by Amanda LeMay
Shadow of the Summer Moon
Amanda LeMay
The Sakana Series book 2
Table of Contents
Title Page
SHADOW OF THE SUMMER MOON
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
EPILOGUE
The Sakana Series continues with Book 3
Acknowledgements
A note from the author
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Also By Amanda LeMay
About the Author
SHADOW OF THE SUMMER MOON
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are
either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or business
establishments, organizations or locales is completely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Amanda LeMay
Cover art design by Patricia Schmitt
Sakana icon design by Tarl Lambson
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act
of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or
retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without
permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you
would like permission to use material from the book (other than for
review purposes), please contact Amanda LeMay at
[email protected]
Shadow of the Summer Moon / Amanda LeMay
First Edition: June 2018
ISBN: 9781386092513
DEDICATION
~ For The Dreamer ~
“Fairy dust and rainbows galore.”
I’m not sure how those fit with wolf-shifters, but...here you are.
Every. Single. Page.
CHAPTER ONE
“WHO ARE YOU?”
The words came out tight and raspy. The stranger in the bathroom mirror stared back at me through wild, bloodshot eyes, a sad, hollow shadow of who I used to be.
What had been a shiny black sheet of silken hair falling softly past my waist was now ragged and clumpy, and looked as though I’d taken a straight-edged razor and carved out uneven chunks from the ends. My nails were broken, cracked, and torn. Every trace of pale pink nail polish scuffed away by the hundreds of miles of dirt and rocks I had traveled over to get here.
I traced my tongue along lips that were wind-chapped and split. Teeth that had ripped into fur and raw flesh were in sore need of a toothbrush, or blow torch, and a gallon of mouthwash.
My body ached in ways I never thought possible.
And I was hungry. So hungry. The few rabbits and squirrels I’d managed to hunt down and catch didn’t come close to filling the hole that seven days of hard running had left in my stomach.
My oddly two-toned blue eyes were the only feature about me that held any life—but what I saw in them frightened me.
Whoever I’d been before had disappeared like a shadow.
The years I’d spent holding a tight rein on the savage, primitive animal inside me had been for nothing.
I’d let it loose. I had run.
What I saw staring back at me now was feral. Untamed.
Free.
Not beaten. Not broken.
I glanced around the long, granite countertop, at the small cardboard box labeled Jess—bathroom. There were two other similarly labeled boxes stacked in the corner. I wasn’t sure if they had been packed to leave, or had been left there in the process of unpacking to stay. Makeup tubes and compacts lay scattered near the sink along with hair products, brushes, and a blow dryer.
It seemed strange to stand in the middle of such a normal place while my entire world fell apart.
The thumping bass from the speakers outside pounded against the house and drowned out the sounds of the wedding party, which, in itself, I found odd. A wedding? Our kind, married? Like humans?
How much of our world had Rule kept from his pack?
One thing I’d come to believe, that in keeping his pack like pampered pets on a tight-fisted leash, Rule had robbed us of our true nature. Everything I’d learned about who I truly was inside, behind my human mask, I had learned through trial and error. Over the last week, I’d learned how to move with stealth. How to track. How to kill. How to survive.
How to trust my instincts.
And so, I’d ended up in the middle of nowhere: Comfort, Texas.
While the wedding party went on outside, I had slipped into the house, taking the chance my unwashed odor would be lost or mingled in with the smell of the pack, of roasting meat over a smoky barbeque, over horses and cows and the fragrant, green brush.
Here, in this room, a scent I recognized from the past surrounded me, comforted me, helped me focus on my purpose—and not the stink of my own filthy body.
The familiar scent of fresh flowers and green fields belonged to Jessica Maccon.
Not that Jessica was my friend. I didn’t have friends. And the blame was all mine. Even though my mother had controlled so much of my life, I could’ve made the effort. I could’ve been...nice. Friendly. I never believed I needed friends before, especially a transplant female from Albuquerque who stayed only a couple of years and then left. She was an outsider. Not a true member of Rule’s pack. And that made her untrustworthy.
That is my mother talking.
Jessica was honest and honorable.
There was not one member of my own pack I could trust to help me do what I was about to do. I wouldn’t blame Jessica if she flat refused, or called for her pack Alpha to have me escorted off and banned from their territory.
But...that wasn’t Jessica’s way.
No matter how busy she was, she had always greeted everyone with a smile. Even me. Every day had seemed a fresh start to her. She seemed to have the ability to look past my awful behavior. I could only hope she would do so again.
