The Moon That Cast Me Out

You

Grayson

Mate!

Knox is driving me f*****g crazy.

Nope. No.

What do you mean, no? This is our mate!

No.

I stare at Cammy from across the patio.

Don't you see the hate in her eyes?

Knox practically snorts at me.

That's not hate.

Really? Because it sure as hell looks like hate.

That's love.

I almost laugh out loud.

You're delusional.

She's our mate.

Whatever.

I shove him as far into the back of my mind as he'll let me.

Which isn't very far.

He's pacing.

Whining.

Pushing against me like he thinks if he tries hard enough, I'll lose control and let him take over.

Not happening.

The last thing I need is to shift in the middle of the f*****g patio because my wolf can't control himself around a woman who looks like she would happily stab me in the throat.

Although—

Fuck.

She's gorgeous.

I haven't seen Cammy in six years.

The last time I saw her, she was sixteen.

A pissed-off, devastated sixteen-year-old shoving clothes into a bag while I stood in her bedroom judging her for something I didn't even bother asking her about.

The woman standing in front of me now is nothing like the girl I remember.

Her red hair is piled into a messy bun with pieces falling around her face. Freckles dust her nose and cheeks.

And those lips.

Fuck-me lips.

There's no other way to describe them.

Full.

Soft.

Perfect.

I'm screwed.

Completely and utterly screwed.

I want to go to her.

I want to touch her.

Pull her against me.

Bury my face in her neck and breathe her in until that scent is permanently burned into my brain.

Lilacs and fresh laundry.

That's what I smelled on Colt.

It wasn't an omega.

It was her.

Of f*****g course it was her.

Knox pushes forward again.

Go to her.

No.

Why?

Because she's looking at us like she wants us dead.

She smells good.

Apparently that's all my wolf cares about.

I let my eyes move over her.

She's tiny.

I forgot how short she is.

I'm pretty sure she barely reaches my chest.

But she's filled out in all the right places since I last saw her.

Curves for f*****g days.

Perfect for having pups.

I choke.

Will you shut the f**k up?

Our pups.

Knox.

Red hair.

Jesus Christ.

I rub a hand over my face.

I'm going to kill my own wolf.

Can an Alpha do that?

Because I'm willing to try.

Cammy is still staring at me.

Neither of us has moved.

Then I see it.

Something catches the sunlight.

On her left hand.

My eyes drop.

Diamond.

A f*****g massive diamond.

The kind of diamond that could've sunk the Titanic.

Everything inside me stops.

No.

Knox goes silent too.

Thank f**k.

I stare at the ring.

Engaged.

My mate is engaged.

Take it off.

And he's back.

We're not taking anything off her.

She can't marry someone else.

Apparently, she can.

Knox growls.

My eyes return to Cammy's.

She noticed where I was looking.

Of course she did.

And the little s**t actually lifts her hand slightly.

Making sure I can see it.

Message received.

I start toward her.

Her eyes widen slightly as I cross the patio.

She doesn't move.

Good.

I'm pissed, confused, and fighting every instinct in my body, but some part of me is still impressed she doesn't back away from an Alpha walking straight at her.

I stop in front of her.

Fuck, she's small.

I tower over her.

Her head tips back so she can look me in the eye.

Those green eyes are exactly how I remember them.

Except harder.

"What?" she snaps.

I look at the ring again.

"Is he your mate?"

Her eyebrows pull together.

"What?"

"The man who gave you that."

I point at her hand.

Her expression changes.

"No."

Relief hits me so hard I almost sag.

Knox howls.

Good.

Then Cammy looks directly into my eyes.

"He's the man who chose me."

That relief disappears.

"What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what I said."

She crosses her arms.

"He chose me."

The emphasis isn't subtle.

And I know exactly what she's saying.

We didn't.

Knox's voice is quieter now.

No.

We didn't.

Six years ago, she was alone.

And I made it worse.

Still, the thought of some human putting that ring on my mate's finger makes something primal and ugly twist in my chest.

"You can't marry him."

Her mouth falls open.

Then she laughs.

Actually laughs.

Not the reaction I expected.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"He's not your mate."

"No shit."

"Then you can't—"

"Let me stop you right there."

She holds up one finger.

"First, you don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do."

My jaw tightens.

"Second, I've been waiting for my mate since I turned eighteen. Four years. Nothing."

"You weren't here."

"And whose fault is that?"

Fuck.

Direct hit.

Her eyes narrow.

"Third, I love Noah."

Noah.

I already hate his name.

We hate Noah.

We don't even know him.

He touched our mate.

I ignore that.

"And fourth," she continues, "I am marrying him."

Knox growls.

I feel my eyes flash.

Cammy notices.

She doesn't look scared.

If anything, she looks more annoyed.

