Page 87 of Moon Kissed

I gritted my teeth, fighting as my vow yanked the truth out of me. “I didn’t kill Nia! I’m a moon wolf and she was obviously attacked by a metal wolf. Or are all of you so stupid and obsessed with me, you can’t see that!”

Tracy snarled, fangs erupting from her jaw. That response did absolutely fucking nothing to endear me to her, or my biased jury.

Damn him!This is why you never swear on Luame. Now the vindictive floating wolf in the sky was going to make me answer in the most brutally honest way possible.

“Why did you come back here?” someone snapped, jumping up. “You don’t care about being our high priestess. You don’t care about Wolf Nation or fulfilling your duty, so what do you want!”

“I want to rule all over you sniveling, sycophantic worms with an iron fist! I want to rip away this backward world you love so much, and build my empire on its ashes! You will bow, worm. You’ll all bow!”

I hung my head, groaning before the gasps and shocked horror filled my ears. I didn’t need to look at Badr, Orion, Edric, Paxton, or Nyx to know they were grinning like it was Christmas morning. I just handed them the guilty verdict they were waiting for—wrapped up on a platter with a bow.

“Did you kill Holly?” Paxton asked, raising my head.

“No.”

He frowned. “Did you kill Hall?”

“No.”

Impatience leeched into his voice. “Do you know who did?”

“No.”

“Are you fucking lying!”

“No,” I blared right back. “You assholes made fuck sure of that!”

He growled and I did right back—two wolves ready to charge.

Nyx put a hand on Paxton’s shoulder, slowly moving him back. Meeting my eyes, he asked, “Do you knowwhyHolly, Hall, and Nia died?”

My lips peeled back from my sharpened maw. “Well fuck you for being the smart one. Yeah, bitch, I know why they had to die, and they deserved every fucking bit of it— Fuck!” I burst out when more shocked gasps pelted my eyes.

Damn it, Luame, pull back! I’m supposed to be your favorite!

“Why did they have to die?” Edric pounced.

I snorted. “I believe I already gave my speech about sycophantic worms. Those shits are the lowest of the low. They should be called trash-shifters because they morph from shitbags to week-old diapers left roasting in the sun. They got everything they deserve and—”

“Fuck them!” Badr exploded. “Why did you kill my brother? Why did you kill Castor!”

I clamped hard on my mouth, nails digging into my cheeks. “Hphm hmh gghph!”

Badr surged off the dais, ready and willing to tear my hands off.

“Hey!” Orion set three more letters on fire. “Do you think we’re messing around? Answer him or the whole box and everything in it is dust.”

“Why did you kill my brother!” Badr was a man unhinged. Running at me, golden eyes red and wild, claws ripping through his nail beds, frenzy overtaking his voice. “Why!”

He fell on me, wrestling my arms and straining to pry them off. I fought, kicked, and threw myself back. Badr tore them free.

“Because he ruined my life!” I screamed in Badr’s face, blowing his brows high. “He took everything good, and right, and perfect in my world and he ripped it away! Because of him I lost my friends, my dad, my family, and the only person I’ve ever loved!”

Badr lurched back. His gaping jaw would’ve been comical, if there was anything left in this stupid, miserable world to smile about.

“Because of that self-righteous, never-wrong, slavishly noble prick, I HAVE NOTHING! I. AM. NOTHING! HE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!”

Deep, pressing, smothering silence reached down the throats of everyone in the room, and squeezed. They all gaped at me goggle-eyed and pale like they were choking—even blessed Ava. For once, her smirk was gone.

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