Run with the Moon Read Online Free PDF Page B

him, slamming his head up and grunting.
    Valen was faster. He jerked back and lay fully on Aaron, using his greater weight to keep the man from escaping. “Stop. I’m no rapist. Calm down.”
    For whatever reason, the words only added to Aaron’s panic.
    “I don’t think he’s right upstairs,” Rivvie said, moving to stand just beyond Aaron’s fingertips. “You know, he’s crazy? A few twigs short of a nest? Or maybe he only has a few twigs in the first place and it’s not even enough for kindling, and he thinks it’s a nest.”
    Valen blocked out Rivvie’s babbling and concentrated on Aaron, who showed no signs of calming. Valen truly feared that Aaron would hurt himself.
    “Enough,” Valen roared when Aaron almost nutted him, driving a boney knee against the inside of Valen’s thigh. Aaron was wriggly and sweaty, and Valen’s grip was becoming more tenuous with each passing moment. “Enough!” he repeated.
    The second time, Aaron finally obeyed. He went limp as plucked flowers left out in the sun all day.
    Valen smelled salt, and saw the tracks of tears on Aaron’s cheeks. Guilt assailed him. He was brutalizing someone weaker and smaller than himself. And why? Because he didn’t want to let Aaron go. Was that the kind of alpha he intended to be?
    Aaron’s not pack. Not mine. Deep inside, his wolf made its unhappiness with those claims known, snarling like a mad beast. Telling himself to calm down just as Aaron had, Valen began rubbing his thumbs along the insides of Aaron’s wrists. The skin there was smoother than anything else Valen had ever felt, and he could feel Aaron’s pulse at certain points.
    “I’ve no intention of hurting you in any way,” Valen finally said. “I’ll let go of you if you promise not to run.”
    Aaron sniffled and gave the barest bob of his head in agreement.
    “All right. Understand, there is no reason for me to exact revenge. I have my belongings back.” After another few seconds, Valen regretfully loosened his grip on Aaron’s wrists. He liked touching the man, but he really disliked the tears. And, Valen scolded himself mentally, he really needed to act like the kind of alpha he intended to be. No, the kind he was. Rivvie was part of his pack now and Valen should be setting an example. A good one, rather.
    Aaron’s cheeks were wet when Valen fully let go of him. Valen moved off Aaron and sat beside him instead. “Are you hurt, or scared?” He suspected it was a mix of both. He had been forceful at first as he’d held onto Aaron.
    Aaron sniffed again then scrubbed at the tears on his face. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.
    Rivvie propped his hands on his hips while looking down at Aaron. “You’re kinda puny. So were the others. Are all humans scrawny?”
    “Rivvie, fetch some water for Aaron Olsen.” The novelty of a last name had Valen wanting to say it.
    “With what?” Rivvie asked. “All there is for carrying water is the—”
    “Then use it,” Valen snapped, losing all patience with Rivvie.
    Rivvie crouched and glared at him. “No. That would make this place your home, and you know you can’t live close to another pack. You and Father would have to fight, at some point.”
    For being such a jokester at times, Rivvie could be direct and articulate, too—usually right when Valen didn’t want him to be. “It’s just a gods-be-damned cup, Rivvie. It doesn’t choose my home. I choose it.”
    “Because using the cup—” Rivvie flapped a hand at him. “Oh, never mind. You’re going to be stubborn. I’ll figure something out. Like, I don’t know. Throwing Aaron over my shoulder to carry him to the stream, or oh! How about this? He can walk! ”
    Valen stood and glowered at his brother. “Tell me again why I’d want you as my beta?”
    Rivvie gave him a weird, fluttery-fingers salute then dashed toward the stream.
    “I could walk.” Aaron made as if to rise to his knees then hissed and plopped onto his butt. “My knee. What did you do to