Ice Moon

by Lisa Kessler

  “Please don’t keep Jared away.”

  A black Lexus came up fast in my rearview mirror. “I know you like him, but he’s not good for you.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “For either of us.”

  Behind me, the Lexus followed so close I couldn’t see the telltale L on the grate. Didn’t this ass understand the roads were icy? I reached my hand out the open window and waved for him to pass me.

  He stayed on my tail. I gripped the wheel a little tighter. Finally, the car crossed the broken yellow line, only to swing back behind us again. I kept my speed steady. I wasn’t about to put our lives at risk over an impatient asshole who didn’t know how to drive in the snow.

  There was a turn off in a few miles.

  Suddenly my Escalade lurched forward. Charlie yelped. “Did that guy just hit us?”

  My tires glided, losing traction. I struggled to keep the wheel straight as the Lexus crossed into the other lane. I ached to slam on the brake, but that would only send us sliding or spinning to who knew where.

  Beside us, the tinted window slid down and Damian’s crazed eyes met mine.

  Impossible. He was gone.

  I stepped on the gas, trying to outrun him. Time seemed to slow. Damian swung into my lane, clipping my back fender, and propelling us into a spin. Charlie screamed. My steering wheel folded under the heat of my hands as we smacked into the guardrail, hard. The crash deafened my ears, and then silence suffocated us as the world tilted.

  We were in mid-air. Oh shit. God no. I grabbed for Charlie’s hand as if I could hold him in the car more securely than his seatbelt.

  The moment we hit the snowy mountain cliff everything went black.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jared

  We ate our Thanksgiving dinner in awkward silence. The twins moped, not understanding where Charlie went or why everyone was upset.

  Madeleine kept explaining, “But I told the truth.”

  My Pack avoided looking in my direction which was fine by me. Ruining my life and hurting my mate was bad enough. Having it happen in front of my entire Pack made the sting even more acute.

  I cleaned my plate and wished the clock would move faster. The sooner it got dark, the sooner I could shift and get to Taryn. Now that she knew, I hoped seeing me as a wolf she might recognize my eyes. She might believe me.

  It was the only chance I had.

  Outside the sky darkened. Clouds rolled in fast on the mountain top. During the winter months, the weather could go from a drizzle to a full-on snow storm in less than an hour. The ski resorts loved it. Wasn’t so great for drivers.

  That was what killed Bailey.

  Heavy glops of icy rain hit the deck outside. Wintry mix. Memories of that stormy night filled my head. The snow getting heavier, the wind whipping across the road making tempests of ice beside the roadway. Bailey struggling to see the reflectors marking the highway. We should’ve pulled over until the storm cleared, but we were so close to her house.

  I closed my eyes, resting my head on the door and trying to push the memories from my mind. I didn’t want to hear the twisting metal and the glass shattering as we tumbled down the mountainside.

  Logan came to stand beside me. “Sorry man. Nothing worse than finding your mate and not being able to be with her.”

  Logan and his twin Luke were the youngest members of my generation of the Pack. He was the lead singer of Logan and the Howlers. He killed it in the spotlight, but in private, Logan was a man of very few words. I appreciated he was trying, but in my agitated state I was tempted to tell him he didn’t know shit and once he found his mate we could talk.

  I straightened up. “Thanks, Logan.”

  “If there’s anything I can do…”

  “I think the only one who can fix this is me. I fucked it up, so it’s only fair, right?”

  His mouth curved into a bitter smile. “Just don’t wait too long. Don’t let her slip away.”

  I nodded. “No chance.”

  After the clean-up was finished, Lana and Sasha, our resident jaguar shifters, turned on the TV. They would stay here and watch the twins while the Pack went out to shift under the full moon. Before we went outside, Jason cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention.

  “While we’re all together, Kilani and I have some news.”

  My brother had already told me his secret, and now I felt even worse. They’d been planning to announce Kilani’s pregnancy tonight, before the evening imploded, thanks to me.

  “Kilani is pregnant.”

