The Rising Moon (16 page)

He gave my fingers a gently squeeze, “I need you to stay with my aunt. There’s no telling what will happen tonight.”

“
I don’t know what I’ll do if something happened to you too.” I sniffed. “Didn’t I warn you about being friends with me?”

“
I don’t regret our friendship,” his eyes sparkled. I leaned close to him and looked him deep in the eye
, ‘I’m still going with you tonight.’

He laughed and shook his head. “Fine, but you won’t be alone. Kevin will stay by your side the entire time.”

“
Deal,” I said with a triumphant smile.

∞∞∞∞

It was dark as death outside the Ulric Ranch. There were a total of twelve shifters who joined Ryan’s quest to bring justice for what happened to Kima. I attempted to call Lyle again, but he still wasn’t answering his phone.

“
Why don’t we send her in first?” One of the men suggested, referring to me, “Isn’t she dating the Lobison? She can lead him to us.”

“
No,” Ryan quickly refused. “We’re not going to use her as bait. Take her to the cabin and stay with her till I come looking for you.” He told Kevin.

“
Be careful,” I said to Ryan as the men split into groups.

Nine transformed into wolves and ran into the woods. Their howling and yelping sounds shook the silence of the night. Paul, the largest one of the group transformed into a black bear and Ryan flew in the air as a raven.

Kevin and I drove up the dirt road and headed toward the cabin. My heart plummeted when I realized John’s truck wasn’t there.

“
John!” I called out as I pushed through the screen door. “John!” I ran to his room. Empty. He wasn’t home.

“
He’s not here,” I told Kevin. “That’s a good thing. Let’s hope he stays out long enough, not to get caught in the mix. Have a seat and try to relax, we have some of the best shifters out there, everything’s going to be fine.”

The howls of the wolves outside the cabin became louder. I couldn’t relax knowing that my best friend was out there seeking to hurt the man I cared for. I peeked through the sheer curtains, but was unable to see past the darkness.

“
Kevin!” Ryan called from outside the cabin. “Come out, we need you!”

I looked out the window again, but I couldn’t see him.

“
I’ll be back. Stay here and don’t open the door to anyone,” Kevin said as he made his way to the door. “I mean it, Lia. Don’t open the door to anyone. Ryan and I will come and get you when this is all over.”

He shifted into a grey wolf and disappeared into the darkened woods. I locked the door behind him and crashed on the sofa, staring into the dark T.V. screen. I cupped my head in my hands, trying to block the sounds of the howling wolves outside the cabin walls when a knock on the door almost gave me a heart attack.

“
Kevin is that you?’ I asked as I carefully walked up to the door. There was no reply, just another knock. “Ryan?” I asked again, my hands shaking over the door knob.

“
Lia.”

It was Lyle. I opened the door. “Can you step outside for a minute?” he asked. I looked to see if Ryan or Kevin were around, but I didn’t see them. I began to wonder if it was really Ryan who called Kevin out of the cabin.

“
Sure,” I replied, stepping outside.

“
Let’s go for a walk,” He suggested.

“
Ok,” I replied.

“
How are you? I missed you,” He said wrapping his arm around my waist.

“
I---I’m fine,” I swallowed hard and stopped walking, “Lyle, can I ask you something?”

“
First let me apologize for Emi’s behavior at the funeral last night,” he interrupted.

“
I want to know if you…” My voice drifted off. I made the mistake of looking into his glowing eyes. He leaned closer. My heart pounded in different ways as he stared at me. His eyes were hypnotizing. I forgot what I wanted to ask him. All I saw in the darkened forest were the glow of his olive green eyes as he grabbed my chin and drew me closer to him. My knees trembled. My legs felt like jello when his mouth settled gently over mine, I couldn’t help but flutter my eyes closed and kiss him back. While lost in the moment, my brain screamed back to me,
‘What are you doing?’

My breath escaped me as I pulled away from him. His chest was heaving and his eyes became darker then night when he looked up at a black bird that flew overhead.

He took in a deep breath, “I see your friend’s here.”

“
I don’t know what you mean,” I said. His mouth quivered over new sharp teeth. Suddenly I began to regret leaving the cabin.

“
What’s going on Lyle?” I asked, taking two steps away from him. His breathing was deep and fast and sweat began to stream down his face. He pinned me up against a tree. His face was different…changing. He was slowly shifting into a wolf right before my eyes. I managed to squeeze through from under his arm and take a few steps away from him but he was fast and strong. He held me still, again.

“
You’re hurting me,” I said trying to loosen his grip.

“
Don’t be afraid of me. I love you and you have to believe me when I say I’m not going to hurt you,” he said as he held me trapped beneath his towering body. He twitched his head to the side. I could hear someone approaching, I was sure he heard it as well, because he turned to look in the direction of the rustling leaves. I tried to run, but he caught my arm. With no place to go, I stood still. I was afraid of him and of what he might become as he held me trapped against a tree with his body.

“
Come with me,” he said.

Fear streaked through me and I turned to not look at him in the eye. He pulled me around. I tried to free myself from his grip, but he held me tighter. My skin burned from where his fingers rubbed against my arm.

“
You can’t escape destiny. We were meant to be together. You and I are the same.”

“
I’m not like you. I could never do what you do.”

My heart wrenched at the thought of being a heartless animal as he was. He pulled me close to him. His breath was hot and musky as he breathed heavily on my face, “you can’t escape what you are. You’re no different from me. I see the desire you have to embrace the wolf within. I see it in your eyes.”

