By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series)

by Jennifer Hendren

  Long after his breathing grew shallow and even, my fingers were cramped around the barrel of the gun, my aim steady upon him. At last, I allowed myself to believe he was truly asleep. I collapsed on the ground as the pain of the night's events pushed past the adrenaline coursing through my body.

  I wasn't sure how much time passed before I was able to make myself move again. It didn't matter—time meant nothing beneath the weight of my guilt and fear. Not just for what had transpired that evening, but also for what I would soon have to face. Someone would answer for Carrie's death. And for the other's, whomever the creature was. I'd be damned if it would be Ty and me. I would get us out of this.

  Long before the first hint of daylight broke across the dark sky, I forced myself to sit up. Every muscle in my body ached to the point where it felt like my torso might disconnect from my lower half. Somehow, I managed to crawl closer to Ty. His breathing came in hard rasps, but they were steady enough. His furry face fell just within the small circle of light from the lone bulb above the door. Despite his ferocious appearance, he was beautiful. Alive. Each breath he took was a gift that lightened the weight on my soul.

  At least he was safe.

  "I'll be back," I whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."

  I pulled myself up, my legs wobbling beneath me. It was a slow and painful trek out to Ty's car, and I collapsed against the soft leather seat for a long time before I was able to start the engine and drive away. All the while, my traitorous thoughts tried to form an image of what lay in the school courtyard.

  Chapter 36

  When I returned, Ty lay in the same position. The first streaks of light were starting to play across the dark sky, and I knew it would happen sooner than later.

  At first, the changes were so minuscule that I thought for sure they were simply a trick of shadow and light. The first thing that convinced me was the thinning of the fur around his face. In a matter of minutes, the pink flesh beneath the thick hair peeked out at me.

  Like a spectator watching blood sport, I couldn't turn away. His body reminded me of a rubber band that's been stretched tight and slowly allowed to return to its original state. His hands, his feet—the very size of his body—seemed to shrink before me and slowly melt back into his natural form. When at last he lay before me as Ty, I collapsed across his firm stomach and let my tears come.

  I allowed myself only a short moment of weakness before I got to work. Dressing him was no easy chore, but I somehow managed to get him into a sweat suit and tennis shoes. Waking him proved to be a bit easier, the drugs having partially worn off. His groggy eyes seemed unable to register where he was, but once they focused on my face, a dawning realization cleared the haziness in their depths.

  "Sssh," I whispered. "Everything's okay. But I need to get you out of here. There's no time to explain right now."

  He nodded weakly and struggled to sit up. He leaned heavily on me as we exited the school, but by the grace of God I got him into his car. His clock read six forty-seven and we had just enough time to get away before teachers and students started to straggle in.

  I drove to the lake, dreading the moment the questions would begin. Ty lay heavily in the seat beside me, but every now and then I felt his eyes upon me. When I parked the car, I gripped the steering wheel tight and waited for the onslaught to begin. I didn't have to wait long.

  "Tell me everything."

  I couldn't look at him while I recounted the night's events. Instead I stared straight ahead, watching the light break across the sky, the sun outlining the low lying clouds with pink. When the sun peeked over the horizon, it turned the lake into a glassy mirror that bounced the clouds back at the sky. It was a beautiful November morning, but as I continued, a layer of despair pressed down upon me.

  He took the news of Carrie's death stoically, only occasionally interrupting to ask clarifying questions.

  "You didn't look to see who it was?" Ty asked.

  I shook my head, tears threatening to fall. "I couldn't."

  He nodded, his expression guarded.

  I watched his profile, wishing I understood what he was feeling and thinking. Dark smudges marred his eyes and stubble lined his jaw. Thankfully, he remained unharmed. Whatever damage the wolf had done to him had all but healed, though the original marks across his chest remained.

  "I'm sorry about Carrie," I said.

  "So after you shot the other wolf, that's when you juiced me?"

  "What? Oh...y-yeah." I once again turned to face the rising sun. "The gunshots took you by surprise and that's when I hit you with a dart." I gulped hard, hoping he was too distracted to pick up on my lie. I simply couldn't tell him the truth. Not now.

  "But that...thing. It didn't hurt you?"

  "It tried, but no." I shivered slightly and pulled my cardigan tight around me. "It's time to go."

  He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I feel like I could sleep for a week."

  "I know. Soon, I promise."

  When we got to school, the parking lot was cordoned off as I suspected it would be. A police officer tapped on the driver's side window, and I struggled to roll it down. A slight tremor took up residency in my hands. In the rearview mirror, several cars lined up behind me. Students began sticking their heads out the windows, shouting bewildered questions to each other.

  "Yes?" I mumbled. "What's going on?"

  "I'm afraid there's been some trouble up at the school, miss. Classes have been canceled until further notice."

  "What happened?" Ty's voice sounded more controlled than mine. Only the firm set of his jaw alerted me to the emotional turmoil he was in.

