Page 88 of Midnight Moon
“That was before—”
“Are you kidding me?” I shouted. Red, hot fury consumed me. “You would go back on your word to force me to be near you?”
“Blair,” Asher closed his eyes and shook his head. “That’s not what—”
I cut him off, “If you do this to me—if you go back on your word, I will do everything in my power to undermine you, your alpha, and your pack. I will not rest until I make you regret this stupid bond with every fiber of your being, and I will do it all with asmile!”
I intended to continue my rant, determined to convince Asher that winning the games was the absolute last thing he wanted to do, when his response rendered me speechless.
Asher closed the distance between us. He wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me into a tight embrace.
My nerve endings fired, and my heart raced. Every inch of his body that pressed against mine sent delicious heat all over. His woodsy scent enveloped me, and the heat traveled to a more intimate region.
Mother Moon help me…
If a hug could do this to me, I was done for. I needed to pull away, but I didn’t want to. Instead, my arms snaked around his neck. Holding him felt as natural as breathing.
I waited for Asher to take our embrace to the next level, temporarily unrepentant about my willingness to indulge in this feeling between us.
He leaned close. His breath caressed my cheeks as he said, “Chase has uncovered a plot.”
His words doused my desire.
I leaned back and looked into his gorgeous blue eyes. “What plot?”
His right hand trailed down my spine and settled on my lower back. “After you left last night, Chase scouted the woods. He picked up the scent of Alpha Orlando. He followed it, and he discovered Orlando speaking with a hooded figure with no scent. We believe it was a sorcerer who, for whatever reason, hadn’t joined in on the attack against you.”
Fear from last night reared its ugly head. I shoved the emotion down. “So, the Coastal Pack is working with sorcerers?”
“They are.”
They must’ve been the ones who let the sorcerers through the wards…
I struggled to believe it.
Sure, the West Coast shifters were assholes, but I never thought they would turn against their own kind.
“Why would they do it?” I asked. “What’s in it for them?”
“Victory, and the power that comes with it, of course,” he sneered, staring over my shoulder, looking lost in his thoughts. “Your packs have always been hungry for it. The Coastal Pack found an opportunity to guarantee their power and influence, and they took it.”
I took offense that Asher would lump my pack in with Alpha Orlando, but I didn’t let it distract me from what was important. “How are the sorcerers helping the Coastal Pack?”
He exhaled, and his focus returned. “I do not know the details of their arrangement, but Chase overheard the pair discussing the final game. Apparently, the sorcerer will be aiding the Coastal Pack during the competition.”
Well, that’s not good.
“With magic?”
Asher nodded.
I groaned. “Why is this happening?” My hands dropped to rest on Asher’s shoulders. I stared at the base of his throat as I tried, but failed, to make sense of everything. “I still don’t understand what’s going on. Why are the sorcerers involved in our lives now, after all this time?”
If only my dad hadn’t run off this morning, I might have answers.
I looked up only to see Asher avoiding my gaze. I watched his throat bob.
Immediately, I knew something was wrong.
