Page 42 of Vicious Luna
Since it doesn’t look like she’s going to be sleeping anytime soon, I decide to head downstairs to check up on my ward. Nothing wrong with a little late-night interrogation, right? I’ve been putting it off all damn day, but it’s past time to get my head back in the game.
I leave the lights off, the windows in the cells casting ample light to see by as I navigate my way down the stairs and toward Luna’s cell. She stops her pacing when she sees me coming, eyeing me warily as I approach.
“What are you doing here?” she asks suspiciously.
I shrug a shoulder. “Just came to chat.”
“Chat?” she repeats, lifting a brow dubiously.
“Sure, why not?” I grab the metal folding chair that’s positioned near the wall opposite her cell, the legs scraping against the concrete as I drag it over to the bars. I flop down onto it unceremoniously and she keeps her eyes trained on mine as she backs toward her cot, lowering herself down to sit on the edge.
“No beers this time?” she asks, flipping her long hair over a shoulder. It looks a whole lot better now that she’s been able to brush it and put it up for her workouts.
“Wasn’t thirsty,” I reply coolly.
She tilts her head, squinting at me. “Turning over a new leaf?”
“Just wasn’t in the mood.”
Luna stares at me for a long moment, and I can practically see her wheels turning. Captivity definitely doesn’t suit her. She’s becoming more and more volatile the longer she’s locked up, and she’s to the point where she’s getting desperate for a way out of here.Maybe even desperate enough to give up what we need.
“What do you want from me, Cam?” she finally sighs, her voice thick with exasperation. “If it’s information you’re after, you’re never going to get it. I won’t betray the people I love.”
“Not even to save yourself?” I scoff.
She leans forward, pinning me with a glare. “Especially not to save myself.”
I shake my head with a sigh. I can’t help her if she won’t help herself. And even if she does, I probably can’t help her anyways.
Fuck, I shouldn’t even be entertaining that thought.
“I don’t get why you’re even doing this,” she mumbles, her brows furrowing until a little crease forms between them. “Why go after shifters in the first place?”
“To rid the world of monsters,” I say bluntly, reciting The Guild’s mission statement exactly as it’s been ingrained into me. “We’re the heroes. The good guys.”
“Then why haven’t you killed me yet?” she snaps, turning her glare on me once more. “I’m one of those monsters, aren’t I?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek as I stare back at her, considering. Then I remember that looks are deceiving, and she’s using hers to manipulate me. “Yeah, you are,” I agree.
She throws her body backwards onto the cot with an exasperated sigh, and we’re both eaten up by the silence that ensues. It finally abates with the creaking of the cot as she rolls onto her side, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she glances over at me again.
“You wanna know the truth, Cam?” she asks without the thick layer of sarcasm her commentary normally carries. “The truth is, youwantme to be a monster, because that’s what fits your narrative. I’m not, though. I’m just a girl. I’ve got parents that love me, a brother I adore, friends and colleagues and lots of people I want to get back to.Goodpeople. People who’ll miss me if I never make it home.”
I snort a wry laugh. “Werewolves, you mean.”
She pushes up on an elbow, staring me down. “We’repeople, Cam. Whether you want to believe that or not. And we’re not out to hurt anyone, we just want to be left alone.”
“Not out to hurt anyone?" I growl, shifting forward in my chair. "What aboutmypeople? You murdered them on the night of the full moon.”
Luna bolts up, throwing her hands in the air.
“Becausetheyattackedus!” she exclaims, her whiskey-brown eyes wide and wild. “Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do the same if you were in that situation?!”
I lean back with a scowl, drumming my fingers on the top of my thigh.
I know damn well that she’s just trying to get in my head, but fuck if it isn’t working. Every day, I’m having more trouble separating what she is fromwhoshe is.
Fuck, in some ways, I admire her. She’s smart and strong-willed, disciplined and calculating. Not to mention the way she knows exactly who she is and completely owns it. The girl’s a damn force to be reckoned with, and I’ve never been so drawn to someone, even if sheisthe enemy.