Resisting the Moon: A Royal Shifters Novel (24 page)

Sebastian snuck up the hill, followed by Finn. Jaret noticed them and spread his arms wide. “Here we are, at last.” Stefan threw Laila’s knife deep into the woods and dropped her to the ground so he could shift. Jaret pointed at her, his voice gravelly and dark. “You’re going to wish you were dead by the time I get done with you.”

He shifted and Stefan joined him, both stalking off toward Sebastian and Finn. Sebastian would have to get through them before he could get to me. My spine tingled and the hairs on my arms stood on end. The energy was so electrifyingly high, I could feel it charging everything around me. I’d never seen a battle between four lethal warriors. It was as if some unspoken countdown ensued.

I could hear Sebastian’s thoughts, all jumbled together, on which steps to take and where to move. I never knew such tactics existed. Usually when I fought, I went straight in without another thought to my reactions. Maybe that was why Sebastian was the best. It was intriguing to hear him, but also terrifying to know just how skilled of a man he was. I had a lot to learn.

The time had come. Jaret lunged first and it was on. Sebastian jumped out of the way and Finn countered with a leap in Stefan’s direction. Teeth snapped and the sound of ripping flesh echoed in the wind. The smell of blood was everywhere, including Sebastian’s.

Laila came running over and fell to her knees beside Amelie, her throat already healing shut. She looked at Amelie’s wound and placed her hands over it.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m channeling the earth’s energy to heal her.”

“You can do that?” I asked incredulously. I’d heard of the fae, but I’d never met one. Their magical capabilities far outstretched our own.

“Yes,” she whispered. “It’s part of being a fae. Since I’m part fae and part wolf, my magic is unchartered. I don’t have anyone like myself to compare notes with.”

The wind picked up and the ground trembled. I could feel the earth’s energy seeping up through the soil, binding itself, not just Amelie, but to me as well. “What’s going on?” I’d never felt anything like it.

Laila smiled, the wind blowing her long, red hair in all different directions. “It’s the earth’s way of saying hello to you. It’s a gift.”

A yelp caught my ear; it was Finn. “Oh no.” I got up and raced down the hill. Finn hobbled on three of his legs, and Stefan used his momentary lack of weakness to creep up on Sebastian from behind. I could see the twinkle in Jaret’s eyes as he watched Stefan close in.

If he turned to Stefan, Jaret would get him from behind. There was only one thing left to do. Taking a deep breath, I raced down the hill and shifted, my clothes tearing as they ripped off my body. Stefan was getting closer, but I was gaining on him. I jumped in the air and time stood still as I waited for my body to land on his. When I landed on his back, I bit into him and we tumbled on the ground.

“Tyla, no!”

Stefan bared his fangs and bit me in the shoulder. The pain shot through my arm and down my spine. Sebastian was too far away, but he turned and headed straight for me.
“Stop. I’ve got this!”

Finn interfered first and tackled Stefan to the ground. Biting him under the neck, he held on until his body went still. Sebastian and Jaret both stopped in their tracks when Stefan went down. Jaret’s eyes blazed and he howled. He was outnumbered and he knew it, but that wouldn’t stop him.

Finn hung back and stood guard over me, while the final battle ensued. Their growls made the earth shake as they tore into each other. But it was easy to see who had the upper hand. Sebastian was the better fighter.

In a momentary slip of Jaret’s judgment, Sebastian got a hold of one of his hind legs and latched on. Twisting and shaking, he ripped it clean off. Jaret howled in pain and tried to run away, but Sebastian tackled him and swiped his claws across his belly. Visions flashed in his mind, all of them centered on ripping Jaret apart. He wanted to make it as painful as possible. While Jaret lied on the ground, Sebastian bit into his other leg and tore it off as well.

“Tyla,” Laila shouted. I looked up at the top of the hill and saw she wasn’t alone. Amelie had awakened, eyes glowing and dialed in on Jaret.

“Sebastian, stop!”

He jerked his head to the side, his white fur covered in splatters of red.
“He needs to suffer.”

“And he will. Just let Amelie deliver the final blow. She needs this.”

Amelie raced down the hill, as if she was never hurt in the first place. She then circled Sebastian and Jaret, waiting for her turn to strike. A brief moment passed when Sebastian and Amelie stared at each other. I knew they couldn’t speak mind to mind, but it was like there was an unspoken oath there.

When Sebastian was done, he walked away and stood beside me.
“Don’t ever do what you did again. Promise me,”
he growled.

I rubbed my head against him and looked up into his glowing blue eyes.
“I was worried about you. You say you refuse to lose me, but I refuse to lose you too. I’m not raising this baby on my own.”

“I had it under control, Tyla. I knew Stefan was coming at me from behind. I was prepared.”

“I didn’t know,”
I said honestly.

He nudged me with his nose.
“That’s why you’re going to let me start training you. Micah and I can help you and Amelie, and even Laila if she decides to come back with us.”

