By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) Page 10

  We both agreed.

  "In the meantime, you should continue to work on the restraints." She addressed Ty. "It may come down to you having to use them, and well, it's better to be prepared for anything."

  "I agree," he said.

  "Me too," I said, though the thought of him chaining himself down in that musty cellar wasn't easy to stomach.

  "Okay." Melanie pulled out a small notebook from her bag. "I think we need to discuss suspects." She scratched something on the pad. "Caleb—obviously. Anyone else?"

  Ty jerked his head toward her. "Caleb Martin?"

  Crap.

  Melanie searched his face. "Didn't Mac tell you?"

  "Not yet," he said through clenched teeth before the heat of his glare hit me full force. "Well? Care to fill me in?"

  "I was waiting for the right time." I bit my lip, knowing how feeble of an excuse it was. "I didn't want to jump to any conclusions."

  Melanie cleared her throat. "I guess now is that time, then."

  When I didn't immediately begin, she recounted my talk with Caleb the day of Kim's memorial as well as our run-in with him in the clock tower.

  "Granted, it's a pretty flimsy connection—the hair color thing—but it's all we have to go on right now." Melanie paused. I hadn't dared to look at Ty the entire time, and she seemed to sense the tension in the room. "It might help if we could figure out a motive. Can either of you think of any reason for him to do it? Mac?"

  I leaned forward and rubbed my hands roughly across my face. "I don't know. Maybe. He isn't exactly Mr. Popular around school. Maybe he got fed up?"

  She frowned. "Yeah, but why would he focus on Ty?"

  "I don't—"

  "Maybe it's not me he's focusing on," Ty interrupted. "It could be Mac he's after."

  My jaw dropped open, my emotions somewhere between annoyed and downright pissed off. "That's stupid."

  "Wasn't me who turned him down." He shrugged. "Maybe he's pissed you wouldn't go out with him."

  I narrowed my eyes, face burning. "Whatever. That was over two years ago!"

  "And?"

  "And...and...I can't believe you brought that up," I muttered.

  For the first time that day, his smile traveled to his eyes. "Looks like I hit a nerve." To Melanie, he said, "Mark him down for definitely having a motive."

  "Yeah, but why would he wait all that time?" she asked.

  I held my breath. Surely he wouldn't tell her about the night he'd broken up with Carrie.

  "Who knows," Ty said with a quick glance in my direction.

  "Okay. Anyone else?" Melanie asked, oblivious to all that had just transpired. I let out a slow breath, happy he decided to keep the moment between the two of us, and made an effort to concentrate.

  As hard as we tried, we couldn't come up with another name. Sure, there were plenty of people who could've done it—but everyone seemed to be accounted for during the night of the football game.

  "I give up," I said finally. "It could be anybody."

  They both nodded, exhaustion clear in their expressions.

  "There was another matter I wanted to bring up," Ty said, his eyes fixed on me, as though afraid of my reaction. "I want to look into buying, or more likely, making silver bullets."

  "No way." I shook my head slowly. "I don't like that idea at all. We don't even know if that myth is true."

  "You're right, but we don't know that it isn't. And I'd rather be prepared in case this thing does come after you. Or worse, if I come after you."

  "Do you really think I could shoot you?" My reality seemed to bend at the thought.

  "I don't think you'd want to," Ty admitted. "But that doesn't mean you won't have to."

  His words were like a punch to the stomach. "I couldn't do it."

  "You can, and you will if you have to."

  My chin quivered slightly. "I need something to drink." I hurried into his kitchen and stood shaking at the counter. Ty's mother had several herbs growing in a window box. I concentrated on their smells—the earthiness of parsley mingled with the sharper, woody scent of rosemary and thyme—hoping they would ground my swimming head.

  I sensed his presence before he spoke.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  "No."

  "It's only a last resort, Mac. We have to plan for the worst."

  "Just wait. Please... Let's just see what happens first."

  At my pleading tone, his eyes went soft. "Okay. You can have it your way for now. But if we aren't able to figure something out, I'm going to make the bullets."

