Bright Moon (15 page)

Visibly relaxing, Callan breathed a sigh of
relief. “Is that all?” She glanced at Tyson, wanting to reprimand
Callan for dismissing the near death in her dream as trivial. He
gave her a hug. “I’m glad you’re awake, I was worried.”

“I’m fine,” she said again and pressed her
fingers to her head, refusing to look up.

“What was it about?” he asked.

She bit her lip and glanced to Tyson again,
looking away quickly and shaking her head.

“That bad, huh?”

“I think I want to sleep some,” she
mumbled.

Callan grinned. “You just woke up.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You know I’m teasing, sis. Get better so I
don’t have to worry, okay?” He gave her hand a final squeeze then
stood.

“Are you coming back?” she asked before she
thought. A small spasm crossed Callan’s features. He went back to
her side and hugged her close.

“I will always come back, alright?”

Feeling childish, she nodded. She fell to
her pillow and saw a pink rose smiling at her from the dresser. It
was the first she’d seen since their arrival.

An empty stomach woke her when a tantalizing
scent drifted to her room. She sat up and toke note of the
darkening sky beyond her window. She pushed the covers aside and
her feet over the edge of the mattress.

“Don’t you dare step out of that bed.”
Tyson’s voice startled her. He was standing inside the door and she
was sure he hadn’t been there a second before.

“I’m feeling much better now,” she argued.
Tyson raised an eyebrow at her and leaned against the doorframe.
Her eyes fell to where his wound had been. “You look better
too.”

“That’s one of the few upsides of being a
werewolf,” he pointed out. “I was healed the moment Jack pulled the
silver out.”
“If you heal so quickly, why did he use alcohol to clean the
wound?”

“Infections are rare, but they can get
trapped under the skin if we aren’t careful. Our skin heals so
quickly that not all of the infection clears sometimes, especially
when the wound has had time to fester.”

“Oh. I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she
said while slowly lowering her feet to the floor.

“Don’t make me call your brother, he’s out
wandering and he’d have a long way to run.”

She pulled her feet back up. “I don’t see
why I should have to stay here if I feel better.”

“If I’ve learned anything about you it’s
that you’ll push yourself beyond reasonable expectations. Stay in
bed,” he warned sternly.

“You have a habit of bossing people around.”
She hoisted herself to the pillows.

“You have a habit of not listening to
reason,” Tyson retaliated.

“I’m hungry,” she pouted.

“Dawn’s warming soup for you, have patience.
I came because I heard you moving about and knew you’d try to get
up.”

She thought of when she’d woken with him
kneeling over her and how her emotions had surged. She wondered
where Koty was and what she would do if she knew how she felt about
Tyson. Trying to push the thought from her mind, she stole a peek
at him, as he seemed to be standing guard until Dawn arrived.

“Would you mind telling me more about
Jothram?”

He immediately scowled and moved closer
while keeping his distance from the bed. “What do you want to
know?”

“I was wondering if you know where he might
be.” Clara ventured, doing her best to ignore his glower.

“What if I did?”

She pulled a strand of hair over her
shoulder and started fiddling with it. “Don’t you think it would be
a good idea if he and I met at some point?”

“You want to meet him?” his voice was low
and disbelieving.

“I want to settle these silly ideas that I’m
the…” she hesitated.

“The cure.”

“Yes, I want to settle this thought that I
am the
cure
once and for all, and the most obvious way would
be to find Jothram, right?”

He rocked back and forth on the balls of his
feet. “That makes some sense, yes. You seem to think you’ll
disprove the idea.”

She looked from him and stared out the
window.

“I heard what you said to Cal while Jack was
extracting the silver,” he said.

“Of course you did, you hear everything.”
She tried to sound as if she hadn’t forgotten.

“You said I shouldn’t have to suffer because
of you.”

She waited for him to make his point. He
said nothing and she finally returned her attention to him,
thinking he might have left the room. He waited until her eyes
locked with his. “Anyone who thinks they’re suffering because of
you is a fool.”

Her heart quickened as her mind worked to
understand the full meaning of his statement. She sat up straight.
“You—” she started to say, but was cut off when Dawn entered the
room carrying a tray. She placed it carefully over Clara’s lap.

