Page 27 of Broken Moon

“Not a good plan, sister,” Imuttered. Then I blew out a tired breath. “That explains why you didn’t killhim despite stabbing him a dozen times.” I looked at him. “And quite viciously,might I add.”

Someone tapped on the door andthen the nurse who’d arrived with the doctor stuck her head into the room. “Hehas surgery in two hours, Jared.”

Jared pulled me to my feet. “Gowith Belinda. They’ll make sure you’re all right.”

I didn’t argue. I wanted tothink about the exsoloup and how we might possibly kill it. I had a demon on myass, but I didn’t see a way of convincing him to kill the creature for me.

I stopped to look back at Jaredas I reached the door. “It’s just a tale, you know. I’m not going to stopchasing the creature just because an article tells me I can’t kill him. Therehas to be something, some weakness. If I can’t kill him, I’ll catch andimprison him so he can’t do any harm. I can take his head, wrap him in silver,and bury him in the ground like we do rogue vampires.”

I didn’t want him or his packthinking I was a failure. Also, he’d already paid me, and I wanted to be surehe got his money’s worth. I was suddenly concerned about what the alpha and thepack thought of me. I didn’t like it, but it was true.

“Kaitlyn,” he said, his voicelow and smooth, “I know you’ll do your job.”

I frowned and walked away withthe nurse, wondering why his words really didn’t make me feel any better.

ChapterThirteen

The perplexed doctor stared atthe scars on my body, even as he helped his nurse—Belinda—wipe away the bloodfrom the new ones. I’d gotten injuries I’d ignored from my encounter with theexsoloup, but none as bad as the stab wound. Funny thing was, the smallerwounds were the ones causing me trouble.

Just as when the demon cut me,the injury from the demon blade was nearly healed. It was as though my bladecouldnothurt me. All that remained of the stab wound was a rapidlyclosing hole. It would leave a small scar, as the slash across my chest hadleft a thin line, but even that might go away eventually.

He wasn’t paying much attentionto that scratch, though he had to wonder where all the blood was coming from.He was confused about the old scars that hadn’t healed.

“Wolves shift,” he murmured,his white brows low over his kind brown eyes, “and they heal. You should nothave such scars.”

I realized then that the doctorknew nothing about me. He couldn’t know that I healed slower or that, while Iwas not as vulnerable as a human I was not nearly as strong as a shifter. Hedidn’t know who I was.

“I’m a shifter,” I saidblandly, “but my alpha hobbled my wolf when I was fourteen years old. I’venever had a chance to shift.”

Both he and the nurse stilledtheir hands and gaped at me in horror. Finally, Belinda busied herselfsmoothing bandages over cleaned scrapes and dabbing balms over bruises andangry welts, her stare flitting from me to the doctor and back again.

The doctor shook his head, hisstare just a little colder. “I have known Jared since he was born. He wouldneversentence someone to such a shocking fate. You are obviously one of hiswarriors. Why are you—”

“Doc,” I interrupted, before hecould work himself into loyalty-induced rage, “Jared is not my alpha.”

It seemed to take a few secondsfor my words to sink in. When they did, his cheeks infused with color and hetook a step back, pity and regret chasing each other across his face. “Mydear,” he finally murmured. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions. I amappalled by your hobbling. Surely your advocates can speak with your alpha onyour behalf and convince him to reverse such an awful sentence. Why would he dothis thing to a child?”

“My name is Kait Silver,” Isaid evenly. “My father was Daniel Silver. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, I see.” Buthe didn’t look at me with disgust or contempt. He patted my hand. “You were achild. What your father did had nothing to do with you and your mother. I neveragreed with Adam Thorne’s tactics when it came to dealing with his pack. Awfulleader, that one. Just awful.”

“Well,” I said dryly, “I didstep in and try to kill him.”

He snorted. “You were a childwith a blade. He was the alpha. You were never going tokillhim.”

“No,” I murmured, finally. “I guessI never was. But he was enraged that I would dare try.”

His stare sharpened. “Hisarrogance is astounding, true, but there is more to his reaction, Kait. Therewould have to be.”

I only nodded.

“Because of the obviousunfairness of the punishment,” he continued, “perhaps he would be inclined toend it now that the years have passed. I would be happy to petition him on yourbehalf, as I’m sure Jared would.”

I curled my lip. “Jared hasknown about my problem for twelve years. He was never inclined to help me.” Andjust like that, my anger at the Gray Shadow Pack alpha returned.

Then Belinda murmured, “AdamThorne detests our alpha, Ben. He would only be moved to hurt her further if Jaredintervened.”

“Ah.” The doctor nodded. “Youare right, of course. Still, there must be something we can do.”