Free Dark Moon Rising (The Revenant Book 2) by Kali Argent

shift?”
    Gabriel had once described it as something similar to what the shifters experienced, but on the full moon, it never stopped. Once shifters completed the change, the pain subsided. For wolves, the pain didn’t end. Over and over, for hours on end, their bodies attempted to shift, only to be halted by the virus. That kind of pain, that unending internal battle, would be enough to drive anyone insane.
    She said nothing, unwilling to engage.
    “If you did, then you’d understand that sometimes…accidents happen.”
    “Accidents.” Thea tried to breathe through her rising anger, but it did little good. “Accidents? Your pack accidentally slaughtered innocent people?”
    “Is that what Rhys told you?” One side of his mouth turned up in a cocky smirk.
    “Rhys didn’t tell me anything.” She wasn’t even sure how he’d know about the Revenant bunker. “That’s not a denial, though.”
    The male ignored her. “Did he also tell you he was a member of this pack?”
    “You’re lying.”
    “Am I?” His grin grew wider. “Don’t take my word for it. By all means, go ask your new mate. Let’s see what he has to say.”
    The alpha would say anything to create a rift between her and Rhys, but a small voice in the back of her head couldn’t help but wonder if his words held any validity. Rhys’ explanation of how he’d come to be a prisoner of the pack had been short on details, but she hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
    The alpha chuckled, a deep laugh filled with satisfaction. “It was an honor to meet you, Miss Mendez. I wish you luck tomorrow night, and between us?” He turned, angling toward the doorway. “I hope you survive.”
    “I doubt your daughter feels the same way.”
    Alpha Chase continued to laugh as he walked away, leaving her alone on the deck beneath the twinkling lights. Only a moment after he disappeared into the milling crowd, Rhys stepped outside again, his expression anxious as he approached.
    “Are you okay?” Pushing her hair back from her face, he cradled her cheeks and searched her eyes. “What did he say?”
    “He likes me.”
    With a heavy sigh, Rhys pulled her into his arms and rested his chin atop her head. “You can’t trust him, angel. Don’t believe anything he tells you.”
    Thea told herself not to do it. She even bit her tongue to try to hold back the words threatening to spill through her lips, but she had to know. “He said you were part of the pack.” She expected him to deny it at once, so when he tensed, her heart fell into her stomach. “Is it true?”
    “Yes.”
    “No.” Backing away from him, she shook her head. “You’re a prisoner. You have a collar.” She touched the fresh scares on his stomach from Kara’s claws. “They did this to you.”
    “Thea, listen to me.” Crowding her back against the railing, he took her face again, holding her immobile until she looked him in the eyes. “I’m going to explain everything, but right now, I need you to trust me.”
    “Trust doesn’t work that way, Rhys. I can’t just magically hand it over to you because you ask for it. Trust is earned, and right now, you’re not inspiring a lot of confidence.”
    He stared at her pleadingly, his expression tight, anxious, but he said nothing.
    “Are you working for them?”
    “What?” Jerking away from her, he fisted his hands at his sides and growled. “No!”
    “Are you still part of the pack?”
    He hesitated before saying, “No.”
    “So, you left the pack?” She wanted to understand, but he wasn’t making it easy. “When did you leave?”
    Again, he hesitated. “I didn’t.” Cursing under his breath, he shoved his fingers through his shaggy locks and paced in front of her. “Not here, angel. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, but not here.”
    Fuck, she was going to regret this, but she couldn’t just condemn him without knowing all the facts. “Okay, I’m willing to hear you out.” She stepped back and held her