Silver Moon (Colors of the Moon #3)

Chapter 32

The castle was deadly silent when I stopped a step away from the front entrance. Because I still didn't know my way around the massive building, I had no idea where any of its back doors might be hiding. Or if it even had any back doors.

I stole one last glance at the dark hallway behind me and told myself this was not a goodbye. I would be coming back to deal with Theo's wrath.

The thought of Theo almost made me turn back and walk into the opposite direction.

Almost.

With a deep inhale, I turned back toward the wooden door and pulled one side of it open. I took one last deep breath to steady my racing heartbeat. Then I stepped forward. My forehead smashed against something stone hard and I quickly pulled a step back.

"Damn." I rubbed my now throbbing forehead.

I lifted my eyes, expecting to find a tall werewolf blocking my way. Instead, all that existed in front of me was an open doorway. Bewildered I glanced around, searching for the source of the impact. But no matter where I looked, there was nothing that would explain the aching sensation pulsing through my forehead.

Cautiously I lifted my hand and reached forward. Nothing happened until my open palm hit against something solid and invisible. In an instant, I gathered what this meant.

An invisible barrier.

And only one person could be responsible.

I whirled around and glared at the dark hallway behind me. "Drop the barrier right now, Kasey."

"No," came an instant reply from somewhere deep within the shadows.

It wasn't the female voice I expected, though. My heart sank as the figure emerged from the shadows. "Theo."

"Gabriela." With a deceiving slow pace, he diminished the distance between us. 

My first instinct was to turn around and flee, however, the invisible barrier behind me keep me nailed to my spot.

"There's nowhere you can go that I can't find you."

I melted my back against the invisible barrier, but at the same time kept my head high.

"You're becoming predictable." He stopped less than a step away from me.

I blinked and cocked my head to the side. "Sorry? I'll try not to get caught next time."

"You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid." He narrowed his eyes, but otherwise remained motionless. "And it hasn't even been twenty-four hours."

"You obviously didn't believe my promise." I tapped my fingers against the invisible barrier. "Or you wouldn't have plotted with Kasey to put a barrier around the castle."

"I was hoping you would prove me wrong." He diminished the remaining step between us and plastered his nose against mine. "Yet here we are."

"You think you know me so well? Then let's see how you deal with this." I rested my open palm against the middle of his chest and sent him sliding across the floor. When I was convinced there was enough distance between us, I finally allowed him to stop.

"You were doing so great throughout the day. What made you suddenly decide to throw everything away?"

"I felt their pain!" I winced at the echo of my shout. "I can still feel it." Despite the blinding pain already gone, a soft ache still scratched against the bottom of my soul. "Darlene is hurting my people. I can't just stand here and do nothing. I have to stop her."

"I'm sorry." 

In the blink of an eye he was right in front of me. He pulled me into his warm embrace and I made no move to stop him. But at the same time I didn't hug him back either.