ログインEric lowers his head as the men haul the chained beast back into the vehicle, the metal rattling as they force him inside before driving off toward the dungeons. “She can’t be like that,” Aero mutters inside my head. “She just can’t.” I ignore him and walk back through the house. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” he demands. Pieces were beginning to fall into place. I had never heard of Moonshine before that call came through. The pack had always been secretive. They vanished without warning and somehow kept disappearing. Lara had never once seen them shift into their Wolves. Then there was the beast hiding high in a tree, and the strange comments Lara once made about getting their Wolves at thirteen. What if that was what we were missing? Maybe they weren’t disappearing at all. Maybe they were simply climbing higher, hiding in the trees where no one would think to look. I quietly settle into the chair in our bedroom, watching my mate sleep. Was she one of them without even realizi
Kyle Harrington, Beta of the Moonshine pack, stiffened as he finally spoke. “I… I reject you, Lara Wolfhart, as my mate, now and forever.”“I accept!” I muttered quickly, desperate to get it over with. “I accept your rejection, Kyle Harrington.” While I felt nothing, his face twisted in a strange mix of pain and disbelief.Alpha Kael’s lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. “And now…” He pulled a dagger from his jeans and shoved it straight through Kyle’s back and into his heart.Kyle stumbled forward, clutching his chest, and Beta Eric grabbed me from my seat before Kyle hit the floor. Guttural sounds escaped him before he finally went still.Luna Thorne and my brother immediately sprang to their feet.“You… you killed him!” Luna Thorne cried.“He deserved everything he got. I just needed to make sure he rejected Lara properly,” Alpha Kael replied evenly.“You killed my brother!” Luna Thorne shrieked, rushing to Kyle’s side.For a split second, I felt a pang of sympathy for her u
KaelLuna Thorne coughs as my fingers tighten against her throat. Her own fingers desperately claw at my hands, hoping that I would free her. “Are you growing it?” I demand, releasing my grip just enough to let her speak. “No.” She croaks. “Then how did you get your hands on some? Is it Selvara or the other fool that’s growing it?” “I found it!” she mutters hoarsely. “Bullshit!” “It’s… it’s true!” she splutters. “Who were you trying to kill?” I demand. There is movement behind me and from the corner of my eye, I see Lara step forward. “Was it you?” Lara whispers. “Don’t speak to me, RAT!” “Answer her!” I slam her body into the wall again, feeling some of her bones crack as she yelps in pain. “I don’t… know what she is talking about,” she gasps. “Let me make things clear for you. Her parents were killed with Blood of Wolfsbane. The murder was pinned on her, a six-year-old. Your husband claimed she should have known the difference between plants. But you already know all this. So ag
Raven notices my hesitation and offers to come with me. “It’s better that he knows everything you know. And… I’m sorry I snapped at you.” She gives me a small, reassuring smile. She links her arm with mine and asks Alpha Kael to meet us in his office.We wait almost thirty minutes before he appears, and the waiting only makes my panic worse. It’s a reminder of some of the abuse I had endured back in Moonshine. Sometimes, when I knew it was coming, they would make me wait, tormenting me further.“Even I can smell your panic. And I am not an Alpha,” Raven mutters.“I thought my scent was weird.”“It is, which means your panic levels are ridiculously high. You need to relax.”The door swings open and Alpha Kael strides in. “You wanted to talk?” His voice is still cold, and normally, he would be watching me closely. Instead, his eyes are on Raven.“Lara needs to tell you something.” Raven smirks at him.“So why are you here?” he replies.“Support,” she says. He snorts at the word.“I…” I
“You really believe she is our mate? Destined to be with us and no one else?” I ask, the certainty of it crawling through my bones.“You… you haven’t said anything?” Lara whispers, her eyes lowered. Even her little stutter turns me on.“I have a few errands to run,” I say as I stand. She nods her head, as usual, not questioning me, though I feel her gaze follow me as I move out the door. Through the house, I hear my brother arguing with Eric.“You can’t be serious, Eric!” my brother yells.“I am deadly serious,” Eric snaps back. “You think just because you are Kael’s brother, I will let you get away with crap? Not this time. It’s not happening. Regardless of who you are, I outrank you!”“Come on, Eric, I will make it up to you.” I frown. What the hell has he done now? Aero groans. You know Jenson he probably lured Eric’s partner into bed.Pushing the door open, I glare at my brother. “What have you done now?”“Go ahead,” Eric snarls. “Tell him.”“It was ages ago,” my brother pleads.
“Are you going to do that all night?” I turn to see Raven sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Her elbows are propped on her knees, her chin resting on her hands as she watches me with a knowing smile. I hated that I couldn’t scent them.“It’s snow. You’ve seen snow, right? I mean Silverpine Hollow isn’t that far.”“I’ve seen snow,” I mutter, eyes on the falling flakes. The snow was growing heavier, slowly settling on the grass.“Then what’s wrong? I’ve been watching you for twenty minutes, and I can’t figure it out. Is it because of that beast? Don’t worry we’ve got the all-clear. It’s dead.” I didn’t even realize I’d been standing here so long.I hear her footsteps as she moves closer. She stops and links her arm with mine. “You’re not alone here. There’s always someone to help or talk to.” She freezes, then rips her arm away. “You’re not thinking of running, are you?”“No. I’ve just… I’ve never been outside alone.”She grabs my arm again, beaming. “Like I said, Lara, you’re never







