Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4]

by Rose Marie Wolf

  She thought she could smell lavender, but there weren't any flowers in the room, and for a second, she thought she could smell Jason's scent.

  Wishful thinking, she decided, and tried not to think on it as she made her way gingerly to the bathroom. The baby was pressing against her bladder again and she really had to go.

  She made it just in time. As she peed, she thought about what she had seen. Jason was gone and he was never coming back. How could she have thought otherwise?

  A heavy weight seemed to press against her heart and she felt ill suddenly. She finished up and stood in front of the sink. With an economy of motion, she washed her hands quickly, avoiding her gaze in the mirror in front of her as she tried to fight off the urge to vomit. She dried them with the hand-towel and glanced up, something she wished she hadn't done.

  She looked horrible. Little bags had begun to form under her eyes, making her look more tired than she felt. Her skin was pale and appeared almost yellow under the fluorescent life.

  "God.” Rose leaned forward for a closer look. “I look like a skeleton.” And she truly thought she did. Her cheeks appeared hollow, her high cheek bones more prominent. Was it possible for a woman to lose weight during pregnancy instead of gaining? It was something she'd have to remember to ask Dr. Nesbitt the next time she saw her.

  She sighed and pulled back from the mirror. She really hadn't wanted to see herself like this. It was bad enough enduring the pregnancy but seeing its effect...

  Suddenly, she felt sick again. She turned from her reflection and quickly finished with her bathroom business. All she wanted to do was lay down for a few moments until she felt better. When she returned to her room, Rose found the temperature had returned to normal. It was no longer chilly and she was glad for that. She grabbed more tissues and blew her nose

  Not being able to use her natural born abilities maddened her and she only wanted the damn sinusitis to clear up. She would give anything to smell her surroundings and recognize any familiar scent. The only thing she could smell was the lingering lavender and it puzzled her still.

  She lay back on the bed for just a moment. Her nausea had disappeared, for the time being, but she still felt wary of moving too much and stirring it again. She glanced beside her at the digital clock. She had been asleep for two hours, but it hadn't been long enough.

  It was already dark outside. Glen would be coming up to call her for dinner soon, but the thought of food made her stomach queasy. She imagined the heartburn she'd be sure to get and that put her off from it indefinitely. She wondered if Glen would understand and let her go back to sleep.

  No, she thought, he wouldn't do that. He was too adamant about her health and the health of the baby. He would make sure she ate something, even if he had to force it down her throat. Besides, she looked like she needed it anyway.

  She finally sighed resignedly and climbed out of bed once again. Better to go willingly, then have Glen storm up in a few minutes and drag her down. It wasn't that he actually would, but Rose would put nothing past him.

  With a clean set of clothes and a washed face with a little makeup, she grabbed the admissions papers from her desk and headed out of her room. The smell of food already filled the hall. A couple of students rushed past her, nodding at her in greeting. She nodded back, but didn't recognize them. There were so many new people here. She was hard-pressed to keep up with how much the PRDI had grown in the past few years since Glen had become Head.

  The newest arrival, Nola, gave Rose an unsettling feeling. Even when she had helped Glen in reviewing the application, something seemed off. She couldn't help but feel there was something bad connected to her. She explained how she felt to Glen, but he couldn't deny the application on a half-baked instinctual feeling. Rose wasn't even psychic. He dismissed her worry and approved the application anyway.

  Now, Nola was here and Rose couldn't help but feel even more suspicious. There was something about her that was dangerously familiar and it drove Rose insane because she couldn't place it.

  But she was a good host and true to her word, she went to Nola's room and knocked firmly on the door.

  "Nola? It's almost time for dinner."

  There was no answer at first, then she heard a rustling and Nola's clear voice, “I'll be out in a minute, Rose."

  "No problem.” Rose stepped back and waited. It took a few minutes before Nola emerged. Her long brown hair was hanging down her back and her brown eyes sparkled.

  "Hi.” She beamed. “Did you sleep well?"

  "As well as I could I guess,” Rose smiled back though she didn't feel like it.

