Page 32 of Crimson Moon Falling

“Yes.” I recognized the desolation in her eyes because it sometimes mirrored what lay buried inside me. “Your body was violated, but your mind is your own now. Dr. Tidwell removed your implant, but mine’s still there.”

McKenna’s face blanched. “Jesus. Why didn’t he take it out?”

Ethel walked back over, softly nickering, as if she sensed our distress. I absentmindedly fed her a few carrots.

“My insert was made of polycarbonate urethane. It’s biocompatible and started integrating into my brain.”

“Riley, I’m so sorry,” she choked out.

The horse nudged me for another carrot. “The Commander told me it was a special one, made just for me. It’s embedded in my cerebrum now, and removing it isn’t an option.” Something wet ran down my face, and I wiped at the tear. Maybe thawing the ice inside me wasn’t such a good thing.

“You’re an Alpha’s Mate. Your Pack can afford the best, most cutting-edge treatment. There has to be–”

“It’s never coming out.”

McKenna stared at me, then turned to watch another quarter horse named Daisy stick her head over the fence, looking for her treat.

“I have fourteen college credits left, but I don’t want to go back. My mother wants to baby me, and everyone treats me like I’m broken.”

I wondered whether she had family or another option. The implant analyzed McKenna’s lack of options as a problem to solve, and a moment later, I had a plan. “Hey, I have an Airstream trailer parked behind an old Western bar just outside Zion National Park. It’s small but private. I’m moving into the new Pack house, so the trailer will be empty.”

She turned to me. “Could I get a job there? I don’t have much money, but I want to pay rent.”

“No, you’d be doing me a favor, and I’m not kidding when I say it’s small. How about you try it for six months? If you want to stay, we’ll figure it out then. The bar can always use help during the tourist season, and there are a dozen other places that would love to have you.”

McKenna’s gaze drifted back to the horses, then she drew a deep, shuddering breath. “Why would you do this for me? We barely know each other.”

“We trauma-bonded by surviving that hellhole.”

She let out a sniffling half-laugh. “Are you sure your uncle’s okay with it?”

Parker would complain just to get under my skin, but he’d watch out for McKenna. “He’ll be happy to have you.” She studied me as a battle waged. I understood. It was hard for me to take help from people too.

“Okay,” she finally whispered. “Thank you.”

If it kept the Feds from brutalizing her all over again, it was worth it.

Chapter 10

Riley

The Denver Pack house transformed as twilight fell, with shifters arriving in steady streams as they prepared for the full moon run. I watched from the shadows on the back deck. Pack politics and social dynamics were still new territory, but the implant did make it easier to analyze them without feeling inadequate or intimidated.

A long table was laid out with catered food and drinks, and strings of lights glowed between the trees in the backyard. An enormous bonfire crackled on the outskirts where the Pack run would begin, sending smoke into the starry night.

Conall greeted Pack members and chatted with shifters as they gossiped and ate barbecue. The only other Pack run I’d witnessed had been limited to just those Pack living in the house. This was more like a celebration.

I stood, cataloging and analyzing faces and body language. A few of the visiting Pack members nodded in my direction, but no one approached. Their energy swirled unseen through the cool evening air, ranging from hostile to benign to friendly. A group of twenty-something shifter women walked by, and a few openly stared at me.

I leaned against the railing, calculating the odds of their social acceptance and observing body language. The wolves were restless tonight as the full moon called to them. Even I could feel it, this primal pull that seemed to resonate through the bond.

A younger male wolf stood not far from me, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He was probably in his late teens or early twenties since he still had a little baby fat, especially in his face.

“Hello, I’m Riley Blackthorne.”

He started, then blushed. “Hello. Yeah, I know. I’m Micah Rowland.”

“Why are you tense?”