She’d been kind to me. To everyone. Always.
&nb
sp; And I’d been horrible to her. To everyone. Always.
Jessica wouldn’t turn me away without letting me explain. She’d consider it, weigh the pros and cons and even if the cons outweighed the pros, she’d offer some good, honest advice before sending me on my way.
Advice was the best I could hope for.
Hope. What a seriously foolish notion.
If this pack refused my plea for help, I’d slink away and find somewhere else to hide. But, without a friend inside the pack, finding even a small amount of protection would be difficult, if not impossible. The last thing I wanted was to become another Alpha’s property.
I focused once more on the unrecognizable female in the mirror. With too little sleep and too little to eat, the sunken cheeks and black rings around my eyes gave me an almost skeletal look. Muscles I never knew I possessed stretched thin over my bones. In seven days, I’d run off most of my curves. Except, of course, my breasts.
My ugly, scarred breasts.
I closed my eyes.
Breathe. Just breathe. You’re okay.
I understood what it meant to run. Going back would mean a death sentence.
I sent my fingertips over the shiny brands—the hideous proof of why I’d run, why I’d abandoned my pack—burned into my skin, a constant and terrible reminder of the male who’d tried to own me.
At least the physical pain had disappeared.
I sucked in a breath, opened my eyes, and looked at what my pack Alpha had done as he sought to possess my body.
Blood seemed to boil in my veins as tears burned my eyes.
Don’t cry. Get angry.
Footsteps came from outside the bedroom connected to the bathroom where I stood hidden. Jessica’s voice came with them.
“If I plan on dancing any more, I’ll have to get out of these shoes, too.”
Another female spoke. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather Dain come help you out of this dress? I’m thinking he’d really enjoy that.”
“So would I, but then we’d be missing our own party because you know as well as I do, we’d end up in here the rest of the night, banging like bunnies.”
Jessica laughed. It was sweet and husky and for some strange reason, tugged at my racing heart.
“Well, there is that.”
“I get to have him for the rest of my life so I’m pretty sure we can—” Jessica’s voice halted.
Apparently, she’d caught my scent.
I grabbed a towel from the stack behind me and wrapped it around my naked body. My heart pounded in my ears as I listened, and waited, and prayed.
Please remember me. Please remember me. Please. Please.
CHAPTER TWO
MY HAND TREMBLED AS I reached for the doorknob.
“Simone?”
“Jessica.” My voice wavered as relief rushed through me. “Yes, it’s me.” I grabbed the door handle and pulled.
“Simone?”
Even with confusion coloring her face, Jessica looked so beautiful, like a fairytale bride from a magazine. Her golden hair sparkled beneath the small veil, her eyes the color of rich, light amber. She glowed with happiness.
“Jessica.” A fine, watery mist formed around her image. The little strength I had left in my legs seemed to give way and I clutched the doorframe to keep from falling to the tile.
“Sweet heavens, are you okay?” She took a quick step forward. Her amber eyes searched my body from head to toe as her hand came up to cover her mouth.
And that was Jessica. She didn’t ask why I was in her bathroom or why I was crashing her wedding reception. She couldn’t help but care about others, even if they hadn’t treated her as they should have.
I stood speechless, smelling of dirt and green plants along with my own body odor, in desperate need of a shower and a toothbrush. However, my need for protection, for understanding, for a friendly face, outweighed my embarrassment.
“Please, Jessica, please help me.” The words squeaked out past the emotional lump in my throat.
“Holy shit.” Her eyes scanned my body. “What happened to you?”
Words spilled out of my mouth. “I know I was horrible to you, and I understand what I’m asking for, and I’m putting you in an awkward position, and I wouldn’t ask if—”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Slow down.” She glided across the room, leaving two females standing in the doorway. She took my hands, flipped them over. From my fingertips to my elbows, I was filthy. I glanced down at my feet, and with the dirt and grime well up past my knees, it was plain to see what I’d done.
“Did you run all the way here?”
“Yes.”
“What the hell happened?”
I looked past Jessica as the two other females moved slowly into the room and closed the door behind them. One was young, possibly still in her teen years. The other female appeared more mature. With the slow rate at which we aged, there was no way to judge the age of the dark-haired female, though she carried more weight around her middle than most females did. Even so, she had a kind face. She looked at me the way I had always wished my own mother would look at me: like she cared, really cared about me. Still, I didn’t need more witnesses—at least, not yet.
