The Moon Rises (Gigi Monroe)

by Angela Horn

  Gigi wasn’t sure why she had to wait outside. She then noticed Vamps near the lobby entrance who were crotch dancing without music. While Dave used the restroom, Gigi stepped outside and looked up at the dark night.

  Nighttime felt especially lonely without Sara and Gigi often wondered if her friend was somewhere looking up at the same dark sky. Her mind then wandered to Mamma Celeste. She remembered sitting on the porch with her mamma and they would talk about the moon. Those memories were soothing, even though they caused an ache in Gigi’s chest. She wanted her mamma back, just as much as she wanted to find Sara.

  A tingle in her hands distracted her from staring at the moon and Gigi rubbed her palms against her jeans. Her hands had started tingling towards the end of her shift and now they were almost painful.

  Loud arguing inside the club forced Gigi to move away from the door. She stood far enough away to avoid getting hit if it opened too quickly, but remained in the line of sight of the front doors. Still feeling sharp pains in the palms of her hands, Gigi wondered if she was having an allergic reaction like when Justine was exposed to something on the witch floor? Did the witches play a trick on her when she worked there earlier?

  Gigi was careful to avoid Nolan without seeming like she was trying to avoid him. Not only did Justine hate when anyone moved near her lust toy, as Ella called him, but Nolan’s fiancée Elise was on the floor too.

  Before Gigi could worry much about the pains in her palms, she felt someone watching her. Her gaze returned to the front door where Dave still hadn’t appeared. No one was around the entrance and the arguing had subsided. Scanning the street, she saw no one, but her skin ached with the sensation of being watched. Peering into the alley, Gigi knew someone was there, even though it appeared empty.

  Thinking maybe the person was hiding behind the dumpster, Gigi took a slight step to her right and tilted her head to study the well lit area. Silas kept the alleyways and streets brightly lit to avoid troublemakers. Someone was watching Gigi though and she didn’t understand where they were hiding. Then she looked up.

  Not someone, but something.

  Black as night, the monster nearly blended into the sky behind it. Perched atop the roof of the adjacent building, it was the size of a bear, yet it had no fur and looked more like a bird. With buggy black eyes, the giant crow-like creature studied Gigi.

  Fear so intense it stole her breath seized Gigi and she wanted to run. What she knew about predators was how much they enjoyed the chase. If she moved too quickly, the thing might be spooked and attack her. Inching her feet to the left towards the club, Gigi tried to seem very still even as she made her escape.

  The monster hissed and Gigi stopped moving. It again stared at her with its bulging black eyes. She waited for it to attack, to snatch her away like it had Katia, Monica, and Sara. Gigi wasn’t afraid to die, but she was afraid of pain. Instead of attacking, the creature on the roof turned its head away, having lost interest.

  Gigi wanted to flee now that it wasn’t looking, but she was afraid to draw its attention. She took a tiny step towards the club and waited to see what the beast would do. Glancing at her, its ugly face turned away again. Another step, followed by another, she realized the monster was letting her slip away. Gigi then ran into something.

  “Watch yourself, little girl,” Dave growled.

  Gigi didn’t respond because the monster’s gaze was focused on her and Dave. The thing opened its mouth and hissed louder this time. Dave had been staring at Gigi as he stood a bit too closely.

  “What the…?” Dave said, glancing up at the creature.

  “Shhhh,” Gigi whispered. “Don’t spook it or we’ll be taken like Sara.”

  “Fuck that. If that’s the thing hunting you girls…” Dave said too loudly and the monster’s hiss shifted into a roar. Dave froze a moment then pulled a gun from the back of his pants. “Go back inside.”

  “You’ll make it mad. Just come with me and we can hide.”

  Ignoring her, Dave stepped closer to get a better shot as the monster watched him. Having sensed another predator in the mix, the creature was growing agitated and preparing to attack. It was going to hurt Dave, but maybe the Were could hurt it first.

