Page 52 of Moon Destiny

“I feel so guilty for wanting Brooke,” I blurted. “I feel like I’m taking something of yours, and I don’t mean that she belonged to you. I swear I don’t mean it like that. I feel guilty because I’m happy when I’m with her, and then I remember why I shouldn’t be. Because that happiness was yours.” I drew a shuddering breath. “You shouldn’t have been at the Gorge that night, and you wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t pressured you to take over the pack. I mean, maybe you would have gone anyway— Fuck, Alex, I don’t know.” I scrubbed my eyes with the heel of my palm and let out a watery laugh. “I think I know what you’d say if you were here. You’d tell me I’m overthinking this. I remember you telling me engineers love solving problems and if they can’t find one to solve they’ll make one up and then solve that, too.”

The wind picked up again, stirring harder this time. It ruffled the grass around me and pulled at my T-shirt. I lifted my head and closed my eyes, letting the sun warm my face. I felt…lighter. Maybe this hadn’t been such a stupid idea after all.

And I shouldn’t push my luck, but… “Alex, if you can hear me, how about giving me a little sign?”

Nothing, of course. Just wind and—

“HUGH.”

I jumped, lost my balance, and fell hard on my ass. Brooke’s voice had echoed in my head, as clear and true as if she’d spoken directly into my ear. And she’d sounded terrified.

“Brooke?” I stood, my senses on high alert. “What’s wrong, baby? Where are you?” I spun in a circle as my heart began to pound.

For a long, agonizing moment, she didn’t answer. Just when I started to go nuts, she made contact again, her voice going in and out like a badly tuned radio. “They’ve got me… Forcing me…make…phone call… Don’t believe…”

I stood stock still, straining to hear more. Afraid to tap the bond and possibly cut her off if she tried to speak first. I was also afraid to move—worried I might lose her if I took off running. Besides, I didn’t know where the fuck to run.

Okay, now I was ready to go nuts.

I tapped the connection because I couldn’t help it. “Brooke? Who has you? Tell me where you are.”

“Don’t…come. Kill…you.”

My wolf leapt forward, its presence so potent my jaw ached with the need to shift. Our mate was afraid.

I heaved a deep breath and made contact again. “WHO HAS YOU?”

Nothing. She was gone. I clutched at my chest, right where my heart was threatening to rip through bone and flesh.

“Hugh?” For a brief, glorious second, she came through loud and clear. “It’s Rourke. Whatever I say on the phone call, don’t come. They want to kill—”

She was gone. For good this time. I could sense it.

What did she mean when she said not to believe her? She’d mentioned a phone call…

I was running before my brain fully processed her words. I didn’t always have my phone on me—something that drove Dylan crazy. It was charging in my study, and I sprinted for the house like the hounds of hell were snapping at my heels. Rourke had her. How the fuck did he have her? Where the hell was Tanner? My head spun with a dozen different possibilities, but one fact was paramount: Wherever she was, she was in distress—and Rourke and his rogue scum were forcing her to call me.

Dylan was in the kitchen as I slammed into the house, and I barked orders without slowing down. “Get every enforcer to the house now.”

My phone screen was lit up when I hit the study threshold, and I flung my body across the room to snatch it from my desk. Somehow, I remembered to play dumb when I answered. “Dalton,” I breathed, dread and fury the only things keeping me upright.

“Hugh?” To anyone else, Brooke’s voice probably would have sounded steady. But I heard the wobble in it, and an icy fist closed around my heart.

“Brooke,” I said, shocked at how calm I sounded. “What’s wrong?” I’m not supposed to know about this phone call, I remembered. “Why are you calling, sweetheart? I thought you were tracking with Tanner.” Rage heated my blood. The only way rogues could have gotten close to her was if Tanner had let them.

“I’m with Rourke Villadsen. He wants to meet with you. Just you.” She spoke like she was reading from a script. Which she probably was.

Dylan rushed into the room and stopped, breathing heavy. Malcolm and Shepherd crowded behind him.

I put a finger over my lips.

“I’m going to give you an address,” Brooke said. “Hugh… If you don’t come alone, Rourke said…” She made a soft sound, like she was sucking in oxygen, and when she spoke again her voice wavered. “Come alone or he’ll slit me from neck to cunt.”

The anger in my veins solidified into pure, malevolent wrath. Across the room, Dylan closed his eyes on a long blink.

Brooke rattled off an address, and I grabbed a pen and pad of paper off my desk and scribbled down the name of an abandoned motor lodge about twenty miles outside Goldendale.

She ended the call before I could say anything else.

---