The Moons Gift: volume 1 of book 1: Moon Series, #1

By Amanda Steel

"Shifters, magic, a storyline filled with romance, adventure and suspense… look no further and dive into this enchanting world."

 

 

Olivia Morgan is a seventeen-year-old alpha's daughter, a Siren shifter.

She has been dreaming of her mate to have a bond as strong as her parents do. Being a cheerleader and a little to the nerd side, she is well-loved by everyone, but the one person who was supposed to care for her and love her unconditionally, her own mate.

 

Marcus Silverman is an eighteen-year-old, soon to be Alpha of the Blue Moon pack. He is an outgoing, athletic, quarterback star player of his school and a bad boy.

Girls lay under his feet, as he is known as a player. As of age when shifters are to meet their mates, and being a werewolf himself, he hasn't yet met his, and he is not feeling in a rush to do so.

But when he finally does, will he embrace the bond or reject it?

 

Could Olivia step up to her destined task and fight for her destined one against all odds?

 

Will Marcus accept Olivia as his own and they will have their happy ending?

 

If they embrace the bond, are they strong enough to face the great danger that is lurking in the darkness to see them fall?

 

Is war once again about to rise by the consequences of their choices and actions?

 

***

The Moons Gift is the first book in an exciting, paranormal shifter romance series, The Moon Series. If you love daring adventures, twists, suspense, heroes, and fated mates, then you won't want to miss out on this… get The Moons Gift today! 

 

 

Content Warning: 18+

This paranormal romance contains steamy consensual adult situations, fated mates, adult language, violence, a couple too stubborn to just accept each other without a little conflict, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, and a guaranteed happily ever after with a dash of cliffhanger.

 

The Moon Series:

1. The Moons Gift: volume 1 and volume 2 (book is divided into two parts/volumes)

2. The Moon's Warrior

3. The Opal Dragon

4. Moon's Shadow: Hidden Secret

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Steel
• Release date: Aug 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9789534959909

Book preview

Prologue

Every supernatural creature is told a story when they’re children about a great gift that was given to them.

This gift is truly precious, for it is their other half, the other part of their own soul, and it is called a mate.

But since the war that took place long ago, the Elders have forbidden mating between the species of the supernatural world. So since that day when the declaration was signed between werewolves, sirens, warlocks, fae, dragons, and many others, many unfortunate mates who had found each other were abandoned by their other halves.

The Moon Goddess saw what her creations were doing and wasn't pleased by it. As time passed and many hearts and souls were broken, she decided to take matters into her own hands and try to change things for the better.

Chapter 1

Cornal High

OLIVIA

O livia, it’s time to wake up! Olivia, if you don’t get up, you’re going to be late!

Groaning, I turned over in my bed as I heard my mother yelling for me from downstairs. I grabbed my blanket and threw it over my head as the warmth and comfort of my beautiful bed enveloped me, slowly lulling me back to sleep.

The door slammed open and the blanket was ripped away from my body as hands began to grab and tickle my sides.

I tossed and turned to get away, laughing as my brother tickled me mercilessly and relentlessly.

Wake up, sleepyhead! James said loudly as he continued to tickle me.

JAMES!!! STOP IT!!! I screamed.

Where’s the fun in that?

Please stop! I’m up, I’m up!

Chuckling, my brother finally stopped. You’re lucky I was the one who came in to wake you up. If it had been Mom, she would have carried a bucket of water and just splashed you with it.

No, she wouldn’t.

Oh, I’ve already seen her get the bucket, but if you’d rather have her wake you up next time, okay, no problem. Anyway, you’re going to be late for school if you don’t get up already.

Looking at my alarm clock, I saw that I had twenty minutes to get ready, so I hurried to my bathroom, which was connected to my room.

I do believe that was the fastest shower I’ve ever had in my life. After brushing my teeth, doing my hair, and putting on light makeup, I peeked in my room to see if James was still there. He wasn’t, so I went to my closet to put on my favorite jeans and a white crop top.

With one last glance at the clock, I noted that I had a few minutes left, so I grabbed my shoes and my bag and hurried downstairs to the kitchen, where I found my mother at the stove preparing breakfast for us.

Ollie, did you forget to set your alarm again? my mother asked as she placed a plate of pancakes on the table for me to eat.

I’m sorry, Mom, but I was talking to Lizzy on Skype last night and I just forgot.

