Page 23 of Ruthless Moon

“What else do you know?” It’s another baited question, but I might as well see how many Band-Aids she’s willing to rip off today.

“A lot, Gen.” Her words hang in the air between us, like she’s trying to figure out how to break the news to me in a less painful way. She’s been lying to me and I’ve been lying to her aboutwhatwe are. But it’s hard to blame her for hiding the truth when I’m guilty of the same.

“I’d always hoped I could share with you that I was a witch and that you could’ve chosen to share with me that you’re a wolf when you were ready. But life has thrown some serious curveballs lately and since Meredith had to finagle herself into a situation with your father to keep an eye on Emma, I’ve been one of the few other witches in our court to continue a normal daily routine in town.”

Court. Other witches.

I sit a little straighter and peer up at my friend. Her dark brown hair is pulled up in a messy bun. That’s a normal look for her. She rarely wears it down. She’s dressed in jeans and a cute frilly top. Also normal. I’ve known Rachel for years. We have girls’ night out and get drunk together. We play pool at Kitty’s bar. I get coffee from her shop every single day I’m in Ash Hollow. We go to Denver to shop regularly.

But she never comes to my house, for good reason. And I’ve never been to her place either. In fact, I don’t know where she lives. In town? Out of town?

This is my friend.

Except she’s not who I thought she was. And she’s known about me this whole time...

“Have you known about me the whole time?”

Her lips purse together and her eyes dart to the ground for a second before she meets my gaze again. Her body reeks of guilt and discomfort.

“We’ve always known who the wolves were in this region. I knewwhatyou were as soon as I knew your name, Gen. It’s how we’ve stayed safe and kept the court protected.” Her tone resonates with a calming matter-of-factness.

She turns and sits on the stoop beside me, her shoulder pressing into mine, a centering presence in the middle of her eye-opening revelations.

“I wish it could’ve been different,” she continues, her words soft with regret. “I wish I didn’t have to live behind a lie, but your father and uncle—”

I hold up a hand to halt her words. “Say no more.” My quiet admission is laced with an understanding. “I get it. Dave and Oliver Gallagher aren’t safe for anyone.”

She leans against me, her head finding a resting place on my shoulder, her body a warm and welcome anchor. “They really aren’t. Not even for you, Gen.”

I bark out a cynical laugh. “No. Definitely not for me either.”

She pulls a set of car keys from her pocket and holds them up. The keys glint with an unspoken promise of escape. “Why don’t you take my car to the inn, just in case anyone is looking for you or your car?”

Her words hit me like a splash of cold water, shocking me out of my self-pity. Sensible. Clever. And something I wouldn’t have been able to think of with all the fear and confusion tumbling around in my brain like a dryer full of rocks.

“That’s smart,” I admit, guilt creeping in at my lack of foresight. “I’m really not functioning on all cylinders right now. There’s—” I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat. I want to confide in her about Liam and share the secret I’m carrying. But I can’t. The less people know, the safer he’ll be.

Rachel might already suspect, though she hasn’t given any indication. In this moment, her silence is a gift. “Thank you.”

“When were you going to tell me you got engaged?” She bumps my shoulder and tips her chin at the glittering rock on my finger.

It’s a beautiful ring, but the only thing it symbolizes is a leash around my neck, trapping me in a life I’ll always resent.

“It happened suddenly,” I reply. “My father made a deal with the O’Connor pack alpha and I was the linchpin. The whole reality of it hasn’t really caught up with me yet.” I roll the engagement ring with my finger, pressing my thumb against the stone hard enough to hurt.

“Hold on. So your dad went all medieval on you and offered you up like some blue ribbon rodeo prize? And I know Aiden, he would never stand for something like that. The O’Connor pack has a long history of only mating when true soul mates are found.” A note of disbelief rings in her voice.

I huff out a wistful laugh.If only. I guess she doesn’t know him as well as she thinks.

“Well, he agreed to it. Aiden is the one I’m engaged to, so I would hazard a guess that my father has some sort of leverage over him. He acted the part of a decent man at the dinner last night, but I could sense thisarrangementwasn’t his choice either.”

The revelation hangs heavy in the air between us.

An unexpected pang of empathy wells up within me for him. I don’t resent Aiden. It’s my father I resent for thrusting both of us into this unwinnable situation.

Rachel’s eyes widen in shock. “His wife...she only passed away a few years ago in the same accident that claimed his father’s life and put the responsibility of alpha onto Aiden’s shoulders. You guys aren’t fated mates, are you? They’re pretty hard-core about that tradition.”

Just what I needed to hear. A widower who lost his soul mate.The situation couldn’t possibly get any more complex.

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