Page 38 of Ruthless Moon
The small park teems with preparations for the upcoming wedding. A framework already stands at the center, a skeletal tribute to the arranged union. The sight is enough to twist my stomach into knots, the bitter bile of dread gnawing at my insides.
Amid the sea of faces, Gen stands out like a beacon. Her bright blonde hair glistens in the sunlight of the morning. She’s locked in an animated conversation with the town florist, their hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as they talk.
From my hidden vantage point, I study her, my heart tangled with conflicting emotions.
In a perfectly timed, irritatingly inevitable manner, Aiden strides into the scene just as the florist departs. With him, he brings the unmistakable scent of Rachel Mason’s coffee—a rich, intoxicating aroma from the Steeping Cauldron. Those witches have the hookup when it comes to good coffee.
He hands the cup over and Gen’s face softens into a smile. That smile, so radiant and warm, tightens a noose around my chest. It’s not a smile meant for me, and the sting of that realization is a raw reminder that I’m on the outside looking in—the only role I’ll ever play in her life.
The prickling sensation of jealousy claws at my insides. Witnessing Aiden’s effortless intimacy with Gen, the shared warmth, the exchanged smiles—it leaves a bitter aftertaste, like burnt coffee lingering on the tongue.
It should be me at the receiving end of her smiles, it should be me offering her that comforting cup of coffee.
But I swallow down the bitter pill of reality, reminding both myself and the wolf within of the harsh truth. We’re leaving.
The torment of watching her from a distance, desiring her but unable to have her, has an expiration date. Once she’s mated to Aiden, she’ll be safe, yes, but she’ll also be untouchable.
Off-limits.
The thought alone is a blade, cutting me deeper than any physical wound ever could.
Just as I’m managing to shove my wolf back into its corner, I sense Aiden reaching through the alpha link to locate me. It’s warm energy and slightly invasive, like a parent pinging their kid on a GPS.
He extracts himself from the bustling scene across the street and heads toward my hiding spot.
Gratitude for the absence of an emotional link surges within me. If such a bond existed between alphas and pack members, my secret longing for Gen would lie exposed before him.
Aiden steps into my realm of shadows, his figure melting seamlessly into the darkness. He leans against the rough brick wall opposite me, the semblance of nonchalance cloaking his frame. “Anything?” he asks, a thread of genuine worry lacing his words.
He’s not just my alpha—he’s my friend, my cousin, and his concern is authentic, making it difficult for me to harbor any resentment for the position he’s placed me in.
After all, it isn’t his doing. If he knew the truth, knew Gen was my fated mate, he’d never go through with this arranged marriage. I know him.
The urge to spill my heart out to him teases the edges of my resolve. But I resist.
“Nothing worth reporting yet,” I reply, my voice flat and emotionless, betraying nothing of my inner turmoil. The facade feels dirty and wrong, but necessary. We’ve known each other too long, making it all too easy for him to decipher my true feelings.
Aiden pins me with a probing look. “I took her out to my place and then to my mom’s to meet everyone yesterday. Where were you?” he asks, his tone teetering between accusation and curiosity.
“It was crowded and you asked me to stay out of sight.”
He accepts my answer without pause and moves on. “She’s going to need all of our support. Her dad...he’s a nightmare. She trusts no one, believes he’ll use our marriage to control me.”
“You think she’s wrong?” I venture, my gaze locked onto his.
Aiden’s eyes ignite with a fierce determination that sends a chill down my spine. “Oh, I believe her one hundred percent. That’s why I’m warning you. It’s going to take the whole pack to protect her. To show her we’ve got her back.”
“You know we will, Aiden.”At least I will until the wedding.
“I do. I’m circling the wagons. We need to be ready for anything, especially since Meredith is being cagey about whatever’s going on with Emma too.” He gives me a curt nod and steps back out into the light of the street and walks to where his truck is parked. Moments later, his truck roars to life, and he’s retreating into the distance, leaving me alone once again.
The silence in the alleyway is deafening, echoing the unspoken words that taunt my conscience. The words I can’t say and the feelings I can’t express. I’m forced to stand by and watch and guard the woman my heart yearns for. The woman I can never call mine.
This is my fate. My duty. And I won’t fail.
A sudden shout of alarm pierces the weighty silence like a serrated blade, brutally jolting me back to reality. My heart lurches in my chest, the force not unlike the bone-jarring kick of a startled horse.
Gen! Gen! Gen!My mind screams her name like a primal chant. Where is Gen? Desperate, I search through the panicking crowd for any trace of her.