  It was the best I could ask for.

  o0o

  Mrs. O'Neill came home just as we were about to head upstairs to start our mad quest. She insisted on fixing us all dinner, a luxury she was seldom around to provide. It was well past eight o'clock by the time we managed to get away.

  We didn't really know where to begin once we plopped in front of Ty's computer. Melanie was the most proficient with the internet so we allowed her to take control of the mouse. We rambled about the net, giggling at the number of sites dedicated to werewolf worship.

  "I think you could be their hero," I said.

  "Great." Ty didn't seem overly excited by the idea. "Are there any serious sites we can go to?"

  Properly chastised, we got down to work. First order of business was to try and determine whether there was any way of curing him. Most of the supposed treatments bordered on ridiculous, if not planted square in la-la land. Ty's personal favorite was the "kneel in the same spot for one hundred years" cure.

  "Now all I need is a fountain of youth and I'm all set," he mumbled.

  Another favorite was taking a knife and hitting the werewolf on the head three times. The information didn't specify whether this would work in human form, but nonetheless, I felt it necessary to grab a butter knife from the kitchen. I thwapped Ty on the forehead three times, but of course nothing happened save him getting annoyed.

  Holy water, making the sign of the cross, calling their Christian name three times—all seemed a bit implausible.

  "That stuff never works in the movies." I rubbed my forehead. We'd been at this for hours. "I think I need more caffeine."

  "I'll get it," Melanie offered.

  She scooted out of the chair, and I slid into her place once she exited the room. I felt like a kid finally allowed behind the wheel of a car. A faint floral scent lingered in the air. "Mmm."

  I smiled to myself when Ty didn't seem to take notice. Boys.

  Many sites came up when I punched in a new search on how to identify a werewolf. I flipped through several web pages, looking for anything useful. Ty propped his chin in his palm beside me. I tried to ignore his close proximity.

  "Okay, here's something." I fought a grin as I read. "Werewolves in their human form often have extremely bushy eyebrows that meet in the middle. Hmm, the modern uni-brow. Attractive." I examined his face. "Definite possibilities."

  He smirked. "Funny. What's your excuse?"

  "Ha ha." I swatted his hand away when he tried to pinch my side. "They can be extremely hairy, especially their hands and feet."

  "No hair here." Ty waggled his fingers. He dropped his hand, resting it lightly on my arm.

  My heart sped up. "Too bad smelly feet aren't a sign—yours would definitely qualify."

  "Hear hear."

  "Exceptionally long third fingers." I examined the hand laying on my arm. "Yours look normal to me."

  "Anything else?"

  His face came to within inches of mine. I licked my lips. "Yeah. Extremely bad breath."

  "We might have to test that one out."

  "Yeah..."

  Our mouths met tentatively at first, but soon the light touch grew in intensity. My lips parted and he deepened the kiss, brushing his tongue against mine. A slow heat grew in my belly as his fingers dug lightly into my hips.

  "We shouldn't be doing this," I whispered, my voice husky.

  "You're right." He captured my mouth again, and m
y thoughts floated into the ethers.

  "Ahem."

  Ty and I pulled apart quickly. Melanie stood in the doorway with several cans of soda in her hands. "Sorry," she said.

  "Not at all. We were just...testing a theory..." My face went warm as I let my words trail off. "Here." I clicked back to the window she'd been in and returned to my seat. Pulling my knees to my chest, I tried to ignore the sensations coursing through me. Ty's eyes followed me, but we both did our best to get back to business.

  o0o

  My vision blurred at the edges. I rubbed my foggy eyes and tried to focus on the computer screen over Melanie's shoulder. Yet again, I stifled a yawn with my palm and eyed the clock. It was close to midnight and I was beat.

  Ty and Melanie were engrossed in a website claiming to have the secret of how to cure werewolves, a.k.a lycans or shapeshifters. I knew all the lingo now, but my brain was just about kaput and each line was starting to meld together. I glanced at Ty's bed with its dark blue comforter and fluffy pillows. I knew from experience just how comfortable it was. But no, I couldn't be a wimp. If they could stick it out, so could I.

