Page 20 of Moon Fated

"Her magic is not bound only to nature itself," Cormac said. "But if she was involved in creating this…" He shook his head. “I don’t know what would compel her to do such a thing.”

“Has anyone in Kitimat met her recently?” Blake asked, and I knew what he was thinking. Why would Callie have this? Callie was curious, but even I didn’t believe she would have gone on a jaunt through the woods to meet a witch.

"Be careful." Marlowe said gruffly, his gaze finally leaving the dagger to meet mine. "Kitimat does not bend easily, even to the likes of witches."

It was the closest anyone had come to pretending I was still a member of the pack. My eyes stung at the corners just as a stone settled in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t witchcraft.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked, his voice low as we slipped away from the clearing. The moon cast dappled shadows across his concerned face.

"Fine," I lied, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me.

"Everything went well?" Celeste asked as we approached the truck.

"Define 'well'," I quipped, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "We have a lead."

“Hey, that’s a start.” Celeste looked so hopeful, I swallowed the next words that wanted to come out of my mouth.

We took our seats, and the truck's tires crunched over the gravel as we pulled away from the wooded enclave. Blake drove in silence, his jaw set in a line that told me he too was processing the night's revelations. My fingers drummed on the windowpane, cooling against the glass.

I watched the trees blur past, their shadows melding with the night, an obsidian tapestry pierced only by the occasional glint of moonlight. The forest of northern British Columbia had always been my haven, and yet tonight, it felt like a stranger.

"Drop you at the hotel?" Blake asked, glancing at me briefly before his eyes returned to the winding road.

"Please.” I nodded. I hoped they weren’t offended that I wasn’t staying with them for more than a night. Blake was probably relieved after what happened in the clearing. Now if Justin stopped by, Blake wouldn’t have to explain why I was sitting in the living room.

Lights began to wink through the trees around us as we passed over Black Lake territory. We pulled into the hotel's parking lot, a nondescript two-story building with a fresh coat of paint.

"Thanks for the ride.” I reached for the door handle.

"Of course. Call if you need anything," Blake replied, but I was already stepping out into the crisp night air. I gave a small wave and slung my backpack over my shoulder, the dagger tucked safely inside.

The hotel's lobby was empty, save for the night clerk who barely glanced up from her book as I checked in. Her disinterest was oddly comforting. I took the keycard and made my way to door 217.

Inside, the room was just as unremarkable as the rest of the building—beige walls, a bed with a quilted comforter, and a solitary painting of a lake at sunset. But it was the silence that eased my anxiety.

I shed my jacket and boots, and moved almost mechanically, washing my face and brushing through my hair. It was then that Rowan pushed his way back into my thoughts. Why had he jumped into my conversation with Justin? Did he think I couldn’t handle myself?

The way he looked at me…

My blood heated just thinking about it. He was alpha of Black Lake. I had so many questions for him. Nathan had told me plenty about who Rowan was, but there wasn’t much that came out of his mouth I believed anymore.

I’d spent months in Seattle trying to untangle the lies from truth. I still didn’t understand why Nathan had challenged our alpha. I didn’t understand why my parents chose to side with him instead of staying with Black Lake. They hadn’t been willing to answer my questions then, and I doubted they’d open up now. Especially since I may as well have been a stranger to them.

I pulled back the covers and was about to slip into bed when a deafening knock shattered the fragile silence of my hotel room, jerking me out of my thoughts. My pulse spiked, the instinctual side of me rising to the fore as I sprang from the bed, every muscle tensed for action.

"Who is it?" I called, wary. But there was no response—only another urgent pounding that seemed to echo the racing of my heart.

I approached the door slowly, the grain of the cheap carpet rough against my bare feet. The hotel had felt like a safe haven moments before. Now, the four walls felt restrictive, the shadows lurking in corners suddenly too dark, too deep.

Gripping the handle with one hand, I had no choice but to reach for my wolf, letting her senses enhance my own. After what happened in the trees earlier, the idea of relying on her sent my heart into palpitations. Would she run? Fight? Try to hump something?

I closed my eyes and took my chances.

The scent under the door nearly knocked me off my feet.

“Evelyn, it’s me. Rowan. Can you open the door, please?”

Chapter

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