Taken by Moonlight (8 page)

Authors: Dorothy McFalls

BOOK: Taken by Moonlight

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“We always hope to,” Dimitri said. A smile pulled at his lips.

“For the last several years I have been restless, unsettled. The restlessness had grown more painful with the passing of every day. And I didn’t know why. But now I don’t feel that anymore.” She sounded truly surprised by this.

“You have found your wolf. It had been begging to be freed. You did that, my cub. You freed yourself.” And he couldn’t be more proud of her for her strength. She was truly an amazing wolf.

“Perhaps,” she said thoughtfully. “But I suspect something more than that happened to me last night. I no longer feel incomplete, as if I’m missing part of myself. Because of you, because of the connection we forged when we fought together and when we...” She blushed deeply. “I finally feel complete.”

His heart started pounding against his chest as if he had run across hundreds of fields and had the energy to dash across hundreds more. Not caring who was watching or who might be scandalized by an open display of affection, he crossed the room and enfolded her in his arms.

“I have never felt this feeling that I feel for you. My heart is tight and warm and happy and jittery as hell,” he said and reverently kissed the top of her head. “It’s really quite a confusing jumble that I’m feeling for you. I believe it must be love.”

“I believe it must be,” she said with a stunning smile that took his breath away. “And now back to the issue at hand. The property.” She gave Dimitri a quick kiss and slipped from his arms to return to her father’s side.

“M-much of our land is too rocky for farming and the rest is too wet,” the countess tearfully explained. “And dear, you aren’t interested in raising sheep. Our property is in the farthest reaches of Northumberland, remote and vast. The only thing we have in abundance is small game and vermin.”

“But the danger—”

The countess caught the earl’s hand. “Sh-she will leave us if we don’t. She was never ours. We-we knew that. And now she’s grown. We can’t force her to stay.”

The earl’s frown deepened. He cupped his daughter’s chin. “We loved you as if you were our own. We did the best we could for you.”

“I know, Papa. I don’t want to leave you. But I have to learn who I am, what I am. I… I don’t belong here.”

“No,” he said. “I don’t suppose you do. Do you really love
him
?” He gestured toward Dimitri.

“I do, Papa. I truly do.”

And so it was decided that morning that the pack would make their home in the north of England on the Earl of Hawthorn’s vast property, but not before—the earl insisted—Lia and Dimitri were properly and legally wed, not just in a church, but at Westminster Cathedral with all of London Society in attendance.

EPILOGUE

FOUR
MONTHS
LATER

“Are you ready, my cub?” Dimitri asked.

Lia swallowed hard. The dark fields and fens spread out for as far as the eye could see. The vast space was both beautiful and terrifying. “I-I don’t know.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be right beside you.”

On a rise in the distance, a group of wolves gathered. They turned their gazes up toward the moon and howled. Their somber song called to her.

Lia glanced back at the manor house. There was a soft glow from the windows. It would be warm inside there. Her parents would be in the library by now. Was her father reading the newspaper? Was her mother embroidering another elaborate table runner? Was life moving on without her?

Part of her wanted to go back to the house, back to her family and the comfortable life she’d known. But the wolf in her paced restlessly, anxious to escape from its cage.
Please
, she could hear it cry.
Please, let me go
.

“You’ll see your parents again,” Dimitri promised. “I give you my word that you will.”

“Yes, I believe you.” She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “I’m ready.”

He gave her hand a squeeze and kissed her cheek. “Let’s go.”

Together they shifted. Her wolf, snowy white with a black-tipped tail, leapt from her body. Feeling more alive than she’d ever felt before, she ran beside her silver lover to join the rest of the pack.

And she ran free.

THANK
YOU
FOR
READING

TAKEN
BY
MOONLIGHT

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I would like to
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. Just let me know which one.

Thank you!

A
LSO AVAILABLE ON
K
INDLE:

The Nude
(Regency Romance)

Upon my honor!
If not for that shocking painting... It has ruined everything, simply everything. A handsome marquess promises to repair my tattered reputation. But how can I trust him or his clever kisses when he's clearly hiding a deep, dark secret of his own?

The Marriage List
(originally published by Signet Regency, May 2005)

Compelled by his family to marry, Viscount Radford Evers makes a list of his requirements for a wife. Humble tenant May Sheffers meets none of these, so why does his heart beat madly at the sight of her?

