By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) (8 page)

I sensed movement to my right and squinted
through the darkness. Unable to make out more than a shadow, my
fingers itched to turn the flashlight back on. Would he be the same
old Ty? Or some half-man half-beast?

"Cover your eyes," he said. "I'm turning on
the light."

The scraping sound of a metal chain being
jerked made me jump. I squinted in discomfort when light flooded
the room.

"You never listen." Ty's deep laugh resonated
across the room and the familiar sound relaxed me somewhat. Tension
left my shoulders as I blinked to adjust my eyes.

He knelt in front of me, a wool blanket
wrapped around his waist. Unable to help myself, I threw myself
into his arms. "It's you," I mumbled into his shoulder. My words
sounded completely lame. Of course it was him. Then remembering his
injury, I quickly released him. "God, I didn't mean to hur..."

My eyes scanned his chest. The marks were
gone. I ran a shaking hand down the smooth slope of his chest. Not
even the slightest sign of the deep gashes remained.

Then I did what any normal girl would do
given my situation. I burst into tears. Too ashamed to look at him,
I turned my face away as I tried to compose myself. The more I
tried, the more hysterical my sobs became. Ty pulled me into his
arms and pressed me tightly against his warm chest. He smelled of
the outdoors—pine and dirt.

Rubbing my back, he whispered softly, "It'll
be okay, Mac."

My crying slowed until only a few stray
hiccups bubbled out of me. I brushed my tears away and at last
found my voice. "How did this happen?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

My chin trembled. "Why didn't you tell me?
How long has it been?"

Running a hand through his hair, he spoke
softly. "This was my second moon cycle."

His words had a surreal quality to them. Just
when had I fallen through the looking glass? "Moon cycle?"

A grim smile tugged at the corners of his
mouth. "I know it sounds crazy—trust me, I know. I still haven't
grown used to it all."

I licked my lips, my throat closing. "Just so
I know we're talking about the same thing—we're in agreement that
you've been changing into a we-werewolf?" The word felt foreign on
my tongue.

"I prefer to call it
'humanly-challenged.'"

Momentarily stunned, I couldn't help the
hysterical laugh that escaped me.

He smiled at my response. "That's more like
it."

I sobered as the reality of the past few days
came rushing back. "Did you kill Kim?" I regretted my words as soon
as they popped out—blunt and to the point. No finesse.

He inhaled deeply. I chanced a peek up at
him. His eyes were hooded. Deep circles lined his eyes and he
seemed aged somehow. I'd never seen him so exhausted.

"I don't know," he said softly. "I want to
believe I wouldn't be capable of such a thing, but the wolf side of
me is so strong during the full moon. In all truth, I lose myself
completely. So yeah, I'm afraid it's possible."

He stared at the ground, guilt slumping his
shoulders.

"But you don't know either way—not for
sure?"

"No. All I know is that I restrained myself
that night, and well, you saw where I woke up."

"You didn't hurt me last night, so it's still
possible you didn't do it." I spoke the words firmly—in an attempt
to reassure myself just as much as him. Despite having only learned
of all this within the last twelve hours, I knew in my heart Ty
wouldn't be capable of such a thing. It simply wasn't within my
realm of beliefs. "But that means someone or something else
did."

His eyes at last met mine. The guilt that
must have been weighing him down the past couple of days showed in
their depths. No wonder he'd been so abrupt and impatient with my
constant questions.

"I want you to tell me everything, Ty. We'll
figure this out—together."

Placing a hand in his, I squeezed softly.

A surge of relief went through me when his
fingers at last closed over mine.

o0o

I was in full stealth mode when I went home
later that morning. Closing the front door behind me, I tiptoed
across the hardwood floor of the living room. Over the years I'd
memorized every squeaky board in our rickety Victorian. I knew them
well and didn't make a sound as I slowly crept upstairs. With a
relieved breath, I entered my room unnoticed.

My bed screamed out my name as I rushed over
to my closet to change for the day. There was no time for sleeping,
even though my aching muscles demanded it.

