Page 57 of Luna Trials

“Why?” She growled, crossing her arms over her chest. Her annoyance made me stop cold in my tracks.

I wasn’t expecting that.

for the first time in longer than I could remember, a sense of unease filled me. I looked away, not able to meet the fire in her eyes, and struggled for the right words to say.

“Do you need money for the donation?” As soon as the question left my lips, I realized my mistake. I should have approached this more discreetly.

The door swung open and a cameraman came out, scoping the hall where we stood.

Aspen looked straight at the camera, horrified. “I don’t need your charity.”

“It’s not charity.” I scratched the back of my head, wondering how to get out of this. The cameraman called the sound crew over, distracting me from my mental beatdown. I growled at him instead. “You can go.”

“He can stay,” Aspen said.

My gaze shot to her and I felt my own anger rising. As much as I wanted to know more about this woman, I’d easily forgotten why she was here. Thecameras. The fame. Small packs trying to claw their way up through the ranks.

Was she like the others?

“My apologies. If you want the cameras here, they can stay.” I’d meant to test her motives gently, but it came out more hostile than I intended. This situation was messing with me, making me lose control, and I didn’t like it one bit. I wasn’t some tongue-tied prepubescent pup struggling to get laid.

By the look on her face, she didn’t know that. “I would think you’d enjoy the cameras more, Mr. McCaw,” Aspen spit my name.

Be still my heart.

I growled to silence my wolf. “I don’t. Now about the donation–”

“I already said I don’t want your charity. Find some other female to impress.”

Her words were a slap across my face, enraging my beast, and by the flash of her wolf in her eyes, I knew she was fighting the primal battle too.

“Sparks outside the cafeteria. Get camera four out here,” the crewman spoke into his headset, breaking our intense stare down as we both turned to glare at him.

“Leave,” I commanded. “Not you…”

The sound of my voice followed her down the hall as Aspen turned and fled, leaving me standing there with the camera crew.

It hit me then. The strangeness of the encounter. She never once lowered her eyes andshowed submission. I couldn’t think of anyone in the past few years that showed defiance like that.

If she wanted to frighten me off, she’d failed. There was no getting rid of me now.

20

Aspen

Curse that stupid Alpha for getting under my skin. I was more levelheaded than this. And I wasn’t some charity case, no matter what they all thought.

But here I was, about to go ask for help from the one person I’d rather never be in debt to.

Could I get any lower?

The clothes I had on made me feel foolish. If Jesse wasn’t so adamant on me wearing them, I’d ask to return them. This wasn’t me. I took care of myself and my papa. I was a strong, independent female wolf shifter.

Maybe that’s what was missing and why I was so riled up. It’d been a few days since I’d run as my wolf.

I know exactly where I’d run to.An image of Ranger’s dark and brooding eyes filled my mind.

My wolf was losing her grip on reality.

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