Moon Shadow (Mount Henley Trilogy Book 1)

by Kat Zaccard

  I laughed. “Actually, it’s a little ridiculous!”

  “You wouldn’t feel that way closer to the moon,” she replied. “But you’re young yet, so I see your point.”

  “How old are you?” I asked bluntly.

  “I turn eighteen next month, but I took my seat on the council last year.”

  “Oh, wow, so there are young council members? I had expected the eldest of each royal family to hold the seat.”

  “Typically they do.” Nadia’s serene expression wavered briefly, and I saw a glimpse of hidden pain. “My grandfather just passed away last year; my parents were already gone. My younger brother and I are the last members of our royal family line. Like you, Princess Luna, the Osakura are nearly extinct.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” I wrinkled my brow. The phrase was so cliché. I hoped it didn’t ring hollow. “I can’t imagine.”

  Nadia was nothing if not gracious and seemed to accept my sincere statement. She sighed. “There aren’t a lot of Japanese werewolves left,” she admitted. “Nolan and I are the last of the last Royal clan. Much like you, I had to step up to my place in the Great Pack regardless of my childhood wishes.” I appreciated this glimpse into her personal life. I had the distinct impression Nadia wasn’t usually much of a sharer.

  “I don’t know much about my family line,” I admitted.

  Nadia nodded, looking sad. “I suppose you wouldn’t.” She looked like she wanted to say more but held her tongue. Her features smoothed into a mask of contentment. I was impressed with the skill, given that my emotions were often plainly read across my face.

  “Why are there so few Japanese werewolves left?” I asked curiously.

  “The Kitsune drove werewolves off the Island of Japan long ago. Our family and other clans spread out, refugees on the mainland.”

  “Who are the Kitsune?” I asked, confused.

  “They are shifters like us, but they shift into foxes.”

  “Werefoxes?” I asked dubiously. Nadia must have misunderstood my tone, because her next statement came out a bit haughty.

  “Don’t underestimate them. They are a wily bunch,” she responded defensively. “Although they are my sworn enemy, I’ll admit that some of their samurai monasteries rivaled our own in training excellence. They are worthy adversaries and honorable warriors.”

  I held up my hand. “Sorry, still processing.” I shook my head. “I believe you, but wow—werefoxes? What next? Are there other shifters, too?”

  “Of course there are.” Nadia rolled her emerald eyes at me. “Many have gone into hiding, presumed extinct. There used to be North American werebears, but there hasn’t been contact in a century or a sighting in ages.”

  “Werebears?” I smirked, remembering my favorite stuffed animal as a child: a sunny yellow Funshine Care Bear.

  Nadia ignored me. “And there are definitely werejuars in South America. It’s too warm down there for most werewolves, but it’s a natural habitat for large cats. Plus with all of the jungle and wild places, it’s easy for them to hide from human civilization.”

  “Does the council have any treaties or interactions with them?” I asked, incredulous at this new discovery.

  “Absolutely not!” Nadia exclaimed, “The gathering of the Great Pack was a marvel. Getting all the different families and clans to work together was an historic feat by the Great Queen, unparalleled since. Werewolves come from everywhere on the planet; we are incredibly diverse. But thanks to the Great Queen, we all worked together for our common good. That’s why I’m on the council. That’s why I’m doing my duty, even if I’d rather be doing something else.” She looked at me pointedly.

  I shifted my eyes away from her stern face. I knew I had a preordained and mandated destiny. I still didn’t like it.

  “So are any of these other groups a threat? I mean, you’d said the Kitsune drove werewolves out of Japan.”

  “True,” Nadia admitted. “They did pursue the werewolves onto the mainland for a time, but the Siberian werewolves didn’t like the foxes on their territory. They chased them back to the island.

  “Many of us immigrated to the Americas after the gathering of the Great Pack, when my great-great-something grandmother was offered a royal council seat. My mother used to dream of our family making peace with the Kitsune and returning to Japan. Now that we’re all that’s left, I fear the Osakura homecoming may never come to pass. I know something of the weight you bear, Your Highness.”

