His Moonsilver Mate (Abby and Kade) novel Chapter 25

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Chapter 25

Adby

I had been in the packhouse for less than six hours.

I already wanted to leave.

My room was beautiful.

That somehow made it worse.

It was larger than mine at home, with tall windows overlooking the eastern woods, a private bathroom, and a bed that belonged in a hotel rather than somewhere anyone actually slept.

Fresh flowers sat on the dresser.

My clothes filled half the closet.

My books were stacked beside the bed.

Even the framed photograph of Mom, Dad, Liam, and me had been brought over.

Liam had apparently decided that if I was going to be miserable here, I should at least be miserable surrounded by my own things.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the closed door.

I hadn’t wanted to come.

Yesterday, Kade had asked me to consider it.

This morning, they had asked again.

Only this time they had come armed with new reports about missing girls, the escaped rogue, and evidence that someone inside Moonhaven might be helping people move through our territory.

I had argued for almost an hour.

In the end, I had agreed.

Reluctantly.

Very reluctantly.

That didn’t mean I had to like it.

Two warriors had escorted Liam and me here. There were guards at every entrance, patrols around the grounds, and warriors everywhere I looked.

Safe.

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< Chapter 25

Instead, the packhouse felt smaller than it ever had when I was a child.

Diana shifted inside-me

We could run.

I almost laughed.

We’re not supposed to shift where anyone can see you.

Her irritation brushed against mine.

Yesterday she had been racing through the woods with Knox.

Today she was a secret.

I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“What am I supposed to do here?”

Sleep.

“I’ve slept enough.”

Eat.

“Anything else?”

A pause.

Annoy Liam.

That pulled a smile out of me.

A knock sounded.

I sat up.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Cassandra stepped inside.

“Good. You’re awake.”

“Aunt Cassie.”

Carefully.

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Everyone hugged me carefully now.

I wrapped my arms around her anyway.

“I wanted to see you at the clinic,” she said as she pulled back. “Daphne practically threatened to sedate me.”

I smiled. “She likes doing that.”

“She has entirely too much power.”

Cassandra looked me over, and the humor faded from her face.

“I was so worried about you.”

The words were simple.

That made them worse.

“You scared ten years off my life.”

“Sorry.”

Her expression changed immediately.

“Don’t apologize.”

I looked down.

Cassandra touched my cheek.

“You’re here. That’s all I care about.”

Then, apparently deciding that was enough emotion for one conversation, she turned to inspect the room.

“We didn’t have much time.”

I blinked. “For what?”

“To prepare.”

I looked around.

“For me?”

“Obviously.”

“It looks prepared.”

“It looks like a guest room with your belongings dropped into it.”

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I glanced at the flowers.

“That seems harsh.”

“The flowers are mine.”

“They’re nice.”

“I know.”

I laughed.

Cassandra sat beside me.

“If you want anything changed, tell me.”

“Aunt Cassie-”

“I mean it. Curtains. Bedding. Furniture. Paint.”

“Paint?”

“You’re living here.”

“Temporarily.”

Something flickered across her face.

“Temporarily, then. I still refuse to make you stare at ugly walls.”

“They’re beige.”

“Exactly.”

I looked around again.

For the first time since arriving, the room felt slightly less foreign.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I’m happy you’re here.”

She meant it.

“You and Liam should have moved into the packhouse years ago.”

“Liam likes having his own house.”

“Liam likes pretending nobody can tell him what to do.”

“That too.”

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And like having you closer.”

Her expression softened.

“This place has felt too empty for too long.”

I knew who she meant.

Marcus.

Maybe Mom and Dad too.

We had all lost people in the same attack.

“You used to practically live here when you were little,” she said.

“I remember.”

“You and Liam destroyed three sofas.”

“That was Liam.”

“One sofa was Liam.”

I smiled. “The other two remain under investigation.”

A knock sounded somewhere farther down the corridor.

Cassandra stood.

“Dinner in an hour.”

“I might not be hungry.”

She gave me a look.

“Daphne gave me instructions.”

Of course she did.

“What did she say?”

“Proper meals. Rest. Water. No clinic.”

I groaned.

“She told you?”

“She told everyone who might be weak enough to listen when you start negotiating.”

“I’m surrounded by traitors.”

‘Yes.’

She reached the door, then looked back.

“Come downstairs, sweetheart. Even if you only stay for a little while.”

I hesitated.

“Okay.”

Her smile brightened.

“Good.”

She left.

The door closed.

I looked toward the windows.

I couldn’t see the guards from here.

I knew they were there.

That was enough.

