Page 43 of Moon Fated

But we needed answers.

With a final surge of control, I slammed my fist into the side of his knee, bringing him crashing to the ground with a howl of pain. The fight left his eyes, replaced by the dawning realization of defeat.

I hauled him into the tunnel to get the hell out of whatever mist still hung in the air, then reached down and stripped off his mask.

“Justin.” Evelyn hissed his name, then snatched up what looked like an aluminum pill bottle from the dirt floor.

He looked up at me then, hate mingled with fear, and I knew I had won. Not just the fight but the upper hand in whatever game he thought he was playing. This might be his territory, but he attacked my mate, and that meant he would pay.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Evelyn

The weight of Rowan's presence was a living thing in the cramped room, his strength a palpable force that both grounded me and set my nerves on edge. I leaned back against the wall, trying to steady my breath as I watched him, tall and commanding with those piercing blue eyes that seemed to cut right through the dimness. It was easy to see why the Black Lake Pack followed him so loyally, why I found myself drawn to him despite the chaos swirling around us.

He hauled Justin up and slammed him down onto a chair, yanking his hands back and fastening them with a bungee cord he found in the pantry. “You shift, I tear out your throat.”

Justin winced as Rowan knocked his injured knee. I doubted it was an accident. My wolf howled in approval.

I glanced down at the dagger on the table—the one thing we thought could help us. It was a fake. A decoy. My pulse hammered in my ears, betrayal stinging like a fresh wound. How had we not seen it? How had I let my guard down?

"Start talking,” Rowan growled. He pulled out a chair and sat in front of him.

Justin gave us both a look of disdain.

"Where are they?" I snapped.

"Who knows?" Justin drawled, shrugging as best he could with his restraints. "Wolves disappear all the time."

"Not like this," Rowan countered, his tone icy. "Two from the lower province, two from the north. It's no coincidence." He flipped the metal canister in his hand. It had been sitting outside the door in the tunnel. I wanted a better look at it when we were done here.

"Maybe those wolves just wanted to be free," Justin suggested, his eyes boring into mine.

I swallowed hard. "Stop playing games.”

Justin's eyes glinted, but he said nothing.

"Talk!" Rowan's command echoed off the walls, his power vibrating through me.

"Fine," Justin spat, the veneer of cockiness slipping. "All I know is that the full moon is important. More than usual." His eyes darted to mine, holding a flicker of something unreadable before he looked away.

"Because?" Rowan prompted, his fists clenched, his knuckles white.

"Because it's the August Moon.” Justin spat blood on the kitchen floorboards. “And there's power in that, isn't there? You tell me, Evelyn. It's your birthday soon, isn't it?" His words slithered through the room.

My heart stuttered in my chest, and my blood ran cold. My birthday—how had Nathan woven that into his vile plans?

The memory of Nathan's words clung to me like a shadow as I paced the room, Rowan's gaze heavy on my back. His obsession with the August Moon—a power he believed could unlock ancient magics—suddenly took on a sinister new meaning. August. The month of my birth.

The month Callie was born.

A chill skated down my spine as the pieces snapped together with a clarity that left me reeling.

"Rowan.” I turned to face him. "He knows. Nathan knows I'm here."

Rowan's eyes narrowed, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. Before I could elaborate, a fist pounded on the front door. Rowan whirled, throwing himself between me and the door.

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