Five Moons Rising

by Lise MacTague

  Not long before, he’d shifted into human form at the spot where they now stood. He must have stashed his clothes, as Ruri had gone from following paw tracks to bare feet for a few steps, then boots. She’d understood why when they’d scrambled over large rocks lining a narrow creek. It was the opening in the rocks that Cassidy stared at so dubiously now. It looked like they would have to climb inside a sewer culvert if they were to follow Lewis.

  “That’s what it looks like,” Ruri said. “He’s come by here an awful lot from his scent layers.” She lifted her head and inhaled deeply. Lewis’s scent was overlaid on the rocks, but she also got a noseful of rotting vegetation. It wasn’t a sewer culvert then; it was probably for storm runoff. That was a relief, but not what she’d been searching for. There it was again. More than one wolven had used this entrance. Anticipation tingled through her. If she’d had a tail, it would have been wagging. “Come on.”

  Ruri clambered deftly over the rocks. From the scrabbling behind her, Cassidy followed along gamely though not gracefully. There was a grate over the mouth of the culvert but when she looked more closely, Ruri realized it was only resting in place. Someone had popped out the bolts securing it to the metal walls. She pulled on it, swinging it toward her and held it out for Cassidy. It was heavy enough for her, but Cassidy handled it without any comment or evidence of strain.

  The entry yawned dark in front of them. Ruri could make out only shadows. They would need to enter and allow their eyes to acclimate before either of them would be able to see. Her wolf whined and shifted within her breast. She didn’t like the idea of being effectively blind for the few moments it would take before they’d be able to really see again. Neither did Ruri, but there was nothing for it.

  She slid through the gap between the edge of the culvert wall and the grate while Cassidy quietly held it up for her. As soon as she was clear, Cassidy followed her in and pulled the grate closed behind them.

  “Let’s go,” Ruri said quietly. She started forward, Cassidy glued to her side. Their footsteps echoed hollowly on the corrugated metal, even with her best efforts at stealth. A few yards from the entry, the metal gave way to concrete or maybe stone. Her eyes hadn’t acclimated enough to be able to tell. All she could really see were shadows stretching in front of them. The sickly sweet smell of rotting vegetation filled her nasal cavities, effectively blocking out anything other than the occasional hint of wolven.

  They continued deeper into the black and slowly Ruri was able to make out shapes. There wasn’t much to see, mostly piles of rotten leaves. Once she caught sight of what might have been a teddy bear sticking out of one of the piles. How did that get down here?

  “Ruri,” Cassidy whispered. She caught Ruri’s elbow and pulled her to a stop.

  “What is it?”

  “We’re not alone.”

  Ruri cast futilely about, trying to see more than vague shapes in the dark. Something moved against the far wall. Her wolf sprang to full alert, digging into the underside of her skin with her claws. She wanted out and Ruri’s jaws ached with the effort of keeping her contained.

  “No, you’re not.”

  The voice was familiar and Ruri relaxed a bit, though her wolf did not. “Lewis.” There was no response. “Come on, Lewis, it’s me. It’s Ruri.”

  “We know who you are.” Rustling filled the passageway and more shadows slid into place around them. There was a soft pop and a sickly green glow lit the bottom of Lewis’s face, throwing a stark shadow on the stone wall and ceiling. Half a dozen wolven surrounded them at a junction in the sewer pipe. “What we don’t know is why you abandoned us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “It looks empty,” Stiletto said.

  They lay side by side on top of the building from which she’d first watched the North Side pack’s new den. Privately, Malice agreed, but didn’t say anything. To do so would be to admit she’d fallen down on the job. If the pack wasn’t there, they could be anywhere.

  “They were here last time I checked on them.”

  “When was that?”

  “Last week.” It might even have been true; if not she wasn’t off by that much. The days and nights hadn’t meant much since Cassidy’s attack.

  “It’s Thursday.” Stiletto’s voice held no emphasis, nothing to betray how she really felt. The lack of inflection carried enough indictment for twelve juries.

  “They’re not my only concern.” Is that too defensive? Malice dialed back the heat. “Chicago’s a big city, you know.”

