by Cate Maroon
Luminescent
Crescent Wolves
Cate Maroon
Copyright © 2020 by Cate Maroon
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter One
Kayla
I loved to run! There's something so freeing about the wind whipping against my body. I ran in time with my music, my heart racing as I released all my thoughts. My life is complicated, and running became the only thing getting me through each day. My mom and dad thought I would be the next famous athlete out of our state, but I didn’t want that. Not that it mattered what I wanted because my parents did not care about my needs or opinion; they never did.
I had no friends! Which was the fundamental reason I started running in the first place. All the other teenagers hung out at the mall or the movies, while I spent all my spare time jogging through the woods, desperate to escape my problems. Trying to figure out what made me so different and why I would never fit in with them made my head spin. Not being like the other girls my age bothered me, and I hated it, as I never wanted to be like them. I found it hard to understand why anyone would want to be so shallow.
It was the weekend, and I was happy; I had the house to myself, which is precisely what I needed. When I wasn’t at school, I felt like I could be myself, without being judged by everyone. I was sick and tired of being an outcast, and everybody treating me like a freak. Even my teammates from the running team avoided me at all costs. The coach thought I was a natural and assumed the glares the others gave me was a sign of their jealousy. However, the actual motive is far from simple. The truth was undeniably more painful. No one liked me because I was different, and in a world where all the girls looked like clones, I stood out, and it wasn’t a good thing. I realized this, but so did the kids at school; however, they did not understand why and neither did I.
I leaped from the top of the quarry into the freezing water beneath. Taking a huge gulp of air on my way down, I let the water engulf me pulling me into the depths of the murkiness below. The water caressed me with its icy grip, as I swam under the surface for as long as possible. The coolness of the water was refreshing. Hoping it would Steal some of the darkness buried beneath my indifferent facade and claiming it as its own.
I emerged from the water, and the world was silent. The familiar sounds of cars and Steller jays who flew around the lake mocking me with their chuckling calls had disappeared! While standing at the water's edge for a moment, a thought hit me. Where were the birds? I stood in the shallows of the water, listening intently, but there was only silence. Usually, this would not have bothered me, but lately, I had a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach. I did not understand what was happening, but something was not right in our little corner of the world.
I was more antsy than usual and couldn't shift the sensation of being watched, which was strange for a girl like me because I avoided people at all costs! I heard muffled voices, and as much as they unsettled me, the growl which followed pushed me over the edge, and made me take off, sprinting through the forest as fast as possible toward home with my wet clothes making this increasingly difficult. The birds so silent a moment ago also fled the area in multiple directions.
Picking up speed, I could have sworn someone was running behind me. My sportswear weighed heavy on my small frame, and the breeze which I enjoyed earlier was now biting at every part of my skin. As the coldness seeped into my bones, I thought I would never make it home. I believed I would die surrounded by trees and alone. If I thought about it, no one would miss me, a fact which stung more than the wind ever could.
I sighed with relief when I finally emerged from the woodland into my back porch. My teeth chattered, my skin burned from the chill, and every part of my body ached. Bursting inside the house and swiftly locking the door behind me, I was unable to shift the sensation someone was watching me, despite being indoors. I did not care if I was dripping all over the floor. My parents were away for the weekend, at yet another couple's retreat, so they would never find out anyway. I made my way upstairs and peeled off my cold, wet clothes as I moved. The quicker I got them off, the sooner my body would heat up. In the bathroom, I ran a bath, I needed to warm up, as even my bones were freezing and my usual preferred choice of taking a shower would not do anything to chase away the bone-numbing chill that had set in my body.
The heating cranked to full, and I let the warmth consume me as I lay in the water, which was hot enough to penetrate my frigid skin. I closed my eyes, replaying the events through my head, certain someone else was in the forest. It was strange because in all the years I have been running to the lake I have never seen or heard anyone. The thought of someone else in my sacred place was freaking me out more than the growl, despite this being the reason why I ran away. Most people might find that strange, but I grew accustomed to the noises that the animals living in the woods made. Over the years, I had gotten used to hearing them, but I rarely encountered people in the forest, and when I did, it was usually an elderly hiker and not a group of teenagers, which I heard today.
Finally, warm enough to leave the bath, I put on my favorite pair of joggers and an old hoodie and ordered a pizza. I decided I was paranoid, and no one was watching me. It had been a long week, and I needed a treat. A movie night, while loading up on junk food seemed like the perfect combination. It was something that I did not do very often because I was always training for the next competition.
