Taken Under the Moon: A Royal Shifters Novel Read online

  The sun starts to dip behind the mountains, casting a pinkish-orange glow over the vineyards. It’s beautiful and serene, but sunrises are my favorites, especially when the vines are covered in mist. The sun will glisten across them, making everything shimmer like diamonds. One day, I want to share the experience with my mate … if I ever find her. So many members of my pack are finding their true mates, and I’m happy for them. Everyone keeps asking why I haven’t found mine yet, but I have no answers. Most of the alphas in the surrounding packs have found theirs, which makes me wonder what’s wrong with me.

  “You okay?” Cameron asks. “You got that serious look on your face there for a second.”

  I focus back on him. “I’m good.”

  Cameron glances over his shoulder at my house up on the hill. “Any changes with Kara?”

  Following his gaze, I shake my head. Kara’s in my underground wine cellar, locked away from everyone. “Nope. She’s still comatose. It’s not going to be fun when she wakes up.”

  Cameron snorts. “That’s for damn sure. At least we don’t have to worry about her ripping off our balls.”

  If she still had her power, there’s a high possibility that she could. Royal wolves are genetically stronger than most other wolves like the grays, reds, and other arctics, but I think I could’ve been a match for Kara. I’ve never physically had to fight against a royal to know how my strength would’ve compared. Kara’s strength has been stripped away from her, and all that’s left is someone no tougher than a human. She’s going to be pissed when she wakes up. Still, it was for the best. Zayne and Amelie completed their bond, which means if Kara were to attack them again, she’d undoubtedly fail. Mated royals are the strongest of us all.

  Turning away from my house, I focus on the winery, and we continue our walk. The twinkling lights around the veranda turn on, and Ayla waves at me through the window. She has the same gray eyes as Cameron, but Ayla has dark brown hair like their father while Cameron inherited the lighter brown from their mother.

  “Ayla loves her lights,” Cameron says, smiling at his sister. “If she had her way, she’d have them draped all over the grapevines.”

  I can envision it in my mind, and it makes me chuckle. “I’m glad Ayla decided to stay in town after college and work with us.”

  It was Ayla’s idea to hang the lights. She said it added a romantic feel to the layout, and it put people in the mood to drink wine. So far, she’s been right. That’s why I’m happy I have her and Cameron as business partners. Our families were savvy at business, but bringing in the younger generation brought fresh ideas to the table. Work has never been better.

  Cameron sighs. “Me too. We all thought she’d want to move to New York or some other big, badass city, but she surprised us.”

  I’m thankful she didn’t. She’s been in charge of our marketing, and I’ve seen a twenty percent increase in sales, and it keeps going up each month.

  We stop at the door, and Cameron places his hand on the handle, but then turns to face me, his expression curious. “So, what’s going to happen when Kara wakes up? She’s not just going to sit back and do nothing. She still has Channon Vineyards to run, and she’s our biggest competitor. Sooner or later, someone will notice she’s disappeared.”

  It is true. I’ve tried not to think about it. I’ve known Kara for the past ten years, and we’ve been hardcore competitors for seven, ever since she put Channon Vineyards on the map. She’s had award-winning wines, but she’s never beat me in a competition. And for that, she’s loathed me, but I could always sense her desire, even though she made it abundantly clear that I’m not good enough for her. It never stopped me from trying to get close to her to see if I could break through that ice queen shell of hers. I always failed, but it was fun to get a rise out of her. When I found out she was an enemy to the Royal pack, I felt a level of disappointment I never thought I’d feel. Yes, our relationship has always been tense at competitions, but it was never as enemies; it was raw and primal. The alpha wolf in me wanted her and still does. But now I’m conflicted. I’m her jailor, and I shouldn’t still have those feelings for her, but I do. She may be a foe to the Royal pack, and I know some want her dead, but she has so many other qualities they don’t know about. She turned a piece of desolate land in Virginia into a top-notch winery in just a short amount of time. I’ve never seen anyone do that, and my family’s been in the wine business for over a century. Kara has her empire, and I don’t want to be the one to take that away from her.

