Claimed by the Moon

By L.P. Dover

In his 200 years of life, Zayne Lyall has made his share of enemies. The most ruthless of all being Knox Channon, who seeks vengeance for a pack war that took place over a hundred years ago.

To gain information he can use to bring Zayne down, Knox reconnects with Amelie Graye, a past love who joined the Royal pack Zayne belongs to. Unfortunately, Amelie doesn't know much about the royal arctic... despite a longing within her to be near him.

Amelie and Knox have a tumultuous past that ended after she and her family went rogue following an attack by the Sierra pack. While she has no details to offer about Zayne, Knox sniffing around her leaves his inner wolf snarling.

More than anything Zayne wants to charge in and protect the woman his heart aches for. But he has a secret... and it could cost him everything. Amelie is his fated mate. If Knox were to discover this, he would know hurting her would be the key to destroying Zayne. Torn between his desire to claim Amelie as his own and his ferocious passion to protect her, can Zayne find a way to bring down his malicious enemy? Or will an age old vendetta rob him of a blissful future with his bonded mate?

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.P. Dover
• Release date: Sep 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005176631

L.P. Dover

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.

Book preview

1

ZAYNE

There are days when I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, and right now is one of those times. Keeping watch over Amelie is both torture and yet, a comfort. Leaning against the tree, I cross my arms over my chest and watch her through the living room window. With Christmas coming up in another month, she already has her cabin decked out with Christmas lights all around the porch. She even has her Christmas tree in the living room, decorated with multi-colored lights. Every night she wraps up in a blanket on the couch and reads. Sometimes she’ll sit by the window and look out at the woods where I’m at, but I know she doesn’t see me. She has no clue I’m her mate, but I know she’s mine even though the mating signs haven’t appeared. Hell, I’ve never even said one word to her, but I know everything about her. Opening my hand, I avert my gaze away from Amelie to the smooth green stone in my palm. The magic inside of it shows me one thing and one thing only … her—my mate.

A twig snaps behind me, but I don’t turn around. I picked up on Colin’s presence long before he entered the forest. I knew he was going to come to me, especially after what happened on Thanksgiving. I haven’t spoken to him since that morning.

Thought I’d find you here, he says, keeping his voice low. He comes up closer and leans against a tree, keeping out of sight even though I know Amelie can’t sense us out here. With him being a royal arctic like myself, we can choose to let other wolves pick up on our presence. I rode by your house first, he adds. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him staring at me, waiting for me to acknowledge him. He sighs and speaks again. Didn’t feel like shifting tonight?

Sliding the stone in my pocket, I finally look over at him and shrug. I have my days. Tomorrow I’m leaving to meet a client.

He nods. Yeah, I saw that on your schedule.

Colin’s focus turns to the cabin, and his gaze lands on Amelie. He’s changed so much in the last year. I was his sworn protector after the Yukons attacked the Royal Pack and killed both of our families. My two brothers got away, along with Colin’s two sisters. We all went our separate ways to keep safe and stay hidden. I watched over Colin until he came of age, and now, he’s my business partner at L&S Architectural Design. He’s like a son to me, but he’s been more of a meddling pain in the ass here recently.

Shouldn’t you be with your mate? I ask.

Colin smirks. Kami knows I’m here. We were disappointed you didn’t show for Thanksgiving dinner. What’s crazy is that I felt you close by. Did you get cold feet?

I glare at him. No one told me Amelie was going to be there. Colin and Kami intentionally kept that information from me when I agreed to join them for Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t appreciate the games, I growl low. I know what you and Kami are doing. They’re trying to push Amelie and me together.

Colin’s smile fades. Why are you so afraid to be around Amelie? She’s your mate.

Clenching my fists, I turn back to the cabin. Amelie is beautiful, intelligent, and everything I could ever want in a mate. My wolf burns to be near her, but the wall I’ve built inside of me after losing Alina is proving impenetrable. She wasn’t my true mate or a wolf, but a faerie; I loved her. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to protect her when she needed me, and it’s haunted me ever since. The real tragedy is that I had to leave on pack business, and I didn’t know Alina was pregnant. The Sierra Pack alpha killed her, and he raised my daughter as his own, using her for her fae magic. I’d have given anything to kill the bastard, but my brother, Sebastian, beat me to it. I haven’t fully forgiven him for taking away my vengeance.

