Page 73 of Moonlit Nights & Northern Lights
Yanking my own hand free from Rory’s death grip was quite a feat.
“Tariq Fraser,” he introduced, handshake firm and measured. “Second to Alpha Thorne.”
Tariq was as tall as me, his salt-and-pepper beard meticulously trimmed against brown skin. I attempted to read his surface thoughts, but encountered nothing—a smooth, blank wall where the usual static of consciousness should have been.
“Theodore,” I returned eventually, as Tariq pierced me with his gaze.
“What a pleasure,” he replied with a snarlish smile that spoke volumes. “We so rarely have humans join us. Aside from our staff, of course.”
I swallowed down a bubble of laughter that threatened to burst out of me. What a twat.
Beside me, Rory had gone rigid. His breathing had shifted—shallow, controlled, like someone trying very hard not to bolt.
“Rory,” Tariq said, his tone carrying the weight of authority and disapproval. “You look… well.”
“Fraser,” Rory replied, his voice tight in a way I’d never heard before. His hands clenched at his sides.
A flash of memory burst through my telepathy, from Rory’s panicked thoughts. Suddenly there was cold stone pressing against my back as I looked up at a younger Tariq towering above me, his voice booming:“Discipline, boy. Your father expects better.”The sharp sting across my cheek, the burn of tears I refused tolet fall.
The memory vanished as quickly as it had come, but judging by the way Rory seemed to shrink slightly under Tariq’s gaze, those old wounds had left their mark.
It was already no wonder Rory had hightailed it out of this place and never looked back.
“Where is she?” Rory asked.
“She’s coming. She’d have heard you arrive.”
As if summoned by magic, the room once again quietened as a woman entered. I’d have recognised her as Edina Thorne by her nose and chin, so similar to Rory’s, but I didn’t need to make the connection myself—the entire room reacted to her presence.
One by one, the pack members sank to their knees, faces bowed to the floor. Only Rory and I remained standing. I looked around in bafflement, feeling indeed like I’d stumbled into a cult, like Rory had said earlier. My gaze shot to him—he remained stoic, though he didn’t seem surprised by this bizarre display of subservience.
“Rise,” Edina commanded, her voice carrying effortlessly across the room without being raised.
The pack members stood in unison, the synchronicity of their movement unsettling. I couldn’t help but be surprised by the diversity of the pack. People of various ethnicities mingled throughout the space—not the homogeneous group of white Highlanders I’d perhaps subconsciously expected. Hopefully, that meant I wouldn’t face racism on top of displeasure that Rory had brought home a human male as his boyfriend.
Dressed all in black, Edina moved towards us with predatory grace. I stared into her eyes, momentarily afraid I’d see Rory’s mercurial blue-green gaze reflected back at me. Relief washed through me when I found them to be a pale, icy blue instead—beautiful but cold, lacking the warmth and mischief that animated her son’s.
“Detective Inspector Theodore Maxwell,” she said, extending her hand.
My blood froze. Beside me, Rory inhaled sharply. How did she know my full name and title? When Rory had emailed Alex to confirm our attendance, he’d only mentioned bringing his new boyfriend.
I accepted her handshake, her skin cool and dry against mine. As our palms connected, I reached out with my telepathy, trying to catch even a whisper of her surface thoughts.
Nothing. Only a blank wall where consciousness should have been.
My mind reeled, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over me. How the hell did she know who I was? Acid churned in my stomach as possibilities raced through my mind. Five minutes into the mission, and my identity was already completely compromised. Was Killigrew Street exposed? Was Rory in danger?
I forced my expression to remain neutral, tamping down the rising panic with practiced control.
“You must be Edina. Thank you for having me here.”
Her smile was all teeth. “My pleasure. I do hope you’ll find our little gathering… educational,” Edina continued, scrutinising my face. “It’s so rare we have someone of your… professional standing join us.”
All of a sudden, my lungs constricted as the room pressed in around me. The collective gaze of the pack members felt heavier with each passing second.
I needed a moment to think, to process what the hell was happening and how badly compromised we were.
I just needed a minute. Just one bloody minute to get my head together.
