Page 16 of Ruthless Moon

Maybe it’s different if Emma is a witch?

Finn would be smart to hide the marks if he has them—and the bond. My father uses everything to his advantage, and if he thinks Finn’s loyalty is divided because he found his fated mate, he won’t hesitate to put pressure on Finn by threatening Emma.

It’s the same reason I’m terrified of my father finding out about Liam.

The rope finally comes loose beneath my fingers and falls from Meredith’s feet. She scrambles to stand, pulls her blue bathrobe tighter, and shifts from foot to foot on the ground. Shale bits mixed with underbrush isn’t great for bare feet. “You need me to write it, but it’s unnecessary for me to cast it. What happened to the girl? Exactly.”

I curl my bare toes into the ground and rise to stand next to Meredith.

A low rumble vibrates from Liam’s chest.

I know he’s not pleased that I’m naked, but there’s nothing I can do about that right now. I’m not leaving Meredith alone with any of them. And I’m not shifting back into my wolf right this second.

Jace reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small piece of folded white paper and hands it over to Meredith, careful to keep his gaze averted from me.

It doesn’t help, though. Liam’s growling continues to get louder.

She squints in the dark to read it.

“Liam, do shut up your wolf, please. The growling is grating my already frayed nerves.” She gives him the order like it’s nothing, like she’s used to bossing around full-grown werewolf males on a regular basis. I’ve never seen her act like that around my father.

Then again, no one would survive acting like that around my father.

Now that I know she’s worried about her daughter, her presence makes more sense. I wonder what my father knows about Meredith and her daughter and Finn and anything that’s going on surrounding them. Does he know about their connections to the O’Connor pack?

I stare at Liam.

I shouldn’t be looking at him, but I can’t pull my gaze away. The man next to him is quiet but observant. His gaze keeps flicking from me to Liam, to Meredith, and then back around again like an invisible game of duck duck goose.

Liam gives one final snarl, hands his rifle to the man next to him, and then pulls his flannel shirt off over his head. He takes a step forward and tosses me the shirt. “Please.”

I catch it, and can’t help but stare at the now bare, hard planes of his chest. The mere sight of him sends a hungry pulse through my veins. My body responds to him, aching for his touch, his embrace.

His figure is rugged and hewn to tempt me into doing something foolish. Broad shoulders lead to powerful arms that could easily lift all my worries away. The veins etched into his biceps not so subtly hint at the raw power contained within.

My eyes trail down, admiring the sculpted ridges of his chest and then abdomen. Desire stirs within me. An unfamiliar but pleasant magnetism tries to draw me closer. Everything about him promises strength and protection, but Fate doesn’t care about the risk.

I do.

I lick my lips and yank the shirt over my head, hoping nobody noticed my lustful glances at my forbidden mate. The shirt is warm and carries his woodsy scent. I love it and it breaks my heart at the same time.

We’ll never share clothes. I’ll never sleep in his bed, wearing nothing but his shirt. I’ll never get to wake up and feel his body against me.

Meredith speaks again, pulling me out of my fantasy. “This will take me at least a day to craft and write. But Katherine and Siobhan will be perfectly capable of casting it.” She hands the paper back to Jace. “Gen will bring it to you tomorrow.”

I will?

I don’t argue, but why does she think I’ll be able to run errands for her to meet these outsiders?

Liam’s ember-hot gaze still sears my skin like I’m standing in front of an open oven. I’m not naked. His shirt hangs low enough to cover the really important bits. He’s not growling, but the way he looks at me—my insides quiver with need. If he asked me to come with him right this second, I’m not sure I could deny him.

The would-be kidnapper called Jace speaks. “Fine. Beau and I will be at the Signal Pass Inn outside of town. That good?”

It takes me a second to realize he’s addressing me. “Yes. That’s fine. I know where it is,” I answer him, not pulling my gaze from Liam for a second. I can’t look away. I continue to drink in his presence like I’m dying of dehydration and he’s the only water around for miles.

The strangers amble away into the darkness.

“You’re not worried about them coming back?” The man next to Liam speaks this time.

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