ELARA AND THE MOONLIGHT REDEMPTION

s alike. Look, werewolf drama? That's not a puddle-it's a freaking swamp. Screwing with Alpha politics, taking in the head honcho from a rival pack? If Wolf's Hollow heard about this, she'd be toast

ad fangs and could sna

sion of steady, though her brain was doing ba

ehind her mug. Nearly dropped it too. "You've lost your mi

sharp. "We're not l

ally, with a muttered curse (pretty sure every word was about how crazy Elara was), she dump

silver eyes narrowed, tracking every move. Made her feel like she was under some wild animal's microscope. They lugged him to the treatment room, which was more "granny's spare bedroom" than medical

t stuff was made to make shifters suffer. Slowed the healing down, could kill a wolf if you used enough. Elara bit her lip, hands moving

low, rumbling sound-not a word, but felt like he agreed. Lira just sulked by the door, arms cro

ot even looking up. "Too late to go back. I'm n

cue, fur rippled, bones cracked like twigs, and the next thing she knew, there was just a man on her table. Human, but not. Kael Blackthorn, up close-scarred, built like a mountain, that b

nded like gravel-dee

cause somebody botched an assassination with silver. Because I don't let

nd, but it vanished. "That wound wa

gunk still mixed in his blood. "No ki

ff. "Take your pick. Silver Crest pack's been eyeballing my land f

ce jittery. "You can't stay. The guy

ds to die faster?" She looked Kael dead in the face. "You s

her up. "You were cast out."

Four years ago-they called me weak, a waste of a wolf. Healer, no

respected her. "Your healing's... different. Never

he just nodded, voice

lan. Hiding an Alpha isn't exactly a life long ambition." Kael's

e-not even to himself. The dude sounded shaky, an

corner tried its best to be cozy, throwing weird gold light across Kael's battered face, but the cold in that place had teeth. She didn't bother wiping her hands; his blood was drying on her skin, and the silvery paste she s

him. He shifted around, easing upright-the table underneath him groaned, and so did Kael, but not loud enough to wreck his Alpha image. His shoulder muscles flexed, all big

feeling optimistic. But what if they do find you?" Her tone was steady, but you could hear the bite, like sh

his mouth. "Guess you don't know all my tricks." He swung his legs down, p

we're all some big happy crime family. Newsflash, Alpha, Elara already nearly

l out before things got bloody. "Enough, Lira. He's in. That's the problem on our hands now." Her voice softened when she faced Kael agai

ns things over there-let's just say she could teach a class in cutthroat leadership. She's been pushing her luck, testing the borders, all that." Kael paused, eyes losing focus. "Last night I wen

f Victoria and her pack were bold enough to take a swing at an Alpha, they'd damn well finish

n, keep to the damn center. Like hell I needed some rookie trailing me into another trap. They're crawl

Alpha's missing, half the blasted pack's losing it, and we

l gentle, which, considering the mood, was a minor miracle. "You need rest. I don't care what that wound looks like.

k, you know the one: like a brick wall with feelings. He stalled, mouth tw

r starter kit. Settle in. You're going nowhere tonight,

cereal-but whatever, he nodded. Elara jerked a thumb at the beat-up cot squatting in the

ice dropping to a venomous whisper. "You lost the plot? He

iness face locked in. "Let's cross that bridge when they start lighting torche

ill, she got slicing, furious little hacks at the bread. "Y

was clearly back with Kael, nerves stretched tight. Whole

Incredible Hulk treatment. He took the plate, muttered a kinda-gruff 'thanks', then kept his eyes glu

healers. Any of them would've left me to b

ng's the same whether you've got my colors or not." Voice dropped almost to nothing. "

er every move, real intense. "Still

I was dead weight-liability, since I patch people up instead of putting them down. Didn't wa

erious. "Healers are everything. We're drowning in warriors-can't have too many f

mumbled, eyes down. Never did know what to do with co

a-legendary, total force, but dumb about trust. Silvercrest gutted him at what they called a 'peace talk.' So guess who had to wear the crown? Me. Nineteen, barely had a b

. Like the whole universe was just waiting to throw banana peels under her shoes for kicks. "Holy hell, that's...that's

." He dropped his voice super low, like he thought the shadows had ears. "There's this ridiculous prophecy floating around my pack. Real bedtim

t-kinda electrifying underneath all the horror. "A healer and an Alpha?" She half sn

hought those old stories were for idiots. Just stuff for pups to freak each other out.

laze. Brain fizzling out. "So what, I'm supposed to b

w? But Silvercrest-if they think you matter to me, it's not

head back together when-snap-a sound outside, sharp and real. No way that was just some squirr

e meant it. No cheesy

ap, skin white as powdered bones. "They're everywhere-shado

se idiots didn't hear it, right? Didn't matter. Her voice? Cool as hell,

ust of bread that tasted more like cardboard than food. Kael was wriggling into jeans Lira flung at hi

ent. "Oh, awesome idea. I'll just crouch behind you and let you catch all the arrows,

then a grin cracked through his stress. "You're such a pain in the ass,"

withering stares. What, was s

dark, everything dipped in that creepy, silvery shine. Kael? Shifted in a blink, fur bursting out, claws gleaming, suddenl

dows, the stuff of nightmares. Right in the middle, she stood out-Victoria Silvercrest. Jet-black wolf, eyes with