Once dressed, I went downstairs and guzzled
half a pot of coffee. In a way, I'd grown numb to the previous
night's events, but every now and then, a slight tremor shook the
cup in my hands, forcing me to set it down lest I spill hot liquid
on myself.

Ty and I had made plans to meet at lunch. I
hoped I could keep it together long enough to do so. Ty was a
werewolf. How the heck did that happen? There had to be some way of
helping him—and hopefully, finding a cure.

Not one for horror movies, I'd only seen one
or two centered around werewolves. From what I could remember, it
seemed killing the "head werewolf" was always the path to
redemption. I shuddered at the thought. There had to be another
way. Maybe that was for vampires, anyway. God, what if they
existed, too?

Figuring David wouldn't be in any rush to
offer me his usual ride to school, I hitched one with my mom. She
raised an eyebrow when I climbed in beside her, but thankfully said
nothing. I could've ridden with Ty, but I wanted some time and
distance to mull things over.

When I entered the main hallway at school, I
felt like a million eyes watched my every move. People seemed
hesitant to speak with me—despite my murmured "hellos." After
numerous failed attempts, I put my head down and quietly rushed
through the building.

Before the first bell sounded, I caught a
glimpse of David as he stood talking to a group of his buddies near
his locker. His eyes narrowed as he returned my curious gaze.

"Enjoy the ride last night?" he said, loud
enough for half the school to hear. His friends snickered in such a
way that I knew he wasn't talking about the car. Without another
word, he turned on his heel and went the other way.

My face burned with humiliation as I rushed
through the halls, several onlookers pointing and laughing as I
passed.

I found myself unable to focus, especially in
English when Ty sat to my left. How had I not known sooner that
something was wrong? He looked so tired—had for weeks.

"Ms. Wilhelm and Mr. O'Neill, is there
something you'd like to share with the class?" Mrs. Kahler
asked.

With my eyes locked with Ty's at the time, I
sat back abruptly and knocked my book to the floor.

Ty and I both reached for it, and he quietly
whispered, "Keep it together, Mac."

His hand brushed mine and my lip trembled.
"I'm trying." I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and murmured a
quick apology to our teacher.

With a disapproving glance down the tip of
her nose, Mrs. Kahler continued her lesson. My mind was a million
miles away and occasionally I felt the weight of Ty's eyes studying
me. The few times I returned his stare, I saw concern on his face.
How ironic to have him worrying about me.

Lunch couldn't have come soon enough. With
tray in hand, I scoured the room for a glimpse of Ty's dark head. I
didn't see him and stood casting nervous glances over at my usual
table. Most of my friends were already seated. From the murmured
conversations and over the shoulder glances in my direction, it was
pretty apparent who was the topic of their conversation. If there's
one thing to be said for them—they were of like minds. Cross one,
cross them all.

Feeling stupid and self-conscious, I dropped
into the nearest empty seat. Too distracted by the animosity aimed
at me, I was surprised to look up and see I'd sat down directly
across from Melanie Hoffs. The wary expression on her face hit me
hard. Could I have really inspired such a reaction in someone?

Kim's funeral had been that morning. Melanie
had been out earlier, so I knew she must have gone. I, however,
hadn't been able to bring myself to attend—as far as I knew, no one
had.

"Hi," I said, my face burning with shame.

I'd never really stopped to think about it,
but Melanie was actually quite pretty. Thick lashes framed her
hazel eyes and her dark hair fell in soft waves around her face.
Usually a wide smile complimented her features, but now her lips
turned downward.

Several loud snickers came from behind me,
and they only increased when Melanie stood and moved away. I felt
the urge to crawl under the table as people's stares bored into the
back of my head. Through my peripheral vision, I saw several faces
pointed in my direction. I focused on the tray in front of me, my
food left uneaten as I pushed it around with my fork. Tears
drenched the edges of my lashes, and I hastily brushed away a stray
drop when it slipped down my cheek. The laughter only
increased.