  I admired her strength and determination. Give her a katana, and I could easily picture her as a warrior Samurai princess. I appreciated that she sought to highlight our similarities, especially given her many losses. Still, she had this connection to her duty, having been raised with her family’s stories and traditions. I didn’t know what to say, so I expressed the sentiment she illustrated so plainly to me. “It seems everyone knows more about me than I do.”

  She looked at me. “Learn,” she said simply.

  We were interrupted by a shower of droplets amid squeals of protest. Everyone was out of the water now, shaking vigorously to get dry. Nadia and I took in the scene, glanced at each other once, then burst out laughing.

  Spirits were high on the way back as everyone talked and laughed. I smiled and watched how relaxed Logan was around his friends. He definitely let loose more today than I’d ever seen him. I smiled, thinking maybe we were making progress.

  After we said goodbye to the gang in the Dryden, Logan and I took off on our own to hike back to Mt. Henley campus. He held my hand for a bit, letting go when the trail got rocky. We talked a little and agreed to meet for lunch on Monday so he could spend Sunday catching up on homework. I had hoped we’d see each other tomorrow, but I understood. I could use some study time, I supposed.

  At the gardens, he stopped and kissed me goodnight. He was sweet at first, then he pulled me in, attacking my mouth greedily. I sank into the kiss, but pulled back at the snap of a twig. I looked around, certain I’d heard something. Logan laughed and called me his skittish princess. I swatted him, only half pretending to be annoyed by the comment. His smile was handsome, if only it weren’t so mocking.

  We said goodnight, and I walked alone the rest of the way to my room, thinking the day over. I realized we were just beginning to know each other. Maybe love at first sight really was a fairytale? Logan certainly didn’t believe in the werewolf bonding of true mates. My thoughts tumbled with memories of other Weres who believed in true mates: Adam, Shea, Jack, Kulani… I shook my head anxiously. So we weren’t true mates. So what? We were just getting to know each other, and I told myself firmly that that was enough.

  Chapter 11

  School resumed the next day, cold and dreary. I threw myself into our afternoon training practices, determined to be a warrior princess, if any kind at all. Coach Murry got very creative when training us in human form—sometimes we used the arena to run drills; other times we went into the wilderness to practice survival skills. Today we played an elaborate game of hide and seek, blindfolded, to enhance our awareness of our other senses. It was near the new moon, so we trained as humans only.

  Coach Murry said we could access our wolf instincts as humans, and encouraged us to listen harder to our inner wolves, to smell deeper. It was annoying, to be honest, but after a few minutes of concentration, I noticed an improvement. I was getting better and better at seeking. It seemed we could never hide from Coach; though: she always tracked us down. When the moon was full we could openly run drills as wolves, and that was always my favorite part. Sometimes Shea, Hayley, and the girls would join us. Chasing them through the trees was more fun than it was work, and I had to remind myself to take the drills seriously.

  Hayley was the best martial artist among us. I felt like Hayley was holding back during our human sparring matches, so I tried hard to push myself into new feats of strength. I started jogging every morning, rain or shine. And every night before bed I did push-ups and sit-ups, and even some yoga and meditation that my
mom taught me, remembering that many great warriors could calm their mind and emotions at will. The day I landed a solid right hook was a proud moment, and I felt Hayley pick up the pace after that.

  It was during a game of hide-and-seek when I made my biggest mistake. The moon was less than a quarter full so we were playing a round as humans. All of us would hide and Coach would seek. I hated that Coach always found me within minutes. She was a Sliver, of course, and could turn wolf at will. I had to pretend to stay human, so naturally, her wolf instincts tracked down my human clumsiness every time.

  That afternoon, however, I was furious. Jillian had been particularly nasty to me that day and Logan had laughed at one of her mean comments. I’d barely spoken to Logan since and was pretty much in denial that I had to deal with him at all. He had apologized, but I was still hurt. I’d never embarrassed him in front of others. I was angry he didn’t care to defend me. Not that I needed or wanted his protection, but we were dating, right? Frustrated and feeling helpless, I needed a win. Jillian was surprisingly good at hiding. Today I was determined to beat Jillian if it was the last thing I did!

