September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(13)

“Yes, I’m fine. Physically. Mentally, I’m absolutely terrified. And more than a little pissed off.” I sipped from a mug of hot coffee, seeking comfort in that simple, familiar action. “He hit you with something so you wouldn’t wake up. It was probably for your own good.”

Shaz had spent some time away, in the mountains, running as wolf and freeing himself from the restraints of home. He’d come back with an attitude I wasn’t accustomed to, ready to take on anyone and anything. Shya had probably saved his life by keeping him unconscious.

I was reminded of the Vegas trip when Shaz had willingly gone into a cage fight and killed another wolf. His willingness to kill to protect us hadn’t been what disturbed me. It was his lack of remorse.

Shaz reached for the sugar and added another spoonful to his cup. We sat at the small table in my kitchen, drinking coffee and watching the moon rise. My mind raced, going over everything Shya had said and done recently.

“Shya said he was desperate,” I mused, enjoying the warmth of the mug in my hand. “I think he’s trying everything in his power to find that scroll. Which means I need to be looking for it too.”

Shaz nodded thoughtfully. “So where do we start?” My heart fluttered. His devotion would never cease to amaze me. Shaz was a true embodiment of the wolf’s loyalty.

“I have no idea. Where would you hide an ancient artifact that could give a demon serious power?”

“A church,” Shaz suggested. Then he frowned. “Or is that too obvious?”

I chewed my lip, lost in thought. Shya had said the scroll would enable him to claim Lilah’s throne. Though I didn’t know the gritty details of what that meant, I knew she was of higher rank in the demon world than Shya. He was evil enough without rising to greater power. And whatever he planned to do with that power, it would be good only for him.

“I need to talk to Willow. Maybe he can shed some light on a few things. There’s a lock, a door, or a seal of some kind that Shya wants to break. I’m not quite clear on the details.” I shook my head. My brain was cramping.

I knew just enough to know I needed more. The trip to Las Vegas had been my way of taking some time away from Edmonton and away from Shya. Now it was time to face what was coming.

“We need to reach out to the city wolves, Lex. They could be allies worth having.” Shaz rose to refill his coffee, pausing to rumple my hair affectionately on his way by.

“They could also kill us the second we walk into their territory.” I laughed, but it wasn’t really funny. That was a very real possibility. “I don’t have a lot of experience with the city wolves, but I hear they’re a territorial bunch. Approaching them might be dangerous.”

Shaz shrugged. “It might be. We don’t have a choice though. There’s only two of us. It’s not like we’re much of a threat. We don’t have a pack.”

“True enough. At least you got to leave willingly.” I tried to make light of it, but I was still feeling the burn of being kicked out of my pack. They were justified in their decision. They believed I was a threat to their safety, and they weren’t wrong.

“And I was happy to.” Shaz returned to his seat at the table. He set his mug aside and took my hand, leaning in to rub his cheek along mine in a wolfish nuzzle. “I belong with you. Besides, I think we’ve both kind of outgrown the pack.”

“Yeah, that didn’t take all that long, did it?”

The small town pack was made up of soccer moms, lawyers, and other everyday people who sought a normal life in a place where they could safely be both human and wolf. Both Shaz and I had grown into adulthood in that pack. It was a safe place to get comfortable with my wolf. And now it was time to move on.

“You’re right about the city wolves. I’ve known that was coming since Shya demanded I lead the wolves and vampires for him. I told him I would talk to them. I didn’t say what about.” Putting it off wouldn’t do me any good. Connecting with the city wolves was vital. There was no guarantee they would help me, but there was only one way to find out.

“So we should probably go there first. We can head to The Wicked Kiss afterward to talk to Willow,” Shaz said, his casual tone forced.

“You don’t have to go in there. You know, if you’d rather not. I can talk to Willow anytime.” I didn’t want to make this awkward. Shaz’s past junkie behavior had not started with The Wicked Kiss. Though that was where it had spiraled out of control.

“I’m fine, Lex. The Vegas club was intense, and I handled it. Don’t make it something it’s not. Please?”

The sincerity in his gaze silenced my protests. Giving him a hard time would be hypocritical. So I kept my mouth shut. It wasn’t easy.

“Sure,” I managed. “No problem. I’m going to go get ready. I should probably call Kylarai back. She’s left like five voicemails about needing me to find a dress.”

My best friend, Kylarai Kramer, was getting married in less than a week. It was a rush wedding, thrown together very quickly. Kylarai had her heart set on a September wedding so she was furiously planning her ass off while I did my best to keep up.

Shaz snickered. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress. I hope it’s some insanely ridiculous getup with ruffles and sequins.”

“Hey,” I protested. “What did I do to deserve that? Ouch.”