  The house erupted with cheers and our parents wrapped Kilani in hugs and kisses that would’ve had me gasping for air. At least their announcement shifted the focus away from the ruin of my life. They looked so damned happy.

  I was too, a couple of hours ago.

  My brother came over and gave me a hug. “Thanks for keeping it quiet for us for a few weeks.”

  “No problem.” I pulled back. “My face probably doesn’t show it right now, but I’m really excited for you guys. You’re going to be great parents.”

  “Thanks. Maybe in a couple days Kilani can come up and talk to Taryn.”

  “I have no idea if that will help.”

  “Just let me know.”

  I nodded and followed the others outside. Snow blanketed us as we went further down the hiking trail, into the mountains. Adam, being our Alpha, would be the one to stop first. Then we’d all find a spot, strip down, and shift. And once I was a wolf, I could find Taryn. My hands trembled I needed to see her so badly. I wanted to make her smile, to take away her pain.

  Finally Adam stopped. “Okay we’re clear. Let’s do this.”

  He didn’t need to tell me twice. I went behind a thicket of trees and stripped off my clothes, my eyes on the moon. Inside my wolf paced, agitated and eager. His time was here.

  Pain ripped through my body, burning down my back until I fell to the ground on all fours. I’d shifted once a month for years, and every time the torture surprised me. My bones cracked, joints popping and reforming. I would’ve screamed if my vocal chords were still intact.

  My jaw snapped, jutting forward into a snout, my teeth becoming deadly canines. I panted through the agony as brown hair pushed up through every pore. Falling onto my side, the transformation continued with claws on my feet and a tail lengthening from my spine.

  Finally, the pain subsided. I got up and shook my entire body, my wolf eager to run. Usually, I allowed my wolf free-rein, to take control, but tonight all I could think about was Taryn.

  Adam’s howl echoed through the night, calling the Pack to him. He would take the lead, ensuring the wolves stayed away from humans. My ears pricked as my Pack answered his call. Inside, I coaxed the wolf in the other direction.

  We trotted slowly at first, tentative, but the cold breeze shifted, blowing the snow into our eyes. A growl ignited in my belly, my lips pulling back to reveal dangerous teeth.

  Blood was in the wind.

  Lifting my snout, I focused on the scent.

  Taryn and Charlie.

  I raced for them, tracking their scent over rocks and through the trees. Thankfully, the wolf ran on instincts because deep within, my heart had stopped. They were outside in the storm…bleeding.

  There was light in the distance. Far from the humans and their roads. I ran toward it. The terrain below was easier to maneuver, but the light was further up the mountainside. My claws dug into the snow, scrambling to get traction. I pulled myself up the snowy rocks toward the light and the alarming smell of my mate’s blood. As I got closer, another scent assaulted me.

  Jaguar.

  My hackles rose as I made my way toward the crushed Escalade. My wolf didn’t understand the voice, but I did. Loud and clear.

  “You fucking bitch.” Damian grunted. “If you’d stopped, instead of trying to run from me, I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off in the snow.”

  I got on my belly, moving in the shadows. The SUV leaned on the driver’s side, twisted, with one he
adlight still lit. They’d rolled numerous times after going over the guardrail up above.

  “I had to go buy supplies just to get down here. You better still be alive or I’ll start your heart again just so I can kill you slowly.”

  Our night vision as wolves wasn’t as strong as a jaguar’s. He’d have the advantage once he got to the car. But he was still on the mountainside above. This was our chance.

  I urged the wolf forward when suddenly we bolted for the vehicle. Catching the scent of our mate so close, the instinct to bite her, to convert her and make her ours overwhelmed what little control I had. Gareth had warned me.

  Jesus she was already injured. I couldn’t bite her now.

  I struggled for dominance over the animal part of my spirit, but it was a losing battle. When we reached the driver’s side window, the glass was shattered and the frame crushed. Peering inside, we jumped back when Taryn gasped. She was alert.

  Before I realized what was happening, my wolf lunged at the small opening, jaws snapping in an effort to claim her. No no no! Nothing helped.

