Claire De Lune (28 page)

“I don’t have any choice except to trust him. He could promise to be a
gardien
, and still tell. The only difference is that after tonight, he’ll know what would happen to him if he does.”

“True.” Her mother sighed. “I hate being afraid, and I believe I will be for some time to come.”

“I’m sorry. I know if I hadn’t changed in front of him like that, we’d be safe.” Claire hung her head.

“Yes. And he would be dead.” Her mother put one finger under Claire’s chin and lifted her face. “What you did puts us in terrible danger,
chérie
. But you did it for the right reason. To save a life is an honorable thing, always. I am not angry with you. Selfishly, I am frightened, but I am not mad.”

“Thank you.” Claire leaned forward until her head was pressed against her mother’s shoulder. She’d come so close to losing her. Her mom wrapped her thin arms around Claire.

“I want you to be careful tonight,
chérie
. There will be more than one thing out there that would like to harm you.”

Claire nodded against her mother’s collarbone.

“Good. Now, go get ready. It will look less suspicious if we
leave separately. I will meet you on the other side of the wall in two hours.”

“Okay.” Claire slipped out of her mother’s embrace and stumbled into her room.

* * *

When it was almost time to leave, she brushed her teeth and threw on a sweatshirt, leaving her hair down to hide her injured ear from Lisbeth. She got out the door as fast as she could, claiming her headache was gone and she was going to bike over to Emily’s for a brownie-gorging session.

Claire rode down the driveway, circling around to the far side of their property, where she stashed her bicycle in a stand of evergreen bushes. She sneaked back along the brick wall, watching the house for any sign of Lisbeth. When she reached the familiar hole, Claire practically dove through the ivy into the forest. She managed to catch herself just before she barreled full-force into her mother.

“I was beginning to wonder where you were,” Marie said.

“Sorry. I had to hide my bicycle. Next time I’ll come up with a story for Lisbeth that doesn’t involve so many props.”

Her mom laughed, but her face quickly settled back into its usual serious expression. The two of them set off through the already-dark woods.

They arrived at the clearing, where Beatrice and Victoria were already waiting. Judith and Katherine appeared before Claire
had even settled herself on the ground.

“Well, we’re just missing Zahlia,” Beatrice said. “I don’t expect her to come, but by failing to do so, she is disobeying a direct order from me.” Her voice was tight. “We’ll start without lighting the fire tonight—it’s too early. And it’s not a good night for sending unnecessary signals.”

Claire glanced at the trees around them, wondering who else might be out there. She peeked at her watch. She had only half an hour before she was supposed to meet Matthew.

“So. What will we do?” Judith asked.

“Find her.” Marie wrapped her arms around herself. “And then bring her back here.”

Beatrice nodded. “Exactly. Once we have heard what she has to say for herself—what defense she offers for her actions—then I will decide whether she should be banished from the pack and sent to live outside the bounds of our territory, or whether her punishment must be … more severe.” Beatrice stood up. “Are there any questions?”

The idea of seeing Zahlia again gave Claire the shivers.

“What about Claire?” Judith asked. “She’s not fully changed yet. What role can she have?”

Claire stiffened, wondering if someone would mention Matthew.

“Her transformation is nearly complete, and from what Marie has told me, Claire has already proven herself to this pack. She will help us search tonight, which is even more
important because Victoria won’t be assisting us. I won’t risk the unborn child.”

Victoria stared miserably at the charred remains of their last fire.

Beatrice took a step forward. “Now. Let’s try to finish this before the situation gets any uglier. You may transform whenever you wish. And please be careful. Very careful.”

Claire’s mother pulled her out of the circle before anyone began to change.

“I know you need to meet Matthew. I’ll go with you as far as the park.” Her mother bent to remove her shoes.

“How come no one said anything about him tonight?” The question popped out before Claire could stop it.

Marie pursed her lips. “Everyone already knows what happened. There is no need to discuss it until the situation is resolved. Hopefully he will agree to become a
gardien
, in which case there will be nothing to talk about.”

