Busy nursing her very pregnant sister at the hospital, my mom only checked in on me once around dinner time. I pretended I was asleep, and listened as she quietly closed the door again. When lights started blinking out for the night, I cracked the bedroom window and slipped into the backyard.
It was cold enough for me to see my breath. I quickly jogged a couple of blocks out to one of the busier intersections. Once there, I hopped in place, trying to keep warm. By time I heard the rattle of an automobile winding its way down the street, my teeth were chattering. It pulled up alongside me with just the barest of squeaks. I hopped in and thrust my hands into the hot air rushing out of the heating vents.
Caleb, arms draped over the steering wheel, watched as I tried to coax life back into my fingers. "Princess, this better be good."
o0o
Caleb had a remarkable way of not asking uncomfortable questions. In fact, he hardly spoke a word to me on our drive back to Eddington. Every now and then I would glance at him, his face lit with the soft green light coming from the dash, but not once did he turn to look at me nor, despite his greeting, ask why it was I had asked him to drive ninety minutes out of his way to come get me.
"Thank you," I said, finally breaking the silence between us.
At that, he simply nodded, eyes straight ahead on the road.
I watched the trees lining the highway flash by us in a blur. It was full dark now, and a ball of anxiety settled between my shoulders. Caleb was already exceeding the speed limit, and there was simply nothing I could do to get us there any faster. Not that knowing this made the wait any easier. By time I saw my street come into view, I was literally squirming in my seat. I barely waited for him to pull to a stop before I was unbuckling my seatbelt and swinging my door open so I could hop out.
"Not going to tell me, are you?" Caleb's deep voice stopped me midway through the door. I hesitated there, so eager to get to Ty that I could barely form coherent thoughts. But I had asked Caleb for his help and he deserved more than my backside retreating into my house as answer.
I slid back inside and turned to him, not really knowing what to say or how to explain in such a way that wouldn't make him ask even more questions.
He studied me briefly in the dome light, his dark eyes taking in every detail. I thought for sure he must be able to see my heart pounding to get out of my chest.
"No," I said. "I guess not."
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, and at last nodded, shifting the truck into gear. I waited, expecting him to say something, but after a few long beats, I realized he wasn't going to speak. I slid back out and slammed the door closed. He took off without so much as a goodbye, his taillights disappearing into the night.
I turned and ran.
o0o
My house was quiet when I entered. Quiet enough for me to hear a low-pitched beeping sound coming from my room. I knew what it was, but I still dug the small pager out of my side drawer to see for myself. The little red light on its side flashed intermittently, confirming the worst had happened. The door to the shed had been opened. By who or what, I didn't know.
I retrieved the capture gun from under my bed. Armed with it, I hurried downstairs and through the woods to the shed. My heart trip hammered when I indeed found the outside door wide open, a gaping mouth that threatened to swallow me whole.
I knew without looking that Ty would be gone.
The shackles were empty, open and ineffectual against the creature Ty had become. I inspected one of them in the weak beam of my flashlight. It was unscathed and whole, as were the others. Not Ty, then. Carrie.
I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself, afraid if I didn't center my thoughts I would trip over the line into hysteria.
I thrashed my way back to my house and snatched the phone off the wall in the kitchen. Melanie's voice mail picked up. "Melanie. It's happened. Call me as soon as you—" I slammed the phone down, feeling like an idiot. She was out of town.
A sob bubbled up as I tore my room apart trying to gather everything I would need. I had no idea where to begin, but I had to do something.
I froze when I came back downstairs to find the back door open. I knew without a doubt I had thrown the deadbolt when I returned inside.
My hands trembled as I hurried to close it, and I jumped back when I saw words etched into its wooden surface. With a quick jerk, I pulled the gun from my waistband and whipped it around the room. The tip of it shook with the small tremors surging through my arms. All was quiet, though, the deadly visitor long gone.
