Moonstruck

Chapter Eighteen

*Liana*

I snapped my gaze to Zev's. "Excuse me?"

"You're not going alone," Zev amended. "I'll go with you."

"She's not going to hurt me," I said with some exasperation. "She's my family!"

"She gave you an amulet to wear that weakened you, that was draining you," Lorelei said gently. "It's a dangerous necklace. Brent is in his office studying it now."

"Maybe she didn't know," I said hopefully.

"Or maybe she knew exactly what she was doing," Zev growled. He sighed as my face fell and he pulled me into an embrace. "I'll go with you, we'll find out what she knows. I'm going to protect you Liana, even if it is from your own family." He said firmly.

I knew I should be insulted, offended, wasn't I supposed to insist on being independent and not needing a man? But...I wanted him with me. I did need him. I might protest it on principle but I did. My wolf nodded in agreement. He's ours...

"You know what all this means, don't you?" Zev said, tilting his head to the side.

"What?"

"You'll be able to play dodgeball now." Zev smirked.

I laughed.

"Liana? Is that you?" Carol absentmindedly looked up from the magazine she was reading. "It's getting late, you know. Start on dinner, I'm getting hungry. The living room could use a good dusting too."

"Didn't know you were her housekeeper, babe" Zev said, his eyes hard.

Carol looked up and gaped at him. "Who are you?"

"Her mate."

Carol's eyes widened in shock and realization. In that moment, I knew for sure that my aunt had known I was a wolf. Feelings of hurt, anger and confusion flooded through me. My own aunt had betrayed me. Suddenly the comments Carol would make about my mother made sense.

"What did you say?" Carol whispered, her eyes going to me and then narrowing. "Where's your necklace? You are never to take it off, you stupid girl!" She shouted, standing and starting towards me. She didn't get far as Zev was in a her face a moment later.

*Zev*

"Try it," I hissed. "Hurt my mate and it will be the last thing you do. Not that she can't take care of herself, as her strength isn't suppressed anymore."

Carol froze. "How dare you threaten me!"

"How dare you lie to me!" Liana spoke up, standing next to me. She rolled her eyes when I turned slightly so that I was still in front of her. "Overprotective wolf." I heard her mutter.

I threw her a smirk.

"You should thank me! I tried to protect you from becoming a monster!" Carol yelled. "Like your mother," She sneered.

Liana glared at her. "Don't talk about my mother."

"See, I found out," Carol said snidely. "Found out what she was, that she was a wolf," She spat out the word. "My brother, your dad, didn't care. Said he loved her no matter what. They ran off and got married and had you. Then they got themselves killed and I was the only one around to take care of you. And I knew it was possible that you would be a monster too, so I took precautions. I did a little research and found a gypsy who sold me that amulet."

"Your precautions could have killed her," I said dangerously. I was quiet a moment. "And you're not surprised by that."

Liana gave an audible gasp. "You knew it could kill me?" She whispered. "How could you? Why?"