Page 87 of Wolf Hunted (Rejected Moons 1)

“The one I was fighting was Victor,” she says.

She’s staring at the chasm, at the place where he disappeared. I try to imagine what she must be thinking right now, how she must be feeling. I know how she loathed him. But at the same time, they had their alpha bond.

What’s it like when the person you’re bonded to is killed?

Milo asks the question I can’t find words for. “Do you feel any different?”

“No,” she says. “But maybe it doesn’t ease up right away. Maybe it will get better.”

“It will,” I say, though I can’t know that with any certainty.

Milo looks from me to Emlyn. He’s clearly waiting for something. Probably for her to tell me to leave.

“Em,” I say. “Can we talk?”

She nods and starts to follow me.

“You don’t have to,” Milo said. “You don’t have to listen to anything he has to say. This fight doesn’t have to change anything.”

“I know that,” Emlyn says. “He’s not making me do anything, Milo. He knows he can’t do that as well as I do.”

Milo still looks mistrustful, but he nods and backs away from us.

She stands about a foot and a half away from me, regarding me quietly. Fuck, I’d like to kiss her. But maybe I’ve given up all rights to ever kiss her again. Maybe I’ll never be allowed to do that.

“Em,” I say. “If you want me to go, I’ll go. You can just say the word. I won’t argue with you.”

She waits. I guess she can tell there’s more coming.

“I don’t know how to apologize for what I did,” I say. “I was a different person before I met you. I was…I only cared about myself.”

“You still only care about yourself.” She’s not angry. I can see her trying to suppress a smile. She’s teasing me.

Nothing has ever felt as good as knowing that she’s joking with me.

But this isn’t the time. I need us to talk about what’s true.

“That’s the thing,” I say. “Idon’tonly care about myself. Not anymore. But it took me longer than it should have to realize that. When I saw that flyer, I didn’t realize that I would be turning in a friend. A lover. Someone I couldn’t bear to lose. I only thought about what was in it for me. That was what the old Nate would have done. But knowing you, having you in my life…it’s changed me. I’m not that guy anymore.”

“I don’t know if I can trust in that,” she says softly.

“I had already decided that I wasn’t going to do it,” I say. “I know there’s no reason for you to believe that. I can’t prove it. But it’s the truth. I wasn’t going to turn you in. I couldn’t because I love you too much. It would have killed me.”

I close the distance between us and take her in my arms, moving slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away from me.

She doesn’t resist.

She leans into my touch instead, her dark curls framing her face, dark eyes staring up at mine.

“I missed you,” she says quietly. “I never stopped thinking about you.”

“Will you give me a second chance? Please?”

She closes her eyes. “You’d better not fuck me over again.”

“Never,” I murmur.

When I kiss her, her body curves into mine. I feel that exquisite heat that has always defined her, radiating from her body. She’s like the sun, warming me all over.

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