Page 88 of Taken by Moonlight

Dante escorted me outside as Gabriel and Alex snapped out a thick blanket on the grass for me to sit. Then theyshifted.

Magick sizzled in the air, the crack of several shifters changing at once, the powerful current of energy dancing with iridescent sparks lighting the night. I had never seen anything likeit.

The black wolf, Dante, padded toward me. The top of his head came to the lower half of my hip. He easily weighed two hundred pounds, all of it all muscle andsinew.

Dante playfully head-butted me, and I plopped onto the blanket. Then he gently licked my face, his tongue like warm, wet sandpaper. Laughing, I stroked hishead.

“Easy, big guy. I’ll be fine. Go with yourpack.”

He ran off, checking once behind his shoulder, the pack followinghim.

Alex and Gabriel, both gray timber wolves, came on either side of me. They also licked myface.

I pointed to the woods. “I don’t need a babysitter. Gorun!”

At a much slower pace, they lopedoff.

Enthralled, I watched them run through the meadow beneath the silvery light of the moon. Then they vanished into the forest. Howlsensued.

The pack huntedprey.

Hugging my knees, I sat on the blanket on the grass, studying the sky. Loneliness swept over me. Did I belong anywhere? I felt comfortable here, but couldn’t participate in one of the most important pack rites. I had fallen in love with my boys, as I called them, but they weren’thuman.

Iwas.

Suddenly three wolves burst out of the forest, racing toward me. Confused, I watched them circle me. I recognized Dante, and the two smaller gray timber wolves must be Alex and Gabriel. But why were theyhere?

“Shouldn’t you be hunting rabbits or chasing your tails?” I teasedthem.

Dante the wolf threw back his head and released a long, loud howl at thenight.

A call of thewild.

Wolves tore out of the forest, answering his call. And then suddenly the entire pack surrounded me. They crawled onto the blanket, curled up next to me, tails wagging. One rested his head on mythigh.

Emotion clogged my throat. I might not be able to shift like they did, and run with my boys, but Dante made sure I was not forgotten. This was his way of ensuring I was not alone, and the pack was withme.

Damn, why did he have to do that? Why must he be so considerate, so sweet? It would make it even harder toleave.

The muscled black wolf pushed his way through the crowd, approached me and licked my cheek. It was a claiming in wolf skin, saying, ‘She’smine.”

It did not surprise me when the two gray timber wolves did thesame.

These were my boys, who adored running with the full moon and hunting, who came back to make sure I was not leftout.

I choked back my emotions and struggled to speak. “Just don’t think about marking your territory the way wolves usually do, okayboys?”

Giving a wolfish grin, the larger gray wolf went to lift his leg on me. Jokester. I held up a hand. “Try it, Gabriel and you’ll get an unwelcome surprise in your bed tonight. Ever have jalapeno juice on yourdick?”

The other wolf howled. I’m sure it was a laugh.Alex.

Nosing aside the others, the black wolf padded toward me. The others made room for him as he sat down on the blanket, resting his head upon my lap. I stroked his thickfur.

Dante shifted back. Nude, he lay on the blanket, looking up at me. A lazy smile graced his handsomeface.

“Hellodimples.”

Playfully, I punched his arm. “Hey. That’s supposed to beprivate.”