs in my mind.

  A smile lights up my face. “Thank you. I thought you might like it.” Taking his hand, I glide it over my breasts and then down between my legs.

  Through our bond, I can feel his raging need to claim me. It makes me tremble with anticipation. Once we complete the bond, he won’t have those ravenous urges. But, in an unmated male, it can be dangerous.

  “You know I would never hurt you,” Zayne whispers.

  Tears spring to my eyes. “I know that. You never have.”

  Once his clothes are off, he settles himself between my legs. “I want to go slow with you tonight, to feel every inch of you and remember this moment for the rest of my life.” Leaning over, he places his lips on my shoulder and kisses his way up my neck, pushing his hardness into me.

  I’ve seen his naked body many times but looking down at his thick length makes me shiver and grow wet. “Make love to me, Zayne.”

  He kisses his way down my leg to the inside of my thigh and slides his tongue down my slit. My body jerks, and I gasp, desperate for more. Entering me with his tongue, he massages my clit with his nose and breathes me in.

  “You’re so wet,” he growls.

  He replaces his tongue with his fingers and pushes them inside with ease. I want to feel him inside of me, taking me, claiming me. I’m so close to losing control, but he pulls back before my orgasm can build.

  “I know you were close, but I want to be inside you when you come.”

  The smile that spreads across his face turns me on even more. “What are you waiting for?” I say, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  Smirking, he kisses his way up my stomach and latches onto a nipple, making my body tremble with pleasure. I arch off the bed and whimper, wanting him to suck harder. Chuckling, he flicks his tongue across a sensitive peak once more for good measure before hovering above me, the tip of him pressing against my opening.

  “I wish you knew how much I crave you,” he murmurs in my mind.

  Cupping his cheeks, I bring him down to my lips. “I know how you feel. I can never get enough of you.”

  Lowering his body onto mine, he circles his cock in my wetness before pushing in. My body instantly clenches, wanting more of him . . . all of him. But Zayne keeps to his word and goes slow, determined not to lose control. After tonight, his rage will be subdued, and he’ll never have to worry about it again.

  His body rocks gently back and forth until he’s fully submerged inside of me. I moan in the pleasure and pain of it, and he groans, picking up his pace. With my legs still wrapped around his waist, I hold on tight as he makes love to me. Our bodies move perfectly together, in sync. The magic of the moon swirls around us like glowing threads, ready to take its hold on us and bind us together forever.

  My orgasm builds, and without warning, it explodes from within. Digging my nails in Zayne’s back, I ride wave after wave of pleasure until he releases inside me, all warm and thick. The magical swirls disappear into our bodies, and I can feel the bond strengthen between us. He is mine, and I am his. His breaths come out deep, almost like growls as he regains his composure. When I look into his eyes, they shift to his wolf’s, and I can see the reflection of my own wolf in his.

  Zayne slowly slides out and lays down beside me, gently resting a hand on my stomach. It’s strange to think that I already have two babies growing inside of me. Zayne leans over and kisses my belly so tenderly it makes my eyes burn.

  I run my fingers through his hair. “You’re going to be a wonderful father, Zayne.”

  His blue eyes stare into mine. “And you’ll be an amazing mother.”

  We look at each other for a few minutes, and I can’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. “If you could go back in time and change things, would you do it?”

  His expression saddens, and he averts his gaze, but when he focuses back on me, he shakes his head. “There was a time when I wanted to go back and do things differently, but I realize that everything I’ve done and everything that’s happened was meant to be.” He glides his hand up my body and rests it on my cheek. “It led me to you.”

  Leaning into his touch, I kiss his hand. “I feel the same way. I would go through the same hell I went through a million times over if it was the only way I could be with you.”

  I pull his hand to bring him closer, and before I can kiss him, something spectacular happens. Gasping, I clutch my stomach and look at him. His eyes widen, and he stares down at my stomach, already hearing in my mind what I felt.

  “You felt them.” He laughs and quickly moves his hand to my stomach.

  “I did,” I cry. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever felt.”

  A few seconds later, there’s another kick right where Zayne’s hand rests on my belly. The boys kick a couple more times, and each time, I can feel Zayne’s love for them grow exponentially. Finally, when his eyes meet mine, a tear falls down his cheek.

  I wipe it away and kiss him. “And this is only the beginning.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything's sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it's with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that's why she's seriously addicted to chocolate.

  Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she's also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you'll never see her without a smile on her face.

  You can find L.P. Dover at www.lpdover.com.

  Also by L.P. Dover

  SECOND CHANCES SERIES

  Love’s Second Chance

  Trusting You

  What He Wants (Trusting You Prequel)

  Meant for Me

  Fighting for Love

  Intercepting Love

  Catching Summer

  Defending Hayden

  Last Chance

  Intended for Bristol

  ARMED & DANGEROUS SERIES

  No Limit

  Roped In

  High-Sided

  CIRCLE OF JUSTICE SERIES

  Trigger

  Target

  Aim

  In the Crossfire

  ARMED & DANGEROUS/CIRCLE OF JUSTICE CROSSOVER SERIES

  Dangerous Game

  Dangerous Betrayals

  Book 3 - TBD

  Book 4 – TBD

  GLOVES OFF SERIES

  A Fighter’s Desire – Part One

  A Fighter’s Desire – Part Two

  Tyler’s Undoing

  Ryley’s Revenge

  Winter Kiss: Ryley and Ash

  Paxton’s Promise

  Camden’s Redemption

  Kyle’s Return

  SOCIETY X SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN

  Dark Room

  Viewing Room

  Play Room

  FOREVER FAE SERIES

  Forever Fae />
  Betrayals of Spring

  Summer of Frost

  Reign of Ice

  * * *

  ROYAL SHIFTERS SERIES

  Turn of the Moon

  Resisting the Moon

  Rise of the Moon

  Unleashed by the Moon

  Bound by the Moon

  Claimed by the Moon

  Taken Under the Moon

  BREAKAWAY SERIES

  Hard Stick

  Blocked

  Playmaker

  Off the Ice

  STANDALONE NOVELS

  Love, Lies & Deception

  Going for the Hole

  Anonymous

  Love, Again

  Fairytale Confessions

  * * *

  THE DATING SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN

  A Date for New Year’s

  A Date with an Admirer

  A Date for Good Luck

  A Date for the Hunt

  A Date for Good Luck

  A Date for the Derby

  A Date to Play Fore

  A Date with a Foodie

  A Date for the Fair

  A Date for the Regatta

  A Date for the Masquerade

  A Date with a Turkey

  A Date with an Elf

  CHRISTMAS NOVELS

  It Must’ve Been the Mistletoe

  Snowflake Lane Inn

  Christmas With You

  MOONLIGHT AND ALEENA SERIES W/ANNA-GRACE DOVER

  Moonlight and Aleena: A Tale of Two Friends