Page 91 of Moon Claimed

“You returned at one in the morning,” she continued, “And you weren’t alone.”

The next picture was of the back of the car. The person driving wasn’t visible, but there was clearly a large person driving and a smaller person in the passenger seat.

Fuck.

I stared into accusing emerald eyes. “What are you asking me, Rhona?”

“I’m not asking you anything. Not anymore. I can see how adept you are at wiggling out of tight spots. You spent the night with the Luther that killed my father. All night. You drove to see him, and he returned with you.”

It spoke volumes of my life that I was just relieved she hadn’t uncovered the biggest secret of all.

“It’s not what you think.” I stood. “I went to the lake for some alone time. While I was there, the same wolf who attacked me in Water came—”

“Where are the signs?” She scanned my body. “Attacked by a Luther again, and not a scratch on you. How lucky.”

“It is, actually.” I should be covered in scratches and bruises after my first shift. I assumed an accelerated healing ability was to thank.

Rhona rose, too, managing to stare me down though we were the same height. “I returned to the manor entry point after the game. Pascal was there. She said you’d gone into the grid.”

“I believed you were in trouble because you weren’t answering my orders.”Lie.I shook my head. “Are you telling me that you weren’t answering on purpose? You know better than to let your personal issues affect the game.”

“I was fulfilling yourorders, Head Steward,” she said sarcastically. “I just didn’t feel like speaking with a traitor. Nothing comes between me, my stewards, and the game.Nothing.”

“So much anger, Rhona,” I said quietly. “We’ve been through so much already. Please don’t let this confusion tear us apart.”

“I’mnot coming between us.” The unnatural flatness she’d maintained split apart with shocking suddenness. My breath hitched in my throat.

“I trust what I feel,” she shouted. “You’re trying to convince me nothing’s the matter. You’re trying to make me feel stupid and irrational.”

She advanced on me, and that usually would have made me scramble back, but her last words froze me to the spot.

Oh my god.

Iwasdoing that to her.

Each time she’d asked for the truth or lost her temper, I made her doubt her judgement and instincts. I’d laughed off her worries or piled more lies on top.

I professed to love my sister, and to put her above every other person in this valley, and yet I was destroying her self-confidence—abusing the trust between us.

I cut her off. “You’re right. That is what I’ve done.”

Rhona stared, but regained her anger in short measure. “Tell me the truth. All of it. How long have you been luring in Sascha Greyson?”

That was the real kick in the chest. Part of her still believed I was doing this for our so-called plan. She was this angry because she thought I’d concealed something to do withthat.

Closing my eyes, I circled the table and sat in one of the visitor chairs.

I had to tell her everything.

The truth about Herc.

About me and Sascha.

Making her feel less because of my own past mistakes was just as bad as leaving her. I couldn’t do this anymore.

“You’ll want to sit,” I rubbed my forehead. “This goes back a while.”

She didn’t. No surprise.

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