  Coach blew the whistle for us to hide, and we all took off. I zigzagged through the trees and carefully crossed the stream. I made sure no one else was nearby then quickly stripped and rolled my clothes into a bundle. After shifting into my wolf, I carefully took my clothes in my mouth. I darted farther into the woods and made my way to the foothills where caves dotted the base of the mountains. I almost stumbled into a bear den, but I picked out their scent and avoided them. Still, their scent might throw off Coach and other seekers, so I rolled around in the dead leaves by their cave entrance, then wound along the side of the mountain and back down into the trees. I turned back into human, hastily dressed, and settled into a hollow tree.

  I waited for a while. Maybe I’d run too far? I was wondering if I should reveal myself and head back, when I heard a twig break. I held my breath and my body still. Suddenly, rough hands grabbed me by the scruff and dragged me from the tree.

  “What happened? Why do I smell your wolf?” It was Jack. He looked angry and a little scared, two emotions I’d never seen on his features. For the first time I thought I saw the wolf behind his human eyes. He growled and shook me, then seemed to remember himself and let go. “Your Highness, forgive me, but please, what just happened? There can’t be another who smells like you.”

  For a moment I thought about lying, but soon realized I was thoroughly caught. I needed Jack on my side. I needed to train and I needed to learn what I could about my wolf. Now was the time to trust.

  “Well, the thing is…” I looked anywhere but at him. A low growl from his throat brought my eyes to his. The fear was still there, but softer, kinder somehow.

  “You know I shifted early and have been adding days under the moon since I first turned. But it turns out, I think I can shift into my wolf whenever I want.” Everything spilled out in a rush. “Shea warned me not to tell people. I know I should be more careful. I’ve really tried to only run the week of the full moon so patrols won’t be suspicious, but it’s so hard to keep my wolf contained all month long for just three short runs. I just itch inside and need to run, you know?” I was rambling, hoping to wear out his anger before he could scold me. I looked around. His silence stretched into the shadows, and I finally looked back at his face.

  He looked astonished. His eyes glistened, and he knelt in the dead leaves before me. Now I was thoroughly embarrassed. “Please, get up, please say something,” I implored.

  He raised his eyes but remained on his knees. “I’m not sure what this means,” he said with a gravelly voice. “I was surprised you were able to shift under the gibbous moon, but you’re already a Sliver. There’s always talk of another Great Queen, or as some claim, the return of the first Great Queen. The tales vary slightly and the indigenous tribes have their own variations, but in our folklore, only the Great Queen could turn at will from her first turning. Only a handful of the most dedicated werewolves ever achieve this power after years of training. For you to already master such control at such a young age is, well … it’s unheard of, except in legends, of course. Whatever this means … it seems ordained that you will be the greatest queen in a very long time.”

  “Jack, I’m just a girl,” I said, confessing my deepest fear that I was unworthy of this power or crown. How was I to lead a nation, I asked him, when I couldn’t even win the respect of my betrothed or the mean girls at school?

  Jack rose and embraced me as a father might, let me cry into his flannel, then patted my back and made shushing sounds. When I’d cried myself out, I pulled back, even more embarrassed than before but also somewhat relieved. I’d been holding in a lot since discovering my wolf and the release felt good.

  “Alice,” he said softly, “you will never be alone. I have already sworn fealty to you and I promise to protect and guide you as best I can. Respect is earned over time with deeds, not bought with fancy words or pedigree. You are the queen-to-be. There is political turmoil, and your return is the scandal of the century, as is the fact that you’ve been kept hidden all these years. But now you are in this world and at risk. It’s high treason to hurt you or claim your throne, but the Queen Regent will not give up power so easily. Trust your gut, and trust it to know who not to trust. The opinions of others should not matter, but their actions toward you will. Be on guard.

  “And now that I know your secret, I can help protect it, and…” He grinned wickedly as he wiped a tear off my check and held me out before him. “Now we can really start training! But first we have to get you back to class before Coach Murry bites my head off, literally!”

