Page 30 of Under the Moonlight

“Pax?” Clyde asked.

“And Dakota. Bitch tried to shoot me. If Greer hadn’t gotten my seat back as fast as she did, I would be missing half my brain. She saved my life.”

“You just left her there?” Xander took a menacing step toward Dereck, but found his thigh chomped down of by Jill. She hissed at him, obviously telling him that it wasn’t Derick’s fault.

“My legs were fucked; there was nothing I could do except die and they would have taken her anyway. They put her in the truck alive. Plus, I was afraid that Jill would shift and not be able to shift back soon enough to give you what you needed.”

Jill swung her tail at Derick, but Xander was rapidly losing patience. Pulling his shirt over his head, he tossed it behind him, anguish ripping his guts up. He had to save her before they hurt her. He had to tell her he was sorry.

He stripped down and leaped from the porch, shifting in midair. As he raced through the woods, he heard the distinct sound of multiple paws and panting breath behind him. He tipped his nose to the air as he saw the flashing lights of a police cruiser and ambulance up ahead. He stopped in the line of trees to listen to what they were saying.

“There’s nobody here. Looks like a smash and grab,” a young officer said.

His older partner shook his head before squatting down. “I’ve never seen that in thirty years in this town. What the hell is going on here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe gang related?”

The older officer stood up with a laugh. “What the hell would gangs want to move all the way up here for?”

“Maybe it is shifters.”

“God help us.”

Xander backed up and turned to Dereck, Clyde, and Jill. Luke, and Clint came out of the trees behind. Their coats all ran black to cinnamon, so they blended better in the dark than Xander did. Jill was inexperienced, and Clint was just a pup. Xander wanted to tell them both to go back to the house, but he figured it was no use.

Dereck whined and took several steps toward the road leading away from Moonlight Ridge.

Maybe that was why he’d never caught their scent in town. They were staying on the outskirts.

He nodded and they followed behind Dereck as the pack of shifters raced through the trees.

Please, let her be alright.

20

Greer was pretty sure if anyone was going to kill her, it was going to be Dakota. For some reason, Greer seemed to rub her the wrong way. Pax had sent her on an errand as if to keep his wolf from murdering the hostage.

The two of them had been shacked up in a cabin about five miles off the main road. They hadn’t bothered to cover her eyes, so she knew the way. Which meant they planned on killing her no matter what.

He’d tied her hands and feet with rope and tossed her onto the couch in the living room when they’d arrived. Besides that, he hadn’t touched her, just continued to pace, looking out the window every few minutes.

“Your girlfriend seems really uptight,” Greer said, breaking the silence.

“Maybe she just doesn’t appreciate your sense of humor the way I do.”

He hadn’t turned around when he’d said it, so cavalier, almost bored and she decided to push his buttons.

“You do huh? I would think a guy like you wouldn’t like a woman who spoke her mind and called you on your bullshit.”

“I am a man of eclectic tastes. I like to change things up a bit from time to time.” He finally turned, his smile terrifying. He was like a bald eagle. Beautiful until it gripped you in its talons and ripped your guts out.

“And how does Dakota feel about you changing it up?”

“She does what she’s told. Dakota likes to keep me happy.”

Greer laughed. “That poor girl. She is completely delusional where you’re concerned, or she would have dumped your ass years ago.”

For a moment, his expression darkened and she was sure she’d struck a nerve. Then, it was gone and that eerie smile was back. He took a few steps her way, pinching her chin as he lifted her gaze to meet his. When she tried to resist, his grip became bruising.

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