Moon Revealed (Mirror Lake Wolves, Book 6)

Sometimes the enemy of your enemy becomes your friend…

With the help of a stranger her wolf doesn’t trust, Mina learns the Midnight Reaper’s identity. She also makes a deal with the newcomer, one Eli might not agree with.

But when the safety of the pack becomes a top priority and a secret about someone close is revealed, putting a friend in dire danger, priorities pivot.

The pressure is on in Moon Revealed, book six in the Mirror Lake Wolves series.

CHAPTER ONE

“No, the bell peppers need to be chopped finer than that,” I said as I leaned over Eli’s shoulder.

He laughed. The rich sound of it vibrated through our tiny kitchen, bringing a smile to my face. I hadn’t thought I’d get to hear him laughing so soon. I figured it would be weeks, maybe even months. Not because he was upset with me but because he was pissed with how unfair life could be.

We’d said goodbye to his father—our previous alpha—only last night.

“Says who?” Eli spun to face me while pausing in his chopping motion.

“Says the recipe.” I flipped my phone around so he could see for himself. “In the picture it shows finely chopped bell peppers, not chunks.”

“It’s all preference.” He flashed me a half smile that I noticed didn’t reach the corners of his eyes but any semblance of happiness I could get from him I’d take. “I don’t think they have to be paper thin and microscopic like in the picture. It’ll still taste just as good with them a little bigger.”

“Fine, but don’t make them too big.” I glanced at my phone, checking to see what the next step in the breakfast recipe was. I was glad I’d thought to go grocery shopping and get ingredients for something we could make together. It was definitely helping get our minds off things.

I wasn’t trying to make Eli forget his dad. I was only trying to keep him from drowning in his emotions.

It seemed to be working.

“Okay, how’s this?” Eli asked as he sliced another section of yellow bell pepper thinner than he had before.

“Much better,” I said. “It looks more like the peppers in the picture.”

“Good. See, my chopping skills are improving.”

I kissed him on the cheek before hoisting myself up onto the kitchen counter. “That they are. I’ll turn you into a cook before long.”

“You mean your own personal chef.” Eli winked as he flashed me another half-hearted smile.

He was trying. I was trying. However, I knew all either of us could think about was his dad and the fact that he was gone.

Eli was our pack’s alpha now.

“I didn’t say it. You did,” I teased.

I reached for the onion and placed it near the cutting board so he would know it came next in the recipe.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind cooking for you,” he said. “Someone has to make sure you eat.”

“Oh, I would eat even if you didn’t cook for me. Trust me. I’d cook for myself, but food always tastes better cooked by you. Nobody likes cooking for themselves. Everything always is better when someone else makes it for you. That’s why so many people eat out.”

A crooked grin twisted his lips. Satisfaction slithered through me. I would help get him through this one smile at a time. He’d be okay. I would see to it.

“I think you’re wrong. People don’t eat out because food tastes better when someone else makes it; they eat out because they’re lazy,” he said. He finished slicing the last bit of yellow bell pepper up before reaching for the sweet onion I’d set out.

“I can see that being true most of the time, but I really think it’s because nobody likes to cook. For themselves. For anyone.”

“What about the people working there? Don’t you think they like to cook?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. They only cook because somebody pays them. There’s a difference.”

A rich, robust laugh burst from Eli. It was the best thing I’d heard in days. “Your dislike of cooking is hilarious. Makes me feel special knowing I was somehow able to get you to cook me grilled cheese and tomato soup once.”

“I completely forgot about that.” I grinned. “You should feel special. I don’t cook for just anyone.”

“I haven’t forgotten about it at all. Now, I feel prouder that I conned you into cooking for me.” Eli wiggled his eyebrows. I leaned in to give him a kiss.

My lips pressed against his, and I felt like I was home. I reached out and laced my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. My body pulsed to life with desire, but I knew now wasn’t the time to give in. Eli was hurting, even if he wasn’t showing it, and I didn’t want to take advantage of that. It didn’t feel right.

I pulled back. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I slipped off the counter. I retrieved a pan from one of the lower cabinets, and then placed it on the stove. After switching the burner to medium heat, I opened the fridge and grabbed the eggs. Eli was mute as he chopped the onion. He chewed the inside of his cheek, seeming consumed by his thoughts.

What was he thinking about?

When the question ate at me long enough, I opened my mouth to ask.

“A penny for your thoughts,” I said, even though I’d always hated the expression.

Eli made a noise that sounded as though air were stuck in his throat. “Why do people say that?”

“I’m not sure where the expression came from, but I know people say it because they want to know what others are thinking.”

He flashed me a no-shit look. “It’s such an odd statement. You can’t even buy anything with a freaking penny.”

