Page 7 of Dark Moon Secrets

“Quickly. You saw me… I skimmed it,” answered Mia, her arm firm around my waist to keep me steady.

“What am I going to do with a fucking bookstore?” I demanded to know. “I can’t leave here.”

I glanced back at the apartment, pain crushing my chest. What a reminder I would have every time I walked past in the future.

“Maybe Maria knew that,” Mia spoke softly.

“What do you mean?” It was getting harder to concentrate, my mind overloaded with emotions and conflicting thoughts.

“Going to run a bookstore will mean you won’t have to face the apartment and the constant reminder of her death. It’s a good thing for you.”

I frowned. This wasn’t the response I was expecting from my friend. Why was she siding with Maria?

“It is a good reason for you to go.”

“But it isn’t what I want.”

“Maybe not yet, but you have a year to work that out. How about I help you get to your apartment, and you can start by getting a good night’s sleep so your head is clearer before you make any decisions?”

I nodded. I didn’t have the energy to argue. Why did everyone want me to run a bookstore? It made no sense to me.

Give it time.

Maria’s voice was back in my head. I shivered.

“You’re in a bad way, miss. Let me make sure you’re all right.” The attendant stepped closer.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled. “I just need to sleep.”

“Good idea. Sit over here, and I’ll check your vitals first. Won’t take long,” he insisted.

I didn’t protest. My focus was on the bookstore and my future.

My mind was made up and couldn’t be changed, no matter what.

There was no way I would manage a bookstore for one day, let alone one year.

CHAPTER 3

Alaric

The pressure was on to get the bones of this house up before the end of the week. My muscles strained from the repeated labor of heaving long planks of wood above my head for the roof all afternoon.

It was past knockoff time, but we hadn’t been told to stop. There were no union rules in the pack. No time for rest, and even if there was, I wouldn’t. It would show I was weak, and I’d get hours of teasing from the others.

I slipped from having to hold the beam awkwardly, splinters slipping under the skin on my hands. I cringed inwardly. Tonight, I’d spend time trying to get them out like I had for the past three days.

“Steady, Alaric,” called Raine, perched on an upper horizontal beam.

“Keep your eyes open, and you won’t have a problem,” I answered him gruffly.

“You nearly whacked me in the head,” he grumbled, taking his fucking time to get a proper grip.

I’m sure his delay was deliberate—the bastard that he was. I would get him later when we were having our knockoff beers. That’s if we were allowed to stop tonight.

“Don’t be such a pussy.”

“Concentrate,” growled the alpha, Rafe.

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