Reborn Luna (Hope and Keith) novel Chapter 40

23.Proof–2

Most of the shops are boarded up and Yack any real indication of what they are. I suppose it makes sense, being that almost everything here is illegal.

I slow, lean against a stall piling broken wares, trying to compose a solid plan. The longer I’m away from he,r the more there is for things to go t**s up.

My wolf and Lycan howl simultaneously, the echoes of their voice becoming one disembodied sound.

I wonder how much longer it will take for them to merge.

I picture the savage dominance I wielded as a young juvenile, before I learned control. Faster, stronger,

more aggressive than my peers–I needed to suppress all that raw power to survive.

raw.pow

Now, I’m evolving. Neither wolf nor Lycan, but the best and worst of both. Something between.

What would that mean for me? For my pack? For my mate?

For now, I swallow that train of thought and focus on tracking Hope.

Two males stumble out of a door, and I hear the faint sound of chatter and love music. A tavern.

Find our mate, my wolf pushes.

I suppose if anyone knows where to find the good healer, a tavern is as good a place as any to start. One of them is bound to have been sent to his clinic a time or two.

I walk into the grey pealing building dubbed, The Ragged Fang. The pungent tide of the market starts to thin as I enter, replaced by the dank odor of alcohol, oil, and cheap perfume. The space is low lit, casting the patrons sitting on the edges in shadows.

Humans, shifters, and half–breed all sit around tables, some whispering, some shouting. A trio of worn–looking males leers at me, but I keep my eyes moving.

I don’t harbor the illusion that I will find Hope in here but I do know that a barkeep or waiter will be my best

{* bet for questioning.

A flash of blonde hair draws my eyes to the left side of the room. At a small table a few feet from the bar

is Ben.

My wolf and Lycan growl, feeling the need to warn the male away.

The male stands out armongst the crowd, his posture too straight, his clothes too tailored to blend in amongst the crowd.

And by his side is Tessa.

Unlike Ben she blends into the smarmy look of the place in loose cargo pants and a navy green t–shirt.

He leans in and says something to her. She laughs, shifting closer until their arms touch.

(21 Pool /

My pulse clips.

I know Hope was lying about Ben, and part of me is relieved by it. But the other part of me is still reeling

from the way Hope chose him over me for comfort.

As I watch Ben and Tessa interact and unspeakable rage fills me.

He played along. He tried to keep my mate from me

Whether it was a ruse or reality, the result was the same. The end goal was the same.

To separate Hope from me.

Tessa rubs Ben’s thigh, and he leans in. His hand covers hers.

Anger is a hailstorm inside me, and every second I spend watching them heightens my ire.

He would keep her from me and then pursue his own female.

That pups need to learn a lesson, my Lycan decides.

He insults us, my wolf presses.

Ben takes her face in his hands and presses his mouth to her, much like I had done with Hope only

minutes before.

My nostrils flare, and before I can think better of it, I stomp to their table. Tessa is the first to feel my presence and look up. Ben’s attention follows hers.

I note how his arm tightens around her in an intimate and possessive grip.

My wolf stirs. My Lycan surges.

Proof, I think.

There is no going back now.

No more lies.

No more obstacles standing in my way.

“Keith,” she breathes, face draining of color, “What are you doing here?”

“I was just about to ask Ben the same question,” I say, focusing on the male. “It looks like we have some things to discuss.”

Ben slides back in his seat, palms splayed on the table. “I suggest you speak with Hope.”

“Hope?” Tessa repeats, looking between Ben and I. “What’s going on?”

“Ask your boy,” I say using the title purposely before looking at Tessa.“He is yours isn’t he?”

Ben stands. He runs a hand through his hair. “Keith, I-”

“Your chance to speak has passed. Frankly, I wouldn’t trust a word that comes out of your mouth anyway.”

€ 29 Proof

Tessa stands holding up her hand. “Whoa, slow down. Can someone fill me in here?”

Ben says nothing.

My gut tightens. This is stupid. But I need to strip the lies away.

I stare at Ben. “You lied about being with Hope.”

“What!” Tessa yells, turning a venomous gaze on Ben. “You got five seconds to explain yourself, Benjamin.”

He winces.

“Hope spun a story, and I went along with it without thinking.”

“What story?” Tessa presses..

Ben shrinks further into his chair, and I have to say I’m enjoying the image of him cowering.

“That she and I were dating.”

“Why the hell would you go along with that?” The redhead hisses.

“She is my friend,” he says, voice quiet. “I want to dent it in front of him without knowing what was going

on.”

Tessa turned that granite stare on me. “Care to explain why my sister having a boyfriend would bother

you?

“Hope is my mate.”

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