  The officer paused. He looked tired of pleading the fifth. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than us, and he still had the look of someone trying to become an adult. Someone who could bear being in the know about the darker side of life. I wondered if I still had that look or if I'd already passed into adulthood.

  "A student has died," he mumbled, shuffling his feet.

  "How'd it happen?" Ty asked.

  I dug my fingernails into the soft leather covering the steering wheel.

  "No official word has come yet." The officer glanced around nervously.

  "What about unofficially?" I asked.

  He studied my face. I struggled to keep a calm façade. For a moment I thought I'd pushed him too far.

  But then he blurted it out. "They're saying suicide. That she jumped off the clock tower." He stared up at the school, a hint of horror in his eyes, the illusion of what was probably his alma mater shattered forever.

  The knot in my stomach tightened even further. "She? You mean she was alone?"

  His eyebrows furrowed together. "Normally that's how it's done."

  I shot Ty a look, my pulse rate exploding into overdrive. "I guess we should be going then." I turned to the officer. "Thanks."

  "Holy shit, Mac," Ty said as I pulled away.

  I shook my head. "It isn't possible."

  Numb, I turned the car toward home. We were at the exit when I spotted a small pick-up truck parked along the road leading to the school. Caleb had the driver's side window rolled down, a lit cigarette in his hand. As we passed, our eyes met. He acknowledged me with a quick jerk of the chin. I glanced at Ty, but thankfully his head was propped against the head rest and his eyes were closed. I swallowed hard and looked back at Caleb. He had the window rolled up and the sun's reflection on the glass made it impossible to see his face.

  There would be questions now.

  o0o

  Despite our exhaustion, Ty and I parked ourselves in my family room and flipped through the news channels for any mention of our school. Word came mid-morning. I tried not to flinch when Carrie's picture flashed across the screen. Nor cry when no mention of a second person was made. After we were satisfied Carrie's was the only body found, Ty flipped the TV off and threw the remote across the room.

  "I'm telling you, I shot the damn thing three times in the chest. With your sil
ver bullets. Even if it somehow managed to survive that, there's no way it could live through that fall."

  Ty remained silent, his shoulders tense.

  "Are you mad at me?" I asked.

  "Yes. No! Jesus, I'm not mad at you..." He shrugged and paced the room. "It's just...dammit! We're back to square one."

  "I know."

  "It could be anyone." He slammed his fist against the wall. "How the hell am I supposed to protect you?"

  I didn't have an answer. It was apparent that leaving Ty alone in the shed was no longer safe. The person could come back at any time to set him free again.

  "We'll think of something," I said.

  We sat in silence. I spent the time racking my brain to come up with an idea of what to do. The situation seemed hopeless.

  "I just don't know, Ty."

  He pressed his clenched fists to his mouth and watched me. I returned his gaze, trying to read his thoughts and failing miserably.

  "I know one thing I can do," he said, standing. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

  "What!" I refused to believe what I was hearing. "You're breaking up with me?"

  "Yes." He held up his hand to stop me from interrupting. "We both know this is because of me. Someone wants to take you out because of your relationship with me. If I can't keep you safe, then I'll make damn sure I take away this bastard's motivation for wanting to hurt you."

  "You can just do that? Just walk away?" Tears burned the back of my eyes. "I thought you loved me."

  "It's not a matter of whether or not I love you. It's a matter of what will keep you safe."

  "And leaving me exposed and alone is the only way?"

  "Until I root out the killer, yes."

  Part of me knew his idea made sense. But mostly I was scared to death to be without him. "You don't have to do this." My voice broke on the words.

  His eyes hardened. "I do, and I will. I want you to stay away from me. Don't call and don't try to contact me on the sly. I want this person to know we've gone our separate ways."

  "Ty..."

  "No." He paused. "I'm sorry, Mac. This isn't easy for me, but it's for the best. You deserve someone better anyway."

  My tears fell freely at his words. "Please don't do this. I need you."

  He knelt down in front of me and brushed the hair away from my face. "You'll be better off, and we both know it."

  The back door slammed when he left. Watching him go finally loosened my hold over my emotions. I buried my face in the arm of the couch and cried.

  o0o

  When at last I thought I had cried my very last tear, I locked myself in my room. My bed called to me, a weariness like I'd never known pressing down on me. But sleep wasn't an option at that point.

  I quickly unbuttoned my blouse and pulled it off along with my cardigan, wincing with each movement.

  The bandage on my right arm was thick, the ash leaves I'd used to mask the smell of blood stuffed beneath the linen. When I pushed the last layer of cloth aside, I hissed softly through my teeth as the air hit the open wound.

  Three distinct lines ran the length of my arm between elbow and wrist.

  "No! Don't!"

  The words barely passed through my lips before Ty sprang toward me. His weight hit me square in the chest and it felt like every one of my ribs might 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.

  Led by some force outside myself, my hand 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, his claws sinking into my right arm. I screamed as the sudden ripping pain set my arm on fire.

  "I think they're a mark of what I am," Ty had said about his own wound.

  A mark of what we both were now.

  I was wrong. I still had plenty of tears left.