Laying on the couch and flicking through the channels, I waited for my dinner to arrive. My stomach was whining in anticipation of the gooey cheese and spicy meat, I glanced at the clock, it had been fifteen minutes, so I knew my food would soon be here. The doorbell rang, so I grabbed the money off the coffee table. Not bothering to check the peephole, I unlocked the door; besides, who else would be at my door on a Friday night. I was shocked when instead of the pizza man standing in front of me, was some random guy around my age who I don't recall seeing before. He appeared strange as he stood at my door in silence.
“Can I help you?” I asked, a little creeped out because he was still staring at me.
“My brothers and I got lost. Then we err, got a flat and my cell died. Do you have a phone I can borrow, please?”
“Wait here.”
I closed and bolted the door. I have seen one too many horror films in my time to let a person I didn't know in my house. I picked up my cell from the sofa and slowly walked back to the door and handed my phone to the boy.
“Thanks.”
He moved down the driveway to make a call. As he does so, the pizza guy pulled up with my food, instantly reminding me how hungry I am. My stomach growls, and the stranger casts me a strange glance. I stare back at him, wondering what the hell he wanted while paying the delivery man. Taking the warm box and placing my dinner on the side table, I remain on the porch waiting for the newcomer to finish with my phon
e.
He hands me my cell. “would you mind if we block your drive while we wait for the tow truck?”
“Sure, I'm not going anywhere.” I internally scold myself for a) being lame, and b) possibly implying I was home alone, to someone I did not know. For all I knew, he might be a serial killer!
“Thanks!”
Glad that I can finally eat my food, I close the door. I take the box to the sofa, but I have lost my appetite because I know the stranger is sitting outside. Instead, I sit picking at the cheese on a slice of pizza; my movie played quietly and was barely loud enough to alleviate the silence. My eyes keep wandering between the television and the window, where I can see the stranger and his friends sitting in their car. Occasionally, they glance toward my house, making me uncomfortable.
My pizza has gone cold by the time the tow truck eventually arrives, and the group leaves shortly after. My appetite has returned, now they have gone, so I start to unwind. I nuke a few slices and change the movie to a comedy, not entirely comfortable watching a horror anymore.
I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I wake abruptly with a sick to the stomach sense of being watched. It is still dark outside, and I am so freaking out. I check the time on my phone; the screen illuminates the room in an eerie glow the time displayed 3 AM.
I head upstairs to bed, pausing to turn the hallway light on, which I have not done since I was five or six. I sought comfort in the knowledge this would make anyone outside think someone was awake. Usually, I was unfazed by being in the house alone. My parents went on these couple retreats every few weeks, claiming this was the secret to a successful marriage. As soon as I was old enough to be responsible for myself, they went back to living a carefree lifestyle; it was almost like they never had a child.
Chapter Two
Jackson
It was the last weekend before we started our new school. We moved into my grandparent's old house a few weeks ago, and I was miserable. I was already missing my old friends and our old house, which reminded me of my mom. This house had no memories of her, and because of the renovations, the house lost all familiarity. My older brother, Hunter, helped my dad tend to the animals on the farm. Leaving me to deal with my younger twin brothers. There are only so many rooms for us to explore and we are easily bored.
“Jay, Josh, do you want to go hang out at the rope swing?” I shouted up to my siblings, who practically lived in their bedrooms, playing video games.
“Finally, something fun to do,” one of them called back sarcastically.
A few minutes later, they both emerged in their swimming shorts and vest tops. I ran upstairs to put mine on because we would get soaked. There was no point in asking my older brother Hunter to join us. He was always too busy helping out on the farm. He was like this before we moved here; he never wanted to do anything fun. He spent all his time with dad and never mixed with kids his own age. When he was at school, he hovered over our siblings and me. However, he had not always been like this. Before our mother got sick, he had lots of friends. He was captain of the football team and one of the popular crowd. As her illness progressed, he took over the role of Mom and Dad, while our father took care of my mother.
My brothers and I ran off into the forest, which surrounded our ranch. We let ourselves run free, for what would probably be the last time for a while. As soon as we started school on Monday, we will spend all our time on schoolwork and helping on the farm. Which was one more reason why I hated this place!
The twins raced ahead; they had always been faster than me. I threw off my clothes and shifted into my wolf form and bounded past them both. Finally, I was in the lead. I jumped off the cliff into the crystal-clear water in the pool below. The waterfall sparkled like a rainbow under the sun's light, which was pounding on the water. Which was enough to take the chill off and make the temperature bearable. When the twins finally caught up, they held up my discarded clothes. I was grateful, as I did not think things through when I dumped them. Not that anyone would be around, I was still relieved not to have to walk home naked.
