Hunter Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel #2

Tearing through the bitter cold in the dead
of night should have been scary. The full moon shone down on us
from a cloudless sky. It threw shadows off the tall pines, birches
and oaks. The air was frigid. Too cold for this time of year. It
made streaming clouds of my breath as I ran through the woods.

An enormous black Wolf to the left of me
pulled his mouth back, revealing long sharp canines. He loosed a
short howl from deep in his throat and plunged ahead. A few inches
to his right and he could have easily taken me down. Of that I have
no doubt. Still, I was not afraid. I was exhilarated.

We ran for about fifteen or twenty miles. It
was difficult for me to tell as I hurried to keep up with the rest
of the pack. The scenery sped wildly by, but I was much too aware
of everything not to notice.

I flew past the towering walnut trees and
bare forsythias that seemed to grow everywhere in this part of
Northern New Jersey. My large forepaws pounded the earth as I
launched myself over fallen branches and dried out shrubs. Thick
roots and decaying branches crisscrossed over the rock strewn
floor. This forest was ancient and heavy with memories. I could
feel them on the periphery of my consciousness.

The smells of the woods mixed with that of my
companions filled my sensitive nostrils. It sounds strange, I know,
and I am not sure if there is anything in the world that can
describe it, but I could easily make out each distinct member of
our party by scent alone.

If I really concentrated, I could smell
things in the cold forest I would rather not think about. Like
animal scat and urine. Rot and mold. Decaying carcasses of bugs and
small animals under the leaves and frost.

Not to mention the hunger, fear, and pure joy
that animals felt in ways humans could never understand. All of
these emotions had their own scent and I was taking them all in.
One breath at a time.

I shifted my focus to my ears and was
immediately deafened by all the noise. The beating of my heart and
those around me sounded like drums in a marching band. A not so
good marching band. Like at school.

Our breathing, the sounds we made as we ran,
the scurrying of small animals trying desperately to avoid us, the
hoot of an owl as it clung to a tall tree overhead. All these
things screamed in my ears. Each unique and so very loud.

So many different sights, smells and sounds
to differentiate within microseconds. Maybe at another time I would
have felt overwhelmed, even bewildered. But things were different
now.
I
was different.

I’m not sure how to explain it. It wasn’t
exactly as if time had slowed down. It was more like I was
in
every moment. Something I had never experienced before.
It wasn’t even possible before.

Somehow I was able to keep track of
everything and compartmentalize the sounds, sights, and smells in
my brain. Good thing too because I had no idea where we were going.
I blindly followed the pack. Too focused on everything and everyone
around me to be worried about something as ordinary as our
destination.

My gaze landed on Ronan. He was ahead of me
by a body length. I could make out every single strand of his red
and gold fur. His coat glowed like fire when the moonlight hit it.
Gorgeous.
I wished I had hands to run through it
.

He moved on four legs with the same beautiful
grace that he did on two. I’ll admit I often found myself just
watching him. At school or when we jogged or sparred together. He
was strong, fast and agile. But more than that. He was elegant for
someone so tall and muscular.

I wondered if I moved like that too. Was I
graceful and competent? I didn’t used to be. But everything was
different now. He turned his long lupine head toward me. His green
eyes burning in the darkness. I snorted at him and he yipped. He
was checking on me as he had done several times since we set off. I
didn’t resent it as much as I pretended too.

It was the first time I’d run as a Wolf in
the company of others. In fact I’d never seen a pack before. Even a
small pack as this one was. It was all new. I didn’t know what to
expect. I had googled wolves after my change, to kind of get a feel
for what I am. It didn’t exactly help, but I found out some
interesting things. Like, for example, I knew I was much, much
larger than a wild grey wolf. Easily double the size.

Seeing the others before me made me realize I
was, if anything, average sized for my kind. My fur was a dark
brownish color and I had a platinum streak running down my muzzle.
It matched the one in my hair. I woke up after my first change with
it. I guess I’m almost used to it. Well, at least I don’t jump
every time I see my reflection anymore.

On my wolf the streak was more gold than
white. I knew what my Wolf looked like. I’ve seen her in my mind’s
eye, when she speaks to me. She has her own voice, but still she
is
me. I knew the form I took now from my pointed ears right
down to the tip of my furry tail. I was stronger, faster, and a lot
more lethal like this. I think I might even weigh more as a Wolf
than I do as a girl.

My appetite has certainly increased. I’m
thinking it must have more to do with my Wolf side since I haven’t
gained all that much weight. The pounds I’ve put on when I’m human
seem to be mostly muscle anyway. I am totally good with that since
I looked a little like a string bean before.

You know what I mean. Tall, flat chested,
thin. Not exactly every teenage girls’ dream body. I looked
different now. Fuller, I guess. Healthier too. Werewolves loved
exercise and eating. I was no exception.

We also loved hunting which is why we were
out now. The full moon hung low in the sky. Huge and golden it
touched me with its light. I felt complete under it. And strong.
The night air was thick with its power.

I used to always think of darkness when I
thought of the night. But not now.
The true light of the moon
and the stars is always present, but we can only see it in the
darkest night.
That’s something my Uncle Sean told me. He was
right. It was incredible. Especially through these eyes.