  Chapter 37

  Three days later, I attended Carrie's funeral with my parents. Things were still tense between us after my abrupt departure from my aunt's home the previous weekend. Once I erased all evidence of that night—the voicemails, the scratches on the door—I returned just in time for my cousin's birth. That smoothed things over to a point, but they still wanted answers I couldn't give. During the car ride back to Eddington, we declared an unspoken truce. I was grateful for their presence more than I could possibly say.

  Standing by Carrie's gravesite, I drew my coat tight around me. The dark gray skies threatened rain and my hair flew in the hard wind. It suited my mood and lent to the somber occasion. Unlike Kim, half the school had shown up to pay their respects to Carrie. I scoured the throngs of students for Ty, finally spotting him on the opposite side of the grave. He kept his eyes down, thwarting my efforts to catch his attention.

  He had kept his word. We hadn't spoken since the day of Carrie's death. I'd called only to be told he was unavailable. If he happened to answer, he unceremoniously hung-up. Come hell or high water, apparently he was determined to go through with his plan.

  I had worried over this first meeting. Worried he would realize what I'd become. Blame himself for yet another thing he couldn't control. All of it turned out to be pointless. He hadn't taken notice of me in the church, hadn't seemed to sense me at all.

  Not as I sensed him.

  True to how Ty explained his experience, I didn't change during the three nights following the full moon. And this morning, the cuts on my arm were gone, the flesh once again smooth and unblemished. That's when reality sank into my bones—followed closely by fear.

  For despite outward appearances, deep inside I could feel other changes taking place. Subtle changes. A shift in perception as my senses sharpened, growing stronger every day. It felt as though I had lived life in a blur and only now was the world coming into focus.

  I could smell Ty. A slight rangy scent beneath the smell of rain and decaying leaves.

  If I could smell—sense—his presence, he damn well should have been able to sense mine. He didn't. He would've been by my side in an instant if he knew. I spent the entire church service in shocked silence, unable to understand how this could be happening.

  Determined to catch him when he couldn't turn me away, I started in his direction. A shift in the air made me pause, confused. Then it hit me.

  I knew the minute she approached. A slow crackle of recognition inched across my skin until every cell in my body felt electrified with awareness. The hair along the back of my neck stood rigid, and my fingernails dug reflexively into my palms. I winced beneath the pain, incapable of fighting the natural response of my body—the equivalent of a dog's hackles rising as a threat enters its territory.

  She reeked of death and self-satisfaction. The sour smell of it flooded my senses, and my natural instinct was to run. I knew she sensed my fear and the putrid stench of her triumph hit me as she stepped in close to Ty. Only then did she raise her eyes to mine.

  If I managed to hurt her the night of the full moon, she hid it well. She casually pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear and leaned in to whisper something to Ty. All the while, she kept one hazel eye trained on me, a smile playing on her lips. He, on the other hand, stared straight ahead, unaware of the communication transpiring between us.

  How could he not sense her presence? How could he not know what she was? What I was?

  The service began, and I felt a tug on the sleeve of my coat. I reluctantly stepped back to stand beside my parents. Tears welled in my eyes, my attention focused on Melanie and Ty.

  Melanie.

  It wasn't possible.

  Betrayal coursed through my veins as I watched her, the girl I once regarded as a friend—a best friend.

  o0o

  As soon as the service ended, I pushed my way to the other side. Mourners milled around, stepping forward to pay their res
pects at the casket, effectively cutting me off time and time again. When I finally reached the spot where Melanie and Ty had stood, they were gone.

  It didn't take long to locate them again. They were winding their way around headstones on the far side of the cemetery. I could see a flash of orange in the distance—Ty's car was parked on one of the side roads that weaved through the cemetery. They would be long gone before I caught up with them.

  I called out his name, knowing I was making a spectacle of myself, but too upset to care. Disapproving looks were thrown in my direction, but I ignored them, yelling louder. Ty continued his pace, Melanie at his side.

  Finally, I gave up, my throat thickening at the sight of the two of them walking away together. Somewhere along the way, Melanie had gained his trust, effectively displacing me from his life. In one fell swoop, I had lost two friends—one to betrayal, one to...I didn't know what. Was Ty really trying to protect me, or did the sight of me simply bring too many bad memories to the surface?

  I swept my eyes across those in attendance. Most of them were now making their way toward parked cars, all of them looking slightly stunned, some holding on to each other for comfort. There wasn't a single person that I could turn to. Jenna and David had been there, but even they were far out of sight, off to grieve in their own way. My one light of strength was dimming, and would soon disappear, maybe forever.

  I swung around to Ty's retreating back.

  "Don't do this to me, Ty. Please." I spoke the words softly. There was no need to raise my voice—there never had been.

  I could tell by the sudden falter in his steps that he heard me. He stood with his back to me for the longest time, but then, to my relief, turned and made his way back in my direction. Melanie watched him go, but he gestured for her to continue on without him. She did, occasionally throwing a concerned look over her shoulder as she trudged her way to his car.