  “So’s Atlanta. You don’t see me slacking off on my major lycan packs.”

  Malice stood and headed for the edge of the roof. A ladder led down to the ground. “Whatever. I’m going to go check it out.”

  “Finally.” Stiletto was on her heels; she jostled past Malice to reach the ladder first. The woman had always been competitive, especially during training. She’d wanted everyone to think she was the best and had gone to some extreme lengths to prove it. Not that she’d ever broken any rules in her pursuit. There was no one more by the book than Stiletto. And of course, that hadn’t ever prevented her from getting anyone else brought up on regs. It was part of what made her so dangerous. There was no way she would overlook Malice keeping Ralph in the dark about the werewolf attack on Cassidy.

  The abandoned hub was at the edge of the industrial park, which was fairly active at this time of day. Large trucks rumbled to and fro on the park’s winding roads. Fortunately, there was a lot of space between buildings and none of the civilians seemed to notice the two women. Even if they’d looked closely, it would have been difficult to make out their weapons, concealed as they were beneath long dusters. The wind wasn’t making it easy. It tugged at the ends of their clothing, and Malice had to hold the end of her coat in place over the katana at her waist. Stiletto had no such problems, but then she didn’t favor a weapon that long. Her preferred weapons were a pair of long knives for which the pommels doubled as stakes.

  The chain-link fence around the long low former transportation hub was breeched in many places, and they easily found a spot to slip through. The closer they got to the main building, the more Malice became on edge. Her senses were open to their maximum, her eyes darting this way and that. It felt like nothing escaped them. Stiletto’s company at her side was no distraction. Her presence faded into the background and didn’t stand out in her mind like the other life forms around her.

  There wasn’t much else on her radar. Beyond the low-level energy she felt when in any area with wildlife and vegetation in it, she couldn’t feel much.

  “Feels pretty empty,” Stiletto said, unconsciously echoing her own thoughts.

  “Doesn’t mean they’ve gone.”

  The sideways glance her companion leveled at her was damning in its lack of emotion. Stiletto knew she’d fucked up, but she wasn’t going to say anything, not to Malice. No, she’d save that for her report to Uncle Ralph.

  They got to a side door in the otherwise featureless side of the building. Three of the sides were almost completely featureless, while the far side held row upon row of loading docks. It was a strange place for a lycan pack to hole up. Each door represented a potential way in. It wouldn’t have been easy if someone had decided to attack them. MacTavish obviously had something at work, and the building had been a part of it. Still, if he was robbing trailers, why wasn’t he using the building anymore? Maybe she’d spooked him when she took out his wolves.

  Malice pulled out her katana and held it at the ready. The doorknob turned under her hand. Stiletto readied her weapons on the other side. If there was anyone inside, they were well concealed and hadn’t moved in quite some time. The chances were slim, but neither of them had survived this long without being cautious when warranted. Though caution wasn’t the word she would use for sneaking into a possible pack den with only one other person. Yes, Stiletto was a member of the Program, but the only other time Malice had taken on an entire pack, she’d called in a squad of soldiers to he
lp her handle the threat. The two of them could do a lot of damage on their own, but if they were wrong about the pack being gone, they would probably be torn to shreds. The unmarked pauper’s grave at Homewood Cemetery beckoned.

  Three, two, one, she mouthed, and yanked the door open. Stiletto burst through, making no more noise than a soft breeze through light curtains. Malice was right on her heels. She too was practically soundless, at least to human ears. Lycans were a different matter. Supras were always a different matter.

  The hallway beyond was dark and locked in shadows. The light coming through the doorway allowed her to see well enough. The carpet had seen better days. It was stained and torn in places. Mustiness and damp were the first smells to reach her nostrils. There hadn’t been any air moving through this hall in some time.

  Stiletto led the way down the hall to the lonely door at the far end. It swung open under her touch, but not quietly. As it reached the end of its swing, it scraped on the concrete floor. The rasp of metal on cement echoed back through the hall, and Malice grimaced. If any lycans still remained, they knew someone else was on the premises.

