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

she said. “I’ve been giving her

”

“Good,” I replied. “If she starts

for any weakness in the ropes. I was tied against a wooden post with a metal ring fixed on it. I tried to wrap my fingers around the ring. If I could work it out, I could get

glad you’re awake, my love,” a familiar voice

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

***

Theo

over the

him back. We were both volatile as it was. For this asshole to show

responded, shifting into this wolf before me.

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

wouldn’t get

wolf appeared between us, stopping our

this,‘ his voice echoed in

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

here?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

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

over and handed me a pair of

he said.

the shorts on and went back to the table.

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 we enter certain crime

get it?” I asked.

He’s not using this specifically. This stuff

large enough concentrations, but the user would risk major damage to their sense

this help

us why,” Mina replied. She had brought the rest of the stalker’s messages 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

directed the last statement at