Awakened by the Moon

2. Raelynn

2

RAELYNN

It’s early afternoon on a snowy day in Silver Springs, South Dakota. You’d think a small town wouldn’t be exciting, but it totally is. Most jobs I take are in the bigger cities of South Dakota. Luckily, I scored one around my sleepy little town this time. Being a private investigator is exciting at times, and it can also be heart-wrenching. However, today, there is no crying to be done by my client. Amanda’s anger is so palpable it’s as if I can see it spreading out from her body. She knows exactly what we’re going to find when we get to our destination. I saw her husband’s Ford Explorer at his girlfriend’s house just ten minutes ago. Amanda wants to see the cocksucker’s betrayal with her own eyes. It’s why she hired me.

We pull down the street to the girlfriend’s house, and Amanda sucks in a breath the second she sees her husband’s SUV. I drive by and park at the end of the road while Amanda fumes beside me. She hasn’t attempted to jump out, but I’m ready to grab her if need be. Catching your significant other with someone else can cause people to do crazy, impulsive things. I don’t envy human relationships at all. One of the reasons I love being a wolf and finding my true mate is that he’ll always be loyal and faithful to me. I don’t have to worry about him sneaking off to be with someone else.

Amanda turns away toward the window, and I can see her reflection in the glass. “I felt stupid for even hiring a PI. I thought I was just being paranoid, but with my husband having to go out of town all the time, it struck me as odd.”

“I’m sorry, Amanda. I wish you didn’t have to see this.”

She angrily wipes away her tears and looks at me with sad, chocolate-brown eyes that match the color of her long, silky hair. “No, I need to. I have to see the traitorous son of a b***h myself.” Amanda is a beautiful and down-to-earth woman that I’ve gotten to know well over the past few weeks. I don’t see how her husband could ever want to cheat on her. Amanda glares at the house and huffs. “Who is she, Raelynn?”

It didn’t take long to dig up the information on her husband’s mistress. “Her name is Olivia Jansen. She’s twenty-five years old and just moved to town from Brookings. No kids, and she cuts hair for a living.”

Amanda scoffs. “That’s why I don’t know her.” Her jaw tenses so hard I can hear her teeth grind. “She’s ten f*****g years younger than me.”

Wolves don’t age the way humans do, so ten years is nothing in the shifter world. But, with humans, it can make a huge difference. In Amanda’s case, I think she looks fantastic at thirty-five. Hell, I’m thirty-five in human years but I still resemble a woman in her mid-twenties. I won’t look like I’m in my thirties until I’m over a century old.

Amanda’s a nurse who takes excellent care of her body. Of course, I’m assuming her long work hours might have something to do with her husband cheating, but that’s not an excuse.

Amanda leans her head back against the seat. “Tell me about your love life,” she says to me. “I need to hear something good.”

I feel bad saying how amazing my life is, considering the situation we’re in. It honestly and truly is. I look over at her, and she smiles.

“Go on. I promise I won’t be too envious.”

“Well,” I begin, “I moved to South Dakota back in October. I’ve made a lot of new friends, and it’s been great.”

Her gaze lands on my hand. “I’m assuming no husband?”

I shake my head. “No husband.”

She lifts her curious eyes to mine. “That’s shocking considering you’re gorgeous. I’d give anything to have your silky blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. Guys probably literally fall at your feet.”

“Definitely not,” I say, laughing. “The guy I’m dating wouldn’t like that too much. He’s the Chief of Police at the Silver Springs PD.”

Amanda sighs. “I bet that has its perks. Does he ever help you on your jobs?”

“Sometimes,” I confess. “If I have to go into a shady part of town, Soren likes to be with me to make sure I’m protected.” Even though I can protect myself.

Amanda’s eyes sadden when she focuses on her husband’s car. “I’d hold onto that one if I were you.”

I plan on it.

His name is Soren Blackridge, alpha of the Black Hills pack and my soon-to-be mate when I decide to complete the bond. For years, Stark, Dany, and I traveled around the United States, trying to keep our royal heritage a secret. It’s dangerous to be an unmated royal female right now. Hell, it always has been. Now that I’ve found my mate, it’s a relief to be able to settle down finally. Stark has been mine and Dany’s protector, and I’ve hated being a burden to him all these years even though he never made me feel as such. I’m just happy to have a family now, a place where I belong. It was meant for me to find Soren.

The door to the house opens, and Amanda jumps to attention, her lethal gaze on the darkened doorway. When her husband walks out, I’m prepared to grab her arm to keep her in the car, but she doesn’t move. Instead, she clenches her fists and looks away.

“Please take me home, Raelynn.”

Slowly, I pull away and drive down the street. In the rearview mirror, I watch Amanda’s husband kiss Olivia and walk down to his SUV. I’d give anything to grab him by the balls and sling him across the yard. Slimy bastard. “Are you going to be okay?”

She nods but keeps her eyes on the road. “Yes. I’m not going to let my husband drag me down any longer. He’ll get what he deserves.”

We arrive at her house, and she gets out. “Amanda, I want you to call me if you need me.”

Amanda leans her elbows inside of the door. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for everything.”

She runs into the house, and before I can even back out of the driveway, I watch her toss her husband’s things into the front yard. Shirts, shoes, pants, and even a lamp fly out into the pile. By the time he gets home from work, the snow will have ruined everything. Amanda is furious now, but sooner or later, she’ll feel the pain of his betrayal. They have ten years of marriage that just got decimated in a single act. My heart hurts for her.

It only takes a few minutes to get home, and my phone rings the second I shut off my car. A smile lights up my face when I see Soren’s name. “Hello, hello,” I answer.

“Do you need me to kick that husband’s a*s?”

Laughing, I walk over to my porch swing and sit down. “I can handle that myself if it comes down to it. There wasn’t even a confrontation. I dropped Amanda off at home, and she went straight to throwing her husband’s things out into the yard.”

“Serves him right.” Soren chuckles. “So, question … are we going out to dinner tonight or staying in?”

“Oh, I totally forgot something,” I say sheepishly. “I promised Dany we’d watch a couple of episodes of Outlander tonight. It’s kind of a girls’ night kind of thing.”

Soren laughs again. “Okay, I understand. We have been spending a lot of time together. You two have fun. I’ll stop by later tonight to tuck you in. Does that sound good?”

“Sounds perfect. See you then.” We hang up, and I smile. It’s going to be a fantastic night.