“Anyone want to tell us what the hell that was?” I whisper harshly as Brook settles into sleep.
Sighing, Moss rubs her forehead. “Accelerated Detox.”
“What?” Lev lifts his head from the bed beside Brook’s bed. We’d managed to get her from the car to a bed in Moss’s guestroom.
“The Fellowship drugs their followers. It makes them more pliable and inhibits their ability to shift. It’s enough to let the best,” She uses quotes. “Of the Omegas powers leak through while blocking the rest.”
“What the fuck?” I snarl.
“If they didn’t, they could never get away with the pairings, which is really selling these poor girls off to the highest bidders. The marriages aren’t sanctioned by the Lunar Goddess. I’m pretty sure they know nothing about her.” Moss’s jaw ticks, and her dark eyes are filled with anger. Rage twists her face into something kin to an avenging warrior.
“They make us small, so they can control us. From the moment we present, we’re groomed to obey. They tell us we have to procreate and serve our families. That’s where our worth lies.”
“That’s disgusting,” I whisper, horrified.
“And we eat it up. You don’t question the elders because they have a direct line to the Lunar Goddess. They use her to keep us in line.” Her fists ball at her sides.
“How are they getting away with this?” Lev asks.
“Isolation, brain-washing, and quickly kicking out any rabble-rousers. When I started to question, they tried to force me back into line with shunning, hard labor and attempted reprogramming. They tried to drill the rules into my head, guilt me with subtle threats to my family.” She looks at the window, seeing something we can’t. “When none of that worked, I was tossed out like trash in the middle of snow storm with nothing more than a bag of clothing, enough money to last a month, and a warning not to come back.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you Moss. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt.”
“Don t shrink me, Orion. I don’t need it. I made my peace and rebuilt a life worth living. She needs you.” She jerks her chin toward Brook.
“My sister is a people pleaser. She thrived on rules and history. For her to leave was huge. But she would’ve shriveled up and died with the man they wanted her to marry. Clay Richmond is a selfish bastard who had three wives before her. They’ve all died tragically. We couldn’t let that happen to her.”
“We.” I tense, thinking of some other wolf pining over the woman I’d come to feel protective over.
“My brother, Canyon. He knew the truth. The males of substantial standing always do.” Moss shakes her head.
“Barbaric,” Lev sneers.
“What can we do for her?” I ask.
Moss shakes her head. “She’s my sister. This is my job.”
“And yet she seizes every time we leave her for too long,” Lev replies dryly.
Moss scowls. “I don’t know why that’s happening.” She moves to the bed, bends down, and kisses Brook’s forehead. “But we’ll get it fixed.
Lev’s hackles bristle. He sits up straight and stares Moss down. She shrinks under the intensity of his gaze. The musky lemon and salt scent of his hormones blooms heavily.Is he marking his territory?Moss huffs.
“I’m her sister. I’ll protect her.” Moss holds her ground, refusing to back down. The rumble in Lev’s chest speaks volumes.
Knock. Knock.
I clear my throat. “That should be the healer now. I’m sure she’ll clear everything up.”
“You should get that.” Lev barks. The Alpha command in his voice prompts Moss to move away from the bed and out of the room.
Leaning over the bed, I study his dilating gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
He rolls his neck, and I watch the muscles in his body twitch as the wolf rolls under the surface.
“Why is your wolf so close right now?”
“Why isn’t yours?” Lev snaps. Moving in, he nuzzles Brook’s neck, inhaling deeply. “It’s changing.”