There are twelve days before the next full moon. I peek into the bedroom where Laila is still asleep, her long red hair fanned out over the pillow with her bare skin exposed. My dick twitches at the sight of her voluptuous breasts, but I have to give her a break, especially after the night we had. I have scrambled eggs on the stove, the bacon is already fried up, and the banana pancakes are piled high on a plate, ready to be devoured. Seraphina taught me how to do many things while I lived with her.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and see Ryker’s name on the screen. “Hey, man,” I say, keeping my voice as quiet as I can. I walk away from the bedroom back to the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” Ryker asks.
“Yeah. Just trying to be quiet. Laila’s still sleeping.”
“I heard you decided to take a couple of weeks off from work.”
I made the call this morning. With all the strange things going on with rogues and the dark fae searching for people like Laila, I figured it’d be best to stay with her as much as I can, at least, until she starts her apprenticeship and becomes my partner at work.
“It’s for the best right now,” I say.
Ryker sighs. “You may be right. I’ve had some of the men scout out the woods. One caught a scent, but it was gone in an instant, and he couldn’t trace it. I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to keep our eyes open.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m not letting Laila out of my sight unless she’s with her family or you.”
“You sound a little different this morning. I take it things are moving along with you two?”
Grinning, I take a seat at the kitchen table. “You can say that.”
“Do you think you’ll complete the bond at the next full moon?”
Twelve days feels so far away. “That’s the plan. Let’s just hope nothing happens before then. It seems like the shit always hits the fan right before a full moon.”
Ryker snorts. “Got that right. You know the hell I went through with Bailey.”
How could I forget? I don’t know what I’d do if someone tried to take Laila away from me. I hear her feet hit the floor in the bedroom, and her steps coming down the hall. “Hey, brother, let me talk to you later. Laila’s awake.”
He chuckles. “Have fun.”
Laila turns the corner into the kitchen, dressed in one of my T-shirts that hangs down to just above her knees. She holds her stomach and breathes in the air. “I am so hungry. I think I burned off everything I ate for the past week.”
I walk over to her and pull her into my arms. Touching her has never felt so right. “We’ll have to burn off more calories when you’re ready for round two.”
She giggles. “Perfect. But it’ll have to wait for tonight. I have work to do today.”
“Oh yeah,” I say, letting her go. “Like what?”
“Well …” She lets me go and walks over to the bacon, and picks up a slice. “It’s more like shopping. I’m going to pick up some plants for Mr. Tanner’s house and get some furniture ordered up. He went back to New York for a few weeks, so he left me his credit card and house keys.”
“What does this guy look like?” I ask. “I’m wondering if I should be jealous.”
Her grin widens. “Not unless you’re envious of a sixty-five-year-old human man with a hefty bank account.” She takes a bite of her bacon and winks. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m kind of partial to the young, rugged wolf type.”
I step toward her, loving the way her mouth moves when she eats. “Mind if I come with you today? I’d love to see you in action.”
“Of course,” she exclaims, her face brightening. “I’d love for you to come with me. What about work?”
I shrug. “Took some time off. I’m going back when you start your apprenticeship.”
She finishes off her bacon and picks up both plates I had on the counter, handing me one of them. “I’m warning you; it’s a lot of shopping. You might get bored.”
“Not when I’m with you.”
Her eyes twinkle. “I’m glad you’ll be with me. Christmas is coming up, and I was wondering if you’d gotten anything for Seraphina yet.”
With everything going on, Christmas has been the furthest from my mind. “I haven’t,” I admit sheepishly.
“No worries,” she says, giving me a mischievous grin. “I have the perfect idea. All we have to do is stop by the gem store for a few minutes. And then, when we’re done with everything, I’m all yours.”
I pull her into me and kiss her. “You’re always going to be mine.”
* * *
We stopped by the Blue Stone first, and Laila had me pick out a stone that I believe represented Seraphina. When I think of her, I think of purity and goodness. The white opal was the first stone that caught my eye. After that, we walked all through downtown Jackson Hole, visiting every single furniture and antique store, grabbing plants along the way. I’m thankful the expensive furniture is going to be delivered in a few days. I can’t afford to replace any of it. The amount of money Laila charged on her client’s credit card is close to what my entire cabin costs with everything inside of it.
Once my truck is filled, we start on our way to her client’s house. Of course, I’m not surprised when we arrive, and it’s a multi-million-dollar mansion. Laila goes to the door and unlocks it with a big smile on her face. She’s so beautiful with her long, red hair in a braid and wearing just a simple plaid shirt and jeans. Sometimes it’s hard to believe she’s mine.
I grab as much stuff out of my truck and haul it inside so she can get to work. There’s an excitement on her face that I’ve never seen before.