  The first shot hit the creature in the neck and black liquid splashed against the side of the building. The monster roared as it took flight. Dave fired into the monstrosity as it soared towards him. More goop oozed from the holes in the creature, but it never slowed.

  Landing atop Dave, the beast seized the shifter’s arm which was holding the gun. Gigi heard Dave cry out as the thing’s long tail whipped around, slicing through Dave’s soft flesh. The Were pulled a blade with his free hand and stabbed at the monster. The creature just shook Dave’s body violently and the short sword skidded out his grip.

  Gigi wanted to run, but she was frozen in her spot. Dave’s screams turned her fear into a hot emotion in her gut. Clenching her teeth, Gigi felt the emotion spread, biting at her skin.

  Rage.

  This was the monster that took Katia and Monica. The monster that took Sara.

  Gigi didn’t think because the rage wouldn’t let her. She took the sword which landed nearby and ran at the monster. The bird thing tore into Dave’s shoulder, trying to sink its jaws into the shifter’s throat.

  Dodging the long sharp tail, Gigi jumped on the monster’s back and stabbed. No precision to her attack - for the rage only wanted vengeance - she stabbed once, then twice. Again and again, she tore at its flesh. Black ooze poured from the wounds and the beast roared. Bucking, the creature threw Gigi off its back.

  The monster left Dave who twitched on the ground, still alive as he fumbled with his jacket, maybe looking for another weapon. Gigi regained her footing and held the sword in front of her like the man on TV had. Except that man had been pretend and he had died anyway.

  Gigi knew the monster was angry now, but it was moving away from Dave who dragged himself towards the club. The beast stared at her with one good eye, the other just an oozing hole now because of the sword. The creature let out a hateful hiss then charged her.

  Gigi tried to hold her ground, but the thing was too big. Once her sword slid into its chest, the creature shoved her back against the wall. Pinned, she tried to wiggle free. The monster only let her loose long enough to whip its tail around and slice through her chest.

  Gigi gasped as the pain shocked her into a stupor. The creature’s tail yanked from her chest, tearing away flesh, before it darted inside her again.

  Mamma Celeste would be mad.

  Gigi let go of the sword stuck in the creature and put her hands over the hole in her chest, trying to keep the blood inside her. The beast did not yank out its tail this time. Instead it studied her face from an inch away. Even monsters wanted to study her, Gigi thought, as the rage and fear faded.

  Her blood poured from her body and she knew this was bad. Even if the monster didn’t eat her, she was going to die. Dave would live though and he had a family and would be missed more than she would.

  “Why did you have to go and challenge it?” a very reasonable sounding voice said from inside the monster’s slack mouth. “I didn’t even want you.”

  “I’m sorry,” Gigi mumbled, not understanding why the monster was talking to her.

  The blood was hot in her hands even as her body felt cold. When the monster’s tail yanked from her chest, Gigi’s mind flashed sharply, dissolving her thoughts, erasing her present. For that moment, Gigi was gone, replaced by something ancient and full of wrath.

  Gigi reached out for the monster’s face, cupping its beaked jaw lovingly in her bloody hands. Staring into its good eye, she growled.

  The energy rushed from her dying body into the thing which took her life. The beast tried to retreat, but Gigi’s hands held the monster as it fried under her fingertips.

  The monster and Gigi collapsed away from each other. Her body, still grasping for life, tumbled back against the wall of the club. Falling hard on her bott
om, Gigi remembered the night the witches played their trick on her. They had laughed that night, but she didn’t get the joke.

  Gigi never got the joke, but soon it wouldn’t matter. Soon her body would fight no more and she might finally hear what the ghost was always trying to tell her.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Declan cornered Silas who was pulling his Switzerland crap again. Anton suddenly joined the two males in the conference room and he looked more curious than anything else. Ignoring the other Alpha, Declan shut the door and glared at Silas.

  “You need to tell us where Roger is.”

  By making it “us” instead of “me,” Declan hoped to push Silas into getting chatty. Silas wasn’t buying it though.

  “I don’t work for either of you.”

  “Do you work for Roger because it looks like you’re protecting him?”