  I had no sooner made this decision when I jerked my head up, having momentarily fallen asleep where I sat. Bits of their conversation cut through my grogginess, but the actual words did a complete fly-by.

  "Mac!"

  I jumped. "What?"

  The corner of Ty's mouth lifted. "You're exhausted. Why don't you lay down?" He motioned to the computer with a jerk of his chin. "This may take a while."

  "I'm fine." I straightened and opened my eyes wide. It felt like I had sand beneath my lids. "Where were we?"

  Melanie and he exchanged an amused glance.

  "What? I'm fine." As if on cue, my right eye started to twitch.

  Ty pulled me to my feet. "Glad we're all in agreement."

  If I hadn't been so exhausted, I might've fought harder. But once I climbed under the warm covers and sank into the mattress, I was done for. Ty turned off the small bedside lamp.

  "I really wanted to help," I whispered.

  He paused. "What are you talking about? You figured out I didn't kill Kim. I'd say you've done enough for one day."

  I smiled weakly. "Yeah, but only because of Melanie."

  We had a lot of work to do and the time was ticking away fast. Unfortunately, we didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Right now the only thing on the table was my lame dog whistle idea. It annoyed me to no end that I couldn't keep up physically.

  "Don't underestimate your part in this." He squeezed my hand reassuringly.

  Suddenly, I didn't want him to leave my side. Nothing sounded better than falling asleep safe within the warm comfort of his arms. The same desire burned in his eyes. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. Melanie sat staring intently at the colored screen, her back to us.

  He bent over me and brushed the hair away from my face before pressing his warm lips against my forehead. With one last check on Melanie, they closed over mine in a gentle kiss. "I could get used to having you here," he whispered.

  My heart stalled.

  He grinned. "Get some sleep."

  He backed away, releasing my hand at the last moment. Even though he didn't say it, I knew Ty was afraid to leave me alone. It would take me two minutes to walk to my house, but even that would be too far out of his reach. Here he could keep me safe.

  Taking a seat next to Melanie, he bent his head toward her in quiet discussion. I watched them. Whatever Ty and I were developing into was good. Very good. And then Melanie—in just a short span of time, we'd gone from enemies to tentative friends. Strange how in the worst of times, something good could come out of it all. But whatever the reason for us being thrown together, I was thankful the three of us had each other to lean on for support.

  Sometime in the night, Ty joined me in bed. He quietly molded himself against my back, wrapping a strong arm around my waist. A soft kiss landed on my temple. I smiled before succumbing once again to the darkness.

  Chapter 10

  Melanie hurried into the lunch room and over to the table where Ty and I sat. She flapped a small paper bag in front of our faces before taking a seat next to me. The girl seemed wide-eyed and full of an endless supply of energy. Both Ty and I were dragging. Granted, he pulled off exhaustion well. Only the faintest of shadows lined his eyes.

  I had actually managed a good amount of sleep before springing out of bed to sneak back into my house that morning. Even so, I looked like death warmed over and felt even worse. A low throb ached at my temples. Despite my protests, Ty declared that come hell or high water, I would not be helping them that night. We were in the middle of negotiations when Melanie arrived.

  She pulled out a small metal object and passed it to me. Cold in my palm, I fingered the whistle tentatively. Could this be our ticket to finding Kim's killer?

  "When in the world did you have time to get this?" Truly, she was the eighth world wonder.

  "All night department store. I was so wound up last night, and I figured we'd want to give it a test run today. It had a little booklet for teaching your dog different tricks, but I figured we were safe without it." She winked at Ty and he grimaced.

  "I don't know. Fetch might've come in handy." I grinned at Ty's expression. Then again, lay down could have its uses, too. A flush raced up my neck at the thought.

  "You're too funny, Mac." Ty deadpanned the words, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

  Transfixed by his lips, I momentarily lost my train of thought. "Uh, right." I cleared my throat. "So, should we give it a little toot?"

