Page 87 of Dark Moon Secrets

“Was this what I was going to learn?” The ancestral spirit had communicated with me, that had to mean something. But I don’t know enough to work it out.

“Yes. Go now, get back to the shop, and stay there until I come for you.” Luna pointed back to the path.

I didn’t want to go. If they were going to discuss my future, I wanted to be present.

“Will you go there, or do you need an escort?”

“I’m not a disobedient child.” I huffed. “I will go.”

I started down the path, using all the self-control I could muster. When out of sight, I ran. But I didn’t keep on the path. No way was I going back to the shop. No way.

CHAPTER 28

Alaric

The time had come for the bonfire. Most of the pack gathered around the pile of wood that had taken me the best part of the day to build. Where was Rafe?

It didn’t bode well when the alpha wasn’t here. No one came near me, but that wasn’t unusual. I had been wayward and best not to be associated with. Fuck, I had my work cut out to try and turn things around in the pack.

At least I had done it. The bonfire was built by my hard work. It had taken hours, but it would all be worth it. Better still, I had my long-awaited moment with Tanjie.

I should be relaxed now, chilled. I had tasted her, and it was good, but I wasn’t.

I had to see her again. Her image burned in my mind as I stood staring at the pile of wood. Wasn’t it time to set it alight?

No sign of Tyr either, and my inner wolf stirred my senses to hyper. Something was up. Something I wasn’t involved in, and I didn’t like it.

Not after Rafe had promised the beta position to Tyr, even if it were on false premises. Tyr wasn’t here, and I was, and it had to put me farther on the back foot, which wasn’t going to help my status on any level in the pack.

I went to Tala. We had a thing a while back, a mutual parting of ways.

“What’s going on?”

“You don’t know?”

Her comment was a barb in my heart. The pack connection wasn’t strong with me. I couldn’t sense Rafe like I had before. Had I been outed already? But for what?

The only thing I could think of was that it had to do with Tanjie. Had someone seen me go into the shop? It wouldn’t matter. We wolves would go in from time to time. We needed supplies, and the shop was convenient.

“I’m exhausted from building the pyre.” I tilted my head to the varying lengths of logs.

“Thought nothing wore you out.” Tala grinned at me.

“I’m getting old.”

“Yeah, right.” Tala smirked.

“Has something gone wrong?”

I struggled to join in with her laughter. Things were serious. I couldn’t feel the pack. Even with Tala next to me, my wolf barely connected with hers.

“Nothing too serious. The damn Wild Fire pack decided to come into our territory.”

“Why? The boundaries are clear?” This didn’t make any sense. They had to have a reason. Otherwise, there would be an all-out war between the packs. Then the witches would be on to us, and that wasn’t ideal for our current plans.

Tala shrugged. “Does it matter? Rafe will sort them out, and they’ll never come back. We have way better fighters.”

“We do, but it does matter.”

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