"Put your wolf away."

"Excuse me?"

"Wendy is already screaming in my head. I don't need yours joining her."

Despite everything, my mouth twitches.

Her eyes narrow further.

"Don't smile."

"I'm not."

"You were about to."

"I wasn't."

"Liar."

For one ridiculous second, I forget we're arguing.

Then my eyes fall to the ring again.

The anger comes right back.

"Does he know?"

"Know what?"

"What you are."

Her expression closes immediately.

That's my answer.

"He doesn't."

"Cammy—"

"Don't."

"You're going to marry a human who doesn't even know you're a wolf?"

"I'm also a witch."

"I know."

She freezes.

Her shoulders relax slightly.

"He knows about Esmeralda?"

"He mentioned her."

"Of course he did."

She rolls her eyes.

"Does your fiancé know about that?"

"No."

"So he doesn't know you're a wolf. He doesn't know you're a witch. He doesn't know you have a mate."

Her eyes flash with anger.

"I found out about that last one approximately thirty seconds ago."

"That's not the point."

"It is absolutely the f*****g point."

She steps closer.

Which is a terrible idea.

Her scent surrounds me.

Lilacs.

Fresh laundry.

Cammy.

Knox practically rolls over and exposes his stomach.

Pathetic bastard.

"Until today, I didn't have a mate," she says.

"You did. You just hadn't found me."

Her expression turns cold.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Act like you were always waiting for me."

"I've been waiting for my mate since I turned eighteen."

"And I've been waiting since I turned eighteen too."

Her voice gets quieter.

"But you know what I wasn't doing?"

I don't answer.

"I wasn't sitting around putting my life on hold for some mystery man the Moon Goddess may or may not send me."

"Cammy—"

"I built a life."

"I know."

"No. I don't think you do."

She taps her chest.

"I built it, Grayson. Me. I finished school. I went to college. I learned magic. I got a job. I found my best friend. I fell in love."

Each word feels like a punch.

"And I'm not throwing all of that away because Wendy suddenly screamed mate at me."

Knox growls.

She shouldn't talk about us like we're nothing.

But we are nothing to her.

That's the part he doesn't understand.

We have a bond.

We don't have a relationship.

Cammy looks toward the building behind me.

"I came here for my dad."

"I know."

"I'm going to see him, and then I'm going home."

"This is your home."

The second the words leave my mouth, I know I've f****d up.

Cammy goes completely still.

Her green eyes meet mine.

"No."

One word.

That's all she gives me.

But it lands harder than anything else she's said.

"Cammy—"

"New York is my home."

"You grew up here."

"And then I was told to leave."

"My father told you to leave the house."

"Oh, well, that makes it so much better."

"I didn't mean—"

"No. You didn't."

She takes a step around me.

I reach for her instinctively.

The second my fingers touch her wrist, electricity shoots through my entire body.

Fuck.

Cammy gasps.

Her eyes snap to mine.

Knox loses his mind.

Mate!

Wendy must react too because Cammy's eyes flash.

For one second, neither of us moves.

The bond hums between us.

Warm.

Powerful.

Right.

Cammy's breathing changes.

So does mine.

I loosen my grip but don't completely let go.

Her gaze drops to my hand.

Then slowly rises back to my face.

"Let go."

Every instinct I have screams not to.

I release her.

She immediately steps away.

"Don't touch me again."

That hurts more than it should.

"I wasn't trying to—"

"I don't care."

She starts toward the infirmary.

"Cammy."

She stops.

I shouldn't ask.

I know I shouldn't.

But apparently finding my mate has destroyed whatever common sense I had.

"Why him?"

She turns.

"What?"

"Why marry someone who isn't your mate?"

For the first time since I walked outside, the anger disappears from her face.

What replaces it is worse.

Hurt.

"Because Noah loves me."

"So will I."

The words come out before I can stop them.

Her lips part.

Even Knox goes silent.

Fuck.

I don't know her anymore.

Not really.

I know the girl she was.

I know she's my mate.

I know every cell in my body is screaming that she's mine.

But love?

That has to be earned.

And judging by the look on her face, Cammy knows that better than anyone.

She shakes her head.

"You don't even know me."

"I want to."

"Six years too late."

She turns away.

"Cammy."

She doesn't stop this time.

"I didn't come back for you, Grayson."

I watch her walk toward the infirmary.

Then she calls over her shoulder.

"And I'm still leaving Sunday."

Knox growls inside me.

No.

For once, we're in complete agreement.

Because I've spent eight years waiting for my mate.

And now that I've finally found her, she's wearing another man's ring.

Worse?

She doesn't want me.

And judging by the way she looked at me when I called this place her home, I have a feeling a mate bond isn't going to be nearly enough to change her mind.