Fated Under the Moon Read online

  All right, I really had to sit down with Ryker and find out about my employer, but first, I needed to find out about myself. I tried to let that comment she made about Ryker slide, but all I did was glare at her.

  Bronson sucked in air, nearly making a hissing sound. "Will you be at work tomorrow, Miss Katz?" he asked.

  "I should be. Can I call you?" I asked at the same time Ryker said, "No."

  I watched as Lillian and Bronson shared a look, communicating that they didn't like my response. "Please do contact us if something comes up."

  Ryker began to pull me back toward the house, and I didn't fight him as it seemed our exchange was over. I was starting to heed Ryker's warning about trusting my instinct. Something was off about those two. Something I wasn't sure I could get past.

  "YOU CAN'T WORK FOR them!" Ryker yelled, slamming the door to my apartment. Hold up, the infamous Motorcycle Dick was back.

  "You're not going to yell at me. There might be this thing that makes us want to bone like crazy, but you do not control me. No man does!"

  "I'm your mate. You'll do as I say."

  "Oh, hell no. You did not just say that. Sure, we have undeniably amazing sex, but it's not like you're my husband. And even if you were, I'd never marry a man who thought he could control me. Now, I think it's time for you to leave. I need to get my head on straight, and I can't seem to do it when you're around."

  "It's because you need me."

  "It's physical," I countered.

  "It's more than that, and you know it. And you're forgetting one important piece of information."

  "Oh, what's that?"

  "I own the building, and I'm not going anywhere."

  "Fine," I said, storming into my bedroom, slamming the door, then locking it.

  Ryker followed me and banged on the door. "Ariel, open the door."

  "Nope, not happening! You can just sit your alpha butt on the couch! We came back here because I needed to think. Now, give me space!"

  I heard a thump against the door, and I figured his palm connected with it, then he cursed as his voice faded down the hallway. I sighed. I might've been too hasty with him. None of this was either of our doing. He knew about all this his entire life, and I felt like I was falling down a rabbit hole. Everything wasn't what it seemed, and I felt off-balance. In fact, ever since I drove into town, something inside of me felt different, and the longer I was here, the more I was around Ryker, I felt like I was changing.

  I sat on the edge of the bed—the beautiful bed that his skilled craftsmanship created—and tried to piece everything together. I knew what I needed to do. It wasn't something I wanted to do. In fact, I've avoided it for nearly a year, but I knew I needed to read my dad's note. I knew I needed to figure out what my dreams or memories meant, and I needed to know what the heck was going on with me. There was only one place I could get answers, and it was right here with me. The problem was I didn't open the letter because I knew it would hurt. Maybe that was a tad chicken shit of me?

  I grabbed the letter then laid on the bed, clutching it against my chest along with the picture of my dad and me. I could do this. I could open the letter. I said this to myself, but I wasn't really sure I believed it. It wasn't like I hadn't tried before. Sometimes, I felt like the letter was haunting me, just sitting there, coaxing me to open it.

  I was being silly. I knew it. It was just a letter that quite possibly could hold answers that I desperately needed. Somehow, as time had passed, I began to feel like if I opened the letter, it would be Dad's final goodbye to me, and I wasn't ready for that. Then again, was I ready for magic and werewolves—let alone fated mates? It was all just too much. But I needed answers. I had a sense that something huge was going to happen, bigger than everything that already did, and if I didn't get answers soon, I would be in a world of hurt.

  God, if you're listening, protect me, okay? I prayed. I wasn't a big believer in organized religion, but I believed in a higher power. Dad had instilled that in me, and so had Father Archibald. He tried to get me to follow Christianity, but my dad taught me that it was okay not to, as long as I had faith. I closed my eyes, afraid how the words on the page would change me, then opened them, knowing I needed to be strong.

  "Ariel," I heard through the door, and somehow, armed with the knowledge that he was still out there, still there for me, it gave me the courage I needed.

