Renounced: The Shelean Moon, Book Two Read online

  Renounced

  The Shelean Moon, Book Two

  J. Lilley

  Opal Moon Press

  © Copyright 2017 J. Lilley

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  Published by: Opal Moon Press

  PO Box 224

  Middleburg, FL 32050

  OpalMoonPress.com

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  Cover by LKO Designs

  Formatting by AG Formatting

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  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  OpalMoonPress.com

  To Rach for getting Shalea started.

  To Markus, Evangeline, and Sebastian for when you are older.

  To the rest of the family to remind you of your teens.

  To everyone at Opal Moon Press, and to Kathy, my fantastic editor. The mistakes are all mine.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  About the Author

  Note From The Publisher

  Renounced

  The Shelean Moon, Book Two

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  Donny and Leira has known each other all their lives.

  But Leira is not prepared to let Donny decide her fate for her. She will choose her mate and it's not that annoying leopard. However, when danger closes in all around them, threatening the very heart of Shalea, Leira has a decision to make.

  Donny has always known Leira was the one for him. Convincing her is another matter. When his loyalties are tested and danger abounds, can he stand back and let Leira choose for herself?

  Will they have a future together?

  1

  An adult.

  She really didn’t feel like it.

  Leira stretched out in the sunshine in the tiny glade. The trees filtered the heat and created dappled patterns on the ground. Here—in this patch of warmth—she could relax, and let her thoughts roam. This was her glade—her private place.

  It was true that she loved to run with the others, splash in the river, jump from rock to rock and soak that annoying Donny, but not here. Here it was just her and her thoughts—with no one to listen in and no one to intrude. It was a place to sort things out in her mind, and she really needed that at the moment. Her family and the Sept accepted this and accommodated her with the privacy she craved…usually.

  A scraping noise alerted her to someone else about; she swung around, her senses on high alert, and stood with her fur on end.

  I’ll kill him.

  Donald Farriday, how dare you come here? This is my place. Her body quivered with fury. If he spent much time there, she’d never be able to work out what she wanted without thoughts of him and what he intended interfering.

  Just as she’d sensed, he loped out of the trees and shook himself. His markings were bright in the sunlight—all leopard.

  All stupid, macho, I’m Mr. Big leopard. Aargh. What next? She didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  I came to wish you a happy sixteenth birthday, Leira— and to claim you as my own.

  Bite me. No chance. I’ll never belong to anyone other than me. Why couldn’t he get that into his thick head?

  His growl of amusement rolled around the clearing. She wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his jowls. Whoever said leopards couldn’t smile was dead wrong. They could, and boy Donny did.

  Bite you, Leira? Oh, I intend to, and soon. Then, we will belong to each other—that’s my promise and my oath.

  Leira was so incensed with him that she knew if she weren’t careful, she’d scream—loudly. As she vibrated with anger, she forgot the basic tenet to never shift in front of others unless absolutely necessary. Although the shimmer zone was a concealment during shifting, it had always been considered a very personal thing. Shifting with others usually only happened if the group needed to be together for protection.

  Oh, our gods. Leira realized what she had done when she stood with her hands…not her paws, on her hips instead of fur…in front of that stupid, grinning leopard. She closed her eyes, gave a swift apology to their gods, and then got over it. She’d done it—it had happened, and she couldn’t do anything to change that. What she could do was give Donny-Flipping-Farriday a mouthful, and she intended to…when he reappeared. She’d only closed her eyes for a second, and he’d made good his getaway—the coward.

  Just like a male when the going gets tough—turn tail.

  I remembered to change alone.

  She turned and wished the ground could open up and swallow her. He was back, and all a girl could want. Tall, dark, fit, and… Don’t go there, I don’t want him—remember? Oh liar, liar, pants on fire.

  The look he gave her wasn’t very pleasant, and she blushed. Okay, she knew she’d done the wrong thing, but the earth wasn’t shaking, so Leira guessed the gods forgave her.

  Ohh hoo, Mr. Perfect. Dammit, she really needed to think before she opened her mouth and put both size fives into it. The look he gave her made her feel about two feet tall.

  “For goodness sake, Leira,” Donny said. His tone was the sort you’d expect to hear a mum use on a recalcitrant toddler, and she cringed.

  “I’m not perfect, nowhere near,” he continued in that same over-patient voice. “However, I try to follow our entire creed when I can. You’re young. You’ll learn.”

  Patronizing git. Who does think he is?

  “Your partner to be, and in time your brother’s right hand.”

