“You should probably get a real meal in your system, sandwiches only hold you over for so long” Harlow said, but his tone hinted that he didn't want me to go.
Feeling the same, I sighed in response.
A short time later, Harlow’s phone started ringing, and we exchanged a silent look at the coincidence. He retrieved the phone from the back pocket of his jeans and checked the caller I.D. With a frustrated groan he said, “I have to take this.”
“By all means,” I allowed.
“Hello,” Harlow answered the call, his voice low and irritated. “I’m with Rayna.” After a few seconds of silence passed, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood up. Into the phone, he said, “Yeah, I can meet you. Just give me a minute, Nick...I don’t know...five...No, I’ll find you...Yeah...Bye.” Harlow stuffed the phone back into his pocket and turned to face me. “Rayna, I—”
“You’re right, I should probably get home,” I interjected, disappointed.
Harlow’s eyes dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t go if it weren't important.”
“Is he okay?” I asked just to be sure.
“He’s fine. He’s just...” Harlow paused mid-thought, “Nick.”
“I understand,” I nodded.
“I don’t want to just abandon you like this. It’s not very chivalrous.”
I giggled quietly. “I won't hold it against you.”
Harlow offered me his hand, and when I took it, he pulled me to my feet.
“Thank you for today,” I said, looking up at him.
“Anytime,” he answered softly, pulling me into an embrace. “I can walk you home before—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I know the way back. Go meet your brother,” I insisted, sensing the urgency of the situation.
“You really shouldn’t be in the woods alone after dark. You never know what could be lurking in the shadows,” he said grimly. “Go straight home, Rayna.”
Scrutinizing his face, I couldn't help but wonder if Harlow's words of caution had anything to do with the phone call he'd just had with his brother. My intuition told me yes. “Well, seeing as I don't have anywhere else to be tonight...” I broke off playfully.
A smile tugged at the corner of Harlow's mouth and with it, my favorite dimple. “Text me when you get back to your house,” he said, stepping close to me so that our noses were almost touching.
Pushing up onto my tiptoes, I gave him a swift kiss on the mouth. "I will, I promise. Bye,” I said, my eyes following after him as he left the clearing.
As I turned on my heel to go, a thought struck, halting me dead in my tracks. Harlow was leaving the clearing in the opposite direction of his parked car. If he wasn’t going to meet Nick at home, where were they meeting? My mind flashed back to the conversation I'd had with Lacey at winter formal about how secretive she thought Harlow had been acting, his conversation with Ivy at the dance, her magic, his so-called complicated life, Ivy's mention of consequences, and now Nick’s urgent phone call, it all seemed connected somehow. Despite Harlow's insistence that I head home immediately, I just couldn’t extinguish my curiosity enough to listen. So, I followed him, trotting out of the clearing as inconspicuous as possible. When I caught up with him, I kept my distance as we descended deeper into the forest.
chapter nine
IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO FIGURE OUT WHERE Harlow was headed. I had been here before—the day I followed Ivy and Nick’s voices to the St. Croix Stream. Afraid Harlow might catch me tailing him, I bypassed where he had snuck up on me before and settled on some higher ground.
“Give me the necklace,” Nick demanded, shoving Harlow firmly against the shoulders.
“No!” Harlow argued as he regained his balance. “Push me again and you’ll wish you hadn't.”
Nick wiped a smug grin from his face. “I'm not messing around, Harlow.”
“Neither am I, so why don’t you fill me in?” Harlow suggested, still huffing from anger.
Ivy sighed. “Stop letting Nick get to you. Relax. I told you at the dance that I'd tell you more later, and here I am keeping my word. Ready?”
Harlow nodded.
“While the others have been following a few leads as far as suspects go, Nick and I have been poring over my grimoires for days now searching for anything specific about the witches dagger that might help us understand why someone would take it.”
“Ivy, you told me all of this at the dance,” Harlow replied, his tone impatient.
