Moonrise by Cassidy Hunter Page B

hadn’t proved to herself that she could look a man in the eye and not back down. She wanted to be able to take care of herself. She was still weak, and that pissed her off.
    But he was dead. Robert was gone, and that part of her life was gone as well. Forever. She was different.
    Her mouth was as dry as a desert, but her throat was no longer hurting when she reflexively swallowed. She remembered vaguely that she’d been in terrible pain—she could barely breathe, or swallow, or do anything but sink into the darkness and wait.
    She had an intravenous line in her right arm and was wearing a thin hospital gown. It didn’t feel as if she was in a hospital, though.
    The room was too warm for a hospital room.
    “Hello?”
    No one came. She pulled the tape holding the IV in her arm and it came out easily, but it took her longer to figure out how to get the bed rails down. Once she did she climbed gingerly from the bed and made her way to the door, feeling too alone to stay put.
    She was shaky and weak, but otherwise felt fine. Her throat was tender when she touched it, but she was alive so she couldn’t complain about a little soreness.
    Opening the door she was surprised when she stepped from the room into someone’s living room. She was in a house.
    “Trey? Michael?”
    “Honey! What are you doing up?” A gray-haired lady rushed through a doorway, wiping her hands on an apron. “Why, you get back in that bed before Michelle skins us both alive.”
    Selene backed against the wall, her palms up to ward off the woman. “Where am I? Where is Trey?”
    “You’re at the doctor’s house, love. She’s out taking care of another emergency. That woman works nonstop. You’d think—”
    “I want Trey and Michael!” She couldn’t help that she sounded like a little kid. It wasn’t because her voice was hoarse, either. She felt like an ill little girl, and she wanted her wolves. Her eyes began to tear up and suddenly she was angry. They shouldn’t have left her alone here.
    The woman stopped walking and looked at her cautiously. “Honey, Trey and Michael have been taken to the council. They’ll contact you as soon as they can. They call every day asking after you.”
    She began to shake. “What?”
    The woman pursed her lips and glanced around almost frantically. “Oh dear. Oh my, then.”
    Selene almost felt sorry for the older lady, but she was too busy fighting off a panic attack to worry about it. When the door opened and a large black-haired woman entered the room, the older lady began wringing her hands and jabbering so fast Selene could barely understand her.
    “That’s okay then, Marie. Go finish dinner. I’ll take care of our guest.” Michelle walked casually toward Selene, smiling. “Hello, Selene. I’m Michelle. I’m the wolves’ doctor. How do you feel?”
    Selene liked Michelle at once. She couldn’t have said why, but she did. Her big brown eyes were open and warm, and Selene knew this was a woman she could trust. She sniffed and took Michelle’s proffered hand, giving no argument when the doctor led her back to her room. “How long have I been here?”
    “Only a few days. I’m sure you have other questions. Let’s get you back in bed and I’ll have a look at you while I explain everything.”
    “What is the council?”
    Michelle sighed and covered Selene’s cold legs with a thin sheet and a heavier blanket before taking her stethoscope from around her neck. “Michael and Trey murdered your attacker, sweetheart. The council is made of up our … judges. They’ll decide the boys’ punishments.”
    A cold feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. “Punishments! They saved my fucking life.”
    “Open up, sweetie.”
    But Selene was in no mood to be poked and prodded. She batted the doctor’s hand away. “Take me to them.”
    “I can’t do that.”
    “And I can’t let them die.”
    “Selene, they’re not going to die for killing a murdering human in the defense of