How is Lizzy doing?

Lizzy has been my best friend since we went to kindergarten together. She and her family were visiting her grandparents, who live down south, where their flock, the Arcani, is having their annual swim. So Lizzy and her parents went to join them. In our world, the annual swim strengthens the bond between the flock members and creates a stronger family connection. The annual family swim is especially important in the Sirens’ world and happens at the beginning of every spring and summer.

She’s great. She’s already preparing for the swim that’s scheduled for tomorrow.

Oh, that sounds wonderful, I’m sure she’ll love it.

As I settled down to eat my pancakes, my brother came into the kitchen and kissed our mother on the cheek. When he grabbed a fork, I eyed him suspiciously as he approached my seat. And rightly so, because he took a piece of my pancake and shoved it in his mouth!

JAMES!!!

Mmmm… these are amazing, Mom.

Mom, tell James to get his own plate of pancakes, he’s stealing mine.

Instead of getting onto James, Mom just chuckled and shook her head.

Okay, are you ready? James asked me after we ate, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Yes, I’m ready. Thanks, Mom, it was delicious!

You’re welcome, honey. Have a great day, you two. James, don’t give Mr. Pinkle any trouble!

Oh, come on, Mom! Even you can’t be serious when you say his name!

I mean it, James!

Yeah, okay, I’ll be an angel.

I scoffed, knowing he was anything but an angel.

Our school was a mix of supernatural creatures and humans, so basically, no beasting out was the rule, as our secret of what we are needed to stay as that—a secret.

We’re shifters in my family. More specifically, we’re Sirens. We don’t mix much with other supernaturals, as we prefer to stay in our own groups.

Olivia! I heard my friend Mandy call out to me.

Turning around, I saw Mandy running toward me, her books clutched tightly to her chest, and following close behind her was Annie, my other friend.

Mandy and Annie are from my family’s flock. Mandy’s family is the Beta of our flock, while Annie’s family are the warriors.

They were both beautiful, inside and out. Mandy with her long golden hair that reached to the middle of her back, with her hazel eyes and darker tanned skin, while Annie had a tanned skin tone and hair of the same length, only hers was dark, almost raven, with blue eyes. They were both tall and attractive. As shapeshifters, it was natural to be attractive, though some were more so than others.

Oh my Goddess, have you heard yet? asked Mandy, out of breath from rushing over to me.

Heard what? I just got here.

James got out of the car and smiled at the two girls as they just stood there sighing and staring at him. Yes, he was my brother, and an Alpha at that, but come on.

Hello, ladies. How are you two today? James winked at them.

It was funny to watch their mouths open and both of them turn bright red.

James, stop teasing my girlfriends, I told him firmly.

What? I only said hi. Okay, I see Tyler and Max, I’ll see you later at lunch. He kissed me on the forehead and hurried on to meet up with his friends.

He’s so dreamy! Mandy looked after James with a twinkle in her eye.

I don’t want to burst your bubble, but back to the topic at hand. You were going to say something? I said to Mandy.

Umm, yeah, sorry! Well, it seems that Cornal High School was closed, so all the students from there were transferred to our school, she said.

Why, what happened?

It seems that their building burned down and collapsed on one side, so it’s been put up for demolition until it can be repaired.

Gasping at the news, I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. Oh my Goddess! How on earth did that even happen?

Mandy leaned closer and whispered in my ear. Apparently a group of their students got a little carried away with matches. She winked at me and leaned back.

Wow, I couldn’t even begin to process what she was saying. Who in the world would be stupid enough to burn down the high school?

When the school bell rang, I grabbed my bag and followed Mandy and Annie inside, where the corridors were packed with students. Some were whispering and gossiping about the news Mandy had just told me, some were giggling, and some were looking intently at the front gates to try and spot the new students who would be attending school with us.

Within minutes, the loudspeaker resounded through the school hallway. All students, please assemble in the gym and take your seats in the bleachers until Principal Bennett arrives and makes his announcement. Thank you.

With a glance at Mandy and Annie, we made our way to the gym and took our seats in the third row of bleachers. I saw my brother and his team sitting a few bleachers up and watched as they goofed around. A couple of cheerleaders sat nearby, flirting with them and giggling at them. I rolled my eyes and turned towards the podium as we all waited for Mr. Bennett.

