Page 13 of Moonlit Choosing Ritual

“Great!” He smiled. “I’m Harry, and this is Kirk.”

“Hi!” I greeted them and turned to get some food.

Since there was nothing to do, I went back to my room. On my way, the staff in the manor looked at me with wonder or animosity in their eyes, like I was a museum specimen. Well, I stared back at them and walked out with my chin up. I may have been reduced to being a servant, but I wasn’t going to lose what few shreds of dignity I had left.

Thankfully, the previous occupant had left some clothes in the cupboard. They were loose on me, but beggars can’t be choosers. Feeling tired, I crashed on the bed, wrapped up in the stillness of the room. My mind was in turmoil. Sleep hit me like a ship loosed from its anchor by a maelstrom.

I was jolted awake by a pounding on the door, as if a thunderstorm had crashed through my dreams. To my surprise, I saw it was already dark. How long had I slept?

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a pretty girl with a heart-shaped face and straight ebony hair cascading down her back. She was slightly taller than me. “Hi, I’m Jackie!” she said with a heart-stopping smile that reached her dark brown eyes.

“Hi?”

She chuckled. “I’m in one of the patrol parties of Umbra pack—I mean this town. Shirley asked me to give you this phone. I’ve already saved three numbers in it—Alpha Talon’s, Shirley’s and mine.”

I blinked at her for a few moments as the haze in my mind cleared. “Thanks,” I said, taking the cell phone she’d taken out of her purse.

“Would it be too much to ask for coffee?” she added, wrinkling her nose.

“No!” I said, surprised by her forwardness. “Not at all. Please come in!” She sounded so friendly, and, God, could I use a friend to ask about this place. Jackie seemed just about the right girl.

Chapter 7

Talon

“What were you thinking down there, Alpha Talon?” Aria said, closing the door, as soon as we were in my room. “That girl is a minor and—”

“And what?” I barked, making her wince. “This isn’t Portland, and werewolves aren’t governed by human laws. What I actually did was save her from those savage humans, who sold an underage girl!”

Aria took a ragged breath and put her hands on her hips. She removed the sharp edge from her voice. “I know, Alpha Talon, but you have a goal in front of you. To defeat the Viking pack. They’re a strong pack, and if you defeat them, you’ll be invincible. No one in North America will be able to challenge you. Isn’t that what you want?” She touched my arm.

I rubbed my face with my hands and walked away toward the window that faced the garden, deliberately avoiding the balcony. It was a bad idea to give Kimble a room facing my balcony. I had no idea why Kimble’s presence affected me so much. Werewolves don’t smell their mates until they’re eighteen. And I was sure that the Goddess couldn’t hate me enough to give me a human mate.

What? Hell. No. Kimble could never be my mate. Ludicrous.

Aria was right. I had to focus on my goal. We had to defeat the Viking pack. The Viking wolves revered Odin and Fenris over the Moon Goddess, often seeking their favor through rituals and offerings. Their original territory spanned the rugged Scandinavian landscapes, but over the last two decades they’d been making the deep forests of north Oregon their new settlement, and that place was impenetrable. They had no alliesand were an extremely formidable enemy. That was the most powerful pack I needed to defeat to announce my supremacy.

Alpha Frode of the Viking pack was a wolf in his late fifties, and he commanded his pack with an iron fist. I foolishly challenged him when I was young, at the age of twenty-two. He was one of the best fighting wolves that ever matched my strength, with more skills than the legends said about him. Frode had five boys. His eldest, Vandil, was twenty-nine, and the youngest was twenty years old.

His pack had grown to about three hundred members. Nothing much, but very fearsome people. No rogue dared to go near the Viking pack. No Alpha had the guts to fight them.

But soon, I would challenge him again.

“Alpha Talon,” Aria’s soft voice broke my reverie. “If you like, I can handle that girl. You don’t have to talk to her at all.”

I didn’t reply because I knew she was talking sense.

“We’ve worked so hard for it, Alpha Talon,” Aria continued. “I’ve closely monitored our enemies’ every move, and we’re too close to victory. Please don’t let that girl affect you.”

I tipped my head up and let out an exasperated sigh. Aria was on my warrior team, heading my spy network. She had all the intel. My trust in her was implicit. “You’re right,” I said. “It’s better you handle the human girl and make sure she stays away from me. I don’t want to see her at all.”

“I will,” she said, grinning. “Don’t worry about her. You won’t see her again.”

Thank Goddess that Aria got me back on track. That’s why I liked her. She always brought my focus back. Kimble was like a bumble bee. A bee who would sting me, distract me.

“Come on, you need a nice rest,” Aria said, tugging my arm.

I allowed myself to be taken to bed. She sat down and opened the zipper of my jeans, then took out my raging cock,which had been like granite ever since I slammed Kimble against my chest. I needed a release.

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