Broken Moon by Laken Cane

Chapter Twenty-Six

Better this morning?

I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before replying to Jared’s text, cataloging my various physical twinges and aches. Feeling better, definitely. One hundred percent better? Not even close. Yes.

The exsoloup is dead and the wolves are safe. Thank you, Kait.

You’re welcome.I smiled, then, You DID pay me a boatload of cash to do the job. I couldn’t let the creature live.

Maybe he smiled, maybe he didn’t. I couldn’t know over text. He wasn’t the type to send emojis. Eat a lot today. Mainly protein, but carbohydrates and fat, as well. Drink more than you want.

I will.

Tonight, I will come for you.

I sucked in a breath as my heart began pounding, and tears of equal parts excitement, hope, fear, and dread sprang to my eyes. Tonight.

Tonight I would meet my precious, tortured wolf.

“Please be okay,” I told her. “Don’t force him to put you down.” If my wolf went mad, the alpha wouldn’t hobble her again. That would be too cruel. He couldn’t kill me, because I was involved with the humans too deeply. Could he kill my wolf without killing the woman?

That would take an insanely strong alpha.

So yes. I believed he could.

“Please,” I whispered again, “be okay.”

I jumped when Lucy shoved open my door and hurried in with a tray the size of the dinner table, Ash at her heels. He’d climbed into bed with me after I’d gotten home, but she’d taken him out sometime that morning. I hadn’t stirred.

I sat up as my stomach began growling so ferociously it scared the dog. “Lucy, I seriously don’t know what I ever did without you,” I told her.

She laughed and settled the tray over my legs, then pulled the little chair closer to my bed and plopped into it. She patted her lap and Ash jumped up to sit with her, watching my tray like a tasty morsel might somehow jump off the plate and into his mouth.

“How do you feel?” she asked me. “You look a lot less like warmed over death now.”

I closed my eyes and inhaled the heavenly scent of the food she’d cooked. “I’m good,” I said, and then, when Ash gave a small bark to encourage me to remember that he was available as taste tester, I added, “Ash looks so much better already.”

“He’s enjoying his life now,” she said, kissing the top of his head. “I hate to think about what he went through before you rescued him. Jessie came into the store yesterday, by the way.”

I stuffed a forkful of baked chicken into my mouth. It was buttery-soft and so flavorful I could only close my eyes and moan when I took that first bite. “How was she?” I asked, as I picked up a roll and slathered it with some sort of honey butter concoction.

“She’s great.” Lucy smiled at my obvious enjoyment of her cooking. “She said her ex called to say, “fuck you, keep the brat and enjoy your fucking life,” and then took off for parts unknown. She drove by his house to make sure. He was gone.”

“He won’t bother her again,” I promised.

“She said to tell you thank you.”

I nodded, then threw Ash a small piece of chicken. “I’m happy I could help, and glad it led me to this pup.”

“So about Detective Moreno…”

“He’s married, Lucy. Surely you saw his wedding band?”

Her face fell. “He seemed more like a guy who’d lost his wife. There’s something…sad and lonely about him.”

I agreed, but… “She’s very much alive. I’ll invite her for lunch soon. She’s a sweet woman.”

She sighed. “Fine. I can’t have the delicious Mr. Walker, who seems…” She shivered. “So dark and dangerous, and I can’t have the delicious detective, who is just plain hot. Which leads me to a question I probably should have asked sooner. Is it okay to bring a guy home with me for the night sometimes? I’m not sure of the rules and there were no handbooks on my bed when I arrived.” She smiled but stared at me as intently as Ash did.

“It’s your house too,” I told her. “You can do whatever you want.” But as she squealed with delight, I quickly added, “but you have to be safe, Lucy. No strangers, and if I’m home, you’ll keep it quiet.”

“Oh absolutely.” She beamed. “Thanks, Kait. Oh!” She put Ash into the floor and jumped to her feet. “That reminds me. I’ll be right back.”

She rushed from the room and Ash trotted over to sit in the floor and stare up at me with his most earnest expression. I snorted and tossed him another bite. “You’re such a good baby,” I told him.

He pretended like he thought I’d just said, “Get up here on the bed so I can give you all the food.” He settled in at my feet, his stare glued to my dinner.

Lucy hurried back into the room, an envelope in her hand. “Here. My half of the lease and the full deposit. When the bills come due, let me know so I can pay my half of those, as well.” She stood back after I took the envelope, her hands clasped, her smile proud.

I knew she didn’t make much working at the bakery. The envelope probably contained a good chunk of her savings. The girl needed her own restaurant—she was that good.

I leaned over to open my nightstand drawer, then pulled out my own envelope. I stacked it beneath hers and held them out to her.

She frowned, reaching tentatively for the two envelopes. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’m not taking money from you, Lucy. And my envelope has some cash in it because I want to pay you for taking care of me. You’re doing the shopping, the cooking, tending Ash, doing errands…” I shook my head. “And this house has never been so clean. You don’t owe me anything.”