No longer able to withstand the scrutiny, I
stood and rushed out of the room with the voices of my former
friends echoing in my ears. I heard Jenna above the crowd. "Aw,
someone's upset!"

A strong hand gripped my arm, and I let out a
relieved breath when I turned to see Ty. Collapsing against him, I
buried my face in his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Anger simmered in his voice,
and he started toward David's table.

I put a stilling hand to his chest. "Let's
just get out of here."

He shook away from me. "No."

With a deliberate stride, he walked over to
the table where David waited, fists clenched tightly at his sides.
The two stood face-to-face, their postures tense.

David raised his hands expectantly. "What?
You gonna fight me?" His voice raised in volume, guaranteeing
everyone in the cafeteria heard him. "Take her, man. I've hit that
and trust me, it ain't nothing worth fighting over."

His table exploded into hysterics. Without so
much as laying a hand on him, Ty's glance had the affect of
silencing the laughter. Watching his back, I could only imagine
what it was they saw.

When he spoke, Ty's voice was calm. "You so
much as look at her again, and you're going to deal with me." He
paused, letting his words sink in. "And we both know you don't do
well under fire."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" David
spat the words out.

Without a backward glance, Ty gathered my
things and returned to where I stood. Over his shoulder, he spoke
loudly. "Do you always piss yourself when you're scared? Must've
been hard to hide that reeking stench."

With that, he pulled me out of the room. The
last glimpse I got of David, he was red-faced and mad as all get
out.

"What did you mean?" I struggled to keep up
with Ty's long strides.

"One of the side effects of...my
condition...is an increased sense of smell."

I tried to digest this, concern over whether
I'd put on enough deodorant that morning suddenly at the top of my
list. "But wait—when did he pee his pants?"

"When I came across you two out at the
drive-in last night."

I pulled back. "Wait, you remember that?" I
could've died on the spot. Had he witnessed everything?

He wasn't able to meet my gaze and that
confirmed my fears before he even spoke. "Yes."

Oh God.
My face burst into flames.
"Did you follow me?"

"Yes." His eyes at last met mine.

I didn't know what to make of this new
revelation, and couldn't address the implications of it all with
the previous night's events playing on fast forward in my mind. "I
thought you said you couldn't remember anything..."

He ran a hand through his hair. "It's a long
story." He motioned to an empty classroom. "Come on, I'll try to
explain as best I can."

We turned two desks and sat down facing each
other. I ran my hands over the smooth surface, willing my fiery
cheeks to cool. "So, explain."

"First—I'm sorry. I wanted to keep you from
all this and I behaved like a complete jerk in the process. You
deserved better than that."

"It must've been really tough on you."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "You're too
nice for your own good."

"And you're stalling."

"You're right." Taking a deep breath, he
began. "I mentioned my moon cycle this morning. It's hard to put
this into words, but basically my ability to remember or control
myself changes with the fullness of the moon."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I think of it as a continuum. The wolf part
of me strengthens with the full moon. The stronger the wolf, the
less there is of me." He shifted in his seat, his fingers tapping
nervously on the desktop. "In the beginning and end of the cycle, I
have a lot of control. I can go and do what I want. I remember
everything."

"And as you grow closer to the full moon?" I
dreaded his response.

"Like I said, it's hard to describe. At first
it's as though I'm watching my actions from outside myself. I'm
there, but unable to maintain complete control. But I've always
been able to hold myself back from...the urges I feel."

That didn't sound good. I tried numerous
times to form the words before I at last managed to speak them
aloud. "What kind of urges?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"And what happens on the full moon?" My voice
came out as a hoarse rasp.

"There's the million dollar question." His
shoulders tensed. "I never remember anything." He paused and
glanced out the window. Several students tramped through the leaves
outside, playfully tossing handfuls over each other's heads. Ty
looked like he carried the weight of the world. "I wake up and it's
like there's this void in my mind. More than any other time, I feel
the wolf in me. I don't know if this makes sense, but during those
times I want to be the wolf—to lose myself to it."