Page 69 of Moonlighting with the Werewolf

The line went dead, and I pulled the phone from my ear to frown at it. Why did she sound so confident? Did she thinkmessing with my head would cause a moment’s hesitation to ripping out her throat?

Thank God I’d hesitated with Kerrigan.

Why hadn’t she told me some asshole had scared her? Lead filled my lungs at the realization he could’ve done worse, my chest twinging over the fact that I’d been the one to put her in harm’s way, just like I worried I would.

Foreboding slithered through me, even as I told myself I was only being paranoid—it was my MO, after all. Kerrigan was safe and sound inside the medical office. Even if she’d finished up in there, she would’ve remained at the compound.

Shit, why didn’t I tell someone besides Sasquatch to keep an eye on the werewolf from the Crescent Pack and instruct him to remain with Kerrigan, no matter what?

My pulse picked up speed, reaching the danger zone withing seconds.He wouldn’t have let her leave without an escort. He’s well aware of how I’d feel about that, especially right now.

“Damn it.” I bolted up the stairs, panic pulverizing my internal organs as every thought, every beat of my heart, everyeverythingturned to finding my mate.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

I pulledmy car up to my cabin, warmth spreading through me at the dark kitty outline in the window. For the first time since moving here, it felt like home. A bit shabby and still in need of repair, but still.

The lights had been off in Gina’s house when I swung by her place, the front door locked. I discovered via text she’d headed to the bar to leave instructions for her staff, as the next week would probably be hectic. With nothing else to do at the compound, I decided to make use of my time by grabbing an overnight bag, along with a few changes of clothes. And extra underwear— a supply of those, both comfy and sexy, landed at the top of the list.

A thrill went through me at the memory of Conall shredding my panties before we had sex against the wall. Depending on how many members of the Crescent Pack were injured, I might be tied up for the next several days. But if Conall and I found pockets of time to kill, well, we definitely knew how to blow off steam in the sexiest of ways.

Shoot. What about the clinic?

Honestly, I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to open my personal practice again for the more conventional animals of Guadalupe Falls, but I’d stay at the compound as long as Conall and the two packs needed me. Which meant I should probably coax Sir Pounce into his carrier and bring him along as well. Instead of asking Conall for permission, I’d go with the asking forgiveness angle. If he and I were going to work, the two boys in my life were going to have to learn how to get along anyway.

If.It was what I wanted more than anything, but I still couldn’t quite shake my concerns about the ominous werewolf hierarchy and their declaration against alphas daring to breed with humans.O-M-G. Conall’s Prince Harry and I’m totally Meghan Markle.

I snorted at the comparison, wondering if Conall would get it. Most likely not.

After releasing an exhale, I pushed out of my car and did my best to ignore my whirring thoughts. “One day at a time,” I whispered to myself as I unlocked the door and stepped into my living room.

It smelled kinda funky, like I’d had an Easter egg hunt four months ago and hadn’t found all the eggs. “Remind me to crack a window before we go, Sir Pounce.” My city gal instincts opined it was a good way to get robbed, but I’d learned here in Guadalupe Falls, I was more likely to be mauled by wild animals than experience a B-and-E.

“Real cheery thought, Kerrigan. Let’s work on our silver linings.” I shed Conall’s jacket and tossed it on the couch. Then I crouched over and patted my thighs. “Come ’ere, kitty. Want some food?”

Sir Pounce leaped off the windowsill and padded over. I started toward the kitchen, expecting him to follow, but instead he sat his butt on the ground and gave an offended meow.

“I know, I left you alone all day and I’m sorry, but we’re going on adventure.” Well, that was more Hobbit-esque than I’d meant it to be. “Come on. If you eat your treats now, you’ll be happier for the car ride.”

All I got from Sir Pounce was a slow blink using his entire face. No matter. Once the salmon-flavored Temptations hit his bowl, he’d come running.

As I strode across the living room, I frowned at the smudge of mud on the floor. I couldn’t recall a time I’d even gotten muddy. My eyes must be playing tricks on me because I swore light flickered for a fraction of a second as I stepped over it.

Was this a dream? Itfeltlike a dream.

Wait.The gears in my brain clicked into gear too late, the meaning caught in the continuing grind of them as a circle flashed around me, along with triangles, and funky lines I’d never seen before.

A loud buzz filled my ears as energy slammed into me, the resulting shock similar to diving underwater without plugging my nose. My foot hit the edge of the smeared mess, meeting resistance instead of air, and a chill racked my body as a sense of wrongness settled deep into my bones. My legs turned rubbery, lightheadedness took hold, and each labored gulp of oxygen caused my lungs to contract rather than inflate.

At the feel of trickling liquid, I swiped a finger under my nose, frowning as it came away covered in blood. My blurry finger separated into three as I studied the crimson stain. “What the hell?”

An eerie glow came from the front of the room, the rectangle imprinting itself on my retinas seconds before a creaking groaning noise filled the air. Then the door burst inward, pieces of the wood splintering and hitting my skin. I automatically lifted my arms to protect my face, freezing in horror as a hooded figure stepped through the large, blown-out hole.

I backpedaled a few steps, only to slam into something solid. A jolt fired through me, strong enough to send me to my hands and knees. I blinked at the current encircling me, shimmery green, with an obnoxious, high-pitched hum that reverberated through my head and overtook my brain.

Blood dripped from my nose, thick splatters against the wood floor, and my flight instinct kicked into high gear. I pushed to my wobbly feet and took another run at the odd wall of light, only to be stunned into submission again.

Not a dream, a nightmare.

---