Page 133 of Moonlit Nights & Northern Lights
“That’s not going to help if they’ve implanted a tracker into his skull,” snapped Kit. “We’ve been staring at the picture. If they were just draining cerebrospinal fluid, you’d expect a simple puncture wound, maybe one stitch at most. But that…” He trailed off. “The three of you could be in grave danger. You all need to come home,now.”
“Is that an order from Noctule?” I asked flatly.
Silence stretched across the line.
Eventually Seb spoke. “I’ll always prioritise the safety of my team, but if Terrier and Teddy are happy to continue, I agree with their assessment that it could be helpful to remain a little longer.”
Kit’s sigh was audible. I could picture him scowling in his chair, frustrated but unwilling to challenge Seb directly. “It’s worrying Dev doesn’t actually remember escaping. He only regained control of his consciousness after he’d ‘escaped’ and attacked you.”
“Yes,I know. It’s all veryworrying. That’s why we need answers.”
“Magpie is searching for information about that cluster of buildings as we speak. You can expect an update from him shortly.”
“So what are we thinking about this ‘pack gathering’ tomorrow?” asked Seb. “Has the whole event been orchestrated to gather intelligence on shifters in the area? Or possibly, are they planning on snatching up over a hundred wolves?!”
Kit inhaled sharply. “Surely not.”
“Who knows?” I said. “That’s why we can’t just walk away right now.”
“If Callum specifically wanted you there tomorrow, that isn’t good.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised, and Kit laughed like I’d told the most hilarious joke.
“I need to get back to Teddy, but um, are you free for another few minutes Kit?”
I hoped my meaning was clear—I wanted him to take his phone, and leave Seb’s office.
There was some sort of muttered conversation between the pair of them, then Kit said, “Uh… sure.”
Scuffling sounds, a door closing.
“What is it?” Kit said, voice dripping with curiosity. We weren’t the sort of siblings to have secret, clandestine chats.
I took a breath. “Can a mate bond screw with someone’s mind? Like, force the other person to feel attracted to them?”
“What? A mate bond? Rory, mate bonds don’t work like—” There was a long pause. “Wait, do you think you have a mate bond withDev?And that sent him crazy?”
“This is nothing to do with Dev.”
“What?”
“Just answer the question!”
Kit’s voice turned sharp, bitter. “I one hundred percent know it certainly doesn’t work like that.”
Something in his tone made my breath catch. “What? What do you mean? How do you know?”
“Why the hell are you talking about mate bonds right now?”
Silence stretched as I searched for the words to tell him that my wolf had decided my archnemesis was the perfect choice for a life partner.
Then suddenly—
“Fuck. Do I owe Peacock twenty quid?”
“Umm…” I grimaced. “Maybe?”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. Seriously?!Teddy? And you? You and Teddy? How…?What?! Christ, is there something in the water up there?!”