  I sat up and readied myself for whatever I would learn. I mean, it couldn't be more than I'd already learned in the last forty-eight hours, could it?

  I rubbed my ring, something that was becoming a habit, and finally opened the envelope.

  Chapter Sixteen

  My Dearest Ariel,

  If you are reading this, then I'm sorry our time was cut short. Please know that I love you with all my heart, and I'm sorry I didn't have this conversation with you in person. It's been you and me, kiddo, for as long as I can remember. So, I know how much losing me has cost you because if it was the other way around, I'm not sure if my heart could take it. But you're stronger than me. You always were and always will be.

  There is so much I should've told you. So much I wish we had time for, but I wanted you to have a normal life for as long as you could. It's why I did what I did, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me when you learn the truth.

  I find it hard to know where to start, so I will begin with a brief history lesson.

  Did you know our last name comes from an ancient line? History would say that it means priests, but history would be wrong. We come from an ancient sect of what's now known as the Rosi. We are not one religion but seekers of truth and the divine. Our line is different than most Rosis, though. We have been charged with seeking and protecting all things divine. We do this by protecting the light. We are its keepers. The light will guide you on your journey. My journey was to protect you. It's why I pray that you'll forgive me. Each generation from our bloodline has been shown their paths differently. I cannot say how yours will present itself to you, but what I can tell you is that you are the most powerful Rosi I have ever studied. You have a natural mythical element to you that is unknown. You, dear, are one of the great mysteries. For a Rosi, unraveling mysteries is one of our greatest truths.

  I know this may sound strange to you, but you are now and have always been part of an order: The Order of The Rose. Father Archibald will help guide you. Find him. Your ring and dagger are to be treasured as well as the medallion. You must keep them with you. It will help protect you and those that you protect.

  I know this is a lot. I'm purposefully being vague. This is an experience that you need to go through on your own, and I'm so very sorry for that. I pray that you have lived a good, happy life—that I've done my best giving you that. I wanted you to live before all of this came at you.

  I've lived with this my entire life, and although I've been blessed to have you in my life, there were times where I felt burdened by the Rosi, and it is something I've struggled with myself. I do not want that for you. It should never be viewed as a burden. I learned this the longer I was on my journey. Being a Rosi is a gift, one I am eternally grateful for. I hope you, my seeker, my absolute, will find what all Rosi seek: completeness and understanding. I love you, my daughter– my sweet precious Ariel. Forgive me for leaving you, and forgive me for keeping this from you.

  May the divine guide you in all your journeys.

  So mote it be,

  Dad

  I read the note over and over again. If everything from the last two days hadn't happened to me, then I would've thought that my Dad was pulling my chain, but now, I wasn't so sure.

  I needed Google.

  I needed to get a hold of Father Archibald.

  What I didn't need was this complication with Ryker. I wasn't sure if I could put him off, though. With him being away from me, I felt a pull to him even though it was only in the other room. Had I been harsh? He'd been extra pushy and domineering in a totally unattractive way. But was I pushing the beast in him to the surface, and he was doing what he needed to tame him?

  I thought about my job and the Valderes. They seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure Bronson was familiar in a good way. Plus, there was some type of feud between Ryker's family and the Valderes.

  Ugh. I had so many questions. Could I put my trust in Ryker? I had no freaking clue. Besides wanting to bump uglies all night long with him, I didn't really know him. But if we were fated, would they have chosen someone for me that I couldn't trust?

  I grabbed the pillow, held it to my head, and screamed into it. There was a bang on the door, and before I had a chance to tell Ryker I was fine, his wolf charged through the door, splintering it wide open.

  His wolf snarled and looked around the room, searching for a threat. I held my hands up. "It's okay. I'm fine. I was just frustrated."

  He walked around and sniffed the room. Because of his size, he didn't have far to go. Once he was completely satisfied that there wasn't a threat, he jumped up on the bed and sat down next to me, then shoved his snout into my neck.

