Page 83 of Ruthless Moon

“Bast!” he shouts through the ringing in my ears. I see Bast clamber to his feet and then we’re running again. Down the mountain. Away from my father’s house with what we came for—Liam. Except it cost us Meredith and none of us imagined her life would be the price of his rescue.

Chapter Thirty

We’re Alive

LIAM O’CONNOR

The world blurs outside the window, trees and sky and road rushing by in a dizzying blend. I’m in the back seat of Aiden’s truck, feeling the vibrations of the engine in my bones, tasting the leftover adrenaline. Bast is in the truck behind us with the other enforcers. Gen’s tucked against me, her body limp, the tempo of her shallow breaths syncopated with the staccato beat of my heart.

I pull her closer, cradling her as if she’s the most precious thing I’ve ever held. Because she is and she’s mine. The sacrifice of our bond for the good of the pack won’t happen now. Oliver tried to kill me. Jackson is dead. We’re in this war now, whatever may come. I have no doubt Dave Gallagher will seek revenge for his fallen brother, even though they hated each other.

I breathe her in, the scent of pine, and fear, and her. It’s a strange concoction, stinging my nostrils, but it’s the smell of being alive, of survival. It’s something I didn’t think I would ever smell again.

There’s a roaring in my ears that isn’t the engine, it’s the echo of blood and danger, of desperate sacrifices and gambles won and lost. My heart has been wrenched out of my chest and beaten. I’m angry. Furious that they came for me. Furious that they risked their lives. Furious that I couldn’t save them from that.

But by Fate, I am grateful.

Grateful they did come. Grateful to have her warmth against me, to hear her heart beating, to know that we’re still here, still fighting. Together. It’s a bitter cocktail, the guilt and the relief, anger and thankfulness, and I can’t quite separate one from another.

And then the strangers outside Oliver’s house and the explosion changed everything. They’re gone. Dead. There’s no way Oliver Gallagher survived that explosion. No obvious way.

“Are you okay?” Aiden’s voice is strained. He glances back at me, his eyes glinting in the rearview mirror.

We’re not okay, none of us. We’re broken, and bruised, and bloody. But we’re alive. And right now, that’s enough.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice raw. “We’re okay.”

And for the moment, that’s the truth.

My brother is here. My alpha is here. My mate is in my arms.

Right now, I’m okay. Even if it hurts like hell that we lost Jackson. He’d be proud of all of us today.

The silence in the cab stretches, elastic and taut, our breaths the only soundtrack. I glance down at Gen, her eyelashes casting soft shadows on her cheeks, her hand still clutching the front of my shirt as if to anchor herself to me. And I swear, as long as I breathe, I’ll never leave her again.

“Are we headed to the coven?” I ask, meeting Aiden’s gaze in the rearview again.

“Yes, until we know exactly what happened back there and who survived or didn’t. You both need to stay hidden.” His words sting, bringing to the surface the reality of our situation—the loss.

Meredith’s sacrifice, her final act of selflessness that bought us time and freedom, is a pain heavy on all of us. She was like an aunt to all of us growing up. She was family. Her loss is raw and sharp and hard to swallow.

“Thank you.” I say the words almost in a whisper.

I catch Aiden’s sad smile in the mirror. “We should have stood up to him years ago.”

I nod in agreement and pull Gen closer. “You don’t know who they were?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

I gaze down at the beautiful woman in my lap. “Gen,” I start.

She looks up at me, her eyes rimmed red and shiny. We’re both so worn and frayed, our nerves raw and our bodies aching. But we’re alive and we’re together. And we wouldn’t have that without Meredith.

“Liam,” she replies, her voice hoarse, as if she’d been screaming. Her gaze locks onto mine and I see it all—the pain, the fear, the loss. But there’s something else there too, a spark of something raw and determined. It’s her strength, her unyielding spirit, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Without another word, I pull her closer, wrapping her in my arms. She buries her face in my neck, her fingers curling into the hair at the back of my head. I press my lips to the top of her head, whispering a vow of comfort into her hair. “One day at a time, Gen.”

She lets out a shaky sigh against my neck, her body trembling. I hold her tighter, and then the sobs start. Her body shakes as the pain flows out of her. I keep holding her. I keep whispering she’s safe. That I love her. That I’m here.