We messed around in the water and on the old tire rope swing for hours. The sun was setting when we had finally burned off enough energy to face going back to the house for the night. As we left, the wind carried a fragrance, which made my stomach flip. I shifted back into my wolf form. I needed to find out where the scent was coming from and why I was experiencing this strange pull.
When I looked back, the twins are no longer behind me. I wondered why they remained unaffected by the sweet aroma that pulled me through the trees. I was a long way from home, but I still had not been able to find the source of the smell. I ended up at another lake, which was a lot bigger than ours, but this one did not have a waterfall. The fragrance was more potent here. Soapy with a hint of citrus like orange blossom yet musky. I couldn't put my finger or paw, which was the case at the moment, on why the odor seemed so familiar to me. My wolf went wild with desire, and a need to locate its owner.
I eventually linked the fragrance to a row of sizable houses that backed into the forest. I tried to peek over the fences hoping I might be able to pinpoint the exact house the scent belonged to, but in my animal form, this was far too difficult. I should have shifted back to my human body, but what if somebody saw me? They would call the police for sure at the sight of a naked man staring into their houses, and my dad really did not need any more trouble.
I decided to go back to the house to fetch my car and my brothers. I had not worked out a plan yet, but I had to find out who the scent belonged to, and I cannot wait for another second, let alone a day. I needed to do this now before my wolf turned crazy.
After jumping into the shower as soon as I got home, I put on my favorite jeans and a black t-shirt. Classic but simple and they fit me well; I realized I looked amazing in them. I sprayed on some cologne and brushed my ebony hair back in a slick Pompidou style. When I ran back downstairs, the twins lazed around on the couch as usual.
“Where did you disappear to?”
“I'll tell you on the way?”
“Where are we going?”
“Yeah, and why are you all dressed up?”
“I'll explain on the way, now are you coming or not?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“There's nothing else to do around here anyway.”
We all got into my jeep, and I headed toward town. I drove aimlessly, occasionally putting my head out of the window to guide me to my ultimate destination. I eventually got to the row of houses I was at the back of earlier driving past them several times until I was sure I had the right one. Pulling up outside, I decided to leave my brothers in the car and walked up to the door. I knocked and waited for someone to answer.
A breathtaking girl around my age with unruly rust-colored hair and huge brown eyes answered the door. I stood for a while, trying to discover the secrets buried beneath her surface. Inhaling deeply through my nose, pleasantly surprised when the scent came strongly from the girl who was now looking at me strangely. Thinking quickly on my feet, when she asked me what I wanted, I made up a story about my car breaking down and not having a phone with us. I instantly regretted the idea because I would appear like an idiot when I drove away. She closed the door on me, and I turned to face the twins waiting in the car, who both laughed at me. When the girl opened the door and passed me her cell, another car pulled up in front of mine, and a guy got out carrying a pizza. I walked down to my car and searched through her mobile, making a mental note of her number. I found the contact details for a tow truck and called the man.
“Dude, you cannot go through with this,” Jay said.
The man answered the call, and I glanced at the street name before giving him the address. Well, we might be here a while, I thought to myself, while I walked back up the girl's drive to give her back her phone. I tried to push my luck for an invitation inside, telling her that the tow man would be awhile. She was not stupid, though, and told me to wait in the car. I headed back to my je
ep, knowing my brothers would tease me for what I was doing.
We sat in the car, and I watched her through the window. I did not care if my siblings teased me, or that it would cost me a fortune to convince the mechanic to pretend to fix my wheel. The only thing that mattered was the girl inside the house, who didn't give me her name. When the tow truck arrived, he stared at me like I was nuts.
“Sorry to waste your time, man. I'll pay you whatever you want to pretend to fix the tire.”
“Well, it won't be cheap. Obviously, you don't want whoever lives there to know you lied. So it's going to be $250, a $100 for my time and $150 to keep my mouth shut.”
“Done.” I grabbed my wallet out of the car and paid the man using my debit card. He seemed happy with the fee, so I did not tell him I would have given him double. Which, to me, was worth every cent. We waited in the car for a few minutes after the tow truck pulled off. I thought the girl might look out the window, or something that would show me that this wasn't all in my head. I struggled to make myself drive away when every part of me wanted to go and knock on the door again.
My brothers teased me the entire way home, but I did not care. As soon as we walked inside the house, they told my father and Hunter where we had been. Thankfully, they didn't mention the part where I paid the tow guy two hundred and fifty bucks for nothing. While the twins had not understood what had happened, they did. I found my mate, but I did not think she realized she was a wolf like me. My dad struggled to believe that the girl didn't know what she was. He thought she hid the truth well or was not like us at all, and I was merely drawn to her perfume. He was wrong, though we both sensed the pull between us. She was a shifter and my mate.