Royal Shifters Series

Book 7: Chase

Last night was the first full moon where I didn’t enjoy my run. My mind wasn’t in it. All I wanted was to be close to Kara. Instead, Arlo stayed to watch over her while I ran with the pack. The others knew something was off with me, but thankfully, none of them asked. I don’t even know what to tell them.

I can hear the front door of my house open, and I already know who it is. Cameron isn’t the type to let things go, so I should’ve known he’d be here first thing this morning. His footsteps draw closer to my study, but I don’t turn around when I sense him at the door. Instead, I keep my focus on the window, on my vineyard down the hill.

“Hey, man,” Cameron calls out. “I was getting ready to head into the restaurant. I thought I’d stop by and check on you. You seemed a little preoccupied last night.”

Still keeping my back to him, I shrug. “I had some things on my mind.”

“Are you okayyy?” he asks, drawing out the word.

I turn around to face him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Cameron’s gaze narrows, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. You tell me. I have a strange feeling your mind is on a certain royal arctic who would try to kill every single one of us if she didn’t have her power stripped away.”

A low growl erupts in my chest, but I bite it back. I have this overwhelming need to defend Kara. “She doesn’t want that.”

Cameron looks at me as if he’s never seen me before. “Are you seriously defending her?”

“Maybe I am,” I say, not ashamed of it in the least. “I’ve known Kara for eight years. She’s not evil.”

Cameron roars with laughter, but there’s no humor to it. “Holy fuck. You’re falling for her, aren’t you?” When I don’t answer, his smile fades. “The pack isn’t going to like this.”

This time I can’t hold in my growl. My wolf rushes to the surface, wanting my second-in-command to know he’s stepped over the line. “They don’t have to like it,” I snarl, my voice a thunderous boom. “I’m the alpha. If the others don’t take my word, then they can listen to my mother. She spent time with Kara, and she trusts her. We all know what gift my mother has.”

Cameron holds his hands up in defeat. “Okay, I get it. All I’m saying is that we trust you not to put us in danger.”

My anger slowly dissipates, and I sigh. “And I won’t. The pack is my family. You just have to trust me.”

Cameron nods. “We do.” His phone vibrates, and he pulls it out of his pocket to look at it. “I have to go. Will you be stopping by the restaurant later?”

I move over to my desk, sit down, and turn on my laptop. “I will. I have a meeting with your sister to go over the books.”

Cameron studies me as if he’s trying to figure out what’s going through my head. If I have no fucking clue, neither will he. “All right. I’ll catch you then.”

He turns to leave, and as soon as he’s gone, I get up and pace the floor. After last night, my mind is all over the place. This immense need to be close to Kara feels like it grows stronger with every second that passes. A slight creaking noise draws my attention upstairs, and I hold my breath so I can listen. I can hear Kara move around in the bed, tossing and turning as if she’s having a bad dream. After everything she drank last night, there’s no way she’ll remember what happened.

Some would say that’s a good thing, but there’s a part of me that wants her to.