Lady Iona’s Rebellion
(Regency Romance)

When obedient Lady Iona is pressured into accepting a husband of her father's choosing, she seeks out notorious rake, Lord Nathan Wynter, for lessons in rebellion.

Lady Sophie’s Midnight Seduction
(Sensual short Regency Romance)

In this
SHORT STORY
, Lady Sophie, a self-avowed spinster, has been happy with her independence for many years...that is until Lord Benton-Black enters her world. Now she finds her nights haunted by this man who is determined to seduce her and make her his wife.

A Wizard For Christmas
(Contemporary Short Paranormal Romance)

Holly desperately wants a perfect Christmas, and she's perfectly willing to make herself miserable getting one. Unfortunately, there are forces at play that threaten more than her holidays...her life is in danger. And the only one who seems to know what's going on is a darkly handsome, but mysterious, stranger who makes her want to add "romance" to this year's Christmas wish list.

Neptune’s Lair
(Contemporary Paranormal Romance)

It's worse than a bad hair day! Dallas's new lover is taking control in the bedroom, and an unworldly force is threatening her soul.

Mystical Seduction
(Contemporary Paranormal Romance)

Faith was looking for a one-night stand. What she got was an otherworldly hunk who’s determined to make her his sex slave and a monster determined to kill her.

The Huntress
(Contemporary Romantic Suspense)

Spunky bounty hunter Vega Brookes meets her match when she hunts down a dangerous ex-special forces officer accused of murder.

Birds in Paradise
(Short light-hearted mystery) Writing as: Dorothy St. James

In this novella-length story, young prostitutes are disappearing from the streets of Honolulu. When street-savvy P.I., Kyra Grainger, is hired to find the latest missing girl, she straps on a pair of high heels, pulls on a skirt no wider than a headband, and delves into the back streets and shadowy world hidden behind the glitz of Hawaii. What she finds is a web of lies and deceptions that threatens to destroy the paradise she's grown to love.

ABOUT
THE
AUTHOR

For Regency and mystery author,
Dorothy McFalls
happily-ever-after is more than just a fictional ending, having enjoyed every day of marriage to her sexy sculptor husband. Formerly an environmental urban planner, she now writes full time. For information about Dorothy's upcoming books, visit her website at
http://www.dorothymcfalls.com/

Dorothy also writes cozy mysteries as
Dorothy St. James
, including the White House Gardener Mystery series, which critics have called “spunky” and “fast-paced.” Learn more about her mystery releases at
http://www.dorothystjames.com/

Catch the White House Gardener Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime written by Dorothy St. James:

Flowerbed of State
: Casey's passion for organic gardening and eye for detail have carried her into the most important patch of land in America--the President's Park, on which sits the most important home in America: the White House. But while she's readying the final touches on an innovative cultivation program for the First Lady to inspect, she's attacked from behind by an unknown assailant who then disappears. When she comes to, she notices some damaged foliage that leads her and the Secret Service to a dead woman in a trash can. With the biggest opportunity of her life ready to bloom, and all the President's men plowing up her perfect plans, Casey has to dig in and root out a killer before she ends up planted herself...

“Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans.” ~ Publishers Weekly

“This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest).”~Library Journal

The Scarlet Pepper
: As the official organic gardener for the White House, Casey Calhoun is usually up to her elbows in something or other. But when someone starts tampering with the Presidential vegetable garden, she soon finds herself in way over her head. As if it wasn’t bad enough that red peppers are growing instead of green ones and cabbage is popping up where the First Lady’s favorite lettuce should be—a hard-nosed investigative reporter is found dead after targeting the unpopular Secretary of State. Raking over the clues and rumors, Casey knows that someone is sabotaging both her garden and the First Lady’s reputation. But when she has one close call too many, Casey realizes that the next thing buried in the dirt might just be
her
…

“This cozy gets my highest recommendation, a perfect escape, and it should be in your in your hot little hands as you prepare your own gardens. Definitely a must "seed" story!!!" ~ Escape with Dollycas Blog

"A potboiler of homicide, blackmail, journalism, power and sex - but one that St. James handles with taste as well as verve - "The Scarlet Pepper" fulfills the promise of last year's series debut, "Flowerbed of State," and then some." ~ Richmond Times-Dispatch

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TAKEN BY MOONLIGHT

Cover Image: Shutterstock

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