Dark Side of the Moon (8 page)

But I had to stop in my tracks when I heard a growl.  I wasn’t even five feet away from the wooden porch.  The growl sent shivers down my spine, made my heart pound in fear.

The wolf had found me.

Chapter 9

Turning my head ever so slightly, I found that the wolf was at the corner of the house.  And it was light brown in color.  The wolf that had attacked me was black.

But there was still a freaking wolf growling at me.

“What are you doing here?” someone sternly asked from behind me, scaring the shit out of me.

I turned to find three guys standing in the middle of the driveway.  I recognized them from the cafeteria sitting with London’s group.  But how did they get there?  I never heard them move.

I turned back to the growling wolf.  There was someone standing behind it, too.  What the hell?  I pointed to him, and turned back to the three—now five—guys.  Where in the hell were they coming from?  Why weren’t they concerned about the angry wolf?

“Don’t worry about it,” the one in the middle said.  “What are you doing here?  I won’t ask you again.”

“I-I don’t know,” I somehow managed to say.  It was the first thing that popped into my mind.

He gave me a confused look.  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

I couldn’t very well tell him that I followed their scents from school to here.  And that I overheard London’s conversation with someone and wanted to know if they had been talking about me.  They’d think I was nuts.  “I-I just felt like coming here.”

The guy next to the wolf spoke.  “We don’t take kindly to trespassers.”

“I-I didn’t mean—”

“Didn’t mean to what?”

Rude, much?
  I never should have come here.  I had no idea they would be hostile based off what I saw in the cafeteria.  They had seemed so carefree and laughing all the time with the exception of the fight on my first day of school.  But I hadn’t seen that, just heard about it from Dan.

The door to the house opening startled me.  A guy and girl emerged from the house, his arm around her waist.  I recognized them from London’s group, too.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked, looking at the guys behind me.

“She’s trespassing,” one of them responded.

“Well, did you ask her what she was doing here?” the guy from the house pondered.

“Yes.  She doesn’t know why,” another answered.

The guy rolled his eyes.  “Charles, go get London.”

“But he’s with Ricky.”

“Did I fucking stutter?”

All was quiet as Charles walked toward the porch.  That’s when I realized they were barefoot.  Was that how they were able to sneak up on me?  How were their feet not hurting on this gravel, let alone from the cold?

No one spoke as Charles went into the house.  No one moved.  I didn’t mostly out of fear.  But was this London’s house?

A moment later, the door was jerked open as London emerged.  He appeared to be pissed until his blue eyes landed on me.  Then, he went expressionless.  “What are you doing here, Selina?”

I took a deep breath.  “I was hoping you could tell me.”

The door opened again.  Charles came out and descended the stairs so he could return to the guys behind me.  Then, a girl came out of the house, wearing a skirt that was way too short for normal weather, let alone winter, and a bra, no shirt or tank top over it.  Was this Ricky?  I really didn’t want to know what they had been doing.

“Guys, stand down.  Go relax.  And stay out of the woods,” London ordered, still staring at me.

Did he really just order all of these people around?  Why would they even listen to him?  Looking around, I was startled to see everyone approaching the house, even the wolf that had calmed down now.  Everyone obeyed him except who I assumed was Ricky.

London didn’t even glance at her as he said, “You, too, Ricky.”

“But—”

His voice was full of authority when he responded with, “Don’t test me.”

Instead of going inside, she approached London.  Ricky tried to press a kiss to his cheek, but he shoved her off of him.  She appeared to be shocked at his action before turning to glare at me.  I have no idea why; I wasn’t the one that pushed her.  Then, she finally went back into the house.

London descended the stairs and approached me.  “Follow me,” he said before turning to my left.

I was confused as to why we couldn’t talk here, especially when he headed toward the tree line.  I didn’t want to follow him, but my feet had a mind of their own.

London led me deep into the forest.  I was concerned because I was alone with him and had no idea if anyone would be able to hear me if anything were to happen or if I’d be able to find my way back to the house.  What in the hell had I been thinking agreeing to this?

