Page 66 of Taken by Moonlight
“Are you telling me, the alpha, what to do on my land and with mypack?”
I held my ground. “It’s their land and their pack too, and from what I understand, you gave them the barn to host this theater production. You don’t have to be an asshole about it. If you have business here and you changed your mind, tellthem.”
And then I threw my shoulders back and looked him right in the eye, the ultimate challenge to an alpha shifter. But deep inside, I knew Dante would not hurt me. I trusted him, had to trusthim.
“You can rage all you want, but you need to know this about me, Dante. I’ll always stick up for kids who have been wronged. Always. I don’t care who or what you are or what threats you make againstme.”
For a moment we stood toe to toe, the tension so thick you could slice it. I heard the rapid breathing of the teens and tweens behind me. Then suddenly his entire body relaxed. A weird, almost knowing smile touched his fullmouth.
He went to Felicia, placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am sorry I yelled at you. I have urgent business here in the barn. Can you take the others and rehearse for this afternoon in the auditorium? You can have the barn backtomorrow.”
Felicity nodded. And then he hugged her and she hugged him,tight.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Romeo grin, and nudge the teen beside him. “It worked,” hewhispered.
Odd. What worked? Instinct nudged me to study their auras. They swirled with innocent white, laced with the deeper, darker color of earth brown. I saw deception twined withearnestness.
Felicia winked at Dante, who hastily looked away. “Go,” he ordered with ascowl.
They hurried away. I lingered, leaning against the wall. “Ok alpha, whatgives?”
His look was guileless. “What?”
“That little show you just put on for me. You weren’tserious.”
Dante frowned. “Of course Iwas.”
“Your aura says youweren’t.”
The mask dropped. Dante’s full mouth opened, and then closed. Guess I had surprised him. “Your powers are quite astute, Peyton. I shall have to rememberthat.”
Then he kissed me hard, andleft.
In the auditorium in the main lodge, Felicia had already set everyone up in their places. The stage was set with a real balcony, with a Western backdrop. I sat in the audience and watched, unsurprised when Romeo said all his lines flawlessly, and Felicia had no need to admonishhim.
Because what had happened in the barn was a show… for mybenefit.
When they took a break, I approached Dante’s sister. Felicia was flipping through a script, makingnotes.
“Why?” I askedgently.
She did not look up, but nibbled on her Sharpie. “Dante asked for my help. He wanted to see how you’dreact.”
“React to him yelling atyou?”
It was a rhetorical question, but shenodded.
Suddenly I understood. I wasn’t here because Dante wanted me here to have weekend sex with him and his betas. He wanted more. He wanted me to fit in. And fitting in meant accepting the most important person to him – hissister.
“He wanted to test me because you’re important to him. More than anything, or anyone else, on this ranch,” Iguessed.
Now she did look up, her gaze troubled. “I love my brother, Peyton. But he should have settled down a long time ago, and maybe would have, except for me. I’ve been in the cog in his wheel. He would have found someone special by now if not for worrying about me. I’ve forced him to stay here instead of going into the city more for femalecompany.”
I sat next to her. Maybe Dante had brought me here to test me out, see how I’d like the ranch for a more permanent relationship, but right now what mattered more was Felicia. I put my hand on her arm. Touch was important to shifters. Werewolves especially thrived onit.
“You’re not a cog, Felicia. You’re his blood, and that’s a lasting bond. Dante is an alpha. I doubt anyone can force Dante’shand.”
“Probably. But he keeps pushing me into all these…human… activities and preventing me from shifting.” She scowled and shook her head, making her short hair bounce. “Even my hair! He wanted it cut short. As if it will make me more human. He hasn’t let me shift and run with the pack in months. I’m allowed to shift only when he is alone with me and then only for thirty minutes, so I won’t lose my magick. Sometimes when he pushes me so hard I want scream and run away, as wolf, and neverreturn.”
