Page 69 of Luna Rising

“Um, no. I don’t think so. Not a problem. Well, maybe. I can’t decide.”

“Are you being intentionally vague?” I asked.

“No. Not intentionally.”

I threw up my hands. “Oh, for the love of Gaia just say it.”

He slid the phone into his pants pocket. “Wolves started showing up at our borders earlier.”

“Like strays?”

“At first. About two hours ago, while we were at the lodge, a Virgo wolf arrived. Now, six of their pack are here, along with over a dozen Aquarius. They all want sanctuary and to pledge their loyalty. Defect and join our pack.”

“Why? I mean, we’re awesome. But, like, what reason did they give?”

“For the Aquarius, there’s some prophecy about a white wolf with red eyes who defeats an alpha beneath a water moon.”

I frowned. “That’s awfully specific for a prophecy. Where are the flowery words? The metaphors? And it happened during the day.”

We reached our front door. Ewan turned the knob and pushed open the door, waving me through first. “Now who’s being too literal? I think the water moon thing has something to do with lunar cycles.”

I went straight for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of blood. Finally, I thought, the thirst peaking with blood so close. Then, I remembered, sort of, what happened the last time I drank from one of the bottles.

“It’s okay. Birch went through them all and threw out the contaminated ones.” Ewan grabbed his own bottle of blood and leaned against the counter as he cracked it open.

“Did you know that you can order feeders on the internet?” Why I chose to ask that question at that moment, I would never understand.

“I’m not sure I should answer that.” He grinned and drank from the blood bottle like it was a beer bottle.

“Have you ever done it?” I asked and was relieved when he laughed.

“No need. Walter seems to have an endless supply of fresh, clean blood.”

“Of course he does,” I grumbled. “Do you think he takes it from people who double-cross him? Oh, or people who owe him money? He takes payment in blood instead.”

Ewan downed the rest of his dinner and grabbed an actual beer from the fridge. “Your mind works in mysterious ways. I think Walter is really more of a businessman these days.”

“A shady businessman.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Most of his enterprise is just this side of legal from what I understand.”

“Which is the definition of shady. And, what, did you have a background check done on him? Also, you’re wrong about the water moon thing in your oddly specific prophecy. What kind of wolf doesn’t know about lunar cycles?”

He remained calm in the face of my rising irritation, sipping his beer like he couldn’t feel it through the bond. That annoyed me even more.

“Is this where we fight so you can be mad?”

I shook my head. “No, this is me picking at you so it will lead up to a fight. I want to get incensed, infuriated, on the verge of breaking stuff. So, start talking about something that will get me there.”

The amusement that flooded the bond nearly did it. “I feel like this can’t end well for me. And if you are this self-aware, why don’t you temper yourself?”

I shrugged. “Because I don’t want to.”

“You lack discipline, you mean,” he said, taking a few steps toward me.

“No.” I made a face. “That sounds so… like something my mother would say. She used to tell me all the time that alpha’s mates were disciplined and obedient.”

He towered over me. “Not my mate. I like you the way you are.”

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