Page 8 of Dark Moon Secrets

His sharp tone stopped any escalation of the banter between us. Sure, Raine and I were mates since pups, but the long hours on the building site were taking their toll on us and everyone else.

Rafe hovered close by to keep an eye on the quality of our work. He picked up any mistakes before they happened. It added to everyone’s stress. A building boom in Katoomba meant we had more than enough work and another house to build.

“It’s quality that gets us paid,” Rafe added.

I held the plank a few seconds longer to ensure Raine had it before I let go. The alpha might want quality, but he’d also given specific instructions to finish nailing the framework together before the dark moon had risen.

Even though we were no longer bound to change at the full moon, our pack was always conscious of the moon cycle, as if it were part of our blood and could never be ignored.

On automatic, I walked over to the pile of freshly cut planks, picked up another, and hauled it back to Raine. No one complained about the overtime. It was in the pack’s interest to keep working.

Since it was summer, the daylight hours were long, and we could keep working into the evening. The longer we worked, the more money the pack got.

My steel-capped boot hit something solid, and I stumbled forward to the side, the plank hindering me from regaining my balance.

“Fuck.”

I couldn’t afford to crash into any of the structures. I would be toast if I damaged it, even by accident.

The weight of the plank lightened, and I steadied. Tyr was ahead of me, holding the plank, keeping it from hitting anyone or anything.

“Thanks, Tyr,” I said. “I’ve got it from here.”

“No, you don’t,” said Rafe.

He always had a negative voice that had tormented me my entire life. I tilted my head to see the alpha approaching, a stormy glare on his face.

“I do,” I answered.

Fuck, I’ve gone and done it again. Not many answered back to Rafe like that. I always had and paid the price.

“You’re not pulling your weight,” said Rafe.

The entire vibe of the site chilled even though the day was warm. Sweat dribbled down my back from the work, but now my body shivered as if it had cooled down too quickly.

“I am so.”

Rafe came up close to me, glaring straight at me. This was when I should lower my eyes, but I didn’t. I held his golden gaze with my own.

I wasn’t afraid. I should be. He could rip me apart easily. But here I was, standing up to the alpha with no value to my life.

“You’re too busy roaming at night, out alone when you should be supporting your pack.”

“I’m not. I’m too tired from working all day.”

Why the fuck did I say that?

He knew I was out prowling for a woman to lose myself in and forget about the life I lived bound by stupid rules. These rules were not set out by the pack but by the witches who made sure we didn’t convert all of humanity into wolf shifters with a well-timed bite or scratch at the full moon.

Tempting as it sounded, it wasn’t what I would do, or would anyone in the pack. We weren’t a group of unruly animals. We were disciplined. Well, maybe not me for picking a verbal fight with Rafe.

Me and my big fucking mouth.

“Like hell you are. It’s not healthy when you shouldn’t be alone like that. You’re not part of the pack when you’re not with us.”

“I am with you.”

I didn’t like being repressed. It was time to change, not just for me but for the pack, but he never listened to me when I spoke up. When was he going to see this?

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