Page 59 of Ruthless Moon

She’s also holding an extra-large steaming latte of the very best coffee. The smell is divine and for a brief moment everything else weighing on me disappears and it’s only a happy moment with a dear friend.

“I have a surprise for you.”

I raise my eyebrows and sip the heavenly latte, silently prompting her to spill the beans.

“Spa day,” she announces triumphantly.

An amused chuckle bubbles up in my throat. “There’s no spa in Ash Hollow.”

“Nope, but we are making one at my house. Hair, facial, makeup. It’s going to be amazing. And I have brunch and mimosas ready to go. Let’s blow this joint.” She waves her hands wildly, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Get dressed, I’ll load up all the wedding stuff so you can change and get ready at my place.”

A new wave of tension wraps around me at the mention of the wedding, but I push it aside.

In a flurry of movement, she’s gathered everything she and Meredith brought over yesterday and is out the door, leaving me with coffee and perplexed about what just happened.

She does know I’m not exactly excited about this wedding. Why would I want to go celebrate and have brunch?

Except the drinking part might be an excellent idea. Maybe she’s not completely nuts.

A few moments later she bursts back into the cabin and ushers me out, wearing nothing but a pair of comfy sweats and a T-shirt. I follow obediently, purposefully not making eye contact with a pissed-off Noah, who’s made himself comfortable in the back seat of Rachel’s car. I also force myself not to scan the woods for Liam and the others.

Rachel winks at me and points to the front seat of her little car.

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

She shakes her head and grimaces. “Noah made the mistake of doubting me. Calling your father, and then getting chewed out for interrupting some meeting. It was ugly. I actually felt a little sorry for him.”

I huff and try not to let any emotion show. I feel sorry for him too, but it’s not because my father chewed him out.

The ride is a silent one.

Rachel parks the car in the alley behind her shop and we climb the stairs to the apartment above with Noah trailing a few paces behind.

She steps in front of me, blocking him from coming up the last few stairs. “You’re not invited. Go get some breakfast. Coffee. Whatever. But you’re not coming inside.”

This tiny little waif of a brunette, with her punk-rock plastic choker necklaces and dozens of beaded bracelets, just stands there like she has the power to stop a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound solidly muscled werewolf male from doing whatever the fuck he wants.

Maybe she does...

“Fucking move, bitch,” Noah says, his voice gravelly and pissed.

“You know, I actually felt a little sorry for you, but if you’re up for calling me a bitch then I’m up for being one, asshole. No men inside. Call Oliver and check if you want.”

Noah pulls out his cell phone and hesitates, makes eye contact with me, and his face hardens.

“Noah, I.” The apology is on the tip of my tongue. I know he’s angry and hurting. He lost a brother—

“Fuck you, the both of you. You’ll both pay for what happened to my brother. I can be patient.”

Rachel straightens her spine, stretching her five-foot-four frame at least another two inches.

“Don’t do anything,” I whisper-hiss over her shoulder, worried she might use magick and put herself in even more danger.

His face colors red and the muscles in his cheeks twitch like he’s grinding his teeth. His wolf rumbles in his chest. His eyes spark with gold. Then he meets my gaze again and flashes a menacing grin before turning and heads back down the stairs.

Fuck.

Rachel whirls and pats my shoulder. “He’s gone. Let’s go.” She ushers me swiftly up the rest of the stairs into her apartment. Immediately, a medley of aromas greets me—not just the familiar scents of coffee beans and freshly baked pastries from the shop downstairs, but also a deeper, underlying mix of hers, incense, and something slightly metallic. The entire essence of her apartment feels like a warm, comforting hug, yet filled with mysteries to be discovered.

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