Page 51 of Moon Destiny

Tanner opened the door, and a towering man with a shock of platinum hair entered. His eyes were like molten silver, and he radiated power—and menace.

And there was something…familiar about him. The room was warm, but goosebumps lifted on my arms as I met his stare.

Rourke finished with my wrists and gestured to the man. “Brooke, this is Seren,” he said, as if we were at a social gathering instead of a kidnapping. “He’s going to let you use his phone.”

Startled, I forced my gaze off Seren. “What?”

Rourke smiled down at me. “Tanner informs me you can’t speak mind-to-mind. It must be disappointing for you, but it’s a boon for us.” He brushed a lock of hair off my shoulder. “I’ll explain it for you, yes?” He caressed my cheek, and I had to clench my jaw to stop myself from biting his fingers off. “You can’t speak to Dalton in your head. No tattling on us, hmm? But you can call him on the phone. And when you do, you’re going to do exactly as I say. You’re going to tell him where you are and beg him to come save you. He might not believe I have you if I call. So you’ll do it. And when he comes rushing to your rescue like the dashing hero he is, you’ll watch while I kill him.”

My heart lodged somewhere in my throat. “I…won’t.” I pulled my cheek from his grasp. “I won’t do it.”

“Seren,” he said quietly.

The blond giant stepped forward. He lifted his hand, palm facing out and aimed at my chest. Then he squeezed it into a fist.

And I couldn’t breathe. My oxygen was cut off as surely as if someone had blocked my mouth and plugged my nose. I scrambled to my knees, waving frantically for him to stop. But he kept his fist aloft, his silver eyes dispassionate as he watched me struggle. Panicked, I clawed at my throat. My eyes bulged. White dots swam in my vision.

“Enough,” Rourke said.

Seren opened his hand.

I collapsed on the bed, my mouth open as I sucked in great lungfuls of air.

Rourke hunkered down beside me. “Seren is a mageborn wolf. I told you, strength begets strength. And Seren is very strong. You have a choice, Ms. Ratner. You can either call Dalton, or you can die.”

I shuddered on the bed as I caught my breath. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making my thoughts laser sharp.

And maybe that was responsible for the idea that formed in my head with crystal clarity. I’d never managed to tap a mental link with Hugh—or with anyone. But if I had any hope of saving him, I had to do it now.

Ignoring Rourke and Seren and the shitty motel room, I dug deep and roused my wolf. Help me, I begged her. He’s in danger.

Then I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed one word in my head: “HUGH.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

HUGH

It was the perfect kind of early evening. Not too hot, not too cold. The sun was starting to sink toward the horizon, and the lawn outside the house glowed a soft orange. Just…perfect.

But my throat was tight as I knelt next to the spot where Alex’s pyre had stood.

“I, um…” I glanced around, even though I knew I was alone. Every enforcer in the pack was patrolling Bosford, and Brooke was still out with Tanner. He’d contacted me about an hour ago to say they’d be back in time for dinner.

So it was just me and Alex.

“I feel silly doing this,” I said. “But…” Tears burned my eyes. “I really fucking miss you,” I finished, my voice breaking on the last word. I hung my head and stared at grass that had gone blurry. I swiped at my eyes and took a few deep breaths.

“There’s a lot I want to say, and maybe you already know it all.” I let out a quiet huff of laughter. “Or maybe I’m just talking to the wind.”

The breeze picked up, tugging at my hair and stirring the leaves of the nearby trees.

Okay…

I could have simply talked in my head. Hell, I could have done all of this in the quiet of my bedroom or my study or literally anywhere else. But there was something about saying it all out loud—and saying it here, in this spot that had become sacred.

“I made so many mistakes as a parent.” I sighed, flipping through memories in my head. “I messed things up with your mom. I wish…I hope you’re together somehow. I like to imagine that.” A smile pulled at my mouth. “Maybe you’re both rolling your eyes at me now.” As I pictured it, I had to wonder if I might be right. I’d never thought much about faith, and I certainly wasn’t religious, but I was a werewolf for crying out loud. Magic was real enough. It wasn’t such a stretch to believe there was another world beyond this one.

I sat there on my knees, my gaze unfocused and my chest swimming with words. They pushed hard against my sternum like water behind a dam. And, finally, the dam burst.

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