  After that night, Jack and Kulani met with me a few times a week to train. We stayed on their property when the moon wasn’t full to keep other patrols from smelling my wolf. Practices got more intense, and we trained as both wolves and humans. Jack and Kulani taught me to fight and to switch from human to wolf in the middle of combat. I ripped and ruined a lot of clothes in the process, but I was improving. And I was feeling less shy about my body, though there were times I wished I could keep my fur when I turned human mid-attack, even if I was tackling Kulani. Jack was ever the gentleman and pretended not to notice my modesty, which helped make me feel less awkward. I was determined to prove I could be a warrior queen. How else could I take charge of my life?

  I also paid more attention in history class. I was lucky to have Sara to study with, though even she got annoyed with my basic questions.

  “I can’t help it that I’m new to all this and you’ve been learning this stuff your whole life,” I grumbled one night after dinner. We were in a study parlor with Shea, Hayley, and Lola.

  “Sure,” she agreed. “But you could take better notes. What are these chicken scratches supposed to mean?” She turned my notebook sideways, trying to decipher my handwriting. Lola giggled, brushing a dark red lock behind her ear, though she didn’t take her eyes off of her own homework.

  “Let me see,” I said, taking the notebook. “Um, it says: The Pack was originally and primarily led by Luna she-wolves until the 1960s, when dwindling litter numbers encouraged policy change, allowing males to vie for pack leadership. Before that, we only had queens, princesses, and princes. No kings.”

  “Okay, that’s true. But since then, we’ve had one King Regent Harold: your… um father.” Sara looked awkwardly at me, her green eyes wide. Not super sentimental herself, she didn’t know how I’d react to mention of my birth parents.

  I tried to stay neutral. I needed to learn not to reveal how I felt. “Right, okay, and the high council was traditionally made up of the twelve royal clans from across the globe. Some of those clans have died out and lesser nobles and a few wealthy families have bought their council seats. Clan leaders, traditionally the matriarch of the family, will settle disputes among their family. Anyone can appeal to the high council, but rarely do. Those that do are mostly royals. And everyone answers to the queen.” I’d finished readi
ng my notes and looked up.

  “That’s right.” Sara looked at me sideways. “I guess that will be you someday, huh?”

  “I guess so. But it doesn’t seem real. And this whole betrothal thing is crazy. I like Logan, I guess, but marriage?” I blurted, and Lola looked up, surprised. Shea gave me a familiar half-smile.

  “Yeah, I can’t imagine,” Sara sympathized. She wasn’t the girl-talk type, so I appreciated this new depth of trust.

  “You never know,” piped up Lola, piling her thick hair on top of her head. “It could be romantic.”

  Now it was my turn for a sideways look. “Well my M.O. so far is to ignore it and hope it goes away.”

  Hayley snorted, brushing back a purple lock of hair. “Just don’t ignore him. You want the betrothal to go away, but you don’t want Logan to go away, too, do you?”

  “No, but I want the knowledge that the choice is mine, and my partner’s. I sure was annoyed with him at lunch, though,” I grumbled.

  “With good reason,” supported Shea, her violet eyes turning steely. “He talked to Jillian more than you today. Granted, she was going on and on about her winter holiday plans, but seriously? Did he really need to know that much about her upcoming trip to London?” Shea had been awfully quiet on the Logan subject lately. Perhaps this vehemence hinted at why?

  I sighed, “I just want the betrothal to go away so we can just discover if we really like each other.”

  Lola looked up from her book with a sympathetic expression. “I hope you can figure it out, Alice.” I smiled at her, grateful for the sentiment, even if it was wishful thinking.

  Chapter 12

  Over the next few weeks, things fell into a routine of classes, lunch with Shea and the gang, then hanging out with Logan after school. We took walks, but as the weather turned cooler, there were fewer opportunities to get together during the week. We hung out on Saturdays in Dryden, catching a movie or grabbing lunch. We never went to Luciana’s Café together. I usually spent Sundays alone, hiking the trails or reading in a tree. Shea spent Sundays hanging out with Adam. I presumed Logan was catching up on schoolwork.