Page 33 of Under the Moonlight

He turned with a quiet snarl and shifted. The Larsen’s followed suit. Jill was a little slower than the rest of them but getting better every time.

Xander sprang from the trees, racing toward the six shifters, who stumbled back in terror as the wolves swarmed them. Xander didn’t stop, letting the rest of the army take care of them.

He needed to get to Greer.

He jumped, shattering the window as he crashed into the cabin. Glass stuck in his coat, but he didn’t dare shake. He couldn’t take his eyes off Greer.

Greer was on the couch, her hands tied behind her back and her ankles locked together with thick rope. Dakota sat behind her, a gun pressed against her temple.

Xander’s heart lurched as he watched her, studying her for any injury, but besides a gash on her swollen cheek, she seemed uninjured.

Pax stepped out of the back room, and the minute Xander spotted him, he growled.

“Xander Thorson. I must admit, meeting you in person for the first time is quite thrilling. I’ve heard so much about you from your family and your pet human here. She really is a darling creature. I don’t know why you haven’t claimed her yet.”

Dakota jerked on Greer’s arm and Xander took a step toward them, his chest rumbling a warning.

“Make one more move, and I’ll kill her,” Dakota said.

“You don’t have the stones,” Greer said.

Xander wanted to scold her and praise her at the same time. His brave girl still cracked jokes in the face of danger.

Dakota cuffed her up the side of her head. “Shut up, you stupid cow.”

“Dakota, I’ve told you. Only I am to lay hands on her.”

The wolf-bitch threw Greer away from her and she hit the side of the ugly green couch. She lay so still that Xander wanted to rush to her.

“I don’t understand why I can’t just blow her brains out. You said you wanted him here to watch; he’s here.”

Greer stirred, scooting back up until she was sitting upright against the couch.

“Don’t you want to know why Pax doesn’t want me dead Dakota?” Greer asked.

Xander didn’t know what she was going to say, but it was obvious from her defiant expression it would piss Dakota off. He wanted to tell her to be quiet, but he was afraid to shift and lose his only weapon.

“What the hell is she talking about?” When he didn’t respond swiftly enough, she shrieked, “Paxon, what is she talking about?”

“Nothing, dearest, she’s just trying to rile you up.”

Greer’s laughter was laced with snark. “That’s not true, dearest. He told me when you were gone that he plans to bite me in front of Xander and make me his mate, just before Pax kills him.”

Xander saw the gun in Dakota’s hand shake. “No.” She swung the gun away from Greer and pointed it at Pax. “Tell me that’s not fucking true.”

“Darling, why would I want her when I have you?”

Xander crept closer to Greer, who was struggling to get loose.

Dakota’s doubt seemed to waver, and then she brought up her other hand, steadying the gun as she leveled it at Pax.

“Tell me you love me,” she whispered.

“Of course, I do.” His voice oozed with sweetness. “Give me the gun, and I’ll shoot Xander. He’ll never bother us again.”

“And her?” Dakota swung the gun Greer’s way.

There was a flicker across Pax’s face that lasted barely a quarter of a second, but Xander had seen it.

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