Page 23 of Cursed (Blood Moon Pack #1)

A dele and Garek react swiftly, each grabbing one of Ryland’s arms. They try to pull him off Zayne, but he’s too strong. They can’t even budge him.

“Bade, let him go! He’s your brother!” Adele screams. She watches Bade’s grip tighten around Zayne’s throat, while Zayne claws at Ryland’s hands.

Adele panics and turns to Nori, pleading with her, “You need to stop this! He's going to kill his own brother. Please!”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because you’re his Mate, Nori. You are the only one he’ll listen to! Please!” Adele begs.

Nori puffs out a breath. She might be angry with Zayne, but she doesn’t want to see him hurt. She pushes herself up off the floor and walks over to Ryland. Kneeling next to him, she puts one hand on his shoulder. “Bade?”

He turns his head and stares at her, nostrils flaring. Nori looks into his completely black eyes and gently says, “Let him go.”

When he doesn’t move, Nori scoots closer to him, placing both hands on either side of his face. She feels him flinch when she touches the scar, and she gets right in his face. They are almost nose to nose.

Instead of trying to reason with him, Nori tells Aylin, “ Maybe you should speak to Bade. ”

Aylin agrees and pushes Nori aside, taking control of her body.

Bade watches Nori’s amber eyes change to Aylin’s golden eyes, and he grins. In his low, gruff Wolf Voice, he says, “There you are, little one. No one will ever harm you again.”

Aylin sighs and responds in her own, higher-pitched, Wolf Voice. “I love that Wolf Voice of yours, Bade. Now, let him go, please.”

When Bade’s eyes change from black to Ryland’s deep chocolate brown, Aylin gives Nori control again.

Ryland releases his hold on his brother and sweeps Nori into his arms, holding her tightly. Releasing a single sob, he buries his face between her neck and shoulder, dragging her scent deep into his lungs, so thankful she’s alive.

Zayne collapses to the floor, gasping for air and rubbing his throat. Garek and Adele sag against the wall in relief.

Nori’s arms hang by her side as Ryland clings to her, not sure what to do or how to feel about him now. His whole body is shaking against hers. It breaks her resistance when he mutters, “I’m so sorry; so sorry” over and over again. She slowly wraps her arms around his neck and holds him tightly.

Adele gets up and pulls her younger brother to his feet, inspecting his throat.

When she sees the bruises healing, she narrows her eyes and points a finger at his face.

“You need to get on board with this, Zayne! They are truly Mates. Don’t you want that for him after all these years? Don’t you want the curse to be broken?”

Zayne pulls his sister in for a quick embrace. “Yes, Adele. Yes, I do.”

After a moment, Nori looks up at the others. “Maybe you guys should leave. I’ve got him.”

Garek slowly gets up from the floor and joins Adele and Zayne as they file out of the bedroom. The men do their best to prop up the broken doors.

Adele takes one last look at the couple embracing on the floor. She walks out with Zayne and Garek, hoping with all her heart that they both accept this Mate Bond .

Nori holds Ryland tighter and gently whispers, “It’s OK, Ryland; it’s OK. We’re OK.”

After several minutes, Ryland starts to come back to himself. He takes one more deep inhale at Nori’s neck and pulls them apart to look into her eyes. Ryland cups her face and tries to speak, but he’s too overcome with remorse, relief, guilt, happiness—every possible emotion.

The pain in Ryland’s face brings tears to her eyes. Nori places her hands on top of his. “It’s OK, Ryland.”

He drops his forehead to hers. “What I have done here tonight is definitely not OK.”

Ryland scoops her up into his arms and walks to the couch, where he sits with her in his lap.

Nori curls up against his chest, and Ryland closes his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. His entire body trembles with relief that she’s still alive.

Listening to Ryland’s heart beating a mile a minute, Nori places a hand on his chest. “What do you need?” she asks with concern.

Ryland takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “I need...I need you exactly like this, in my arms. Breathing.” What he really needs is to strip her naked, climb inside her, and Claim her. But for now, he’ll settle for holding her in his arms.

His hands roam over her arms, her legs, and through her hair, desperately trying to reassure himself that she’s unharmed. When his fingers graze over her back, a deep growl rumbles out of him.

Nori leans back, looking up at him. “Ryland?” He gazes down into her lovely amber eyes, listening to her soft voice.

“As soon as Beta Garek told me we were in the Blood Moon Pack, I knew being from Starfall was going to be a problem. I used the Mate Bond to buy myself time. Time to explain how awful my life has been, hoping you would let me stay.”

Ryland takes a couple of shaky breaths. “I knew you were using the Bond, Norina, and I was certain you would reject me once I granted you sanctuary.”

He pulls her back against his chest and kisses the top of her head. “But this Bond...” His voice drops lower. “It’s incredibly powerful. After breakfast this morning, I allowed myself to hope that I had finally found the one Mate who could see me and not the scars.”

