Chapter 99

Selene

After an afternoon of messing around, I was so worn out, I wound up crashing hard. It's around 7 p.m. when Phoenix wakes me up. He peppers kisses on my face, calling my name a few times until I groan and roll over, blinking up at him.

"It's time to go, little wolf."

His voice is gentle, but I can hear the undercurrent of weariness and frustration in it. I stretch before slipping out of bed, choosing something simple: a blue tank-top and jeans. No need to make a big deal about my outfit. We're going to a bar, not a fancy restaurant. I've never been to Growlers', but I've heard enough about it from Sam. It's usually packed every day of the week, which makes sense why Alpha Nathan chose it. We won't stick out as much, people might not even recognize who we are, especially if we conceal our aura.

When I get downstairs, Phoenix is talking to Loki, who has Makayla sitting in his lap on the couch. I can't help but grin at the sight. It looks like he's finally letting his guard down, no doubt thanks to my best friend. I guess she drained all that scary, brooding intensity right out of him.

I love that for them.

I walk over to Phoenix, I slide my arm around his waist, leaning into his warmth. His lips curl into a smile, but I can feel the tension radiating off of him, tight and knotted beneath his skin.

"Ready to go, Luna Selene?" he asks softly, though the irritation still lingers in his voice.

I nod. "What about you, Alpha Phoenix?"

The title slips off my tongue like honey, and the way his eyes flash tells me he likes it as much as I do. Maybe I'll start calling him that in bed. I smirk to myself at the thought.

Focus, Selene, I scold myself. We're about to do something dangerous.

"Yeah, let's go see what Alpha Nathan knows. And if it's a bunch of bullshit, I might just break his goddamn jaw for screwing with my head and fucking up my sleep."

Makayla slides off Loki's lap and comes over to hug me. She tries to keep her expression calm, but I can see the concern lurking beneath her facade. "Be safe, okay?"

I squeeze her tighter, trying to push down my own nerves. "Like Phoenix would let something happen to me," I joke, but it falls a little flat.

It's true. He didn't want me doing this with him, but as his Luna, it's my duty to stick by his side no matter what. If we're walking into a trap, we're going to deal with it together. I don't care how afraid I am, if he's strong enough to face this, so can I.

Makayla narrows her eyes at him. "He better not, or I'm gonna have to hunt him down."

Phoenix chuckles, a low sound that's more tired than amused. I swear, after tonight, I'm going to need him to take a break and rest for a few days. "Save that for someone who isn't her mate and isn't madly obsessed and in love with her," he mutters, the corners of his lips twitching.

I can't help but smile at his declaration. Of course, I've always known that, but hearing him say it out loud to other people makes me melt into a puddle of goo. Every. Single. Time.

After saying our goodbyes, Phoenix grabs my hand, and we head outside to his motorcycle. The ride to the Growlers' bar takes about an hour, the wind whipping around us as we speed through the night. I can feel Phoenix's mind churning the entire way, his thoughts restless even with the open air and distance.

The bar is in the middle of nowhere, far from both Alpha Nathan and the Nightfang's territory. A neutral zone for a dangerous meeting. I'm assuming it's this information he's about to tell us could get him killed. Or possibly all of us.

When we pull up into the crowded lot, Luke is already waiting for us, leaning against his car. He's dressed in an all-black suit, looking way too nice for a place like this. Even Phoenix is dressed in only jeans and his leather jacket.

Uncle Luke looks at me and laughs. "I see you couldn't convince her to stay behind."

I raise my chin, sticking up for myself. "Nope, he couldn't. And in the future, I would appreciate both you and him trying to leave me out of these situations. I'm his Luna, I'm not just going to sit by while he puts his life on the line. We come together, or he doesn't come at all."

Luke's eyes widen slightly, clearly impressed. "Well, okay then. I hear you loud and clear, Luna Selene," he says with a grin.

I smile, but my heart's still racing from the outburst. Although I feel a little embarrassed about the way I just said that, I don't regret it. I need to be assertive in my role as Luna.

"Thank you," I reply, my voice firmer now.

Phoenix shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, leaning beside his uncle. "Have you spotted him yet?" he asks, his voice low and strained.

Luke shakes his head. "No, but have you spotted a bed? Goddess, Nix. You look fucking exhausted. Not as bad as you did when Selene was abducted, but still. The note's been on your mind, huh?"

Phoenix's jaw tightens. "How could it not be? There's a chance all that digging we've been doing for months has been for nothing."

"A very low chance, Nix," Luke reminds him. "We know your father killed Penny, and I refuse to believe otherwise."

Phoenix's voice lowers even more. "But what if he really didn't?"

Luke doesn't respond, dark storm clouds forming in his eyes. "Then, it will be easier to kill the real culprit."

Suddenly, I spot Alpha Nathan strolling towards the entrance, wearing a black hoodie and jeans. we probably should've agreed on a dress code for this meeting because it's ridiculous how mismatched we look. But maybe it makes it more believable that we didn't come together, and we just happened to show up at the same club in the middle of nowhere.

Nathan gives a quick nod with his back turned to us, signaling with two fingers for us to follow.

Phoenix steps forward, yanking me back against his chest. "Stay close to me, little wolf. I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to you because of me," he murmurs into the shell of my ear.

"Okay," I whisper back. He takes my hand as we move together, walking side by side into the club.