The way he said Laila’s name with such meaning bothered me. I knew he had been with countless women before me, but if she was his daughter, I couldn’t help but be jealous of the fact. Laila joined us and stood beside Sebastian, keeping her gaze on Amelie as she continued to circle around Jaret. He yelped in pain, most likely wanting her to end it, but she let him suffer. That was exactly what I would’ve done. He didn’t deserve a quick death.

By the smell of Jaret’s blood, it wasn’t going to be long before he bled out. Amelie knew this was her last chance. Instead of ripping out his throat, she shifted and grabbed a large stick off of the ground. Holding it high, she slammed it down, piercing it through his chest. He was gone in a matter of seconds.

Amelie fell to her knees, burying her head in her hands, the sound of her cries filtering back to us. Laila rushed off toward her as the rest of us shifted.

“It’s over,” Finn murmured.

I reached for his hand and held it. “I’m sorry you lost everyone. I didn’t even get the chance to see them again.”

He squeezed my hand, his amber eyes gentle. “They were happy to know you were alive, but even more than that, they were ready to end this war. For years, the Sierra Pack has hunted us down one by one. Now we don’t have to fight anymore.”

“True, but we lost everyone. None of our people survived.”

“That’s not true,” he said, smiling sadly. “Three of us did.”

“Where are you going to go now?” Sebastian asked.

Finn shrugged. “Don’t know. I guess from here I can go anywhere.”

“You can come back with us,” I said.

He glanced back and forth between us, and it looked like he was considering it, but then he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s such a great idea just yet. Maybe one day I’ll find my way there.” Pulling me into his arms, he held on tight. For years, I’d thought he was dead, and now I had to let him go all over again. “I’m going to bury my men. Be safe going home,” he said.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I hugged him back and let go. “Goodbye, Finn.” He shook Sebastian’s hand and then took off toward his fallen wolves.

Sebastian put his arm around me and held me close. “You’ll see him again, love. One way or another, your paths will cross again.”

“Does that bother you?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, but I know there’s something bothering you.” He nodded toward Laila.

Sighing, I glanced at her and then back to him. “When were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That you were her father,” I blurted out. A small smile spread across his lips, then he burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“You are, love. I kind of enjoy this little jealous streak bubbling inside of you.”

I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest. “Glad I could amuse you.”

He pulled my arms apart and made me wrap them around his neck. “She’s not my daughter.”

I gasped. “But her eyes . . . they look exactly like yours.”

He chuckled. “They do, but have you forgotten I have two brothers? Why did you assume she’d be mine?”

“I don’t know,” I lied. His gaze narrowed and I huffed. “Okay, fine. I know your track record with women. Out of you and your brothers, you’d be the most obvious culprit.”

“And the least?” he asked.

Micah was a flirt but he wasn’t as bad as Sebastian. And Zayne was a whole other story. He was more reserved and serious all the time.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he twirled one of my curls around his finger. “Just because you’re not an outgoing person doesn’t mean you don’t know how to love.”

I could feel the turmoil inside of him. “It’s Zayne?” He nodded. “And he doesn’t know he has a child?”

“That’s something I’ll have to handle as soon as we get home. I just need to make sure Laila’s ready for it all.”

Our homecoming was going to be the most epic yet. Sebastian and I were mated and expecting a child, we survived an epic battle from my past, I was bringing home a cousin I hadn’t seen in thirty years, and I met my first wolf/fae mix—who happened to be my niece.

Our story needed to be turned into a novel.
Maybe I should try my luck at writing.

Sebastian

“Y
ou don’t have to do this. I know you want to get back to Tyla,” Laila said.

I finished gathering the rest of the bodies and tossed them in the large hole I’d spent all morning digging. “I do, but this needed to be done.” She handed me the canister of gasoline and I poured it all over the remains before tossing in a lighter. The flames burned high, then slowly died down to a steady crackling fire.

“Is it bad that I’m not sad at all?” she asked.

“No. Jaret and his wolves needed to be put down.”

She looked back at the house. “I think I’m just going to leave the house the way it is. With Jaret gone, there’s not much I can do with it. His name is on everything, and I don’t want to have to explain how he died.”

“He didn’t leave
anything
to you?”

She snorted. “Are you kidding? He thought he was invincible. When I suggested he write a will, he laughed in my face.”

“Cocky bastard,” I grumbled.

She nodded, then met my gaze. “I have so much to tell you. It’s my fault Jaret was able to find the Redwood Pack. I didn’t want to tell Tyla or Amelie what I did. They’ll hate me.”

“What did you do?” Smoke billowed out from the ditch and with a swipe of her hand, Laila commanded the dirt to filter back into the hole as if it was never there. “How did you do that?” I asked, kneeling down to touch the dirt.

“I’m not really sure. I know it’s a part of my fae heritage. From what I can gather, we all are born with a bond to either earth, fire, water, or air. As you can see, mine is with earth. Mix that in with my wolf blood, and it makes me even more powerful. I don’t even know what all I’m capable of yet.”

I peered down at the ground and then back to her. “So you’re saying you could’ve dug that hole with just a snap of your fingers?”