The rumble of the aircraft filled the large garage when we entered it.

“What is that?” I asked as we walked toward the plane.

“An infinity craft,” Carlos replied. “It’s how we often transport when portal keys aren’t used.”

Squad Twenty-eight stood at attention, several members rushing forward to whisk my bags away, which left me standing by my ex as they all waited for me to climb aboard.

I ran a hand through my hair again as my stomach let out another growl. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

Carlos nodded, his expression impossible to read, yet his eyes swam with veiled emotions.

I was about to open my mouth, to try to figure out a way to tell him before I left that things were over between us without coming across as insensitive, when he abruptly pulled me into a hug.

His large frame swallowed mine as his scent washed over me. My wolf let out a vicious snarl, but Carlos’s affection caught me so much by surprise that I automatically hugged him back.

“Think about what I said in my letter,” he whispered into my ear. “We can talk about it later.”

Before I could respond or pull back, he pressed a soft kiss to my neck, just below my ear. A shiver ran through me since that was a sensitive area on me and my ex knew that.

His crooked grin was splitting his face when he pulled back, ’cause he no doubt sensed my physical reaction, even though internally my wolf’s hackles were entirely raised. Yep, Mrs. Wolfy was not happy about that sexy gesture.

Another rush of that sunshine and pineapple fragrance burst from Carlos. Even amidst the scent of gasoline from the infinity craft, I detected it.

Shit. I really needed to learn how to filter these scents so I wasn’t being constantly bombarded, and I really needed to set things straight with Carlos. He was honestly hoping we would get back together, and that wasn’t happening.

I squeezed Carlos’s hand in an awkward goodbye. “We’ll talk soon.”

He nodded, that hopeful scent still there, and I hated that I couldn’t tell him right here and now that things were over between us. But with Squad Twenty-eight members surrounding us, I didn’t want an audience for that conversation. When I rejected Carlos once and for all, it would be in private so he didn’t have to deal with the embarrassment of his co-workers watching the entire ordeal. Carlos deserved better than that.

I gave my ex one last smile then climbed aboard the craft. It rumbled beneath me as a squad member directed me to my seat, then buckled me up.

The entire time, Carlos stood in the garage, hands stuffed into his pockets as he watched me leave.

My stomach dipped when the infinity craft lifted, as if hovering in mid-air, then a wash of magic prickled my senses as the exterior shimmered from an invisibility cloaking spell layering it.

Following that, the craft shot out of the garage and into the night. My jaw dropped and my stomach bottomed-out from the force of it, but then my attention snagged to the bright moon hovering in the sky.

My wolf perked up, her attention gluing to it too.

Oh crap.

But even though she grew aware, all of her attention focusing on that glowing orb, I didn’t feel that restlessness from her, that need to shift. But I could have shifted, if I’d wanted to. Already, I could feel her magic shimmering under my skin, the call of that lunar body pulling at both of us.

It wasn’t like last night, though. It wasn’t inevitable and completely out of my control.

So I pulled up my witch magic, much like I had earlier tonight when I’d shoved my wolf down.

She gave a low growl, but that was it, and then she curled up and stuffed her nose under her tail.

Phew. Crisis avoided.

I sank my head back against my seat and closed my eyes. More than ever, I knew I’d made the right choice to leave the hunter just so I could avoid my wolf’s incessant pushing to be free and with her mate.

Settling more in my chair, I tried to relax into the flight, but what I’d left behind still lingered at the forefront of my thoughts. Because it wasn’t just the two werewolf males who I still had unresolved issues with. Nope. It was so much more than that. I still had a psycho sorcerer hunting me, I had a magic shop that I hadn’t even checked in with in nearly three days, and I hadn’t spoken with my best friend yet to even lament my first shift. Prisha had no idea that my wolf was a pushy bitch.

I sighed. What a freakin’ month.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 9

We flew for two hours to wherever the SF was taking me. Since I had no idea where they’d hidden Tessa, or how fast this craft flew, I couldn’t gauge the distance or direction.

All I knew was that it was late, and I was nodding off by the time we landed.

When we disembarked, a warm breeze caressed my skin, and sandy terrain surrounded the runway. Cactuses and dry shrubs sprouted from the land.

The moon still shone, but its heavenly body was lower in the sky, and that throbbing in my chest had eased. The pull from the moon was abating, and if that was the worst it would be on non-full moon nights over the coming year, then I could learn to live with it.

My wolf had stayed relatively quiet during the flight. The few times she’d risen from her slumber, as soon as she realized our mate wasn’t present, she’d given me another rumble of discontentment, just to make sure I knew she didn’t approve of my choices, and then she went back to sleep.

Phew.

I figured as long as I didn’t let other males get close to me—as I had with Carlos—and I kept my distance from the hunter, it was possible that I could learn to cohabit with her, since at this point, my new werewolf traits seemed to be permanent.

But that thought still didn’t sit well with me. Essentially, I was either with the hunter or I was alone. With a mated wolf inside me, I had a feeling it would be near impossible to ever date anyone else again. My wolf would no doubt make my life a living nightmare if I tried.

I scowled. In other words, free will was now a thing of the past.

I ran a hand through my hair as I began following the SF members across the tarmac, grumbling to myself. Was this how Kaillen felt? Perhaps he’d been more accepting of it, since male werewolves were raised to know that once they found their mate, their fate was sealed. But me? I’d been an independent witch up until now. Granted I had some other weird powers inside me that I still couldn’t make sense of, but I’d been my own decision-maker for as long as I could remember.

So was that life officially over now? Was I no longer the ruler of my own destiny?

I was walking in such a fog that I didn’t even look up until I heard a squeal and someone say, “Tala!” from the distance.

I snapped my head up to see my sister sprinting toward me at full throttle across the runway. Despite the late hour, a grin streaked across her face.

She barreled right into me, hugging me with a flourish, and I laughed despite myself.

“You’re here! You’re here! I’m so glad you’re here!” she shrieked.

“Hey!” I replied with a laugh and wrapped my arms around her.

Tessa squeezed me harder. “Oh my gods, I couldn’t believe it when I was told you were coming! I’m so happy you came. I have so much to tell you. You’re going to die when you hear about these two guys that work here, and how we’re—” She stopped her prattling when she caught my expression. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

I shook my head as tears streamed down my face. She wiped at them, her sapphire gaze searching mine.

“It’s nothing.” I sniffed. “I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see you.” And I was. The Tessa before me was the sister that I loved. She was happy, bubbly, and so full of cheer. Her positive optimism and love of life was enough to make even the darkest soul see the sunshine.