Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(95)

I hadn't missed that look of agony in his eyes after I'd asked if he'd found any wolves. It was clear he didn't anticipate us being together much longer, no matter the outcome. His last promise confused me. If that was the case, how could he promise that I would be happy? I refused to dwell on it. It just brought up other questions I didn't have answers to, and I wasn't supposed to be thinking about any of it.

Phoenix, Jaxon, Roel, Brad and Heath would solve this impossible Rubik's Cube of a problem. If I died, they would, too. I had to trust them.

"Why would we die, Mena?" the wolf said through my thoughts, and it was the first time I'd sensed her since before I had left Alex's apartment. I wondered what she did or where she went when she wasn't filling my head full of her opinions.


"If Jessica or any of the rogue wolves kill any of us, we're all dead. You know that," I said, hoping she bought the half lie. "We have no idea where they are. They could be watching me. I have hopes that they don't know about the nexus spell; since you murdered Dana, I don't figure they have that information yet."

"You mean, since we murdered Dana? I'm quite positive that you were there and cheering me on as I ripped her apart."

I sighed, and felt Phoenix's eyes on me, but he only squeezed my hand in response. I suppose he knew I was talking with my wolf, and that it wouldn't do any good to interrupt. There was no common ground between him and my wolf; I just happened to be stuck in the middle. "I'm not a murderer."

She laughed. "Neither am I. I only do what is necessary to keep myself alive and my pack safe."

"You don't even know your pack. You would if you weren't hell-bent on making a human your Beta. What do you think he's going to do and say when he finds out the truth about us?" I had asked the question before, but I had never really gotten a straight answer. "If you try to turn him without his consent, he'll hate you."

"Please, dear Mena. It's only been a few days and the man is practically in love with me. He may be upset for a while, but he'll eventually come around after he sees all that he will lose by leaving."

"There is more to a man's heart than what is between your legs—my legs, I mean."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm offering a whole lot more than that—"

"Mena…" Phoenix said, and there was a sliver of panic in his tone. I looked up in alarm, and my heart damn near jumped up into my throat.

Blue lights. Red lights. So many of them. And they were at the apartment complex.

My heart was racing so fast, and it wasn't only my anxiety I felt as Phoenix stopped the car and I threw open the passenger door; the wolf in me was quickly losing her shit and making it more difficult for me to run or see or breathe. Phoenix caught my arm and steadied me on my feet. Bless him.

"Calm down," I said. "We don't know that anything happened to him. There are at least twenty apartments in this complex. If you don't want those paramedics over there to think something is wrong with me and strap me down on a stretcher, you're gonna have to work with me here!"

After taking in several deep breaths, I bounded up the stairs of the complex two at a time. I met an officer halfway up as he was coming down, but I didn't make eye contact; I didn't want him to try and stop me, but, more than anything, I didn't want to see the grave look in his eyes that I was sure was there.

Two other officers and a paramedic were chatting and blocking the open door of Alex's apartment with their bodies when I arrived at the top.

First one, then the other two, glanced at me, startled, but only one of the policemen spoke. "Can I help you, miss?"

I must have looked frazzled by the looks on their faces. My wolf didn't wait for me to catch my breath. My mouth opened and words flew out. "Yes. I live here. Is Alex okay?"

All three men gave me confused expressions, and the one who had spoken before, talked again. "Detective Rhodes doesn't have a girlfriend." His eyes widened a fraction. "Hey, aren't you Marc Hoke's wife?"

"Widow," Phoenix said softly from beside me.

The paramedic coolly covered up his chuckle with a cough, and then tapped his chest with his fist a few times.

Ignoring his banter, I tried to look into the apartment. Every light I could see was on, but I couldn't see Alex in the sea of brunette and blond hair. Why were there so many people?

"Alex!" I shouted.

"Mena!" Alex's eager reply erupted from inside.

"Are you all right?" I shouted back. "What happened?"

"Let her in, Hardin!" Alex growled out, and then he groaned.

I didn't wait for the officer blocking the doorway to move; I shoved him out of my way and ran straight to Alex's side. There was so much blood that I was afraid to touch him anywhere, but he found my hand and pulled me in close then released my fingers to bring his hand up behind my neck.

With one swift tug from his fingers, my mouth was on his before I had time to prepare or let my wolf take back over.

I wanted to protest, but his lips were soft and inviting, and hard and full of anxiety at the same time. If I denied him this kiss, he would think I was having second thoughts about being with him.

So I kissed him back.





Phoenix