Page 95 of Moonlight & Mayhem

Morrigan’s face softened. “You loved them.” Moon hated that she knew that. Mayhem took her hand, and she held onto him. They moved deeper into the settlement. No one attacked, and that almost felt worse than having wolves chasing them down. Wolves stood outside cabins watching them. Some shifted, and some stayed human, but no one spoke. Moon noticed the collars first because they were made of silver. Every wolf standing near the road wore one.

“What are those?” Tempest asked.

Morrigan’s face hardened. “Control.”

Moon’s stomach turned. “Silver collars?”

“Not enough to kill them,” Morrigan said.

“Just enough to hurt,” Mayhem said.

“Yes,” she breathed.

A woman stood outside one cabin holding a small child. The woman’s eyes found Moon and then widened. “Silver Healer.” The words moved through the settlement. Whispers about her spread quickly. The Silver Healer came back. Moon wanted to run. Instead, she straightened her shoulders because Dark Chaos didn’t run. She remembered that because neither did she.

They reached the church. Five people waited outside—three men and two women. They were older and powerful. Moon didn’t need Morrigan to tell her who they were—the elders. One man stepped forward. His hair was white, not silver, and his eyes settled on Moon. “Selene’s daughter.”

Moon said nothing. His gaze shifted to Mayhem. “The carrier.”

Mayhem smiled. “Call me that again, and I’ll break your jaw.”

The elder looked amused. “You're dying.”

“I’ve still got enough time left to do some damage,” Mayhem insisted.

Moon almost smiled, and the man looked back at her. “You came willingly.”

“I came to destroy this place.” His smile disappeared, and that was good. Moon’s wolf approved.

“You sound like your mother,” he said.

“I've been hearing that a lot tonight,” Moon said.

“Selene was foolish,” the man insisted.

Moon pulled her gun, and Mayhem caught her wrist. “Easy.”

“He called my mother foolish,” she hissed.

“I heard him,” Mayhem said.

“You're supposed to be the violent one,” she reminded.

“I am,” he said. Mayhem looked at the elder. “I’m just saving my violence for when it counts.”

The elder’s expression changed. “Your bond is incomplete.”

Mayhem smiled. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

Moon stepped forward. “Where are the missing wolves?”

The elder frowned. “What?”

“The cages.” His face gave him away. Moon’s vision had been right. “Where are they?”

“You see more than your mother did,” the elder said.

Moon’s wolf surged. “Answer me.”