Filed To Story: Chasing the Rejected Luna's Heart (Clara & Liam) Book PDF Free
Why did that thought turn me on? Damn, I really needed to get this new side of my nature under control.
My mind was racing, desperate to come up with any explanation for what I was hearing. It all felt like grasping at straws, the one even more absurd than the last, but it was better than the unknown. The impossible. It could’ve been cataracts, except that wouldn’t explain the glow, and my eyesight was better than it ever had been. I remembered that.”So what, I’m some kind of cyborg wolf now?” I asked, defaulting to my usual coping mechanism of sarcasm.”We’ll figure it out,” Marcus said.
I turned back to Cole. “So there’s no other kind of shifter that looks like me?”
He shook his head. “None I’ve ever seen, no. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but…””But what?” I pressed.
He and Marcus exchanged another look. They might not have been dating anymore, but they still had that annoying telepathic couple thing going on.”I know how this sounds,” Marcus said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I think it’s some variation of rune magic.”
I blinked at him slowly, realizing he wasn’t joking. “Rune magic? I don’t even know how that shit works, or where it comes from, let alone how to use it.””Usually, it comes from witches,” Marcus answered. “Mine did, anyway. But there are creatures who are born with magic organically. Fae, elves, that kind of thing.”
I frowned. “Those don’t even exist. Not anymore, at least.””Witches definitely exist,” Cole said with a snort. “I dated one. Breakups are nasty enough without hexing involved.”
Marcus rolled his eyes. “He’s right, though. They aren’t as noticeable as shifters and vampires, but they’re still around.”
I took a moment to let that sink into my new reality. What the hell else had my parents been keeping from me?
Besides the obvious.”So you think I’m a hybrid between a wolf and one of those?” I asked.”It’s possible,” said Cole. He paused, cocking his head like he was studying me thoughtfully. “I can actually see you being an elf. You are kind of impish.””One, I’m pretty sure that’s an insult and if so, fuck you,” I said, holding up a finger. “Two, Ireallydon’t think my mom had an affair with an elf. She was a small-town girl who barely ever left our pack.””That you know of,” said Cole.
I was about to argue when Marcus added, “He has a point. You really don’t know what your mom’s life was like before you were born. And it’s obvious she was keeping things from you.”
I couldn’t argue with that, even if I wanted to. My mood immediately soured. The thought of her having some entire secret life that she had kept me completely in the dark about when I had always thought we were best friends who shared everything… Yeah, that stung. In the wake of her death when I couldn’t even ask her, all the more so. “Hey,” Marcus said, wandering over to me. I reluctantly took his hand and let him pull me up onto my feet, but when he pulled me into his arms, awkwardness warred with the instinctive safety his embrace inspired. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
I hesitated to hug him back, but I knew he was going to take that as me blaming him for the whole darting thing. And yeah, I was pissed at first, but enough time had passed I believed he hadn’t hurt me intentionally.
Cole was looking away as I stepped back, shaking my head. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do. Whatever I am, there’s still a good chance I’m dangerous.”
Cole’s scoff drew my attention. “Your wolf form is weird, but it’s not exactly the Chupacabra,” he said pointedly. “I don’t think any of us are in any immediate danger.””He’s right,” said Marcus. He grimaced. “Never thought I’d say that again.”
Cole shot him a half-hearted glare. “Don’t make me kick you out of my kitchen.””About last night,” I said, looking over at him. “Thank you. I don’t remember much, but I know you saved my life.”
At first, he didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. Being on civil terms was foreign to both of us, apparently. Instead, he just shrugged. “Whatever. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve cleaned up one of Marcus’s messes.”
Marcus scowled, but he didn’t argue, so I could only assume that was true.
Cole’s expression shifted to the concern he had showed the night before, and when he took a step toward me, I froze. He reached out and put a hand to my forehead. At first, I thought he was about to make some dumb joke about me thanking him, but his concern didn’t waver. “You’re running a fever.””I feel fine,” I said. “All things considered, anyway.””You feel,” Cole said, nodding to Marcus.
The hunter reached out to check my forehead the way Marcus had, shrugging. “She always feels warm to me. Same with you.”
Cole’s brow furrowed. “She’s definitely not a normal temperature. If you feel fine, that probably means…”