Page 13 of His Lucky Moon Mate

Binder took a moment to look around. Really, it looked a lot like the forest they’d just been in, only where there’d been snow and little signs of the life sprouting beneath the bare branches and still frozen ground back in New Jersey, the forest in Fairy seemed to be in a state of constant bloom. He rather liked the way Shannon switched from calling it the Fae Realm to Fairy and back again, as she liked.

Her face was scrunched up as if she were trying to focus on something in the distance as the darkness softly fell around them, encompassing everything in an ethereal dark purple light. Binder sucked in a breath, wondering how she could possibly be more beautiful than she appeared a moment ago.

He was trying not to be a creeper, but he could not stop staring at her. The second they’d stepped through the portal, itwas like whatever reservations he’d kept on his feelings had been stripped away. Her scent seemed stronger here, keener to his supernaturally enhanced senses, and it was like a punch to his solar plexus.

“This way,” Shannon whispered, still tugging him along by the hand. “We’ve a safe house set up close to the portal for when we’re needing to hideout.”

“Are you often needing to hideout?” he asked, concern for her safety growing.

Werewolves were notoriously protective of their mates, and claimed or not, Binder was more certain than ever. This little beauty was his. He just had to convince her of that.

“Sometimes. I mean, over the years we’ve had more than our share of hijinks and shenanigans. Da made promises to me this last time. Said he changed. More fool me for believing him. Come this way,” she said, and turned suddenly into a grove.

Shannon released his hand and tugged so he would let go as well. He frowned, reluctant but giving in at the last second. She shook her head, sending waves of her dark locks rippling across her shoulders. Still wearing his sweater, Binder liked the way the gray seemed to complement her black tresses and brilliant blue eyes.

“I need my hand to unlock the entryway,” she explained, and the fact she even bothered soothed his beast.

After a few minutes of her touching the tops of a small ring of toadstools in a manner that reminded him of a passcode on one of those digital doorknobs everyone was using these days, the air around them began to shimmer. A few pops later and a cabin seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Hurry, night is falling,” she whispered, her gaze darting around behind him as she pulled him inside with her.

Binder quickly stepped in front of her, arms wide as he looked cautiously around the tiny space. There was a card tablewith two chairs, and one bed along with a fireplace, a small kitchenette with a small stove and sink with running water, and a bathroom just off to the left. Not much space for anyone to hide, not even a Leprechaun sized person.

“He’s not here,” she said, frowning as she checked every corner. “Blasted, I really thought this was going to be easy.”

“Well, let’s approach the problem logically. Why did you suspect he would come here first, Shannon?”

“Because Da has a getaway bag—that’s it! You’re a genius,” she said, grinning up at Binder.

“Thanks. I’ll be sure to remind you of that later,” he teased. “Now, tell me what we’re looking for.”

“No need. Only an O’Doyle can find it. Hang on a sec,” she muttered and sat crisscrossed in front of the fireplace.

Binder joined her on his knees in case he needed to move fast. He watched her face, the expressions moving across it as she whispered words in a foreign tongue. Some kind offairyspeakhe assumed, fascinated by the way she started to sparkle and glow as she used her magic.

“Um, oh,” Shannon said, blinking up at him.

Binder felt embarrassment coming off her in waves and couldn’t fathom why she would feel like that. He frowned, wanting to reassure her. After all, he was the stranger there, the interloper, besides, nothing she did could be anything but amazing in his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Butterfly?”

Her unease was making his Wolf anxious. The beast was eager to soothe her frazzled nerves and bring her comfort. It wasn’t a surprise to him. It was more like biology, or super biology, he supposed. Shifters were hard wired to want to care for their mates. At least, the good ones were. And that was not conceit.

Striving to be a good man was a huge part of his life’s goal. Binder might not have expected to meet his mate, but he had. And now all he wanted, besides claiming her, was to make her happy, keep her safe and protected.

“It’s just, I might, well—” Shannon paused and took a deep breath. “Okay, I just wanted to warn you that my true form may come out during this part. When I access my Fae magic here, that is likely to happen.”

“That’s okay, Butterfly, I mean, are you afraid I would judge you? I turn into a freaking giant brown Wolf at will. Believe me, I am not judging anybody,” he whispered.

“It’s just, I didn’t want you to be startled,” she murmured, and he watched her cheeks turning pink before she closed her eyes again.

His heart thudded in his chest and his Wolf sat up, paying even more attention to the alluring female. Her true form? Binder could only wonder what that could be. She seemed worried, like he might be put off. As if that were possible when he was already so keen to make her his.

Brave, beautiful, sweet mate. Mine.

“Thank you for the warning, but just so you know, I already think you’re perfect.”

She frowned harder, closing her eyes to continue her work. Binder licked his lips, tasting magic on the air. This was his first time visiting another realm, and the changes weren’t what he’d thought. It was strange how much everything seemed the same. Only the most subtle differences made him aware of his foreign surroundings.

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