Once Dany and Stark are gone, I pour myself a glass of red wine, grab a blanket off the back of the couch, and head outside to the patio. It’s covered in snow, but I love the feel of it on my bare feet. One of the good things about being a shifter is that we never get cold. Still, I love cuddling up with a blanket and drinking hot chocolate in the winter.
The patio table is under an awning, so I don’t have to worry about sitting in a snow-filled seat. Being outside and under the stars has been my therapy for as long as I can remember. With everything going on with Soren and Micah, I need to clear my head.
I programmed Bailey’s number into my phone earlier today, so I scroll through my contacts and press on hers. The line rings a few times, and I’m about to hang up when her voice comes over the phone.
“Hello?” she answers, her voice sounding curious.
“Hey, Bailey. It’s Raelynn.”
Bailey squeals so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “Oh my God, it’s so great to hear your voice. You sound exactly how I remember you.”
Laughing, I bring the phone back to my ear. “I can’t say the same about you. You were only seven years old.”
Bailey blows out a sigh. “So much has changed since then. I’ve been wondering if I’d ever talk to you again.”
I can hear the sadness in her tone. “Dany and I have missed you and your sister over the years. It’s crazy to think you’re all grown up now.”
“Tell me about it. After all I’ve been through, I feel like I’m a million years old. But it’s been worth it. I’m hoping one day you’ll come this way and meet my family. Little Asher would love to see his Aunt Raelynn.”
Tears burn the back of my eyes. “Aunt Raelynn. I like that.”
We catch up on life for over an hour, but I have yet to tell her about Micah. She talks to me about how she was taken by the Yukon pack and almost forced to mate with their alpha, who also happened to be her mate’s brother. I can’t even imagine that level of betrayal. Now that she’s mated to Ryker, it brought about a whole new beginning in our world. None of us know why, but the Great Luna had chosen her to restore the balance and bring the magic back. I’ve never personally seen or spoken to the Great Luna, but I know she’s inside every one of us. The royal wolves are a part of her. She wanted a pack of dominant shifters, and I’m lucky enough to be one of them.
“Talk to me about your job,” Bailey inquires. “It sounds fun being able to investigate people.”
I finish off the last sip of my wine. “It is. But it’s also heartbreaking when your job is to expose someone’s infidelity. Sadly, humans don’t have true mates as we do.”
“True. Although, I do believe some of them find their soulmates. There are a lot of humans who stay married and happy for most of their lives.” Bailey clears her throat. “And speaking about mates, I heard something today. I’m assuming it’s one of the reasons why you decided to call.”
I should’ve known she’d already know. “What did you hear?”
“I heard that the mating signs appeared between you and Micah, but that you somehow have another mate as well. Care to explain?”
Leaning my head back, I close my eyes and groan. “It’s a mess, Bailey. I was hoping you’d have some insight on the situation since you’re the Great Luna’s chosen one and all. Has a female ever had two true mates?”
Bailey exhales a sigh. “I don’t know. We’re looking into it. You never got to meet Seraphina, but she was a powerful shifter with earth magic. She has hundreds of journals on everything about shifters. I’m hoping we’ll find something in her work. It might take a couple of days.”
I sit up and open my eyes. That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear. A couple of days will feel like an eternity. Trying to evade Soren and Micah for just a few hours is hard enough.
“That might be too long,” I say, hearing the tiredness in my voice. “If Soren finds out about Micah, there’ll be a war. I don’t want either one of them to get hurt.”
“I understand. We’re doing everything we can.”
“Thanks, Bailey. I appreciate all of it.” The sound of a car approaches, and my body ignites like a thousand flames. The breath hitches in my throat, and I freeze in my seat. “Bailey, I have to go. Micah’s here.”
Bailey’s soothing voice murmurs in my ear, “You’ll know what to do, Raelynn.”
“I hope so,” I whisper back.
