Page 52 of Moon Fated

As she drifted off to sleep in my arms, a sense of rightness, of completion, settled into my bones. I didn’t have all the answers, but this was exactly where I was meant to be. Where we were meant to be.

Together.

As the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, I extracted myself from Evelyn's warm embrace. She murmured but didn't wake, her face peaceful and content. I could watch her like that for hours, but there was work to be done.

Silently, I moved about the house, gathering supplies. My mind raced with plans and contingencies, mapping out every possible scenario. We were heading into the unknown, and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to Evelyn or our pack.

There was a soft knock at the door at ten, and I jogged as soundlessly as possible over my hardwood floors, opening it for Finn. I stepped out on the porch.

“What do you think?” I glanced down at the metal canister in his hands.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Finn handed me the jar Lyra had given me, the liquid now at a lower level. “Rowan, you have to be careful. I haven’t had enough time to test this.”

I nodded, taking the canister from him. “It works?”

“Yeah. It’s aerosolized. But?—”

“Got it.” I pulled him into a quick hug. It wasn’t that I was hiding this work from Evelyn or my pack, but Lyra had given the jar to me. I’d felt something when our fingers had brushed, not strong enough to be a message, more like an impression. This was for me and me alone.

As soon as Finn left, my thoughts drifted to the night before, to the feel of Evelyn's skin against mine, the taste of her on my tongue. I shook my head, trying to focus.

But even as I strategized and planned, part of me was still back in that bed, holding the woman I loved. The woman I'd die to protect. My mate, in every sense of the word.

I finished my preparations and made us breakfast just as Evelyn began to stir. I felt her awareness surfacing in the other room.

Grabbing the plate with eggs and sausage, I strode back to my bedroom and perched on the edge of the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Morning, beautiful."

She blinked up at me, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Morning." Then she took in my appearance, the packed bags against the wall outside the bedroom door, and her expression sobered. "Is it time?"

I nodded solemnly. "It's time. We have to move." I took her hand, lacing our fingers. "But I want breakfast with you first.”

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Rowan

Every crackle of a branch underfoot felt like the ticking of a clock counting down to the confrontation we were approaching. Evelyn's hand sought mine, her grip tight and grounding. Our footsteps were silent, barely whispering against the blanket of fallen leaves as we advanced toward the geothermal pools through the woods.

Nathan knows I’m here. Evelyn’s words circled back to me. We had Justin, which meant Nathan had to know our plans. From the sounds of it, he’d welcomed them.

That sent ice slipping down my spine. There was so much we hadn’t understood, and we still didn’t have satisfactory answers. I worried we were walking straight into a trap.

I hadn’t wanted Evelyn to come, but she refused to be left behind. Truthfully, I’d had no argument when she’d argued that Nathan might’ve wanted to separate us. I didn’t have any answers, and that was eating me alive. The only thought I clung to was trusting my mate. If I was going to ask her to lead Black Lake with me, then that trust had to start now.

Above us, the moon rose, a massive orb casting an ethereal glow through the trees. Its light seemed to hum with power, coating everything in a silver sheen that made our already heightened senses sing. Energy coursed through me, a torrent of strength and raw dominance that surged to new heights knowing my mate was next to me. Possibly at risk.

Positions, I pushed to my pack, a chorus of affirmatives echoing back to me in a symphony of mental whispers. We moved separately but as one, shadows flitting between the redwoods. Each member knew their role. Tori and Mara rounded north. Jasper moved west and Lana east with their handful of wolves. I was with Evelyn on the south side. Everyone was on the lookout for scouts and Nathan’s enforcers.

Blake had given us all the information he could, which meant we should get through their patrols without an altercation. All of it made me nervous. He’d offered to stay back with Justin, but that sent off warning bells in my head. Kitimat guarding Kitimat? After he’d given us intel? Hell, no. No matter how much Evelyn trusted him, and no matter how much motivation he had to betray his alpha, I wasn’t leaving that much up to chance.

Liam, Finn, and two other enforcers from Black Lake were guarding Tori’s. Jasper had the pleasure of babysitting Blake. If anything went wrong, I trusted my second.

Evelyn stayed close, her presence a constant flame at my side. The connection between us pulsed with every heartbeat, a tangible thing that had only deepened after last night. The memory of her next to me, the taste of her skin, the sound of her pleasure—it all lingered, fueling my need to shield her from whatever darkness we were about to face.

East flank ready, Lana's voice cut through the mental link, her position secure.

West in position, Jasper added.

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