Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  “Mom!” I started to go to her, but she was quick and stood, then hurried to me.

  “No! Stop.”

  “Mom. What’s going on? Is that Dad?”

  She nodded.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Please, honey.” She swiped at the wetness covering her cheeks. “I don’t want you to see him like this. Please.”

  “No. Mom. Let me go to him.”

  All I could see were my dad’s legs in his comfy navy blue sweat pants and his blue socks covering his feet. His usual lounge at home night attire.

  “What’s wrong with him? Maybe I can help.”

  “No.” She clenched her fist, pressing it to her mouth while she sobbed. “He’s gone. You can’t help him. Please don’t look at him.”

  I shoved her aside. “Let me see him. He’s my father!” I tried to run to him, but my legs dragged and felt heavy. When I finally reached him, I screamed, at the same time, the room filled with the loud explosion of thunder.

  “No!”

  Someone’s hands were on my arms, gently shaking me.

  “Skye. Wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

  I bolted up in bed, gasping as if I’d been drowning. “No!” I buried my face in my hands, unable to look for fear of what I might see. For fear that I was still dreaming, for fear that I was still caught in that horrible nightmare.

  “Skye. You’re okay.” Arms went around me, embracing me. Comforting arms.

  I nuzzled into a strong, firm chest, and wept.

  9

  MILO

  I held Skye in my arms and let her cry, holding her close, as though I never wanted to let her go. Her body trembling more than a paint can mixer at the hardware store. Whatever she’d dreamed about must have been pretty frightening.

  “You’re okay,” I cooed softly against her ear. “I’ve got you now.”

  We stayed that way for a few minutes; she felt so good in my arms. When she settled down and stopped crying, she lifted her head away from my chest. “Sorry.” She rubbed the back of her hands over her cheeks. “I got your shirt all wet.”

  “It’ll dry. Are you okay?”

  The roar of thunder resonated through the air again, making the walls of the small cottage shake. She jumped, latching on to my arms, squeezing tightly.

  “That must have been some nightmare.” I lifted a couple of wet, black strands off her cheek, tucking them behind her ear. “Do you get those often?”

  She shook her head. “Only lately.”

  “Was it the thunder?”

  “Possibly. That coupled with my car being blown to smithereens.” She averted her gaze to the fireplace. “Some memories seeped into my sleep.”

  There was something there that didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was the tone of her voice, the uncertainty of the explanation. She was keeping something from me.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “No.” Our gazes caught. “I’m just not ready yet.”

  “Well, I’m here if you change your mind. You want to try to go back to sleep?”

  “No. I think I’m good for a while.” She climbed off the bed from the other side. I got up and stood, waiting. I wasn’t sure what to do next. Then she turned to me. “I’ll go make some fresh coffee.”

  The sun had come up about an hour ago. I glanced around the one-room cottage. “Listen, if you think you’re okay, why don’t I take off and give you some privacy? A shower might make you feel better. I’ll come back a little later and take you to get a new phone.”

  “Oh. Okay. You don’t need to leave if you don’t want to.”

  I was glad that she trusted me enough to say that. It was progress considering a short while ago she wouldn’t even roll her car window down to talk to me.

  “I need to take care of a few things. I’ll go and come back in about an hour.” I needed a shower myself, the thought stirring up images of her in the shower, naked, with all the water streaming over her sleek body as she lathered soap over herself. The erection in my pants would be too uncomfortable if I stayed. No, it was better if I left and tried not to think about it.

  “But, it’s raining.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.” I grabbed my jacket and shrugged into it, then walked to the entry. When I opened the door, the wind nearly blew it off its hinges as it banged against the siding. I yanked the knob and pulled it back, holding it tight, standing in the still-open doorway.

  “Jesus. Are all the storms here in Dark Moon Falls always so violent?” Skye held her hair back as the wind blew the long strands around her face.

  “No. This one’s a doozy, that’s for sure.” I stepped through the threshold and tugged the door to close it, but stopped and peeked inside. “Don’t go anywhere and lock this door when I leave.”

  “Okay.”

  I strode through the water to my truck. The road had disappeared, and the meadow adjacent to it was now a lake. A swamp surrounded my vehicle, about two feet deep. Good thing I had a truck. By the time I reached it, I was soaked to the bone. I pulled open the door and hopped in, getting the plush leather upholstery I’d spent my dad’s money having installed all wet.

  “This girl better be worth it,” I mumbled as I pushed the starter button. The complaint was only half-hearted, though. Something in my gut told me she was.

  I turned the vehicle around and headed toward the main highway, but when I reached the small intersection, I gasped. “Shit.” The road was gone. I couldn’t even see where it started or ended; the water was so high. I couldn’t decipher where the field began that was supposed to be on the other side. I tried looking around, but I couldn’t see much with the rain pelting down so hard against the windows. I’d forgotten that this road was subject to flash flooding. It looked like I was going to have to turn back around. I hoped Skye was as welcoming this time as she’d been earlier.

