Page 74 of Ruthless Moon

I sink to my knees. I dig my fingers into the dirt and let the pain out in a mournful scream.

“Gen!” She runs toward me.

“There was an explosion. He...he’s gone, Rachel. He’s—”

She dives to the ground next to me and pulls me against her in a tight hug. “No, Gen.” Rachel’s voice is firm. “Liam isn’t dead.”

The silence that follows seems to stretch into eternity.

The breeze picks up, rustling through the branches above and stirring up a soft symphony of nature’s whispers. The scent of pine and damp earth fills the air, mingling with the faint, comforting thickness of magick.

“How...how can you be sure?” A pitiful thread of hope finds its way into my words. “My father said—”

“He doesn’t have Liam,” Rachel interrupts again, her tone unwavering and still so sure. “Bast and Jackson found out. They got Liam out of the SUV. He’s alive, Gen. Jackson texted me.”

The world tilts around me again.

Rachel’s strong grip is the only thing keeping me from curling up in the dirt. Relief floods through me, leaving me weak and shaky, but a new fear blossoms in the pit of my stomach.

“He’s here?” I don’t want to let myself hope.

She shakes her head. “Bast and Jackson are on their way with him.”

I turn back toward the small circle of stones—the entrance and exit from the magickal space the coven calls home.

“He’s alive. He’s coming here.” I look back at my best friend and wipe the tears from my cheeks.

She nods. “We didn’t have time to get you out of the wedding. Aiden made the choice to keep it going as long as possible so your father wouldn’t know we were onto him taking Liam.”

Rachel’s words swirl around me, coalescing into a new and complex reality.They knew. They saved him.She urges me to my feet, her hands warm on my bare arms.

I sway for a moment, unsteady, my legs acting boneless. “He’s alive,” I repeat, my voice trembling with emotions I can’t even begin to untangle.

Rachel repeats it again, firm and unwavering, “He’s alive.” Her certainty is a balm to my raw nerves.

My wolf surges forward, her strength flooding my veins and reinforcing my unsteady legs. I draw myself up next to Rachel, clutching her hand like a lifeline as we gaze together at the circle, the gateway. Time turns sluggish, moments melt into minutes, and minutes stretch into hours.

“He’ll be here soon. They all will,” Rachel assures me, giving my hand another squeeze, but it’s not enough to ease the gnawing dread coiling in my stomach.

A sudden ripple of air, a shimmering flutter around the stone ring, yanks my attention back. Bast emerges from the gateway, his face grimy and expression cold. His clothes are stained with smears of blood, and he’s carrying Jackson cradled in his arms like a child.

My breath halts, catching in my throat as I strain my eyes, scanning the void behind them for a glimpse of Liam.

But there’s no one.

Then another shimmer, another figure. Aiden materializes and I hear Eleanor’s deep sigh of relief behind me. Her son is safe.

I wait again. Each second stretching into an eternity. Liam...he has to be next. I let go of Rachel’s hand, every step toward the trio like walking barefoot on shattered glass.

“Liam?” I breathe out, willing him to materialize through the magick.

Bast’s sorrowful eyes meet mine like a physical blow and my hope evaporates. I barely hear his words over the rushing sound in my ears.

“Gen...your father’s enforcers got him back.” He looks from me to Rachel. “I need a place to put Jackson’s body.”

Jackson’s body?He’s dead. He’s carrying his dead brother...

A painful sob slips from Rachel’s lips. “Oh, Bast!”

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