His body trembles as he continues, “When I read that note, I…I don’t even know how to explain what happened.

The rage took on a life of its own, consuming me.

It didn’t matter what I knew deep down. I believed that Beta, when he claimed to be your Mate, which meant the Bond I felt for you, had to be some sort of trick. ”

Ryland swallows against the ache in his chest. “The fact that you were from Starfall only made it worse. I have wanted to kill Draven for years, ever since he killed my mother. ”

His eyes focus on the ceiling to keep his tears at bay.

“I was careless, and I am so sorry, Norina. I should have stopped. Should have listened. But I didn’t.

When I thought you were dead...” He shudders, hanging his head.

“It was the worst moment of my life. I felt our Mate Bond start to rip apart, and I knew how horribly wrong I had been.”

He continues through shallow, ragged breaths, “Then, miraculously, you were breathing again. I’ve never seen anything like it, and honestly, I don’t care how it happened.” He squeezes her tighter. “I’m just so fucking grateful you’re alive.”

Nori leans into him, and Aylin whispers to her, “ What are the odds that he is our true, Fated Mate? ”

“ I don’t know Aylin. I’m too exhausted to think anymore tonight. ”

Nori lets him hold her for a while longer until his heartbeat returns to normal rhythm. She tilts her head up to look at him. “Come on. We’ve had a very long day. You look as exhausted as I feel. We need to sleep.”

Ryland releases her when she moves to get up. He’s amazed when she grabs his hand and pulls him off the sofa, but then he winces when he sees the blood from his scar on her face and in her hair. “We need to get you cleaned up a bit, first.”

He leads Nori into the bathroom, where he rinses as much blood out of her hair as he can. After towel-drying her hair, he runs warm water over a washcloth. When he moves to clean her face, she leans back. “I can do it.”

“I know, but I want to.” Ryland has a powerful need to touch her as much as possible, having nearly lost her. Nori nods, and he gently erases the blood from her face.

After they finish up in the bathroom, Ryland climbs into bed fully clothed minus his boots. Nori looks at him curiously. “You sleep fully clothed?” She shakes her head. “Never mind. You get some sleep. I’ll take the couch.”

Ryland quickly leans forward, grabbing her wrist. She flinches back at the sudden movement. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t want you to walk away.” He softens his grip on her. “I need you here with me, in my bed tonight, if that’s alright with you.”

He hears her heartbeat quicken. “Just sleep, Norina. And yes, I sleep fully clothed, so my scars don’t mess up the sheets every night.”

Nori looks at him, contemplating his request. “Just sleep. No funny business.”

Ryland smiles for the first time since he burst into the room in a rage. Releasing her wrist, he says, “I swear, just sleep. I need...I need to be as close to you as possible tonight.”

Nori removes her thick leggings and takes a step toward the bed. She backs up. She starts to move forward again, but hesitates .

Ryland can see her thoughts churning. “What are you doing?” he asks, puzzled.

“Hell, Ryland. It’s not like I’ve ever been in bed with a man before. Give me a minute.”

Ryland senses Bade’s shock roll through him when he asks, “ She’s never been with a man? ”

“ That’s not precisely what she said, Bade, but you are likely correct. ”

Ryland reaches for her hand again, slowly this time, trying not to scare her. “Slide into the bed and face away from me.”

Nori follows his instructions, nervously climbing into the bed, turning her back to him.

Once she’s settled, Ryland slowly reaches around her waist and pulls her snuggly against him.

He moves her hair out of the way and rests the right side of his face, this side without the scar, in the crook of her neck.

He tunnels his other arm under her neck, wrapping it around her shoulders.

Once he has her exactly where he wants her, he relaxes into her warm body. “Thank you for this.”

He hesitates a moment, then tentatively says, “I know you must be angry with me and probably frightened, too. I assure you, Norina, I will never lose my temper with you again. You have no reason to fear me.”

Nori shakes her head. “It’s just Nori, Ryland. No more Norina. I hate it. ”

Taking a deep breath, she says, “I can’t promise not to be afraid of you, at least not right now. I’ve lived in fear of powerful wolves most of my life. I don’t know how I feel about almost dying, but I am mildly pissed you broke your promise to me.”

“I know, Nori. I’m so very sorry. No matter what happens with this Bond, I will never break another promise to you.”

Nori sighs, relaxing into the enormous male surrounding her. “Well, in this moment, I am happy right where I’m at. In this big, giant bed with you.”

“Me too.”

“Maybe tomorrow, you can try not to kill me,” she says with a slight chuckle.

Ryland sucks in a harsh breath.

“Too soon?” Nori asks with a small smile on her face.

“Yes, Nori. Way too fucking soon.” He pulls her in tighter and whispers, “Get some sleep.”

Nori closes her eyes, relishing that delicious smell of smoke, whiskey, and cinnamon that is Ryland before she drifts off to sleep.