A few minutes later, Mr. Bennett finally arrived at the podium and stepped closer to the microphone.

Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today, I have an important announcement to make. Our school has taken the students from Cornal High School, as their school is closed for renovations until further notice. I expect each one of you to welcome them and treat the newcomers with kindness and respect. All of our school’s rules apply to both current and new students, without exception.

As he was speaking, the new students entered the gym and took their seats.

Do you smell something? I asked Mandy.

She looked at me, confused, but sniffed anyway and then shook her head. I didn’t miss the you’re crazy look she gave me.

I shook my head, and then a strange feeling came over me. I felt as if someone was watching me. I scanned the crowd hoping to find the source but couldn’t find anyone looking in my direction. James nodded at me when he saw me looking around frantically and asked quietly if everything was alright. I returned the gesture and smiled to assure him that everything was fine.

So I expect you all to be on your best behavior. That means no fights, no rivalries, and of course, continue to study hard. You are dismissed and may go to your classes. Thank you. Mr. Bennett turned and left the gym. We all got up and walked slowly to our classes.

The strange thing was that I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was staring at me, watching my every move.

Mandy must be right, maybe I was being a little uptight. Well could anyone blame me? My birthday was coming up this weekend, and it’s not just any birthday. This year it was special...

Chapter 2

Lunch Break

OLIVIA

An entire week passed and I continued to feel restless. That feeling of being watched never seemed to go away, and every now and then I caught a whiff of that intoxicating smell that I couldn’t get enough of. The only problem was that I never figured out what the source of the smell was.

Sirens matured fully on their eighteenth birthday, which was when they got to find their mates. My siren was still silent, but she could feel my emotions and I could feel hers.

It was Friday, which was the best day of the week in my opinion. And why was that? Simple, the weekend was next, which meant no school for two whole days.

As I put my books in my locker and picked up others for the next class, I felt goosebumps prickle my skin. I turned to look, but as usual, I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Are you looking for someone?

As I closed my locker, I saw Mandy. I smiled and shrugged. I just can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me.

Mandy looked around and saw a few new kids that joined our school at the beginning of this week, but other than them, no one was looking our way.

I think someone’s a little too excited about this weekend, she teased as she winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged again.

Oh my Goddess, you might find your mate this weekend. I wonder who it will be. Tyson, maybe? He’s always looking at you and he’s super hot… after your brother. She giggled.

I rolled my eyes again and chuckled. You’re acting like it’s your birthday, I said.

It will be in a few weeks, and then I get to find my mate. I can’t wait! Mandy squealed.

Laughing at her reaction, I looked around for Annie. Where’s Annie?

Oh, she texted me that she has a practice to attend today because your dad asked her to join, so she won’t be coming to school, Mandy said.

Oh, I didn’t know that. Okay, let’s go to class. If we’re late, we’ll get in trouble, and you know how Ms. Friskies hates when someone comes into her class after her.

We walked through the hallways to our first class, and once we got there, we took our seats while other students were meeting up and sitting with their friends. I noticed a few new faces and guessed they must be the newcomers, so I gave a small smile at the ones who were looking around the classroom.

I can’t wait for the football team to come back, Mandy said with a dreamy look on her face while she rested it on her hands.

I chuckled at her, and grabbed my textbook and placed it on the table. I hope we don’t get a new seating arrangement, I said.

Oh hell, I forgot about that, she responded.

A few minutes later, Ms. Friskies entered the classroom, took a seat at her desk, and said, Since we’ve got new students, we will have a new seating arrangement assigned starting next week. Until then, you may sit as you are sitting now.

Mandy and I exchanged glances and we both groaned softly.

Great, I said quietly.

Fingers crossed that she doesn’t separate us, Mandy whispered.

The rest of the class flew by, and the sound of the bell couldn’t have come soon enough. When the bell rang, Mandy and I separated as she went to biology.

The next class flew by, and before we knew it, we were sitting at a lunch table together eating cheeseburgers and fries.

So is it still on? Mandy asked me as she was picking at her fries.

Is what on? I asked her before taking a bite of my cheeseburger.

Oh Goddess, girl. Shopping for your party, you dummy, she said with an eye roll.

Oh, that…

Yes, that, and don’t you dare say no, she said, pointing a finger at me.

Laughing at her serious face, I said, Yes, of course we’re going.