  Oh shit. She hadn’t meant to project that. It sometimes scared her how attuned she and Donny were to each other. It was a bit exciting too—but no way was she going to let him know that—he was way too full of himself anyway. Instead, she went for nonchalance, and it would have worked except for one thing—a tiny, insidious voice in her head that urged her to remember the way he’d betrayed her—betrayed them all and sided with the group of Shaleans who wanted to harm the Shalean Sept.

  “Yeah, so much that you’ve aligned yourself with those Rogue idiots. You let them take my friend—Brios’s friend. I don’t trust you.” Leira winced inwardly. She hated that note of hurt in her voice. “I don’t much like you and heck, I don’t much like the Sept right now either. Now that you’ve done the happy birthday bit, you can lope off and leave me in peace.”

  Donny shook his head. Leira wanted to snarl and growl. Yes, she knew now that she was sixteen—and an adult—she’d better stop doing suc
h juvenile stuff. Well, not exactly stop, maybe do it in a more grown-up sort of way. She shook her head slowly like she’d seen her mum do when her dad annoyed her.

  “Er, what are you waiting for? I’m having some me time here. That means myself, and well—me. No one else. So, if you’ll excuse me?” Leira raised one eyebrow. She’d been practicing it in front of the mirror ever since she’d seen it in an old film.

  “No, I don’t. Excuse you,” Donny replied. “There’s no need to be rude, Lei, and you know it. What I’m saying is the truth—something we can’t change.”

  His smile infuriated her. “I didn’t say it wasn’t the truth.” She managed to talk to him as if he were a six-year-old and was rewarded when he scowled. “However, nowhere in our creed does it say I have to accept you. So get used to that.”

  Donny laughed at her. His snit must have been short-lived. The expression on his face was enough to make anyone long to push him into the river. Especially, as he looked her up and down a bit like her dad did when he didn’t like what she was wearing.

  She suddenly realized she was in her PJs—the ones with red teddy bears all over them.

  Ah, shoot. Well, in my defense when I changed to run, it was just for me, and I didn’t think to get dressed properly.

  Donny would just have to get over it. The PJs were clean, decent, and comfy. She looked down and blushed.

  Um, and maybe they were just a wee bit small? There was an awful lot of leg that showed, and she’d better not breathe too deeply, or she’d give him an eyeful.

  Tough. I didn’t ask him to follow me…well, he’ll just have to look the other way or something if he doesn’t like it.

  “Donny.” She was mortified, even if she was trying not to show it. “You’re a real prick. Do you know that?”

  “Wash your mouth out, Leira.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Donny…” She tried to be cool, calm, and polite like her mum had advised her, but it wasn’t easy—especially with someone so sure of himself. She just had to tell him her thoughts. “You sound like my dad. For God’s sake, you’re eighteen not thirty-eight. Lighten up, and let me enjoy my birthday. Cause there’s not a lot of chance of me doing that if you keep popping up and mumping at me.”

  He didn’t even look sorry. “I’m not mumping, Lei—I’m lov…Er…looking out for you, and you know it. And to be honest…”

  “Oh, yeah.” She was angry. There was no way she would let him get away with that sort of rubbish. “Looking out for me,” she repeated. “Crap. As for being honest. Why don’t you just do that? Hah. You being honest usually means slagging me off. Well, go on then…why not? Don’t change the habits of a lifetime.”

  He looked at her, his face grave. “You’re talking about things you’re too young to understand, Lei. You need to trust—trust Shalea and our creed.”

  Bloody Shalea and its creed. At that moment, she really felt that she hated Shalea. Every last thing about it annoyed her, and she knew she’d had enough.

  “I’m going to renounce,” she said and watched his eyebrows shoot up in astonishment.

  “What?” He sounded absolutely gobsmacked as well he might. She was shocked too. Where had those words come from?

  Strangely it didn’t make her feel smug and happy as she thought it would. More a bit ashamed of herself.

  “Don’t be stupid.” Donny shook his head. “Of course you won’t renounce.” He sounded so sure of that fact, it pissed her off even more.

  “Why is it stupid?” She hated that word. “Just because you don’t like it does not make it—or me—stupid. If you think it does, then it’s you who’s the stupid one, not me.”

  “You’re wearing pajamas for one thing.”

  “Yeah, and your point is?” She knew her face was as red as the teddies on the darn things. Damn him.

  “So, if you renounce…you’ll need to walk home in them.”

  “Then…I’ll renounce when I get home. Now, if you’ll excuse me…I’d like to shift—alone.”

  Darn him, he’s laughing again.

  “Why?” he asked dryly. “You didn’t worry last time.”

  Leira counted to ten. It was that or slap him. “Last time I was annoyed with you. This time I’m more aware.” Her voice was stiff. She sounded like her best friend, Rach, when she was annoyed with Brios. Brios might be her brother, but Leira was on Rach’s side every time. He could be as irritating as Donny sometimes.

