Page 36 of Crimson Moon Falling

Chapter 11

Conall

His bones shifted and realigned as fur melted back into skin. The shift was always painful, but Conall had learned to channel it into a focused point that flashed white-hot then faded. He drew in a deep breath through human lungs, the scent of pine and earth less sharp. He’d needed the release, but his mind never strayed far from Riley.

Before he found her, Conall never thought much about the women he dated and fucked when he wasn’t with them. His wolf’s emotions ranged from apathetic when he was with Lexa Rowland to outright loathing at Anna. The animal chuffed at him for having ever touched that woman.

He pulled on his clothes and glanced over as a few exhausted wolves drifted out of the forest. Silence met him when he slipped inside the Pack house and padded to his bedroom suite.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he looked around his bedroom. The space carried Riley’s scent of caramelized sugar and forest, and the suite was transformed from a dark, masculine space to a light, airy room with plants, touches of green, and natural textures. At his wolf’s demand, he’d also replaced the bed and linens.

Pre-dawn light filtered through the blinds, softly bathing the room. There was a deep-cushioned window seat with pillows and a bookshelf already filled with the biology books and fiction novels Riley favored. Flint had helped him renovate the room.

“Details matter,” the shifter had informed him. Conall couldn’t deny he’d been right.

Riley lay curled around his pillow in the center of the bed, her dark hair and snowy streak fanning across the white sheets. She looked so young and worry-free, her blank, analytical stare absent for once. In these unguarded moments, he could almost forget what she carried inside her.

Conall moved closer, studying the delicate curve of her cheekbone and slight furrow between her brows. Before the Pack run last night, he’d glimpsed moments of her breaking through the ice. Her laughter with Sahara, and that snarl when Lexa had rubbed against him. He grinned. Fuck, he’d loved hearing that unguarded, pissed-off sound coming out of her.

She was returning to Yellowstone later today. Every instinct screamed at him to keep her safe and at his side. But Riley did her job well, and it was one that aligned with her fierce loyalty and innate goodness, qualities that had first drawn his wolf to her.

The implant might make her colder and more distant, but Dr. Wharton’s advice offered a path forward. She needed strong emotional connections and experiences that triggered feelings. He could give her that. He’d give her anything. But first, she had to survive this investigation.

Langston was a question mark. Marlowe remained at large, and whoever had killed Zaria and taken Viggo was still out there. He’d bet his fortune Apex Mentis was behind it.

Conall sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. She stirred at his touch.

Bending, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “Good morning.”

Her eyelids fluttered open as her hand came up to cover his, pressing it more firmly against her cheek. The simple gesture tightened his chest.

“You’re back. How’d it go?” Her voice was husky, her startling blue eyes heavy with sleep.

“I’m back,” he confirmed, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. “The run was good. The Pack needed it.”

“What time is it?” She glanced toward the window, noting the early light.

“Just after five.” He leaned down and kissed her properly. “Go back to sleep. There’s time.”

Instead, she shifted to make room for him, a silent invitation. He stretched out, and her body immediately sought his warmth. Her core temperature ran a little cooler since her implant.

His fingers traced idle patterns on her shoulder as she nestled her head against his chest. “I keep thinking about the coordinates and what might be out there,” she murmured.

Of course she was. No matter what was happening, her mind continued to process. The Pack Council had called for emergency meetings, but he’d postponed them, hoping the timing would improve. Now, with Zaria’s murder and Viggo still missing, the timing was worse than ever. But the meetings in Washington wouldn’t wait.

“What is it? Your energy just flared.”

“I have to go to D.C. today. The Pack Council needs to convene, then hold negotiations with the Feds.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“At least a week. What about you?” He ran his hand down her back, feeling the delicate knobs of her spine through her thin sleep shirt.

“I don’t know. It depends on what we find.”

Conall exhaled and squeezed her. “The Central Government is pushing to expand mandatory registration to include shifters. They’re also proposing mandatory tracking devices for high-level Cognizants and increased oversight of shifter territories. They say it’s ‘for our own safety,’ which is complete bullshit.”

Riley pulled back to look at him, her blue eyes calculating. “They’re using the chaos and kidnappings they perpetrated to push for stricter laws. Why am I surprised?”