September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)

There wasn’t a lot of talk as we drove through the city. The radio filled the silence. Jenner and Arys were relatively calm in the back seat. At least, that’s how they made it appear. Shaz, however, was unable to rein in his emotions. The harsh sensation of bitterness and loathing danced over me, leaving invisible pinpricks behind.

It wouldn’t have surprised me if Shaz was churning with anger. He had been carrying a lot of hard feelings about Arys and me for a while now. It had changed him, and I wasn’t sure it was entirely for the better.

“I went back to Doghead,” he said suddenly, pulling my startled gaze his way. “The other night, after Dayne came by the club. He and I talked. I’m considering joining the pack.”

“Oh,” I said softly, trying to conceal my relief. “That’s great. I think they’ve managed to do a good job of being organized. They seem to have an order that works. That tattoo will be crazy sexy on you.”

I flashed him a flirtatious grin and received a slight blush in response. Damn I loved him. I would always wish that it was enough.

“I just wanted to let you know. I’m not ticked off about it. I know you care.” He navigated through traffic, keeping his attention on the road so I wouldn’t see the wolf in his eyes.

I felt it too. My wolf longed for his. If I could be anywhere in the world, it would be curled up with Shaz on the forest floor.

This was his way of apologizing for our argument. I knew it was only because he was afraid of what would happen tonight. Without saying anything to make a hard situation harder, I simply reached across and touched his leg.

He caught my hand in his and brought it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across my knuckles. For the first time that night, I felt like crying. It had nothing to do with Shya or death. It had everything to do with my white wolf and the way things would change between us after this night.

We pulled up down the street from the scary-ass, old hospital, and my heart began to pound. It loomed large in the darkness. Already I could feel the restless spirits taking note of our arrival. They likely were not the only ones.

A basic chain-link fence surrounded the property. It was broken in several places, creating the illusion that nobody maintained it. The windows were blacked out, revealing nothing of what was inside.

“Holy shit. This place is phenomenal.” Jenner stared up at the hospital in awe. “I’ve never felt anything quite like it.”

“Be careful, Jenner,” Arys warned. “This place has a way of getting inside your head.”

“You’re telling me,” Shaz scoffed. “If either of you vamp out on me, I won’t hesitate to beat your ass.”

The night Arys had turned on Shaz and me in this place would live forever in my memory. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever forget a second I spent inside the horrible building.

Kale’s car pulled up behind us. Inside I was a quivering mess, but when I reached for the door, my hand was steady. Five minutes and counting.

I stared up at the hospital, seeking any sign of FPA activity. They were a covert op for a reason. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed any living being was inside that decrepit old structure.

“What does it feel like?” Jez joined me, scanning the perimeter closely.

“The key to Lilah’s throne? It mostly just feels heavy, and dark.” Just like what’s inside of you, I thought but didn’t dare speak the words. I meant to tell Jez what I’d felt nestled within her, but this wasn’t the right time.

Willow appeared with a ripple of air and the sound of wings though his were not visible. The last time the three of us had been here together we’d been looking for Kale. It hadn’t gone well.

“There’s a demon on the other side of the building,” Willow informed me. “I’m going to intercept him right before you enter the grounds. There’s no way of knowing how much time you have before Shya shows.”

“Great.” I nodded, looking at each of my companions in turn. “I hope you all know how grateful I am to have you back me up. I won’t ever forget it. That being said, I guess it’s pretty much go time.”

Without so much as a word, Kale came forward, took my face in his hands, and laid a passionate kiss on me. It left me breathless and a little giddy. Then he stepped back and turned away before I could react.

It shocked me to find Shaz holding Arys back. My dark vampire was seething and straining in Kale’s direction. Suppressing his emotions with the strong, silent act was working against him, causing him to unravel. Shaz didn’t look too thrilled either, but he was clearly more focused on the task at hand.

My love life was a fucking mess, but this was no time to dwell on that. Duty called.