Her message was clear. In jagged script, the makeshift note read "Clock Tower."
The taunting words were something I couldn't ignore. If I chose to stay, to disregard the challenge, I had no doubt she would come to me. With this understanding came a sobering peace. At least I knew what awaited me at the school. To stay would leave me exposed.
Ty's face swam before my eyes and I knew I needed to fight for him—needed to survive for his sake. I wouldn't go out quietly.
With an almost unnatural equanimity, I prepared for battle.
Chapter 34
I parked Ty's car in the school parking lot and stared at the looming building. The clock tower, which once beckoned me home, stood sentry like a vindictive God. It reached inside me and scrutinized my every weakness, judging me and declaring I could not win.
My cell phone lit the interior of the car with an eerie blue glow as I made my final peace, leaving messages for my parents and then Ty. I choked on my tears, my emotions wrapped around the soft words I spoke to him.
Finished, I exited the car.
My footsteps echoed across the asphalt. It was quiet, the air cool and still. Even the moon seemed to be hiding. Thick clouds hovered, purple in the night sky.
As I drew close to the building, the door to the entrance suddenly flew open, slamming against the exterior wall. Inside the darkness of the school, a shadow moved across the doorway.
The hunt had begun.
Each door leading up to the turret was wide open, as if Carrie feared I might turn back if met with the slightest resistance. When I reached the stairs, my light barely cut its way through the darkness. I took a deep breath before starting my ascent. I wasn't concerned with her sneaking up behind me. No—her game would be played out above.
I stood on the threshold of the turret room and said a quick prayer. Then, with the capture gun clenched in my hand, I stepped inside.
Every muscle in my body stood at rigid attention. I swept the small room, convinced each shadow would be the one that would suddenly spring out to attack me. I didn't know how to feel when I realized it was empty. Both relieved and troubled by this unexpected turn of events, I turned toward the last flight of steps.
She stood in the center of the roof, less than ten feet from the open doorway. My breath left me in a sharp exhalation.
"It can't be," I whispered.
Carrie's lips trembled as the werewolf slowly circled around her, a deep growl caught in its throat. Her eyes followed it, red-rimmed and frightened.
Oh God.
The poor girl was a mess, her dark hair in disarray and her clothing torn. She wore a thin nightgown and her feet were bare. No matter what I thought of her, I couldn't help the rush of compassion I felt for her. For both of us.
My enemy now had a different face—one I didn't recognize.
"Help me, Mac. Please."
At Carrie's voice, the werewolf's lips peeled back, its feral teeth exposed. It slowly paced in front of me, effectively throwing down the gauntlet. In the dim light, I studied its dark eyes, seeking a level of familiarity in their depths. All I saw was anger and hatred.
"I don't know who you are," I said. "But things don't have to end badly here. I can help you."
I had no way of knowing whether the creature understood me, but I sensed it did and that it didn't care. When it took another step in my direction, its deep growl grew in intensity. I instinctively shrank back.
"
You don't want to do this."
Then I remembered the tranquilizer gun in my hand. My finger inched onto the trigger, pulling back on it slightly as I raised it to shoulder level.
"Stop, or I'll shoot."
The creature reared back on its hind legs, letting loose a guttural expulsion of sound.
In a flurry of shadow, it was suddenly behind Carrie, its massive claws gripping her neck.
Carrie stared at me with frightened eyes. Then she was screaming as it slowly lifted her from the ground, her legs dangling limp as a rag dolls.
I knew what was happening, but seemed incapable of stopping it.
Suddenly, she sprang away from the creature. For a brief moment, I believed she had managed to free herself. She was moving too fast, though. And instead of her bare feet touching the ground, they seemed to be rising higher in the air. I closed my eyes, powerless to prevent what was already set in motion.
Her screams chased her all the way down to the pavement below.
In the silence that followed, I aimed and fired.