I follow her to the sunroom, where she has two plants situated by the sizeable arch-like doorway. She steps away from them and holds her hands up in the air. The plants' vines start to grow, and they climb up the archway, sprouting gigantic white flowers.
“Nice.”
Laila snickers. “I can’t exactly do this kind of stuff with my client around.”
I glance around the room. “Hopefully, he doesn’t have cameras.”
She shakes her head. “He doesn’t. They’re getting installed next week. That’s why I wanted to get this done now.” There are plants in all of the rooms, and she goes through and makes them bloom.
My phone rings, and Ryker’s name pops up on the screen. “Hey, brother. Haven’t I already talked to you once today?” I tease.
He laughs. “That you have, smart ass. Just thought I’d give you the good news.”
“What’s up?”
“Four wolves from the Timberwolf pack have shown the mating signs. Chase asked if we’d like to celebrate with them tonight at the bar.”
Chase Maheegan is the alpha of that pack; he’s a good guy. “Is Chase one of those four?” I ask.
Ryker sighs. “No. I can tell he’s a little disappointed, but his time will come.”
I hope so. I look at Laila and her eyes on me. “I’m sure Laila and I will make an appearance. We’ll see you there.” We say our goodbyes, and I hang up.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
I slide my phone into my pocket. “The bar where we had your welcome to the pack party. Some wolves from the Timberwolf pack have found their true mates. There’s going to be a big celebration.”
Laila beams. “That’s great news. It’ll give the others hope. Maybe one day, everyone will have the chance to find their true mates.” One can only hope so.
Once Laila is done situating everything in the house, we head back to her place to prepare for the celebration. While she’s upstairs with Faith and Amelie, I stay in the living room with Micah.
Micah points at the ceiling where the women are just above us. “I don’t know why they always have to get dressed up to go to parties.”
“I heard that,” Faith yells down at him. Her footsteps pound on the hardwood floors, and then she appears at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes fixed on Micah. “I’m not the only one looking nice tonight. I see you in your expensive jeans with your hair perfectly coifed. I think someone knows all the ladies will be following him around tonight.”
Micah stares at her, his face blank. I know that look. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up. I’m pretty sure if his mate were one of the females in our pack, it would’ve happened by now. I’ve seen how all the females are around the royal wolves, especially Micah since he’s unmated. Then again, it’s the same for the females. “Everyone wants a royal,” I add. “They’ll be following you around too, Faith. Lyall’s going to have his hands full tonight fighting off the ladies and making sure you’re protected.”
Faith snorts. “Trust me. I have my brother to help with that too. You saw how he was with you when we became friends.”
Colin is a grade-A douchebag, but I can’t fault him for wanting to keep someone like me away from his sister. Things change though. I’m not the same man I used to be. “Still. You need to be careful.”
Amelie walks down the stairs, and Faith whistles at her. “Someone else needs to be careful too. You look gorgeous, my friend.”
Micah stands. “I’ll watch over her tonight.”
Amelie waves him off. “I ripped my last mate apart. I think I can handle myself.”
Micah chuckles and holds up his hands. “Got it. Let’s go then.” He looks at me and nods toward the door. “We’ll meet you at the bar.” As soon as they walk out the door, Laila comes down the stairs, grinning from ear to ear and wearing a gray sweater dress and boots with her red hair in waves down her back. In her hand is a small gift bag.
“Holy hell, you’re sexy as fuck tonight.”
She shakes her head and laughs. “Men.”
“What do you have in the bag?” I ask her.
She reaches in and pulls out the white opal I bought for Seraphina. “I know it’s not Christmas yet, but I’m too excited to wait. I think you should give it to her tonight.”
“Don’t you have to put my memories in it?”
“You do,” she says, holding it out for me. “Take it.” I open my hand, and she places the opal in my palm, setting her hand on top. “I’m going to transfer your feelings and memories into the stone. That way, when Seraphina touches it, she’ll get the full experience.”
There’s a light in her eyes when she talks about magic. I don’t even want to imagine what it’ll be like for her if things change after completing the bond. Will she or will she not have her magic?
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
She smiles up at me. “So are you. Now close your eyes and think of your most favorite memories of Seraphina. Put all your feelings into it.”
There are a million memories that flash through my mind, but there are some that hold firm. The day she found me in the woods and brought me to her house. I remember feeling safe. Never once did she ever make me feel unloved. No matter what kind of mischief Ryker and I got into, she was always there for us. Laila’s hand gets warmer, and when I open my eyes, there’s a soft glow emanating from the opal.
Laila opens her eyes, and a couple of tears fall. I wipe them away and pull her into my arms. “Why are you crying?”
“Because,” she says, leaning her head on my chest, “your memories are beautiful. There were so many. Seraphina’s going to love it.” She steps back and kisses my cheek. “Come on. I’m ready for you to give it to her.”
