Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(67)

That would need to be remedied, and soon.

He looked powerful and beautiful as he looked out across the faces of his people. I hoped to look as in control as he did someday.

"Most of you know why I gathered you here," Phoenix started, "and some of you have even had the honor of meeting Mena, Montgomery's new werewolf pack leader. If you haven't heard, let me inform you now, Mena's pack and my clan have merged. We are no longer enemies, but strong allies. Eight of Mena's pack have rebelled against her and have even taken the life of one of their own. These eight are our enemies and must be captured and executed immediately. They are a danger and a threat to us," he turned to look at me, "because Mena is one of us. You will treat Mena with the same respect that you do me, and anyone who doesn't see it the way I do will be dealt with using utmost severity." He held out his hand to me and I took it with trembling fingers. "Please, welcome Mena Hoke as my new second in command."

"What the f*ck did he just say?"

My wolf must have been just as stunned, because she didn't respond.

The room erupted with cheers and whistles, startling me, and even in my shocked state of mind, I knew I needed to look for someone. My eyes scanned the crowd and I found him on the first row: Jaxon, his face a sullen mask as he stared up at me, clapping slowly. Phoenix had demoted him and put me in his place.

"What is he thinking?" I screamed through my mind.

Tension filled my body as the silence persisted, and then, "He's thinking that he wants you to make him Beta over my pack. That is not going to happen, Mena."





Chapter 35



Mena





I slammed the door of Phoenix's chambers behind me as I followed him into his room. "Why did you do that?" I shouted.

He briefly glanced at me over his shoulder, but didn't stop walking toward his closet. "I thought you would be thrilled. Why all the hostility?"

"Why all the hostility? You just put me above Jaxon! He can't be happy about this."

"You were always above Jaxon, Lupacchiotto. You are a leader; he is not. His actions of late have proven the fact."

"Do I look happy?" Even though the walk-in closet was spacious, my voice seemed a lot louder than it had in the massive expanse of his living chamber.

I stopped suddenly and stared for the first time at the huge closet. It was beautiful, but that wasn't what had thrown me into yet another state of shock.

Phoenix shuffled through a long rack of clothing and selected a pair of leather pants, a white tank top and a black leather jacket then held them out to me, a slight smirk playing across that beautiful mouth of his.

"What is this?" I asked in a small voice as I took them, deathly afraid of what he would say.

The corner of his lip twitched as he studied the items on the hangers as if it was obvious what they were. "Clothes," he said simply.

I forced myself to look at the long rack of clothing—all women's, and I was guessing all in my size—and then a wooden shelf caught my attention out of my periphery—shoes, all women's, and I was guessing all in my size.

"Dear God, what is this man thinking?"

I got no answer from my wolf. I supposed she was still plotting the most painful way to kill Phoenix, because, if she was right about him wanting me to make him Beta over my pack, that would definitely be something that would really, really piss her off.

"Have you failed to tell me that you're a cross-dresser?" I said, and prayed that was true. I would have a hell of a lot better time accepting that than what I feared he was going to say.

He chuckled. "No. They're all yours, Mena."

I thrust the hangers toward him as he walked around me and out of the closet. Clenching my jaw, I struggled not to scream. This was going a bit too far. "You can't move me in with you."

"Grab a pair of boots from your selection. The dresser beside the shoe rack is yours, too. It's stocked with socks and…" I could hear the grin in his voice as he finished, "…other things."

My eyes slammed shut and I began counting to ten in my head. One… two… three… I dreaded opening any of the dresser drawers for fear of what I would find. Four… five… six… My wolf wouldn't have to kill him, because I was going to. Seven… eight… nine… Was he trying to make my life more difficult?

"Mena, you need to get dressed if you're coming with me. They are waiting, and we are already running behind schedule."

Ten… I drew in a deep breath and opened my eyes to glare at the dresser. I could kill him later, after we talked to the witches.

Luckily, the first drawer I opened didn't horrify me. It was the sock drawer. I grabbed a pair of black socks and shoved the drawer closed, then marched out of the closet and directly into the master bathroom, refusing to ever look and see what 'other things' meant to him.






Chapter 36



Phoenix





He knew she was upset with him again, and as much as he wanted to give her time to accept what he'd done on her own, he knew it wouldn't happen; it was, after all, Mena he was dealing with, not a nun.

"You're angry," he said.

"Oh, you caught that, did ya?" she snapped.