I’m not afraid of Amelie, I hiss. I just … With a heavy sigh, I avert my eyes away from her and back to him. You wouldn’t understand. I’ve lived almost two hundred years more than him. I’ve seen and lived through more pack wars than he could ever imagine. Yes, he lost his parents, but so did I, along with many countless others I loved. It wasn’t until I came face to face with my daughter, Laila, that I allowed myself to feel again. And even then, I hate myself for not knowing she was mine. She’s an adult now, mated, and expecting a baby any day now. She has the same red hair as Alina, but Laila has my blue eyes. There’s so much time I missed with her, and I’ll never get it back. I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since. The problem with loving someone so deeply is that when you lose it, it rips you apart. I swore I’d never allow myself to be that vulnerable again. And now, there’s Amelie.

Colin blows out a slow sigh, keeping his eyes on mine. "You’re right. I don’t understand. There are things you’ve been through that I never will. All I’m asking is that you try. This isn’t just your life, but Amelie’s as well. You both deserve to be happy. She is your true mate."

I don’t even know where to begin with her. I can’t just show up on her doorstep and tell her I’m her mate. Clenching my teeth, I turn away from him and look up at the sky. The snow had cleared out hours ago along with the clouds, letting the moon shine its light through the trees. I wish I knew what the hell to do.

Colin huffs and throws his hands in the air. You can be a stubborn ass all you want, Zayne, but you need to sack up and figure out what the hell you’re doing. The Great Luna isn’t going to magically bring Amelie to you. I, for one, know the goddess of the moon likes to make us work for it. I learned that firsthand with Kami. He steps toward me and places a hand on my shoulder. Call me if you need anything.

I nod and watch him disappear into the forest. The darkness is where I’ve been for the past thirty years; it’s where I prefer to be. Amelie is the complete opposite. When I look at her, she’s like the sun, someone who belongs in the light where everyone can see her. But, unfortunately, I don’t know how to be what she needs me to be.

2

AMELIE

Iknew today would be a good day at school. All the kids were excited to see their friends after being gone for Thanksgiving break. However, it did take a lot of effort to get them to concentrate on their schoolwork. Still, I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding job than teaching my second graders. It takes a lot of patience, and there are days when I want to flash my fangs to get them to listen, but I wouldn’t trade my job for anything else.

The day is almost over, and when I glance around the room at my students sitting quietly at their desks, I smile. My desk is covered with Thanksgiving treats, and I look forward to digging into them when I get home, especially the homemade ginger snaps from Kerry. When Christmas comes, my desk will be covered entirely with presents. I enjoy seeing my students’ faces when they come in on their last day before Christmas break with their own wrapped gifts on their desks.

All right, you guys, it’s time to pack up.

The second I say the words, the room erupts in laughter and shuffling papers as the kids gather up their folders and rush to grab their backpacks out of their cubbies. Standing, I cross my arms over my chest and watch them scramble around with such excitement. It feels like an eternity since I was their age and doing the same thing. In human years, I’m in my fifties, but I don’t look a day over twenty-five. When my students ask how old I am, I have to remember what age I gave them. There was a time when I forgot and said the wrong age, but one of my students corrected me. Since then, I wrote my age on a Post-It note and kept it in my desk drawer. This year, I’m twenty-seven. One of Kerry’s pencils slides off her desk, so I walk over and pick it up. She smiles at me with her toothless grin and takes it, shoving it in her pencil pouch.

Thanks, Ms. Graye.

You’re welcome. Thank you again for the ginger snaps. It took everything I had to keep my hands off of them today.

She giggles. I told my mom to save some for you. There’s never any left after we leave my grandparents’ house.

I’ll be sure to send her an email to thank her as well. Ginger snaps are some of my favorites.

Kerry’s eyes brighten. I know. I remember you telling us.

Her words warm my heart, and I ruffle her ponytail. You’re so sweet.

I glance up at the clock, and there are only three minutes left before the bell. Almost time.

Moving back to my desk, I pull my purse out of the bottom drawer along with a plastic bag so I can load up my post-Thanksgiving treats. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see little Matthew coming toward me. I look at him and smile. His backpack is almost as big as he is.

Did you see your family on Thanksgiving? he asks, scratching his nose with the back of his hand. Several kids came in with runny noses this morning, and I’m thankful I don’t get human sicknesses. Some of the other teachers always say how lucky I am. It’s the perk of being a wolf.

I bend down to Matthew’s level. I did. We had a great time. Did you?

