Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(103)

"I know you will have a million questions, but you have to name that bastard in you first."

"Are you even sure I'm a were—a were—"

Brad wrapped his hand in a handkerchief and picked something up from the low table beside the couch. He tossed it to Alex. Alex's reflexes kicked in, and he reached out to catch it, then hissed and immediately dropped it to the floor, shaking his hand in the air then looking at his blistered fingers and palm.

"That bullet is pure silver, Rhodes. Ever been allergic to silver before?" Brad said.

"That real enough for ya?" Heath said.

Alex looked up though his eyelashes at Roel. "What do I need to do?"

"You just have to say out loud that you are naming your wolf…" he pointed at Alex, "…and then say whatever you choose to name him."

Alex glanced around the room. "What, like now?"

Roel shrugged. "Better now than after he's already named himself and you won't ever have control of your mind or body anymore. You typically have about forty-eight hours, but I wouldn't wait until the last minute, unless you want to end up in a cage, like Mena."


"This seems silly. Do I have to do it in front of anyone?"

Roel nodded toward the bathroom. "Go in there. Be sure to look at yourself in the mirror when you do it. It's a trip."

"What's going to happen?" Alex said.

Roel grinned. "You'll see."

Chuffing loudly, Alex stood up and walked into the bathroom, pulling the door behind him, but leaving about a two inch gap. Roel could see his arm braced against the sink from where he sat.

"Do you think he'll do it?" Brad said.

"We'll kill him if he doesn't," Roel whispered. "He's not blood linked to us; killing him shouldn't kill us."

"Shouldn't?" Heather whisper-shouted. "I think you need to educate yourself a little more on that before you kill him!"

"He'll do it," Roel said, and then waited. Sounds of items skidding across the vanity, thuds, swearing and glass breaking could be heard from the other room, and Tracy shot to her feet in alarm, but Roel only smiled. "Seeing the silver eyes for the first time is freaky."

After a few minutes, Alex stumbled from the bathroom, with a mixture of terror and disbelief in his eyes.

"It's okay, buddy," Brad said. "C'mon over here and sit down. It's gonna get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. I swear."

"Where is Mena?" Alex said. "I need to talk to Mena."

Heath chuckled. "If that elixir has worn off, I can promise you that you don't want to see her right now. She's probably hairy and ready to rip out a few throats, everyone in this room included."

"I don't understand why she has to be locked up," Alex said as he practically fell into a chair.

Brad snorted. "A half-hour ago, you were ready to lock all of us up. Tell a guy he's immortal, and everything changes—"

Alex's head whipped around to stare at Brad. "Immortal?"

Brad's face scrunched up. "Did we forget to mention that part?"

"Did he name his wolf?" Phoenix said as he entered the room, a sullen and tired look on his face.

Alex stood up. "How is Mena?"

"Not Mena anymore," Phoenix replied.

"She pissed?" Heath asked.

"Yep," Phoenix said, letting the 'p' pop on his lips.

"It was the right thing to do," Roel said.

"So she thinks," Phoenix said as he crossed the room to the bar.

"I'll take one of those now," Alex said.

"What would you like?" Phoenix said as he poured Scotch in his glass.

"Whatever's strongest."

Phoenix walked to a tall cabinet and opened the left door, grabbing a half-gallon bottle of Jim Beam Bonded 100 PROOF, and then handed it and a glass to Alex as he walked to his seat.

Alex studied the bottle for a moment, then twisted the cap off and poured the glass full. "Thanks."

Phoenix gave him an up-nod as he sat his glass on a low table and picked up one of the eight binders. "Any of you have any luck?"

A depression settled around the room as everyone gave their answer.

"All right," Phoenix said on a sigh, "we keep trying. How many Alphas do we have as a definite no?"

"What is that?" Alex said.

Phoenix pointed to Heather without looking up from a page he was studying.

Everyone in the room listened quietly while Heather filled Alex in about the binders.

"But why do we need another Alpha wolf?" Alex said.

"We forgot to tell her that she needed to name her wolf," Roel said. "The beast inside her named herself, and now Mena isn't in control anymore. If we don't find another Alpha wolf to bond with her and discover what she has called herself, Mena will be stuck inside her head forever and that bitch will do her damnedest to take over the world."

"Another Alpha wolf to bond with her? What does that mean?"

"It means that neither you nor I will ever be with her again, Detective," Phoenix said, dryly. "Sorry you didn't get to say your goodbyes."

Alex shook his head. "I'm not giving up on her. There has to be another way."