Page 43 of Fool Moon First Aid

“We’re noticing a slight uptick in attacks. It’s mostly the loners living on the outskirts, beyond the safety of our town and between territories,” I report, feeling the weight of responsibility press down on me. “Shifters, mainly.”

“They see us as easy prey,” Zane chimes in, his casual lean against the wall belying the gravity of his assessment. “Isolate us, pick us off one by one,” he muses, his gaze sharp. “That’s exactly what I’d do.”

“Does the name Kit Mason mean anything to you?” my father probes, slicing through the tension with the precision of a seasoned alpha.

“No,” I snap out, frustration edging my voice. The name sounds too mundane, too pedestrian to trigger any alarms. “Should it?”

“We believe he’s the one in charge of the Puritas Umbra,” Zane adds, dropping this bombshell on me. It’s just one more thing for me to have to dissect. “But it’s probably just an alias. We’re on his trail for the first time in years.”

Shock jolts through me. “You have more than a name?” I blurt out, my control slipping. The thought that we’ve even scratched the surface of their anonymity sends my mind reeling. “They’ve cloaked his identity in shadows for years.”

“Yes, and we have the fae on our side,” Zane reveals, nonchalantly linking pieces I hadn’t even considered connecting. “We have a spy in their ranks.”

My eyes go wide at the revelation. A fae, embedded in Puritas Umbra… The audacity of it sends a chill down my spine. I swallow hard, the taste of fear bitter on my tongue. If anyone can hide in plain sight, it’s the fae.

My father hums, a sound that seems to stir the air itself, as he brushes his thumb over his lip in contemplation. “We’re ramping up patrols. I need you three at the clan house three nights a week.”

That’s not going to work.

I steal a glance at Zane, catching the slight cock of his head. Damn, he’s observant—a trait Tyler undoubtedly inherited from him. His raised eyebrow silently questions me, but I offer no reply.

“With our work schedule—” I start, but my father cuts me off with a comment that brooks no argument.

“And the woman you brought home,” he interjects, his knowledge of Ava not surprising but unwelcome all the same.

I steel myself, my muscles tensing as I prepare to defend my actions and choices. For a fleeting second, doubt creeps in, but I squash it. If I’m to lead this clan one day, then I must stand firm for what I believe in, for what’s best for us all.

“Ava is our fated,” I state, my words deliberate.

He leans back with a resigned sigh, his eyes masking the storm beneath. My mother, on the other hand, springs into action like a shot, her book and blanket clattering to the floor as she barrels toward me.

“Tell me it’s true. A fated mate? Blessed by the moon? Did you recite the incantation?” she questions, her words coming at me in a rush. “Blessed by the spirit comet?”

Fated mates are rare. Sure, anyone can bond. The moon often nods in approval, but it’s not every day she outright blesses someone, and mates chosen by the spirit comet? That’s even rarer. It’s also a feeling unlike any I’ve ever experienced.

With one look, one scent, I knew Ava was ours. A fierce protectiveness came over me when we first saw her. I thought it was nothing more than us caring for a patient, but it was so much more. My vision danced with fireworks when I scented her, nearly making me fall on my ass. And the fact that she was hurt nearly threw me over the edge.

“It’s true,” I confirm, watching the realization wash over them.

“Well, I’ll be.” Zane can’t help but chuckle as he strides over to shake my hand, his grip as solid as ever. “Congratulations are in order, or not…” He hesitates, reading the storm brewing in my expression.

“It’s complicated,” I mutter, the word human hanging unsaid between us.

“I assumed as much,” Zane quips before scooping my mother into his lap, drawing a burst of laughter from her that fills the room with something light. They are not fated mates, nor chosen by any comet. “How did you know?” he asks, intrigued.

“I just knew.” I shift uncomfortably.

“A fated mate. Come on, you have to know the difference.” Zane won’t give it up.

Shaking my head, I give in. “It was like the world slowed down until all I saw was her…all I could scent was her. I swear my vision crackled with sparks.”

“The spirit comet.” My mom smiles. “Sparkles.” Her eyes blur with tears.

“On the fool’s moon, no less,” my father interjects, his eyebrow arching in that way that suggests he’s piecing together a larger puzzle. “You know as well as any other wolf never to make a promise on a fool’s moon. It has the potential to be a false love.”

“And what about Natalie?” My mother sits up, her eyes wide as she looks from Dad to Zane.

“What about her?” I retort, an uneasy sensation twisting in my gut.

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