Page 32 of Until The Moon Ends

Byna and Byriel stood at the end of the bar. The female laughed and slammed down an impressive number of shots. She joked loudly with a few nearby drunks, making a spectacle of herself. Byriel looked solemn, staring off into the distance. My blood boiled, and my breath quickened. I desperately wanted to rush across the room and crack both their heads open onto the bar.

A feather-light touch rested on my forearm, and I glanced down to see Tzidal looking at me with determined, quiet eyes.

"Not yet," she said. "Soon."

I nodded and pulled Lex over to make sure he knew exactly who his target was. Then I grabbed Tzidal's hand and ushered her up the stairs toward the room. It was a decent size space with a large bed, washbasin, wardrobe, and a few lanterns giving off a soft glow. But most importantly, it was at the far end of the lodge, meaning we weren't very likely to be bothered, no matter how much noise we made.

"Will you shift now or wait?" Tzidal asked. She seemed calm. Very calm.

"No shifting here," I said, pointing to a bundle of wolfsbane that hung above the door. "They don't exactly mind a rowdy crowd, but an old-fashioned fistfight causes a lot less damage than a couple of werewolves going at it."

"Would it be better to try to get them outside?" she asked, opening the wardrobe and looking it over.

"They'll be more guarded out there. This is better." She grabbed a few blankets stacked at the bottom of the wardrobe and tucked them under the bed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making room so we can hide in here."

"I'm not hiding," I scoffed.

"Yeah? And what happens if Lex gets Byriel up here and he sees you before they even reach the doorway, and he decides to run? Then what?" she asked with a hand on her hip. "Are you going to chase him through the city? Hope he doesn't disappear? Warn his friends?" She paused, looking as if she was ready for a fight. "This way, you can make sure he's in the room and cornered before you make your move."

"Fair point," I nodded. "It's smart. But why are we both hiding in there? I don't think you should be here when —"

"Then where should I be?" she snapped. "Out in the streets making new friends? Or how about down in the parlor with that drunk Beta? Maybe he'll buy me another drink," she said with an annoyed lift to her voice.

"I got it," I huffed. "Just...stay in there, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

She nodded.

The sound of voices drifted from just down the hallway. Tzidal startled, and I guided her into the wardrobe, tucking myself in with her before shutting the doors.

It was a tight fit. I had to lean down a bit, pushing my face into her hair. She squirmed for a moment, then placed her hands on my forearms, steadying herself. A small amount of light from the crack in the doors illuminated her profile perfectly. Her breath was even, and she looked almost serene. I could feel her quickening heartbeat from our proximity, but her presence was still so comforting.

Her sweet, floral scent lingered around me, and I inhaled deeply, letting it fill my lungs. It made my blood crackle and skin hum.

Tzidal slowly brought her gaze up my body to my eyes. I was staring, but I couldn't stop myself. She was so damn close with those bright eyes filled with so much fire. She licked her soft lips, and my wolf growled. Her pink mouth was just waiting for me to claim it, nip it, make soft moans fall from it.

I leaned down, just wanting to inhale her sweet breath when a loud bang reverberated throughout the room. I angled my head to peer through the crack in the door the best I could.

The bedroom door swung hard, slamming against the wall as two figures stumbled in. I recognized the pattern and color of the robes on one of the creatures. It was Lex, but he was wearing a different face. And a different body. Cleavage, and lots of it, flashed briefly in my eye line before disappearing with the other figure as they both fell hard onto the bed.

My heart hammered in my chest, and I closed my eyes, preparing myself. I wanted this to be over so fucking bad, but I also wanted to savor it. I wanted to inflict the same pain they had forced so many others to endure.

Small hands cupped my face, and I opened my eyes to see Tzidal looking at me hard. Her posture was tense and resolute. She simply nodded.

It was all I needed.

The Corner Room

Tzidal

I released Joon's face.He gave me a small smile then slammed his body into the wardrobe doors, busting one of them clean off its hinges.

A beautiful, golden-haired elvish woman with pointed features straddled a female Alpha on the bed. She screamed and grabbed the front of her robes, Lex's robes, then flung herself across the room. My eyes moved over Lex's elvish face, and she jerked to reach for me. But Joon's body flew through the air, hitting the opposite wall, startling both of us.

He jumped up and launched himself back at Byna.

Lex hesitated, her eyes darting between me and the two Alphas ripping into each other on the bed. A crack of a growl cut through the room, and I hunkered down in the closet, trying to make myself as small as possible.