Page 74 of Moonlighting with the Werewolf

Do I strike now? It’s the first time anyone’s come within arm’s reach.My only other contact had been with Talia, a flaxen-haired witch who left trays of food at the bottom of the dimly lit staircase. Afraid it might be poisoned, I’d held out.

On a cheery note, perhaps the grumbling of my stomach would cloak the noise of an attack.

Alone, I don’t stand a chance at escape. As soon as Conall arrives, together we’ll find a way.

Ignoring the bite of the slightly rusted edges, I curled the nail tighter in my hand and conceded to being led upstairs. As Andromeda extracted a key to unlock the door, I slipped my makeshift weapon into my back pocket.

Blinding light seared my retinas, and I flinched as I waited for my eyes to adjust. The instant they did, I immediately wanted to hit the undo button. I expected a gothic castle with blacksand reds and ended up in Barbie’s grown-up dreamhouse with Pepto-pink walls instead.

So glad they’d kept the dank basement on the stereotypical doom and gloom side.

Question after question tumbled through my head, but I’d be punished for voicing them, so zipped lips seemed the best way to go. For now.

“Seriously, Mother?” Talia sat in a silken wingback chair that only emphasized her ethereal beauty.

Here and there, I’d overheard the witches referring to one another as sister. I supposed it was possible they referred to their leader as “mother,” but given the similarities between the two, I doubted it. They shared a face shape, hair color, and unique lips with Cupid’s bows on top and bottom. Andromeda was a slightly older version, although she either had an excellent plastic surgeon or used magic-laden facelifts.

Talia continued to gape at my bedraggled appearance. “Shouldn’t we at least allow her to shower and change before the werewolf’s arrival?” If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was concern crinkling her forehead.

The gleam of the overhead lights caused her hair to glow gold, reminding me of the molten flash that rolled over Conall’s irises whenever he went full alpha.

Sharp pricks bloomed in my chest, growing bigger the longer I watered them with our shared memories. I added them to the flammable pile that fueled my hate fire and clenched my fists. “She wants me to look like I’ve been to hell and back. As if that’ll be enough to defeat Conall.”

A cruel smile curved Andromeda’s lips. “You’re smarter than I expected.”

Yep. Smarter and not as pretty, that was me.

The creases in Talia’s forehead deepened. “Which proves that you might’ve jumped to the wrong conclusion about Conall and his pack. I still think there’s another wa?—”

“It’s already been decided, dear daughter.” Venom dripped from the words, thedear daughtersounding more like a threat than an endearment. As determined as I was not to let my fear of Andromeda show, I had to force myself not to step back at the angry gleam in her eye. “We’ve gone through countless scenarios over the past few months, and this is our best chance.”

“We’re out of time anyway.” Andromeda’s attention shot to the center of the room, and Talia stood. Were they planning on fighting in their Grecian goddess gowns? What a waste, wearing those gorgeous dresses for Conall to shred and bloody, but that was on them.

An incandescent pool of blue formed in the center of the room, and my heart skipped a beat as two dark figures took shape, one petite and female, and a burly form I’d recognize anywhere.

The blaze intensified, and then there stood Conall. A bulky silver collar ringed his neck, the skin around it sizzling and red. Regardless if my poor werewolf remained perfectly still, it scalded and blistered. While he bore it well, indignation flared on his behalf.

“Kerrigan,” he said, his relief so palpable it echoed within my chest.

My feet propelled me toward him, and he rushed toward me as well. He stretched out his arm, and I reached for him...

Our fingertips brushed for one blissful fraction of a second, and then an invisible force hurtled me backward.

I hit the wall hard enough that every ounce of oxygen whooshed from my lungs before I slid into an aching heap on the floor.

At Andromeda’s shrill laugh, Conall’s muscles and bones roiled under the surface, bunching and stretching taut. Smoke billowed beneath the silver collar, and the scent of charred flesh filled the air.

With her cackle bouncing around the room, I regretted my earlier restraint. I should’ve killed the hateful witch back in the basement, even if it ended up being my last act on earth.

Conall tore across the room and dropped to his knees in front of me. My head throbbed from the smack against the wall, and as he gently cupped my cheek, my vision separated into two fuzzy versions of the man I loved. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “I should’ve never gotten you into this mess.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I circled my fingers around his wrist, clinging to him while I had the chance, although, yeah, I could use the support right now, too. “I knew you’d come for me.”

Conall lowered his lips to mine in the gentlest kiss we’d ever shared. “I’d burn the earth to the ground to find you.”

“Ah, true love. How precious,” Andromeda condescendingly said, throwing a hand over her heart, and Conall spun on his knees, putting his body between me and her. Talia and the portal witch flanked their leader, their confident expressions only strengthening my resolve.

Go ahead and enjoy the show.I used the distraction to grope for the weapon in my pocket. I wrapped an arm around Conall’s shoulder and chest in a pose more fitting of an engagement photo than an escape and whispered, “Stall, and I’ll get this hunk of junk off you.”

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