Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(34)

We hiked along the trail for about an hour and still no waterfalls. “How far do we have to go?” The farther we went, the more snow there was.

Ryker glanced down at the ground. “Nowhere close. The snow is only a foot deep here. When it reaches four feet, we’re almost there.”

“Four feet? Wow,” I gasped in awe.

We continued on our way and there weren’t any trees or limbs blocking the path. The only thing that raised alarm bells was the grizzly feces on various parts of the trail. If I were human, I’d be terrified. We climbed over a bunch of rocks and then found ourselves hidden underneath a blanket of trees. The snow started to get deeper.

“Is that what I think it is?” I pointed to a bridge up ahead that overlooked a small set of waterfalls. However, the water wasn’t what got my attention.

Ryker grinned wide. “Yes it is, baby. I told you it’d get up to four feet.”

The snow on the bridge was partially melted, but on the other side it was almost like a different land. The snow was higher than the bridge and the fences both. You could see the top posts sticking out of the snow. All it would take was one slip and I’d fall into the rushing water below. Ryker climbed up first and held out his hand.

“I won’t let you fall.”

I took his hand. “You better not.”

He pulled me up onto the hard packed snow. “Be careful where you step. I don’t want you getting lost.” There were holes in the snow where you could see all the way down to the bottom. A person could easily break their leg if they fell in. The sound of the waterfalls grew louder as we edged closer. Once we got past the trees, I got the most magnificent view of the cascading water.

“I think I’m jealous,” I grumbled.

Ryker glanced back at me, brows furrowed. “Why?”

I pointed to the falls. “Because you have all this. I’ve never seen such beauty.”

He grasped my face with his strong hands and kissed me. “You have it now too. There are so many places out here I want to show you. If you want, I can take you to Yellowstone for a couple of days. It’s overrun with tourists, but you need to see it at least once.”

“Sounds like a date.”

His gaze caught something over my shoulder. “Hang tight, there’s something in the middle of the trail up ahead. I’ll move it and then we can go.” I watched him start up the path and move a boulder off to the side, along with a few other rocks that had fallen down the mountain.

While he finished up, I strolled along the snow, leaving a set of my footprints. Then, as if everything clicked into place, I recognized my surroundings. The tree I stood by was the one I hid behind in my last vision. I didn’t realize it would happen so soon. Grabbing a handful of snow, I rolled it into a ball and hid.

“Angel, where are you?” Ryker called.

Holding in my snicker, I knew exactly where he’d be. I could see the vision clearly in my mind. Before he could attack, I circled around the tree and hurled the snowball right at his head, hitting him right between the eyes.

He fell to the ground and laughed. “You’re gonna regret that.”

It was exactly what he’d said in the vision. I stood there, smirking, with my hands on my hips. “Don’t think so. I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf.”

“We’ll see about that.” He jumped to his feet and chased after me. All I could do was laugh as he gained on me. I knew what was about to happen and it made my heart race. It wasn’t long before he lunged and we went tumbling down to the ground.

With his body on top of mine, he peered down at me, his emerald green eyes raw with passion. “I let you catch me,” I told him.

He chuckled. “You would’ve tired out eventually. We both know I’m stronger.”

“Want to put that to the test? I’ll fight you, right here and now.”

Brushing his thumb across my lips, he leaned closer. “So stubborn. You said the same thing to me when we were kids.”

“I know,” I murmured.

“You do?”

I nodded. “You told me. We used to play out by the lake and ice skate. Every time I’d fall, you’d laugh. You said it used to piss me off.”

His gaze narrowed. “I don’t remember telling you that.”

“It’s because you didn’t yet.”

“What do you mean, I didn’t yet?” he asked, searching my face. When I didn’t respond, I let him search my mind. He wasn’t happy with the outcome.

Holding his face in my hands, I pulled him closer. “The vision doesn’t mean anything. Just because it’s happening now doesn’t mean we don’t have a future. Besides, we’re already changing it right now.” Sighing, he lowered his gaze to my lips. “Tell me about our times at the lake. I want to hear you say it. What happened after I laughed at you?”

“I broke the ice one day, hoping you’d fall through. When it went as planned and you didn’t resurface, I got really scared. Screaming your name over and over, I freaked out and jumped in after you. I panicked when I couldn’t find you and ended up needing the help myself. You were playing a joke on me the entire time.” A sad smile splayed across his lips.

“And I felt like shit when I saw you struggling. From that day on, I made a promise to myself to protect you.” I thought about my words. “Do you think that’s what happens when wolves realize who their mates are?”