Ivy pulled a raggedy book out of the messenger bag at her feet. She opened the book to a specific page, and as Harlow moved to stand beside her, she thrust it into his chest. “Look.”
From where I stood whatever importance the page held remained a mystery to me.
Ivy murmured something and in turn, the book projected its own light.
“You're showing me a picture of the witches dagger...” Harlow said unimpressed.
Frustrated, Nick blurted out, “Don't you see? The symbol on the witches dagger matches the pendant Dad gave you!”
“Okay, so what's the problem?”
“After Ivy found this, it reminded me of some of Cecily Till's journal entries where she wrote about how she created the curse. Cecily used the witches dagger and that damn necklace dad gave you to curse our family!”
“The real problem,” Ivy added, with a quick nod in Nick’s direction, “is what we don’t know. We haven't figured out what the hunters plan to do with it.”
“Sure as hell know the motive,” Nick commented gruffly.
“Exactly. Which is why I'm willing to bet they want the necklace too. Together the necklace and the dagger could be lethal in the wrong hands.”
“So we're what, fifty percent fucked at the moment?” Nick continued to rant.
Harlow went pale under the soft light of the moon. “Shit,” he said, rubbing his jaw. “What kind of consequences are we talking about here?”
Glaring at him Ivy said, “Were you not listening? I'm still working that part out. Just know that whoever has the dagger, hunters or not, has it out for you guys. Don't let the necklace out of your sight!”
The comment Harlow made a few weeks back about how he and his brother probably shouldn't be in Harbor Glenn came back to me then. Based on the conversation the three of them were having, this stolen dagger was of some great importance to Harlow and his friends. And linked to a curse? But that wasn’t the part my mind got hung up on, the term “hunters” gave me an even worse feeling and now I understood why Harlow felt so unsure of his safety in Harbor Glenn.
“So,” Nick said, bulking up again. “Where the hell is the necklace?”
“It’s safe,” Harlow chided, not caving to Nick’s intimidation.
I rolled over, putting my back against the tree I had been leaning on and slumped down. Lifting the pendant from my chest, I examined it closely. A curse? Hunters? There never seemed to be anything significant about the pendant before—other than its importance to Harlow. To my untrained eye, it was nothing more than a hunk of iron. With Nick concerned about the necklace's whereabouts and Harlow distraught that he no longer had it, I considered revealing myself and admitting to overhearing everything, so I could give Harlow the necklace back right then and there if it would get Nick off his back. In no way, shape, or form did I want to be an extension of the problem.
“Okay,” Nick said, clearly annoyed. “Care to elaborate?”
“Well, I don’t have it on me,” Harlow admitted.
“Damn it, Harlow!” Nick huffed, getting even more aggravated than he already was. “You’ve worn that thing every damn day since we were kids. What could you have possibly done with it?”
Harlow’s only response was a stern look in Nick’s direction.
“Just tell me where it is,” Nick demanded, making an aggressive move toward Harlow that caused Ivy to jump between the two brothers.
“Nick, calm down,” Ivy hissed—though she was obviously frightened.
“It’s not a big deal, I can get it back,” Harlow insisted, putting his hands up as if to surrender, retreating a step.
My eyes darted back over to Nick. Harlow was right—it wasn’t a big deal. I would just tell him that I couldn’t accept the necklace at school on Monday and give it back. Problem solved. When I looked again, Nick’s body had begun to shake, and I clasped a hand over my mouth fearful for his well-being.
“It’s too late, Harlow,” Ivy warned, jumping away from Nick. “You'd better get ready.”
“Yeah, little bro, I hope you're ready because I’m about to teach you a lesson my way.” Nick threatened, tilting his head back and forth to stretch his neck.
Harlow grunted, slipping out of his shoes and socks. He began to hop back and forth like he was about to enter a boxing ring. Nick still shook, more violently now. I couldn't make sense of Harlow or Ivy's lack of concern over his current state. I chewed my bottom lip, a ball of nerves, as Nick stepped back, then staggered forward, falling to his hands and knees. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he let out a loud yell that sounded more animal than human.
