Page 55 of Moonlighting with the Werewolf

The fight leaked out of her in a rush, hope and happiness rushing up to take its place. “He did?”

“Not for very long, but yeah. His wounds seem to be healing, slower than our usual regeneration, but still a vast improvement.” I reached across the cab, lifted her knuckles to my mouth, and kissed them. “Whatever you did, it’s definitely helping.”

“Thank God. I feel like an idiot for not considering wolfsbane poisoning before. A mixture of apomorphine and extra flushing of IV fluids, plus switching to humidified oxygen to help clear the lungs of anything he inhaled while within the trap, and...” Her smile faded, a crestfallen expression replacing it far too quickly. “That’s why you came to find me. For medical reasons.”

I shook my head, tightening my hold on her hand as she started to withdraw. “What you witnessed in the bar is the result of the empty void I’ve felt ever since you left. When I couldn’t find you, I began imagining worst-case scenarios. I almost lost Elias, and that nearly destroyed me.

“Then I thought I’d lost you, and...” Residual panic rose. “I was ready to tear the town apart to find you. Then I saw the mayor leering at you, got jealous, and lost my shit.”

I pulled into the driveway of her cabin, cut the engine, and glanced across the dim interior at her beautiful face. “Even before that, when I’d returned to the compound after a long day spent tracking and found out that you’d worked so hard to save Elias, despite everything I’ve put you through, it hit me howfoolish I’d been to let you go. Honestly, I don’t think I’m capable of letting you go.”

Her chest fell as she exhaled, more of her scent filling my head as I waited.

“My original plan was to sweep you off your feet with my charm and ask you for another chance.” I ran my palms down the thighs of my jeans. “Did it work?”

A startled laugh burst out of her, immediately followed by a sob.

“Fuck, Kerrigan.” I unclicked her seat belt and yanked her to me, holding her against my chest. “I screwed up. I let my doubts get the best of me, and worst of all, I hurt you. Does it matter that I hurt me, too?”

She shrugged one shoulder, and a tight band formed around my chest.

It wasn’t enough, and that meant I was going to have to spill more, to be vulnerable in a way that scraped at my insides worse than any spell or wolfsbane, and far more dangerous than either as well. “More than that, Kerrigan, I haven’t experienced that type of darkness since the aftermath of my family members’ deaths. It not only scared the shit out of me and left me a miserable sap this past week, it also made me realize how much I need you.”

I cupped her cheek and used my thumb to brush away her tears. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness—I know that. But here I am, asking for it anyway.”

“I appreciate the apology, especially knowing it’s not easy for you. I’ve been miserable without you, too,” she said, and I didn’t dare let that rising sliver of hope lodge too deeply in my chest, afraid it might be left to fester instead of heal. “It’s bigger than you and me, though, isn’t it? Most of your pack hates me. No matter how hard I try, they seem immune to my winning personality.”

“What? That’s preposterous.” My joke didn’t soften the seriousness in her features. “What happens if they never accept me, Conall?”

“First of all, they don’t hate you. They’re reluctant to let any outsiders into our sanctum. Don’t worry. No one would dare hurt you, and they’ll be respectful because I demand it.” Kerrigan frowned, sadly underwhelmed by my promise. “You only addressed half of what I mentioned. This is also where you’re supposed to assure me that once they get to know me better, they’ll warm up.”

“Werewolves tend to be set in their ways and slow to evolve, but I’m sure they’ll come around. Just get up and do some of your adorable medical rambling, and they’ll see you’re obviously not a witch, but a vet who’s there to help.”

“Like you did? Are we talking before or after you attempted to rip out my throat?”

“Again, if I’d attempted, you wouldn’t be here anymore. What’s important is that I didn’t follow through.”

Kerrigan groaned, the ends of her hair tickling my collarbone as she shook her head. “FYI, you suck at the reassuring thing.” She scrunched up her eyebrows. “Wait. How many people think I’m a witch? More than the lady who yelled at me while I was treating Elias?”

I flinched and directed my gaze out the window, debating how brutally honest to be. “Conall.” Kerrigan gripped my chin, turning my face back to hers.

“A significant number of them think you cured Justin with a spell so you could infiltrate the pack. It’s one of the other reasons that meeting went so long the day that I...” I couldn’t finish. Not when everything in me wanted to take it back. That day I’d been trying to put my pack first and had failed Kerrigan. By choosing to ignore their fears and advice and choosing to be with her, my pack was going to determine that I’d failed them. I couldn’t win,but after five days of going without the woman in my arms, I also knew I couldn’t let her go—Iwouldn’t. Selfish or not, she was mine.

“There’s nothing about this that’s going to be easy,” she said, smoothing her hands over my shoulders. “It’s going to be complicated. You and me will always be complicated.”

“Preaching to the choir, Doc.” I dipped my head and brushed my mouth over hers. “I’m willing to do complicated if you are—make that until I convince you to get onboard.” There. No wiggle room. “Then I’ll convince the rest of the pack. Whatever it takes.”

Her sigh stirred a dash of worry, and if her posture hadn’t slackened, I might’ve lost my shit for the second time today. “Do we need to head to the compound to check on Elias?”

I shook my head. “Sabine administered enough pain meds he’ll likely be out for hours, and she’ll call if anything changes.”

“Okay.” Kerrigan craned her neck, peering at her dark house through the windshield. “You wanna come in and continue to work out our issues where we’ll have more room?”

That was all it took for the erection I’d been fighting since pulling her onto my lap to stand at attention. I moved my lips to her neck, inhaled her scent, and whispered, “It’s actually vampires that have to be invited in. Werewolves are better known for barging on in, regardless.”

Kerrigan canted her head, granting me better access as one corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. “Oh, believe me, I know.”

Claws scrabbled against the wood floor as Kerrigan’s black cat darted under the couch.

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