Resisting the Moon (Royal Shifters #2)(9)

He huffed. “I’m sure Bailey told you already. It was all an act. I wasn’t going to make Tyla do anything she didn’t want to do. Lucky for you, she’s not into me.”

My wolf stirred impatiently. All he wanted was to punish the guy for touching his mate. What the hell was I saying? She wasn’t even my f*cking mate yet. I drank the rest of my beer and tossed my bottle in the trash.

“For future reference, keep your hands to yourself. I can’t promise you’ll have them if you touch her again.” I walked out of the room and heard his chuckle behind me. But I wasn’t kidding.



It was early the next day, and I wanted to catch Tyla before she left for the ranch. When I arrived, she was already pulling out of her driveway for the day, but headed the opposite way from the ranch. Where was she going?

She drove south, about forty-five minutes away from Jackson Hole, until she stopped at the entrance to Pineview Cemetery. Following her in, I parked down the street and watched as she got out of her car. Weaving her way through the graves, she stopped at one and sat down. I didn’t dare follow her any closer, but I watched her from a distance, listening.

“Happy Birthday, Cliff,” she said in a shaky voice. “You would’ve been forty-eight years old today.” She rubbed her hand over the gravestone. “I miss you so much. Everything was less complicated when you were around. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy. I just . . .” She paused and blew out a sigh. “I’m afraid. And I don’t know what to do.”

Leaning over the gravestone, her shoulders shook as she cried. I wanted to go to her, to put my arm around her and tell her everything would be okay, but I couldn’t let her know I was there.

For the next ten minutes, she sat there, her cries being all I could hear. Then her phone rang and she gasped, wiping her eyes quickly before answering. “Amelie, what’s up?” I could hear the rapid breath of the female on the other end.

“Tyla, help!” Amelie shouted. “I don’t know how long I can last.” She screamed and the sound of growling wolves echoed in the phone before everything went dead.

“Amelie? What’s going on? Amelie!” Tyla screamed. She hung up and shot to her feet.

She kissed the gravestone and placed her hand on top. “I’ll come back soon, Cliff.”

Whoever this guy was, he had meant something to her. But that was a question for later. Right now, there were bigger problems.





Tyla

I’d called my mother and she’d notified the pack. By the time I got to my parents’ house, Bailey and Ryker were already there, along with Colin, Micah, and Cedric, Ryker’s second-in-command. The only person missing was Sebastian. I was shocked he wasn’t already there. When my mother watched me slam through the door, the look on her face terrified me. She was scared.

“Anything new?” I asked, rushing toward her.

She shook her head. “Nothing good. I’ve tried calling Sara and Benjamin but they’re not picking up.” My aunt and uncle always picked up the phone. Bile rose in the back of my throat. What if we didn’t get to them in time?

“What are we going to do?” I asked, glancing around the room. Their grim expressions did little to help ease the situation.

Sebastian came storming through the door, his heated gaze fixed on mine. “I can have a couple of my men leave tonight to investigate,” he offered.

My parents glanced at each other and my father nodded. “I’ll go with them.”

“No,” I shrieked. Everyone jerked their attention to me and the room fell silent. Sighing, I placed a hand on my dad’s shoulder. He was still a strong wolf, but he wasn’t the same warrior he used to be; while I had fought battles for years, and had nothing to lose. I was ready.

With my head held high, I turned my attention to Ryker. “I’ll go. It’s my responsibility.”

“Absolutely not,” my mother growled. She tried to step in front of me, but I blocked her path.

“Ryker, you know I can do this. You can’t send my father out there. I’m stronger and faster than he is.”

Before my parents could argue, Sebastian stepped forward. “I’ll go with her. I can use my magic to shield us. No one will know we’re there. If you send a bunch of wolves, it’ll only draw unwanted attention.”

Heart racing, I sucked in a breath. Being alone with Sebastian and traveling across the United States would be a disaster. We’d spend the entire time fighting each other. I’d end up killing him. How in the hell was that going to help my family?

He kept his eyes on mine as we waited for the final verdict. Not that Ryker could control what Sebastian did, but it was more of a show of respect for Bailey.

Time seemed to stand still as Ryker glanced around the room and then bowed his head in a final nod. “It’s done,” he said. Sebastian stepped up to him and they shook hands. “I have no doubt you’ll know what to do. Keep her safe.”

Sebastian glanced over at me. “With my life.”

Just hearing the words made me shiver. Tearing my gaze away, I faced my parents. My father beamed with pride, but my mother was terrified.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Why wouldn’t I? When my family is attacked, it’s my job to help them. You know I can do this. I’m a stronger fighter than most of the men in our pack.” Cedric snorted from across the room and I flipped him off. The others laughed, as Ryker shooed them from the house, except for Bailey and Sebastian.