Page 28 of Moon Cursed

Paxton flashed me a lopsided grin. Unlike me, he actually looked great. The man dressed up proper to take me out, wearing a soft-looking blue sweater that brought out the flecks in his eyes, paired with black slacks that hugged his ass in all the right ways. The randy animal inside me purred at the sight of him.

“That’s not what I’m doing,” he said. “Nyx whipped up a batch this afternoon and gave it to me. I left it at the picnic waiting for us under the moonlight. Come with me to get it. If when we get there you decide you want to stay, eat a little, enjoy some sparkling conversation...” He grinned into my slitted eyes. “That would be fine.

“But if not, you can always take it and go,” he finished. “See? No force or coercion involved.”

I sniffed. “Why don’t you go by yourself and bring it to me?”

“I shift into a big dog, baby. Doesn’t mean I am one.” Paxton strutted off. “Get someone else to run and fetch for you.”

I gaped at him. “You know what, you should be really fucking careful, because ever since my wolf dumped your ass, she’s very comfortable with mestranglingyou!”

Paxton cracked up, not slowing his step a beat.

“Hey! Don’t walk away from me. Come back here!”

I chased after the asshole, flinging a string of profanities and insults off his muscled, cashmere-covered back. It wasn’t until my bare feet were tickled by blades of grass that it dawned on me I just got played by an expert.

I swore up, down, and sideways that I wasn’t going on any date with the beast who stole my mother’s letters, but there I was, walking—stomping—side by side with him to a moonlit picnic.

“What?” Paxton winked over his shoulder. “Don’t stop now. We’re halfway there. Might as well come with me to get the medicine at least.”

I considered telling him to shove it, but the stabbing ache in my head cut that thought off at the knees. As much as I hated Paxton, I knew forty percent of the irritability was fueled by the pain. I couldn’t stand to deal with this agonizing distraction when I had more serious things to worry about.

“Fine,” I gritted, following him onto the path leading into the woods. “But I’m just getting the medicine, then I’m leaving.AndI’m telling Nyx that if he ever wants to see me naked, he’ll give my medicine tome.”

“Nyx has also already seen you naked,” he drawled.

“You know what I mean!”

Paxton chuckled. He drew up next to me as the trees crowded together, brushing against my shoulder.

I shoved away and walked further ahead.

“Why do I make you so nervous?”

I tripped. “What? Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Paxton came over to help me up.

I ignored his hand and rose up on my own.

He dropped his arm, but not the pensive eyes staring into mine. “You’ve been this way with me since we met. Like you don’t know what to say or do with me,” he said softly. “Like I unsettle you. Why?”

Fist balling, I swallowed hard. “Just show me where the medicine is.”

Paxton pointed. “Half a mile that way. The steak will hit your nose soon enough.”

I set off, my human feet stomping twigs and smearing dirt as gracelessly as my wolf would never be. Paxton’s voice found me in the dark.

“It’s because I’m an omega, isn’t it. You’ve been trying hard not to give away how disappointed you are to have an omega for a fate. You can’t tout your fair and equal society while looking down on one of your wolf husbands.”

I scoffed. “Are you serious? Is that why you dragged me out here? So that you could call me a hypocritical bigot straight to my face?” I spun on him, true anger shining through. “I don’t care that you’re an omega, Clarke. I’ve never cared about stupid things like that. What I cared about is my mom and holding on to the only things I have left of her, and you lied straight to my face all so that you could take that away from me!”

He blinked, brows blown back by the sudden scream.

“You make me uncomfortable because you’re a fake! There’s nothing real about you!” The words shot like bullets from my lips. “I could smell your plastic skin from day one, Ken doll, but I didn’t trust my instincts because I thought you only wore a mask to survive in this world.” I shook my head, turning away. “I should’ve realized that empty is all you are.”

I stormed on, finally scenting the steak on the air and picking up my pace to get to it, and then get the hell away from him.

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