  As I backed up and steered to the left, my rear wheel plummeted, taking my truck with it right into what I assume was a ditch. A fucking huge ditch. I started to open the door to take a look, but the water was now up to the middle of the truck’s frame and decided to open the window instead, but I couldn’t see past my hand, let alone past the front or back of my vehicle. “Fuck.” I closed the window and slammed my hand against the steering wheel. I was going to need to wade my way back to Skye’s.

  I opened the center console and pulled out a flashlight. Not that it was going to help me much, but it could also serve as a weapon just in case. But hell, if I needed to protect myself, I’d shift. So, I put it back, shoved the door slightly ajar so not too much water would get in and shimmied through the opening, then rammed it closed before I stepped up and out of the ditch. I reached into the pocket of my jeans and hit the automatic lock for the truck, heard the familiar beep, and then shifted. No sense being careless just because my truck sat stuck in a ditch the size of the Grand Canyon.

  I shifted. The water was up to my wolf’s belly, but I figured at least this way, my clothes would be reasonably dry when I reached her house. I splashed my way down what I was pretty sure was the road, keeping between the trees on my right and left. I had to be close to Skye’s cottage, but even with my wolf’s vision, it was difficult to see. I trekked on through the water as it gradually became shallower, and I sighed out a relieved breath of air when I saw the faint glow of her porch light. Even more relieved when I placed my wet front paws onto the second step to her wrap-around wooden deck, and I stepped out of the water and up onto the boards.

  I shifted back to my human form, my clothes magically appearing on my body. They were still wet, but not as bad as they would have been. I knocked on the door and waited. Another blast of lightning lit the sky, and a few seconds later, thunder roared its ugly head. The storm seemed to be getting worse. As I had that thought, the wind picked up, and the rain came pounding at me from the side. So much for semi-dry clothes. I stood waiting for her to open the door, but she didn’t come. I was drenched, my hair soaked. I pull
ed it back off my face. I knocked again and waited. When she didn’t appear, I banged my fist on the door.

  “Skye? Open up. It’s me, Milo!”

  She still didn’t answer. I tried the doorknob, but she’d done as I’d asked and locked the door. I started to worry that something was wrong. Maybe she was hurt.

  Why wasn’t she answering the door?

  10

  SKYE

  The soft spray of water over my head and down my back felt amazing. It’s funny how clean hair can make you feel like a new person. As I rinsed out the conditioner, I thought I heard banging. Great. Now what? It took me a few minutes to figure out that the noise was coming from the front door.

  I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. The knocking was so loud and forceful; it sounded as if someone was about to break the door down. Who the hell would be out in this mess and whacking at my door like that? Milo said he’d be back later, so it was too soon to be him. Whoever it was, they wanted in, and my first thought was, the wolves who’d killed my parents found me because I didn’t know very many people in Dark Moon Falls. Panic flowed through my veins, and I wasn’t sure what to do or where to go. “Get a grip, Skye. Think. If they wanted to kill me, they wouldn’t be knocking at the door.” Maybe it was the sheriff with news about my car. I snatched my robe from behind the bathroom door and wrapped myself in it, tying it securely, and hurried toward the door. But I wasn’t about to open it, not without knowing who was on the other side, so I glanced through the window, but I could only make out a tall, dark figure.

  “Who is it?” I shouted close to the door.

  “Skye, it’s me. Milo.”

  “Milo?” Relief flooded through me and I quickly undid the top chain latch and turned the knob, opening the door. “Come in. What are you doing back so soon?” He was drenched and shrugged out of his jacket as water dripped from his nose and hair. “I’ll go get you a towel.” I left him standing there, not waiting for an answer, to grab a towel from the closet in the bathroom. I hurried back and handed him the largest one I had. “Here.”

  “Thanks. I’m sorry to get your floor all wet. Are you okay? What took you so long to answer the door?”

  “I was in the shower.”

  A sweet, almost embarrassed expression came over his handsome face as he gazed at me in my robe. “Right. How inconsiderate of me. I should have remembered that you said you were going to take a shower.”

  “It’s okay. I’m finished. What happened? Why are you back so soon?”

  “The highway is flooded. And I …” He hesitated and ran his hand through his wet hair. “I got my truck stuck in a ditch when I tried to turn around to come back.”

  “Oh, no.” I took a step back, realizing what that meant. “You walked here from the main road in this storm?”

  “Had too. I couldn’t stay out there with the flash flooding quickly filling up the ditch. I was barely able to open the door because the water was too high. But I managed to squeeze out.”

  He took off his coat and hung it on the hook by the door. “Do you mind?” He pointed to his boots.

  “No. Go ahead and take everything off and get in the shower.” Throwing caution to the wind, I shoved him toward the bathroom, wet boots, and all. “I suppose, since you’re stuck here, you might as well make yourself comfortable.” Then I grabbed two more towels from the closet and left one by the sink for him. I took the other one and mopped up the puddles on the floor. Then I went to my dresser, put on some yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, grabbed a pair of sweat pants, and hesitated before picking up the T-shirt that had belonged to my dad. I held back the sob and took them both to the bathroom. As I placed them next to the sink, I glanced at the shower. Milo’s naked backside appeared through the glass. Even though the door was frosted, I could still make out how fine and firm he was, and I couldn’t help but stare for a few seconds.