“Hello, dear, you’re looking marvelously
better. Do you like tomato soup?” she asked quickly.

“Yes, thank you,” Clara answered gratefully,
even as her appetite seemed to vanish with Tyson so near.

“I’m sorry, I have to run back, there are
things on the stove,” she explained as she backed out.

“You’re an angel, Dawn, thank you,” Tyson
said appreciatively. Dawn beamed and Clara watched her go then
stared down at her food, still marveling over what Tyson said.

“Jothram has gone into hiding because of how
ashamed he is over being the first of our kind.”
“You don’t know where he might be?”
Tyson sighed. “I know what you’re doing. You think you can stop us
protecting you if you aren’t the cure. I’m telling you now it
wouldn’t matter if you were or not, I would protect you
anyway.”

Her mouth went dry. “Why?”

“Discard any notion you aren’t worth
protecting, because you are,” he said forcefully.

“That’s very nice of you to say, but—”

“No buts,” he cut her off. Dumbfounded, she
paused, giving him enough time to change the subject yet again. “I
came up here for another reason, I wanted to ask why you were out
in the forest?”

“I just wanted to walk.”

“I know it can be overwhelming for someone
in your situation where nothing is familiar, but you can’t go out
there. I wish it could be different, but the fact is you are
in—”

“Danger, I know.” She took a deep
breath.

“Yes. Please don’t go out there, especially
when you’re alone.”

“I won’t,” she agreed.

“Good, I will leave you to your dinner
then.” He moved to the door only to pause. “And don’t push yourself
anymore for now, I think you’ll be surprised how easily you
tire.”

He was right once more. Within minutes, she
remembered how hungry she’d been before Tyson disrupted her calm.
She ate the soup and toast slowly, all the while trying to forget
how her heart fluttered at his presence. After eating all she
could, she moved the tray to the nightstand. As her eyes drooped
close, the rose’s beautiful face seemed to reach toward her and it
was just the comfort she needed.

The next morning,
she felt refreshed and didn’t think twice about getting out of bed.
Although, she half hoped Tyson would appear in the door when she
did. She dressed and started out her bedroom door with her hair
damp from showering. The day seemed so bright that she almost left
before noticing a large bouquet of pink roses that had replaced the
vase from the day before. She couldn’t help the smile that spread
on her face and she pulled one from the bunch, putting it to her
nose. It smelled lovely, more like a garden rose than one from a
shop. Clara broke most of the stem off and tucked the flower
carefully into the top of her braid.

She felt light as air and even a little
giddy. Her stomach rumbled and she made her way to the kitchen
where she hoped to find Dawn. Her chipper demeanor was short-lived
when she crossed the entertainment room to the dining area. Koty
sat at the table, sipping something steamy from a mug. Her heart
fell a little when she saw they were alone. She tucked a strand of
loose hair behind her ear and went to Koty.

“We haven’t been introduced.” She attempted
to sound natural and confident. “I’m Clara.”

Koty took her time looking up from her
drink, her bright blue eyes shadowed. “I know who you are,” she
said thickly. Awkwardness clung in the air.

“I know your name as well, I just haven’t
seen you around.”

“There’s a reason for that,” Koty got to her
feet, moved around Clara and dumped her warm beverage down the
sink. “I don’t approve of your presence, I think you’re endangering
the pack.”

Clara reacted to the verbal attack by
stepping back. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

Koty wheeled from the sink to face her.
“Don’t be
sorry
when it’s simple enough to fix. Go
home.”

As hurt as she was, she had no response.
When she didn’t offer words of retaliation, Koty sneered and
stepped toward her. Clara refused to be further intimidated and
stood her ground. Koty glared through her lovely blue eyes and
pulled the rose from Clara’s hair, yanking a few strands loose.

“These are a lie!” she hissed and threw it
to the ground. Clara’s hot temper flared and she would have come
unglued if not for Callan’s timely arrival.

“Koty!” he growled and pushed Clara back
while getting in Koty’s face. “You have no right to say those
things, lay off her!”

Koty grinned then laughed. “She knows I’m
right and you know I’m right.” With that she turned away, her hair
whipping the air.

