September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(101)

She nodded, double-checking the dagger tucked into her boot and the smaller one strapped to the inside of her wrist. “I’m going to ride with Kale. He looks positively constipated, which means he needs to vent.” She pulled me into a hug, squeezing so tight it hurt. “I can’t believe this is happening. I love you, Lex.”

“I love you, too. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“Don’t worry about me. Seriously.”

I glanced across the room at Kale. His expression was a perfect neutral mask. He wasn’t going to let me see whatever he might be feeling. “Take care of him, Jez. Don’t let him do anything stupid. Give Arys and me a few minutes to get into place before you join us. Be careful. Shya will be unpredictable.”

I considered trying for a moment alone with Kale, then decided against it. We both needed to be tough right now. Poking at our vulnerabilities would only compromise our ability to think without emotion clouding our judgment.

Passing through the doors of The Wicked Kiss into the parking lot brought a smile to my face. Many times I had dreaded walking into the building. This time I dreaded having to leave.

Handing my keys to Shaz, I got in on the passenger side of the Charger and sucked in a deep breath. I could do this. I had to. If I didn’t, I would become more of a slave to Shya than I already was.

“Fuck that,” I muttered to myself. The more I thought about Shya, the angrier I became. As long as I was pissed off, there was no room for fear. Feeding the growing rage, I let myself recall the many things he had done.

There wasn’t a lot of talk as we drove through the city. The radio filled the silence. Jenner and Arys were relatively calm in the back seat. At least, that’s how they made it appear. Shaz, however, was unable to rein in his emotions. The harsh sensation of bitterness and loathing danced over me, leaving invisible pinpricks behind.

It wouldn’t have surprised me if Shaz was churning with anger. He had been carrying a lot of hard feelings about Arys and me for a while now. It had changed him, and I wasn’t sure it was entirely for the better.

“I went back to Doghead,” he said suddenly, pulling my startled gaze his way. “The other night, after Dayne came by the club. He and I talked. I’m considering joining the pack.”

“Oh,” I said softly, trying to conceal my relief. “That’s great. I think they’ve managed to do a good job of being organized. They seem to have an order that works. That tattoo will be crazy sexy on you.”

I flashed him a flirtatious grin and received a slight blush in response. Damn I loved him. I would always wish that it was enough.

“I just wanted to let you know. I’m not ticked off about it. I know you care.” He navigated through traffic, keeping his attention on the road so I wouldn’t see the wolf in his eyes.

I felt it too. My wolf longed for his. If I could be anywhere in the world, it would be curled up with Shaz on the forest floor.

This was his way of apologizing for our argument. I knew it was only because he was afraid of what would happen tonight. Without saying anything to make a hard situation harder, I simply reached across and touched his leg.

He caught my hand in his and brought it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across my knuckles. For the first time that night, I felt like crying. It had nothing to do with Shya or death. It had everything to do with my white wolf and the way things would change between us after this night.

We pulled up down the street from the scary-ass, old hospital, and my heart began to pound. It loomed large in the darkness. Already I could feel the restless spirits taking note of our arrival. They likely were not the only ones.

A basic chain-link fence surrounded the property. It was broken in several places, creating the illusion that nobody maintained it. The windows were blacked out, revealing nothing of what was inside.

“Holy shit. This place is phenomenal.” Jenner stared up at the hospital in awe. “I’ve never felt anything quite like it.”

“Be careful, Jenner,” Arys warned. “This place has a way of getting inside your head.”

“You’re telling me,” Shaz scoffed. “If either of you vamp out on me, I won’t hesitate to beat your ass.”

The night Arys had turned on Shaz and me in this place would live forever in my memory. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever forget a second I spent inside the horrible building.

Kale’s car pulled up behind us. Inside I was a quivering mess, but when I reached for the door, my hand was steady. Five minutes and counting.

I stared up at the hospital, seeking any sign of FPA activity. They were a covert op for a reason. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed any living being was inside that decrepit old structure.

“What does it feel like?” Jez joined me, scanning the perimeter closely.

“The key to Lilah’s throne? It mostly just feels heavy, and dark.” Just like what’s inside of you, I thought but didn’t dare speak the words. I meant to tell Jez what I’d felt nestled within her, but this wasn’t the right time.

Willow appeared with a ripple of air and the sound of wings though his were not visible. The last time the three of us had been here together we’d been looking for Kale. It hadn’t gone well.

“There’s a demon on the other side of the building,” Willow informed me. “I’m going to intercept him right before you enter the grounds. There’s no way of knowing how much time you have before Shya shows.”