Love's Protection (Passion Moon 3): (A Shifter, Supernatural Romance) by Renee Jordan Read Free Book Online Page B

me, his green eyes burning. “I am far older than Burt. I do not make empty threats. So what will it be?”
    I swallowed. His eyes were so hard. I had scoffed at Burt's threat, but I could see it in his eyes. My father would do it. I trembled, biting my lip. “What do you want?”
    “What do you think, Dakota?”
    My heart trembled. “The power in the Moon Tear Spring.”
    “It's why I made you. You will be my conduit. Once I have the power, I really don't care what you do with your life.”
    I had touched that power. It was immense. What would he do with it? Why would he need so much power? My heart beat faster. He may be a strong man, he may have planned out my life, but I was a strong woman and I had amazing friends and my powerful mate. We stopped Christian and Burt. We would stop my father.
    “No. I will not help you.” I glared at him. “That power is too strong. I don't think you're the sort of man that can be entrusted with it.”
    My father sighed. “Yes, you are far stronger than I had ever thought you would be. I did all I could to keep your will tiny. How did you manage to survive Wayne and Burt with any spine intact?”
    “I discovered something to fight for,” I spat back. He knew about Wayne?
    “I would rather you were willing,” he said. “It'll make this far less painful.”
    “I would never help you!” I hissed.
    “Well, this was pointless. I'll give you a day to come to your senses.” His eyes flicked down at my wedding dress. “You do look lovely, Dakota.”
    He turned and strode out of the changing room.
    I almost collapsed.

Chapter Five: Family
    Penny, Augustus, Connie, and Evelyn rushed back into the room as my knees buckled. Penny caught my arm and helped me to a seat. My head swam. My father had no qualms laying out everything he had done to me.
    Did he make my momma marry Wayne? As a child, I never had understood why she did that. She always talked about my real father like she loved him, but married this abusive drunk anyways. And then she died so young. She was only twenty-four. Far too young to be taken away.
    Tears trickled down my cheeks. What if my father killed her? What if he gave her cancer so I would be raised by Wayne? I was so eager to get away from Wayne I probably would have dated Burt without the love spell. For a while, I thought of Burt as the man who rescued me from Wayne.
    Penny wrapped her arms around me. “It's okay,” she whispered as she rocked me. “He's gone.”
    “He...he...” I sobbed, struggling to speak. “He's a monster.” I looked up into Penny's eyes. “He used magic to make my momma love him. He manipulated my entire life.”
    “Kotie!” Forrest shouted from the front of the store.
    “Vanessa called him the moment we walked out,” Penny said.
    “Back here,” Augustus shouted, opening the door.
    Forrest burst into the back room. I flew to his arms and buried my face into his chest. My body shook. My father had controlled my entire life. He inflicted cruelty after cruelty all so I would be thrilled to be rescued from my misery.
    “What's wrong?” Forrest asked. “What did your father say?”
    His anger grew as I told him all that my father did to me. His eyes burned gold. The wolf was eager to be unleashed. When I finished, Forrest growled, “That bastard was the one who put me here. I've been defending the Moon Tear Spring just so the bastard could use it for himself?”
    His arms tightened about me.
    “But you messed up his plans,” Forrest continued. “You were stronger than he thought. You escaped Burt. You figured out what a piece of shit he is.”
    “So now he'll do what Christian tried to do,” I answered. “He'll try to force me to be the conduit. He's threatened everyone I love. He means it, Forrest. He'll kill you. Penny. Everyone.”
    “Not if I have anything to say,” a new voice snarled. Miss Maggie stumped in, her eyes fierce.
    “I called her,” Penny said.
    Forrest let me go and pulled out his radio.