Chapter 35
The low pop from the gun barely sounded before a terrible weight crashed into my chest and sent me stumbling into the wall behind me. My head slammed into the brick with a sickening thud and dark spots danced across my vision. I missed, I realized distantly as I struggled to remain conscious.
The dark shadow of the wolf moved away quickly. I searched for it in the dim light cast by the bare bulb above the door. It was toying with me, its low growls first here, then there as it moved faster than my eyes could follow. With a groan, I pushed myself up and pressed my fingers to the back of my head. They came back bloodied. I blinked rapidly, trying to steady the wavering images before me.
My bag lay on the ground beside me, its contents spilled across the pebbled surface. I groped blindly until I laid hold of the revolver. Tucking the tranquilizer gun in my waistband, I stood and inched away from the wall. This wasn't a game, and it was about time I started playing for keeps. This creature deserved to die.
It continued to lurk in the darkness. I swept the gun toward every little noise. It felt like my blurry eyes were playing tricks on me, and I quickly tired of the cat and mouse game.
"Come out and face me."
Everything went completely still. The flags above the tower, rippling in the wind just a moment before, went slack. I tensed, prepared, listening for any noise. Nothing happened, and I forced a laugh. "What? Don't tell me you're scared."
In a flash of movement, I was laid out on my back again. My gun hand felt broken, and I struggled to catch my breath as a searing pain spread through my lungs. Stunned, I couldn't move for several minutes. Only then could I tentatively wiggle my fingers. They throbbed with pain, but thankfully weren't broken. My weapon lay several feet away, knocked loose with the hard blow the wolf had delivered. I slowly sat up. It was nowhere in sight, and the tendrils of fear, or perhaps madness, wrapped themselves around my racing heart.
A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me. What was the point of it all? It had me. I couldn't match its strength and surely it was aware of this.
"Get it over with. End it," I whispered.
The night went still again. Had it gone? I lunged at the gun.
Then it was in front of me, its movements so quick it literally seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Melanie had been right. The creature's fur was black as night and it most definitely knew how to play with its prey.
There was nowhere to run on the small roof of the clock tower. The wolf blocked the door and the only other means of escape was a one way ticket to the ground below. Not ready to succumb to the same fate as Carrie, I pressed my back to the squat wall that served as a guard rail. I chanced a peek over the edge, for a moment contemplating whether it would be easier to jump. My body shook as I stared down into the black abyss of death. No way. I'd rather take my chances with the wolf.
As if sensing my thoughts, the wolf reared back on its hind legs and slowly ran its sharp claws along the low wall. It inched closer to where I stood frozen, horrified by the grating sound and the image it created in my mind. I pushed off the ground and darted toward the open door. It cut me off, its teeth barred and dripping spittle. It seemed to be laughing at me, its mouth pulled back in a macabre smile.
"Do it then," I said. "Kill me already. What are you waiting for?"
It growled deep in its throat and started toward me, large paws crunching and scraping against the pebbled roof. Its sleek muscled body radiated with strength waiting to be unleashed. My death would not come quickly, though. Of that I had no doubt.
I lunged to the left, but it blocked me. Next I went to the right, only to be met by its hulking body as it pressed closer. Out of breath and options, I slowly withdrew to the wall again. I didn't have far to go, and soon I butted against it. Trapped. The stench of my own perspiration stung my senses.
Something heavy moved against my bare stomach then. The tranquilizer gun. I'd forgotten about it.
There was also the small ash baton I'd tucked into my sock earlier. Looking at the monstrosity before me, both weapons seemed like ineffectual toys—incapable of doing harm to the thing. But then, I had to try. My money was on the baton.
Before I could chicken out, I dropped down on my haunches and hurriedly pulled the tiny weapon from beneath the leg of my jeans. The wolf continued its advance, completely unaware of the major hurt I was about to bestow upon it.
I stood and took a deep breath, praying my aim held true this time.
Then the creature froze, its ears flat.
A second later, a thunderous growl hurled from the darkness behind it.
