Page 97 of Luna Trials

I knew there were cameras everywhere!“Cameras are good. That means there are witnesses.”

“Witnesses?” He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to speak with you in private.”

“Considering you want me off the show, I’m not sure I can trust any of your intentions.” I was really proud of how badass I sounded even as my heart beat faster at the mention of doing anything inprivatewith this beast of a shifter.

“That’s what I want to speak with you about.” Ranger’s smile was dangerous. It did something to me a smile shouldn’t do.

Like make me open the door wider.

In my defense, Opal should be here any minute so it’s not like I would do something stupid any time soon.

“You have five seconds to explain why you want me off the show,” I said it as if I was the one in control here and not slowly stepping backwards like prey as he closed the door, locking us alone in the hotel room.

His wolf flashed in his eyes as he inhaled my scent and I froze.Never run from predators. It incites their prey drive.

“I don’t want you here.” The way he was looking at me now did not at all vibe with his words.

I resisted the urge to point that out. My head was still reeling at his proximity and the scent of pine and sawdust filling my space. “I heard.”

“How much do you need?”

All of it.

I blinked. “Need of what?”

“Money,” he said. “How much will it take to get you out of here?”

He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice over my head.

“You don’t have enough.” I crossed my arms, needing a barrier between us, as my heart squeezed painfully in my chest.

“No?” His eyebrow arched.

Freaking Alphas. “That isn’t a challenge,” I growled. “Why do you care so much that I’m here?”

“Because I can’t focus on what I need to do while you’re here.” He stepped closer to me.

I took a step back. We could do this dance all day. If only my body behaved and stopped aching to be closer to him. “That sounds like a you problem.”

Don’t antagonize the Alpha, Aspen.

My wolf covered her eyes with her paws and groaned. Ranger seemed to swell larger as he crowded me. My back hit the wall. I was trapped.

His eyes dropped to my lips. “That smart mouth is going to get you in trouble one day.”

“So they keep telling me,” I whispered.

Ranger leaned closer, closing the distance between us, and my hands fell to my sides.

“Why are you really here?” He captured a tendril of hair that escaped from my messy bun.

My breath caught in my chest. “Why do you care?”

His fingers rolled the strands between them and he studied my hair like looking at a fallen feather. “Because if I have to stand here for one more minute watching those other Alpha wannabes look at you, then I’m going to burn this place to the ground.”

That was a red flag.

Right?