Mona leans toward me, her hand on my chest. “I can go. It’s my necklace. I can just try to get it.”
I grip her shoulders until her face clenches in pain. I soften my hold. “You’re not going, Mona. You are not going back to Mandala or the Eaters. I will take care of this.”
She stares at me, her eyes wide. “Promise me, promise me you won’t try and go it alone.”
She nods her head, but I give her a little shake. “Tell me. Say the words, Mona.”
“Okay, okay. I promise,” she says before she leans into me and lays her head against my chest. I hold her to me. Just the thought of her going to Eater territory fills me with fury. If something happened to her, I couldn’t live with myself.
No matter how I look at it, the fact of the matter is that I can’t go in alone. It won’t be enough to get the necklace.
Maybe I can go to New Law and plead with some of them, find out if any of them will come with me and stand against the Eaters. I’ve done it plenty of times for them. I’ve fought each battle like it was my very own. Maybe they will do the same for me.
I wrap my hands around her shoulders, kneading at the knots I find there. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Mona.”
She nods, but she doesn’t say anything. I lean in and kiss her. “I won’t. You can trust me.”
She shakes her head. “I know. I think I’m just tense because of everything. I haven’t shifted in a while and my wolf is dying to get out. She’s going stir crazy.”
I understand that completely. I’ve felt that many times and have even gotten to the point where I can’t control my bear, and he comes out on his own, breaking from my skin like I’m changing clothes. I pull her into my lap, brush the hair off her neck, and whisper against her skin, “Once this is over, it will be safe for you to shift. If you tried it now, they would find you in a minute. Even though it’s New Law territory, the Eaters could still find you.”
She nods her head, but I see the turmoil in her face. It’s unspoken, but she knows also if she shifts now, the New Law would be here too, ready to get rid of her by any means necessary.
She sighs deeply and I pull back from her so I can see her face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
She won’t look me in the eye. “I don’t know. I mean, I just found you. And well…”
She stops suddenly but I know where she’s going with it. “And nothing. No one is going to take you from me, Mona. Not Mandala, not New Law, not my father. No one,” I tell her with conviction.
Chapter 11
Mona
It’s only been two days, but I know that I can’t live with myself if anything were to happen to Klaus. Especially if it was because of me. I’ve been thinking long and hard about it and even though I want the necklace back, it’s not worth it. Not now.
We’ve holed up in this cabin and I still can’t believe Klaus’ brother and father have not come to get me. I’m freaking out a little bit, but not Klaus. He’s acting like we’re on some kind of vacation. He spends most the day either working out, reading, or making love to me. Not that I’m complaining.
I walk out the back of his cabin and he’s chopping wood. I stand, leaning over the porch railing watching him. His muscles ripple as he lifts the ax up over his head and brings it down on the wood. Even from here, I can see the sweat dripping down his neck and back. The leaves on the trees start swaying and the wind brings his scent to me. I inhale deeply, taking him in, committing it to memory.
I should wait until he’s done, but my feet carry me over to him, not wanting to put this off any longer. He stops and when he sees the look on my face, he runs toward me, dropping the ax at his feet. He’s looking behind me, all around us. “What is it, Mona?”
Shaking my head, I realize I probably scared him. The way I ran out here, he probably thought something was going on. “Nothing, but I’ve been thinking about it and I’ve changed my mind.”
His hands tighten on my shoulders. “Changed your mind about what?”
I reach for him, even though he’s dripping sweat and he’s dirty. “I don’t want you to go after the necklace.”
He starts to argue with me, but I press both my hands against his chest. “It’s not worth your life or the hardship it will cost you. You’ve loved me… I mean cared for me like no one else has beginning from the time you stood up for me against Mandala and then Teddy.”