All Chapters of Moon Madness: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I glare at him.He ignores me completely, which honestly makes me want to kick him harder.I refuse to move first.So naturally, Aiden does.He walks toward me with calm confidence, like this meeting was inevitable from the second he rolled onto Red Ridge territory.“So it’s Evans,” he says smoothly, like he’s finally solved a puzzle that’s been bothering him."Hale."The corners of his mouth twitch slightly.He steps closer, lowering his voice enough that only I can hear over the noise of trainees unloading gear nearby."We came to Red Ridge for networking," he says lightly. "Exchange pleasantries with your friend Tara."His gaze drags slowly over me, taking in the combat clothes, the boots, the ponytail."Running into you?" His mouth curves. "That's what I'd call excellent odds.""You're assuming I care.""No," he replies calmly. "I'm assuming you didn't expect me to find you twice."That lands harder than it should.Behind me, Mike watches the exchange with increasing amusement."Wa

The mat clears, but the strange tension hanging over the field doesn’t disappear with it.People drift back toward the water coolers and equipment tables in loose groups, talking louder now that the sparring rounds are over, but the atmosphere still feels charged. Wolves keep glancing toward the mat like they’re replaying the fight in their heads and trying to figure out why it felt different from the others.I can feel the attention following me as I walk toward the water station.Not just curiosity anymore. Respect too. Interest. The sharper kind of awareness wolves give something they suddenly recognize as dangerous.June notices it immediately.They’re looking differently now.I grab a bottle of water from the cooler and take a long drink, pretending not to notice the watching eyes scattered around the clearing. Dust clings to everyone’s boots after hours of training, and the late afternoon air smells like sweat, dirt, pine, and wolf.Across the field, Aiden notices all of it too.

We don’t speak until we’re past the outer ring of tents.The sounds from camp fade the farther we walk—laughter, crackling firewood, somebody yelling over a card game near the main firepit. Out here, the air feels cooler. Cleaner. Pine and smoke and damp earth.I fold my arms across my chest mostly because I need something to do with my hands.Aiden walks beside me in silence for another few seconds before finally speaking.“You enjoy that?”I glance at him. “Enjoy what?”“Pushing me.”A quiet laugh slips out before I can stop it. “You don’t get jealous, do you? I thought Alphas were above that.”He steps a little closer automatically.Not touching.He never touches first.“Jealous?” he repeats evenly. “No.”Liar.The word hangs between us so obviously that my mouth almost twitches.Inside me, June stirs restlessly.Maddox answers immediately.The shift in the air is subtle, but now that I know what it feels like, I can’t ignore it anymore.“You flared earlier,” I say quietly.“So did

The camp feels different in daylight.It should feel the same. The tents are still scattered across the frost-damp grass, training mats rolled out beside them, smoke lingering from last night's fire while people walk around carrying paper cups full of terrible camp coffee.But something feels off.The younger wolves notice it too. They're quieter during breakfast, sticking closer together than usual while the older shifters keep scanning the treeline like they're waiting for something to move between the trees.Even the air smells wrong underneath the smoke and coffee.Metallic.June sharpens instantly inside me before I fully understand why.Near the edge of camp, a few warriors stand talking in low voices. Mike's posture is tighter than normal. Hunter isn't smiling. Matt keeps glancing toward the woods every few seconds like he's expecting bad news to come walking out of it.Then one of the younger wolves blurts out, "I swear I saw something near the tents last night."The mood shif

Tara is pacing.Which is never a good sign.She's wearing a path into my bedroom floor while aggressively texting Hunter every three seconds like she's negotiating a hostage situation instead of a mating ball."You need to relax," she says.I'm sitting cross-legged on my bed staring at her like she's personally betrayed me."I am relaxed."June snorts inside my head.Liar."I just need to know one thing," I say calmly."You've asked me the same thing seventeen times.""I counted fifteen.""Seventeen.""Details."Tara throws herself dramatically onto my rug. "Hunter already said they were supposed to go to the Seattle ball. The one with the Waterfront pack. That was the original plan.""Was," I repeat sharply.She winces immediately."Yes. Was.""Define was."She groans into the carpet."Hunter said he changed their minds. He wants to come here instead."My stomach drops.Of course he does.Because Tara is here.Which means—"He's bringing them, isn't he?"Tara doesn't answer right awa