A moment later, I grew frustrated with him.  Stopping, I told him, “Why are you dragging me all the way out here?”

He kept walking.  “Privacy.”

“I think we had that when you ordered everyone inside.”

“Trust me, we didn’t.  It’s only a few more feet,” he said, walking even further into the woods.

“What is?”

“A marker.”

“A marker for what?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Rolling my eyes, I continued to follow him, not knowing what else to do to get my answers.

A moment later, we passed a tree that looked like it had a hole crudely punched through the trunk.  How did that happen?  When I turned my attention back to London, I found that he had stopped and was now facing me.  I couldn’t quite read his eyes or face, which made me worry.  “I’m assuming that since you came to my home, you wanted to speak to me.”

I shrugged and looked away from him.

“Why?  Why now, Selina?  You ignore me in all of our classes, yet you seek me out now?”  He took a deep breath.  “What brought you here?”

“I don’t know.  I just felt the need to go, and I ended up at your place.”

“You just happened upon my house?  Nothing led you there?”

I gave him a confused look.  How did he know?

“Talk to me, Selina.  I won’t judge,” he softly said.

“But you’ll think I’m crazy,” I scoffed.

“You don’t know that, Selina.  It’s just you and me out here.  No one can hear you except me.  And if you want to go back to ignoring me after this, that’s fine.  I promise that I won’t tell anyone what you tell me.”

I looked him over.  Should I trust him with my secret?  We don’t really know each other well.  But he’s already seen me at my most vulnerable because he was the one who found me after my attack.  And he was apparently talking about me behind my back.  I needed to know why.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.  “I have no idea what’s going on with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“My parents snuck me out of the hospital the day after my attack.”

“Why?”

My hands twisted together as I looked away from him.  “My cast was removed right before we left the hospital.”

London cocked an eyebrow at me.

“My leg had been broken when I arrived at the hospital.  And I walked out on my own.”

He was expressionless, his arms crossed over his chest.

“And I know it’s crazy, but…I followed your scent to your house, had my window cracked so I could smell it.”

“You followed my scent?”

I nodded, not looking at him.  “I’ve been able to smell a lot of things since the beginning of this week.  And it’s been driving me insane.”

“How?”

“It’s like…sensory overload.  I can smell the dirt, the leaves, the snow, some birds and deer, your clothes, your cologne, and…Ricky.”  I tried not to shudder.  “It’s too much, and I’ve never been able to do this before.”

“Are you sure it’s not because of your surgery, Selina?  I hear they can change people.”

I shook my head.  “That’s brain surgery or organ transplants.  I didn’t have either of those, London.”

“What about the medicine you took?  It could be a side effect.”

Again, I shook my head.  “I was only on morphine for a couple hours.  It has to be something else, but I have no idea what I could be.”

London was quiet.  I had no idea what was going through his mind.  Hopefully we could go back to ignoring each other and he keeps his word about not telling anyone.

But I needed to know who his friend was talking about.

“And, I’ve been able to…hear things.”

Concern was on his face now.  “What kind of things?”

“My brother was whispering to someone, and I heard every word as if I were next to him; I was at the back of the shop.  And I heard one of your friends say something to you after class today that made me curious.  Who needs to know what?” I asked.

He was quiet again.  Then he said, “Where is it?” completely disregarding my question.

“Where’s what?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Selina.”

How did he know?  Not knowing what else to do, I removed the sleeve of my coat, and pushed up the sleeve of my shirt.

London’s eyes shifted to my arm.  He took a couple steps toward me, and touched my arm.  He turned it a little to observe the one wound that never really healed.  “It’s not in a too bothersome of an area.  It’s a great conversation starter.  But it’s normal,” he said, releasing my arm.

“How?  How is it normal for all of my wounds to heal in a day except for this one?” I asked as I put my coat back in place.

“It just is.  Trust me.”

“And why should I trust you, London?  I never should have said anything because how am I supposed to know that as soon as I leave here, you won’t tell your friends about what I said and how I should belong in the loony bin?”