He nods. My pawpaw got a turkey coma. He fell asleep after we ate and snored for an hour.

Others in the class snicker, and I laugh along with them. Believe me. I wanted to sleep too. But instead, I decorated my Christmas tree when I got home. I put lots of lights on it.

We’re decorating ours tonight, Mackenzie says, rushing up to us.

Well, I hope you have fun. I’m going to put the outside decorations up today when I get home.

The bell rings, and the kids line up at the door. Don’t forget to do your homework tonight, I say as I lead them out the door. I take them to the school's front, where there’s a long line of parents in their cars waiting to pick them up. I’ll never get tired of seeing their smiling faces as they hop in and wave as they leave the school. There’s something so innocent about them; they don’t know the true nature of the world yet. They’ll never know the truth of what lurks around in the dark. Then again, humans can be just as bad as wolves. I just hope and pray they don’t experience the kind of cruelty I’ve had to endure.

Once all of my kids are gone, I head back to my classroom to grab my things. On the way home, I open my bag of ginger snaps and dig right in, loving the way they practically melt in my mouth. They’re soft and chewy with the right amount of ginger. If I were a human, I’d be five hundred pounds with all the sweets I eat. It’s another perk of being a wolf. Our metabolisms are always on overdrive, so we don’t gain weight like normal humans.

When I get home, there’s a familiar silver sports car waiting in the driveway. As I pull up, Tyla gets out and waves. We’ve always been told we look like sisters, especially with having the same gray eye color and similar hair color. Her hair, however, is curly and mine is perfectly straight. Our mothers were sisters, and they shared the same looks. Tyla and my aunt and uncle are the only true-blooded family I have left in this world. The Sierra pack murdered my parents after I bonded with their alpha, thinking he was my true mate. The guilt of that colossal mistake still hangs heavy on my heart. I try not to think about it, but sometimes the memories play through my head, reminding me of how naïve I used to be. Never again.

Shaking my head, I put on a smile, but Tyla narrows her gaze at me over the top of her car. You okay?

I wave her off. Yeah, I’m fine. Once I get sight of her precious daughter in the backseat, all my worries fly out the window. Brooke’s toothless smile and chubby cheeks warm my heart. She reminds me of a cherub with her angelic face and cute blonde curls. Brooke giggles and reaches for me through the open window, grunting against the car seat restraints. Okay, okay, I’m coming, I say, opening the door.

I unbuckle her belt and pull her into my arms. She lays her head on my shoulder, and I hold her close. She’s missed her Aunt Amelie, Tyla laughs.

Brooke isn’t technically my niece, but I love having the title. We’re family, and it’s all that matters. I kiss the top of Brooke’s head and smile. I’ve missed you too, sweetheart. I need your mommy and daddy to go out on a date so you can stay here with me.

That can be arranged. Tyla reaches into her car and pulls out a glass dish covered in plastic wrap, but I can still smell what’s inside. My stomach growls, and she snickers. She walks over to me and holds up the dish. I’m living up to my promise. I told you I’d make you more stuffing since you didn’t get much on Thanksgiving. Guess I underestimated how much the guys were going to eat.

We both laugh, and I shake my head. Tell me about it. Then again, it was my fault for not grabbing some when I had the chance. But it was fun being around everyone.

Tyla rubs a hand soothingly down Brooke’s back. The little angel has already fallen asleep in my arms. Yes, it was. It’s the first Thanksgiving I’ve had where it felt like I was home.

I nod. Same. I’m looking forward to Christmas now.

Tyla smiles and turns her attention to the cabin, gazing at it with joy. It used to be her home until she mated with Sebastian. Now, they live at his place, and her cabin belongs to me. I used to have two other roommates, Faith and Laila, but they’re mated to their true mates as well. For a short while, Kami Grayson from the Great Plains pack stayed with me while she trained at the FBI academy here in Wyoming. While she was here, she let me in on a magical secret. She can see true mates in her dreams. So when she touches an unmated female, that night she will dream about them and see their true mate. It just so happens she knows who my mate is. A part of me longs to know who he is, but I can’t bring myself to find out just yet. At least I have the comfort of knowing he’s out there.

Tyla jerks her head toward the cabin. Come on, let’s go inside, and I’ll put this in the fridge for you.

She leads the way, and I follow her, carefully holding Brooke against my chest. Once inside, Tyla shuts the door behind me, and I slowly sink onto the couch, hoping I don’t wake the baby up.