***

Dinner was worse than I expected.

Not because anyone did anything wrong.

That was almost the problem.

Everyone was trying too hard to behave normally.

Cassandra spotted me the moment I entered the dining room.

“Abby.”

Every head turned.

I immediately regretted coming.

Kade sat near the head of the table.

Liam was on one side of him.

Tiernan and Cole sat farther down.

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And Stoane was there.

I stopped.

The swelling around her lip had gone down, but a thin cut remained near her temple. Fading bruises marked one

side of her face.

She looked tired.

Quieter.

Nothing like the perfectly composed Sloane who had sat beside Kade the night Tiernan arrived.

Her eyes met mine briefly.

Then moved away.

“Come sit,” Cassandra said.

She guided me toward the table.

Only when she pulled out a chair did I realize where she had put me.

Kade on my right.

Liam on my left.

Subtle.

Very subtle.

Sloane sat on Kade’s other side.

I sat.

Kade looked at me.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

His eyes stayed on me for another second before he let it go.

Dinner began.

Or everyone pretended it did.

Cassandra asked Tiernan about Ravenwood.

Cole complimented the food.

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Ham complained that Ryan had changed one of tumorrow’s patrol rotations without consulting him.

Kade told him Ryan had consulted the Alpha instead.

Liam called that worse.

I moved food around my plate.

Across Kade, Cassandra asked Sloane how her ribs felt.

“Better.”

“You should still be resting.”

“I’ve done nothing but rest.”

“Then you’re finally following medical advice.”

Sloane gave her a faint smile.

Something uncomfortable settled inside me.

Everyone was worried about her.

Of course they were.

She had been attacked.

And as far as most people at this table knew, she was still Kade’s intended Luna.

Except she wasn’t.

Kade had ended it.

I knew that.

Liam knew that.

Sloane knew that.

Apparently nobody else did.

Tiernan took a drink of water.

“We’ll leave after breakfast tomorrow.”

Cassandra frowned. “That soon?”

“I’ve already stayed longer than planned.”

“Ravenwood needs us back,” Cole said.

“And we have enough to start contacting the other packs,” Tiernan added.

Kade’s attention sharpened.

“Send me anything you get. Especially anything involving missing wolves.”

Sloane looked up.

Only for a second.

Then returned to her food.

I noticed.

My hands had started trembling beneath the table.

Too many people.

Too much information.

Missing girls.

The Rogue King.

Guards outside.

Sloane beside Kade.

Kade telling me he loved me.

The faint open bond between us.

My breathing changed.

Diana stirred.

Abby.

I’m fine.

A warm hand covered mine beneath the table.

I froze.

Kade.

His fingers closed gently around my shaking hand.

Warmth moved up my arm.

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The upen edge of the bond stirred with him.

Knox.

Steady.

Close.

Kade lowered his voice.

“Look at me.”

I did.

His expression hadn’t changed enough for anyone else to notice.

“Breathe.”

Lhated that it helped.

His thumb moved once over the back of my hand.

My heartbeat slowed.

Not completely.

Enough.

Then I looked past him.

Sloane was staring at us.

Her face had gone completely still.

I pulled my hand away.

Kade let me.

Immediately.

“Abby?”

Cassandra’s voice made me look up.

Now everyone was watching.

Wonderful.

“I’m okay.”

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Liam frowned.

Cassandra looked at my plate.

“You’ve barely eater.”

“I’ll eat.”

“If being around everyone is too much, I can have something sent upstairs.”

“Really, I’m-”

A chair scraped against the floor.

Sloane stood.

“Excuse me.”

Cassandra looked at her.

“Are you all right?”

“Just tired.”

Her eyes never came near mine.

“I think I’ll lie down.”

She left before anyone could answer.

A few seconds later, Kade stood.

“I’ll be back.”

He followed her.

Something inside me dropped.

I stared at the doorway.

Of course.

Diana shifted uneasily.

Abby-

Don’t.

I picked up my fork.

My hand was trembling again.

1:47 pm

Dinner ended without Kade coming back.

I told myself I didn’t care.

By the time I reached the second floor, I was furious that I cared so much.

Apparently Kade loved me enough to hold my hand under the table and tell me I was safe.

Then Sloane walked out upset, and he followed her.

Brilliant.

I reached my door.

“Abby.”

Lstopped.

Kade stood farther down the corridor.

My pulse jumped.

He walked toward me.

“Are you feeling better?”

That irritated me more.

“Where’s Sloane?”

He stopped.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“She went to her room.”

“And you followed her.”

“Yes.”

At least he didn’t lie.

