Page 78 of Taken by Moonlight

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Sunday turnedout to be a beautiful morning, with breakfast on the terrace. I spent the morning with Alex outside in the garden, weeding and planting. Contented green and blue glowed around him. Alex had a deep connection to theearth.

Felicia had asked me to watch her barrel race, so after breakfast I went to the small store where the pack stocked cowboy hats and riding equipment. I selected a pretty turquoise hat with rhinestones that sparkled in the sun, clapped it on my head and headedout.

I nearly collided with Dante, driving a four-wheeler.

“Good.” He pulled his hat over his face, hiding his expression. “She can use a friend to watch her practice, Peyton. I ordered her to continue lessons withRyder.”

“Ordered her? Bossed her around instead of letting herdecide?”

“I am alpha and when I issue an order, it is for the good of my pack. Don’t question me on this, Peyton. Felicia is wild and needs discipline. Barrel racing will provide it. A human activity shelikes.”

I went up to him, and tipped up hishat.

Lips drawn tight, eyes flashing amber, I saw the emotions he tried to hide. But knowing what Felicia had told me, I had to give him guidancefirst.

“Your sister is wild, yes. But if you keep reining her in and forcing her to stay human, she’llbreak.”

Dante quietly swore. “I must do as I see fit, Peyton. If Felicia goes feral… Now, if you will excuse me, I havechores.”

Shaking his head, he drove toward thebarn.

Stubborn alpha. My heart twisted as I thought of the conflicting emotions he must feel, wanting his sister to shift into wolf and be normal, and his need to be the leader who protected hispeople.

Could Felicia really be thatdangerous?

As I approached the corral, I got a bad feeling in mygut.

It increased as I drew closer and saw the violent flares of color in the air, which I knew were the after effects of an aura leaving behind negativeenergy.

Chills raced down my spine as I saw the open gate, the saddled, rider less horse pacing around the barrels like a driverless car set on cruisecontrol.

The open gate creaked as I touched it. My fingers came away stainedcrimson.

Blood.

Whirling, I heard the sound of Dante’s All-Terrain Vehicle putting toward thepasture.

“Dante!” I screamed. “Get over herenow!”

He drove toward me. When he stopped, Dante leapt off the ATV, his face tense. “Whathappened?”

I showed him my hand. “Felicia’s gone. So is hertrainer.”

Nostrils flaring, he looked around. “Blood’s fresh. She can’t have gone far. Search thebarn.”

We took the ATV to the barn where farm equipment and hay was stored. Ryder emerged from the office, wrapping hishand.

“What happened? Where’s Felicia?” Dantedemanded.

“She shifted and bit me. Nearly took my hand off.” The cowboy’s laconic drawl was gone. No more flat vowels and crisp words. He spoke in a hurried tone, the words sharp withworry.

“Felicia’s gonerogue.”

My heart raced as Dantepaled.

“Why?” hedemanded.