Page 10 of Moon Destiny

She looked startled. “He told you that?”

As abruptly as it came, my amusement faded. “He cared for you,” I said, memories of our arguments pummeling me. “Enough to brush off my warnings about how difficult it would be to have anything permanent with you.”

“Because I’m human.” She winced. “Or was.”

I nodded. “My ex-wife—Alex’s mother—was human. She never adjusted to this life.”

Brooke leaned forward, clearly waiting for me to continue.

I cleared my throat. “We should go.” I gestured toward the bathroom. “Everything you need is in the shower. The towels are clean, and there’s a new toothbrush in the vanity drawer. I’ll wait out here. Don’t lock the door.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Why not?”

My beast leapt to the surface, and it was an effort to stop the growl in my throat from breaking free. Patience, I told my wolf. I had to be patient with her. She had no idea it was foolish to challenge me—and our situation was complicated by the fact that she could get away with it because of who she was.

Because of what she was.

I forced calm I didn’t feel into my voice. “As I explained, this is a volatile time. Your wolf is unpredictable. More practically speaking, however, you’re weak from the fever and standing in a steaming shower is a recipe for disaster. If you pass out, I need to be able to get to you quickly.”

A stubborn look entered her blue eyes. “I won’t pass out.”

In response, I picked up the chair and carried it to the bathroom, where I parked it outside the door and sat. “You’ve got fifteen minutes. Take it or leave it.”

She gasped and scrambled off the bed. She stood for a moment, and I watched her closely, ready to spring into action if she started to fall. But she was steady, and she shot me a look of triumph from under her lashes.

My wolf settled down. The beast was…pleased. This female was strong. A worthy mate, and one unafraid to look us in the eye. The beast liked that.

I clenched my jaw. Forget it, I told the wolf. We aren’t keeping her.

Brooke moved past me, trailing vanilla and orange blossoms as she entered the bathroom and shut the door. A second later, the lock clicked.

“Brooke,” I said softly, and I sensed her freeze on the other side of the wall. “When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed.”

Her heart rate sped up.

“The lock won’t stop me,” I added. Neither would the door, but she’d learn that soon enough. There was no reason to frighten her. But I hadn’t lied about the fever’s toll. If she started feeling dizzy, I needed to reach her before she cracked her head against the tile. Snapping the lock wouldn’t really slow me down, but I didn’t feel like repairing a broken door.

And there was also the principle of the thing. If I let her defy my orders now, she’d continue doing it. And that would put her at odds with nearly everyone in the pack.

There was a brief, tense moment of silence. Then the lock clicked again.

I settled back on my chair. “A wise decision.”

Her muffled curse drifted through the door.

I smiled despite myself. She couldn’t see me, but I checked my watch anyway. “Fourteen minutes.”

CHAPTER FIVE

BROOKE

I took the fastest shower of my life—and I kept my gaze on the bathroom door the whole time.

The unlocked door. I’d known Hugh Dalton for all of a half hour, but something told me he didn’t make idle threats. Just my luck, I’d been bitten by an arrogant, overbearing werewolf, and now I was bound to him or something. Maybe this was why Alex hadn’t wanted to bring me home.

That thought sobered me—and reminded me that Alex’s memorial service was happening downstairs. It didn’t feel real. Nothing about this situation felt real. My throat thickened as I pulled on the sweats and finger-combed my hair. Tears swam in my eyes, which looked weird.

I leaned closer to the bathroom mirror. My irises, which were usually a run-of-the-mill blue, glowed like they were lit from behind. My skin was different, too. Clearer and smoother. A tiny scar near my eye—a souvenir from faceplanting on roller blades as a kid—was gone.

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