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“I’m okay.” She looked at the male with his arm around Tesli. “You’re the king of the herd?”
“I’m his younger brother. Dragos is outside securing the park. The owners are about to lose their investment in this fucking place.”
“You curse too much,” Tesli said.
He kissed the top of her head. “Can’t help it. I’m happy to have my baby sister back.” He eyed Dani. “Did I hear right? Were you really orphaned as a kid?”
She nodded. “My adopted mom kept trying to find a herd. It wasn’t until recently that she actually found one, through a private detective. I was on the way to meet them when I found my truemate.”
“Wilde Creek is wolf territory, so I’m guessing your mate’s a wolf?” Liam asked.
Dani bristled. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Whoa, calm down, Dancer, it’s fine. Finding a mate is a good thing, regardless of whether they shift or not, or what they shift into.”
A hush fell over the barn as a huge male walked inside. He wore the same black military garb as the others, but he clearly was an important male.
“Tes,” he said as she ran to him and he folded her into his embrace. “Are you well?”
“I am now. How long was I gone? The days and nights blended together, and they kept me drugged up for what felt like a long time.”
“Nearly a week. Last night we caught a break in the search. Did they…harm you?”
“No,” she said. “They kept me in my shift and made me wear a really nasty collar that kept me from shifting into my human form. Remember when we were kids and Mom and Dad talked about microchipping us in case we were ever kidnapped? I vote we do that now.”
Dragos smiled. “Whatever my sister wants.” He looked at Dani. “I’m Dragos, king of the herd. I understand you’re waiting for your mate. How long have you been here?”
“They came for me on the full moon, I think that was just last night.”
“It was,” he said. “Let’s get you the fuck out of the barn. My men will find out what the human has to say about your kidnappings. I think we can find some clothes in the storage unit, and we’ll wait for your mate in the main office.”
“Let me carry you,” Trey offered. “You’re barefoot and it’s freezing.”
Dani accepted. Trey lifted her into his arms and carried her, falling into step behind Dragos, who carried his sister, and the other males. After stopping in the storage building and donning janitorial uniforms with cartoon lambs on the back, they sat down in the main office and waited for Adam.
She watched out the window and saw a lot of males dressed all in black, carrying buckets back and forth between all the buildings.
“What are they doing?” she asked, turning to look at Liam and Dragos who were sitting on top of a metal desk.
Liam said, “They’re soaking the buildings with accelerant. It will ensure that the bodies left behind are difficult to identify.”
A reindeer male walked into the office, introduced himself as Rell, and then turned to Dragos. “This place hasn’t been in operation for years, but according to the human, a local mob run by shifters used the barn to hold abducted shifters until buyers were located. They were going to sell Tesli to become a sex slave out of the country. They were on the way to pick her up when they were told about Dani. They held off on Tesli’s sale for her.”
“Shit,” Tesli said. “If you hadn’t been spotted I would have been gone.”
Dragos growled. “It’s shameful what sick minds will do.”
Rell asked, “Do you know who took you?”
“No. I have no idea who they were. My mate’s dad was among the dead. He said that I was here because he needed money, so I guess he knew whoever these kidnappers were.”
“They’re dead now, but make sure your mate knows to keep an extra eye out for you just to be safe. Scumbags like these tend to have friends in low places,” Liam said.
Turning her attention back to the window, she watched as three of the reindeer males carried containers of accelerant toward the barn. She rubbed at the space between her eyes, her mind slipping back to the past without her consent.
She’d been sitting by the bonfire in front of her family’s tent with her aunt, trying to stay awake until her family returned with the herd. They’d gone foraging in their shifted form. The sun was starting to set, and everyone was supposed to be back before full dark. It was dangerous for reindeer to be in their shift after nightfall. Their vision wasn’t as sharp in the dark as a predator’s and they could easily miss a wolf or mountain lion stalking them. She wasn’t old enough to shift yet, but she looked forward to spending the time with her family out in the woods.
She’d turned to her aunt to ask if she could have another cup of hot chocolate when the unmistakable sound of coyotes howling echoed around them. Her aunt leaped to her feet, her eyes wildly scanning the area as she pulled Dani to her feet and shoved her behind her.
