The Luna’s Choice by Kat Silver

Chapter 124: Ayla

My wrists and shoulders stung. My head was pounding as I tried to open my eyes. Someone had stripped me down to my undergarments. I could feel my thighs touching cold stone and something hard against my back. The smell of wolfsbane burned my nostrils, but it was almost better than the fowl smell filling the rest of the room.

I finally pried my eyes open, lifting my head as my vision focused.

I was in a dimly lit large room with a high ceiling. It was too dark to see how high it went, but there was enough light to see the body that hung from it. I gasped at the gruesome scene. Bile rose in my throat as I recognized the tattoo on the forearm.

It was Conner Elkins. What was left of him.

“Ayla,” a terrified voice called.

I turned to see Kylee and Ma. They were locked up in a cage on the other side of the room.

“Kylee. Ma,” I croaked, wincing as I moved.

I managed to look up. My arms were tied over my head by thick, tight ropes. From the smell and the sting, they must have been soaked in wolfsbane. It was seeping into my bloodstream through the raw open sores on my wrists.

“Kylee,” I said hoarsely, “how long have I been out?”

“Over two days,” she said, tears running down her face.

“Are you hurt? Ma doesn’t look too good,” I said, hearing her writhe in

the cage next to Kylee.

“I’m okay,” Kylee replied. “Ma’s struggling. We’ve been here for four or five days now.”

Shit.

“She’s going through withdrawal, Kylee,” I told her.

“I know,” she said softly. She had finally accepted Ma’s addiction.

have water?” I asked.

been giving her

”

trying to stay conscious. “Good,” I replied. “If she starts seizing, make sure to hold

fixed on it. I tried to wrap my fingers around

awake, my love,” a familiar voice echoed through the room,

coming toward me through the dark. A wave of shock ran through me when he came into

***

Theo

took over the shift.

volatile as it was. For

responded, shifting into this wolf before

baring his teeth as he advanced on Lennix. He was smaller and leaner than us. Kieran almost relished how easy it would

he wouldn’t get the chance.

brown wolf appeared between us, stopping our

echoed in my head. ‘We’re wasting

didn’t have Ayla. Kieran

the fuck is he doing here?” I demanded through

said firmly. “You need all the help you can get.”

me a pair of shorts.

said.

the shorts on and went back

what he’s using to mask his scent.” She pulled a

he get it?” I asked.

know of it being commercially available, but it may not be too hard. He’s not using this specifically. This stuff doesn’t eliminate

the area. It could eliminate a scent in large enough concentrations, but the user

this help us?” Kingston

with her and she pulled a couple out of their evidence bag. “Something about these bothered me. I studied handwriting analysis in school. Whoever wrote these was trying to disguise their handwriting in these last few messages. If you consider that, plus them eliminating their scent completely, this is someone Ayla knows. But I think it’s someone you

the last