We hang up, and my heart beats so loud it’s deafening. Taking a deep breath, I envision a wall inside of me, blocking all my thoughts and feelings. I can’t take the chance of Soren feeling me. I’m not ready for the fight that I know is looming around the corner.
Micah’s car stops in the driveway, and I finally find the courage to walk inside. I toss the blanket onto the couch, and with bated breath, I open the front door. It doesn’t matter how many times I see Micah, he always makes me lose all train of thought. Every time he looks at me with his icy blue eyes, it’s as if I can feel him in my soul, warming me from the inside out.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I warn. “It’s dangerous.”
Micah walks up the front porch stairs. “For you or me?”
“Both,” I confess.
He stands in front of me, his body only a foot away. So close, yet so far away. “Are you scared of him?”
I jerk my head from side to side. “Not in the way you’re thinking. For some reason, he can pick up on what I’m feeling. It doesn’t matter if we’re standing next to each other or across town.”
Micah’s jaw clenches. “Have you exchanged blood?”
I stare right into his eyes. “No. That’s why I don’t understand how he can do what he does.”
He huffs and looks away, trying to hide his angry wolf eyes. When he focuses on me again, they’re back to normal. “May I come in?”
I want him to more than anything. But what I desire most is to have him close to me so I can touch him, to feel the tingling that overtook me the last time his skin brushed against mine.
Stepping out of the way, I give him clearance to come inside. “Only for a minute. I can’t risk Soren finding you here.”
Micah storms in and growls, “But you’re my mate, Raelynn.” He runs his hands through his hair, his body vibrating like a caged animal. “I’ve never felt so drawn to someone as I do you. Like it literally takes all the strength I have not to carry you to the bedroom and claim you right now.” Eyes wild, he never lets them leave mine. “Is this all one-sided?”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “I feel the same way, too.”
Micah steps closer. “Is it how it is with you and Soren?”
Averting my eyes, I place a hand on my stomach, the guilt weighing me down like a ton of rocks on my chest. “No, not like this. All I can feel is you. It’s like you push him out.”
Micah grabs my elbows, and I gasp with how good it feels. “Then come with me to Wyoming. You belong with the other royal wolves and me.”
Standing here with him, it’s as if no one else exists. I want to give in. I meet Micah’s gaze, and the words of agreement are on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t say them.
“I can’t just leave with you. We haven’t seen each other in seventeen years.”
He cups my cheeks, his skin warm against mine. “I know, but we’ll have plenty of time to catch up. I can’t leave here without you.”
I don’t want him to. My legs begin to buckle, and I start to lean into him, but his phone beeps. With a heavy sigh, he slides his hands off my face so he can reach into his pocket for his cell. As soon as he reads the text, he huffs.
“It’s Stark. He says my time’s up.”
“What are you going to do if Soren challenges you?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Still, I need to hear it from him.
Micah takes my hands in his. “I’ll fight him, and I will win.”
He glances down at my lips, and a need so potent and raw explodes within me. I have to feel him again. I have to give in. Even if it’s just this one night, I can’t let him go without feeling his kiss.
“Do it,” I whisper, stepping closer. “Kiss me.”
Micah’s eyes widen and darken at the same time. He doesn’t waste any time crushing me into his arms. He presses his lips to mine, and I melt against him. Nothing about it seems wrong; it all feels right.
Breaking from the kiss, he steps back. “I remember our first kiss and how it felt. The connection was strong then, but it’s more powerful now.”
Breathing hard, I rest my forehead on his. “Yes, it is.”
Micah hurries off and gets in his car, his taillights disappearing within seconds. When I get inside, my phone beeps with an incoming text.
Soren: I need to see you.
I can’t handle any more craziness tonight. No matter how good at pretending I think I can be, there’s no way I can fool anyone tonight.
Me: Not tonight. I’m exhausted.
It kills me to lie to him.
Soren: Tomorrow morning then. I’ll pick you up at 10.
I don’t know where we’re going or what he has on his mind, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be good.