Oh, God. No.
Out of the shadows of the doorway, Ty's wolf-form emerged. He walked on all fours, each step deliberate. His lips stretched back over his teeth, quivering with the rumble resonating from deep within his throat. It matched the sounds now coming from the wolf before me. It slowly turned to face Ty, leaving me all but forgotten as they challenged each other.
A panic seized my chest, a thousand times stronger than the fear I'd felt for my own well-being. Ty's body went rigid, like a tight coil ready to spring loose.
"Ty, no!"
The wind ripped my words away as the two launched themselves at each other.
They became a seething mass of limbs and teeth. The acidic smell of blood burned my nose as they ripped into each other. Howls of fury and pain punctuated each scratch and bite. They moved with a fluidity and speed barely discernable to my human eyes. The dim light made it impossible to tell who had the upper hand, and I stood immobile and powerless.
They moved in my direction, and I quickly scurried out of their path. One of them smacked hard against the wall I had barely managed to vacate. Unnoticed by either of them, I hurried toward the doorway. Relief flooded through me as I tripped down the stairs, the shaking hand grasping the rail the only thing keeping me from plummeting to my death.
More than halfway to the bottom, I stopped. I couldn't leave Ty. I just couldn't.
Praying I wasn't too late, I scurried back up the steps. Once outside, I scoured the rooftop for my lost revolver. Neither of them noticed my arrival, each too hell bent on tearing the other apart.
With the gun at last in hand, I cocked the hammer and fired a shot into the air. The wolves pulled apart, momentarily stunned by the blast.
There was just a moment to differentiate the two. For once, luck was on my side, and the moon chose to show itself. The bright light peeking through the thick cloud cover illuminated their prone bodies. The black wolf had the upper hand. It loomed over Ty, whose furry chest was matted with blood.
A rush of anger went through me. I set my sights on the middle of the dark creature's chest and squeezed the trigger.
A roar of pain split the night air. The wolf stumbled backwards and away from Ty, a gleaming wetness on its chest. I hadn't missed this time.
For good measure, I aimed and fired another round. The power of the bullet swept the cr
eature backward even further. It hit the low wall and scrabbled with sharp claws to catch its balance. My third shot was its undoing. With one last howl, it finally went over the side.
As Carrie before it, its cries of fear and anger preceded it to the ground below.
When silence once again took over the night, my knees gave out beneath me. Tears burned my eyes, and I squeezed them shut as wetness seeped beneath my lashes.
Oh, dear God. Please forgive me.
A crunch of stone snapped me out of my self-recrimination.
Left without his previous adversary, Ty set his sights on me.
He approached slowly, a predator stalking his prey. I whipped the gun in his direction.
"Ty, please. It's me—Mac."
My words meant nothing to the animal before me. I retreated back toward the stairs, my gun hand shaking. I couldn't shoot him.
"Please, Ty..." I choked on the words. "I don't want to hurt you."
He growled, the muscles in his shoulders pulled taut.
"No! Don't!"
The words barely passed through my lips before he sprang. His weight hit me square in the chest and it felt like every one of my ribs would snap beneath the blinding pressure. I hit the ground hard, the rough surface cutting into my back. He glowered above me, his paws like steel clamps on my chest as he pressed me down. Saliva dripped from his teeth, so close and sharp.
I fumbled for the baton I had hastily stuffed in my pocket. With a firm grip on the wooden stick, I jabbed him hard in his lower torso. He roared at the sudden attack and flew backwards off of me. Stunned by the blow, he lay on the ground several feet away, his breathing ragged.
Every part of my body felt like it was on fire, but I pushed through the pain, somehow managing to pull myself up to a kneeling position. I pulled the capture gun free, and with the help of my left hand, steadied my aim and fired a dart into his side. It whistled through the air and hit home with a soft pop. A weak snarl escaped him, but he soon quieted.
By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) Page 24