  She watched him turn away from her.

  “Change then.” His voice had a nasty hint of challenge in it. She walked backwards into the forest, dodging trees and bushes by instinct, as she headed for the track.

  No way am I doing it to obey him—do it once, and he’ll think he’s won.

  “I’m changing because I want to—not because you said,” she called as she moved away.

  She heard his laugh.

  Aargh.

  Once she was in the trees and out of his sight, she stood and changed with ease. The more she did it, the easier it got. Even with the shimmer zone, Leira still felt more comfortable moving somewhere private to shift. It showed how annoyed she’d been earlier when she’d shifted in front of him.

  Leira, you’re being childish.

  She blocked her thoughts from him. Luckily as a Shalean got older, they became more attuned with the ways of the Sept. Blocking someone or something was easier.

  Leira, what on earth is happening? Donny is so pissed, he’s making my mind rattle. What’re you doing to him? Now, her brother was getting in on the act. She was annoyed. How dare Donny project to Brios about her—this was between them.

  Get out of my mind, bro. You’re as big a moron as that other moron.

  Leira shook her body until her fur settled down the way she liked it, and then she began to move—but not towards home. Right at that moment, she didn’t want to deal with either her family, or Donny. She knew Donny could easily track her. He was nearly as good as Brios in that department, which was probably why he’d been chosen to act as her brother’s right hand once Brios took over the Sept. Even so, no way would she make it easy for him.

  Hey, girlfriend…what are you doing to those boys? Brios said Donny is doing his head in—big time. Which means Bri is doing mine in.

  Rach had zoned in on her.

  He’s doing in big brother’s head? Ha. You should be in my paws. I could swing for him, and try to knock some sense into him. He’s an arse. Where are you?

  I’m waiting for you at your house to give you your birthday present.

  Ohhh, a present. Great, I’ll be back in five. They could meet up once she’d changed out of her PJs and into jeans and a top that fit properly.

  She ran back to the house in a steady lope using the paths that crisscrossed her family’s land. Leira knew she was lucky. As Shaleans they needed places to shift, and as leopards, they needed places to run and here they had both. Being a girl, she needed her own space sometimes, and her mum and dad had given the glade to her. That was another reason to be so annoyed with Donny. The glade was her place and the family all respected that.

  But not Mr. Big He-Man, Donald Farriday. Oh no, he just pads in like it’s his right. Leira dismissed the fact that maybe she quite liked the idea. She was so not going to think like that.

  She went into the house using a back door, then made her way up to her room. Once there she shifted in private. The first few times she’d changed back from leopard to human she’d cried—it had hurt so much. Now it was a lot easier as long as she focused. This time though, she was so churned up by her encounter with Donny that her concentration was shot—and it hurt. She wanted to cry out as her bones rearranged. Only the fact that the others in the house might sense it kept her breath slow and the tears from falling. She would make him pay for it one day.

  In record time, Leira took a quick shower, tugged a hairbrush through the tangles, found a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt with a picture from the Sheep & Wolves movie on the front. Once she’d shoved her feet into
a pair of flip-flops, Leira decided she was ready to go downstairs.

  Her mum, dad, Brios, and Rach were waiting in the lounge. Unfortunately, so was Donny.

  “Happy birthday, love.” Her dad kissed her and gave her a big hug. “The rest of your presents are on the table.” Leira got hugs from her mum as well as Brios and Rach. She turned away as Donny approached. Never in a million years was she going to let him hug her.

  “Leira,” her dad sounded cross. “That’s rude. After all—”

  “After all,” she said and butted in. She knew she was being ruder than ever, but she’d had enough. “Donny is not family—or a friend. Not only that, he intruded in my glade. My glade, Dad—my own place. I’m sick of his interference. I’m sick of him.”

  Her dad looked amused, which annoyed her even more. Why did everyone think they always knew best? Surely, it was up to her to make her mind up as to what she wanted to do and how…learn from her mistakes and grow up into a well-rounded, kind and thoughtful individual.

  “Tough.” It was Donny who spoke. “Get used to it, Leira. You know why.”

  Right, that’s it. I’m getting him out of my life. In fact, I’m going to do more than that. She’d been thinking about it for weeks. Now, suddenly, she understood it was time.

  “I renounce Shalea.” She knew her words were sincere, and by the shocked looks on everyone’s faces, it showed they realized it as well. “I’ve had enough. I’m going to live a bog standard ordinary life. No you are my partner rubbish. No, you’re mine. Nothing. I just want to do what anyone else my age does—work hard, enjoy myself, go on dates, and just be a normal sixteen-year-old.”