Page 12 of Under A New Moon

She looked at him with her mouth open in surprise. “That’swhy you’re out here?”

He nodded. “Yes, and I have done nothing since leaving the pack but lift crates at that same job for some twenty years now. So you see, no crimes, no hidden agenda. I’ve just been keeping my head down, trying to live a peaceful life. I don’t even shift very often, even just to run. Nothing.”

She looked puzzled, shaking her head. “This doesn’t make sense. If what you tell me is true, why would they put you on the list? Damn, I wish that phone wasn’t broken. I really need to talk to someone at headquarters and have this looked into.”

“Well, I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to look into it instead of just blindly following orders. Some wouldn’t bother.”

She looked up at him. “You really are different, aren’t you?”

He was puzzled and tilted his head as he looked at her inquiringly.

She half-smiled at that. “You aren’t like any of the other lycans I’ve met.”

He chuckled. “I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She smiled fully at him this time and it nearly took his breath away.Damn, that smile is like a deadly weapon. I’d do almost anything to get her to smile at me like that again.

“That’s good,” she said, “I meant it that way. So, about those wolves who attacked us both. What’s up with that?”

His eyes narrowed at the thought of them and he couldn’t hold back the low growl they inspired. “I don’t know who they are. None of their scents were familiar at all. They definitely weren’t my pack, and my own father disowned me and told me to leave, so he wouldn’t be coming after me. I’ve avoided doing anything to stir up any local packs. I have stayed completely out of werewolf politics, so I don’t see why the council would be after me. I just don’t get that one either. Everybody is after me and I have no idea why.” He slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

She jumped, and he apologized for startling her.

“What if the wolves weren’t after you?” she asked. “What if they were after me because of the work I’ve been doing for PEACE?”

He considered the thought. “I suppose it’s possible, but I did scent them earlier when I was at work, watching me. That makes me think they were stalking me even then.”

She nodded, “That makes sense. So now we have to figure out why.”

She pulled the towel out of her hair and carried it back to the bathroom to hang up, and came back, finger-combing her hair. He was mesmerized. She came back and sat down before noticing him staring.

“What?”

He jerked his gaze away, shaking his head. “Nothing, I was just thinking.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Thinking about what?”

He shook his head. “Nothing useful or sensible.” He certainly wasn’t going to admit he was fascinated by the way she moved, her beautiful blonde hair and flashing blue eyes.I have got to stop thinking about her this way right now, I can’t afford this kind of distraction.

She was still eyeing him doubtfully. “So what’s our plan then?

Ten

Darla

Darla's first instinct was to call him a liar. Of course, he would say he was innocent. Why admit to a crime? She thought about giving him a head start and continuing her pursuit.

He'd saved her, or they helped save each other. And he could have used her as bait. He could have hobbled her to slow their pursuers down. The thought had crossed her mind. He was the enemy.

But the more she looked at him, the less she felt like he was any real danger. Yes, he was a wolf, and she would need to be cautious. But he didn't seem like some ravenous beast ready to strike. He didn't seem like the enemy.

"Why should I believe you?" she asked.

"Because I'm innocent," he said, but even as the words left his mouth, the look on his face said he realized how little that mattered to her question. "We just met." Galen paused. "Honestly met. No deceptions, just you and me, being who we are."

He looked her up and down. The look made Darla feel exposed. Something about the way he stared at her made her feel like he was judging her. It did make sense. She did try to kill him.

"You have no reason to trust me other than me saying you can," Galen said. "I don't know what else to tell you. I'm not looking to harm anyone. I just want to live my life."

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