Page 47 of Ruthless Moon

A growl rumbles in my chest, my beast’sfuck-offanswer to his criticism. I pace again, the small room seeming to shrink with each step, each heartbeat.

“Why was I left out of the fun?” Jackson asks, throwing himself onto the couch with a grace that belies his size. We’re all about the same, though Bast probably has twenty or thirty pounds on Jackson and me. “What’s the plan? We stealing her before the wedding?”

“No, you idiot. Liam is leaving town.” Bast delivers a half-hearted punch to Jackson’s gut, his tone dismissive. “And you were left out ’cause secrets are harder to keep the more people that know them.”

Jackson deflects Bast’s punch and straightens, his confusion mirrored in his eyes. “Wait. What the fuck? Why are you letting Aiden marry your mate?”

Yes. Why are we doing that?

“What did I miss? How is Gen okay with this?”

His barrage of questions pulls me back to reality. For the sake of my pack, my family, I need to think and act responsibly. Pushing the surging emotions and the restless wolf aside, I breathe in deep, letting the cool air cleanse my mind.

“I didn’t know Gen was my fated mate until after Aiden made the deal with Oliver. We can’t break this deal. The pack would lose everything and we would immediately be under Gallagher authority moving forward.” The whole situation is an inescapable web of honor and duty.

Jackson’s lip curls in disgust. “’Cause of the loan Aiden’s dad took out without telling anyone?”

My mind jolts back to a decade ago when Ian O’Connor had spiraled into an abyss of debt with a ruthless bookie. Oliver Gallagher had sniffed out the weakness and bought the debt. Now Oliver was calling it in on Aiden...or else.

I confirm Jackson’s suspicion with a curt nod, my gaze not quite meeting his.

“But does Aiden know you and Gen are...you know?” Jackson asks.

“No, and he can’t. Our cousin is too honorable. Gen and I both agreed to this. Aiden would never marry her if he knew we were fated. And if Dave Gallagher gets even a hint that this marriage is arranged, it means war for the valley. An ugly one.” I lean against the cool counter of my small kitchen, sighing as if trying to expel the despair that clings to my ribs. “I’m leaving town. Permanently. As soon as the wedding happens.”

“Mom’s gonna blow a gasket.”

“You can’t tell her,” I respond sharply, an icy undercurrent of desperation creeping into my voice. I hate what this is doing to me. I hate the lies.

“You just gonna disappear? That’s a shit move.” Jackson crosses his arms and leans back on the couch.

“I’ll write after I get settled.”

“Still a shit move,” Jackson says.

I agree with my brother, but theshit moveis the best move for everyone. As the full weight of my impending departure settles on my psyche like a shroud, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and see a text from Aiden.

Aiden: Dropped Gen at her cabin. She’s staying there for the blood moon runs.

Liam: R u staying there?

Aiden: No. She’s mad. Barely agreed 2 let me send a guard.

Liam: Who’s staying w her?

Aiden: U. Stay out of sight. 92 W Old Bend Rd.

Fuckin’ hell.Guarding Gen during a blood moon, especially when we’re both so emotional, will be like taking a ticking time bomb and handing it to a toddler. And yet it’s an order I can’t refuse.

“I gotta go. Aiden dropped Gen at her cabin and I’m guard duty again.” I manage to keep my voice steady, concealing the thunderstorm of emotion churning within me.

Jackson and Bast rise simultaneously, their expressions morphing into matching brotherly smirks. “We’ll come too. More guards the better, right? Plus, you’ll need support.” Jackson, always the eager one, rushes to open the front door, waiting for me to leave first.

Bast cuts in front of me with a swagger that screamsthis will be good. “Not missing this shit show, bro.”

A low growl rumbles deep in my throat, the beast inside me very unhappy with their intrusion. They laugh, unfazed by my irritation, and follow me to my truck, making good on their threat, and both climb into the back seat.

Maybe it will be better if I’m not alone with Gen.

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