Page 113 of Taken by Moonlight

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The restof the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions of work, wrapping up projects to hand off to Jon, lining up hotel reservations. At lunch when I went to the cafeteria, no one looked atme.

Either they’d heard about my unfortunate demotion or they were afraid I’d use my psi superpowers to determine that their turkey on whole wheat had too manypreservatives.

Taking my brown bag out after snagging a soda, I ate alone in the upstairsbathroom.

Cutting out of work early, I headed for home. The house sat empty, silent and big, just as it had when I’d come home Sundaynight.

Why was I putting my life on hold for a house filled only with ghosts and memories? The pretty plates in the china cabinet, the delicate figurines that had been my mother’s, and the rooms echoing with ghostlylaughter.

This was no way to live, shutting myself away. It was only ahouse.

Not a real home like Dante had made for hispack.

My mother’s voice echoed in the silence.Let it go, honey. We would want you to be happy and you’re not happy stuck here as caretaker to this dusty oldplace.

That wasn’t why my grandfather had built thehouse.

That wasn’t why my parents had settledhere.

I’m human, I whispered back to the memories. But I was not like the others. I saw too much, read too much into other people’s emotions and theirthoughts.

Spending time with shifters had only enhanced my abilities, honed them like a steelsword.

I couldn’t turn off my gift even if I wantedto.

But did I even want to try? To fit into a world where I no longer feltwelcome?

Going over to the sofa, I buried my head into my hands and sobbed. I cried because I missed myfamily.

I cried because I missed my boys, missed Felicia and the others on theranch.

And I had left them behind for a house filled with memories but notlife.

Finally, I wiped away my tears and trudged upstairs tosleep.

And cried myself tosleep.

It must have beena couple of hours later when the doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock and wiped my face. Barely after nine. Who called this time ofnight?

It had better not be that damn Glinda, making sure I was working to book her airlineticket.

But when I opened the front door, three handsome, sexy shifters stood on thestoop.

My jawdropped.

“What…why…”

“May we come in?” Alex askedpolitely.

I stepped aside, nodding. Words failedme.

We went into the living room. Alex sat on one side, Gabriel on my other on the sofa, while Dante perched on the wood coffee table beforeme.

“I told you that you could not visit us again, my darling Peyton. But that did not mean we couldn’t come to see you.” Dante picked up my hand and kissedit.

Gabriel slid an arm around my waist. “We discussed it and decided. Put it to a vote. You’re the only one for us,Peyton.”