  Blowing out a sigh, I meet Cameron’s gaze. “You’re right. She won’t sit back and do nothing. That’s why, if it comes down to it, I’ll figure out a way to keep Channon Vineyards from collapsing. Kara might be a cold-hearted bitch, but she knows her wine. I don’t condone what she did to Amelie and Zayne, but it’s not my place to take her livelihood away from her.”

  Cameron’s gaze narrows. “After everything she’s done, you still want her, don’t you?”

  I can’t help it; I’ve wanted her since the first time I laid eyes on her. It was at a wine competition in France. I knew she was a wolf, but she hid who she truly was. She was a mystery to me, and I was hooked.

  I shrug. “It’s not about wanting her; it’s about helping her,” I end up saying.

  Cameron snorts. “Good luck with that. I think she’s way past saving. You forget I’ve been around her at the competitions, too. The only thing I’ve seen is a whole lot of attitude in skintight dresses. I prefer my women to be a little sweeter.”

  A car pulls into the parking lot, and it’s one of the bridesmaids for the bachelorette party. When she smiles and waves at us, Cameron turns back to me and winks. “It’s showtime. I’m heading in to get a couple more things set up. I figured you’d start them out with the whites and work your way through the reds?”

  I nod. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be in there in a minute.”

  Once he’s gone, I peer back at my house, which is still a reasonable distance away, nestled at the top of the hill. It’s been strange having Kara in my place, hidden away in the dark cellar. I was told the sleeping spell would last at least three weeks, maybe longer. However, with Kara and knowing how stubborn and strong she is, I feel she won’t be under for much longer.

  The winery fills with laughter and high-pitched gasps and shrieks from the bridesmaids, all talking about the wedding tomorrow. I stand by Ayla at the entrance to our private wine tasting room and watch all the ladies take their seats at the bar while Cameron enjoys every minute of their attention.

  Shaking her head, Ayla moves in close. “He’s loving life right now.”

  “Yes, he is,” I say, smirking. “I’m almost tempted not to help him.”

  Ayla giggles. “I think the ladies will be bummed if you do that. I’ve heard them talking about you. I know of five already who are determined to get in your bed tonight.”

  “Only five?” I joke. “I need to step up my game.”

  She slaps my arm playfully. Ayla knows I’m not serious. Having women fall at my feet is gratifying, and it leaves me satiated after several rounds of fucking, but there are times when it’s not enough. I want more.

  “Who do you think it’ll be tonight?” Ayla asks.

  Chuckling, I bump her with my shoulder and wink. “I’ll figure that out when the time comes.”

  Her smile slowly fades, and she sighs. “It’s a shame things didn’t work out with you and Sierra.”

  My thoughts drift to Sierra, and regret settles in my chest. We grew up together and were lovers for a while, but the mating signs never appeared. Everyone in the pack thought it would happen, but after a year, there was nothing. Did I love her while we were together? Yes, but it wasn’t enough for the Great Luna to match us up. Sierra has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and she’s strong as hell. She’d make a great mate for an alpha.

  “I hate it didn’t either,” I say in all honesty.

  Ayla shrugs. “I think she still has feelings for you. Not that it matters
, but I thought you should know.”

  I’ve known for a while. Sierra works at the winery and restaurant when she’s not at her nursing job. When she’s around, I can sense her desire. She never acts upon those feelings, and I don’t take advantage of her; I respect her.

  Cameron waves me over, and I put on a smile. Ayla claps my back as I walk away. “Have fun.”

  I join Cameron behind the bar, and the lust is so thick in the room I can barely breathe it in without my dick twitching. It’s a good thing I’m behind the bar. For an unmated male wolf, having someone want you that bad is a turn-on like no other. So far, I haven’t experienced the Rage yet, but it’ll happen one day if I don’t find my mate. Having sex is what quells the Rage, but it only satisfies you for a short time. Finding your true mate is the only cure. Sometimes the Rage turns wolves into deadly killing machines, and they have to be put down when that happens. I haven’t had to do that to any of my wolves, but I know of other alphas who have. I hope like hell it never happens to any in my pack.

