Page 48 of Ruthless Moon

Nois the resounding answer from my wolf.

With one last glance at the safety of my home, I slide into the driver’s seat and slam the door shut, the metallic clang resonating with my determination. A flick of my wrist and the engine roars to life. Its purring cadence grounds me. The familiar texture of the steering wheel beneath my hands is a tangible lifeline.

The drive to Gen’s cabin is both too short and agonizingly long. No one speaks. The afternoon sun is low in the sky. Tonight the blood moon will rise, pushing all of us into our wolves without a choice.

A small cabin finally appears in the distance. It stands quiet and proud, much like the woman it shelters. My heart stutters, my mind already painting pictures of Gen within its cozy confines, and more dangerously, in my arms.

The crunch of gravel beneath the truck’s tires is the only sound breaking the deafening silence as I park the vehicle down the road.

Aiden said she wanted to be alone. And I had been prepared to respect her wishes, but now that she’s close. Now that the tendrils of our bond are reaching for each other through the ether.

Now I can’t stay away.

Not anymore.

The reality of her proximity hits me like a tidal wave, a visceral craving that radiates from the very core of my being. Her essence seeps into the edges of my consciousness, warm and alluring.

“Ya’ll stay out of sight,” I instruct Bast and Jackson, my voice low but assertive. I don’t need to turn around to know they’re exchanging glances.

Jackson sniggers, a disbelieving sound that echoes through the tense air. He’s ready to call me out if I give him the chance.

I don’t.

Bast, on the other hand, takes a deep breath. But I stop him before he gets a chance to utter a single word. I hold up a hand and look him in the eye.

“Stay out of sight,” I reiterate.

Bast snaps his mouth shut and gives me a curt nod.

And with that, I step out of the truck and into the quiet, the chilly air brushing against my skin, drawing my attention to the all-too-real anticipation building inside me.

Each step toward her is like walking on a tightrope. Danger and excitement course through my veins.

The wooden boards of the cabin’s front porch creak under my feet. I raise my hand to knock, but her voice floats from behind the cabin, soft yet clear. “I’m back here.”

I veer off, following the worn wooden walkway around to the left.

The cabin is a small sanctuary hidden in the wilderness, the rough-hewn logs a testament to time and endurance. But it’s the view from here that steals my breath away.

The expanse of the valley sprawls out in front of me, a patchwork quilt of grassy plains and emerald forests, with Ash Hollow nestled like a gem in the heart. The shimmering silver ribbon of the river trails alongside, flowing with a serene grace toward the lake and our pack territory.

But in that vast panorama, my eyes have only one final destination—her.

She stands near the balcony, bathed in the soft red and orange hues of the sunset, a vision too exquisite for words. Her barely there tank top and shorts highlight the curves and angles of her body in a way that sends heat coursing through my veins.

My gaze lingers, each detail feeding the desire waking within me.

She shivers as if the weight of my gaze presses down on her skin. Her scent wafts to me on the breeze, a tantalizing blend of floral shampoo and the inherent sweetness that’s uniquely her.

My heart hammers in my chest, each beat echoing the same mantra:Mine. Mine. Mine.Yet a sobering thought claws its way up, a harsh reminder that rings louder than the roar of my instincts. A reminder that she is not mine to claim.

The emotional tug-of-war rages inside me, each surge of longing clashing with the bitter truth, causing an ache so profound it threatens to shatter me.

My palms itch with the desire to reach out and touch her, to affirm the bond that pulses between us, begging us to seal it, yet I hold back, balling my hands into fists at my sides.

Then she looks at me.

The air between us crackles with an electric energy, an unseen tether that pulls us closer until we’re standing mere breaths apart. In the fading light, her eyes shimmer with an intensity that sends an arrow of desire straight through my heart.

---