  "Can't hurt any." Ty shrugged.

  "One sec." Melanie moved next to Ty. Facing the room at my back, she would have a good view of the area. If anyone besides Ty reacted to the whistle, we'd have our girl or guy.

  "Here goes nothing." I took a deep breath and blew hard.

  Ty's reaction was immediate and violent. He threw his hands over his ears and his face contorted in pain. I dropped the whistle quickly, realizing the senselessness of doing such a thing. I should've tested it first—used baby steps to check his endurance.

  "Are you okay?" I pulled his hands from his ears and clutched them tightly.

  His breathing was rapid and irregular, but slowly it began returning to normal. He managed a weak nod. "God, that was stupid."

  "I'm sorry," I said.

  He squeezed my fingers. "Not your fault."

  Melanie gave us a toothy smile. "I guess I should've mentioned you should start out with soft breaths."

  Ty gave her a sharp look before starting to laugh. "What? You mean you're not supposed to act like a sugar-hyped five-year-old blowing out her birthday candles?"

  I clapped a hand to my forehead as a small giggle escaped me. Soon all three of us were laughing like lunatics, drawing the stares of the students around us.

  o0o

  Sixth period was canceled that day. Groups of students streamed into the auditorium for our weekly dose of school spirit. Always a big supporter of our football team, I found my excitement amped to the max at the thought of cheering Ty on. Our budding relationship now foremost in my mind, I ignored David and his friends as I took a seat near the front of the senior section, just a couple of rows up from where the cheerleaders sat.

  David's group, located a few feet behind me, made several lewd remarks as the cheerleaders warmed up for their show. I tried to push the sound of their voices out of my head.

  True to my prediction, Coach Pierson hadn't booted Ty from the team. The man knew how to hedge his bets; he needed Ty to have a winning season. I smiled as I caught sight of Ty's dark head amongst the throng of football players pooling together off to one side of the impromptu stage set up at the end of the court. Even from a distance, I admired the way his red jersey hugged his muscular frame.

  Several seniors pushed into my row. I smiled as many stopped to say hello and exchange a few words with me. Despite my outcast status with my friends, apparently I wasn't
quite the social pariah I had feared I'd become. Mary Clark, the girlfriend of one of Ty's teammates, sat down next to me, and we prattled away excitedly. Other than Homecoming, this game against Baxter High School would be the biggest of the year. The crowd pulsated with anticipation that was infectious. It seemed to give my weary bones the needed boost to make it through the rest of the day.

  I searched the crowds for Melanie, but couldn't locate her. I hoped she was okay. My mom had told me the principal would be conducting a brief memorial for Kim during the rally. I thought perhaps Melanie decided to stay away in order to avoid the scrutiny of the entire school.

  Mrs. Kramer and several teachers, including my mother, stood behind the podium. The rally would start any time now. I saved a spot for Melanie, just in case.

  Opposite the stage, the band assembled and punched out a sad rendition of our fight song. They definitely weren't known for their musical prowess, but at least most of the members were in time today. I cringed as a lone trumpet player wailed away at her own tempo. It sounded like a cat in heat.

  "Band's sounding good this year," Mary joked.

  I giggled. "Oh yeah."

  A buzz ran through the crowd and everyone stomped their feet and clapped along with the cheerleaders. I couldn't help but join in. Our mascot, Curly the Tiger, bounced across the glossy floor, arms flapping to bring everyone to their feet. I screamed along with everyone else.

  The song came to an end, with several players adding their own flourish to the final notes. They were such a disaster and laughter rang out all over the auditorium. Red-faced members took their seats in the folding chairs behind them.

  Mrs. Kramer stepped up to the microphone and quieted everyone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Melanie slip in through a side door. I ushered her over, her red-rimmed eyes confirming my suspicions. She gave me a weak smile as she slid into the seat beside me.

  "Before we begin the rally today, I want us all to take a moment to remember a student we've recently lost," Mrs. Kramer began. "Kim Urwin..."