“Do you think you belong in the looney bin, Selina?”

“No.  I don’t know.  Something is going on, and it’s confusing the hell out of me.”

“I can tell you exactly what’s going on, Selina.  You may not believe me, but keep in mind that I patiently listened to you and didn’t judge.”

Finally!  We were getting somewhere.  “Okay.  What is it?”

His eyes were intense on me as he removed his coat and shirt, showing me his almost perfectly toned chest.  Was he bat shit crazy?  It’s freezing out here.  Then, after he tossed his shirt on the ground, London undid the button of his pants and pulled down the fly.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked, taking a step back.

London gave me a smirk as he kicked off his shoes.  What was with him?  Why did I even come talk to him?

Then, when he was only in his unbuttoned jeans, London startled me by shaking.  I cringed when I heard a snapping sound and when London fell to his hands and knees.  Was he okay?

I had to take another step back when dark hairs sprouted on his back.  What the fuck was going on?  Why was his body shifting, becoming bigger?

My heart pounded in fear.  As I stepped back, I lost my balance on an exposed tree root, and fell on my ass.  But I didn’t feel the pain because I was shocked at what stood in front of me.

A big black wolf.

Chapter 10

London was the wolf that had attacked me?  Why?  Why would he do something like this?  I did absolutely nothing to him, and he treated me that way…. And was he going to attack me again?  Was that why he brought me out here by myself?  To finish me off?

I tried to scramble away from him, but I kept getting caught on exposed tree roots, causing me to fall on my ass.  My heart pounded so hard, I don’t know how it didn’t leap out of my chest.  What was going to happen to me?

I was about to scream to see if someone nearby could hear me when the wolf shook violently.  Its blue eyes closed, and the hair receded back into the skin.  What the hell?

As London reappeared where the wolf had been, I looked away.  Though his pants were by the wolf’s feet, as he appeared, he was naked.  That was one thing that I just did not need to see.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, Selina,” London said.

But I interrupted him.  “What?  That you attacked me for no good reason before Christmas?” I asked with a little venom.

“It wasn’t me, Selina.”

I felt a little better now that he was…back to normal?  I’d be able to hold my own against him better with him like this.  God, this was so weird.  “The wolf that attacked me was black.  And you can apparently turn into a black wolf?”  I shakily stood, and took a step back.  Chancing a look at him, I found him to have his jeans back on and was slipping his shirt over his head.

“It wasn’t me, Selina.  I was on the other side of town and didn’t know it happened until sunrise.  But it was my fault that you were attacked.  We should have caught the guy before he even touched you.”

“You’re a freak.  Don’t come near me again,” I told him, turning to try to run away from him.  What kind of a person turns into a wolf?

But he somehow got in front of me, and grabbed me by my shoulders.  “Selina, wait.”

“No, let go of me.”

He shook my shoulders, his face turning angry.  “Listen to me.  Neither of us is crazy.  But we are freaks.  You’ve smelled things that you normally wouldn’t have; things like if someone stepped in mud or the food in the pantry.  You’ve been hearing things, like a conversation across the room.  You’re hair has become thicker.  You crave rare to raw meat.  Now tell me that one of those is wrong.”

How did he know about all of that?

London took a deep breath.  “That wasn’t an ordinary wolf that attacked you, Selina.  And neither were the wolves that knocked him off of you.”

“How did you—”

“Because the two that helped you are part of my pack.  None of us wanted to leave you there, but there was no way we could move you without hurting you or let anyone know what happened to you.  You really don’t know how sorry I am that you were attacked.”

His face was softer now, and his sadness actually seemed genuine.  But I was still so confused and freaked out.  I couldn’t quite read his eyes, couldn’t tell if he was lying to me about attacking me.  I wasn’t sure if I should trust him.  But he did know about what I was feeling in the past week, something I haven’t told anyone.  “Why can I do all of these things, London?  Why was there a wolf where you had been?”

“I think you already know the answer to that, Selina.”

I shook my head and tried to get away from him, but he kept his grip on my shoulders tight.  “It can’t be true.  They’re not real,” I whispered.

