Page 81 of Taken by Moonlight

Horror filled me. “Your ownsister?”

He didn’t answer, but a vein jumped in hisneck.

For Dante to kill his sister would have shattered him. I couldn’t even imagine the pain it would cause, the grief, and theguilt.

“Stupid, stupid rules for shifters.” I was shouting now, banging my fists against my thighs. “Humans have mental health facilities, why can’t shifters gettreatment?”

“Because shifters like Felicia are wild at heart and can’t be caged in institutions.” But as practical as Dante’s words were, I saw the grief in hiseyes.

The utterpain.

Killing his own sister because of some damn rules. Because he couldn’t controlher.

She was only a teenager, barely out of childhood. I lostit.

Sobs tore out of me as I buried my head into my hands, shoulders shaking. Dante slid an arm around myshoulder.

“It’s our way of life. It’s a hard way attimes.”

My sobs slowed down. The barn door creaked open and wind brushed through the aisle, teasing my dress hem. I smelled a familiar, endearing scent as another knelt before me, resting his head on mylap.

Alex.

All three comforted me as Icried.

“Why can’t someone helpFelicia?”

“It’s going to be all right now, sweetheart,” Dante murmured. “Just wait and see. Everything will be back to normal in ourpack.”

But I wondered if it would ever be truly normal for meagain.