  "Was the baby keeping you up?” Before Rose could react, Nola's hands flew to her swollen belly. She recoiled, pulling her arms down and across to block the contact. She was certain she saw anger in Nola's eyes for a moment, but it was replaced with hurt and confusion.

  "Don't do that, please."

  "I'm sorry, I—"

  "I don't like having my belly rubbed, touched, poked, prodded, or aww'ed over,” Rose began. She felt irritable suddenly. Her eyes stared warningly into Nola's. “So don't do it."

  "All right.” Nola lifted her hands in surrender. She even backed up a step. She was taller than Rose, so she had to look down at her, but she still appeared chagrined. “I won't touch the pregnant lady."

  "It's nothing personal. I just don't like being touched.” Especially when it's by people I hardly know, she added silently. She looked away from her and glanced over her shoulder down the hall.

  "I understand. I don't think I would much care for everyone touching my belly either."

  "It gets old,” Rose replied, trying to steer the conversation into other waters. She motioned for Nola to follow and together they started down the hall. Rose's stuffy nose had returned and she sniffed and snorted to force air into her nostrils. She could smell food again, something with tomato.

  "Smells like someone's got pizza,” Nola said.

  They entered the front hall, just in time to see Glen slam the front door. He glanced at them over the top of several pizza boxes. He grinned widely. “Just in time. Pizza's here."

  "Yes!” Nola went forward and took the top two boxes to help Glen with the load. “There had better be a Meat-Lover's in here."

  "Definitely.” Glen grinned at her. “Hey, Davis,” he shouted toward the security room.

  The door was open just part way and they could all see Davis leaning back in his chair. He glanced at them, eyes dark. “Not hungry,” he called back and slammed the door.

  Glen shrugged and looked back at Rose. “All right. More for us."

  He led the way to the kitchen. Rose followed them and stood in the kitchen's doorway, watching as they set the pizza boxes on the counter. Glen showed Nola where the daily kitchen things were kept and she helped to set out plates, cups and napkins. There was pizza enough for the whole PRDI household and the students residing here.

  Rose stood aside as a few of the students hurried into the kitchen, salivating for a slice. She watched with a bit of a grin as Glen backed against the wall to avoid the onslaught of hungry teenagers and young adults. They greeted him cheerfully and Rose was once again amazed at how easily they interacted with the Head. When she was a child here, the Head was an older, more distinguished man. He wasn't exactly mean, but he never went out of his way to be nice. And he didn't even have a sense of humor. That was something she was glad Glen possessed.

  She was thankful Glen held the position now. He was perfect for it. He was a natural born leader. Hell, he had almost succeeded in becoming the Alpha male of their pack, but the position had fallen to a more determined male—Jason. The only mated couple in their little group, they became the natural choice for the leaders and Rose took the position albeit reluctantly.

  Now that Jason was gone, the pack was in disarray. Being the next in line, the Beta, Glen had assumed the role and Rose stepped back. There were no more full-moon gatherings, no more pack meetings. She figured it was because the other
s felt sorry for her that she couldn't shift due to her pregnancy. Maybe they thought it wouldn't be fair if she couldn't participate. Whatever the case, Rose was a bit upset by it. Month by month, the pack slipped away. They still met, here at the PRDI, but that was about it. They were no longer really a pack. There was nothing that kept them together any more.

  And Rose had to admit she missed it.

  She withdrew from her thoughts and returned her gaze to Glen. He was chatting animatedly with a couple of older students. Rose couldn't remember their names, but she knew the boy was precognitive, reminding her of Aidan Marks, another teenage precog that fell at Simon's hand.

  She pushed the sudden thoughts of Simon away—she didn't want to think of him at all, especially not now—and took in a deep breath as she continued to look around the room. The students began to leave with their food, their chattering voices throwing echoes in the halls. Soon, the three of them were left alone.

  Nola sat on an empty counter top, balancing her paper plate on her lap. She munched on her pizza, her gaze roving around the room. They're eyes met and, though her mouth was stuffed, she gave her a closed-lipped, puffy cheeked smile. Rose didn't return it.