“You’re wrong,” Callan said.

She ignored Callan and went out the back
door. Callan turned to face Clara.

“You don’t believe her, do you?”

She averted her gaze and an answer wouldn’t
come.

“Clara?” Callan put a hand on her shoulder.
She pushed it off and stormed to her room. She slammed the door
only to find Mesha on the bed. Blinking back tears, she sat next to
her.

“Don’t worry about Koty,” Mesha said calmly.
“You know she’s only one voice of the seven of us, don’t
you?”
“You heard everything then?” Clara asked while going to sit by
her.

“It was hard not to,” Mesha admitted.

“She may be one voice, but there was some
truth to her words. Tyson himself told me Parker would stop at
nothing to have me. What if any of you are hurt? I don’t want to
take that risk. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

“Tyson doesn’t have the most eloquent way of
putting things. He probably should have considered how his words
would affect you. This situation might be a little strange, but
Koty is wrong. The fact of the matter is that we have to bond
together as a family, not tear one another down. Like it or not,
you
are a part of this family.”

Mesha’s advice was solid, but Clara couldn’t
keep from dwelling on Koty’s accusations. If she really felt a part
of their odd little family, shouldn’t she be more willing to
sacrifice herself for their safety? She faked a smile and tucked
her thoughts away for later.

“When did you gain all this wisdom?” she
asked.
Mesha chuckled. “You do remember I’m somewhere around a hundred
years old?”

She smiled and nodded. Mesha got to her
feet. “I’m going for a run, do you want to come?”

Tyson’s warning rang in her ears before she
answered, but it only made her more determined to go. “You don’t
have to ask!” she said with a sense of relief. They descended the
stairs and made their way out the backdoor. The cars were lined in
the carport, the only variance of color in the surrounding plant
life. Birds chittered from unseen perches and the pine needles
rattled in the breeze. The air was fresh and smelled of dirt and
pine, making her think of Tyson. She closed her eyes and took a
deep breath, letting the mountainous air push her problems to the
furthest recesses of her mind. When she opened her eyes again, she
jumped and swallowed a scream. Mesha had shape shifted to her
amazing wolf form.

“I thought you said we were going for a
run?” she asked as Mesha lowered in front of her, a sure indication
to climb on. Her yellow eyes sparkled with humor. Hesitantly, Clara
pulled her body onto Mesha’s and hugged her neck. She waited for
the alarming, gut wrenching speed, but Mesha sauntered forward at a
less unsettling pace. To say Mesha was pacing herself would have
been an understatement. Perhaps extreme athletes might have been
able to keep up. Still, the trees zipped by and wind pulled at
Clara’s hair and clothing.

Mesha pranced lively, clearly thrilled to be
in the wilderness. When she landed in the soft earth, a small thud
resonated through the forest. Clara yelled and gripped Mesha
tighter. “Be careful!” she called over the wind. Mesha glanced at
her and shook her head with a glint in her eye. A few miles later,
Clara relaxed and sat back a little. Mesha climbed rock and skimmed
the terrain. Clara hunkered close to her body when the air bit at
her exposed arms.

Mesha didn’t seem to have a destination as
she wound in and out of rock and trees. The sky was clear and blue
with wisps of cloud scattered over the horizon. Clara thoroughly
enjoyed the tranquility until Mesha surprised her by stopping
short. She raised her snout to the wind and sniffed, her ribcage
expanding and retracting. A growl rumbled deep within and she
sprinted forward. Clara yelped and barely grabbed the thick coat of
fur in time to keep from being thrown. When Mesha stopped again,
they were in a particularly dense and dark area of the forest. She
shook Clara off her back.

“What is it?” Clara asked. “What’s
wrong?”

Mesha’s eyes burned bright with anger. She
didn’t pause and was gone in a flash of grey. Clara leaned against
the rough bark of a tree and glanced around to try and get her
bearings. Nothing seemed familiar. She waited in the hopes that
Mesha would come back. Moments after, an unmistakable report of
gunfire broke the peace of the woods, followed closely by men
yelling for their lives. Fear for Mesha made her stumble toward the
shot instead of away. Her mortal speed was never more evident, but
she eventually ran into a scene that made her stop short.