  “This is perfect. Here puppy…”

  We spun around at the sound of Damian’s voice. He pointed a gun at us. I snarled, growling as I paced away from the SUV, drawing him away from my mate.

  “You’re the one who ran to my brother aren’t you?” He cocked the pistol. “He’s no match for me, wolf. You’ve gotten in my way for the last time.”

  I lunged off my powerful hind legs. A gunshot deafened my ears as we knocked him to the ground. My jaws snapped onto his wrist, teeth shattering through bone. Damian wailed, dropping the gun and beating me with his other hand.

  I released his arm and sank my teeth into his upper thigh, hobbling him before we ran back to Taryn’s side.

  Her voice was weak, but lucid. “Jared, if that’s you, you need to help Charlie. He won’t wake up.”

  My head tilted. The wolf didn’t understand her words. But I did. Perfectly. The wolf whined in pain, swiping at our face with his paw as I pushed my will. Gradually, he backed into the shadows. Forcing my shift while the moon was still high in the sky was going to hurt like hell, but I couldn’t get Charlie out as a wolf.

  The dark crushed cavern of the cab looked so familiar, the scent of blood, the crunch of glass.

  Already it was harder to breathe.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Taryn

  I drifted in and out of consciousness. The wolf, the same brown one that had come to our house before Halloween, came to me again. It couldn’t be Jared, not really, but it didn’t matter right now. What mattered was Charlie.

  His small hand was cold in mine. I rubbed my thumb across the back. “Charlie. There was a wolf. Just like you said.” Nothing. I swallowed and tried to wet my bloody lips. “He killed Damian. He can’t hurt us now.”

  I didn’t know if Damian was really dead, but he wasn’t moving and his gun was gone. If Charlie could hear me, I was all for easing his fear.

  “You have to hold on for me. Please.” Tears rolled down my cheeks, the salt stinging the cuts on my face. “Please, Charlie. I can’t lose you.”

  In the distance, a man cried out. The snow glowed in the moonlight. Nothing moved.

  If I could get my seatbelt unfastened I might’ve been able to reach Charlie and free him from his. I went to move my left hand, but nothing happened. In dim light, I could make out my misshaped shoulder.

  I didn’t want to let go of his hand, not even to press the button on my seatbelt. I couldn’t let him go, not like I did with his brother. I wouldn’t lose them both.

  “I won’t let you go, baby,” I whispered through my tears.

  “Taryn!”

  I squinted, not believing my eyes. In the silver light of the moon, Jared ran toward us. Naked in the snow. He dropped to his knees beside the crushed opening that used to be my windshield.

  “Jared?” I had to be hallucinating.

  “I’m going to get you out of there.”

  “Get Charlie first.”

  He stood up and leaned in through the open windshield, stretching toward Charlie. “Damn it. I can’t reach him from here. I’m going to need to get you out first, then I can climb in from your side.”

  “I don’t…I can’t…” I couldn’t say the word out loud.

  “I can’t help him until we get you out.” He reached through the opening and released my seatbelt.

  He slid his hands under my arms and started to lift me. I screamed in pain. Jared froze. “Tell me where it hurts.”

  “My shoulder. Left shoulder.”

  He took a closer look and cursed under his breath. “It’s dislocated.”

  “Just get Charlie.”

  He raked a hand back through his hair. Snow landed on his bare shoulders and melted. He was shivering.

  “Where are you clothes?”

  “Far from here. I’ll explain later.” He straightened up. “I’m going to see if I can crawl through the back.” He knelt down close so I could see his face. “It’s really important that you stay awake for me. Okay?”

  I nodded, and when I blinked, he was gone.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jared

  Around the back of the SUV, I struggled to catch my breath. Tremors racked my entire body. I wasn’t sure if it was hypothermia or my claustrophobia realizing that I had every intention of climbing into this dark cavern.

  The back window was shattered and the bumper hung from one side at an angle. I tried the handle. It lifted, but the mangled door was jammed. I yanked harder, hoping my added werewolf strength might be enough to make it budge. The metal whined, but it didn’t open.

