Marked by the Moon (Nightcreature 9)

“I’m done listening to you. She deserves to die for what she did to Alana.”

“Alana was never happy as a wolf.”

“She would have been!” Cade shouted. “If she’d been with me.”

“You were a werewolf, too, Cade,” Julian said softly. “And in the end, she hated it.”

“She would have grown to love it.”

“That’s what I thought, what I hoped. But the longer she was one of us—” Julian paused, then admitted the truth. “She was never one of us.”

Alana had never embraced being a werewolf, and once she’d learned the truth that had been denied her—

“Alana wanted to die. If it hadn’t been Alex, it would have been someone else.”

“You lie!” Cade roared, and the knife nicked her skin.

Zzzt!

The tiny flame sounded like a bug zapper, but Alex’s body jerked as if she’d been jolted by a cattle prod. Silver near a major artery appeared to be a very bad idea.

“Alana’s gone,” Julian said. “We can’t bring her back. Hurting Alex won’t change that.”

“No,” Cade agreed. “But it’ll make me feel better. And you’ll feel better, too, once she’s dead. She won’t be your mate anymore. You’ll be free.”

Julian’s eyes met Alex’s. Surprisingly, he didn’t want to be free if it meant no more her.

“He doesn’t care about you,” she said. “He wants me dead so you’ll be too sick to fight when he challenges you.”

Cade’s lips twitched. “I guess that cat’s out of the bag.” He tapped the tip against Alex’s neck again, and again flames spurted as she jerked.

“Stop!” Julian shouted despite himself.

Cade ignored him. “Did you know that she’s a spy?”

“Right.” Julian’s gaze was on Alex’s face, concerned at the paleness of it. Which was the only reason he saw the shift in her eyes. He glanced at Cade, who smirked.

“Edward told her that the werewolf who killed her father was here.”

“Is that true?” Julian asked.

Alex straightened her shoulders, the movement giving the impression of lifting her chin, even though she couldn’t without risking another painful zap from the knife. “Yes.”

“I could have told you that there was no murderer in my village.”

“Except for him?” She switched her gaze from Julian to Cade.

“She’s got you there, bro.”

Julian ignored Cade, his eyes on Alex. “Why didn’t you tell me about Edward?”

“I think she made an agreement, Julian. I think she’s supposed to give him you.”

He had to give her credit: She held his gaze, she didn’t look away. “Is that true?” he repeated.

“No.” She swallowed, the movement of her throat bringing her skin treacherously close to the knife. He barely had time for relief at her words befor

e she continued, “I’m supposed to give him the whole damn village.”