Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(98)

"You shouldn't have come to Marc's funeral," I said, after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "You would be safe now if you hadn't stopped to check on me when Katie and I were having lunch." I pressed on, and realized tears were rolling down my face. "You shouldn't have kissed me back when I kissed you on my front porch. You shouldn't have gone with Phoenix and the others to see the witches. You shouldn't have kept Marc's case, Alex. So, if you hate me after tonight, it's because of all the things you did that you shouldn't have." I sucked in a ragged breath and wiped my nose with my shirt sleeve. "Why didn't you just stay away from me?" I sobbed, but I couldn't look at him; I was having enough trouble seeing the road through my tears.

"I couldn't stay away from you, Mena," he said, softly. "Because I shouldn't have fallen in love with you, but I did."

My face twisted, and more tears sprung from my tear ducts.

That was what my wolf wanted, right? For him to fall in love with her? I just didn't know how he was going to take the news that the woman he was in love with wasn't exactly me.

"Everything is going according to plan, Mena," my wolf said.

"You could take these tears away so I could see the damn road, unless your plan is for me to hit a tree."

"Your reflexes are better than you think they are. You haven't crossed the center line even once. As for the tears, Alex needs to see them; he needs to see that you care. You're doing fine. Tell him that part of you is in love with him."

Alex sighed next to me, and I felt his gaze move away. "Since we're on the topic of things I shouldn't have done, I guess I probably shouldn't have said that, huh?"

Maybe she was right. Prepping him for what was to come could help. He would get an information overload and have a panic attack if we told him everything at once. I glanced in my rearview mirror at Phoenix's headlights and prayed this wasn't a mistake. "Alex… part of me is in love with you."

"It's okay, Mena," he said, exasperated. "You don't have to lie to me just because—"

"I'm not lying. I have… uh, how do I put this? I have two personalities. One of them is in love with you."

I could feel his eyes on me again. And what was even better, the tears had almost stopped.

"Have you seen anyone about this? Taking on a mental illness is common with people who have had something tragic happen in their lives. I'm sure losing Marc was no easy—"

"No, Alex… I don't have a mental illness. I have another—uh…

"Female," my wolf suggested.

"…female living inside me."

The burst of laughter from the passenger seat startled me so much that I swerved into oncoming traffic. "Shit!" I shouted as I jerked the Jeep back into my lane. My heart pounded against my palm as I tried to catch my breath. I reached over and slapped him on the arm. "What the hell was that for?"

After he stopped cackling, he said, "I'm sorry, Mena. I've had some crazy girlfriends before, but none that ever admitted it."

"Men are slow," the wolf said. "Maybe we should just outright tell him."

"He wouldn't believe it," I replied.

"That's probably true." She huffed.

"I'm not crazy, Alex. It's true. I am Mena Hoke, and she is not."

I looked at him when I pulled to a stop at a red light. He was staring at me, but he wasn't laughing anymore. My phone dinged, signaling a text. I figured it would be from Phoenix, checking to see if I was telling Alex anything—or everything—but it was from Daryn. I couldn't deal with him right now.

Mena, more have left the pack. You need to handle this before it is too late. And why aren't you answering any of my calls or texts? I just want to help make this right and protect you. ~ Daryn

I quickly typed back a text. Driving now. Can't talk. I hit send then tossed my phone in my lap as I put the Jeep in first gear and took a left toward Phoenix's home.


"If it's not a personality disorder, then what is it?" Alex said. "Are you possessed or something?"

"I wish she were only a demon. Maybe that way an exorcism could get rid of her."

"You really think you have another person in your head, don't you?"

My wolf huffed.

I huffed.

"I don't think I do, no. I know I do."

"If it's not a mental illness and it's not a demon…"

I pulled up to Phoenix's security gate and hand-cranked the Jeep's window down. After pushing the button, I waited… in silence. Yep, I was so not answering that question until I had some witnesses.

"Mena—"

"We're here, Alex."

He put his hand on top of mine to keep me from pushing the stick in first gear.

"Talk to me," he said, gently.

"I will, just as soon as we're in the house."

"Why are we here? I know you said that you're going to tell me everything, but why here? Why at Phoenix's house? What does he have to do with all of this? You said you didn't like him—"

"The other part of me told you that I didn't like him," I said, and looked pointedly at him.