  Fuck. I grabbed the bottom of what used to be the back window and pulled myself up. A shard of glass cut my belly as I slid into the battered SUV, but I managed to keep the family jewels intact. I’d be counting every small victory tonight.

  Inside the shadowed cold cabin, the stench of blood swamped my senses. My heart pounded, my chest constricted, and dark spots flickered at the edge of my vision. It was happening again. Life slipping away. I couldn’t save her. I…

  “Jared. Are you okay?”

  Taryn. Focus. I swallowed the boulder blocking my throat and struggled to suck air into my lungs. “It’s too small. I can’t get through.”

  Her voice trembled. “Please help him.”

  My chest heaved as I fought the overwhelming urge to get the hell out of this confined space. Charlie and Taryn needed me. I refused to sit outside and watch them slip away. I ground my teeth and pushed forward, deeper into the darkness. The hood was compressed on the headrest of the backseat. I fumbled in the dark, cutting the shit out of my hands, but I barely felt it.

  “Talk to me, beautiful. Your voice…helps.”

  I gulped for air, cold sweat covering my already freezing skin. I shivered, but I kept moving.

  “You really are a wolf.”

  Staying focused on her words made it easier to compartmentalize the irrational ache to curl in a ball and give up. I found a button and pressed it. The seat collapsed forward. “Yeah I am. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

  “And my little boy…”

  I slid closer to the front seats and stretched my bloodied hand toward Charlie. His skin was like ice. They must’ve crashed right after they left the cabin. While we ate dinner, Charlie and Taryn had been freezing on the side of a mountain.

  I ran my fingers down his cheek until I got to his neck. Holding my breath, I rested my fingers on his throat trying to locate his artery. I closed my eyes tight.

  Come on Charlie.

  And then I felt it. Faint and slow, but steady. “He’s alive.”

  Taryn sobbed, she was still clutching his hand. “Oh, thank God. We have to get him to the hospital.”

  I couldn’t tell her the hospital wasn’t an option. Not right now. “Let’s get him out first.”

  Not being able to stand made it tricky to get a good angle. Once I unfastened the seatbelt, he’d fall strai
ght down, across the cab onto Taryn, crushing her separated shoulder and possibly injuring him further. If he already had a neck fracture, I couldn’t risk jarring him.

  “Just breathe.”

  Taryn’s voice brought me back. I hadn’t realized I was hyperventilating. “Fuck.” I gasped, coughed, and gradually controlled my breathing. “I’m a hell of a knight in shining armor.”

  “I know you can do this.” She lifted Charlie’s arm and put it around the back of my neck. His skin was ice cold. Slowly she released his hand, her fingers brushing my cheek. “Save him.”

  Steeling my nerve, I slid my right arm around Charlie’s waist, and with my other hand I unfastened the seatbelt. His dead weight sank against me. He seemed so tiny in my arms. A tear rolled down my face as I kissed his forehead. “Hang in there, buddy.”

  My options for getting him out were, to try to drag him out the way I came in, to push our way out through the front windshield, or to climb through his passenger door. If it would open, that might be the easiest, but I wouldn’t know until I tried.

  “I’m going to see if I can get his door open.” She didn’t reply. “Taryn?” Nothing. “Shit. This is not going to happen. Not this time. I’m coming back for you.” My voice caught. “You hang on for me.”

  A new dose of adrenaline fueled my muscles. I jerked the handle of Charlie’s door and shoved it up with all the strength I had. The metal shrieked as it opened, more like a tin can than a car.

  With my right arm tight around Charlie, I reached up with my free hand grabbing the frame of the door. I ground my teeth to keep from screaming from the pain of the tendons and muscles in my left shoulder as I pulled both of us up one-handed.

  I hooked my arm on the outside and lifted Charlie out. I laid him on the side of the SUV while I jumped to the ground. The ice cold metal of the car stung my bare skin as I retrieved Charlie. As gently as I could manage, I carried him around the car and laid him under the shelter of a tree.

  His pulse still beat under my fingers. Good boy.

  I ran back to the car and knelt down to the driver’s side window. “Taryn?” She didn’t answer. Damn it.