Page 51 of Wolf Hunted (Rejected Moons 1)

Well, sheisa Moon Caster.

And now I’m thinking about the moment she told me what she was, and how I didn’t feel any shock or horror at all. I wasn’t repulsed by her. Iembracedher.

Is that normal? It can’t be.

I should have hadsomekind of visceral reaction to knowing that I’ve been traveling with a Moon Caster. I hate Moon Casters. I’ve hated them all my life. Most of my life has been about killing them—that’s what I liked about my pack, and the reason I stayed with them as long as I did. They gave me opportunities to kill Moon Casters.

I look over at the bed.

She must have woken up while I was lost in my thoughts because she’s sitting up and watching me. Her dark hair is a curled mess around her face, and she’s smiling sleepily up at me.

“Hi,” she says softly, and damn it, I’m charmed all over again.

Then a chilling thought occurs to me.

What if I reallyamcharmed?

What if she’s using moon magic on me? What if she’s been doing that from the moment we met?

I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to think she could be capable of such a thing. But pieces are falling into place now, and I can’t ignore the picture that’s coming together.

She was angry with me for lying to her—but then, all of a sudden, she just decided to forgive me. Did she really just get over it? Or was it something else?

And when I found out what she was, I should have been disgusted. I should have turned on her. But I didn’t. I didn’t even consider it. Why? Why would she even trust me with the truth of what she was?

She wouldn’t trust me with it. She would only tell me the truth if she knew she was in control of the situation. Shemustbe using magic against me.

I was joking when I suggested it last night in bed. But when she looked at me, it wasn’t a joke to her. She was afraid.

Because she thought I had guessed her secret!

I want to run from her, but I can’t. If she’s using magic against me, it changes everything. I have no idea what she might be capable of, and I can’t let it come to a fight between us.

I have to get her to Paul without a struggle.

But at least something else has been changed by this, too. I no longer have to struggle with the moral ramifications of turning her in. I’ll sleep fine at night after getting rid of a witch.

I can’t stay here looking at her anymore. Already her body is tempting me back to bed.

“I’ll go make us some breakfast,” I say, grabbing her clothes and tossing them to her. “You should get dressed.”

I hurry out to the kitchen. For the first time, it’s a genuine relief to have distance between us, and I pour my attention into opening cans. By the time she reaches the kitchen, I’m already eating, standing up by the sink. I want to get out of here and unload this Moon Caster as quickly as I possibly can.

Chapter 34

EMLYN

“Istillwishwecould stay,” I say, looking fondly around the apartment that has been our shelter for the past few hours.

“It’s dangerous to stay put anywhere,” Nate says. He’s loading up his backpack with canned foods. We got really lucky here—we found two backpacks with straps like the ones on the backpack I lost. In addition to clothes and food, we’ve each rolled up a small blanket to take along with us. I thought about trying to cram in a pillow, too, but I really couldn’t justify it. Not when leaving it behind meant that I could add extra cans to my pack.

“I know it is,” I say. “I’m just wishing.”

“We’ve got to get moving,” he says, eyeing the door. “You want to find that coven, don’t you?”

“You know I do.” I wonder why he’s acting so anxious. But it must be because he’s afraid the wolves are going to find us here. It won’t take themthatlong to figure out we’re not in the tunnels anymore if they send someone down to check. Between the fact that we ran in wolf form and the fear we were exuding, I’m sure we left our scent all over the place. We’re probably easy to follow.

Maybe they’ll assume the Ravagers got us.

---