  “All right, ladies, it looks like my partner has decided to join us,” Cameron calls out. He elbows me in the side. “I think we should start them out with the Riesling. What do you think?”

  I hand him the bottle of Riesling, which happens to be the favorite of my white wines. “Sounds like a good idea.”

  He pours all eight women a swig of the wine, and some of them savor the taste while others toss it back, clearly only wanting to get drunk and have a good time. Cameron stands next to me and talks low so the women can’t hear him. “This is insane. I can’t fucking concentrate. They all want us.”

  “Yes, I know,” I whisper under my breath.

  Cameron turns his back to look at the wines behind us. “You better watch out. The bride clearly wants you. Guess the groom ain’t handling business the way he should.”

  My eyes instantly find the bride, and she smiles, biting her bottom lip seductively. She slides her caramel-colored hair off her shoulder, giving me the perfect view of her breasts. Out of all the women here, she’s the sexiest with curves in all the right places. She made sure to show off those magnificent curves in that skintight, black dress of hers. The bride leans over and whispers something in her maid of honor’s ear, and they both giggle. Little do they know, I heard exactly what was said.

  Clearing my throat, I move closer to Cameron, who pops the cork to the bottle of Pinot. “The maid of honor called dibs on you.”

  Cameron glances over at her, and she winks at him. “Sweet. I’ll take it.”

  Once the wine tasting is over, we have a room full of drunk women. I had Ayla all set to call in Ubers for them, but the ladies already had that covered. A couple of my younger pack members who work as busboys at the restaurant, Ethan and Isaac, clear away the glasses and wipe up all the tables. The ladies congregate outside, clearly waiting on us to join them. I watch a few of them leave with their Uber drivers, but the bride and maid of honor are still here.

  Cameron slaps me on the shoulder. “I’m going out there.”

  I laugh. “Go. I’ll be right there.”

  Once he’s outside, the door that connects the winery and the bistro opens, and my mother walks through looking not a day over thirty-five. In human years, she’s one hundred and fifty-six with dark brown hair and not a gray strand in sight. I inherited my bright blue eyes from her.

  “You’re here late,” I say, glancing down at my phone to look at the time. It’s ten o’clock.

  She waves me off. “I was in the neighborhood dropping off some of my homemade jam to Mikael and Lianna. She had a craving for strawberry and blackberry preserves, so I finished a batch and took it straight over.”

  Mikael and Lianna are two of my wolves who completed their bond a few months ago. They had always been friends, but one day the mating signs appeared out of nowhere. Now they’re expecting their first-born child in the spring.

  “I’m sure they appreciated that,” I add.

  Stopping in front of me, she nods. “I think Lianna had the jar of strawberry preserves halfway eaten before I even left.”

  We both laugh, and I shake my head. “I’m happy for them.”

  My mother’s smile grows sad. “I know you are. I keep hoping it’ll happen for you.”

  Leaning against the table, I cross my arms over my chest. “It will. Until then, I’m going to live my life.”

  She turns her head toward the window and sighs as she looks out at the two women with Cameron. “Yeah, I see that. Not that I blame you.” Her focus lands on me again. “All I want is for you to be happy.”

  I uncross my arms and rest my hands on her shoulders. “I am happy. The winery is all I need right now.”

  She hugs me tight. “Your father and I are so proud of what you’ve done here. The best decision we ever made was handing it over to you.”

  “Thanks,” I say, squeezing her back. “That means a lot.”

  After letting me go, she pats my cheek. “All right, I’m headed home.” Her eyes cut over to the window again. “Don’t get into any trouble tonight.”

  “I don’t plan on it.”

  She walks back through the winery into the bistro, and I can hear her truck rev up as she drives away. Cameron has his arm around the maid of honor’s waist by the time I get outside, and I know they’re ready to leave.

