Page 72 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
"If you’re going, I’m going," Madeline said.
Everyone stared her way.
"You should stay with Evie or go with the others to figure out the king’s schedule." Shane put down the wine glass.
"No." She put her utensils down.
"Madeline, be reasonable. Half the world is trying to kill you. You dying isn’t an option."
"I don’t think I’m slated to die before the eclipse. Call it a hunch."
Antonio said, "I don’t like who gave you the information on the facility—a human who reports to a human who’s part of FenCor. It's a set up."
Shane waved a dismissive hand. "Can you check the place out before we go, Flynn? Make sure it’s legit? If it’s real, then we’ll go in."
"Sure," Flynn offered.
"Great. You have a plan," Evie said. "All of us will meet afterward to run through the get-free-of-the-curse scenario. My people will be involved the second it’s gone."
"You can’t kill the monarch," Roman said, massaging his wrist over his curse band. It must be pushing him to protect the king. "Don’t make yourself an enemy. Please."
Evie grinned mischeviously. "You tell that little curse of yours, boys, that the king is safe."
Ky sucked in a hard breath. "Swear it, Mom. It’s pushing us to protect him."
"I swear he’s safe from me."
Evie had her fingers crossed beneath the table, something only Madeline seemed to notice. Damn she liked this matriarch.
Chapter Twenty-One
The moon had risenhigh in the sky, its brilliance egged on Shane’s base need to get naked with Madeline. It didn’t help knowing Roman and Ky were already naked with their mates. Flynn had wandered off after dinner. Usually, he found someone to spend full moon night with or he drank until he passed out. Shane had injected himself with dulling serum when he changed clothes, but as he led Madeline to one of the guest rooms, fully intent on dropping her off and high tailing it anywhere else, it felt as if he’d never shot himself up. The serum usually kicked in within an hour, but it wasn’t working.
When they stopped at the door, she leaned against his side as if she were meant to be in his arms.
It’s the alcohol she drank at dinner.
"I bet you were a devil as a kid." Her lids fell to half-mast. She wet her lips.
He wanted to answer her invitation. "I wasn’t easy, but I had three brothers constantly ripping on me."
"Kind of wish I had siblings. You were lucky."
"Lucky isn't the right word for it."
"All of you would do anything for each other. That’s a bond no one can break. It’s something you need to hold on to. I think you frayed it a bit by disappearing. Mend that. They need you."
He opened the door for her and waved for her to enter, dreading his inability to resist if she invited him inside. "This is yours. I’m dropping you here. You drank too much. Your judgment is off."
She stared into the room.
Her hand lifted to his cheek and fingers dragged along his jaw. "It’s scary how much I both like and fear you."
"I won’t hurt you. To get out of those handcuffs I had to swear I wouldn’t."
"What you make me feel—you being Shane—especially knowing what’s coming, is almost too much."
He was lost.
