Page 51 of Moon Kissed

I slowly backed away from him, clutching my nightie like an idiot. There was nothing more dangerous than a wolf who has his prey cornered. “You’re lying.”

“No.”

“Why would you know where she is but Badr doesn’t?” I flung back. “You’re trying to trick me into giving something up. It won’t work.”

Not saying a word, Edric took out his phone, pulled something up, and tossed it to me. On the screen was a message fromUnknown. Nothing but a bunch of numbers and letters, but I knew latitude and longitude when I was looking at it.

“Believe me now?”

I bristled at the taunt. “Why would you hold on to this? Why not just tell everyone you know where she is? Dagem first of all.”

“Because then we couldn’t have this little chat.” Smiling, Edric gestured for me to sit. “I have a proposition for you.”

My eyes narrowed to slits. “I turn myself in. I thought that was the proposition.”

“You were wrong. Not the first time you were today.” He gestured again. “Please, sit.”

“I never sit in the presence of a wolf.” I stared him down. “What do you want?”

“Very well, if that’s how we’re going to do it. I won’t bring the worst of Wolf Nation down on your traitor friend, if you turn yourself in after demanding that Sunella and the alpha council gives you two million dollars.”

A roaring sounded in my ears. That was the only explanation for the garbled nonsense I thought just fell from his lips. “Excuse me?”

Edric’s bland smile and blanker expression didn’t shift. “You heard me.”

“You want me to have two million dollars so that I can... what? Upgrade my security?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. The money is for me, except we’re going to keep that little tidbit between us. Just like I’ll keep Lucia’s location between us.”

I blinked at him, even more confused than when the conversation started. “But why? What do you need that much money for?”

“I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

Translation: None of your fucking business.

“Okay, but why would you keep Lucia secret if I turn myself in?”

“So that you will turn yourself in,” he said. “As long as you’ve got your blackmail, the alpha council can’t get too... carried away with punishing you. This way you can be sure your treatment will be fair and just. I’m sure you know, and fear, that just because they can’t kill you, doesn’t mean they can’t make you suffer.”

My chest tightened. “Oh good, we’re speaking bluntly. Let me give you some of that in return: fuck you. The answer is no.”

Edric’s voice was calm—measured. “No to turning yourself in or no to the money?”

“No to both because this is a trick. A trap. And I’m not falling for it.”

“It’s not a trick.”

“Not falling for it,” I blared, cupping my hands around my mouth. “Go perv in another girl’s room and sniff her panties. Maybe she’ll give you two million dollars to get rid of you.”

Edric didn’t move. “I’m offering you a fair deal. Better than you deserve. Those coordinates are real, Volana. Check them yourself. Believe me, you don’t want to turn me down.”

“I do want to turn you down because there’s no way you care about me receiving fair and just treatment from the council. You hate me. I’m the reason you weren’t with your mother at the end—”

“No, you’re not.”

“—and you—” I cut off. “Wait, what?”

“You’re not the reason I couldn’t be with my mom when she died.” Something flickered in his eyes too quickly for me to identify. “Badr said that. Not me.”

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