  I couldn't help it; it tickled, so I giggled. The giant wolf licked me, and I laughed again, moving back. Dog slobber was one thing, but wolf slobber from such an enormous animal was something different altogether. I scratched behind his ear and began to stroke his fur. My tension melted away. His tail slowly wagged, and as I stroked his coat, he curled up on the bed like a giant dog. I could handle a guard dog, right?

  I shook my head then pinched my arm. It didn't work the first time, but it was worth a shot, right? If I'd fallen down the rabbit hole, maybe I'd wake up, and all of this would have been a dream. Perhaps I'd just bumped my head and made all of this up.

  Okay, my pinch hurt. I wasn't dreaming.

  The wolf licked my a
rm where I pinched it, then laid down and put his head in my lap. After a few minutes, he relaxed even more, and I began to stroke his belly. He was so enormous that the sight of this beast lapping at my attention made me smile.

  "This is a lot, you know?" I spoke to the wolf, putting me at ease. "First, I've never had any sexual experience even close to what I had with Ryker, or you? I don't know, that whole 'the wolf is me but not me' is confusing."

  The wolf's ear perked up, and I heard a slight huff. "Then, there's this letter that is basically telling me that I'm destined for greatness. I need answers. I thought the letter would give me some, and now I'm just plagued with more questions. Can I trust you? I guess that's my number one question at this very second. Will you help me wolf-um Ryk? Will you put my interest first?" I laid down next to the wolf and put my head against his side. "I need the Internet. Is there a public library?" I sighed. I was talking to a wolf. He wasn't going to answer.

  Sitting up, I decided I couldn't just lie here. I needed to be proactive. I dug through my bag, found my phone, and plugged it in. It was pretty much useless here, but I needed to get Father Archiblad's number. I could use Ryker's landline and call him.

  The wolf watched me as I moved around. I took my letter, folded it, and stuck it into the side of one of my bags. I didn't know what I should share and with whom, and for now, I felt like I needed to keep my letter to myself. My door was ruined, so I carefully stepped over it. I wasn't mad about the door; I knew Ryker would fix it.

  I decided to change my clothes. Wearing someone else's clothes was fine in a pinch, but not my favorite thing to do. I changed and couldn't help but notice the wolf never took his eyes off of me. I quickly dressed but kept my back to the wolf because the way his eyes darkened unnerved me. I needed to understand this wolf thing more.

  I tilted my head towards the wolf. "Can you change back to Ryker now? I need to ask you a few questions."

  He scrunched his nose at me, and I thought perhaps he couldn't understand what I was saying. As much as I liked hanging out with an enormous wolf, I needed to find answers. I started to walk out of the room. "If you're not going to change, then I'm going to go find the answers I need on my own." He crouched low, then his body morphed and changed. It was gruesome and painful-looking, but at least it was fast.

  Then, there was a very naked, very beautiful Ryker lying in my bed. I squeezed my eyes shut and unconsciously squeezed my thighs together. Ryker laughed, and I opened them to glare at him. Then, he noticed my pebbled nips through my shirt, and his smile faded. His eyes darkened, and I turned around as his growing erection was a distraction I didn't need.

  "You need to put that thing away," I urged through gritted teeth.

  "Mmm, I don't think so," he said, his voice was deeper and more gravelly than before. I turned because his voice was alluring when it went that deep. And, blast it to hell, he was stroking his shaft!

  "What are you doing?"

  "Come here, Ariel."

  "Would you stop calling me that!" I snapped.

  "It's your name," he said, sliding his hand up and down, circling around his tip.

  I licked my lips then bit my bottom lip. Holy heck, that was sexy.

  I took a step towards him, not even realizing that I did. His hand stroked his length again, and I was so very drawn to him. I went to take another step but stopped myself. "Stop it. We can't do this."

  "We have, and we can again. Take another step. I want those lips wrapped around me."

  I totally wanted to wrap my lips around him. But...

