Moonlight (7 page)

“According to my therapist, I’m supposed to face what happened, but I just want to forget it. I get these nightmares . . . they make no sense.”

His knuckles were touching my face again, but his thumb was stroking the curve of my cheek. It was incredibly soothing. Even in the darkness, his eyes held mine.

“Was it night or day?” he asked quietly.

“Night. But just barely. The tail end of dusk. Light enough to see, but not to see everything. Not yet dark enough for a flashlight.”

“You were all together?”

“Yeah, they wanted to show me something. We’d left the others.” I blinked and tried to draw up the memory. “I’d forgotten there were others.”
Who were they? Family? No, they would have taken me in. Friends?
I shook my head. “I don’t know who they were. Do you think it’s important?”

“I’m not a shrink. What did your parents want to show you?”

“I can’t remember. I was scared about something. I’d seen something. I don’t know.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. If it’s important, it’ll come to you.”

“I thought you weren’t a shrink.”

“I’m not, but I know that sometimes trying too hard is worse than not trying at all.”

“That makes no sense.”

His teeth flashed white in the darkness. I almost pointed my flashlight up, just to see that smile for real. Out here, away from everyone else, when he wasn’t the leader, when he was just a guy, he wasn’t nearly as intimidating.

“So why couldn’t you sleep?” I asked. Assuming his earlier answer hadn’t simply been a mocking repeat of mine.

“All that talk about werewolves. Had me shaking in my hiking boots.”

He made me smile. “Yeah, right. You’re afraid of the big, bad werewolf.”

He grinned. He had an incredibly sexy grin.

“They think you’re a werewolf,” I said and went on to explain, “Dr. Keane and Mason.”

“Do they?” I heard the amusement in his voice.

“You think it’s funny.”

“As long as they’re not carrying silver bullets.”

“Oh, great. You truly believe all that stuff, too?”

“No, but I don’t want them shooting at any wolves we might happen to come across.”

“You’re protective of them.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time in these woods. You get to know the animals. I don’t want to see them hurt. Just like I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

He lowered his head just a little and I had this incredible realization that he was going to kiss me. Not only that—I desperately wanted him to.

A sudden howling in the distance made us both go still. It was a lonely sound. For some strange reason, it made me think of an animal in mourning.

“We should probably head back,” Lucas said quietly, putting distance between us.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I directed the flashlight toward the path.

“Actually, it’s this way,” Lucas said, taking my hand and guiding me in the right direction.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten turned around, but I followed his lead. Soon, I could see the dim lights of our campsite.

“Thanks for going with me,” I said when I got to my tent.

“Any time you need to go for a walk at night, just let me know. It’s not safe to go out alone.”

It wasn’t until I was curled back into my sleeping bag that I recalled he’d been out there alone. Why was it safe for him and not for me?

Then I heard another howling wolf. This one was much closer, so close that I could have sworn it was just outside our tent. I thought I should have been afraid. Instead, just like when I’d been walking with Lucas, I felt comforted.

After I drifted off to sleep, for the first time in a long time, when I dreamed about wolves I didn’t wake up screaming.

FIVE

The next day was pretty much like the day before except that the terrain became rougher. Everyone struggled a little more. Everyone except the sherpas. At one point, Lucas suggested that Connor and Rafe carry the crate, but Tyler and Ethan insisted they could take care of it.

“Wonder what’s inside that they’re so protective of?” Brittany asked.

After we’d stopped for lunch, Lucas hadn’t insisted that I stay near the front, so I’d moved back to hike with Brittany and Lindsey.

“I bet I can get them to tell me,” Lindsey said.

“I think maybe it’s a cage,” I murmured.

“A cage? For what?” Brittany asked.

In the light of day, I felt silly saying it. “I overheard them last night after the campfire. I think they really believe werewolves are out here.”

Lindsey snorted. “They’re not the first. We always get some campers who hear the rumors and think they can find the evidence. And it’s sorta our fault. At Halloween, we always have a haunted forest to raise funds for animal shelters. Some of our costumes are really cool and realistic.”

“And scary,” Brittany added.

“But that’s all pretend. I think Mason and his dad are serious about hunting werewolves,” I insisted.

“So? They won’t find anything. Meanwhile, we get paid,” Lindsey said.

“I guess. It just makes me a little wary of them.”

“People believe all kinds of things. As long as they aren’t violent, who does it hurt? And rumors like this bring people to the park. It’s all good.”

I supposed she made sense. I adjusted the weight of my pack on my shoulders. I was proud of the fact that I was able to keep up with everyone. Rafe was the last one on the trail, making sure that no one got left behind.

“So, uh, Lucas. Does he do the whole haunted forest thing?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine it. He seemed so serious that I couldn’t imagine him playacting.

“He did before he went off to college,” Lindsey said. “Now he just comes home for the holidays and summer. Are you interested in him?”

“What? No.” I laughed self-consciously. “Just curious. We’re all going to be spending the summer together. Seems like we should know things about each other.”

“Maybe tonight around the campfire, we can play Truth or Dare,” Brittany said.

“Hey, you’re lagging behind,” Connor yelled from the top of the trail, and we picked up our pace.

I was hoping that Brittany was teasing about Truth or Dare. There was a lot I wanted to know, but not a lot I wanted to share.

As it turned out, we didn’t play any games around the campfire. Nor did Dr. Keane or Mason mention werewolves.

Later that night as Brittany and I were in the tent getting ready for bed, Lindsey slipped inside with an air of excitement. “Okay, guys, I got up close and personal with Ethan and I know what’s in the crate. Beer.”

“You’re kidding,” Brittany said. “That’s it?”

