Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(104)

Phoenix let his head fall back against the chair. "If there was another way, don't you think we would have thought of it by now?"

Alex gritted his teeth. "Mena said she became an Alpha by killing one. Is that right?"

Roel and Brad nodded.

Alex looked at the binder on Tracy's lap. "Are their physical addresses in there?"

Phoenix's head came back up and his eyes narrowed as he studied Alex. "Yeah. Why?"

Alex shrugged. "I'll go kill one."

Laughter erupted from Brad and he rolled onto Heather's lap, clutching his stomach as he brayed.

Phoenix leaned forward, rubbing his chin as he stared at Alex. "You would kill another person to become an Alpha, so you could bond with Mena?"


"Well, yeah, Wouldn't you if you were in my position?"

"He is the only one of us who isn't blood-linked," Roel said. "If he gets killed, it won't hurt Mena or us."

Alex frowned as he looked over at Roel. "Thanks, *."

Roel shrugged. "What? It's the truth. I didn't mean it wouldn't hurt her mentally—she cares about you—but it won't kill her or any of the rest of us if you fail."

"Are y'all really considering this?" Brad said, his laughter dying just as swiftly as his smile.

"No," Phoenix said. "It's too dangerous."

"You're just afraid that I will succeed and you'll be the only one without Mena—"

"No, I'm afraid that you'll die and she'll blame me for letting you do something stupid. Those Alphas are at the top for a reason. Mena is only Alpha because she got lucky, Rhodes. They are heavily protected. You won't get within ten miles of the leader before the pack kills you. You aren't human anymore; other wolves can sense you and your intentions."

"Listen to him," Brad said. "It's an extremely stupid idea."

"I don't need your permission," Alex said as he stood and grabbed a binder from the top stack on the coffee table. "I can do this with or without your help."

"You won't even get out of Montgomery without the rogue wolves finding you, Cop," Heath said. "Sit down. Mena asked you to do what we said, and we're telling you not to do that. You promised her."

"She didn't give me an order—"

"You're not thinking straight, Rhodes," Phoenix said. "They will kill you. Do you understand that? Look, if I had to pick any other guy for Mena to bond with, it would be you, hands down, but this isn't a rescue operation you're talking about; it's a suicide mission. Don't try to be a hero. You've just become a shifter. You don't know anything about what you are or how to use the skills you now possess. It will take years to learn it all."

"We only have two and a half weeks," Alex said.

"Exactly, so doing something like that will only set us back. We'll find another Alpha that's willing."

"And if you don't?"

Phoenix ran a hand down his face. "Mena asked me to kill her before the full moon."

Alex jumped to his feet, shouting. "Are you insane?"

Phoenix stood up calmly. "Walk with me."

"What?"

"I'm going to introduce you to your girlfriend. I'm sure you will agree after meeting her that something like what she is doesn't need to be unleashed on the world. She won't stop until every vampire is dead and every human is like her."

"Phoenix—" Roel started.

"Relax, Roel, I won't let her touch him. Start making calls. We'll be back soon."





Phoenix





Walking at a snail's pace, Phoenix led Alex to the cell chamber where Mena's wolf was being held, letting the detective have an extra few minutes to calm down before he saw her.

"I don't see why you'd think this is a bad idea," Alex said, breaking the silence. "I mean, if I die, then I'm out of your way."

"It doesn't matter to me what you do, Rhodes, but the woman you're in love with will not be in love with you, especially if you succeed. If Mena bonds with another Alpha, she will be the one in control, not the moonrising wolf who has been dating you. Mena's soul will bond with the other Alpha's soul, but her heart will always belong to me. If you try your idea and succeed, she will still never be yours, fully. If we waste precious time counting on you to succeed, and then you don't, we're all dead. Either way, this bitch isn't going to win. I promised Mena I wouldn't let that happen."

"I can do it, Phoenix."

Phoenix stopped, with his hand on the doorknob of the cell room. Glancing over his shoulder at the new shifter, he smiled. "You could be with her, knowing she is in love with me?" He knew what the guy was thinking—it was written all over his face—but he was wrong; he couldn't make Mena love him. "Rhodes, the part of Mena that loves you will hate you if you do this. She doesn't want to bond with anyone. The other part of Mena is in love with me. That's the part of her I'm going to save."

He turned the knob and pushed the door open.





Alex





He was convinced Phoenix was either wrong or lying, but all thoughts about his plan faded to the back of his mind once he laid eyes on the biggest silver wolf he'd ever seen, even in pictures.