Luna wandered London’s streets mindlessly for several hours, unable to bring herself to go home. She had no idea what time it was when she crept back into the flat, though dawn looked as though it was threatening to break on the horizon.

She hoped against hope that Silver would be sound asleep. The last thing she wanted was to deal with a reproachful, albeit docile, brother.

But to her dismay she found him sitting up on the couch, his face in shadow, reflective eyes meeting her own.

He didn’t look angry. It was worse than that.

He looked sad.

“Where have you been?” he asked. “I was worried sick about you.”

“Were you?” she asked, pulling her jacket up and trying to offer up a smile that totally contradicted her own mood. But when she saw how dead serious her brother was, a sense of deep remorse struck her chest. Another blow to an already injured ego. “I’m fine. It was an eventful night, but I’m fine.”

“Luna, I can’t have you staying out all night in this city,” said Silver. “It’s not wise.”

Why did it seem as though every man in her life was trying to control her in some way? Did it never occur to men not to order women about?

“Listen, Brother,” she growled, “I appreciate your concern, but one of the conditions of us living together is that you’re not supposed to worry about me, and you’re certainly not supposed to tell me what to do with my time. I can look after myself.” Or a big giant scary Dragon man can look after me, rip off my clothes, eat me out, then send me packing in some utterly confusing display of sexy male lunacy.

“Fine, fine,” Silver said, running a tortured hand through his hair. “I’m only concerned because something weird happened at the club last night.”

“What was it?” asked Luna, throwing herself down next to him on the couch.

“Someone came in a few hours ago. A man. He was all sweaty, and a little frazzled-looking. He asked for Ripper.”

“Do you know what he wanted?”

“I heard him saying he’d seen someone, in the park.”

The park. Luna’s heart began to race. Shit. Could Ripper know where she’d been? Well, even if he did, there was no rule against roaming at night.

There was, however, most certainly a rule about getting naked with Dragon men.

“Who was it?” she asked.

“Not sure. They went into Ripper’s office to talk. But I will tell you that our Alpha looked like a ghost when he came back out.”

“A ghost,” said Luna, distracted by thoughts of the previous night. “Hey, Silver, speaking of ghosts, what would you do if you ever saw him again?”

Once she’d asked the question, she wondered at her own sanity. She’d told herself that she wasn’t going to say anything about Kirith. Yet here she was, about to make a blood-chilling announcement.

“Saw who?” Silver replied as he leaned back, pressing his head to the wall above the couch.

“The BHD.”

Her brother turned her way, his eyes going wide. For a moment he looked like the boy she’d once known. The boy who’d been excited about life. Who could feel, who could experience emotion and surprise. He looked almost excited as soon as she uttered the words. “What the bloody hell are you talking about?” he asked.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“You’re telling me the BHD is here? In London?”

Luna nodded, biting a nail nervously. “I saw him last night, in Hyde Park.” She could have mentioned the earlier encounter in the pub, but it might have sent her brother over the edge to know she’d seen him twice in a twenty-four hour period.

“Jesus, Luna…he’s dangerous. Please tell me you didn’t talk to him.”

If you only knew what I’d done with him.

“Only a little,” she said. “But it was enough.”

“Enough for what?”

Luna swallowed hard. This was probably going to make her brother angry. “To be able to say that I don’t think he’s what Ripper wants us to believe. I don’t think he’s a bad man after all. I’m not sure any Dragon is bad.” In spite of what I saw in the woods that night.

Silver paused for a moment before mumbling, “Why do you say that?”

“He protected me from some rather nasty blokes last night,” she said. “So whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. He’s good.”

Silver turned away, his hand gripping the arm rest, as though he’d suddenly become tense. “Yes,” he replied, to her surprise. “It’s very likely that he is a good man.”

“What?” Luna asked, her jaw slack. “I always thought you hated him. Our entire Pack thinks he’s a killer, for fuck’s sake.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” said Silver. “But look—it doesn’t matter. Whatever he is, I don’t think you should seek him out again. He has good reason to hate our Pack, and I can’t imagine he’d tolerate even you for long. If you saw him last night, you’re lucky to be alive.”

Luna crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, he has good reason to hate our Pack?” she said. Kirith had said the same thing, but how on earth did Silver know anything about it?

“Call it a hunch,” Silver repeated, his voice reverting to its usual monotone, which meant that he was done with this conversation. Luna could feel him pulling away from her, retreating into his thick-walled vault, where nothing could touch him. “It doesn’t matter. Just stay away from him, Luna. Please.”

“You’re no longer telling me he’s horrid and cruel.”

“That’s because I don’t think he is cruel.” Silver threw his head back again, closing his eyes.

“But you won’t tell me why.”

Luna watched her brother. His eyes were still closed, but a single tear streaked down his left cheek. “If I told you what I know,” he said softly, pulling his eyes open, “it would break you as it’s broken me. I won’t have it, Luna. I won’t.”

“Silver…” she said, shifting her body towards his. She wanted to hug him, to put her head on his shoulder. To tell him that she would always be here for him. That she would always love him, no matter what. But as soon as she got near, he held his right hand up, gesturing her to stop.

When Luna’s eyes met the triangular tattoo on his palm, an ache set into her heart. Somehow, she knew, that fucking mark was behind all of this. Their ties to the Warkshire Pack, to Ripper, were the reason Silver had lost himself years earlier. “You need to talk to me,” she said. “Whatever it is you’ve been holding in all this time, you need to let it out. Otherwise I can’t help you. We can’t help each other.”

He shook his head. “I can’t,” he croaked out, his voice breaking. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, seemingly annoyed at his tears for daring to fall.

Luna rose to her feet, pressing her hands to her hips.

“Then don’t ever ask me to confide in you again,” she said. “And for fuck’s sake, don’t ever lecture me on coming home in the wee hours of the night. If you’re not going to share your life with me, there’s no sodding reason I should share mine with you. I’ll see you at the club tonight.”

With that, she charged into her room and slammed the door, not much caring if she woke the neighbours.

She needed to sleep. To clear her head of all the thoughts that were haunting it. But mostly, she needed to let her poor heart rest for a time. It had suffered too much damage for one day.