“You saw me shift into a wolf.  You saw it with your own eyes.  It wasn’t a projection or an illusion.  I am a werewolf.  I have been ever since I was born.”

This can’t be happening. 
A werewolf?

“The wolf that attacked you was one, too.  The group you see me with at school are in my pack.  And you…were bitten on the full moon.”

My eyes widened with surprise.

“I’ve been trying to think of a way to tell you about it, but I couldn’t think of a scenario where you wouldn’t completely freak out.  So I’m glad you came to me first.  I can help you, Selina.  You can become a part of my pack, which will be easier on you.  We’ll help you through your transitions and keep an eye on you so nothing bad happens.  You’ll be perfectly fine with us.”  He eyed me.  “Say something, Selina.  So I know you understand what I’m telling you.”

It took me a moment to even form the words in my mind.  “I-I’m…becoming a-a werewolf?”

“Yes.  And your first shift will happen on the next full moon.”

I stared up at London, trying to understand everything that just happened.  Was this really happening?  Or was I dreaming?  Why would London mess with me like this?

But before I could ask him, I felt my feet slip out from under me, forcing me to fall into his chest as everything grew dark.

When I came to, the first thing I felt was something plush against my back.  All was quiet in the room except for my breathing.  Then, I smelled that woodsy scent.

London.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.  But before I could panic, I saw London approaching me.  Why was I here?

“Hey, you alright?” he asked, stopping beside me.

“I think so,” I said, slowly sitting up.  “What happened?”

“You fainted when I told you about us.”

I remembered getting in my car and driving, walking with London in the woods, and…a black wolf.  “About…us?  That wasn’t a dream?  Did all of that really happen?”

He nodded, sitting on a chair beside me.  “Like I said, Selina, we’ll help you through everything.  I know it’s not going to be easy; it isn’t on all of us.  And I will answer all of your questions.”

There was one question I really needed to ask.  “Where are we?”

“My place.  I asked everyone to leave, too, so it’s just you and me here.”

I looked around the room.  Despite the walls being a log façade, the décor and furniture was actually modern.  A TV was opposite of me, a coffee table with a couple remotes and a few magazines in front of the couch I was on.  There was another couch to the left, and several chairs to the right.  London was in the closest chair to me.

Turning my attention back to him, I asked, “What happened the night I was attacked?  I know it was a black wolf and you…turned into one.  How do I know it wasn’t you?”

“Think about that night, Selina.  Tell me what you remember about the wolf.”

“It had black fur, was pretty large for what I expected a wolf to be.  And it’s eyes were yellow.”

“What color were mine when I shifted?”

I had to think.  I had been petrified that I thought he had attacked me a couple weeks ago.  Then I remembered the shade that had stared back at me earlier today.  “They were blue, the same as your eyes now.”

“Is that all the proof you need?”

“I-I guess.  So what happened?  Why did he attack me?”

London took a deep breath.  “That wolf wasn’t a part of my pack.  We get a couple rogues from time to time, kicked out of their packs for various reasons.  Sometimes they join us, sometimes they want to cause trouble and we have to run them off.  This one wanted to cause trouble.  We had caught his scent around the time you came to Moonlight Falls, but we couldn’t find him until that night; he’s masking it somehow.  Raff and Channing had picked up his scent, and went to try to chase him off when they found you.”

I had no idea who Raff and Channing were.  “If they knew I was there, then why didn’t they try to help me?” I nearly whispered.

“None of us knew what had happened until dawn.  There’s so much lore in society now about what people think are mythical creatures.  Despite what’s in the movies, we don’t have a way to communicate with each other when we’re as our wolves.  It was a full moon that night too.  When the moon is full, we don’t have control over when we can shift.  We have to be in our wolf form from sunset to sunrise.  After they chased the rogue off, they went to find me, and showed me where you were.  We stayed with you the whole night, keeping other animals away; we didn’t know what else to do until we could shift back.  At that point, we knew that the whole town was out looking for you; we could hear some people calling for you, but they never came close enough to where you were.  Then, dawn came, and we acted like we were searching for you, too, in case someone was nearby and wondered why we found you so quickly.  Your wounds had been a lot worse before dawn, but since you have our healing capabilities, some of them were already healed.  I didn’t want to take you to the hospital because I knew the doctors were going to try to perform tests on you, but some humans saw me with you, and called an ambulance before we could stop them.  Did they perform any tests?”

