Page 54 of Marked By Moonlight
Nyx cocks his head, looking at me in his deranged way. “I know it will.”
Chapter 22
Lumi
My hand keeps reaching out into the empty space in front of me. I keep thinking if I reach out far enough, I’ll feel Ambrose’s hard body again. But no matter how long I keep reaching, my hand comes up empty.
Slowly, I pull it back to my chest, feeling my heart rapidly beating and the warm flush that still floats through my body. I’m barely able to process what the hell just happened or what my feelings toward Ambrose are now.
The room is still cascaded in dark shadows, but my eyes cut through the darkness and clearly see the cage door shut.Shut, but is it locked? And did he lift his alpha command?
I suck in a deep breath, and I swear I can still smell every musky, evergreen, and lusty scent of Ambrose. Layers of different smells continue to invade my nostrils even though he’s gone. But I know he’s gone, not just from this room, but from the house because his scent is muted. My sense of smell has been enhanced—wolf scenting. Another tiny part of my wolf unlocked. I’m one step closer to my full wolf unleashing, and it’s because of Ambrose.
I stare at the caged door once again.Is it locked?That’s the question. The question that will tell me how I feel aboutAmbrose.Is he continuing to keep me locked in this cage, or is he letting me be free?
I tremble slightly, but I don’t move toward the door. I’m not sure I’m ready to find out the answer.
“Lumi, you down there?” a high-pitched voice echoes down the stairs.
“Yes,” I squeak out.
Before I can even register what is happening, Rowena is standing in front of me.
“Thank gods, you’re okay,” she says, breathing hard. She looks like hell. Her golden eyes are bloodshot, and she has bags under them like she hasn’t slept in days. Her long hair is pulled up in a tangled knot on top of her head, making her appearance even more disheveled.
“What happened?”
She swings the door open. “Come on, I’ll explain as we go. There’s no time.”
She starts heading for the stairs, but I can’t keep my mouth from gaping at the door she just swung open. It wasn’t locked. Ambrose set me free.
“Lumi!” Rowena gets my attention again.
“Sorry, coming.” I race after her, struggling to keep up as we climb the stairs. I have no idea what’s going on, but in the limited time I’ve spent with Rowena, I know I can trust her.
“Where’s Ambrose?” Rowena asks me.
“I don’t know.”
Rowena furrows her brow. “I can smell him all over you. It’s fresh, like he was just here. He didn’t tell you where he was going?”
I blush, like I should be able to answer the question. “Ambrose doesn’t tell me anything.”
She sighs. “He should. He can’t keep things from you. You’re going to be an alpha, equal to him in every way if you’re mates.”
I swallow at that thought. Becoming Ambrose’s mate is more than just becoming his. It means becoming an alpha. I’m not sure I have what it takes. When I look at Rowena, I see an alpha. She’s confident, strong, and experienced. She’d be the perfect woman for the job.
“Are you sureyouaren’t his mate?” I ask.
She breaks out laughing. “Yes, I’m very sure.”
“Did Ambrose do something to you?” Worry etches my eyes. I know what he’s capable of. But...
“No.” Rowena narrows her eyes at me as if just registering that she found me in the basement in a cage. But then that cage door was unlocked, so she shakes off any thoughts of concern for me. “Emeric isn’t here either.”
I frown at that. “Really? You’re sure?”
She listens carefully and then sniffs. “He’s not here.”
