Page 26 of Ruthless Moon

“I’m sorry. I wish I could carry it for you. All of it.” I whisper the words into her hair, the sweet floral scent of her filling my senses, intoxicating me.

I take it in deeply, branding it into my memory. I know I’ll never touch her again after today. The thought is a vise around my heart, squeezing tighter and tighter.

Never see her.

Never smell her.

Her sobs eventually slow, replaced by shaky breaths that puff against my chest. I don’t know how long we stand there, lost in our embrace, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is her. If I can give her the strength she needs to move forward from this moment, I will.

I’d give her anything. Everything.

“I’ll be gone after today. The farther away I am, the easier it will get, I promise.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.

She pushes back from my chest and reaches up, her small hands cupping my face. Her touch is an anchor in the storm, the calm within the chaos. It’s heaven and I stand still hoping the moment doesn’t end. Then she meets my gaze, hers ablaze with a fury I don’t expect.

“Don’t lie. What we’re giving up will notgeteasier. I’ll never forget the spark I feel when we touch. I’ll never forget the way you smell. The way we fit together. The way you feel like home. Aiden will never have my heart because I won’t have it to give him. It will always be yours. No matter how much time passes.”

Her words are a litany of truths, each one carving itself into my heart.

She pulls my head down, brushing her lips across mine in a ghostly caress. “Don’t lie to me or to yourself. Nothing about this situation will ever get easier.”

“If I was selfish, I would take you and run,” I whisper against her lips, my voice breaking under the crushing weight of my emotions. The nearness of her, the warmth of her body seeping into mine, is overwhelming. Every cell in my body screams at me to do just that—take her and run—but I know I can’t.

A sad, knowing smile pulls at her lips. “But you’re not. And I respect that about you. If we were selfish, so many people would suffer.” The melody of her voice is a soothing balm to the raw edges of my heart.

Everything around us seems to fade away, as if the world itself is holding its breath, caught in this moment.

I cup her face in my hands this time, my fingertips etching the contours of her face into my memory. Her skin is so soft, a cruel contrast to the angry, unpredictable storm raging within me. I lean down and bring her mouth to mine, needing to taste her, to burn this moment into my soul forever.

Nothing exists but her. I’m greedy and so incredibly selfish, but I need more of her right now. I need to remember everything about this stolen moment. I deepen the kiss.

It’s passionate and bittersweet.

The ache in my chest grows with every beat of my heart.

The sweetness of her lips and the saltiness of her tears mix together, creating a symphony of longing and sorrow. I know we’re both drowning in the weight of what we’re about to lose. We’re both reaching for memories, trying to grab remnants of a dream that can never be.

Reluctantly, I pull away, our foreheads resting against each other’s, the small space between us filled with our mingling breaths. Each exhale is laced with the pain of our impending separation.

Time resumes its cruel march forward, the world around us reasserting itself with cold reality. And no matter how much I want to stop it and stay here in this moment, I can’t.

We can’t.

A sound like a jagged knife tears through the fragile bubble we’d created, yanking us both harshly from the moment. I recognize the horn from my truck. Bast is waiting.

“Goodbye, Gen,” I say, the words choking me in my throat, sounding as broken as I feel. My chest constricts, bound by invisible chains, each breath harder than the last.

I press a tender kiss to the top of her head before turning away. My heart breaks with every step I take away from her. Each footfall echoes in my ears, a somber drumbeat marking my retreat. I force my legs to carry me onward, despite the overwhelming urge to turn back.

The air around me grows heavier. The weight of leaving her behind presses down on me painfully. I’m leaving my heart with the only woman I’ll ever love.

Climbing into the cab of the truck feels like a death sentence. My body is heavy and numb, and I slam the door behind me. Like the act will somehow block out the pain of existing in a world where I can’t be with my mate.

“Probably good you’re not going to be here for the blood moon run and then the wedding. Aiden’s pretty observant and you two are like white on rice when you’re in close proximity,” Bast says, his tone filled with the underlying tension of unspoken words.

“Yeah,” I reply, the word sounding empty and hollow even to my own ears.

“I’m really sorry, Liam. And as pissed as I am that you’re leaving, I do understand. I wish you were willing to tell Mom. You’re gonna kill her and our little brother. They’re gonna know I know something. Everyone will,” Bast continues, his words filled with a sorrow that threatens to engulf the space inside the truck.

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