  Again, there was no sign of anyone. It seemed this had once been an office area. The only light in the room was what filtered in from the hallway and managed to make its way through a series of three filthy skylights high above. It was enough that they could see clearly. Cubicles took up most of the area, forming a maze of half walls around the periphery of the large room and in the center. Malice glanced into one and wasn’t surprised to see a mattress along one side. It was heaped with dirty blankets. Something had made it into quite the nest. The cubicles were somewhat protected and enclosed; it made sense that the lycans might convert them to sleep in.

  It seemed more like the actions of a feral, however. The pack members she’d run into had been more human in their behaviors. Ruri certainly was. This wasn’t the sleeping place of a well-socialized lycan. She made a note to say something to Ruri about it. Maybe she’d have some insight.

  Most of the rest of the cubes showed signs of having been inhabited. Some were neater than others, but all showed signs that their occupants had left in a hurry. Small belongings lay forgotten in the corners and the smell of spoiled meat lingered unpleasantly in the air.

  It took them almost an hour to clear the rest of the old shipping hub. It was just as empty as the office had been. The signs all pointed to the lycans using the office area and portions of the shipping and storage areas, but other parts of the building looked like they hadn’t been touched at all.

  “They’re definitely gone.” Stiletto dropped any attempt at stealth. “Any ideas where they might have ended up?”

  “No clue.” Malice sheathed her katana. “If they’re hijacking trucks, they’ll need a setup like this. I’d start looking for more abandoned trucking operations.”

  “Maybe.” Stiletto chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. “Unless they figure this is the kind of place you’ll check out first. What do you know about the new Alpha?”

  Malice shrugged. “I know his name is MacTavish and he’s nothing like the old one. He was a lone wolf before he decided to take over the pack. Based on what he’s done since taking over, he’s no saint, but the first time I heard about him was after that. So he’s smart and knows how to keep a low profile.”

  “Great, that’s just what we need. An intelligent animal. And he has a plan and the muscle to carry it out.” Stiletto shook her head. “You are in so much trouble. It’s a good thing I’m here to give you a hand.”

  “Oh yeah, it’s great.” You’re exactly what I need. Still, if Stiletto could be kept on the trail of MacTavish and his pack, Malice would get some opportunities to peel off and check in on Ruri and Cassidy. All she had to do was keep the other woman occupied. “Let’s go check out the scenes of the hijackings.”

  Ruri laughed, the sound raw in her throat. “Abandoned you? I’ve been trying to find you.”

  “It took you long enough.” Lewis moved closer to them. He purposefully stepped in close enough that his body heat washed over her.

  That deep inside her envelope of personal space, she fought the urge to push him back. That wasn’t right. Lewis was pack, she should have welcomed his nearness, but her wolf prodded her to get him away from them. He might be pack, but right now he was a threat.

  “Leave her alone,” Cassidy said. She laid a hand on his shoulder and hauled him back.

  “Don’t,” Ruri said too late. Lewis was looking for a confrontation, and Cassidy had just handed him one on a silver platter.

  He whirled on Cassidy and lunged, snapping. His face lengthened into a partially furred muzzle that sprouted teeth as long as her thumb. They flashed in the shadows as he brought them together with a resounding clash mere inches from her face. Pinkish fluid drooled down from his jaws and his eyes glowed green in the dark.

  The rest of the wolven moved forward, trapping them both in a tightening ring. Eyes of every imaginable shade gleamed menacingly at them. The telltale snap of bone rang out around them. Some of the watching wolven were shifting.

  Her wolf savaged the underside of her belly with her claws. She demanded to be released, to protect herself and Cassidy.

  No, not now! The pain was tremendous, as bad as anything the wolf might have inflicted on her skin. But if she gave in to her wolf and shifted, lashing out at the wolven around them, she would break whatever tenuous pack bonds remained.

  Frustrated that Ruri wouldn’t go after those hemming them in, her wolf growled. The sound escaped through her throat. Her jaws and hands ached. The change would be upon her soon if she couldn’t calm down.