Jessica appeared to realize the reason for my hesitation. She turned away and spoke softly. “I’m sorry, would you mind? Give us a few minutes?”
They nodded and moved to the door.
“Let me know if you need anything,” the older female offered.
Jessica nodded. “I will.”
Once the door closed behind them, I looked at Jessica. How would I ever put into words the nightmare I’d been through? I couldn’t. I could only show her. Tears burned my eyes, but I couldn’t allow them to fall. Not now. Not when I needed to be strong. I swallowed hard, took a couple of steps back and tugged at the towel, letting it fall to the floor.
Her eyes popped open as she stared at my naked body. I couldn’t find it in me to be embarrassed. Not anymore. Now, seeing the look of revulsion on her face, I felt validated.
“Oh...sweet...” Jessy whispered, the sight of what had scarred my skin seeming to sink in. “Someone did this to you?”
I closed my eyes, nodded once, and let go of the breath I’d been holding. My body was nothing more than a piece of hard evidence against the San Francisco Alpha.
I heard the rustle of fabric and then Jessica’s body slammed into mine. She grabbed me in a fierce hug. Her tears slid down my shoulder and back before her breath hitched in a sob.
“Jessica, don’t. Please.”
She tightened her embrace. Panic rose up my throat. The last time someone held me was to tie me down, and that someone supposedly loved me.
“Jessica.” I pulled out of her arms.
She stepped back, her canines in plain sight. Wildfire lit up her golden eyes as mascara streaked down her cheeks with her tears. Her hands gripped my shoulders firmly.
“Who the fuck did this? Was it one of those crazy-ass males?”
The time had come. The second I made the accusation out loud, Jessica would know what I had done, how I had abandoned my pack, run from my Alpha.
“Rule. Rule Arawn did this to me.”
Her shoulders straightened as her chin went up. She stared into my eyes. Her pretty lips formed a straight line as her canines slid out even farther, long and white and sharp. After spending so many days as a wolf, I finally understood the need to express my true nature, just as she did now.
“No fucking way.”
She doesn’t believe me.
It stung worse than I imagined it would. Leaning down, I picked up the towel and wrapped it around my body, hiding the brands once more.
I was wrong about how I’d thought she would react. I probably deserved it. I’d burned too many bridges, getting nowhere fast, and now I could never go back.
Jessica stepped past me to the door and opened it. She glanced back at me with anger burning in her eyes. Never in my life had I seen a more dangerous female. Except,
of course, my own mother. When Jessica’s mouth opened to speak, I fully expected her to order me out of her house.
“Jules.” Her voice cracked with emotion.
“Jessy, what’s wrong?” The younger female, Jules, rushed forward into the room.
“I’m fine.” She wiped her cheeks with the palms of her hands, smearing the dark outline of her tears. “We’re fine. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Then why are you crying?” The older female touched Jessica’s arm, love and worry written on her face.
Jessica let out a nervous laugh. “I need to speak to Dain for a minute.”
“All right. But everything’s okay?” Her friend looked at me again. I expected to see accusation in her eyes, but there was only concern.
Jessica nodded. “Yes, everything is gonna be okay.”
Jules gave her a worried smile. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”
Jessica smiled lightly. She motioned the other female in before shutting the door. Her smile quickly turned into a small sob as she struggled to control her emotions.
“If you want me to leave, please say so. I’ll leave. You don’t need to have your mate escort me out. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t have any place else to go.”
“What? I’m not kicking you out.” She looked me square in the eye. “And yes. I’ll be your sponsor, Simone, but I need my mate to understand what I’m getting into here.”
“And we’ll have to talk to our Alpha,” the dark-haired female added. “He’s a good male. If he decides you can’t stay, he won’t kick you out on your ass. He’ll find another pack where you’ll be safe.”
My legs gave out and I slumped into a chair. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.” I clutched the towel around me. “Jessica, please know I truly regret how I treated you. I am so, so sorry.”
“Please, call me Jessy. No one here calls me Jessica except my dad, and that’s only when I get on his last nerve.”
“I’ll try to remember.”
She knelt down in front of me. “And listen, Simone, you didn’t treat me any differently than you treated anyone else. It’s not like you were mean. You were just, you know, aloof. Indifferent. You didn’t let anyone get close. I mean, really, none of the females in that pack treated me any differently than you did. I didn’t take it personally. It’s just who you are. A little stuck up, and please don’t take that wrong. I swear, I’m not making an excuse for you, but you’re beyond beautiful even for wolf standards, and your eyes, damn.”