Claire gulped. The words her mother hadn’t said rang in her ears. That if he refused, there would be plenty to talk about.

I just have to convince him. That’s all. No matter what it takes, I have to find a way to make him agree.

“So, when we get to the park—um …” Claire paused.

“I’ll stay out of the way. I know my presence won’t help. It will give me a chance to search that part of the woods.” Marie straightened up. “And don’t forget to carry your clothes with you.”

Right. Clothes.
Claire stood motionless, the weight of what she had to do pressing down on her too heavily to move.

“We’re running out of time.” Her mother shifted impatiently.

Claire shook herself. “Sorry. I’m ready when you are.”

At least, I guess I am.

The two of them transformed and set off for the park.

By the time they arrived, a deep ache had settled into Claire’s ribs and her injured ear throbbed. She dropped the clothes she’d brought and turned to her mother.

I’ll be as quick as I can.

Marie’s tail waved.
Take your time. This is every bit as important as finding Zahlia. I’m going to see what I can find in the woods.
She turned to go, leaving Claire alone.

Through the last fringe of trees, Claire could see Matthew. He stood leaning against his car, his hair still wet from his postpractice shower. Before her nerves could get the best of her, Claire changed into her human form and pulled on her clothes. Her shirt had a damp spot across the front from carrying it in her mouth and she hoped Matthew wouldn’t notice it.

She shook the last of the pine needles off her shorts, smoothed her hair, and stepped out of the trees.

Matthew caught sight of her and headed across the clearing, closing the distance between them. Claire was relieved to
see that there was no anger in his expression.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey, yourself.” A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth—just a flash, but it was there.

When she looked at his mouth, the angle of his cheekbones, the realization of what might have been washed over Claire. They could have been together—gone to the prom and kissed in the hallways between classes. If she were human. Instead, they were meeting out here in the night to talk about keeping one of them alive. Tears stung Claire’s eyes. “Matthew, I’m so, so sorry—,” she blurted out.

He raised a hand to stop her. “I’m sorry too. I panicked.”

Claire’s mouth hung open. She hadn’t expected an apology.

“You’re right. I don’t agree with my dad, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t freak me out to find out that someone I
know
is a werewolf. Sometimes stuff’s just a little harder to process when it hits that close to home, you know?”

“Yeah, I have some experience with that.” Claire snorted. The first night she transformed flowed through her memory—how unreal it had all seemed just a few months ago. Matthew turned and walked toward the trees. The thought of being in the woods where her mother might stumble across them made Claire nervous, but she fell into step beside him, anyway. They walked in silence across the field.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Claire’s anxiety
faded. It really would be easier to talk to him with the darkness of the forest shadows giving her a place to hide. And the only thing she could smell was a dead deer, deeper in the woods. Her mother must have circled around the other way. The fact that Matthew didn’t hesitate to walk into the forest with her gave Claire the courage to open her mouth.

“Matthew.” She sighed. “You cannot believe how much I do not want to say what I have to tell you now.”

He cocked his head to one side. Claire crossed her arms tight in front of her chest and stared at the ground, not sure how to begin. Finally, she just told him exactly what her mother had told her. “The thing is, if you tell anyone who we are—my mother and I—then the rest of the pack will come after you. But if you don’t say anything, hell, if you just pretend that none of this ever happened, then the pack will protect you. Forever. It’s called being a
gardien
.” She looked up at him. “I wouldn’t ask you to keep this—us—secret just for my sake. I really wouldn’t. But I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. Please, Matthew, just forget you ever met me, and I promise, everything will go back to normal, okay?”

“But I don’t want to forget about you.” Matthew stuck his hands into the front pocket of his sweatshirt and looked at her hard, his eyes blazing in the faint light of the newly risen moon. “We can change things, Claire.”

Claire swallowed hard. “I wish things were different too, believe me.” She stared at the pine needles under her feet.
“But—” Her mother’s scent wafted through the clearing. Claire looked up and froze as her mother bounded into the clearing.

