“…think they’re already on the move,” one of the men says.
“And the Moon Casters?” the other asks.
“TheyareMoon Casters,” the first voice says.
“They’re hybrids, Victor. Don’t get that confused in your mind.”
Oh. Okay, this is interesting. Victor is the name of Em’s old alpha mate. And if he’s talking about hybrids, I’m sure he can only be talking about her and Milo.And if they know about Milo, that means they’ve seen Emlyn and Milo together. They’ve been watching them.They’re tracking them.
This situation just became a whole lot more relevant to my life.
“Hybrids and Moon Casters are the same,” Victor says.
“No,” the other voice barks. “They aren’t the same. And you’re underestimating the hybrids if you let yourself believe that they are. Remember, they’re shifters too. They have wolves, just like you do. And they can also do magic. A hybrid is stronger than a wolfora Moon Caster.”
“They’re freaks of nature, Bruce,” Victor says.
Bruce.That was the name of Emlyn’s alpha.
I wonder what would happen if I jumped out of these bushes right now and tried to take on both of them. I wonder if I could do it.
I probably couldn’t. Two against one. I’d have the element of surprise, but all it would take would be one good blow from one of them and I’d be dog meat.
“Yes,” Bruce agrees. “Freaks is exactly what they are. Butstrongfreaks.”
“I want her dead, Bruce. I want to rip her throat out with my teeth. When I think about the fact that she almost suckered me into mating with her…” He trails off, then adds, “I could have given her a child. Can you imagine? I could have conceived a child with that bitch.”
“I’m aware of that,” Bruce says. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance to kill her. We’re on their trail now. And they used up a lot of energy running away from those other Moon Casters. Do you have any information about those Moon Casters? Do you know where they went?”
“No,” Victor says. “They might as well have just disappeared, for all I can keep track of them. If I’d gotten my hands on them, I would have killed them too, you’d better believe.”
“Focus, Victor,” Bruce chides him. “Do you want Emlyn or not?”
“You fucking know that I do.”
“Then let’s get after her. Don’t worry about anything else until she’s been caught and dispensed of.”
Caught and dispensed of.
I feel ice in my veins.
They’re going to kill her.
They were always going to kill her, of course. But now they’re on her trail. They’re right behind her. And this time won’t be like the last time, when they took her prisoner and went to get the man who was going to do the deed. This time, Victor is a part of the hunting party. He’ll kill her as soon as he sees her.
Unless I can get to her first.
Unless I can warn them.
I roll to my feet on the opposite side of the bush from where Bruce and Victor are standing. Crouched down, my head low, I shift to wolf form and begin to run.
Chapter 49
EMLYN
“Okay,nowprojectitout. Away from your body. As far as you can.”
I grit my teeth and try. But it’s hard. When we practiced healing spells, I found it easy to access the moon’s energy. It felt like opening my hand and letting water spill through my fingers. Now it’s like trying to drink from an almost empty cup. I’m getting nothing.