Page 17 of Marked By Moonlight
The cool chill I felt in Nyx’s arms transforms into warmth in Emeric’s. The unsettled feeling I had before morphs into ease. As Emeric starts carrying me away, I look back to see Nyx and his pack are completely gone.
I gape.How did they disappear so fast? Did I imagine it all? I wouldn’t put it past myself.
“You can put me down; I’m not going to run.” Not when I need to find Kael. Not when I need to talk to the Moonlight wolves and help them find a way to break the curse. Not when I have nothing to run back to.
Emeric grins wider. “I know, but what fun is that? I’d rather carry you.”
He bounces me joyfully in his arms, and somehow I laugh. I freaking laugh. I’m still being carried like a sacrificial lamb with my wrists still tied together. I’ll most likely end up with my neck slit on some alter by the end of the night, and yet I freaking laugh.
But that word ‘offering’…
“Hey, you have nothing to worry about. Nyx can’t hurt you now.”
“What makes you think he hurt me?” I ask.
Emeric’s smile drops. “Nyx hurts people. His pack has been forced to live outside of the rest of us for years now. But…”
“But not anymore?”
Emeric shakes his head, not really explaining anything to me.
I sigh, knowing that I have more important questions to ask than about Nyx and the Bloodmoon pack. My questions could mean my survival or death.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
“Lumi,” I say, not bothering with my last name. I’m not sure he would take too kindly to realizing that I’m from the Wintermoon pack any more than thinking I’m a Bloodmoon. My guess is if they despise the Bloodmoon, they hate the Wintermoon worse. The other packs are willing to at least have a conversation with the Bloodmoon, something they won’t do with the Wintermoon.
“That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thanks,” I blush.
Emeric’s eyes light up when he sees my smile. He stares at me as if I’m the answer to all his prayers.
Heat fills my body as an undeniable attraction spreads through me.Gods, is every wolf shifter this attractive? Am I going to go crazy with an unquenchable need for every man here?No wonder no one can find their mates—every male is gorgeous. I can’t tell which man I’m more attracted to; I want them all.
I swallow, trying to hide my obvious attraction to him.
“You’re not from the Bloodmoon pack,” Emeric says as a statement, not a question.
I don’t know how to respond. I can’t tell him I’m Wintermoon, but I can’t persuade him that I’m from Bloodmoon, either.
“Packless,” I answer, realizing I speak the truth. Wintermoon is gone. Even if any of the other members survived the latestattack, my father is dead. I know it deep in my core. Without an alpha, the pack is gone, so I am packless.
“I’m sorry. Nyx is an ass, but you won’t be packless again, not now.”
I glance around at the hundreds of shifters walking around us as Emeric continues to carry me nonchalantly. It feels like we have all the time in the world and are just going for an evening stroll after a first date, getting to know each other better.
“What’s going to happen? I’m—” I swallow. “I’m an ‘offering.’ What does that mean?”
Emeric chuckles. “It’s Nyx being dramatic is what it is.”
I narrow my eyes, even as a blanket of calm sweeps over my body.
Emeric sets me down on my own two feet, surprising me. He lifts my wrists up and breaks the vines in one quick motion of his hands.
“Thank you,” I say sincerely.
He shrugs and then takes my hand in his. Tingles shoot from my hand through my body. I wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. I know that without even trying it, that it would feel far better than any kiss with Kael.
