Dark of the Moon Read Free Page A

from and contributing to achievements. Still this forest remained our true home—the one place where we could be ourselves and celebrate what we were.
    I slipped a keycard into the slot and the gate clicked open. It seemed strange to me that we were a combination of the old and modern. We used keycards for access, but we still believed in the ancient ritual of guys declaring their mates. Go figure.
    After walking through, I stood there while the gate clanked shut, its sound reverberating through me. I’d always found solace here. No enemy had ever penetrated our walls. Here, tradition was passed down from one generation to the next. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to draw in the calm of my ancestors. But I felt unwelcome, as though I were a stranger or worse, a fake.
    I wished my mother was here. I didn’t often need her. I’d always wanted to be independent, so it was difficult now to admit that I yearned to have her arms around me. I’d felt relief when she’d left for Europe because I’d known she wouldn’t be around to interfere. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to put up with her hovering and worrying. I loved Mom, but she was a hoverer. Always trying to protect me. I’d become somewhat rebellious just to break free of her emotional restraints. I knew she meant well, but sometimes I felt as though she were smothering me.
    As for my father, he’d always been a no-show in my life. Apparently he’d seen my mother through her transformation, hung around long enough to knock her up, then taken a hike to parts unknown. She had managed quite well without a man in her life—which was the reason that I’d been convinced that I hadn’t needed a guy for my transformation.
    I walked toward the massive mansion that was pretty much all that remained of what we’d once had here. Oh, there were a few buildings around that held supplies and various survival items, but when our kind visited Wolford, they stayed in this mammoth Gothic-like structure where families had once enjoyed a communal-like existence. It had been refurbished to include all the modern conveniences. Our elders lived here throughout the year.
    Hidden away in the national forest, it provided uswith a sanctuary. The Dark Guardians worked as forest guides—otherwise known as sherpas—and kept people away from the secret areas of the forest that we considered off-limits to outsiders. Although really, we considered the entire forest as ours, even though the government had claimed part of it.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement and dropped into a defensive crouch, my actions honed by hours of survival training. To my surprise, I saw Connor heading toward a thick copse of trees in the distance. Although his back was to me, I recognized his loose-hipped stride. He walked as though he was never in a hurry to get anywhere. The moonlight reflected off his sandy blond hair and outlined his well-toned body. He was tall and slender, but I knew he possessed the strength of all Shifters. We not only hid our ability to shift, but the power that came with it. Looking at us, few people realized how strong and capable we were.
    As Connor disappeared between the trees, I wondered why he was alone. Where was Lindsey? Usually a couple became totally inseparable after they shared a shifting. Could there possibly be trouble in paradise?
    I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about that. As much as I’d wanted Connor to notice me, to claim me, and go through the transformation with me, I didn’t want Lindsey to treat him badly. Neither did I want him tohurt Lindsey. She was a friend. I selfishly wanted Connor and unselfishly wished them the best. My confused and contradictory feelings left me unsettled. As a rule, I usually knew what I wanted.
    I glanced around quickly. No one else was in sight. I should let Connor go, but I’d never felt so alone or devastated in my life. I needed to connect with someone. Why not him? Just for a few minutes. It