Page 34 of Hollow Moon

Zack’s phone vibrated, and he whipped it out, listened for a moment and reported, “The stable is secured. One of the men down there turned on the others.”

“Which one?”

“The chemist, Emery Livingston. I guess he came to his senses. Or he figured he’d get a better deal by cooperating with the law.”

“Okay, yeah,” Knox answered, barely able to listen to any reports. “But I have to take care of Maggie.”

“I know. We’ll clean this up.”

The brother turned his malicious gaze on Zack. “You know your buddy is a werewolf?”

“Me?” Knox asked as he gathered Maggie closer.

“Yeah, you.” Campbell’s gaze drilled into her. “Hey, sis, you fucked a wolf man. How do you like that?”

Knox had been thinking about how to respond to that accusation. “You’re mistaken,” he said in a cool voice. “I work with a trained wolf-shepherd mix. He dug me out of that shed, then waited for you to open the door.”

Campbell laughed. “Nice try.”

As if on cue, a wolf walked into the room and snarled. It was Cole who must have been on his way in and heard the conversation.

“Good boy,” Knox said.

The wolf grinned at him, then snapped his teeth at the brother—who cringed back.

Knox might have enjoyed the moment more, but he could feel Maggie trembling in his arms.

“I gotta get her out of here,” he said.

“You go on,” Zack said.

Knox strode out of the room with her in his arms. At the end of the hall was what looked like a master bedroom.

Carrying her inside, he kicked the door closed behind them, then lowered Maggie to the bed.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“I won’t.” Turning back, he locked the door.

When he returned to the bed, he scuffed off his shoes and lay down beside her.

She scooted up against him, her face buried in his shoulder.

He stroked her hair, her arm. She was still trembling.

“Is it bad?”

“I feel like I’m going to fly apart.”

“He did this because of me.”

“No. He’s always hated me.”

He wanted to ask why a brother could hate his sister that much. He wanted to tell her what he was feeling about the two of them. And he desperately wanted to make everything right between them. But he remembered how he’d reacted when he was under the influence of the drug, and he knew a coherent discussion wasn’t possible for her now.

All he could do was help her get through this. “You’re with me. You’re safe.”

“I know.”

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