She stares at me with complete confusion. They all did when I mentioned higher powers. Like it had never crossed their mind that there might be more than a Moon Goddess that rules the population.

“Think about it, Madison. Rogue Lycans are there to keep the human population under control. I’m a Wolf that kills Lycans. Lycans were kept a secret from the average Wolf until Neah came along. This is all higher power shit. A way to test us. A way to see who is on top.”

“So why do you think they are pairing Wolves and Lycans together?”

“It wouldn’t be the first fucked up thing they did.”

A mixture of emotions crosses her face. She wasn’t sure how to process what I had said. “Have you…. Have you told the Alpha?”

“No. And before you ask, I’m not going to either. She has other things on her plate. She doesn’t need to listen to my theories too.”

Madison sighs and drops her arms, picking at the bark on the tree. “The others don’t trust me.”

“Who?” Something annoys me about her comment. And for a second I feel that same fucking thing as I did when she tried to throw herself in the fire. I cared.

I shudder, but she doesn’t see it.

“The Lycans. I can’t shift and that makes me weak.”

“Have you ever shifted?”

She shakes her head at me and the light of the sunset breaks through the trees, bouncing off of her deep red waves. “It’s true what I told you before. I can do everything but shift. You saw the burns, I still healed. I can link Neah. I just can’t….shift.” I was expecting her to sound disappointed but she sounds more defeated.

“Why are you telling me?”

“I thought because of the……..” she trails off when she realises I’m frowning at her. “I just thought, maybe you could be the one to help me?”

Multiple footsteps come running in our direction. Many were still going ahead with the pack run tonight. Some would find it beneficial to burn off their worries and frustrations. Others just wanted the freedom and power they felt under the full moon.

I was supposed to be going too.

I grab Madison by the bicep and pull her away from the incoming crowd. “Go home Madison.”

“If you are not going to reject me, you won’t be able to hide this forever. Neal already knows and Mallory does too!!” She half shouts at me and I slam her into the tree, pressing my hand to her mouth. count to thirty to see if anyone had heard her, but howls and running feet fill the air, they weren’t even slightly interested in us, they were already caught up in the haze.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that what this is?” I growl. “You have some insane death wish because you can’t fucking shift?”

She shakes her head as I keep my hand over her mouth. She stares deep into my eyes. There was only one other person who had looked at me like that. Like she could see more than what was just on the outside.

Lowering my hand, Madison pushes herself off the tree, forcing a closeness between us. On her breath, I Could smell the dinner she

had not too long ago. She shakal P

her head again, “You don’t have to help me, I just thought I would ask because…”

“Because you need a man to save the day?” I sneer as her jasmine scent makes my head pound. I so badly wanted to push her away, but I could also quite easily fuck her right here.

It had been a long time since I have felt like this about anyone and the close proximity was making it a hundred times harder to walk away.

“No!” She’s frustrated with my response. “Because you know alot and I guess… I thought maybe you had come across this before. That’s all.” She glances away. “You tried to help Neah.”

She looks over my shoulder and presses her rosy lips into a thin line. There was no one behind me. I would sense it long before she did.

Her chestnut eyes shift back to me. “I should just go.”

She wasn’t talking about going back to the house she has been staying in since the fire.

“No, you need to be where I can keep an eye on you.” Until I decide what I want to do. I needed her to at least be kept safe.

“Why? You can’t stand me!”

“When did I say that?” I counteract. Her heart skips a beat. “I have told you twice that you need to be where I can keep an eye on you. If you are out there, alone, I won’t be able to save you from yourself. Again!”

play mind

“I have spent years having people games on me. I won’t live like that anymore. I refuse to continue living like that. Just

because I am less of a Lycan than the others, it does not give you the right to mess me around. Do you hear me?!”

I press my lips against hers. She doesn’t move. Thrown by my reaction. As I back off, her eyes are like saucers. “Loud and clear.”