Chasing The Moon by Loribelle Hunt Read Free Book Online Page A

visibly got himself back under control. He took several deep breaths and a haunted look came into his eyes.
    “It’s not that simple. She…belongs to someone else.”
    Jackson looked at him, shock temporarily freezing his tongue. “One of us?” he asked incredulously. It wasn’t done, lusting after another’s mate.
    “Yes,” Billy said through clenched teeth. “But she’s meant to be mine .” Paper rustled from the corner, and he looked over sharply to meet Summer’s gaze. She gave him a slight smile. He couldn’t believe he’d been so distracted by Billy that he’d missed her presence in the room. Standing, she set aside the book she was reading, one of her grandmother’s journals, and walked toward them.
    “Summer,” Billy demanded. “There has to be a way to break a bond. Tell me how.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t belong with him. I don’t understand how this could happen.” She looked at him sadly and shook her head. “There’s only one way to break the bond.” The only way Jackson knew to break a mate bond was death. She took a deep breath and continued, “Y’all can create a bond with anyone. All it takes is that mix of chemicals. It doesn’t have to be a particular person.”
    Jackson looked at her quizzically. “I suppose that’s possible, but what would be the point?” She shrugged. “Lust. Power. Greed. Control. Take your pick.” Billy groaned and sat in a chair, face buried in his hands. After a moment he looked up. Staring into space, he muttered under his breath, but the words were clear and alarming to Jackson.
    “So she won’t be free until Wyatt’s dead.”
    “You are not going after Wyatt.” Jackson sat on the edge of the desk and stared Billy down until he finally nodded in agreement.
    “I told her I wouldn’t,” he said tightly.
    “That’s why you’re ready to take everyone’s head off? She asked you not to go after her mate?
    Maybe that should tell you something, man. She’s with whom she’s supposed to be with.” Billy gave him the steady stare he was more accustomed to, the one that told Jackson he was fully in control of himself and absolutely sure of what he said. “No. She doesn’t belong with him. She’s afraid of him. Of me. Of all men as near as I can tell, and she hasn’t always been. Wyatt did that. And now she’s stopped going to work.” He stared at his hands a minute and gulped. “I’m afraid he’s hurt her.
    I will kill him if I find out he has, Jackson.” Standing, Billy met his gaze before walking to the hall door.
    “Hey, where you going?”
    “Down to the basement.”
    He didn’t look back as he pulled the door closed with a soft click behind him. Jackson exhaled a pent up breath and glanced over at Summer. She stood still, the only sign the scene might have bothered her was the way her teeth worried her bottom lip.
    Taking one of the chairs in front of his desk, she cocked her head to one side. “What’s in the basement?”
    “We have a gym down there. He probably went straight for the punching bag.” He walked to the mini fridge in the corner and pulled out two bottles of water. After twisting off the lids and dropping them in the waste can, he took the armchair next to her and handed her one. He drank down half of his before he spoke. “So how do I fix this?”
    He laughed at the expression on her face. He’d finally stunned her speechless. “Cat got your tongue?” he teased.
    She shook her head as if clearing a thought and frowned at him. “Are you actually asking me for advice?”
    “Yes, Summer,” he answered seriously. “You are my mate, and you seem to know more about this than we do. You’re the expert, right?”
    She took a deep breath. “I suppose I am. I don’t see how I can help, though. There is only one way to break the bond. We had a spell, but…”
    She shrugged, and he was glad the bitterness from a few days ago was gone from her voice. The thought of that spell gave him