Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(59)

“Yeah, I keep a change of clothes here for when I work in the garden. If anyone were to pass by, I’d hate for them to see a naked man walking about. We’ve had a few trespassers come by to check the place out. They think it’s haunted.”

“Humans?”

He grinned wide. “It’s been nice scaring them. They usually only come by on Halloween. The others usually come with me on that night.”

“Always the trickster,” I laughed. We stared at each other for a few more minutes but then I knew it was time to say goodbye. “I’ll see you soon.”

Ryker and I got in the truck and slowly pulled out of the overgrown driveway. Colin watched us leave and then shifted into his wolf. For the first time in my life, everything was working out perfectly.





Bailey (Three Weeks Later)

“It looks like you have a lot to celebrate tonight,” Tyla squealed. It was the night of the full moon and I had just found out I got a teaching position at the local high school.

“Let’s just hope there isn’t another emergency to distract us this time.”

She laughed and grabbed the bags out of the backseat. “Nothing will stop Ryker this time, the man’s way too focused. Now let’s get you dressed. I want you stunning for tonight.”

The sky turned pink and I knew we didn’t have much time. Ryker was nowhere to be found so we rushed up to my bedroom and I changed into my brand new dress. It was white, with crystals along the bodice. I wanted it to sparkle in the moonlight.

“You look amazing,” she gasped.

We walked down the stairs and with each step, my heart thumped harder and louder. Tyla went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine. “Trying to get me drunk on my bonding night?”

She giggled. “No, it’s to calm your sporadic nerves. I can hear your heart all the way over here.” She handed me the wine and I gulped it down.

“I’m not nervous, well, maybe just a little. I think it’s more excitement than anything. I don’t know what it’s going to be like once we complete the bond.”

“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know either. I just know it’s the best feeling in the world. Maybe one day, I’ll know what it’s like too.”

“You will,” I promised.

The sound of Ryker’s truck could be heard coming down the drive and Tyla squealed, grinning from ear to ear. “He’s here. Good luck tonight! I’ll see you tomorrow and you can tell me all about it.” She started for the door and then stopped. “Well, maybe not everything. I don’t really want to know how you decide to do it.”

“Goodbye, Tyla.” I laughed, pushing her out the door. She said some words to Ryker when he got out of the truck and he laughed. When he looked at me, he froze, eyes glowing for a split second.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured, closing the distance. I thought he’d be in his ranger uniform, but instead, he was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white button down.

“You look handsome yourself. I thought you were at work?”

Grinning mischievously, he shook his head. “It’s a special night, Bailey. I wanted to make it perfect.”

“Oh yeah? How so?”

He held out his hand. “Come and find out.”

“Let me put my glass down and get my shoes. I’ll be right out.”

“You don’t need your shoes, angel. We’re taking the scenic route.” He nodded toward the woods and smiled.

I quickly put my glass in the sink and took a deep breath before walking back outside. Maybe I was nervous. I couldn’t stop from shivering . . . but in a good way. Taking his hand, we began our trek through the woods, the sky growing darker with each passing minute.

“How far are we going?” I asked.

He pointed to the clearing up ahead. “Just up to the lake.”

Once the lake appeared, I stopped to catch my breath. The moon had the most magnificent glow over the water, but that wasn’t all. “Ryker, it’s amazing.”

There was a blanket on the ground with candles all around, and a basket of food. It smelled heavenly. We both sat down and he picked up one of the flameless candles. “Kami got these for me. Using real candles out here wouldn’t have been the best decision.”

I laughed. “Smart thinking.”

“Are you hungry?” He opened the basket and pulled out the food, including a cooler with mint chocolate chip ice cream inside.

“It’s scary how well you know me.”

“We can hear each other’s thoughts, angel. I’m sure there are things you hear in my mind that you wish you couldn’t. I’m working on not butting in on your thoughts all the time.”

“I have nothing to hide. Besides, if I don’t want you to listen, I block you out. Easy enough.”

Chuckling, he passed me a plate full with a steak, potatoes, and asparagus. “Same here. You’d be scared to know what I think about every second of every day.”

“Enlighten me then.”

He pointed down to my food. “Why don’t you eat and then I’ll tell you all about it.” We both ate our plates of food and topped it all off with our favorite ice cream. Once everything was cleared away, we laid down on the blanket and looked up at the moon.