Are you still liking it here? Tyla calls out from the kitchen. The sound of the refrigerator door closes, and she comes over to sit across from me.

I do, I answer. I like seeing how everyone’s changing. So many of you are finding your mates.

Her smile falters. You will too, Amelie. I promise it’ll happen soon.

I’m not worried about it, I say to her.

I haven’t told her about Kami’s ability to see true mates and that mine is out there. If Kami knows who he is, then he’s obviously a member of a close pack. He could be part of the Teton pack or, as everyone calls it now, the Royal pack to which I currently belong. Or he could be from the Great Plains pack, which is where Kami’s from. Only now, she’s joined the Royal pack since she’s mated to Colin Storm, an original royal arctic. If my mate isn’t part of the Royal pack or the Great Plains pack, the three others are the Timberwolf pack, the Northwestern pack, or the Red Wolf pack. I know the alpha of the Timberwolf pack well, but I’m not too familiar with the others.

Tyla studies me and tilts her head to the side. Are you seeing someone? I don’t know what it is, but there’s something different about you.

She’s always been very observant, even when we were kids. Brooke stirs in my arms, and I lower my voice. No, I’m not seeing anyone. There was a teacher at my school who asked me out.

Tyla’s face brightens. And?

I roll my eyes. And nothing. He’s human.

She shrugs. So? I was in love with one a long time ago. There’s nothing wrong with finding comfort in a human man. It takes away the loneliness.

Am I lonely? Sometimes, yes, but I know I have a mate. All I want is to meet him naturally and have the mating signs appear on their own. I don’t want to cheat. However, if weeks start to turn into months and then years, I’ll have to get Kami to tell me who he is. She was given the gift for a reason. It just feels like I’m cheating the natural order of things if I take advantage.

I stare straight at Tyla. Don’t worry about me. What you should be worried about is me never letting Brooke leave my arms. I don’t think I can give her back to you.

Tyla shakes her head and lets out a small laugh. Fine. Have it your way. I’ll get her diaper bag out of the car. After that, Sebastian and I will go out to dinner. She stands and stretches her arms over her head. We might have to go out for a run as well. It’s been a while since we’ve done that.

Go, I encourage her. Take all the time you want. Brooke will be fine here.

She walks over and kisses Brooke on the head, staring at her with such love and adoration. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a mother. When Faith and Laila lived with me, they always considered me the mother hen of the group. Guess you can say I was the responsible one out of us all and tried to look out for them.

Tyla lets out a sigh and smiles at me. Thank you, Amelie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Same, I say back. Tyla goes outside to her car and brings in Brooke’s diaper bag, filled with bottles of milk, diapers, and wipes to last for months. That’s Tyla for you, always prepared.

All right, you should have everything here. If you need anything—

I’ll be sure to call you, I cut in, knowing that’s what she was going to say.

Tyla grins. See ya later.

She walks over to the door and glances back at Brooke and me once more before heading out. I slowly stand with Brooke in my arms and bounce her gently as I stop at the window to peer out. Tyla gets into her car and waves when she sees us. Tyla and I are more like sisters than cousins. We’ve been through so much together.

If it weren’t for Tyla and her mate, Sebastian, I wouldn’t be alive. They were the ones who helped save me from Jaret and the Sierra pack. In the end, it was me who delivered the killing blow to Jaret, my mate. I haven’t spoken much about it to anyone. It’s not common for someone to kill their mate, but Jaret was evil and a master manipulator. He had seduced me and made me believe we were true mates. The magic of true mates hadn’t been seen for a long time at that point, so I had no clue what to look for. I just believed him when he said it was so.

When I came to live here in Wyoming, word had spread about me killing my mate. I’ve had several people ask what it feels like when you break the bond. I never really know how to answer. It was a relief to be free of Jaret, but there was still a bond between us. The magic of the moon had joined us together, and when I killed him, it severed it. In doing so, it made a wound inside my soul, but luckily, it healed quickly. I had faith that the goddess of the moon wouldn’t make me suffer after what I went through.

Looking out the window, I smile as thick, gray clouds start to roll in. I can smell the approaching snow. I can’t wait for you to get older and start to walk, I whisper to Brooke. We’re going to have so much fun in the snow.

For the first time in a very long while, I have high hopes for the future. I can’t wait to see what happens.

3

ZAYNE

Istayed in the woods by Amelie’s house until right before