Page 35 of Never Submit

How are they going to react? “The Moonstone is gone. It—” I break off, pause. “It absorbed into me.”

“It what?” Mathis snaps.

Even Torin goes icier than normal.

“It shrank into my palm, when Andras found me.”It saved my life.

That’s what ended my curse, I know now. The realization turns me to stone.

My parents bargained for twenty-five years of life, had given their everything to the goddess, and her Moonstone gave me more. For how long was anyone’s guess, but the niggling sensation in the back of my mind said it will be a long time before I finally croak.

Unless Andras finds me.

Mathis stares at me with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Torin refuses to say anything, to me or to anyone else, glaring imperiously at Noble like it’s somehow the other man’s fault for not keeping me in line.

My…my mate?

“We'll speculate about this later.” Noble takes control, nudging me toward the waiting SUV. “Right now, Ren needs to rest. If you want an interrogation, it will have to wait. She’s my priority.”

The door opened from the inside, and a blast of heat belched from the interior.

“Fine,” Torin grinds out.

“Don’t think I’m going to let this go.” Mathis steps after us and stops at the door. “Steel, we’ll be in touch.”

“I promise to update you,” Torin grumbles and takes the front seat.

“No one is saying another word to her until she’s gotten food and rest.” Noble is adamant.

He bundles me into the backseat, crawling after me and keeping me close, nestled at his side.

Miracles do happen. Miracles, or else I’ve been sucked into a parallel universe where nothing makes sense. Hell, maybe I did die up there on the snowy mountain.

The SUV peels away, leaving Mathis standing alone in the gritty snow.

The car ride is one of the worst of my life, tense and sickening. My gut roils, sending a wave of queasy heat crawling up the back of my throat. Despite my chill, a bead of sweat trails down to my eye, burning.

“Maybe you’re content to play this part in front of Mathis, but don’t do it again,” Torin warns.

“Play what part?” Noble asks innocently.

“You know.”

“I’m not playing. When it comes to my mate, I’m sorry but I’m going to stand up for her.”

The words filter through a haze in my head. My lips are numb when I try to get them to form words, to repeat what Noble said. He’s used the term a few times now, but I’m not sure what it means to him, or what kind of context I need to hold it in.

I know swans mate for life. Is that the kind of deal he’s talking about?

“Just make sure you remember your place in this pack,” Torin continues.

His voice is wobbly, but maybe it’s my imagination.

At once I miss Mathis, with his steadiness and his paternal energy. I miss Dax and his no-nonsense, his brutality, the way he stepped up to protect me. But through it all is Noble with his kindness and his understanding. He’s a marked contrast to Torin's hostile facade, so I lean into Noble, his constant nearness smoothing out my rough edges.

He wraps his arm around me to pull me close. “It’s okay,” he urges. “It’s going to be fine, Ren.”

My lips crack open on a yawn. “I’m just so tired.”

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