The Wild Moon by Riley Storm

Chapter Twenty-Four

Danielle Aria Wetter. You have the absolute worst ideas sometimes.

“And this one takes the cake,” I said, staring up at my objective. The place where I could get the money to pay Aaron to help me find Shuldar. It was the only place I knew housed such a sum of money that I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, it also happened to be the last place on earth I ever wanted to visit.

Time to get at it. Clock is ticking, and the Wild Moon is nearing.

I didn’t have to remind myself of that. I could feel it inside me. Both my wolf and my Soulbond were growing more active. Stronger. Trying to take control of me. The longer I denied the Soulbond, the more it pulsed within my mind, whispering good things about Johnathan, urging me to take him as my mate. To accept the truth, that he was good for me. That’s why I was here–

Enough, I snarled mentally, silencing everything. I did not come back for him. I came back for money.

I shivered as my brain went silent and stared up at the line of trees running parallel to the road, blocking the view of what lay beyond. A double row of lamp posts ran up the gravel driveway, flanking the single-lane vehicle entrance. I couldn’t see beyond the trees, but I knew what lay on the other side.

Aldridge Manor.

The sprawling, three-story mansion belonging to Lars Aldridge, Alpha of the Seguin pack, and quite possibly the person I hated most on the planet. Followed closely by his son, who also happened to reside there. And here I was, contemplating not only going up there and revealing that I was back but going inside.

Shuddering at the idea, I forced myself to look past it. I was doing this for the greater good.

I laughed to myself. Not that it mattered, it was highly unlikely that they would buy my lies anyway. There was just as great a chance that they would believe me as they would toss me back into that windowless cell in the basement.

There’s nowhere else to go, though. Nowhere else I could get that much cash or gold in such a short period. This is my only option.

I wasn’t happy about it, but the Wild Moon was mere days away. The sense of urgency inside me grew by the day. I had to find Shuldar. It was imperative.

I just didn’t know why yet.

You’re stalling, I told myself, knowing full well that’s precisely what I was doing. Can you blame me? If I went up the driveway, I was going to have to pretend like I’d come around. That I was considering accepting Johnathan as my mate. I might have to kiss him.

In my mind, I retched at the idea. Gross. I’d hoped I was done kissing guys who used far too much tongue. Ugh. Unfortunately, time was running out, and I had no other options for money. Which meant it was time to get on with it.

My long legs easily carried me up the driveway. I was past the trees and had entered the house’s shadow when a giant, black object shot out from the side of the house. It snarled in fury, the Alpha command washing over me.

On instinct, I started to fight it. Sheer principle said I had to shrug it off and resist because submitting to Lars was just about the most unappetizing thing I could think of.

Fake it! You have to fake it!

Lars was almost on me, his wolf covering ground at terrifying speed, and I forced myself down to the ground. I showed my neck, hoping he wouldn’t tear my throat out anyway, just to spite me. I wouldn’t put it past him.

“You,” a human voice came as Lars shifted back. It was full of derision and hatred.

Which I guess made sense. He didn’t have any reason to like me.

He shuffled closer. “Look at me.”

I grimaced. He was doing his macho masculine dominance shit again. Bracing myself for what I knew I was going to see, I turned my head, trying to open my eyes after they were past his groin.

I failed.

What the fuck, dude? Why you gotta shove your junk in everyone’s faces? Hasn’t a girl ever told you that a penis is really not attractive or impressive when it’s just limp and flopping around like a deflated string balloon?

“Why are you back?” Lars growled down at me.

I focused on his face, ignoring the pint-sized anteater inches from my face. Apparently, some things run in the family.

“The Wild Moon is almost here,” I said quietly, trying to play the part of the meek and subservient woman. Anyone with a shred of intelligence would know I was faking it, but Lars was so caught up in himself that I’m sure he expected this out of me to the point that he would never consider I could be faking it. He didn’t believe anyone could be strong enough to defy him.

Or stupid. Most definitely stupid. Don’t go inflating your own ego here, either. This is a plan born of sheer stubbornness and idiocy. Nothing more.

“So it is,” Lars smirked as he looked down at me. “And?”

He wanted more. He wanted me to say it.

Fine. Whatever it’ll take to convince you.

“And,” I said, trying to make myself whimper as I spoke, “I can’t run forever.”

Lars nodded.

Holy shit, is he buying this?

I cast my eyes down, not wanting him to read the hope I could feel blossoming inside me. This might work, after all. Maybe I’m not a terrible actress!

“Good,” Lars said, nodding once sharply as if making up his mind. “I’m glad you came to your senses.”

“I did,” I told him, steeling myself. This next part was the trickiest of all. “But I’m not here willingly. I still don’t want this, so if you expect it to work, I have some terms.”

His teeth clamped down on my neck. I whimpered and yelped for real, caught off-guard by the sudden attack as I was pinned to the gravel driveway, the sharp stones scraping roughly against my face.

Even when he released me, I stayed like that. There was no point antagonizing him further.

“You dare to dictate to me? The Alpha of your pack?”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “If you want this to work out, then yes, I do dare.”

Bracing myself as I finished speaking, I prepared for his next attack. I doubted he was going to just kill me at this point. I knew at a minimum a part of him would be interested to hear what I was going to propose.

“Interesting,” Lars growled, standing up and taking a half step away from my curled-up form. “Good. I like it. An alpha’s mate should be strong. Unyielding. What do you propose?”

I got to my feet, proving not just to Lars, but also to myself, that I was as strong as I was pretending to be. Hopefully.

“I’ll give you what you want,” I said quietly, staring into his amber eyes. “I’ll stand by your son’s side. I’ll bear his children.”

“And?” Lars barked. “That’s what’s expected of you, woman.”

“And in return,” I growled, showing a bit of the defiance I was feeling on the inside. “Your son doesn’t touch me unless I say so. In public, I will play the good mate. In private, he leaves me the fuck alone. We live separately. I don’t have anything to do with him or you.”

Lars gave me a long stare as he considered my terms.

“Deal.”

He didn’t stick out a hand to shake on it. I was beneath him for that. We had gone from me bargaining to Lars agreeing to the terms as if they were his orders. It was almost impressive how easily he took command of the conversation like that.

“Okay,” I said as we stared at one another, him naked, me dressed in jeans and a sky-blue, loose-fitting long sleeve.

It was weird. Really weird.

“Follow me,” Lars growled, heading to the front door.

Now, I know as a wolf shifter I should be uncaring about nudity. And I am, really I am. Mostly. But walking behind Lars, while his ass cheeks clapped in the sunlight as he strode toward the front door, was just too much. He looked ridiculous. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be some sort of power move on his part, but damn if it didn’t ruin the scary aura that he usually had around him.

Lars reached the door and pushed it open, heading inside without checking to see if I was there. I had to jog forward to grab the eight-foot-high door and haul it open again. Otherwise, it would have closed in my face.

Ass, I thought, but my glare faltered as I saw a figure move at the top of the curved stairs ahead of us.

“What is she doing here?” Johnathan asked, staring down at his father and me, his back to the hallway where I’d attacked his mother during my last escape. The same hallway that housed the relics my father had retrieved on his missions. I tried not to smile as my plan came one step closer to fruition. Now all I had to do was survive long enough to escape with Aaron’s payment.

No big deal. Right?