Page 22 of Broken Moon

She shuddered, her luminouseyes full of tears that never fell. “It won’t always be this way. I see…I seemany things.”

“Your alpha has promised tofree my wolf,” I told her, “if I hunt the creature killing your pack.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, he cando that!” She reached out, excited for me, but quickly dropped her hands. “Youmust understand what will happen when you’re free. You’ll need the alpha tocontrol your wolf, to teach you to control yourself, to help you through thefirst hours, days, and maybe even weeks. Kaitlyn, you understand that Jaredwill be your alpha? He will be there to take care of you, to subdue your wolfwhen she refuses to return to human form—and shewillrefuse.” Shepeered out of those haunting green eyes, and it was all I could do to stand myground against them.

I recoiled, already fightingthose words, then realized there was really nothing to fight. I needed analpha. I needed a pack. I needed my shift. More than anything, I wanted myshift.

“I’ll do anything to get myfreedom,” I said.

Lennon nodded. “You will belongto the alpha but…”

“But?” I was aware that Iwasn’t really giving that fact the attention it deserved. I didn’t want tothink too hard about Jared becoming my alpha, because I was afraid it wouldtake away my joy.

“I have nothing more to say,”she told me, her voice slightly regretful. She no longer looked me in the eye,as though she was afraid I’d read something in hers that I had no businessknowing.

“You have a lot more to say,” Imurmured. “But that’s okay, Seer. I know you’ll tell me if you’ve seensomething critical.”

Something had changed sinceshe’d had her peek inside me, though. She was just as polite, just asinterested and curious, but she was now just a little more…guarded.

If I had known her better, Imight have brought up the subject of the demon and how my blood on his bladehad expelled him from his body and trapped him in this world. She might havehad some advice. But I couldn’t ask her that. Not yet.

“Where is the alpha?” she askedEli, as though her encounter with me had made her wish for his support.

“He had to discipline a coupleof stupid pups,” he told her, but he looked at me when he said it.

Her stare dropped to the newblood I’d picked up from my latest fight with the demon, as well as the redbruises decorating the tattoo on the back of my hand. Her body stiffened andher eyes narrowed. “Did they—”

“No,” I assured her. “I gotmessy from a battle on my way here.”

“Ah.” She, too, peered at me, understandinglighting her eyes. “I apologize for our wolves, Kaitlyn. The pack was warned,but they don’t always listen. At least the young ones who’ve yet to learn oftheir alpha’s wrath.” She smiled slightly. “Don’t worry about them. Whatever hedoes to them, they will learn their lesson, and they will heal with their mannersfirmly intact.”

I squinted at her. I didn’t askhow she knew I was just a tiny bit worried about what Eli might do to them. Shewas a seer who’d been inside my head. I felt ridiculous for my worry, but thattold me one thing.

I was already thinking of thispack and these wolves as mine.

“You need to talk about thecreature attacking the pack,” Eli told us both, “so I can get Lennon out of thewoods.”

It didn’t hurt my feelings thathe wasn’t concerned with my safety. People didn’t tend to see me as vulnerable.I nodded. “Tell me everything you know,” I said.

She shook her head and clenchedher fists, frustrated. “That’s why I’m here in the woods. I’d hoped I wouldpick up something vital to tell you—but I feel and see…nothing, really. Nothing.”

I could understand herfrustration. A seer always saw something. It had to be driving her crazy thatthe creature was so hidden from her.

“That’s not entirely true,” shesaid, then. “I feel darkness. Darkness and wind, that’s what I see. I don’tknow what it is, where it came from, or why it is feeding on our wolves.” Thistime a tear escaped.

“I’m sorry for the loss of yourwolves,” I murmured. “I’ll catch this asshole, Lennon.” I smiled inwardly,remembering fondly how it felt to want to please one’s seer.

She touched my arm, secure inthe fact that there were layers of fabric between her skin and mine. “You willget what you want, Kaitlyn.” She hesitated, then continued, her voice soft butsure. “You will be Pack.”

I shivered, fighting my ownsuddenly rising tears. I was a lone wolf by force, not by choice or nature. Fortwelve years I had felt like a lonely dog chained in some asshole’s back yard,and I was finally about to be brought inside. My wolf shivered as well, eager,excited, hopeful.

“You are the person you arebecause of your exile,” she told me. “If you’d stayed in your pack, you wouldnot be the same. The despair of your past was necessary for the hope of yourfuture.”

Then she stiffened and for abrief moment, she was no longer there. And I felt it, too. The cold, dark wind,the fear, the heaviness.

“He’s here,” we said at theexact same time.

Eli didn’t hesitate. He slidhis arm around her waist and rushed her away, and I was alone with the comingcreature.