Marie’s ribs were heaving and the fur on her hackles was raised. She stared hard at Claire, then looked away, the whites of her widened eyes flashing in the near-darkness. Next to Claire, Matthew backed up.

At least he’s not running away,
Claire thought.

Her mother was clearly upset, but without transforming, Claire couldn’t tell what she was saying. Changing in front of Matthew seemed like too big a risk. He was already on edge, and that might just push him over. Before she could make a decision one way or the other, a ferocious growl rolled through the clearing and Zahlia ran in through the trees, favoring her injured front paw. Snarling, she leapt onto Marie’s back, her front claws raking Marie’s shoulder.

“Matthew, you have to hide!” Claire hissed.

Panicked and furious, she transformed so fast that she didn’t have time to pull off her clothes. Shreds of fabric fluttered to the ground and somewhere behind her, Matthew gasped. Claire crouched low, her belly brushing the debris.

Still on Marie’s back, Zahlia snapped at her face, her teeth just missing the other wolf’s eye. Still weak from her time in Dr. Engle’s lab, Claire’s mother stumbled, her snout scraping the dirt as her front leg gave way. Zahlia slid forward, thrown by the change of position, and Claire sprang.

The force of Claire’s impact knocked the black wolf off her
mother, tossing her to the ground. Zahlia scrambled to get up but before she could regain her footing, Claire bit deep into the fur on the back of Zahlia’s neck and rolled as hard as she could.

Claire twisted her head, using the momentum of their bodies and the strength of her jaws to throw Zahlia away from Matthew and her mother. Zahlia hit a tree with a sickening
thud
before falling to the ground in a heap.

Claire staggered to her feet, ready for another assault, but Zahlia lay motionless on the forest floor. She was breathing—a high, whistling whine resonated in her throat—but she wasn’t getting up.

Something in the woods beyond Zahlia caught Claire’s eye. The scanty moonlight that trickled through the trees skittered across a grizzled pelt.

Beatrice was out there. Watching. Claire ducked her head, trying to see around the underbrush. Why wasn’t Beatrice coming out here, into the clearing?

Claire barked once, asking the Alpha to come help them, to come deal with Zahlia.

In the forest, there was nothing but silence. A very answering sort of silence. In that second, Claire realized that Beatrice wasn’t going to come to their rescue.

Claire stared at Zahlia. Part of her wanted to finish what she’d started—to kill the wolf who’d tried to kill her and her mother. To eliminate any threat to Matthew, or to the other humans she cared about. But she couldn’t do it. Every time
her muscles twitched forward, Zahlia’s desperate whimpering stopped her.

Behind her, Claire heard Marie drag herself off the ground. Claire spun around to face her mother.

Are you okay?

Without answering, her mother stepped around Claire, edging closer to Zahlia. The black wolf’s eyes rolled and she began frantically licking her muzzle.

Claire’s mother stood over Zahlia’s prone body, her ears and tail straining forward.

Her neck has been broken.
She leaned closer, briefly snuffling at Zahlia’s ear as she addressed the injured wolf.
This is a mercy, and one you do not deserve.

Zahlia’s keening cut off as Marie’s strong jaws closed around her windpipe, choking her. In just a few moments, Zahlia’s ribs stopped moving. She began to transform, but before she could completely regain her human form, her eyes grew still and glassy.

It was over. Zahlia was dead.

M
ARIE
WOBBLED
a few paces away from Zahlia’s naked body and collapsed onto the carpet of dead leaves.

Claire crept over to her mother.

Are you okay?
She sniffed at the blood trickling out of her mother’s shoulder.

I … will be … eventually …
her mother panted.
Go find Matthew.

Claire whimpered.
Oh, shit. Matthew.

She started to transform and realized a split second later that she’d ruined her clothes. Claire took a painful leap midchange and landed a few feet into the covering gloom of the forest.

“Matthew?” she called, trying to see into the clearing from her hiding place.

“Claire?” He stepped out from behind a massive oak tree. “Is it—is it dead? Are you okay?”

Claire felt her knees go watery. He wanted to know if she was okay. That had to be a good thing.