Page 57 of Vicious Luna

“So just give up my humanity and let him take over?” I scoff, the sarcasm thick in my tone.

She gives a little shake of her head, pinching her lower lip between her teeth again. Fuck, every time she does that, it makes me want to cross the room, free her lip, and sink my own teeth into it.

“That’s not how it works,” she sighs. “You’ll still be you, just…more. Trust me, you don’t want to have a wolf that isn’t fully integrated. Most shifters master their wolf, but a few of them never do, and the results can be catastrophic. Just ask my aunt.”

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that as soon as you let me outta here,” I grumble.

Her lips curl into a grin, eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s cute that you think I’d let you go.”

“Why not?” I fire back. “I letyougo, didn’t I?”

“Only after weeks of mindfuckery.”

“Please,” I scoff. “You know you gave as good as you got.”

The corner of her mouth kicks up as we stare at one another for a long moment. This might just be the first honest conversation we’ve had, and it’s…nice. For a second, I almost forget I’m being held captive in this cell and the two of us are at odds with one another.

Her smile fades, throat bobbing with a swallow as her gaze flickers down to the floor again. “What happened after I left?” she asks quietly.

My chest constricts as a kaleidoscope of bloody memories flash through my brain. “Pretty sure you can guess,” I mutter.

She glances back up at me, her eyes slowly roaming over my form to take in the dried blood and still-healing bruises painting my copper skin. “Well, that explains why you look like hell,” she remarks. “But it looks like Ares gave you some clean clothes, at least.”

I jerk a nod. That must be the name of the redheaded asshole who tossed me in this cell, spouting all kinds of threats of bodily harm along the way. He seemed particularly fond of Avery, if his rambled promises of retribution for her kidnapping are anything to go by, which only made me despise him more. Not that I have any right to be jealous. Anything between her and I was merely a product of her captivity; a twisted game that went too far.

“I’m not gonna say you didn’t deserve a taste of your own medicine,” she continues, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “but at least you were able to get out.”

I grunt in agreement, meeting her eyes again. A swirl of gold flares to life in her irises, followed by a harsh tugging sensation in my chest.Damnit, why do I simultaneously want to choke the life out of this girl and fuck her senseless?

“My dad said I wasn’t his,” I blurt.

Her brows pinch together in confusion. “Huh?”

I rake a hand through my hair, sighing. “You said it’s genetic, right? Well, the man who I thought was my father said he wasn’t. After I turned into…this. So, I guess whoever my real dad was must’ve been one of you.”

She nods slowly, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she considers my admission. “Could’ve been your mom,” she suggests with a shrug.

“Not unless werewolves die of cancer.”

She sucks in a breath, eyes rounding in sympathy. “Sorry,” she whispers.

I shake my head, grumbling, “It was a long time ago.”

Another long pause settles between us as I pick at the edge of a fingernail, dried blood flaking away. “She’s the reason all this started, you know,” I murmur. “When she was on her deathbed, she started babbling about werewolves existing, and my dad latched onto it. After she died, he made it his mission to find out the truth.”

“And you just blindly went along with it?” she asks, lip curling in disgust.

“He was all I had left. We moved around so much that I was never able to get close with anyone.”

I don’t know why the hell I’m suddenly baring my soul to the person holding me prisoner, but something about this girl has me wanting to spill my secrets. Maybe it’s just some innate need to get them off my chest prior to my inevitable demise.

“Why did you come here, Cam?” she asks, tilting her head to study my face like she’ll somehow find the answers there. “You had to know it wouldn’t end well for you.”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I just did.”

Avery blows out a shaky breath, shifting her weight and pushing up from the floor. She brushes off her shorts, turning to place her hand on the doorknob while glancing back at me over her shoulder. Her lips part as if to speak, but then she snaps her mouth shut, shaking her head sadly and pulling the door open to leave.

As soon as it snicks closed behind her, a desolate ache takes root inside my chest, pathetically longing for her to return. There’s no guarantee she ever will. The next time that door opens, it could be my executioner that steps through, but that’s the chance I took in coming here. At least I was able to get some of the answers I was seeking.

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