Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(4)

Daryn replied with, I'll pick you up at 6:45.

I chewed on my lower lip as I read the message again, then typed, Okay, and left it at that.

I noticed the sun had set and the house had darkened to only shadows and eerie silence since I had shut myself away to take my bath. I looked at my phone again to see what time it was: 6:17. I still had plenty of time to get ready before Daryn's arrival.

The doorbell chimed, and I jumped and let out a girly scream.

Covering my pounding heart with my hand, I giggled at my high-strung behavior. "Geesh! You're the freaking monster, Mena. Get a grip."

I tiptoed to the window and peeked through the drapes to see who was at the front door. Gasping in surprise, I swiftly jumped away. Staring hard at the door, I prayed my mind was playing tricks on me.

"Mena, I know you're in there. I can hear your heart pounding against your ribcage."

I looked down at the white towel wrapped around my body, and my breath caught in my throat, choking me. There was no time to go to my closet and decide which outfit he would prefer to see me in.

"Hold on!" I flipped the lights on, then rushed back through the house to the master bath and grabbed my bathrobe off its hook. I threw it on and belted it as I ran back for the front door.

I jerked it open and stared, wide-eyed, at one of the most gorgeous men I had ever had the pleasure to see up close and personal. He had left his hair loose, letting the wavy chestnut locks frame that beautiful face of his. A few fat curls fell almost to those piercing ice-blue eyes, nearly obstructing my view of them. His nose was straight and his jaw line was sharp enough to cut a girl's heart right out of her chest. And that mouth… There were no words to describe those sinful lips. His stocky build was clothed in a pair of light denim jeans and a long-sleeved royal blue button-up dress shirt. That much beauty on one person should be illegal. This man was an Adonis in the flesh. I stared without shame. Wow.

"Phoenix," I squeaked.

I fidgeted uncomfortably as his eyes glided down then up my body, stopping only when those beautiful, clear-blue irises settled back on mine. Those lips stretched up over a perfect set of bright white teeth and heat instantly rushed up my neck.

"You know, you needn't have bothered with the robe. I've lost count how many times I've undressed you with my eyes. I know exactly what your body looks like under all that terrycloth."

My cheeks flamed and I couldn't seem to put two perceptible words together.

Phoenix chuckled. "That's a beautiful shade of crimson on you, Mena. Are you going to invite me in?"

Should I? No, definitely not. I have too much to deal with right now. Letting him in will only complicate my life even more. What would we do? Play chess? I seriously doubt we would get through even one game before he talked me out of my robe. No, absolutely not. I can't let him in. Besides, I'd just buried Marc today. A neighbor might see him and think the worst.

"Shall I ask easier questions?" he said.

Shaking my head, I opened the door and took a step back. I found my voice. "I'm sorry. Please come in, Phoenix."

He nodded once, but paused for a moment as if giving me one last chance to deny him entry. The corner of his lip twitched and he stepped over the threshold.

I watched him as he let his eyes roam around the room, taking everything in from the curving grand staircase, pausing a long moment to stare at the Persian rug, and then his gaze finally moved to the framed photos above the mantle over the fireplace.


I held my breath as he walked to them. He kept his focus on the memories of my past as he stopped, and then he clasped his hands together loosely behind his back and just stood there, looking at them.

"You were a beautiful bride, Mena," Phoenix said in a sad voice, and turned to look at me then. "He never deserved someone like you, but I can't say that I would have wanted it to turn out any other way than it has. Do you think it is fate?" he said, and turned his head to the side as if he was trying to figure out what I would say before I actually said it.

I shrugged and sat on the edge of a chair. "I don't know."

He frowned. "You seem to be handling all of this quite well: accepting the moon, your wolf, the pack… me."

I noticed he left out the part where I murdered two men, one of them being my husband.

I chuckled lightly and his eyes burned into me, catching me off guard. I was sure glad I had sat down; my knees were trembling. I cleared my throat. "It's my wolf. She won't allow me to worry over anything. She actually blocks the emotion from me completely. I tried to feel something at the funeral today…" I shook my head and averted my eyes from him to look at something less attractive—a red vase. Yeah, there was nothing sexy about a vase.

Clear plastic caught my attention on the kitchen island and I jumped to my feet and went to retrieve the item. "Here," I said as I walked back into the living room and handed him the leather pants, jacket and white cotton tank top. He looked at them with a furrowed brow. "I had them dry-cleaned. The boots, holsters, sheaths and weapons are all up in my room. Well, all except for the dagger that I shoved through Chris's heart." I dropped my gaze to look at my bare feet. "My pack destroyed it, you know, so there wouldn't be any evidence that would come back to haunt me later. I'll buy you another—"

Phoenix huffed and laid the clothes on the couch. "The clothes are yours, Mena. All of it is yours. I meant for you to have them when they were given to you."