Page 169 of Moon Claimed

The crowd couldn’t keep silent anymore. They shouted, voices filled with fury and disgust.

Not at Rhona.

At me.

The woman who would have sex with a werewolf.

What’s our status?I asked. Did escaping even matter anymore?

I’m trying.

I know. Don’t worry. The damage is done.

The crowd simmered down eventually. I inhaled their horror and disbelief, their nausea and hatred.

“The day my father died,” Rhona shouted, “something called the capture meet occurred between Andie and the leader of the Luthers. She knew about this in advance and toldno one. She knew that the Luther would attempt this meet in the grid, but she did not reach out for help or aid. She did not tell my father who came upon them during this meet. When Sascha Greyson immediately attacked, my father managed to draw his gun.Managedto fire shots into the beast. But it was too late. He’d arrived unprepared to fight because Andie never thought to tell any of us about the danger.”

Some in the crowd were crying.

Was Cameron down there?

Roderick?

Pascal and Stanley?

Eleanor and Heather?

I’d never felt smaller in my life. I just wanted to stay up here in the cherry picker and crawl away when darkness fell.

“Even then, I tried to convince myself it was all a mistake.” Her voice broke. “But excuses for her ran dry as I thought back through it all. I finally realised the person she was. The Luther might have snapped my father’s neck, but Andie killed him well and truly. Her own father. You’ve seen her attempts to shut me up since. You’ve seen the way she’s belittled and shoved me aside. But there’s one thing I will never give up fighting for—and that’s the wellbeing of this tribe. Andie Booker is no Thana. She is no sister of mine. Tonight, knowing all, I implore the Ni Tiaki to follow a new leader—their rightful leader. I ask you to follow me, and not this…”

The cherry picker began to descend, and I squeezed my eyes tight.

You can leave with your dignity, Andie Thana, my wolf hushed.Show them what a real queen looks like.

Billy and Valerie climbed into the tray and dragged me upright.

Whoa.

I stumbled into Billy, head thumping against his chest. He righted me, and Valerie jerked me back. The world spun, and I thumped against the railing and crumpled to the ground again.

“What have you done to her?” someone yelled.

I was dragged up again and, this time, held upright.

Ugh,gross.

Cameron shoved through to the front. “What did you give her? And why the hell is she tied up like that? Jesus, Rhona, you can disagree with someone without treating them like this.”

“Cameron.” I licked my lips.

She cut off, looking up at me.

“It’s okay. Thank you, but I’m okay.”

She scanned my face in a way that made me realise I must look pretty fucking rough. I inhaled, finding my feet.

“Cam,” I told her, though others were bound to hear. “This one is on me. Stand down.”