  “It’s not a fucking secret how you idiots will be at war soon,” Silas said and Declan noticed Anton’s posture shift. “You have the strongest pack and want to move on the other two packs. Anton made himself an alliance with Mira’s clan as insurance to protect his pack. Roger’s wants insurance too.”

  “What kind of insurance?”

  Silas ran a hand through his thick brown hair and growled. “Declan, for the last damn time, I don’t work for you.”

  “How do you know he actually left though? Your waitresses started disappearing around the time he left town. How do we know he’s not taking them?”

  “Because Roger doesn’t kill humans. He kills other shifters, just like you. He went to get himself ammo for the war. If you want to know more, go hassle his guys and leave me the hell alone.”

  Growling quietly, Declan backed away from Silas. Anton watched him and his dark eyes seemed darker now. One day the two former friends would have to find out who was the better Alpha, but this wasn’t the time. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, Anton was clearly thinking about the fateful day though.

  “Fine. We’ll wait for Roger to return with his big surprise, but playing neutral doesn’t mean shit once the war begins.”

  “You keep saying that. Yet for the last two wars, I’ve remained neutral as have your brother and Michael.”

  “Finn is not neutral,” Declan growled.

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself.”

  The blare of the club alarm startled the three Weres and Silas was out of the door before Declan saw him move.

  The alarm meant the place was locked down to keep whatever was going on - whether inside or outside - from spreading. The levels themselves wouldn’t lock down unless Silas hit another trigger. The Were hadn’t made this move which told Declan the problem was outside.

  Chasing after Silas who raced down the stairs, Declan felt Anton behind them. Something big was happening and Declan wondered if this was Roger’s surprise?

  A group of Weres, some of them Anton’s guys, some Declan’s, along with a few bouncers, stood armed to the teeth in the lobby. Dave was on a couch, ripped apart and gushing blood.

  Declan’s guy clearly knew what was happening, but the Alpha didn’t stop to ask. He followed the armed Weres, Anton, and Silas past the fortified front doors and onto the street. The group moved towards a side alley where Declan smelled blood and death.

  The armed men surrounded a black mass lying motionless in the alley, not far from a dumpster. Declan heard someone say this was the creature that attacked Dave. Then he heard something about Gigi, but his focus was on Anton who darted farther down the alley and onto his knees.

  The sound of the Alpha’s voice startled Declan because he had only heard Anton sound this way once before. Over twenty years earlier, when his mother was killed.

  For that moment, Declan wasn’t Anton adversary, just someone who knew him better than he knew himself. Declan heard pain in his old friend’s voice. Once he reached the other side of the dumpster, Declan knew why.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Finding Gigi bleeding to death against the wall, Anton felt as if he was losing something that was his and he couldn’t live without. At first glance, Anton thought she was already gone. Her face was so pale, her eyes lifeless, and then she blinked. Anton felt himself speak, maybe just a noise or maybe words before falling to his knees next to her.

  Taking her hand in his, Anton brushed hair from her face and her eyes found him.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Anton lied, smelling death on her already. “We’ll get you help.”

  “Is Dave okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Gigi nodded weakly as her eyes watched him. “I’m glad the monster didn’t eat him.”

  Anton wiped blood from her colorless lips and realized she was dying right in front of him. He wanted to do something, but there was no help for the injuries she suffered.

  Gigi’s gaze focused on the monster. “Is it dead?”

  “Yes.”

  “It took Sara,” she muttered, crying. “Sara was my friend and it took her.”

  Anton moved closer, feeling how cold she was and wanting to warm her. He saw the damage to her chest and smelled the destruction to her internal organs.

  “I want Mamma,” Gigi whispered, teary-eyed, yet calm again.

  “We have to get her inside,” Silas said, kneeling on the other side of Gigi.

  “We can’t move her,” Anton told him quietly.

  “I don’t know what the hell that thing is or if there are more of them. Dave said shooting it did no good. We need to get everyone inside and lock things down until we know what’s happening.”

