The Luna’s Choice by Kat Silver

hapter 261: Kylee The drive was excruciating. | spent the whole tpressed into the side panel of the car. It was bad enough that he smelled so damn good, | would have exploded had we actually touched. | kept telling myself his reason for coming was completely valid and he really wasn’t there to see me. | mean, how could he have even known | was going with them? He couldn't.

And why would he want to be stuck with me? It’s not like | had given him a reason to want to pursue anything. | hadn’t said more than two words to him and had been avoiding him like the plague since we met. At first, it was out of cowardice. | wouldn't have been able to handle his rejection after he figured out who | was. But after a few days, it started to feel more like a courtesy.

The day after we met, | started asking around about him. It was hard. | had to be subtle about it. | didn’t want anyone to find out that the new sheriff was my fated mate.

He had only been up here a couple of months but he seemed to be fitting in well enough. Everyone | talked to who has had the opportunity to get to know him had nothing but good things to say. And the fact that he was rising up in Theo's ranks so quickly said a lot as well. The more | heard, the more | realized he was too good for me. The last thing he needed was to be saddled with the pack pariah as a mate.

| knew he would figure that out soon enough. If he was even half-decent at his job, which apparently, he was more than decent, he would have been asking around aboutas well.

The fact that we had been running into each other less and less ledto believe he had. And likely cto the sconclusion | had.

So, no, | didn’t think he meant to be stuck withall day.

The land designated to the Order was huge, but there ix | a private school that was no longer in use. It was on Wildtail territory and hadn't been open for about a dec , but Theo was hopeful the buildings could be salvaged, and it would make the process go that much faster.

It was half past noon when we pulled onto the property and parked in front of what looked like the main building.

Once the door was clear, | got out of the SUV as fast as | could, making the excuse that | was car-sick and needed sair to step away from the group.

“Alpha Anthony and the sisters are still about thirty minutes out,” Theo said as he checked his phone. “I want to take a look around while we wait. Inspect sof the buildings.” They all moved off and started going in their own directions. | was sure Jimmy and Maggie went to check the perimeters .and make sure we were the only ones there. The sheriff no doubt did the same, but | resisted the urge to look if he had gone. Instead, | wandered off toward sdilapidated picnic tables that were situated in an overgrown garden area.

| strolled around for a while, taking the tby myself to gather my thoughts. | could picture what this place would be like once it was fixed up and the Moon Haven sisters had moved in. It was going to be a beautiful, peaceful place. | was eager to experience it for myself.

“You shouldn’t wander so far on your own.” 23 88 Vouchers | jumped, startled by his voice. | turned around to find him only two feet away from me. He was downwind, which is why | missed his approach, but | sure caught his scent now. | swallowed hard. Pushing back the incredible feeling it gave 1. me.

“Sheriff,” | acknowledged with a nod. “I can still hear the others. I'm fine, thank you.” | went to walk past him, but he side-stepped in front of me.

“Kylee, we have to talk at spoint,” he insisted. “This isn’t something we can run away from.” “Not now,” | replied through clenched teeth. “We can’t do this now. Not before the ceremony.” “Why?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “What does this have to do with the Alpha’s and Luna's ceremony?” “You're kidding, right?” | scoffed. “You may be able to hide the pain but | won't be able to. Ayla will know something is wrong and she doesn’t need that extra stress right now. So, please, not now.” | tried to get past him again, but he stopped me, grabbing my arm. The tingling sensation that shot throughat his touch made my breath hitch. | looked up to see him studyingintensely. | didn’t know what to say.

“You think I'm going to reject you,” he said.

“You should,” | replied softly, my voice shakier than | would have liked. “Sheriff,” | added, trying to communicate why he couldn’t have a mate like me.

decision for me, Kylee. If you...” We heard a voice approaching. They sounded aggravated. Finley pulledcloser as he tucked us into the shadow of the trees out of sight. My eyes fluttered closed as his proximity madelightheaded, my hands instinctively going to his waist. Hearing Ayla’s voice was what pulledback to earth.

“What do you mean you won't be here tonight?” she hissed quietly into her phone. | could just see her from around the trunk of a tree. “This isn’t something you can be late for, Kingston.” There was a pause as Kingston replied.

“I don’t ca...” Ayla huffed. “You should have told me. Make it right, Kingston. And get your ass to the Greytooth packhouse.”

She hung up the phone with an aggravated growl. She took a few deep breaths before straightening up and walking away, back to where Theo and the others were. “What was that about?” | asked in concern.

no .

| don't know,” Finley said softly, the sconcern evident in his tone but it didn't sound good . . | need to look into this.” | went to step away, but his grip tightened. His fingers went to my chin, lifting my face to look at him.

“This isn’t over,” he said firmly.

Then his lips were on mine and an explosion detonated inside of me. It was a moment of pure bliss. But it was shattered 7474% “Vouchers

when he pulled away. The slight grin : ’ that flashed across Finley's face before he walked away told me he had no idea how much pain he had just caused me.