I folded my arms.

“You told me you loved me.”

2444

“I do.”

“Then why are you following Sloane around the second she gets upset?”

His brows drew together.

“I wasn’t comforting her.”

“You left dinner to follow her.”

“Yes.”

“That is generally how following works.”

His mouth almost moved.

I glared at him.

“Don’t.”

He didn’t smile.

“Come with me.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere half the pack can’t hear us.”

“I can talk right here.”

“I can’t.”

That stopped me.

Kade glanced down the corridor.

Then back at me.

“Please.”

I hesitated before following him to a small sitting room at the end of the Alpha wing.

I remembered it from years ago.

A couch.

Two chairs.

A fireplace.

Kade closed the door.

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Hooked at it.

He noticed and immediately opened it again, leaving it several inches ajar.

Some of my anger disappeared

Only some.

“Why did you follow her?”

“To talk.”

“About what?”

“I can’t tell you everything.”

I laughed.

“Of course.”

“Abby.”

“You tell me you love me. Everyone downstairs still thinks Sloane is your future Luna. She sits beside you, leaves upset, and you follow her. Now you can’t tell me why.”

“She isn’t my future Luna.”

“Does anyone besides me know that?”

“Liam.”

“Wonderful.”

“And Sloane.”

I went still.

“She knows?”

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“The day we found you.”

That surprised me.

“You ended it then?”

“Yes.”

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Belure you reopened the bond?”

“Yes.”

The answer came without hesitation.

That mattered.

I didn’t want it to.

But it did.

“Then why are you pretending nothing changed?”

Kade was quiet for a moment.

“Because something is wrong inside Moonhaven.”

Llooked at him.

“What does that mean?”

“The man who took you got into our territory with help.”

My anger disappeared.

“He knew enough about our patrol routes to move without being caught. Someone got real Moonhaven patrol clothing to the runner who came to the clinic.”

My skin went cold.

“And the rogue who escaped?”

“We think someone helped him too.”

“Who?”

“We don’t know.”

That frightened me more than any answer could have.

Kade stepped closer.

“Until we understand what’s happening, I don’t want people knowing what has changed.”

“With Sloane.”

“With anything that might change how someone behaves around us.”

I thought about the dinner table.

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Everyone treating her normally.

Cassandra worrying about her injuries.

Kade following her when she left.

“You’re pretending she’s still your future una because you’re watching people.”

“Yes.”

“Do you trust her?”

Kade went still.

That was answer enough.

“Kade?”

“I don’t know.”

I stared at him.

Sloane had been part of his life for years.

She had helped him run Moonhaven.

He had trusted her enough to plan a future with her.

And now he couldn’t tell me he trusted her.

“What happened?”

“I can’t tell you that yet.”

“Because you don’t trust me?”

His gaze snapped to mine.

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Because if I’m wrong, I could ruin someone’s life based on suspicion. And if I’m right, the fewer people who know we’re looking, the better.”

I understood.

I hated it.

But I understood.

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Kade watched me for a moment.

“That’s why I need you to be careful.”

“Is that why you wanted me here so badly?”

“Partly.”

“And the rest?”

“The escaped rogue. The missing girls. Diana.”

I looked away.

“You said it was my decision.”

“It was.”

That made me look back at him.

“And?”

“And you agreed.”

“After you and Liam spent an hour explaining every possible way I could be kidnapped again.”

His expression almost softened.

“We were persuasive.”

“You were unbearable.”

“Also true.”

I folded my arms tighter.

“I still don’t like being here.”

“You don’t have to.”

That took some of the fight out of me.

He continued.

“I meant what I told you yesterday. I’m not going to make every decision for you because I’m afraid.”

“Good.”

“But I am going to tell you when I think you’re taking a risk.”

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“I would expect you to.”

“And argue.”

“I definitely expect that.”

That time, his mouth did move.

Barely.

I tried not to smile back.

Failed a little.

Then remembered I was supposed to be angry.

Kade noticed.

Of course he did.

His expression softened.

“I meant what I told you yesterday too.”

The humor disappeared.

“All of it.”

I swallowed.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“You aren’t.”

That wasn’t the answer I expected..

“I’ve given you reasons not to trust me.”

He moved a little closer.

Not enough to crowd me.

Enough that I could smell cedar.

“What can I do?”

I frowned.

“To prove I’m not lying.”

The question caught me off guard.

”

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duirt know.”

“Then I’ll keep trying until you do.”

My throat tightened.

Diana pressed closer inside me.

Knox answered faintly through the open bond.

Warmth curled low in my stomach.