She peered into the fat envelope I’d given her, her eyes widening. “Kait. This is…I can’t…”

I waved my hand, frowning. “Get out of here so I can finish this amazing food in peace. And take the dog with you.”

She ignored my ferociousness and flung herself at me, nearly knocking the tray into the floor. She hugged me hard, and when she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. Then she turned, called for Ash, and rushed from my room.

I finished eating, and when I was so full I could barely move, I thought I’d get up and do some puttering around the house before the night came and with it, the alpha. Instead, I set the tray in the floor, dragged the covers over my head, and fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Lucy woke me three hours later with another tray, as though she knew how important it was that I refuel today. She studied me. “Even better.”

I nodded. “Sleep and food, all I need right now.” She’d put a thick, gooey, warm slice of chocolate cake for my dessert, along with a tiny dish of ice cream. I scraped the ice cream onto the cake and ate it before I even looked at the main dish. “Lucy,” I said, after I’d finished it. “Seriously fucking good.”

“I love cooking and baking more than anything,” she said, then pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, reconsidering. “Well, not more than sex, maybe. About the same.”

“Tonight,” I told her, “Jared is coming to pick me up. I don’t think I’ll be back tonight. In the morning, maybe.” I lifted my stare to hers. “I need you not to worry about me. And whatever you do,” I interrupted, as she started to argue, “do not call the detective. And don’t call my mother.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, studying me with a worried frown. “I would be happy for you, Kait, but it doesn’t sound like you’re going off to spend the night in the hot man’s bed. You’re going hunting again, aren’t you?” She shook her head, got to her feet, and began pacing. “I just don’t think you’re well enough for that. You may be better, and you may look better, but that doesn’t mean you look good, Kait. You look like—”

“Lucy,” I said, gently. “I’m not a child, and I know what I’m doing. Tonight, Jared will take care of me, and I promise you there is nothing to worry about.”

“Still,” she murmured, “I will worry.”

I relented. “Remember how you dreamed about me screaming? Remember how you said that when you’re quiet you can see the screams?”

She nodded, her lip trembling. “I feel your agony, but I don’t know what it’s from. Are you…are you dying?”

I set my empty tray on the floor and patted the bed. She slid in beside me and Ash jumped up behind me, and snuggled between their warmth, I told her as much as I could to keep her from being afraid. “When I return, the agony I’ve carried with me for twelve long years will be gone. You won’t dream of me screaming, and you won’t hear, see, or feel my pain. It will no longer be inside me.”

She stared up at me, wanting to believe, but not sure she should. “But how? What’s happening tonight?”

I blew out a breath, stirring her blonde hair. “There are things I can’t tell you. I just need you to trust me.”

Finally, she nodded, and her expression eased. “I do. And if you tell me you’re going to be fine—better than fine—then I believe you. You’ll be back tomorrow, and whatever you do tonight will take away your pain. That’s reason to celebrate. I’ll make you the biggest cake…”

She flopped over and scooped my phone off the nightstand when it began to ring. “It’s the hot detective,” she said. She climbed out of bed. “Come on, Ash. Let’s get the kitchen cleaned up.” When he didn’t move, she said, “Huh. Okay then. I guess you don’t want a treat.”

He left the bed in a hurry and trotted from the room, and she grinned and shut the door gently behind her, leaving me to the detective.

“Detective Moreno,” I answered.

“How are you?”

“I’m a thousand times better. I’ve slept the day away.”

“Eating?”

“Oh yes. Lucy sees to that.”

“Good.” He hesitated. “Kaitlyn.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “Is it the demon?” I didn’t think I could deal with the demon. Not right now. Once my wolf was free, though, I would rip that bastard apart. I turned my stare to the demon blade lying on my nightstand, and unable to resist, I grabbed it and held it to me while I waited for him to tell me why he’d called.

“Beth is in the hospital. She tried to kill herself today.”

“Oh my God, Rick. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“You knew,” he said. “I should have listened to you.” He blew out a long breath and I could almost see him running his hand over his head. “She’s had problems since childhood. She’s medicated. She’s in therapy. But nothing ever fucking helps her. Not even me.” His laugh was bitter. “Especially not me.”

“All you can ever do is be there for her, Rick. You can’t change her brain.”

“No,” he said. “I can’t. But I haven’t been there for her. My work, my excuses…” He sighed. “I wanted to let you know.”

“Can she have visitors or phone calls?”

“No. Not for a couple of weeks.”

We sat in silence for a few seconds. “I’m sorry,” I said again. “When you can talk to her, would you tell her…” I trailed off, unsure. Tell her I’m sorry I didn’t make time to have lunch with her? Tell her we’ll get together when she’s released? Nothing sounded right.

“I’ll tell her you said hello,” he said.

“Thanks,” I murmured, but he was already gone.