  Anton said nothing because he didn’t trust himself to speak. Declan squatted next to him.

  “The witches might be able to help her.”

  Anton nodded without looking at Declan, knowing his former friend would understand exactly what he was feeling and might exploit his weakness. Gigi watched the males moving around as they found stretchers for both her and the creature. Once Declan and Silas had moved away to direct others, Gigi’s eyes returned to Anton and she smiled.

  Don’t be sad,” she whispered. “The moon is pretty tonight, but it’s too far away to touch.”

  Anton leaned forward and whispered in her ear everything he couldn’t say when Declan or Silas were close enough to hear. When he pulled away, Gigi gave him a tired smile.

  “You really are beautiful,” she said, adding with a bigger grin, “especially for a dog.”

  Anton gave her an unhappy smile then moved aside while the stretcher was placed near her. He knew moving Gigi would hasten her death, but saying it out loud was pointless. The males wanted to get into the club and lock the place down.

  Gigi didn’t make a sound when the males placed her body on the stretcher. Her eyes watched the sky as they moved her inside. While Anton tried not to panic, Declan was suddenly at his side again.

  “Mira’s not here, but Nolan and Spencer are coming down. Silas also called for Tobin to see if he can identify what that thing is.”

  Anton knew Declan was keeping him informed the way one Alpha might work with his enemy when necessary. Another part of Declan was just keeping Anton’s mind focused on things besides Gigi dying. In moments like these, Anton wished they were still friends. He wished they could lean on one another like they did growing up when Declan lost his father and Anton lost everyone.

  “No!” Ella cried, running down the stairs with Justine right behind her. Dahlia started to follow then smelled the blood and paused. The Vamp turned and disappeared up the stairway.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Ella asked.

  “We’re going to have the witches look at her,” Silas said, blocking Ella who was smart enough to realize Gigi’s injuries were fatal if she saw them up close.

  “Screw the witches,” Justine spat. “Take her to a hospital, you morons. She’s human and won’t heal like you do.”

  Silas exhaled hard. “Justine, calm down. We can’t bring humans into the Circle at night when monsters are flying around. Just back off a
nd let the witches look at her.”

  “Yes, Justine, the witches are miracle workers,” said Simon, descending the staircase. “Aren’t you, Nolan?”

  Nolan and Spencer weren’t far behind Simon, but they didn’t dare push past him. The hallway was suddenly packed with various agitated factions and the stench of fresh blood wasn’t helping matters.

  “Keep moving,” Anton said, relieved to find his Alpha voice. “We can bitch when we get her somewhere safe.”

  Silas led the group to a rest room, where he sent clients who became too wasted or disruptive. Essentially a lockbox for freaks, the room held a bed which Gigi’s stretcher was placed on.

  Next to the rest room was a brightly lit room full of pissed Weres, a master Vamp who looked at everyone as if he was pretty sure Gigi’s death was their fault, and an agitated human. Justine was shaking as she sat in the corner with Ella at her side. Silas tried to keep the peace while the witches worked with Gigi.

  Avoiding the thought of Gigi dying in the next room, Anton instead focused on the growing tension around him. Still torn open and in pain, Dave arrived. He acted pissed, but Anton knew the Were was shaken.

  “I told her to run inside, but she didn’t listen,” Dave said first off and Declan frowned at him. “When I got outside, she was just staring at that thing. She said it wouldn’t attack us if we didn’t challenge it, but the damn thing’s been killing the girls and I wasn’t going to let it just disappear.”

  “You said bullets didn’t work, so what killed it?” Declan asked.

  “I don’t know. The fucking thing flies, man. It acted like the bullets were nothing and it jumped me. I told her to run, but she just stood there. I tried to stab it, but the thing threw me around like a ragdoll. My sword ended up near Gigi and she attacked it for long enough that it stopped tearing me apart. I knew we were screwed, so I called inside for help.”

  “So,” Simon said quietly, sitting in a chair with one leg crossed casually over the other, “you left a defenseless girl to fight off a monster while you ran for help. Hmm…quite chivalrous.”