By the Light of the Silver Moon

Chapter 48 Marigold

     Finn had gone too far with the new security system. You couldn't open a window without setting off some sort of alarm. I aggressively started hitting buttons on the elevator, mumbling at the new control panel. Stone laughed at me and swiped his key card to make the elevator move.

"This is ridiculous." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's for your safety, Mari." Stone smirked, rolling his eyes at my temper tantrum.

"Whatever. I'm going riding today and you just try and stop me." I threatened the Gamma. Stone just shook his head and followed me to the stables.

During my many unsupervised hours while Finn was working and I was bored, I had discovered that the pack had a horse stable far away from the house, just on the edge of the property. Apparently, one of the Luna's loved horses and used to show them. To honor her, the future Alphas named the stables after her and kept up with it. I had never seen a horse before, but it turns out that I love them and was a quick study.

The stablemaster, Cassie, started giving me riding lessons and, in no time, I was going for trail rides on my own. Finn hated it but it was something I had that was all mine. It was peaceful and lonely, it gave me time to think and reflect on everything that was happening in my life.

The horses had grown used to the wolves and were no longer spooked by them, so Stone would shift into his brown wolf and follow me while I rode. He stuck to the trees and stayed a healthy distance back while I rode through the open fields.

I rode over the grassy hills on the back of a grey stallion by the name of Watcher. He got his name because of how intently he watches over his riders and fellow horses. He was very loyal and very protective. He took to me right away and we have been bonded ever since. I slapped the reigns and Watcher picked up speed. It had become a game of mine, to see if I could lose Stone's wolf on Watcher, even if it was just for a minute.

I turned around and saw that Stone was nowhere to be found. I slowed Watcher and laughed to myself. A few minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Stone's wolf.

"Kato?" I called out to Stone's wolf and searched the woods. I reached out my hand and parted the trees, trying to find him.

"Well that's not good." I mumbled to myself just as the sound of twigs snapping and feet pounding the ground filled my ears.

I snapped my head towards the source of the noise and saw dozens of wolves running out of the woods, surrounding me. A dark brown, almost bronze, wolf was at the head of the pack. He was slightly larger than the others, but still not as big as Hunter. The lead wolf shifted and I shivered at the naked man it became.

"Aloha Torrin." I gasped, glaring at my old master. He grinned menacingly at me, not even bothering to cover himself.

I tugged in Watcher's reigns, trying to retreat from the wolves. Watcher whinnied and I turned around to see that we were also flanked by more of Torrin's pack. I recognized his Beta and Gamma immediately.

"It's so good to see you again, girl." Alpha Torrin said in greeting. I turned back to face him,

"Afraid I can't say the same." I growled. I felt my eyes turn green as my fingers twitched with power.

"Now, now, none of that." Alpha Torrin tsked just as a strange powder filled my eyes and nose. I coughed against it and felt all the magic drain from my body.

"What did you do?" I cried, looking over at Beta Collins who had shifted and blew the bag of powder in my face.

"Don't worry, it's temporary." Beta Collins laughed.