Free Moonlight by Lisa Kessler

other when we couldn’t stand on our own.
    I gazed across the pyre. Gareth was alone now.
    With a deep breath, I tipped my head up toward the stars. “Spirits, please guide my friend, our brother.” I clenched my jaw, allowing my pain and guilt to smolder toward anger. “Help us avenge his death. He was taken too soon.”
    Malcolm lowered the torch to the dry timbers and the flames crackled to life. Someday the task would fall on my shoulders as the eldest son of the Alpha, and it was a responsibility I never wanted to face. But fate made the decision for me, like it or not.
    Smoke stung my eyes as I turned and walked away. Aren was close behind me. Only Gareth would stay behind to watch his brother’s spirit soar up to the moon.
    The muted nicker of the horses broke the silence as Aren and I walked the length of the barn. When we got to the other end, I sighed and shook my head, staring out into the darkness. “I’m going to make whoever did this pay.”
    “And that’s going to bring Gabe back, how?” Aren asked.
    I glanced over at my brother. Aren was always so logical. It was annoying as hell.
    “Nothing can bring him back,” I said. “But knowing the cat who did this is no longer breathing might go a long way to relieving some of my anger.”
    Aren nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It might. But the question is, why are you so angry?”
    “What?” My blood pressure shot up a couple of notches, but I did my best to hide it. “I’m pissed because one of our best friends is dead. Gone way too soon. A jaguar murdered him, and I intend to even the score. Simple.”
    “Is it?” Aren raised a brow.
    I shook my head. “They murdered Gabe, Aren. Are you going to stand by and let that happen? Doesn’t this piss you off, even a little?”
    My brother nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m upset. We all are. But we also hunt as a Pack. You’re acting like you’re going to jump in your Jeep like a one-man militia. We’ve lost Pack members before. I want to know why this time has you so riled up.”
    I stared at my brother. My twin. My best friend. For the first time in my life, I was hiding something from him. How could I tell him that while I’d been on patrol for jaguars during the new moon, I actually found one? And instead of killing her, the wolf inside of me recognized her as my mate.
    I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell any of them. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t understand it myself. Until I did, I couldn’t let any of the Pack know about Lana.
    I shook my head. “I’m not going to debate this with you. I’ll find the bastard who did this, and then I’ll make him wish he never set foot in Reno.”
    “I’ll go with you,” Aren said. “No one should go after this guy alone.”
    “New moon is over. He won’t be able to shift. I can take care of it.”
    “He may not turn into a jaguar, but he could still fire a gun.”
    I yanked my keys out of my pocket as I walked toward my Jeep. “I’ll call you once I track the guy down, okay?”
    Aren stepped in front of me, blocking my path, his gaze searching, judging my own.
    “I know you’re hiding something, Adam.” Aren kept his voice low. “Whatever it is, you can’t shut us out. Family comes first.”
    I clenched my jaw and nodded. “I know.”
    “But you’re still not going to tell me what’s going on?”
    “Nothing’s going on.” I moved around Aren to the driver’s side.
    I jumped into the driver’s seat and Chaney’s engine fired to life. I drove up the road, but my eyes were on my rearview mirror. Aren never moved. I watched my twin get smaller and smaller as the distance between us grew.

Chapter Seven
    Lana
    I stayed inside the Starbucks for at least a half hour, sipping coffee and hoping Gabe’s killer was long gone. Adam still hadn’t called, but I understood. His friend died in his arms today. It didn’t stop me from wishing I knew when he’d be meeting me back at the hotel though.
    At this rate, I