Page 66 of Dark Moon Secrets

Why couldn’t I stay away from her? My claws scratched the paved footpath as I bolted away, back to the safety of the scrub.

This was the stupidest thing I had ever done, and I had a long list to compare with.

The scent of the eucalyptus called to me, but I could still smell her musky sweetness and wished I could have properly tasted her. The saltiness lingered on my tongue, and I was jealous my wolf knew her much more intimately than I did.

I would have to change that. But how?

Tanjie was forbidden—the enemy. Yet here I was, running after her as if she was part of the pack, in heat, and I couldn’t control myself. This was more than something like a cold shower could fix. I should jump in the nearby lake. The cold water might shock me back to thinking straight.

Somehow, I didn’t think that would work. This went deep.

Why did I think if I were in wolf form, it made it okay to see Tanjie?

I couldn’t believe I had allowed my wolf to take control like that. Instead of roaming the nearby bushland surrounding the town and hunting rabbits, my wolf had gone to see her. And I hadn’t stopped him.

For the second time, I’d gone to see her at night at the shop. The most dangerous place for me was the witches’ fortress. What if they had been in there?

The other day, I had gone there during the day, buying some white sage, but that was different. So much had changed in a short time. The pack was going to attack the witches soon, and there was something they were trying to hide about Tanjie.

They would tear me apart for being near her. We all have rules to follow, dammit. I don’t want to follow them anymore.

Is that what I secretly believed? If we went up against the witches, not only would the pack be free of their suffocating control, but I would also be able to choose my heart and see if things would progress with Tanjie.

My tongue tingled as my paws now enjoyed the earth’s softness as I ran to where I had parked my car. I morphed back into my human form, the summer air warming even before the sun was in the sky.

No way was I going to repeat getting caught like yesterday morning, and I slipped on my jeans, T-shirt, and shoes and got in my car.

My breath fogged on the windshield, it was so hot and heavy. Even in this form, I could taste Tanjie, and it was driving me up the wall.

I was going to have to do something about this and quickly. The pack was going to attack, but first, they had to have the bonfire.

That would be tomorrow night when the moon was at its darkest. A time when secrets would be revealed.

The idea of contacting our ancestors sent my skin prickling, and I turned on the engine of the old Kingswood, revved it just to take delight in hearing the V8 engine, then put it in reverse, going backward way too fast.

We were tight-knit, and the lack of privacy annoyed me, especially in such moments. If I timed things well, I might get Tanjie on my side, get rid of this pent-up energy or whatever it is, then I could get on with destroying her kind.

I swallowed hard. I gripped the steering wheel as I drove too fast from the national park onto the asphalt road that would take me back to my place, an apartment block on the outskirts of town, where all the pack resided.

No matter how I looked at this situation, it wouldn’t end well for me, Tanjie, or us.

Yet, I knew I wouldn’t stop chasing her until she told me no. I wouldn’t like to hear it, but I would respect it. Right? That was my number one rule. But even now, I wasn’t so sure.

Just best get this energy out of me first.

If only she had said no tonight and not opened the door or put out her hand, holding it there for me to smell.

All of her actions tonight told me she was saying yes.

I was so consumed with her that I didn’t think visiting some of the regular women I would see occasionally would cut it. Dammit, it was as if I felt I was cheating on her, even now thinking of those other women.

A bond like that couldn’t form outside of the pack. It wasn’t possible.

It was beginning to scare me.

I couldn’t go to anyone with this. What would they do? It would put my chance of being beta in jeopardy for a start.

This was something I had to sort out myself. I couldn’t trust anyone with this secret.

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