Page 108 of Moon Kissed

Nia shook her head. “The door is reinforced like every door in the castle. Can’t have us wolves overhearing private medical information. But what were you saying?” she asked, trying to rise and then quickly changing her mind. “Why would we be partners?”

“What do you know about Destiny?”

“Not much,” she admitted. “Just that people are willing to kill to keep whatever it is quiet.”

“Oh, they most definitely are,” I rasped, “and I’ll tell you why.”

I told her. Everything about Destiny. Everything about what Castor did to me. All that started me off the path of my relatively happy life onto one of blood, pain, and revenge. On the very last word, Nia twisted over the side of the bed, and vomited.

“They—they can’t do that!”

“They are doing it,” I said flatly.

“It’s insane!”

“Yes.”

“It’s evil!”

I nodded slow. “Yes.”

Nia goggled at me, a spot of vomit clinging to her lip. “How can anyone stop this? How can you?”

“What do you think I’ve been working on over the last year?”

Shaking her head, her eyes darted around. “And you want me to help you? To be your partner?”

“I do, Nia. That’s why I’m going to give you something no one else has—a choice.” I met her gaze steadily. “Help me. Join me. Be one of my allies in the war to stop Destiny, and believe me, it is a war.”

“But—but, Daze,” she rasped, slipping into my nickname. “You’re talking about treason, murder, and the ultimate betrayal of Wolf Nation. If we do this, no one will thank us. We’ll be hated by every wolf, everywhere for all time. Instead ofet tu, Brutus, they’ll sayet tu, Daciana? Et tu, Nia?for the rest of forever!Wewill be the bad guys! We’ll be the—”

“Villains,” I finished, smirk stretching my lips. “Trust me, you get comfortable with the title given enough time. Haven’t you ever noticed that in the movies... only the villains are having any fun.”

“I’m being serious,” she cried, then winced—groaning.

“I know you’re serious, Nia, and so am I. I made my choice a long time a-ago.” My breath hitched. “I’m doing this no matter what it takes. Even if it fucking kills me, I will finish this. The only question is if you’ll join me.”

She hesitated. “What if I don’t join you?”

“Then, I’ll walk out that door right now and leave you be. You’ll make a full recovery, and then you’ll go about your life with your head blissfully up your ass while I risk everything to save Wolf Nation, and you, from herself.”

Her lips tightened at the dig. “You’d really let me walk away just like that.”

The door opened behind me. “Oh,” Nurse Vega exclaimed. “I didn’t know you had a visitor, Nia.” I heard him shuffling around and slam drawers shut. “I’m afraid you’ll have to cut it short. We do our best healing in our sleep, so I’ve got to give you your sleeping pills now.”

Nia didn’t even glance at him. “Well?”

“I really would, Nia. Dagem’s gone, so that means you won’t have to follow me around anymore. As long as you don’t tell anyone what I’ve told you, you can go your way, and I’ll go mine,” I said. “And unlike the pieces of shit who are working right now behind the scenes to make Destiny happen, I’m not going to threaten your family, or blackmail you into keeping quiet, or into helping me. We truly can be done—right here, right now.”

Nia swallowed hard, staring at me for a long time. So long, Vega’s heavy footfalls sounded behind me as he came over with Nia’s sleeping pills.

“Okay,” Nia said softly, but firmly. “I’m in. I’ll be your partner.”

“Wow, really?” My brows blew high. “That is not the answer I thought you were gearing up for.” I reached over and grabbed her water glass. “But that’s such a relief, and welcome aboard. Now that we’re on the same side—”

I splashed the water at Vega’s feet. Yelping, his feet shot out from under him and he fell hard—cracking his head on the hardwood. I was on him in a blink, snapping his neck before he conjured the thought to breathe.

“—I can do that without you making a big deal about it,” I finished.

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