Mandy squealed, and a few faces turned in our direction while I covered my ears with my hands.

As we chatted happily about our plans, I smelled that smell again, so I turned towards the entrance of the cantina. I couldn’t determine exactly where it was coming from, but I saw a group of students I hadn’t seen before enter the cantina and knew immediately that they were the new students that transferred from Cornal High School.

They’re super hot, Mandy said.

I noticed that the one on the left was tall with lightly-tanned skin, light blond hair, and dark blue eyes. He was well built and easy on the eyes.

My eyes traveled to the one on the right, and the smile on his face indicated that he was probably joking around. He had a nice smile with pearly white teeth. He seemed taller than the other guy and had light brown hair that was attractively falling over his brown eyes.

I moved my eyes to the third guy that was in the middle. As he looked around the cantina, I took the opportunity to look at him more closely. He was slightly taller than the other two, with jet-black hair that was messy and a little on the longer side. He was tanned and a little bulkier than the others. He had a strong jawline and plump lips that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. When he licked his lips, a feeling of warmth flew through me.

What the hell is happening to me?

My skin prickled as I let my gaze slowly roam over his handsome face, and I shuddered as I felt an electrifying current flow through me at the exact moment my eyes locked with his beautiful light gray ones.

His look was intense as he roamed his eyes over my entire body. Every inch of my body roared to life with just a look from him. His eyes moved painfully slowly from the bottom to the top of my body, stopping briefly when he got to my chest. The look in his eyes made my breath hitch. I saw him lick his lips and watched as his gaze roamed up further over my collar bone, my neck, and my jaw, stopping at my lips, which made my cheeks blush. Finally, he reached my eyes.

Ollie? Are you okay?

I jumped when I heard Mandy speak. I felt my cheeks blush more and cleared my throat before speaking. Yeah, just thinking about shopping and what all we’re going to need.

Oh, come on, you were so checking out that hottie at the entrance. She poked me in the side.

Gasping at her realization, I couldn’t help the slight stammer in my voice. N-no.

Mandy laughed as she turned towards the guys I was looking at. They are hot. Too bad we can’t be with them. She sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes.

I hated that rule—or better yet, the Law—that said we couldn’t mix species.

Things were different before. People and shifters could mate with whoever they wanted to, even if it was someone from another species. They could freely accept each other and live their fairytale happily ever after. But now, since the war, which lasted centuries, the Elders made a peace pact that forbade mixing or mating between two different shifter communities.

That rule was the cause of too many heartbreaks as many fated mates got rejected because of it, and the heartbreak caused some of them to slowly lose their minds… and some their lives.

He’s watching you.

The guy in the middle was the most gorgeous one of them, and was looking at me like he was deep in thought, and I had no idea why.

I think he likes you, Mandy whispered into my ear, making me blush.

As if he’d heard what Mandy said, he smirked at me, which made me blush even more, if that was possible.

I was trying to get a grip and stop blushing, but I couldn’t help but look over at him again. He and his friends took their trays and walked to a table that was not too far from our table. He took a fry and popped it in his mouth, which was oddly erotic to watch as he chewed slowly. I couldn’t look away.

His muscles flexed, drawing my eyes to his arms as my breath got caught in my throat. Following the movement of his arm as he picked up another fry and put it in his mouth, I saw him smirk and realized I got caught ogling at him. He winked at me and I blushed again before quickly turning back to my table.

I couldn’t help but wish for the ground to open up and swallow me to save me from my embarrassment.

What is wrong with me?

Chapter 3

Shopping

OLIVIA

After school was finally over, Mandy and I said our goodbyes until we would be meeting a little later to go shopping at the mall to get new dresses for my birthday party.

James was waiting for me near his car as I was descending from the front stairs towards him with my books in hands. As he waved me over, I noticed Tyler and Max were with him, and they were all goofing around.

As I headed towards them, I glanced over at the parking lot on the right side of the school and saw the same guys I saw at lunch. The two—blondie and chocolate as I call them due to not knowing their names—were looking at something that seemed to be a phone, while the dark-haired raven guy was leaning against a tree whilst talking on the phone with a frown on his face.

Even when he was frowning, he was attractive. To be honest, I’d never had a guy pique my interest as much as this guy had. I felt my Siren stir inside me the moment I looked at him.

Then he suddenly looked up in my direction and I froze. A lazy smirk started