She holds up the bag, and I slip the opal back inside it as we head out the door. There’s a lot of snow on the ground, so it takes a few minutes to get to the main road. When we get to the bar, it’s packed with both wolves and humans. Laila holds my hand as we walk inside, and it’s hard not to smile. There’s a hint of possessiveness in how she sticks by my side, especially when some humans turn my way. However, the feeling is mutual because several human men can’t seem to turn their eyes away from her. With shifters, I can tear them apart if they challenge me. Humans, not so much. I can still give them a beating if the situation calls for it. I’ve had to do that a time or two in my life.
Bailey and Tyla rush up to Laila and steal her away from me so they can catch up. Ryker waves me over to join him and Chase at one of the corner tables. “Hey, brother.”
I shake both his and Chase’s hands. “What’s up. Who are the lucky wolves?”
Chase points at two couples across the room, all four of them a little older than me. “Nice,” I say, turning back to him. He has the same look on his face that Micah had earlier. “I’m sure you’ll find yours soon.”
Chase takes a swig of his beer and scoffs. “Yeah, maybe.”
Ryker slaps a hand on his back. “It’ll happen.”
“There are my two boys,” Seraphina calls out. She comes up to Ryker and me and kisses us both on the cheek. Chase greets her and excuses himself so he can join his pack. She glances around the room and smiles. “It’s such a good feeling to see everyone come together like this.”
“Yes, it does,” Ryker and I both say at the same time.
We laugh, and Seraphina shakes her head. “You two may not share blood, but you are brothers.”
Ryker places a hand on my shoulder. “Exactly.” His focus turns to Bailey, and he smiles. “I’ll be right back.”
We watch him go over to Bailey and place a hand on her stomach as they talk to some of the other wolves in the Timberwolf pack. Seraphina leans into my arm. “When can I expect some grandbabies from you and Laila?”
“Hopefully, soon,” I say, grinning down at her. “The full moon’s coming up in less than two weeks. I know we haven’t known each other long, but if she’s ready by then …”
She looks at Laila and smiles. “She will be. Everyone here can see how much she loves you and you her.” She steps in front of me. “The elders from the other packs have our quarterly meeting in a couple of days. It’s their turn to come out this way. With more wolves showing the mating signs, I think it’ll be a good idea to encourage parties like this, intermingle the packs.”
“That is a good idea.”
Laila notices me standing with Seraphina and rushes over, holding the small Christmas gift bag. “I know it’s not Christmas yet,” she says sheepishly, “but I didn’t want Cedric to wait.”
She holds out the gift, and Seraphina peeks inside. “Well, well, what do we have here?” Seraphina reaches in and pulls out the white opal stone. Her eyes close, and a gasp escapes her lips. Laila squeezes my arm and smiles as Seraphina takes an adventure through my memories of her. The one that stuck out the most in my mind is when I was ten years old, sitting alone on the front porch. It was before Ryker had joined our family. There was a mother and son dance at school, and I was the only one in my class without one. Seraphina joined me and gave me a glass of lemonade, saying that if I didn’t mind, she’d love to take me to it. She said that she could never take my birth mother's place, but she’d like to love me like a real mother. I’ll always remember that moment for as long as I live.
Seraphina opens her eyes, and they’re filled with tears. “Oh, Cedric.” She hugs me tight and sniffles. “I don’t know what to say.” She closes her fingers over the stone and holds her hand over her heart. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you both so much.”
Laila hugs her and wipes away her tears. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”
Seraphina pats her cheek. “I love it. I’ll carry it with me always.” She sniffles again and pushes us toward everyone else. “Now go mingle. I don’t want to keep you away from your friends.”
We walk around the bar and talk to everyone, slipping in a few dances here and there when a slow song would come on. The energy in the bar is more electric and optimistic than I’ve ever felt before. For the first time, everyone has something to look forward to. Even the older wolves seem to have more hope in their eyes.
Laila pulls me back onto the dance floor when another slow song plays over the jukebox. “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. Laila clasps her hands behind my neck, and I hold on to her waist. “It’s ironic, but this song fits us.”
I snort. “As does a million other country songs. They’re all about finding love, love lost, drinking beer, or losing your dog.”
Laila tilts her head back and laughs. “Maybe so, but I think this should be our song.”
I pull her in tighter to my body. “If that’s what you want.”
She bites her lip. “Want to know what else I want?”
“What?”
Lifting on her tiptoes, she whispers in my ear. “Round two. I think we should stay at your place tonight.”
My dick twitches, and I groan, hoping like hell no one can see. I hold her to me until I can calm myself down. “You’re killing me, Red.”
Her eyes twinkle. “You’ve never called me that before.”