“Well, there’s equipment, too, but they’re smuggling beer in the empty spaces and they’ve decided it’s too heavy to haul, so as soon as Dr. Keane turns in for the night”—she gave a big grin—“party time!”

Brittany and I immediately stopped our preparations for bed and began preparing to go back outside with the guys. I hadn’t planned on us having a party in the wilds, but I was excited about it. I brushed out my hair and left it loose to curl wildly around my shoulders. Then I began scrounging through my backpack for my emerald-green halter top.

Lindsey peered out the tent opening. “What is with Dr. Keane tonight? Go to bed already.”

“You gonna hook up with Ethan again?” Brittany asked. Her shining black hair hung past her shoulders.

“No. And I didn’t hook up with him earlier. I just flirted a little bit.”

“For someone who is supposed to be committed to Connor, you don’t seem to take it very seriously.”

“What?” I asked, finally clutching the halter. “You and Connor? You never said anything.” I’d seen them together a couple of times, but hadn’t been sure it was romantic.

“It’s complicated,” Lindsey said, and I could hear the frustration in her voice. She finished brushing out her blond hair, then rolled up the ends of her shirt and tied them in a knot so her belly button showed. It seemed we all wanted to attract a little attention tonight. “My parents and his parents, they’re old friends and so they’re pushing us together.”

“If you don’t want to be pushed, push back,” Brittany said.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

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>“I just think he deserves someone who wants to be with him.”

“And that would be you?”

“Whoa, girlfriends, are we about to have a catfight here?” I asked.

They glared at each other. Lindsey backed down first. Maybe because Brittany woke up early every morning and went through a rigorous strengthening routine.

“Connor and I aren’t sure where we’re going to take this. So can we be cool about it until this trip is over?”

Brittany shrugged. “Whatever.”

Every now and then I’d sensed some tension between them. This explained a lot. I wondered if Brittany liked Connor.

I slipped on my green halter and some white shorts. In a way, I sympathized with Lindsey. Sometimes it was difficult to know exactly what you felt for someone. At that moment I wasn’t certain if I was trying to make myself attractive for Lucas or Mason. I’d felt a connection with Lucas last night, but he still overwhelmed me. Mason . . . well, Mason just seemed less complicated.

I wished I had some sexy sandals to wear, but all I had were my hiking boots. They’d have to do. But looking in the small mirror that I had, I was pleased with the way everything looked.

Lindsey looked back outside. “Finally! Dr. Keane is gone. Let’s go.”

Everyone was creeping out of the camp like ninja warriors or something. Each of the grad students, including Monique, was carrying a six-pack of beer. Only the tiniest sliver of a moon was in the sky, so Connor led the way with a flashlight. When we got far enough from camp that Dr. Keane wouldn’t hear us, Ethan started passing out the cans of beer.

To my utter shock, even Lucas was there to grab one. Of course, he then went to find a tree to lean against. Monique joined him. He gave her one of his rare smiles. Jealousy sparked through me but I turned away, not wanting to acknowledge it. We’d shared a special moment last night, but obviously for him it had meant nothing more than a big-brother figure watching out for someone he was responsible for.

Lindsey tapped her can against mine. “To good times.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about you and Connor?” Okay, I was a little bummed. I’d told her plenty about me since we’d met last summer, including my nightmares. And she was holding back on some critical stuff here.

“Like I said, I don’t know where it’s going. And who wants to be set up by their parents?”

“It seems like Brittany is really into Connor.”

“I think she might be. She’s dealing with some stuff she’s not talking about. You see all the exercising and toning she does, like she wants to be supersherpa or something. And okay, yeah, she did—does—like Connor, but he agrees with our parents, that we’re supposed to be together. We were always friends when we were growing up. I don’t want to hurt him, but I just don’t know if he’s the one, so right now I don’t want to deal with it.” She sipped her beer.

“How does Connor feel?”

“Disappointed that I’m not returning the enthusiasm. Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“I’m here anytime you want to talk.”

She looked over at me and grinned. “Thanks.” She again tapped her can against mine. “Think I’m going to go mingle with some hot students.”

As she walked away, as much as I hated to admit it, it was a little reassuring and comforting to know I wasn’t the only one who was screwed up.

“What’s up?”

Peering over at Mason, who had suddenly appeared, I smiled. “Not much.” I lifted my can. “Crazy for you guys to be hauling beer.”

“No kidding. Ethan and Tyler were losing their enthusiasm for the idea.” He looked up. “You know what I love about camping? How vast the sky looks at night. Want to go stargazing? I found a spot away from the trees where we could lie on the grass. . . .” He tipped his head to the side in a questioning gesture.

I glanced over to where Lucas was talking with Monique. I’d definitely misread last night. Maybe since he was the one in charge, he thought he needed to steer clear of any emotional attachments. Or maybe I was nothing more than someone to look after—the newbie, someone he wasn’t quite sure had what it took to be a sherpa.

“Sure,” I said. “Why not?”

Mason and I each grabbed another beer. By the time we reached the spot he was talking about, I had a pleasant buzz going. The grass was cool and slightly damp with dew as I lay down on it.

“There’s the Big Dipper,” Mason said, pointing upward.

I pointed as well. “And there’s Cassiopeia.”

Mason groaned. “You know the constellations.”

“Well, duh, yeah. It was the first thing my dad taught me when he took me camping.”

“I was hoping to impress you, but now I have a confession to make. The Big Dipper is the only constellation I’m ever able to pick out. I never can connect the stars to form anything else.”

I had a feeling that wasn’t a problem Lucas had, that he’d be able to identify more than I could. Why was I even thinking about Lucas now?

I rolled slightly toward Mason. “Okay, Cassie might be hard, but if you can find the Big Dipper, you ought to be able to make out Draco the Dragon. His tail curves down between the dippers.”