Page 61 of Wolf Bonded (Rejected Moons 2)

“We know why he didn’t fuck me,” I say, just ignoring the insult completely. “But why didn’t he kill me? If that’s why I’m here, why didn’t he just go ahead and do it? What is he waiting for?”

“Don’t ask questions,” Harley snaps.

And suddenly, I understand.

“You don’t know either,” I say. “You were expecting him to kill me, weren’t you? You weren’t expecting to have to spend tonight on guard duty. You thought he’d take care of business as soon as he saw me, and now you don’t know what’s up any more than I do.”

Harley storms away from me.

But before he goes, I see the look of unhappy shock on his face.

I’m right. I know I’m right. I figured it out.

He wasn’t supposed to let me see what was going on, and now that he has, he’s afraid of what the consequences might be for him. He’s afraid that Victor is going to find out that he let me in on the truth.

Maybe he’s even afraid I’m going to use this knowledge to do something.

Is there something I can do?

Why isn’t Victor killing me?

I can only think of one possible answer to that question.

It’s the mate bond. It has to be.

He didn’t react as visibly as I did when we saw each other, but he must be feeling it every bit as strongly as I am. And he doesn’t trust himself to walk up to me and kill me because he’s honestly not sure what he would do if he got that close.

The pack would never forgive him if he mated with a Moon Caster in front of everyone. It would be a disaster.

He can’t afford to take that chance.

And that might be the only card I have to play.

36

NATE

“What’stheplan?”Iask.

Even asking is a challenge. Because, of course, if I had it my way, the plan would beattack. It would be just that simple.

But the more time I spend with Milo and Wilder, the more I understand that just charging into situations isn’t always the best way to handle them.

We’re huddled in a grove of trees, though, and I can fucking see Emlyn from here. It would beso easyto run in and grab her.

As if he can hear what I’m thinking—sometimes I wonder if hecanhear what I’m thinking—Wilder grabs my shoulder. “Don’t,” he says.

“I’m not. I wasn’t going to.”

“I know we can only see one guard, but it would be stupid to assume they don’t have any other security. I’m sure there are others just out of sight.”

I sigh. “I know that. We’ve had this conversation already.”

“Be quiet,” Milo hisses. “They’ll hear us.”

We fall silent and watch for a moment.

“But what’s the plan?” I ask again.

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