  She turned her attention to Glen. He was finally getting around to eating and glanced up at her. He grinned. “Grab a piece, Rose, before it's all gone."

  She shook her head. “You know I can't eat that. Heartburn."

  "Yeah, I know. I'm only kidding.” He gestured to the refrigerator. “There's a salad in there, if you want."

  "Yay, grass, yum. I think I would much rather have steak."

  "The kid's definitely a carnivore.” Glen winked at her and Rose took in a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh of relief. That look was all it took to reassure her that Glen wasn't going to tell anyone else. Glen continued.

  "You can scrounge around in the fridge, but I'll tell you now, we are low on supplies."

  "So, no steak?"

  "Nope. No steak."

  "Damn.” Rose pulled one of the kitchen tables out and sat in its chair. “I guess I will take that salad after all. No dressing though. I don't think I could handle that."

  "Not a problem.” Glen got up and retrieved the leafy greens from the fridge. He set it before Rose and handed her a fork. “I didn't put any in it."

  "Good boy.” Rose looked down at the green lettuce and ripe tomatoes without much appetite. But Glen watched her with a critical eye and she took a forkful of the stuff and shoveled it in her mouth. He smiled.

  "Cheyenne's coming for the weekend. You feel up for going with her to get the much needed supplies?"

  "I'm up for it.” Rose toyed with her salad, staring at it before glancing up at him. She smiled slightly. “If I feel all right this weekend, that is.” She caught the concerned look Glen gave her, but she gave a slight shake of her head. She didn't want to talk about it now.

  "Who's Cheyenne?” Nola asked suddenly.

  Glen turned back to her. “Cheyenne's one of our packmates. She's a changed-blood, like you. She lives in her own place, but comes by every other weekend to help us out."

  "You guys have your own pack? That must be different. Who's the Alpha?” She took another bite of her pizza, finishing it off.

  "Well, technically, we don't have an Alpha, not at the moment."

  "Why not?"

  "My husband,” Rose brought up suddenly. They both turned to her. She sighed. “My husband, Jason, was the Alpha."

  A stricken look came over Nola's face. “Oh, no. I'm so sorry."

  Rose stared at her, confused for a moment. Then it hit her. “No!” It burst out of her so suddenly it startled herself. “No, he's not dead. He's just gone."

  "Oh, shit.” Nola shook her head. She made a noise like a nervous chuckle. “I am so sorry. I just keep assuming things. I really shouldn't do that."

  No, you shouldn't, Rose said silently, but answered aloud with “Its fine, Nola, really. Jason and I were the Alphas, but now that he's gone, Glen's the one in charge."

  "Just until he's comes back,” he added, and Rose knew it was more for her peace of mind than for clarification.

  "When will that be?” Nola asked.

  Rose shook her head and stared at her salad again. She didn't want to continue this conversation. She regretted even bringing it up. She glanced up at Glen and he understood the look in her eyes.

  "We don't know,” he said.

  "Well, where is he? Where did he go?” Nola looked very interested, perched on the edge of the counter. Her eyes sparkled at Glen.

  He cleared his throat suddenly. He switched the direction of the conversation quickly. “Enough about that, what do you think of the PRDI so far?” he asked as he took a seat across from Rose. He rested his hand warmly on top of hers and she glanced up at him for a moment.

  "Well, it's different than any place I've ever been before, that's for sure. I didn't think there would be so many people here."

  "It is an institute,” Glen answered. “We're here to try to help others like us learn more about themselves and to prepare for life out there, in a world that might not accept them."

  "People should accept us.” There was a bitter tone in Nola's voice suddenly. She sighed a bit, staring down at the empty plate in her lap. “We're better than they are. Stronger, faster. They should accept us. They should ... worship us..."

  Silence dropped in the room after her voice trailed away. Her dark eyes lifted first to Glen, then to Rose. Her gaze burned. Rose stared at her, not quite believing what she said. Glen was even more taken aback.

