Page 27 of Rejected Moons (Rejected Moons 3)

Then a shadow appears at the end of the alley.

For a moment, I’m positive it’shim. That Victor has found me.

Then the figure steps forward, and it’s not Victor at all.

It’s Harley.

Jess’s mate.

I stare at him for a long moment, and he stares right back.

Is he going to kill me? My best friend’s mate?

But she’s not my best friend anymore, is she? She probably hates me now that the whole pack knows I’m part Moon Caster. She’s probably horrified by the fact that she used to be friends with me, that she used to spend time alone with me. She’s probably dying for Harley to come home and tell her that she doesn’t have to worry, that I’m not going to be a problem anymore.

I find my voice. “Harley,” I say.

“Emlyn.”

He sounds like a stranger. Not like the guy I grew up with, the one I used to tussle with when we were children, the one who used to save me bits of his river trout because he didn’t really like it. We used to be as close as brother and sister. Now it couldn’t be more obvious that he just doesn’t give a damn about me.

“So this is how it is?” I say.

“I have to take you back,” he says. “You know I do.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do,” he says. “Bruce gave the order.”

“Let me guess. He’s going to kill me?”

“He’s going to let Victor do it,” Harley says. “Victor wants to reject you publicly.”

“Yeah. I’m sure he does. But I have places to be.”

Harley sighs. “Don’t make me hurt you,” he says. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You want me to come quietly to my death?”

“It can be easy for you or it can be hard.”

“Or it can be hard foryou,” I say, dancing back a few steps, out of his grasp. “It’s not happening, Harley. Tell Jess you gave it your best shot but that you were no match for me.”

He lunges, grabbing for me, but I’m already whirling away, shifting as I go. I feel my clothes shred around me and curse inwardly, but my backpack stays snug around my chest. I’ve lost an outfit, but I can replace it. I have more.

Behind me, I hear a yell— “She’s over here! She’s going this way!”

Damn it!He’s not alone, and now they’re going to be chasing me.

And I know—because my body’s been screaming the signs at me—that Victor himself is somewhere close by. If he’s the one who finds me next, there won’t be any stopping to talk about ways and means. He won’t try to capture me and bring me back to the pack for someone else’s benefit. He’ll rip my throat out where I stand.

Suddenly I’m really, really wishing that I hadn’t left Nate behind. He’s a bastard, but at the moment, I could really use a bastard on my side.

I hear the sounds of running wolves behind me. I hear the panting, the snarling and snapping.

They’ll kill me if they catch me.

I’m fast. But I can’t outrun them forever. And I can’t hope to hide, not while they’re this close.

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