Page 22 of Under A New Moon

There would have been no time that it would have been a good time for that to happen, but that he had to have two enemies closing in on him simultaneously was not a place he wanted to be. But he had Darla.

Even as his world spun into chaos, he still had her beside him. That was worth the risks they faced now. If finding her meant he had to fight to keep her, he'd do that. Nothing would hold him back.

He wasn't going to let his doubts and fears keep him from feeling this sense of relief. They were together, and they could take on the world.

Even if he could hold on to some optimism, there were some legitimate concerns. He and Darla could survive this together, but they couldn't live. Those weren't the same thing.

If they were constantly on the run, then how would they possibly ever find the kind of stability needed to do something like start a family. It wasn't a thing that would happen soon, but now that he was starting to hope, he could see a future.

A future with Darla could be sweet. It could be everything he needed and more. But that future couldn't happen with them constantly being on the run from humans and werewolves. There had to be a solution that would mean he could keep Darla close, and this bond between them could grow.

Lying next to her, still hearing the sound of her steady breathing, did make some of those problems seem more distant now. He had her with him. They could figure this out. Their next move would be difficult, but they could handle it together.

Looking at her did help quiet his mind a little. He knew deep down he might not be able to stomp out his doubts completely, at least not for a while. Living on the edge meant it would take time for him to get there, but he wanted to.

He was still looking at her when he started to hear someone approaching. Part of him wanted to dismiss it. Someone was walking around. What was the big deal? Could it just be a mail carrier out on delivery? Granted, it was a bit early for that.

He was having a little trouble sifting through the difference between pessimism and caution. But he decided that he'd rather be proven wrong than being wrong. This could be a danger coming to disrupt his sea of calm.

"Darla," he said, shaking her. He didn't want to wake her too violently. If she gasped or threw a pillow at him or something, it might alert whoever was coming.

"Darla," he said again, shaking her a little bit more. When her eyes snapped open, he put a finger to his lips then mouthed the words, "Someone's coming."

He looked her in the eye and nodded. Their bond was strong enough that he didn't need to say it, but he felt like the words needed to be spoken aloud. It was a promise.

"Whatever happens next, we handle it together."

Eighteen

Darla

Galen’s hands on her shoulders roused her.

His lips moved but no sound came out, ‘Someone’s coming.’

Despite the danger, Galen’s concerned face was a pleasure to wake up to. There was an unfamiliar tug in her chest. She felt it like she could grasp it and yank, but the other end was attached to Galen. Emotions that weren’t Darla’s flooded into her, satisfaction, urgency, and a hint of darkness that made her tongue taste funny.

She blinked a few times, trying to banish the exhaustion.

Something changed in Galen’s expression. Where it was at first strained with anticipation, it smoothed. The words, she heard through their connection, but he said it anyway. “Whatever happens next, we handle it together.”

Darla pressed her chest to his. Their hearts belonged together. Unquestionably. She felt them beat in time like someone had set them in perfect harmony while they slept. She dared give him a quick kiss before sliding off of him.

She wouldn’t be caught dead, unprepared. “How many?”

“Just one,” he said in the quietest whisper, sitting up and lacing his arms around her waist as she threw her shirt on. His mouth was to the flesh of her back, warm and soothing.

“Who do you think it is?”

“It’s not a shifter.”

“PEACE, then.” But just one? There were only a few agents it could be. She wracked her brain, trying to gather a list of possibilities. Her mind was slow to start, though, after yesterday’s events. She also was still contending with Galen’s feelings.How strange, she thought to herself. The moment his resolve kicked in, she felt it.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“No,” she said, turning in his arms. “Let me. You’re no good in a fight.”

Galen grumbled but she stroked his cheek, trying to soothe his wounded ego. He caught her hand and kissed it. “I can’t leave my mate to deal with this alone.”

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