Page 74 of Rejected Moons (Rejected Moons 3)

But then, why would she? It’s not like I have a great history of being honest with her. I probably wouldn’t have listened to me either, under the circumstances.

And then there’s Milo. What’s awful is that I really felt a bond with him. For years, I’ve watched the members of my pack call each other brothers, and I’ve never felt like I shared in that brotherhood. I’ve always felt outside of it.

With Milo, even though we’d only just met each other, I felt the potential for that kind of bond. It was like we were already becoming brothers.

But, no. Apparently, he’s just going to think of me as the asshole who tried to sell Emlyn out.

And he should. Because Emlyn is right—if we hadn’t met Milo when we did, I might have done exactly that.

I would have lived to regret it. I can see that now.

But I might have done it.

I twist another berry off the bush and nibble at it slowly, trying not to think about how much Em would have liked this. She loved having canned food when we were staying in that apartment. Berries would have completely made her day.

Then I hear voices off in the distance.

My heart leaps, and for a moment, I don’t even understand why I’m feeling this sudden rush of hope. Then I realize that I’m hoping the voices I’m hearing belong to Milo and Em, and that they’re coming back to find me.

As soon as I understand that thought, though, I know it isn’t so. The voices I’m hearing both belong to men, and they’re both deeper than Milo’s voice. This is someone else.

Well, fine. I could use a fight. Maybe it’ll be someone I can take a bite out of.

I pull myself deeper under the raspberry bush, hoping I won’t be seen. I’ll wait to hear what it is they’re talking about, and then I’ll jump out and surprise them. That’ll at least help me burn off some of this excess frustration.

“…think they’re already on the move,” one of the men says.

“And the Moon Casters?” the other asks.

“TheyareMoon Casters,” the first voice says.

“They’re hybrids, Victor. Don’t get that confused in your mind.”

Oh. Okay, this is interesting. Victor is the name of Em’s old alpha mate. And if he’s talking about hybrids, I’m sure he can only be talking about her and Milo.And if they know about Milo, that means they’ve seen Emlyn and Milo together. They’ve been watching them.They’re tracking them.

This situation just became a whole lot more relevant to my life.

“Hybrids and Moon Casters are the same,” Victor says.

“No,” the other voice barks. “They aren’t the same. And you’re underestimating the hybrids if you let yourself believe that they are. Remember, they’re shifters too. They have wolves, just like you do. And they can also do magic. A hybrid is stronger than a wolfora Moon Caster.”

“They’re freaks of nature, Bruce,” Victor says.

Bruce.That was the name of Emlyn’s alpha.

I wonder what would happen if I jumped out of these bushes right now and tried to take on both of them. I wonder if I could do it.

I probably couldn’t. Two against one. I’d have the element of surprise, but all it would take would be one good blow from one of them and I’d be dog meat.

“Yes,” Bruce agrees. “Freaks is exactly what they are. Butstrongfreaks.”

“I want her dead, Bruce. I want to rip her throat out with my teeth. When I think about the fact that she almost suckered me into mating with her…” He trails off, then adds, “I could have given her a child. Can you imagine? I could have conceived a child with that bitch.”

“I’m aware of that,” Bruce says. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance to kill her. We’re on their trail now. And they used up a lot of energy running away from those other Moon Casters. Do you have any information about those Moon Casters? Do you know where they went?”

“No,” Victor says. “They might as well have just disappeared, for all I can keep track of them. If I’d gotten my hands on them, I would have killed them too, you’d better believe.”

“Focus, Victor,” Bruce chides him. “Do you want Emlyn or not?”

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