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.

water?” I

“I’ve been giving

”

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

was tied against a wooden post with a metal ring fixed on it. I tried to wrap my fingers around the ring. If

a familiar voice echoed through

coming toward me through the dark. A wave of shock ran through me

***

Theo

over

both volatile as it was. For this asshole to show

shifting into this wolf before me.

as he advanced on Lennix. He was smaller and leaner than us.

he wouldn’t get the chance.

brown wolf appeared between us, stopping

echoed in my head. ‘We’re

back to reality. However much I hated Kingston, he didn’t have Ayla. Kieran growled one more time before relinquishing control, allowing me to shift back.

the fuck is he doing here?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

to help,” Pierce said firmly. “You need all

handed me a

on, bro,” he said. “Now’s not the time.”

and went back to the

prints,” Mina told me. “On the card or the syringe. But I think I know what he’s using to mask his scent.” She pulled a labeled spray bottle out. “We use this when

get it?” I

being commercially available, but it may not be too hard. He’s not using this specifically.

large enough concentrations, but the user

does this help us?” Kingston inquired.

“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

directed the last statement at