Page 93 of Moonlight & Mayhem

Chris pulled her gun. “It never is.”

Tempest looked around. “Then here’s what happens. Nobody separates.”

She pointed toward Moon and Mayhem. “You two stay together.” Mayhem nodded, and Moon did too. “Howler, you’re with me.”

“Always,” he breathed.

“Red and Blue, you both cover our backs,” Tempest said. The women nodded. “Chris⁠—”

“I know,” Chris breathed.

“You stay where I can see you,” Tempest ordered.

Chris sighed. “Prez.”

“I watched Moon restart your heart. I am not doing that shit twice.”

Chris’s expression softened. “Yes, Prez.”

Chrome stepped beside her. “I’ve got her.”

Chris looked over at him. “No, you don’t.”

Chrome smiled back at her. “We can argue about it later.”

“We will,” Chris promised.

“Looking forward to it,” Chrome said.

Moon caught Mayhem smiling. “Stop.”

“What?” he asked.

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Moon said.

“Absolutely.”

Morrigan turned toward the woods. “This way.” They followed her. The farther they moved from the road, the colder it became. Moon felt it immediately. It wasn’t a normal cold, but something heavier—older even. The forest smelled wrong, too, like pine, snow, blood, and woodsmoke all mixed together. Moon stopped, and Christmas nearly walked into her. “What?”

Moon looked at her. “Your dream.”

Chris inhaled, and her face changed. “Yeah.”

Chrome moved closer. “What about her dream?”

“The smell,” Chris whispered. “Pine and smoke.”

Moon nodded. “And metal.”

Chris swallowed. “Yeah.” They were getting close, and Moon knew it. So did her wolf.

Mayhem stumbled, and Moon caught him. “Hey.”

“Tripped over a tree root,” he lied.

“There wasn’t a root,” she insisted.

“Imaginary tree root,” he corrected.