Nick’s body snapped forward with a loud crack, and he caught himself firmly on his hands. His back arched at an impossible angle, with the unmistakable sound of bones breaking. His clothes started to rip across the new curve in his back, his spine poking sharply upwards. I inched backward, trembling fingers pressed to my bottom lip as fear coursed through my veins. Unable to tear my attention from the clearing, I spotted Harlow still bouncing and shaking his head. He removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. For the briefest moment my eyes trailed Harlow’s shirtless body, stopping only when Nick let out another yell. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
There, standing in a pile of Nick’s shredded clothing, stood a dark gray wolf with bold, black markings. The wolf was larger than any I had ever seen, measuring well past hip height. Its body pressed backward in a threatening stance, ears back like it was about to pounce at Harlow. Something rose in my throat and I forced it back down as my trembling hand found my mouth once more. I blinked my eyes a couple more times in shock.
Harlow yelled in return as he leapt forward with his arms outstretched. His body morphed mid-air into a slightly smaller and leaner gray-coated wolf—his yell transitioning from human to a low, feral, growl.
I watched in stunned silence, unable to move or speak as the two wolves sidestepped in a circle, not taking their eyes off of one another. Both wolves bared their teeth and growled. The Nick-wolf lunged at the Harlow-wolf’s neck. The Harlow-wolf jumped out of the way just in time and retaliated by body checking the other wolf into a nearby boulder. The Nick-wolf quickly regained its footing and lunged again, this time connecting with the Harlow-wolf’s leg. The two wolves became a blur of fur and fury and I was no longer able to tell which was which.
Every shaking ounce of me wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't cooperate as if the signals to my brain were getting lost in trans-lation, making it impossible for me to complete the action. I shuddered, clutching the pendant around my neck with a sweaty palm.
Ivy moved to stand on a high rock, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Don’t kill each other, you idiots!” she yelled, as the two wolves began to clash, tearing at necks and legs. She was so calm while I could hardly breathe.
A surge of adrenaline hit me and I ran as fast as I could, despite my unsteady legs, back toward my house. In my haste, I didn't bother dodging the low-hanging, outstretched branches of the underbrush as they smacked against my face, leaving a trickle of blood running down my cheek. As I neared the edge of the woods, I tripped on a root poking out and fell to the ground, scraping my knees and dirtying my pants.
My last thought before I tore through the back door of my house: Werewolves?
chapter ten
A DAY AND A HALF HAD COME AND GONE SINCE THE fated wolf incident and I still didn't have the nerve to leave my house. Luckily my parents honored my request for a personal day and I was relieved to have an extended weekend. I still couldn't bear the thought of facing Harlow just yet. So I spent the rest of the weekend dodging his calls and texts, part of me worried he might show up at my house unannounced wanting an explanation, but he never did.
I spent the majority of my personal day contemplating the situation—still not entirely sure what I witnessed. Harlow and Nick had literally jumped out of their own skin, unknowingly, right in front of me, and the whole thing made zero sense. I could barely wrap my head around Ivy being a witch. And now Harlow, my new boyfriend, was a werewolf? He mentioned once that he was afraid my opinion of him might change if I knew about his complicated life. I understood why now, but I couldn't decide if he was right. Either way, at this point, I had no choice but to face the situation head-on. Harlow and Nick were werewolves and I needed answers.
“Rayna!” Dalyn called as she entered the house after school. “Apparently, I’m now your messenger,” she shouted, dropping her backpack at the door with a thud.
“I’m in the kitchen,” I called back to her.
She waltzed into the kitchen with a smug, knowing look on her face. “Harlow sought me out at school today,” Dalyn began, playing coy.
I shook my head at her. “And?” I pressed, not in the mood for her games.
