Page 102 of Moon Kissed

“Lucia taught herself hacking and tech, and when a vampire prince got himself on camera draining a horse dry, she’s the one who sent the virus that cratered the hard drive and destroyed the video. Just like that, she was valuable to the vamps again, and they got over their hangups on her killing a piece of shit no one liked in the first place,” I said.

“But I wouldn’t say Lucia is on good terms with her kind. They more see her as a necessary evil, but they don’t want anything to do with her outside of hiring her to protect the community, and she wanted nothing to do with them. Actually, her price for dealing with them at all was for them to sell her the land she’s living on now.

“Lucia turned it into a safe haven for other people like her. Not other vampires, other people,” I stressed. “Men and women who are on the run, escaping terrible people. Who were forcibly turned into vampires or werewolves. Demigodsdefecting from the unending war in their homeland. And even a few mundanes,” I admitted. “The entire hundred square miles of it is walled and protected. As terrible as she is, and she’s really terrible, when someone is scared and alone—she helps them. No matter what.”

I sighed. “I’m telling you all of this because when you said you had good reason for needing the money, and that Castor was going to help you, I had Lucia dig into you and your life. She found the contract on your computer, signed by Sunella. And then she found even more contracts on Sunella’s computer. They’re insane. They read like Sunella owns whoever signs it for as long as she fucking wants, and the only way to break the contract is to pay her damages in the amount of—”

“Two million dollars,” Edric whispered.

“Yeah.” I dropped my gaze. “She dug through the contracts until she found one for Idalia Blaze. Your sister.”

Edric didn’t speak.

“Lucia gave me the money so fast,” I went on when the silence became uncomfortable. “Said she’d do it herself if I didn’t. But of course I want to help. Your sister is only eighteen and Sunella is a walking, talking shitbag wrapped in a skin suit.”

Still Edric said nothing—just staring at the check like he couldn’t fathom how it got in his hand.

“What does Sunella make her do?”

Edric’s voice was rough—dangerous. “She does what you do.”

“Me?”

“Wolves already have superior hearing, but among wind wolves it’s even worse. No secret is safe because the wind knows all.” Edric rose, moving to the window. “Wind wolf communities are silent. We can’t trust reinforced doors and windows to be enough, so we sign, or we write, or we mime. But we don’t speak.

“All of that makes it very difficult for Sunella to collect the secrets she needs to maintain her power, and prevent anyoneousting her as the Wind councilwoman and appointing someone else in her place. So she hiresinterns,” Edric said to the night sky. “She makes them sign contracts and NDAs twisted up in such complicated legalese, no one knows what they’re signing.

“Then, when the time comes, she forces them to get close to her enemies and get their secrets by any means necessary. If they refuse, they’re in breach of contract, and she ruins their fucking lives.” Edric laughed mirthlessly. “When Idalia was chosen for the internship, we were so proud of her getting that greatopportunity.Can you believe that? We had no idea we encouraged her, even fucking cheered, when she signed her body away to that monster.”

I tossed my head. “But I don’t understand. She’s basically trafficking these women. That’s not legal in any fucking dominion, and damn sure not ours. How can those contracts be legal, let alone enforceable? Idalia should wipe her ass with it, and fling it back in Sunella’s face.”

“She’s tried, Volana. My father and I have tried. Castor tried. Other people trapped by her contracts have tried. But only alphas are allowed to be lawyers and officers, and none of them are willing to make an enemy of a councilwoman. They all made it clear that if Idalia breaches the contract, they’ll lock her up. Can you fucking believe that!” he burst out, making me jump. “My sister has to choose between being a prisoner or a slave, and she’s done nothing wrong!”

“No,” I said gently. “No, she doesn’t because you have the money now. Free her, Edric. Get her out of there, and then give her this.” Edric jerked back, narrowly missing the card I tossed at him. “It’s Lucia’s private number. You can leave out the vampire part, but have Idalia call her. Lucia has a whole network of therapists, safe homes, job recs, and even low-interest loans to help women get back on their feet after going through trauma. And by network, I mean all over the world.

“Many of my allies are werewolves who were forced to use her services, and every single one of them is eager for Wolf Nation to become the dominion that it pretends to be. The place that you run to, not the one you run from.”

He hummed. “Is that how you justify killing all those people and turning Corvin Academy into your little fiefdom? You think you’re some kind of hero changing the world for the better?”

“Nope. I have no such illusions,” I said, rising up. “I’m the villain in this story, and that’s absolutely all right with me.”

Edric scoffed, shaking his head. “Whatever Castor did must’ve really fucked you up.”

“Wasn’t that established by me ripping his throat out.”

“Touché.”

I eyed him. “Anyway, why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be running from my fiefdom with your cape on? You can go. No one’s going to stop you.”

“I know. I believe you, I just—” He threw his hands up. “I’m just trying to understand how everyone I knew and trusted is useless or evil fucks who ruined my and my sister’s life, and the ones to make it right is my psycho murderer soulmate and her vampire best friend!”

“I mean... I wouldn’t call her my best friend.”

“Is everything a joke to you?” he cried, spinning on me. “Do you have any idea how fucked up this is?”

“Hmm. Yeah, it’s pretty fucked up that you haven’t said thank you.”

Edric’s brows blew. “Thank you? You think I owe you a thank-you?”

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