I shrug. “It just sort of slipped out.” I twirl a strand of her red hair between my fingers.
“Seems fitting.”
She lifts up and kisses me. “I like it.” We dance until the song ends, and she takes my hand. “Think we can get out of here early?”
I squeeze her hand. “Oh, I know we can.”
We tell everyone goodbye and hurry out of the bar before anyone can stop us. When we arrive at my house and get out of my truck, I look up at the sky. There’s only a sliver of the moon showing, signaling we still have a few more days before it’s full.
Laila stares up at it and sighs. “Twelve more days till the full moon. I wonder how many wolves will bond with their mates that night.”
“I don’t know,” I reply.
Everything turns quiet, so I stare down at her. She takes my hand and holds it to her cheek. “I want us to, Cedric.”
My heart beats so hard against my sternum, it hurts, but in a good way. “You sure? I didn’t know if you’d be ready or not.”
She nods. “I’m more than ready. Whatever happens, happens. If I lose my magic, then so be it. If I’m able to shift into a wolf, that’s great. If I can shift and keep my magic, that’d be even better. All I know is that I belong with you. I’ll accept whatever happens.”
I step closer to her. “I love you so fucking much it hurts.” I feel like a greedy man, desperate to feel every inch of her. I don’t know how I’m going to last until the full moon without going insane.
Laila slides her hands behind my neck, her eyes glinting with mischief. “I love you too. Now let’s get inside before I have you make love to me out here.”
When we get inside, I corner her against the wall and kiss her. It’s hard and raw, just like my lust for her. Her body melts to mine, and she moans, moving her lips savagely against mine. Her need matches my own, and it’s intoxicating. She tastes just like she smells, strawberries, and honey. She’s going to drive me in-fucking-sane.
“I want you,” she groans, sucking on my lip.
Picking her up in my arms, I carry her to my bedroom, kissing her the entire time. She moans into my mouth, and it fuels my hunger more. I set her down by my bed, circling behind her and sliding my fingers up her legs so I can lift her dress over her body. She slides her underwear off, and I unhook her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Squeezing her tits, I nip at the tender flesh behind her ear.
“Does it feel good when I touch you like this?”
She exhales slowly. “You have no idea.”
Rolling her nipples between my fingers, she rubs her ass against my cock. I’m so fucking hard, I’m close to busting one in my pants. She turns around quickly and unbuttons my jeans. I tear off my shirt and groan as she slides her hand down my pants, her hand massaging me like a pro. My eyes roll into the back of my head, and I suck in a breath.
“I want you inside of me,” she murmurs as she bites my chest.
That’s all it takes. Growling low, I back her onto the bed and step out of my jeans and boxers. I place my knee between her legs and spread her wide as I crawl on top of her. I can’t get enough of her. Probably never will either. I’ll always be a ravenous beast around her. Wrapping my mouth around her nipples, she cries out, arching her back so she can push them into my mouth. She’s so wet, I can feel it on the tip of my cock.
Before I can enter her, she reaches down and wraps her fingers around my cock. “Lay down. I want to do something first.” She pushes me down onto my back and kisses her way down my body. The second she closes her lips over my cock, it takes all I have to keep control.
“Laila,” I groan. “You’re seriously killing me right now.” In reply, she sucks harder, and I clench my teeth together. “I’m going to come if you don’t stop, baby.”
Watching her swollen lips glide up and down, my cock is such a fucking turn on. Her head bobs up and down, and I can’t help but wrap my fingers gently in her hair to feel her move. I want to come like that, with her mouth on my dick, but it’s not the way it needs to be.
“Stop, baby,” I growl. “I really need you to stop.”
She flicks her tongue across my tip once more, and then, I grab her around the waist, tossing her back down onto the bed. Getting into position, I push in gently at first, then slam into her the rest of the way. She cries out and gasps, digging her nails into my back.
“Oh my God,” she moans, wrapping her legs tightly around my waist.
I push into her hard, loving the way she tightens around my cock. Her lips close over mine, and I grab her face, keeping my eyes on hers the entire time I kiss her. Picking up the pace, her body trembles, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she comes.
A few more deep thrusts, and I let go, holding her tight as I release inside of her. Resting my forehead to hers, I attempt to catch my breath. Still connected, I kiss her, long and hard. “That felt so fucking good.”
She giggles. “Yes, it did.”
I gently pull out and rest on my elbow so I can look down at her. So many emotions swarm through my body; I don’t know what to feel.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks curiously.
I rub circles on her stomach with my fingers. “Our future. I wondered if maybe you’d like to go ahead and move in with me. I don’t see the point in waiting.”
She lifts up and kisses me. “Neither do I. I’ll move in tomorrow. That way, we can do this every single night.”
My cock springs to life again, and I spread her wide. “I can live with that.”