She rolled her eyes at me. “He just wanted to know if you were okay. He said you haven’t been returning his calls or texts. He thought maybe something was wrong with your phone.”
“What did you tell him?” I asked, scrutinizing her face, afraid of what her response might be.
Dalyn retrieved a glass from the cabinet as she answered, “I told him you seemed fine to me and that mom and dad were the ones who suggested you stay home today.” Setting the glass on the countertop, she continued, “He seemed pretty understanding.”
“What did you tell him about me not returning his messages?”
“I said I didn’t know you were avoiding him.”
I felt the color drain from my face. “Dalyn!” I hissed. “You used those words?” I asked, mortified.
Dalyn pursed her lips in thought. “I think so…” After a beat, she exclaimed, “What did you want me to say? I don’t keep tabs on your relationships. You should have told me you were avoiding him, and then I could have come up with something.”
I pressed my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes in defeat. “Yeah, whatever,” I grumbled back at her.
I returned to school the next day, after mustering up enough courage to confront Harlow—even if school wasn’t the best place, I wouldn't back down now. I waited for the perfect time to approach him, so when the bell rang before lunch, I hastily made my way to the cafeteria and spotted him coming down the hallway before he saw me. Marching up to him, I grabbed his upper arm, not making eye contact. “Come on,” I said sternly, tugging him toward the girls’ bathroom. Pushing open the door, I checked under all the stalls to find they were empty and barricaded the door with the trashcan—hoping it would hold. “We need to talk.”
Harlow had a smart look on his face. “Oh? And I thought you were bringing me in here to make out,” he joked before changing gears entirely. “What happened to you after our date? I haven’t heard from you.”
“That’s what we need to talk about; I—” my voice broke off in hesitation before I collected my nerves and blurted out, “I saw something.”
The amused expression vanished from Harlow's face. “What do you mean? Where?”
“In the woods. I followed you after our date. Your conversation with Ivy at the dance seemed serious, and during our date, you got that random phone call from Nick and told me to get out of the woods, just like you had the night of Rider’s party. You were being so vague. So I followed you to the Croix Stream. And—” I paused trying to find the right words. “I saw something, and I just need to know if what I think I saw is really what I saw.” I exhaled a breath. The confession came out so fast that I wasn’t sure it made any sense to him at all.
Harlow's gaze cut
to the bathroom floor as he massaged the bridge of his nose, signaling that he was either stressed or annoyed, maybe worse considering the circumstances.
“I can’t believe you followed me, Rayna,” he finally said, his tone icy and unforgiving. “I know I told you there are parts of my life that are complicated, but why couldn’t you just leave it alone?” When Harlow's eyes landed on me again, his level of devastation was clear.
The corners of my eyes began to burn with the threat of tears. Not because Harlow was mad at me, but because I had broken his trust—a consequence of confronting him I hadn’t considered. I swallowed hard to keep my voice even. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You’re entitled to your secrets, but what if something was wrong with you? I couldn’t bear not knowing.”
Harlow folded his arms in front of his chest and laughed in an unfunny way.
I shook my head. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
“We’re missing lunch,” he replied coolly.
“Who are the hunters, Harlow?” I asked, hoping to keep him put a little longer.
His eyes cut into me so deep that I felt the sting in my gut. “I’m not discussing anything here,” Harlow said with distinct finality. With one swift kick, he set the trash can on edge before shoving his way out of the bathroom. I stood there in stunned silence, staring at the door as it swung shut with the sheer force of Harlow’s anger. I hadn’t known what to expect from the conversation going into it, but I certainly hadn’t expected it to end like this.
After mustering up the courage to head to the cafeteria, I couldn’t help but notice the boys weren’t sitting at our table. I took my usual seat, trying my best to act casual. It lasted all of five seconds.
“Where have you been?” Lacey seriously wanted to know. “And why are Harlow and Rider sitting over there with Derek and Vince? What happened?”
Iron Moon Page 11