Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne Page A

business.”
    “No. I know. I mean, I think it’s great. I want him to move on. I just didn’t think it would happen so fast.”
    “Yeah, well, it’s a mixed review.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Rafe came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. They fit together like perfect pieces for an “Over the Moon” puzzle. Did they have to constantly touch? Could they even begin to understand that as happy as I was for them, it still hurt to see them having what I didn’t?
    I glared at Rafe, hoping to at least get him to back off a few feet. I wasn’t going to discuss Connor with Lindsey while he hovered. Hell, I hadn’t even made up my mind if I was going to tell her anything.
    She lifted a shoulder. “You can go ahead and talk in front of him. He can read my mind.”
    “Only when he’s in wolf form.”
    “No, actually, pretty much anytime,” Rafe said.
    I stared at Lindsey. “Anytime…anything?”
    “Yeah, but he’s bound by my oaths to keep secrets.”
    Great. Absolutely great. Eventually everyone would know.
    “So what happened with Connor?” Lindsey prodded.
    I made a shooing motion. “I don’t care if he can readyour mind. I can’t talk with him looking at me.”
    I’d expected Lindsey to stay stubborn, so I could be equally stubborn and walk away. Instead she twisted around, reached up, and kissed Rafe on the cheek. “I’ll find you.”
    No doubt with that amazing nose she now possessed. Without a word, Rafe spun on his heel and strode away. Lindsey faced me and waited, while I tried to determine how much to tell her.
    “Come on,” she finally said and took my hand, leading me over to the massive stone steps that led up to the door. Snarling stone wolves sat on pedestals on either side of them. I didn’t know why all the wolves around here had to be snarling. I guessed they were symbolic, indicating we wouldn’t take crap from anyone.
    Lindsey and I dropped down to the steps. They were hard beneath my butt, which was a good thing because it ensured we wouldn’t get comfy and talk too long.
    “So…he kissed you?” she asked hesitantly.
    “It was”—I sighed deeply with the memory—“amazing while it lasted. Then Connor ran off. He thinks I’ve been teasing him. Why did you tell him I had the hots for him?”
    She appeared embarrassed. “Maybe I was trying to make up for what happened during the full moon. It was awful, Brit. I didn’t want to hurt him like that, and Ithought if he knew someone else liked him that he might feel better.”
    I debated how much to reveal. I didn’t want to hurt her either, but—
    “He told me that he didn’t love you.”
    With her hands pressed between her knees, she leaned forward. “Yeah, he told me the same thing. I thought maybe he was just saying it. You know how much pride these guys have.” She looked back over her shoulder at me. “You think he meant it?”
    I did, but whatever the relationship between them was then and now was between them. “I don’t know.” I tapped her arm with my knuckles. “Hey, thanks for not outing me during the meeting this morning.”
    “I promised to keep your secret, but sooner or later…it can put us in danger.”
    Talk about trying to be politically correct. I knew she’d wanted to say I— me —would put us in danger. I also knew that I was putting the others at risk. Was I being totally selfish?
    “My mom comes back tomorrow. Maybe you’re right. Maybe my birth certificate is wrong. Could be a year off or something. I’ll talk to her.”
    “They won’t kick you out of the pack if you’re…different,” she assured me.
    “But I can’t be a Dark Guardian.”
    “It limits you if you can’t shift,” she admitted.
    “Yeah, I know. I can’t smell who’s been making out with whom.”
    She playfully nudged her shoulder against mine, as though she understood that I was struggling to make light of this dire situation. “It’s more than