I shook my head.  “My mom wouldn’t let them.”

“What did your parents say about how quickly you recovered?”

“They’ve just kind of brushed it off.  I mostly didn’t want to talk about it and told them to ignore it.  I have no idea what they really think.”

He nodded.  “Is there anything you want to know, Selina?”

I needed to make sense of things.  “The wolf that attacked me was actually a werewolf?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s turned me into one?”

Though his face was soft, London spoke seriously.  “Yes.  The scar on your arm is the first spot he bit you, which tells others that you were changed, not born.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Other than the scar, no.”

Okay, that’s explained.  “Which are you?”

“Born.  Got it through my mother’s side.”

“So it’s hereditary?”

He nodded.  “We’re not sure how lycanthropy came into existence, but it’s been around for a long time.”

“And the heightened senses are a part of it?”

He nodded again.  “It’s something you’ll have to get used to and learn how to drown out.”

The headaches were driving me crazy, so I’ll have to figure out how to ignore it quickly.  “You said something about not controlling yourself when it’s the full moon.”

“Yeah, that part of the lore is true.  The full moon usually brings out people’s true nature, and that’s the only thing we can think of with why we have to shift.  But any other time, we can do it at will.  That takes some getting used to as well.  It’s hard at first, but then it becomes second nature.”

That was just too weird.  I was going to turn into a wolf on the next full moon?  Casting those thoughts aside for now, I asked, “You said your pack.  What does that mean?”

“Exactly what I said.  I have a pack that follow me around and obey my every order.”

I gave him a confused look.  “Why?”

“Do you know how normal wolf packs work?  There’s a hierarchy with the alpha on top, followed by the beta, and everyone else.  I’m the alpha, which means I’m in control,” he said with a smirk.

“How?  Isn’t that usually reserved for the strongest wolf in ordinary packs?”

“Yeah.  Normally, there are some who challenge the reigning alpha for power, and they can sometimes fight to the death.  It’s usually if you can best your opponent first, then you become the alpha.  My grandfather was the alpha before me, and he wanted me to take over after he passed.  No one really questioned it, except some of the older ones left because they didn’t like how he chose me over them, but they didn’t want to fight me because I was younger and more agile.  Plus, the alpha position has been in my family for many generations.”

That was interesting.  No wonder he was always in the center of the group at lunch, why his friends walked on either side of him.  He was their leader.  But did I want to be bossed around by him?  “What if I don’t want to join your pack, London?”

Though his face was still relaxed, his voice was stern.  “Then we’ll have to make you leave.  I have control of all of Moonlight Falls and the woods surrounding it.  And I don’t take well to having intruders in my territory.  Besides, you just moved here, and I doubt your family would want to move again after only living here for a month.”

He couldn’t force my family to move…could he?  I really didn’t want to find out.  “What would I have to do to be a part of it?”

“Nothing really.  Just run with us every full moon, help patrol the area to make sure there aren’t any trespassers.  And when you find a mate—”

“Mate?” I asked, surprised.

“Yeah.  It’s a normal thing, Selina.  For instance, Artemis and her parents moved here about four years ago after her pack switched alphas and her family didn’t agree with the new one.  She took one look at Channing, and they both knew that they were destined for each other.  Now, they’re practically inseparable.  They were the ones that were on the porch before we had our talk in the woods.”

That was…kind of cute.

“But when you find your mate and have children, the pack will help you raise them and look after them.  If someone needs help, we all pitch in to make everything right.  We’re our own little community, and if one person isn’t happy, the rest of us aren’t.”

An important question popped into my mind then.  “Do you ever…kill people?”