  Her internal struggle seemed to go unremarked by the wolven, whose eyes never left Lewis and Cassidy. She had her hand wrapped around his throat and held him at arm’s length. Lewis growled and slavered, covering her arm with saliva as he tried to reach her. No matter how he twisted, Cassidy kept him away from her. Lewis was an impressive figure in human form, and halfway to full wolf form, he was even more imposing. By all rights he should have been able to crush Cassidy, who barely came up to his shoulder.

  The only sign of her wolf was in her eyes, one glowing brilliant azure, the other bright crimson. Aside from that, she seemed not to need the strength of her wolf to take on her challenger.

  They were at a stalemate, Lewis unwilling to back down and Cassidy unable to. The second she gave an inch, the wolven would be at her neck for daring to challenge him. Cassidy’s forearm had started to shake from the effort of holding Lewis at bay. The wolven realized it and redoubled his efforts, the nails on his back claws digging into the hard ground. Bit by bit, Cassidy was forced back, her shoes sliding on slime-covered concrete.

  Ruri shifted around, ready to launch herself at Lewis should he get the upper hand. It broke every challenge rule she had ever known, and yet her wolf insisted upon it. Letting Cassidy die would be a far worse crime than leaving the challenge to the two wolven engaged in it. Cassidy was blood of Mary Alice. She belonged to the small pack Ruri had started to gather. The wolven around them now lay outside that pack.

  Blood trickled down Lewis’s neck and his thrashing redoubled. Cassidy’s nails had transformed, piercing his skin beneath the fur obscuring his neck. He lashed out with a razor-clawed hand and caught Cassidy along the ribs, parting her shirt like paper and gouging four deep furrows into her skin.

  She grunted, shock in her eyes, but her mouth tightened with what could only be resolve. Her mouth exploded in her own double row of razor-sharp teeth. She screamed in Lewis’s face, a howl of deep and abiding rage that would have shredded the vocal cords of any human.

  They toppled over in a blur of limbs and fur, rolling over and over until it was impossible to tell which had the advantage or was on top. The ring of wolven moved and shifted with them, and Ruri had to scamper to keep up. The combatants fetched up against the edge of the tunnel with a loud slam. When they stopped, Cassidy was astride her challenger, barely recognizable in her half-shifted for
m. Lewis lay on his back beneath her, in full wolf pelt. He didn’t move a muscle and held himself so still his muscles quivered slightly. His eyes rolled to keep an eye on Cassidy, who had her teeth clamped around his throat. That crazed pattern of fur covered her, peeking out in multihued tufts through the rents in her clothes.

  Lewis twisted, freeing his back legs. They kicked at her, his back claws digging into the flesh of her stomach; his front claws remained embedded in her shoulder. Blood streaked Cassidy’s fur, and Ruri’s wolf demanded she act immediately. By clenching her fists and digging the claws into her palm, Ruri was able to resist, but only barely. Slowly, imperceptibly, muscle by muscle, Lewis relaxed, pulling his claws free. Blood dripped down onto his pelt, mixing with his own, both liberally painting his front and sides.

  Cassidy showed no sign of letting go. All it would take to end Lewis was a shake of her head, and he would be gone, neck broken and throat slashed.

  “Cassidy.” Ruri scooted forward on all fours, moving almost crablike across the cold floor. Lewis’s eyes and those of the wolven surrounding them turned to her. Cassidy’s did not. “Cassidy!” She reached out and touched the victorious wolven. “You beat him. He’s done. You can let go now.”

  Awareness returned to her gaze, and she flicked her eyes up to meet Ruri’s. A questioning whine made its way out, past her mouthful of flesh and fur.

  “It’s okay. You won. He’ll be okay now.”

  Beneath her, Lewis carefully nodded his shaggy wolf head.

  Cassidy relaxed her jaws slightly, enough that her teeth were no longer embedded in his neck. The rest of her stayed tense, poised for action should Lewis attack. When he didn’t, Cassidy let go of his shoulders where her hands wrapped in his pelt. As she moved back, Ruri saw that just as his claws had been buried in Cassidy’s skin, so too had her claws been buried in Lewis’s. He rolled away with some effort and pulled himself up to all four paws.