I looked ahead and saw Uncle Sean’s huge
shaggy blonde Wolf. He ran directly behind his father, Rolf. Uncle
Sean was larger than the all of the rest of us except for my
grandfather.

Rolf was a massive white Wolf with steel gray
eyes and an unmistakable air of dominance. He led the hunt. Uncle
Sean had advised me before we changed that this is the way it is
done.

Werewolves are pretty serious about their
pecking order. Alpha’s tended to get snooty if anyone ran in front
of them. It was in their nature to be first, to lead, to guard the
pack from whatever may lie ahead.

I ran somewhere near the back of our party. I
wondered what that meant for me in the greater scheme of things.
Guess I’m pretty low on the dominance list. That was just fine with
me.

The other Werewolves spent a few minutes
snapping and growling before order was established at the beginning
of our journey. It stopped when Rolf arrived. One look from my
grandfather and the Wolves fell into place.

Ronan stayed near me and kept tabs throughout
our run. I felt safe when he was near. There were four large
Werewolves that flanked our party on all sides. One was the black
Wolf who liked to show off his fangs, two more were gray and
another was a honey color. Guards, all of them
.
I didn’t
know their names. They hadn’t been introduced to me when we met at
my grandfather’s new home base, which incidentally happened to be
next door to my house.

Maybe I should back up a little. My name is
Maria Graziana Kelly, most people call me Grazi (
grah-tzee
).
A few weeks ago I found out that I’m a Werewolf. Yup, that’s right.
I tend to get furry around the full moon. Don’t believe me? Well,
it only gets more fantastic from here.

You see, I’m bound by an ancient pact my
ancestors made to serve with the Hounds of God. They’re like this
mega Wolf pack who technically work for the Catholic Church. The
Hounds have been fighting an age old battle against covens of
Witches who want to claim dominion over the Earth for the
Devil.

You heard me correctly. I mean the actual
Devil, you know, Lucifer, the Father of Lies. Yup. That’s the one.
You see, the Devil, is an actual being. Not some metaphor for evil.
He is a fallen angel and his minions take many forms. The Hounds of
God fight those minions. We are an ancient order dedicated to
protecting humanity.

My father before me was a Hound. He and my
mother died fighting this battle when I was about three years old.
I keep a picture of them next to my bed.

I don’t remember that much about them, except
for this recurring dream I have of my mom. Anyway, I was raised by
my maternal grandmother, Nonna Rosa. Her son is my Uncle Vito. He
and his family live with us too. Only Nonna knows the truth about
me.

Hard to believe?
You betcha
. I didn’t
really buy it either until last night when I got all furry and
fangy and ripped the throat out of my high school librarian.

Of course, I only did that after she turned
out to be possessed by a Wendigo
.
A ravenous Demon who was
responsible for several local deaths including a student at my high
school, Sacred Heart Prep.

Wendigo demons enter a human being and compel
them to eat their victims. They actually crave human flesh. The
more they consume, the deeper the craving. By the time we found out
what she was there was nothing left of Ms. Vorax. Killing her was a
mercy. That’s what Uncle Sean told me.

Scary, right? But they aren’t the only things
out there. There’s much more that I have yet to learn.

This world is new to me. It is full of dark
and dangerous things. And most of them seem to want me dead. I’m
scared, I mean, I’m not crazy. But I have to survive.
I
just have
to
. To find out what really happened to my
parents. And to avenge them.

It was that thought that kept me moving
forward when I would so much rather go home and crawl into my bed.
Read a book. Study something. That thought and the red Wolf by my
side kept me moving forward. He was the one I knew wouldn’t leave
me.
My protector.

The eight of us came to a clearing in the
woods. Ronan stayed by my side and I waited as Rolf continued in
the lead. I had no problem keeping to the rear. It was his right.
He was, after all, the Alpha. I watched as he stealthily crouched
down. Everyone stopped and mimicked him. I did too. I could smell
the small creatures we were stalking and my mouth filled with
saliva.
Ew.

Ronan had told me before we changed that we
were going hunting. Still I didn’t know what to expect. I guess I
never thought about it.

Rabbits.
Six of them were tucked into
a hole beneath the cold, dried up grass. I could hear their tiny
hearts racing and it made me salivate more.
Yuck.

I’d never eaten rabbit, but the beast in me
could have devoured the lot whole. I shuddered.
I am so not
normal.
I shook my head which earned me a stern look from Mr.
I-like-to-show-off-my fangs.

Rolf signaled with a swish of his tail for
the guards to come in closer. Another swish, his ears flattened
against his head for a moment, and the hunt began. Rabbits darted
in all directions, sensing our presence, and we chased them. I
watched Uncle Sean shake his prize in his jaws until the tiny
creature’s neck snapped.

He tore at the rabbit’s flesh with his razor
sharp fangs. I could see steam rising form the warm body.
Ew.
Then I felt something strange. I let the small brown
bunny I was stalking go and lifted my head towards the darkened
sky. I had the strangest feeling. It was like something was
watching me. Stalking
me
, the hunter. I didn’t like it.