Page 39 of Hunted

They had walked all the way to the outskirts of the Moonstone pack territory.

“Well, everyone expected me to become alpha. But it seems that my father has been in control this whole time.”

“I can tell.” Dominic grimaced. “Listen, why don’t you join in on the preparations for tonight? I’m sure you’ve been bored.”

Luke nodded enthusiastically, and Dominic led him to the section of the compound where the preparations for the dinner and the run were happening.

They worked until the sun sank low. Dominic was surprised to see that the weather hadn’t cooled. The thought worried him. He only hoped his wolves would be able to control themselves. He was glad to see that Luke was assimilating into the pack—even though it was not reallyhispack.

When Luke had first arrived, the wolves of the Moonstone pack had been wary of Luke’s presence. He was a different alpha to their own, after all, and posed a direct threat to Dominic and Abigail’s growing relationship. But now, they seemed to have accepted his presence and allowed him to interact with them.

While Luke helped out with the preparations for the dinner, Dominic spoke to his betas and pack soldiers.

“You need to keep an eye on everyone tonight. This heat is never good. I want everyone to blow off steam but keep things tight. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

They all nodded in unison, and after Dominic was sure they understood his instructions, he mapped out the route for the pack run.

The Moonstone pack territory was surrounded by forests on all sides. They were close to a national park, after all. He made sure, as he mapped out the route, that the run would be long enough and tough enough to help all the wolves blow off the steam from the full moon.

As he finished and looked around at the pack, he felt he could almost see the electricity in the air.

The moon was rising, and it was calling to every wolf inside each and every one of his pack members. Soon, there would not be a human face in sight.

Dominic could almost see the wolf taking over in each of his pack members.

This full moon is going to be wild. Hopefully we’ll make it through the pack dinner alive.

Chapter 18

Abigail

Abigailwassureshewasn’t the only one who had noticed the tension in the air. It was hot, almost unbearably so.

And with the full moon rising above the nearest hill, peeking out like a silvery-white disk of power, every wolf in the Moonstone pack was itching to run.

But the wolves of the Moonstone pack were also civilized.

They would not shift and run until their alpha had given them permission. And besides, they had to make it through the pack dinner first.

Abigail had begun helping in the kitchen in the evenings after she finished tutoring the pups of the Moonstone pack, and tonight was no different. They had finished cooking the meal and brought it out to the communal space around seven in the evening. The beautiful fragrances of the food seemed to be intensified by the extreme heat, and Abigail saw that several of the younger wolves practically jumped around in their seats. Everyone was more ready for the run than they were for dinner.

Abigail took her place beside Dominic and was surprised to see Luke on the other side of her.

He must have noticed her surprise because he smiled wryly. “Dominic said I should sit here.”

“Oh. That was nice of him,” Abigail said slowly and then looked over at Dominic.

He smiled down at her as he made a toast. “To all the new guests we have welcomed in the past few weeks.” He placed a hand on her shoulder while Luke took her hand underneath the table. “We’re glad to have you here.” After the toasts, Nic made a different speech. “I know we’re all excited for our full moon run tonight. I know the heat is getting to everyone, and we all just want to let off steam. But just remember to be safe out there.”

Abigail could tell the almost unnatural heat was affecting the wolves. And it seemed to be affecting the rest of the plant and animal life that existed within the Moonstone pack territory too.

Usually, Abigail’s senses were almost overwhelmed by the sounds of the small animals that lived in the forests surrounding the pack compound. But tonight, as the last whispers of red-gold sunlight disappeared beneath the horizon, and the full moon rose high and bright in its majestic entirety in the nighttime sky, Abigail heard nothing.

There was no sound of chirping coming from the sugar maple and pine trees. No sounds of scurrying through the thick undergrowth of the forests.

Nothing.

Maybe the birds, chipmunks, skunks, and squirrels knew the wolves would be coming out that night.

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