  I turned to leave and stopped when I heard his voice.

  “Thanks for the clothes, Skye.”

  I looked back at the shower, he was still facing the other way, but somehow, he knew I was there, ogling his backside. My cheeks flamed with heat. “You’re welcome,” I managed and left him alone then and shut the door.

  I stood outside the bathroom, unable to move for a few seconds, completely mortified that he’d caught me checking him out. I’d never been so embarrassed in my life. I’d forgotten that he was a wolf and could most likely sense those things.

  I was seated on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV when he came to stand in front of me. His hair was disheveled and damp, and my sweatpants that were long on me stopped halfway down his calves. The T-shirt I’d given him, slightly tight around his broad chest, showed off every single muscle he possessed. He was quite a sight. A delicious sight. But I couldn’t contain the giggling.

  “You’re laughing at me?”

  “No. I’m laughing at the clothes.” I got up and headed to the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?

  “I’m going to put your wet stuff in the dryer.”

  “You don’t like my legs?” He grinned.

  “Oh, believe me, I do like your legs. Especially in my sweatpants. But I also know that it will take at least a day and a half for your clothes to dry if we leave them hanging in the bathroom.”

  “Right. Thanks. Do you have any alcohol in this place? I could use something.”

  “I have some brandy. It’s in the cupboard over the fridge.” I’d used it for cooking, and it was the only alcohol I’d had when I’d packed. I stuck his clothes in the dryer and flipped the switch to on. The sound of clothes tumbling filled the small closet where the stackable washer and dryer unit was housed, and I closed the door to mute the noise.

  “Found it. Would you like some?”

  “Sure. It’s not like I have anywhere to go.” I’d just arrived in town and hadn’t tried to find employment. That was an issue I might need to face eventually, but for now, I had plenty of money since my mom added me to her accounts. Besides, I was hiding out, and going to work could spark recognition. Plus, it’s daytime and I couldn’t go out in the sunlight.

  “Yes. It looks like we’re stuck here for a while. I don’t think I could even get a tow truck out here until the flooding stops.”

  “I’ll make some tea. I’m not sure I could handle straight brandy.”

  “That will work. And it will keep us warm. Mind if I stoke your fire?”

  My mind instantly went to the vision of him standing in my shower—his tight ass up against the glass. My body tingled with the idea of him stoking my fire. But then I saw him holding the fire poker and realized what he’d been referring to.

  “Yes. Please. Thanks.”

  The whistle went off on the tea kettle, and I poured water into two cups to which Milo had already added a generous amount of brandy.

  We took our spiked tea to the sofa, and Milo changed the channel to the news. A man stood beside a map of Washington, giving us details on the storm. Just as he mentioned one of the nearby towns, the TV went black, and the lights went out. The sound of the dryer stopped, as well. The room became dark except for the soft glow of the fire.

  “How about I open the blinds?”

  “No!” I shouted in a panicked voice. What if the sun came out all of a sudden, exposing me to the sunlight?

  His eyebrows knit together in a perplexed frown. “But that would let some light in.”

  “Please don’t.”

  “Skye. Who are you hiding from?”

  “It’s not that.” It was, but Jesus, I hadn’t even thought of that being a reason for the blinds being down. It was second nature to me. “I’m not used to the sun.”

  He chuckled. “The sun’s not out, sweetheart.”

  “I know, but it could come up all of a sudden if the rain stops.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Okay, have it your way. But those are some heavy-duty blackout blinds. Do you have candles?”

  The blinds were the first thin
g I’d secured when I arrived. They always were. We’d had shades like that in our house my entire life.

  “I’m used to the dark, but I do have a couple of candles. There’s one on the bookshelf and another one in the kitchen, but it’s kind of dark in there.”

  “Don’t worry, I can see in the dark. Remember? I’m a shifter? But wait, let me get my cell phone out of my jacket in case we need it later, plus it will give us more light. Hopefully, it stayed dry inside the pocket.”

  Milo strolled to the door where his coat hung on the hook, and a couple of seconds later, he pushed the light on his phone, illuminating the area in front of him in a soft glow.

  He held his phone toward the kitchen, and I followed the small beam of light and grabbed a short red candle from the counter. Thank goodness the lighter was lying next to the candle, or I might not have remembered where I’d put it the last time I used it.

  I lit the candle, and a few seconds later, the room filled with the scent of vanilla musk.

  Milo went to the bookshelf and picked up the other candle along with the glass dish it had been sitting in. It was brand new and had never been lit before and was still wrapped in cellophane. “Mmmm. This one says it has the scent of sweet gardenias. I wonder how that will go with the vanilla?”

  I smiled. “Let’s find out.”

  He removed the wrapping and placed the white candle back on to the dish, and I lit the wick.

  The room filled with the sweet aroma of both scents. “Mmmm … that smells velvety and sugary at the same time. I think I like it.”