Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(6)

“Bailey, wake up,” a voice called. It was the voice in my dreams, the voice of the wolf.

When I finally woke up, I wasn’t in the woods . . . and I definitely wasn’t alone. His scent surrounded me, not only in the air, but on my body. What the hell? Clenching my teeth, I growled and tried to roll off the bed, with no such luck. Apprehended, with an arm across my stomach, I felt him straddle my waist, chuckling as he pinned my arms above my head.

“Let me go,” I demanded, glaring up into his glowing gaze. His touch made my body tingle, almost like an electrical current passing from his body to mine. It was strange, yet I welcomed it, even though my mind was telling me to knee him in the junk.

“Good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty. I trust you’re well rested?” he asked, smiling wide. I half expected him to look at my body, but he kept his focus on my eyes. Point for him.

My cheeks burned. “I slept fine. But if you don’t get off of me, I’m going to make sure you choke on your balls. Your choice.”

He smirked and rolled off. There was a T-shirt on the edge of the bed he snatched up and slipped on. He wasn’t mated, because if he was I would smell another female on him. There was nothing other than the woods, the unique scent of our Arctic bloodline, and something else. I just couldn’t place what that other smell was.

“Calm down, Bailey. You know very damn well I’m not going to hurt you.”

I snatched the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around me, huffing. “You’re right, you’re not.” He laughed and it only pissed me off more. “How do you know my name?”

Staring at me with those hypnotic eyes, he ran a hand through his tousled, light blond hair. “I’ve known you for a long time now.”

“You mean stalked,” I clarified. I had to admit, he was a good looking stalker. All I could think of was wrapping my legs around his body and gripping that hair of his while he spread me wide. I could see it clearly in my mind from my dream. It felt so real, as if it actually happened.

He chuckled darkly and bit his lip. “Oh, it will happen, angel. What you saw and did in your dream was our future. It wasn’t easy sleeping beside you when I couldn’t touch you.”

Eyes wide, I jumped out of the bed and backed against the wall, clutching the blanket tight. “How the hell did you know what I was thinking?” Surely, I didn’t say it out loud. I was about to go into full panic mode when a calm swept through my body like warm lavender. I didn’t feel like myself. “What’s going on?” I whispered.

Cautiously, he edged closer. “Bailey, it’s okay. My name’s Ryker. I want to help you, not hurt you. Through our bond I can calm you down, but I can’t do it forever. Right now, I need you to listen to me. There’s so much I need to tell you.”

“Through our bond? What are you talking about?”

Holding out his hand, he beckoned me closer. “Here, take my hand and tell me what you feel.”

I stared at his hand before he snatched mine instead. Immediately, my body lit up like fire, coursing through every vein. I could feel each emotion inside of him like they were my own. There was passion, happiness, concern, and even . . . love. How could that be? The longer I touched him, the more I wanted—the more I craved. I didn’t want to let go.

“Why do I feel like this when I don’t even know you?” I asked.

Ryker pulled me close, and all I wanted was for him to put his arms around me, to touch me with those strong hands of his. “You do know me, Bailey. It was a long time ago, but I knew I would never forget your face as long as I lived.”

Eyes wide, I gasped. “When? Where? I don’t remember you other than seeing you in my dreams a little bit ago. Well, that, and your eyes seem familiar. Why do they seem familiar?” I muttered the last question to myself.

Tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, he smiled and caressed my cheek. “I was there the day that other wolf picked you up from college. I was pissed when I saw you leave with him. The day I was able to come for you, was the day I lost you.”

“So the dream actually happened? Why don’t I remember you from that day? And how could you even sense me? I was under a shielding spell. No other wolves should’ve been able to find me.”

“Magic doesn’t work against a mate, angel. Don’t get me wrong, whatever voodoo shit you had surrounding you made it difficult, but I was still able to find you. I had to tread carefully when you went back to Canada, however.”

“Oh my God, how is this even possible? I’ve never heard of mates being able to do that.” I’d never actually heard anything about what happened when wolves mated. I felt so lost. Letting go of his hand, I stepped back. “Whatever you’re doing to my emotions, stop.”

The warmth went away and I was back to feeling in control. I had to get out of there. I thought Ryker would try to stop me, but he didn’t as I stalked past him and down the stairs. There was nowhere to go but out. The magic grew inside me and as soon as I opened the door, I was ready to shift. Unfortunately, there were six wolves standing guard.

“You have got to be kidding me.”



“I must really be dangerous to need six babysitters,” I grumbled. What had me confused was the mish mash of wolves standing before me. They weren’t all Arctic’s like myself and Ryker, but different grays, and even a red one. I’d never known an alpha to be over a pack with different breeds.