I jerked back as if his grip was a hot iron. “Let go of me!”

The wind began to blow violently. Restless shapes paced back and forth as if caged in the darkened woods. My heart raced with fear, and terror squeezed it like a strong fist.

“
What do you say, Lia. We don’t have much time.” He extended his hand out to me. “Come with me,” he disguised his voice, trying to make it sound familiar. Like the sweet, Lyle I once believed wasn’t a beast, but I couldn’t let my emotions or fear cloud my judgment. I couldn’t allow myself to forget what he was and what he did to Kima. I didn’t want to be a part of his world.

The look he held in his face turned into a face of a fierce hunter and I had become the prey. I stumbled backward and tried to escape to the opening in the forest, where I knew Ryan was. My heart galloped as I fought to stay focus on my escape.

“
You’re the granddaughter of a Lobison. We share the same bloodline. Accept it!” He shouted taking a step toward me, “accept what you are.”

His eyes were now dark and big. His chest began to expand and popping sounds of joints and bone broke the silence between us. He curled his upper lip, exposing a sharp set of teeth. Any thought I had to outrun him, outwit him, shattered like glass when I realized he was transforming before my eyes. His clothes ripped off his body as he dropped on all fours covered in black bristled fur.

“
Help!” I screamed as loud as I could. “Somebody help me!”

With a snarl, Lyle leapt in front of me.
‘Look at me! This is what you are. You are a child of the moon. Embrace the gift that has been given to you.’

He took a step closer and backed me up against a tree. I dug my nails into the trunk, surprised that I could telepathically hear him. Pinned beneath the fluff of his black fur and the hard trunk I looked him in the eye, and fought back any fear I felt inside, “I may be a child of the moon, but I will never be a savage animal like you!”

I felt the vibration of a growl grow inside him, as he hovered over me. His fur had the smell of forest, dirt and blood. I noticed a patch of missing fur on his shoulder.
‘I love you and you mean more to me alive than dead, but if you won’t even try to love me in return…’

He ran his muzzle along the side of my face. I began to feel my blood boil and the joints on my fingers pop when I smelled Kima’s dried blood on him. I felt my breathing coming faster and shorter. Lyle backed away from me. I could see a smile in his eyes. He knew I was beginning to transform into the beast he wanted me to become. I cupped my head in my hands, jabbing new thick nails into my scalp, as I fought to keep from changing.

‘
You can’t stop it. Lose yourself, and let the beast break free,’
he said
.

I wanted him to shut up! I curled into the fetal position, hugging my knees tightly. But he was right. The beast was in control. I couldn’t stop it. Blood ran down my nose, as I felt my skull begin to reshape and my joints and bones pop.

Leaves drifted downward, brushed by a blast of wind. The shrill cry of a raven caught my gaze.
A large grey wolf knocked Lyle to the ground and held him down, as three wolves appeared from the shadows. Ryan transformed into human as he landed in the break of the woods.

“
Are you alright?” he asked reaching for me. But I pushed him away. I didn’t want him to come near me. Not while I was transforming into a monster. Lyle growled and struggled to break free from the other wolves that had him pinned to the ground.

Ryan turned to look at him, “we’ve been looking for you.”

Lyle snapped at the wolf that held him down. He got loose from his grip and charged with full force toward Ryan. He hissed at Lyle, before dropping to the ground a wolf with reddish, brown fur and glowing yellow eyes. Ryan tackled him to the ground. They began to rip at each other’s fur with their teeth.

From beyond the shadows of the trees, I saw six shapes that pushed through the trees. Six wolves, charged at the remaining men. I struggled to stand, but my feet were now paws, and they had a mind of their own. I wanted to scream and make them stop fighting, but when I opened my mouth to yell, a loud and long howl escaped instead. I fell to the ground, too weak from the change. My whole body was in pain. Emi walked in the middle of the fight and began to chant in an unfamiliar language. Suddenly there was silence. The men stopped fighting and we each stood naked, in our human form.

“
My brothers, cousins, we shouldn’t be fighting each other. She’s the one we should destroy.” She said pointing her finger at me, “She holds the key to our immortality. Her blood contains powerful magic and the power to restore life and make us all immortal.”

Ryan flew to my side, wrapping his arm around me, “Anyone steps near her and I’ll kill him,” he warned.

The Ulric brothers ignored his threat. They snarled and breathed heavily and positioned themselves to charge.

“
Kill them both!” She yelled at her brothers.

They looked at Lyle. Waiting for his approval to charge, but he stood staring at me. I couldn’t help but feel like he sincerely wanted me to live. He lowered his head in defiance to Emi’s command.

“
Must I do everything?” Emi screamed in anger. She raised her arms into the air and began to chant. A violent wind began to separate Ryan and me. We fought hard to hold on to each other but Emi’s command over the wind was stronger. I dropped to the ground, rolling in pain. Blood ran down my nose and ears.

“
Stop it!” Lyle yelled at Emi, “You’re killing her.” He charged at her but she stopped him, causing him to drop to his knees in pain as well.

“
Anyone else want to try and stop me?” She asked. Everyone except for Ryan stood still watching. He quickly turned into a wolf and leaped at her, but she too put him in a spell and he rolled on the ground in pain.

My blood boiled with anger. While Emi turned her attention on the rest of them, I charged at her savagely. This time the transformation came quickly and painlessly. I snapped my set of sharp teeth on her throat. The taste of coppery blood filled my mouth and to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it. It streamed down my throat quickly as I held her in place, draining whatever life she had left inside her.