Page 113 of Moon Kissed

“You will send four or five candidates, and I will appoint my new vice after interviewing them.”

“Deal,” she said quickly. “Well, this has been very productive, High Priestess.” Sunella sounded happy—dare I say chirpy. “I’m so glad we could settle this reasonably and peacefully.”

“Me too.”

Edric lifted me up and placed me back on my seat in the midst of my reminiscing. Of course that conversation was on my mind. Earlier that morning Sunella sent word that the member of the secret police was coming to begin her investigation.

The secret police were the group of law enforcement that worked for and protected the alpha council. Of course they didn’t want anyone in here who wasn’t on their payroll.

In case the officer stumbles on information that has to do with Destiny.

“That’s all for today,” Raza called. “Drop your essays off on the way out.”

Rising up, I followed Edric up to the front. “One of the secret police is coming today. They should be waiting outside the gates now. Want to come with me to talk to them?”

“Uh, yeah, actually,” he said, peering at me over his shoulder. “But why do you?”

“Because you have to be seen shadowing and stalking me everywhere, so the council will buy that you’re the real big bad wolf.”

“Fuck you.”

I laughed. Lacing my fingers through his, I received another growl, but that didn’t deter me. He was fake-dating me for two million dollars and the chance to talk me out of worlddomination. Who knew why he was the angry one. I was the one getting the short end of the stick.

Except for the sex.I shuddered remembering what we got up to the night before.

For as much as he bitched, moaned, and told me he hated me, there was nothing fake about the sheet-shredding, bed-shaking, roof-rattling sex we had every night and twice in the morning.

It wasn’t even a part of our deal. On the contrary, every time after we finished, we swore it would be the last time. We swore with actual swears and cusses while listing the many ways we were repellant to each other. Edric, for one, could not get over what a crazy, homicidal psychopath I was. While I was getting pretty fucking sick of being judged by a guy who practiced hacking by stealing money out of the accounts of his enemies—which was easy after he spied through their webcams to steal all their private info.

Despite him being the absolute worst, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Such was the way when the bond was new. Our wolves went into hyperdrive, wanting to mate over and over again like... well, like animals.

Edric and I strolled out hand in hand—me smiling and him pissed as shit. My smile disappeared too when I saw who was waiting for us outside the door.

“You two look cozy.” Paxton posted up against the bulletin board, smirking at us. The opposite expression of Badr’s and Orion’s head-melting glares. “Is that the smile of a man who’s regularly tasting something... yummy?”

Edric was far from smiling. “Hey, guys.”

“What the fuck, man?” Badr hissed. “What is going on with you? You’re ignoring us. You’re strutting around withherall fucking day. What happened to you!”

Edric flicked from me to them. “Nothing happened to me that hasn’t happened to nearly every other wolf. I bonded with my mate. Now I have to protect her.”

My brows shot up. I wasn’t expecting that response. I definitely didn’t tell him he had to say those things.

“Even if it means protecting her from herself,” Edric continued. “And this one needs protecting from herself. Her mind is a housefire. Nothing but trapped ghosts running around screaming in there.”

“Ass.”

Amusement came back through the bond.

“You bonded with her?!” Badr rushed him. “What the hell, Edric! We agreed to let the bonds die.”

“I’m sorry,” he said simply, expressionless in the face of Badr’s rage.

“Whoa, steady.” Paxton grasped Badr’s shoulder, guiding him back. Orion just stood there, his face a mask of hatred and confusion. Nyx should’ve been with them, but no one had seen him since they cut him down from the ceiling. Last I heard, he was holed up in his room—regretting the day he messed with me.

“Something tells me it’s not that simple,” Paxton went on. “Edric, you bonded with her for us, didn’t you.”

Edric frowned. “Excuse me?”

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