I cracked an egg into a bowl and waited for him to tell me what he’d been thinking. I knew all this penny talk was him stalling. Didn’t he know I knew him better than that?

When I reached for the second egg, he made the same strangled noise as before.

“We should call it something else,” he said. “I really can’t stand that saying.”

“Me either.” I cracked another egg into the bowl. “What do you want to call it instead?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “But it should be something better than that.”

“Better than a penny?” I smirked. This was such a strange conversation.

“Yeah.”

His dark brows pulled together. He was serious.

I focused on picking out a bit of eggshell that had slipped into the bowl while trying to think of something better than the penny analogy. Money seemed to be the only thing my mind could think of.

“How about keep the change?” I asked, thinking it was clever. Sort of like I was telling him to keep the penny since neither of us seemed to care for the saying.

“Keep the change,” he repeated. “Actually, I like that.”

I flashed him a small smile. “Me too.”

I didn’t backtrack to why the analogy had been said in the first place. Instead, I left it alone. I figured all of this talk about pennies and change had probably made him forget what he’d been so lost in thought about anyway. Maybe it was best I didn’t know.

“So, what’s the next step in the recipe?” Eli asked. “Anything else I need to cut up?”

“Umm, I’m supposed to whisk the eggs with a little bit of milk, spray the pan, and then we’re supposed to add the veggies in along with a cup of cheese,” I said as I reached for a fork because we didn’t own a whisk. Our kitchen supplies were limited. “Then we’re supposed to put a lid on it and let it cook for a few minutes without touching it.”

Eli crept up behind me as I whisked the eggs with my fork. I could feel the heat of his body pressing against my backside. My thin sleep shorts and T-shirt were no match for his heat.

His woody, fresh scent, masculine and familiar, made its way to my nose. It had my knees buckling. My body wanted to melt against his, but I fought the urge. Eli brushed against me as he reached into the cabinet above the stove and grabbed the cooking spray. His hand rested on my waist, sparking my entire left hip to life. He seemed unaware of the inner turmoil he caused me.

After Eli sprayed the pan, I poured the egg mixture into it and stepped back so he could scrape the vegetables in before I sprinkled the dish with cheese. This was the first time since I moved into his trailer we’d cooked together. I had never made omelets before, but I’d eaten them often at home. Gran always made the best ham and cheese ones.

“And now for the lid,” Eli said as he scraped the last little bit of vegetables into the eggs. He headed to the sink to rinse off his cutting board and knife.

I grabbed a lid that was a little too big for the pan we were using and covered our omelet.

“Now, we wait,” I said as I hoisted myself back up onto the counter. My eyes dipped to my phone as I read the instructions once again, hoping we weren’t missing any steps. “Crap.”

Eli dried his hands on a dish towel. “What?”

“We forgot to add three tablespoons of salsa.” So much for our southwestern omelet.

Eli tossed the dish towel on the counter and headed for the fridge. “It’s okay. We can just add it on top.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that would work, but his phone rang. It echoed through the otherwise silent trailer, startling me. My gaze drifted to the clock on the stove. It was just after eight in the morning.

Who could be calling this early?

My stomach dipped. I had a feeling they weren’t calling with good news.

Eli headed to the living room where his phone was on the coffee table.

“Hello?” he answered. “Hi. Yeah. Good morning to you too.”

My brows pinched together. His tone was off. Why did he sound so surprised by whoever was on the other end? Hadn’t he glanced at his caller ID before answering?

“Okay. I can round everyone up,” he said, causing my stomach to flip-flop. “Thanks for calling. I’ll see you in a little while.”

Eli shifted his gaze to me once he hung up.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“Rowena Caraway.”

The flip-flopping in my stomach intensified tenfold at the mention of her name. Why would she be calling? And why so early in the morning?

The ward.

I’d nearly forgotten my last conversation with Ridley in light of everything else. She’d mentioned they were able to put the ward in place, but that it had been difficult. We assumed it was because of the Sire Brand runes set in place on the Midnight Reaper group of vampires that had made it difficult.

Ridley was supposed to call me with news on the rune and an update on the ward. She was worried, same as Rowena, it might not hold. Had something happened overnight, or was Rowena calling to wish Eli congratulations on becoming the new alpha?

“What did she say?” My voice quivered when I spoke. I cleared my throat, hating my nerves had betrayed me.

“She said she wants to meet this morning to discuss some things.”

“Things involving the ward?” I asked even though I knew that had to be it.

“Possibly. She said I should ask my second-in-command to be present, as well as anyone else I’d like to keep informed when it comes to the Midnight Reaper vampires.”

My heart lodged in my throat. Something must have happened. Whatever it was it couldn’t be good if Rowena was calling a meeting.

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