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determined. This is a story I will have from you, Harper.
She tried to wiggle her way out between them, to avoid having to paint a
picture of herself as weak and damaged, but they easily held her in place. She
sighed.
It was a long time ago. I got between him and a horse that had pissed him
off.
Who, Harper?
You know, she whispered. Why were they insisting she rehash this? My
father.
The story spilled out against her will. It had been a beautiful summer day, her
last week in high school, and she had felt freedom in her grasp. She had been
planning to go away to college in the fall, had been ignoring her father s taunts and
Spellbound Moon 2: Twice Shy 67
jeers and hints that he would force her to stay. It had been that freedom, that
feeling she was going to break away, that emboldened her to step forward and
protest when he d raised the riding crop against the horse. He had simply
transferred his fury from it to her. It had taken weeks for her to recover. Weeks that
had seen his emotional torment focused more and more on Dane, and she had
known when the time came to leave in the fall, she couldn t abandon her brother.
I m going to kill him, Jonas said, softly, but with so much rage it scared her.
And infuriated her.
Wrenching free, she jumped off the bed to glare down at them with her hands
on her hips. She was a little surprised they let her go, but pissed off enough she
didn t care. Why were they trying to mess up her new start by reliving the past?
She d been afraid, but obviously it wasn t a problem. Or had they missed the fact it
was her screaming her head off in pleasure anytime either one touched her?
Worse, Jonas couldn t go after her father. Couldn t even entertain the idea. He
was the most powerful wizard she knew, maybe in his generation. He wasn t afraid
to use black magic, and he loved to make her miserable. And killing Jonas would rip
her heart out. She had to stop this madness before it took root. But before she could
launch into a lecture, before she could collect her thoughts and give them the yelling
she wanted a banging came from downstairs on the front door. It opened with a
thud.
68 Loribelle Hunt
Chapter Ten
Harper!
Holy shit. Just what she needed. Her overprotective baby brother joining
forces with two overprotective mates. Then it occurred to her she was naked. And
footsteps pounded up the stairs. She pulled on the first thing she reached Jonas s
shirt and tossed two pairs of jeans on the bed.
She didn t wait to see if they d dressed before flinging open the door, hoping to
meet Dane out in the hall. No such luck. He stood on the other side of the threshold,
fist raised to knock, face a furious red. He reached out and grabbed her in a tight
hold.
Thank gods, he muttered. Are you all right?
Of course. She pulled back and scowled up at him. What happened?
He shook his head, looking over her to take in Mick and Jonas, who both, she
noticed when she turned to look, waited in only jeans. She felt power rising,
recognized it as her loving brother s, and tapped him on the chest to get his
attention. He rubbed the spot, looking down at her with a surprised expression.
Okay, maybe she d hit him harder than she d realized, but& She poked him in the
chest.
They are off-limits.
You sure, Sis?
She gave him a tight smile. Mine.
She surprised herself with her vehemence. She could get used to this werewolf
stuff, where possessiveness wasn t considered a character flaw. Looking over her
Spellbound Moon 2: Twice Shy 69
shoulder, she caught Mick s approving grin. That didn t hurt either. She pushed
Dane out of the doorway and toward the steps.
I thought you were going to dinner.
I got distracted.
It was almost a growl, but the rage in his tone was all real. She led him to the
kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out four beers still on the plastic ring. She
shouldn t give her underage baby brother a beer, but she recognized that look in his
eyes. She knew he d had a vision that frightened him, and it still held him in its
grip. She shook her head at Jonas s disapproving frown when she handed one to
Dane. Hell, at eighteen he was older than most of the thirtysomethings she knew.
She dragged him to a chair.
Tell me.
He sat, silent, Adam s apple bobbing while he got himself under control. Then
he popped the top on the beer and took a long swallow.
Dane?
He s coming.
But you already knew that, right? she said gently. That was why he d hung
around when it was so dangerous for a wizard to impede on werewolf territory.
His eyes were haunted. This time he s going to kill you, he whispered.
She repressed her immediate reaction. She d worry about terror later.
Grabbing her brother s hand, she focused on his face, focused her power into her
voice. Convincing. Certain. No, he isn t. There is no way Mick and Jonas will let
that happen.
Harper
No, she said sharply. You re good, but you re young. You don t have perfect
control. You know that.
For the gazillionth time in her life she wished this were a gift, a burden she
could take from her baby brother.
70 Loribelle Hunt
The table was huge and round, probably capable of seating eight men.
Impressive, considering the size of most of the men in Redhawke. She sat next to
Dane, Jonas next to him, and Mick took the chair behind her.
Tell us about your visions, Mick said softly, but there was no denying it was
an order.
Dane s head jerked up to glare at him. A wizard s natural suspicion at war
with his need to recruit whatever help was necessary to protect his sister was easy
to read on his face. Harper opened her mouth to intervene, but Mick squeezed her
hand and shook his head. This had to come from Dane, and Mick wouldn t allow
him to hide behind his sister. That would stunt a boy on the cusp of becoming a
man.
They re flashes of images. Like snapshots.
And they aren t always accurate?
Dane sighed. No. But I m more accurate than most. Maybe eighty, eighty-five
percent of the time.
But you re more likely to be wrong about me, Harper pointed out.
Dane s nod was reluctant. Emotion can cloud things.
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