Resisting the Moon (Royal Shifters #2)(20)

Sebastian nodded in understanding. “So you’re afraid of losing me? Is that it?” He moved closer and cupped my face in his hands. “I can promise you I’m not going anywhere.”

I shook my head. “I’m cursed, Sebastian. Everyone I’ve ever loved has been taken from me.” Taking a deep breath, I blew it out slowly. “You don’t know this, but I was set to be mated to another man thirty years ago.”

“Go on.”

I didn’t want to tell him about my intimacies with other men, but it was the only way to get him to understand. “He was our pack leader and one of my closest friends. We knew that to make our pack strong, our union was the best bet. He needed a strong female and I was the strongest. However, he wasn’t the only one who wanted me.”

Recollection sparked in his gaze. “Is that why your pack split up?”

“More like demolished. As far as I know, everyone was killed, except for a few of us.”

“And your intended, what happened to him?”

I shrugged. “Killed. He said he would come for me and he never did. My pack was slaughtered because of me and I’ve never been able to forgive myself for it. Finn told me to run when I should’ve followed him and fought. I will never make that same mistake again.”

He tilted my face up. “But you lived to see another day. Things happen for a reason, love. Your choices brought you to me. This is where you belong.”

My lip quivered and I bit it. “What if I lose you too? I can’t bear the thought.”

Before I could take a breath, he closed his lips over mine, wrapping his arms around my waist. I was too tired to fight, and gave in, opening myself up to him. His lips were warm, his hands rough as they reached underneath the hem of my shirt. I didn’t want to let him go, but he broke away first.

Leaning his forehead to mine, he closed his eyes. “If you don’t finish this, you will surely lose me. The rage will drive me insane and I won’t be able to control it. You need to make the choice soon, your fear . . . or my life.” He stepped away and disappeared inside, only to emerge again and take off into the woods.

I stood there frozen, with the weight of this words sinking in. He’d given me his terms and now it was my turn. Only, I didn’t know what to do.





Tyla

For the rest of the night, Sebastian stayed in his wolf form and kept guard outside. I tried to search for the stone but couldn’t find it. He had it hidden well. It wasn’t until the early morning hours when I awoke to sounds of him coming inside and hopping in the shower. He was avoiding me. I guess I deserved it.

“Knock, knock,” I said, tapping on the bathroom door. It opened slightly and steam billowed out.

“Yeah?” Sebastian replied.

I could see his form through the cloudy, glass shower door. I fought back the urge to say ‘f*ck my fears’ and jump in the shower with him. When I didn’t answer, he opened the door and looked at me.

“Can I help you?”

Clearing my throat, I turned my head. “Where’s the stone?”

He shut the shower door. “Safe, why?”

“I want to use it. We need to know more.”

Opening the door again, he turned the water off and got out. I met his gaze and it took all I had to keep it there. “Let’s go to Amelie’s again and search around. If by the end of the day we don’t find anything new, I’ll let you use it. You don’t want to be like the walking dead right now, it’ll waste the rest of the day.”

As much as I wanted to fight it, he had a point. Nodding, I stepped back. “Deal. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

While I waited for him, I heated up my leftover steak from the day before and saved half for him, putting it on a separate plate along with half of my baked potato.

He stopped at the door and lifted a brow. “What are you doing?”

My stomach growled. “If I’m hungry, I know you are too. You didn’t eat anything last night, so I’m giving you half of my steak.” When he sat down, I could tell a smile was just beneath the surface. I passed him a fork and he stuck it in the meat. “When we get back to Wyoming, I’ll cook you a meal. I’m actually pretty good at it. So don’t judge me by this chunk of reheated beef.”

He ate a bite and smiled. “So I’ve heard. Everyone talks about your cooking. I’ll admit, I was jealous when my brother told me you made him an apple pie.”

I burst out laughing. “It was an apology for giving him a black eye. Don’t let him make you think it’s because he was special.”

“I’ll have to tell him that.”

We ate the rest of our food and I was glad to finally see a smile on his face. “Are you going to help me look through the house, or patrol the perimeter?”

He got up and put his plate in the sink. “Both. I want to see if there are any new tracks. Maybe even a sign from Jaret. We still don’t know if they completed the bond.”

“True. I didn’t smell anyone other than my family in her house.”

“Then they must’ve been meeting at his place,” he said, opening the front door. “If only we could find it.”

My phone rang and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket. “Blake, hey. Did you find anything on Jaret?”