  Cameron throws his free hand in the air. “I’m out, brother. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The maid of honor winks at the bride, and then she and Cameron get in his car and speed out of the parking lot. The bride, whose name is Willa, sashays over and slides a dark burgundy fingernail down the front of my shirt.

  “We’re finally alone,” she murmurs, pressing her body against mine. “I may be getting married tomorrow, but all I could think about tonight was you.” She lifts her chin, bringing her lips close to mine. “This is my last chance to be free and do whatever I want. I’m sure you can figure out what that is.”

  The male in me wants to take what she’s giving and not think twice about it, but the logical side says I should walk away. Her hands slide down to my waistband, and I stop her before she can go any farther. “As much as I’d like to do this, I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’re getting married tomorrow. The last thing I want is a murderous groom showing up on my doorstep.”

  Willa frowns, but she nods and steps away. “I understand.” Then her smile returns. “But if you change your mind, I’m staying at the Blossom Hill Bed and Breakfast down the road.”

  She pulls out the keys to her car, but I know she’s too drunk to drive. “Come on,” I say, taking her arm. “I’ll drive you there.”

  After helping her into my car, I drive the six minutes it takes to get to the bed and breakfast. She fumbles with the car handle, obviously too intoxicated to get out, so I help her out and walk her to the door. Once she’s inside, I get in my car and head home. Even if Willa wasn’t getting married tomorrow, I wouldn’t have done anything with her considering how drunk she was. I like my women to know what’s going on in the bedroom. With any luck, Willa won’t even remember asking me to sleep with her.

  When I get home, I can sense Arlo at the back of the house. One of my wolves always stays around to make sure nothing happens to Kara when I'm away. I toss my car keys onto the kitchen counter and walk into the living room to sit on the couch. Leaning my head against the brisk leather, I close my eyes and run a hand over my face. It’s been a busy week.

  The house is quiet, and I concentrate on all the sounds around me. Nothing is amiss until a familiar thumping picks up speed. My eyes shoot open, and I stand as the sound grows stronger.

  “Here we go.” I walk out of the living room and down to the wine cellar. “Someone’s waking up.”

  3

  KARA

  Silence.

  My ears ring with the deafening sound of it. Every now and again, I’d hear muffled voices, but that’s it. They were always so far away. I grew tired of my screams, and over time, I had to listen to
my voice to make sure I wasn’t going deaf. Much to my dismay, something has changed. I can feel the dark abyss that surrounded me disappear, only to be replaced by more darkness. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I can feel things. My body is weak and cold, my skin dry and rough to the touch. I sit up and feel the thin mattress beneath me. I can’t see anything, but it’s the size of a cot. My feet are bare, and the concrete floor is smooth and frigid against my skin. Shivering, I cross my arms over my chest. Being a shifter, you never feel the elements of the weather. Unfortunately, that’s not the case now. I reach inside for my wolf, and I grasp at nothing; she’s so far away. I remember seeing the blue haze leave my body and disappear into the black void. Then, it all makes sense. I left one hell for another. The sleeping spell has worn off, and now I’m back.

  I can’t see a fucking thing, and when I take a step, my legs give out beneath me. My knee scrapes against the concrete, and the sting shoots up my leg. “Son of a bitch,” I growl, carefully touching my knee. My teeth chatter and my body shakes with not only being cold but from fury. I’ve never been weak like this before. I’m also starving. My stomach feels as if it’s burning and twisting into tight knots.

  The weight of the bracelet is heavy on my wrist, and I grip it as hard as I can, pulling until my muscles begin to shake. “Dammit,” I shout, knocking myself off balance. I reach out into the darkness, grabbing onto the first thing I can to stop my fall. Bottles clank together as I grip the shelf and take a deep breath. Slowly, I reach out to touch the bottles, wishing like hell I could use my wolf sight to see. I remember Chase saying that’s where he was going to keep me … in his wine cellar. Bastard.

  “Chase!” I shout as loud as I can. Fumbling through the dark, I feel around the walls until I find the staircase. I’m not staying in the goddamned cellar any longer. I start up the stairs, and there’s a sliver of light at the bottom crack of the door.