Page 38 of Dancer's Heart

Dani really did want to cry now as the male in front of her undid the collar. It tightened only briefly before loosening completely, and he carefully lifted it from her. She was so happy she could have jumped for joy, but she wanted to shift and find a phone so she could call Adam. She hoped he was okay. She didn’t know what she’d do if he was hurt…or worse. Shoving those dark thoughts away from her mind, she waited until the harness was off her and then let go of her shift.

A warm shirt was laid over her shoulders as she crouched on the ground, and she looked up at the male who had unhooked her collar. “Thank you.”

She saw a large tattoo of a reindeer over his pec and an oval symbol on his left bicep. He offered her his hand and she took it, standing slowly and slipping her arms into the shirt so she could cover herself completely.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his brows drawn.

“Dancer.”

“Are you kidding me? Who named you after one of the myths?” another male asked, coming to stand next to the one who had helped her.

“My parents,” she said, frowning. “My herd was killed by natural coyotes when I was a child. I was taken in by a bear sleuth and raised. My adopted name is Grayson, but my real last name is Hayvlin.”

The male who had helped the other female growled. “All this reclusive bullshit is why our people are dying out.”

“Now isnotthe time,” the man nearest her said. “My name is Trey, Dancer. Our leader is outside closing this fucking place down for good. Is there someone you can call, or are you alone?”

“I have a mate,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

He smiled and took his phone out of a vest pocket. “Here you go. Tell him that we’ll stay with you until he comes. We’re in Crowley. Where do you live with your mate?”

“Wilde Creek.”

One of the males whistled. “That’s about two hours from here. How the hell did you get here?”

“I was kidnapped. They drugged me when I was in our backyard; I have no idea why they took me.”

“We’ll find out from these scumbags for sure, but it’s our belief that our sister and you were taken because reindeer are unique—especially females, who are born less frequently than males. There are evil people in this world who would kidnap and sell a female reindeer to any number of sick weirdoes out there.”

She shivered at the thought of being sold off because she was a reindeer, and dialed Adam’s cell. She stared at the center of the barn, where most of the kidnappers who had been putting her and Tesli into the trailer were piled on top of each other, bloody and unmoving. “Are they dead?” she asked Trey.

“Yeah. There is one human who is still alive, so we can get answers from him.”

“Good.” She could see Adam’s dad among the dead. She turned her back on the scene when Adam’s voice came over the line. She was so relieved to hear his voice that she started to cry.

“Dani? Dani! Are you okay?” he demanded, his voice a low growl.

She tried to answer, but she couldn’t stop crying. Trey took the phone from her and said, “My name is Trey Parks. My herd rescued Dani from the Little Lambs Petting Zoo in Crowley. She’s safe, and we’re securing the park. How soon can you get here?”

Adam answered as Dani struggled to get her emotions under control.

“Okay. Yes, she’s okay. We found her when we were searching for our king’s sister. We’ll keep her safe until you’re here.”

Trey held out the phone to Dani and she accepted it, taking a few deep breaths and trying to calm down. “Adam?”

“Sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. We’ll be there in less than two hours. Hold tight.”

“Hurry,” she said. She clutched the phone, her knuckles cracking with the pressure.

“I will,” he promised.

The call ended, and she forced herself to let go of the phone. “Thank you.”

Tesli came over, her arm around the waist of the male who had set her free. “This is my brother, Liam. Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?”

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