  "Where in the world did you get that idea?” His voice grated with a hint of his repressed anger. Rose knew her cousin well enough to know he was trying to keep calm.

  Nola's words had seemed rather odd, rather vindictive and Rose was burned by them too.

  "It's just something I've learned since becoming changed.” Even as she spoke to Glen, her eyes didn't turn away from her. Rose held her stare, not looking away. “We're superior to them, but we are forced to hide who we are. We are forced to pretend to be normal—"

  "That's not always the case,” Glen interrupted. He stood, looking at Nola with fierce eyes that demanded no interruption. “The PRDI teaches those who are willing that it's okay to be what we are. There is nothing evil about us. We have nothing to hide. There is no need to pretend."

  Ignoring the passionate look in his eyes, Nola lifted a hand to dismiss his words. “There is a need to pretend, not in here maybe, but out there, in the real world. There are people out there, people that would like to hurt our kind. I've met them before. They're called ‘hunters'.” She spoke her words fiercely.

  Glen sucked in a hissing breath. So this was what it was about, Rose thought. She watched Glen as he closed his eyes a moment. He took a few breaths to calm himself then began.

  "We know all about hunters. You don't need to tell us about them."

  "But what are we supposed to do when they are out there? That's one of the reasons I came here.” Some of vehemence fell out of her voice and she sounded almost vulnerable, scared. “I just want to be accepted as normal."

  "And you will be accepted as normal, as far as that goes,” Glen assured her. He cast a glance at Rose, who no longer pretended to eat her salad. She shoved it away and watched them with a knowing gaze before Glen looked back to Nola.

  "Here, yeah, but out there...” Nola trailed off.

  "We can't change the world. Yes, some secrecy is necessary. We all have to be cautious of how we act, how we are around others, but for the most part I agree with you. We shouldn't have to hide."

  "It pisses me off.” She sighed and tossed her paper plate aside. “A lot of things fucking piss me off.” She looked to Rose. “I'm sorry I get so worked up. It's a curse."

  Rose said nothing but she nodded in understanding.

  Nola stretched her long legs and slid off the counter top. “I came here to learn about what I am and how to get used to it, I didn't come here to argue."

  "It seem
s you know a lot about what you are already,” Rose finally said.

  Nola turned to her. Her face was an unreadable mask. “I've read a lot about the PRDI,” she explained. “I always found it fascinating."

  "How did you become changed, anyway?” Glen asked the question Rose had been wondering herself.

  "It was a guy I worked with. I didn't know he was one and he accidentally infected me. It could've happened to anyone, I guess. I didn't know."

  "He must not have known either. Who was he?"

  Nola's face turned sad and angry and she looked away. “He knew what he was,” she said softly then looked to Glen. “Look, I don't want to talk about it. It's a touchy subject."

  "Hey, that's fair,” Glen said, once again looking at Rose. She was staring daggers at Nola, but the young woman didn't notice. Her eyes still intent on Glen, she offered a soft smile.

  "Thanks for the pizza, Glen. I think I'm going to retire to my room. I'm still a little tired. It's been fun, though.” Nola turned to Rose. “I'll see you tomorrow."

  "If I can,” she answered. “Tomorrow's Friday, class day, and Aurora is coming by to dig through the library for some books for one of her college classes, so I'll be really busy."

  "Damn.” Nola shook her head. “You people do keep busy. And who's Aurora?"

  "Another packmate.” Rose watched her closely as Nola edged nearer to the door.

  "Oh. Maybe I'll get to see her tomorrow. I think it would be nice to meet some other werewolves."

  "Sure.” Glen smiled at her. “Goodnight.” He grabbed a paper cup and took a long drink from it. He waved with his free hand as Nola left the room.

  Rose watched her disappear from the doorway and down the hall. She let out a harsh breath.

  "You don't like her."

  "That obvious, huh? I can't help it. There's something about her, something I really don't like. Have you noticed how she'll act aloof one minute and then really friendly—too friendly—the next? No one is that sweet, that good."