Page 41 of Hunted

How had she become lucky enough to have not one but two packs?

How had she become lucky enough to have more than one family?

I have always wanted to belong. And now I do. Twice.

The thought, like her heartbeat, urged her forward even further until she was at the front of the pack, flanked by both Dominic and Luke.

The run came to a stop after three in the morning. The wolves of the Moonstone pack were tired, hot, and worn out.

And they were happy.

The run had been exactly what they needed.

The extreme heat of the day had withered away underneath the cold, blaring light of the full moon.

Soon, they were returning to the compound with most of the wolves covered in rich dark soil, twigs, and leaves. Most of the wolves retired to their homes right away, but a few pups remained outside along with Abigail, Luke, and Dominic.

The full moon night was one of the only times the pups were allowed to stay up late without their parents, mostly because usually one or two wolves were looking out for them. Abigail remained in her wolf form and played around with some of the pups, racing them, nipping at their heels, and rolling down a small hill with them.

Eventually Dominic and Luke joined her.

The pups only gave out when the sun was close to appearing again.

Abigail, still in her wolf form, made sure that each pup was there and accounted for. She ensured none of them had gotten hurt during the run.

Afterward, she gave them each a rough licking, cleaning them of dirt.

When she turned, both Dominic and Luke were looking at her, their golden eyes bright and sharp. None of them wanted to shift yet, she knew. They simply wanted to remain in their wolf forms for a few more hours. Transitioning back to their human forms was never easy, though it was painless.

At the end of the day, the animal always wanted to come out.

The beast always wanted to dominate.

The creature wanted to remain in control.

Just for a few more hours,Dominic and Luke’s eyes seemed to say.

Abigail ducked her head in deference to both her alphas and padded to them. She paced around in a circle for a few moments before curling up on a warm patch of grass. The adrenaline of the night had given way to exhaustion. It seemed to strike Luke and Nic too because they each curled up on either side of her.

Abigail shifted slightly so that her hind legs were entangled with Luke’s while her chin rested on Dominic’s neck.

They were asleep within seconds.

Chapter 19

Abigail

“I’mgoingbacktoCrimson Claw,” Luke announced abruptly. He had asked Dominic if he could come over for dinner to talk with him and Abigail and, other than insisting that they both be there, he had been cryptic and cagey.

Dominic had agreed, of course, but Abigail hadn’t believed him at first when he said he didn’t know anything about why Luke had arranged the dinner. She had a sneaking suspicion they talked to each other more than they talked to her, and while mostly unfounded, they did seem to know a lot more about each other than either of them let on.

This time, however, Dominic’s surprise mirrored her own. The three sat at the dining room table, two with shock plastered on their faces, and finally Dominic spoke first. “Why? Is there a problem? Has anyone in the pack been unfriendly?”

Luke shook his head. “No, no, I just… let’s be honest here. I don’t fit in. Something about the way Abigail came here has everybody spooked, and I’m not going to get anyone to trust me until I can legitimately say that I’ve tried everything to make sure whatever happened doesn’t happen again.”

“You can’t just leave.” Abigail interrupted, obviously panicked. Dominic frowned but said nothing.

“For a little while, yes. I need to talk to Dad about what exactly went on between the two of you, maybe get a little information about the state in which you left.”

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