Page 53 of Moonlit Choosing Ritual

“Then you can come with me,” he replied. When I turned to pack my things, he spanked my ass. I squealed. “And the last rule—” He smirked. “Before I reach our tent, you better be there.”

“Tent?” I asked with a frown.

“Yes, Kim. There are no hotels where we’re going.”

When I came down, after packing lightly, I saw Jackie. “Did you talk to him?” she asked.

“No,” I replied guiltily.

Sadness flared in her eyes. “I don’t know why Kirk’s gone so mad? I’m trying to reach him, but he isn’t picking up my calls. I carry his mark, which means he’s bonded to me for life. But it seems like he wants to be liberated.”

I rubbed my hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry…” I felt helpless. Suddenly, I had an idea. “I’m leaving with Talon. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Going where?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Some pack business.” I didn’t want to give her the full details.

“Will Alpha Talon allow it?”

I took a ragged breath. He wouldn’t. But there was no harm in asking. It turned out that he was rather happy that she was accompanying me. “At least you won’t get bored,” he chuckled.

We were on the way to the outskirts of the pack in an hour. Jackie’s spirits seemed to lift a bit and I was happy for her. When we arrived at the meeting, which was in a small clearing in the forest, I noticed, by the pale glow of a full moon, a scattering of tents, their canvas sides illuminated by the soft, silvery light. Moonlight filtered through the leaves above, casting delicate, dappled patterns on the ground, and reflecting off the dew that clung to the grass.

One tent, slightly larger than the others, stood at the center of the clearing, its fabric rippling gently in the cool night breeze. “That’s ours,” Talon leaned over my ear and whispered huskily.

A small campfire sat a few feet away, its warmth a gentle reminder that the night was young. The smoke drifted lazily upward, vanishing into the moonlit sky.

Around the tents, the wilderness was alive with the quiet stirrings of night creatures—the occasional hoot of an owl, the distant cry of a night bird, and the soft crunch of leaves underfoot.

“When will the Viking pack wolf arrive?” I asked as I intertwined my fingers in his, on instinct. Jackie was shown to her tent by a warrior. Kenzie was ordering all the warriors to stay alert.

“In a few hours,” he said, curling his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him.

He led me to our tent. “Stay here when he comes, okay?” he said with deep concern in his eyes. “I don’t trust anyone other than Kenzie, so please don’t wander around.”

“I won’t,” I said and, rising on my toes, I kissed the tip of his nose. His eyes widened in surprise and I giggled.

“Am I dreaming?” he asked. “Pinch me.”

So I kissed him again on the tip of his nose. He gulped. His chest rumbled with a stifled roar and he picked me up in his arms. “Kim, I hope you aren’t playing games with me. Is this some scheme of yours to get rid of me?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, digging my fingers into his silky hair. “No, but when you come back, I want you to take me from the front.”

“Fuck!” he rasped, his chest rising and falling. His gaze turned dark, like he wanted to eat me up. “Baby, I’ll finish the damn meeting in less than an hour!”

I couldn’t help laughing and shaking my head. He set me on my feet and kissed my forehead. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. I don’t know what I’ve done to be rewarded like this, but I promise I’ll continue to do it. And fuck! I love you!”

Talon left, leaving me giddy with this beautiful emotion that had opened a cage of butterflies in my belly. Sighing, I went to lie down on the bed, but a noise outside made me turn back. “Jackie?” I said, seeing her lifting the flap of the tent.

She looked like a deer in the headlights. “Kimble, I’m feeling… restless.” She rubbed her chest and her eyes flashed amber.

I blinked once and then twice. “Sit down and relax.” Maybe she was thinking of Kirk. That made me feel really bad for her. I was going to deal with that jerk when I got back.

She shook her head. “No, I can’t. I feel… I feel like there’s something… someone out there… looking for me… I feel that Kirk wants to kill me.”

I raised my eyebrow. “There’s no one here other than our warriors, Jackie. You need to relax.” She seemed flitty, her eyes darting everywhere. Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her to a chair next to our bed and made her sit. “I can understand your paranoia about Kirk, but trust me he isn’t here. And if he does come here, I’ll get him arrested, okay?”

But Jackie shook her head. “You don’t understand. This stupid feeling is inexplicable. Like I need to go and—and—” She didn’t finish her sentence, her anxiety increasing by the minute.

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