  "We've been here. It's amazing until our sex knocks me on my ass. Do you want me knocked on my ass, Ryker?"

  "Shit, no." he cursed, then stopped stroking himself and wrapped a blanket around himself. "Jesus, I'm like a horny teenager around you. I'm sorry." He hung his head low. "It's crazy. I've never felt this way. It's like the barest hint of skin, and I can think of nothing else but sinking into you."

  "Don't feel bad. The force is strong with this one."

  "Sometimes, I have no idea what you're talking about."

  "Oh, c'mon. You don't know Star Wars? How in the world could the Fates have paired us? You literally know nothing when it comes to pop culture."

  "Being the alpha in the pack, making sure war doesn't break out, overseeing the farm, overseeing the bar, this apartment... it doesn't leave me much time to watch television."

  "Still, the fact that if I said, 'may the force be with you,' and you'd have no idea what I'm talking about, is a concern."

  "You're very distracting."

  "Is it working? How's the boner?"

  "You're in the room, not sure it will ever go away when you're near, but talk about some more geeky stuff. I'm sure it will help ease the tension."

  "Hey, it's not geeky."

  He gave me a look that said he thought I was full of it. "All right, hot stuff. Want to get pants on? I think it will be much easier to talk with a bit more between us."

  "If I get up, then you'll have to come with me across the hall, so I don't turn again and destroy my house. How about I keep covered, and I'll sit further away from you, but we just talk." He pulled a sheet over him, and I sat on the bed at the furthest possible spot away from him because knowing there was all of that waiting for me under the sheets was hard, literally.

  "Okay, fine. I need to use your phone."

  "Of course. Who do you need to call?"

  I ignored his question, then asked if he had access to the internet.

  "I don't, but the library does."

  "That's good."

  "How many wolves are in this town? Like, is everyone a wolf and I'm the only human walking around, or are there plenty of regular folks and only a handful of wolves? Wait, you said something at the lake about there being others. Am I going to walk outside and come face to face with an ogre or something equally scary?"

  "That was a lot of questions. How about I start with the wolves?"

  "Just like that, you're going to tell me all kinds of pack secrets? Doesn't that break some code or something?"

  "First off, you are a member of my pack. Being my mate sort of makes you honorary, even though you're not a wolf. Secondly, anything you want to know is yours. I can't keep things from you."

  "What do you mean can't?"

  "I mean, it's physically impossible. It's the bond."

  "Hmph," I squinted my eyes on him, unsure how any bond could make me tell him whatever he asked. "Does it work in reverse? Like will it make me tell you everything as well?"

  "I don't know. You're an anomaly."

  "Great, that's me, an anomaly."

  "I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just humans and wolves don't typically mate. Although, it's not unheard of. I've just never heard of a human being a wolf's fated mate."

  I studied him. All of this was fascinating. He scooted closer to me, and I froze. "Stay in your lane. The two of us on the bed spells S-E-X-Y-time, so the further away you are, the better."

  He obliged, then said, "You realize I'm six-four, and this is a queen. Even on opposite sides, we're still within reach of each other."

  "Whatever. Just tell me about the wolves." I sat on the very corner with one leg tucked under my butt, facing him. Amusement flickered over his features.

  "Everyone at the lake was a wolf. There are about seventy of us. The town is mostly human, and they do not know we exist. This needs to stay this way. You cannot broadcast to the world that there are werewolves. There are rules."

  "Like a secret handbook?"

  "No, but there is a code that, if broken, could result in death, so you need to keep what you know about us a secret."

  "Cool. What happens in fight club stays in fight club. Got it."

  He again looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. I seriously hoped that the library had DVDs and that I could continue to educate Ryker on movies. He'd already gotten my dose of comedy; I think he'd dig Fight Club.

  He began talking, which took me out of my DVD thoughts. "We are the largest pack in the Midwest. There is a pack in Upstate New York, one in Montana, and one in Washington State. There are also various packs around the world. In general, we don't like heat, but we can tolerate it."