By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) Read online

  David and I hadn't slept together that night. Luckily, he'd gotten so drunk he'd passed out before he could talk me out of my lovely green dress.

  With him lying half out of the bathroom in our hotel room, I'd silently slipped out of the door, shoes in hand, and called Ty to come pick me up. He hadn't said a single word when he arrived, only tucked me in beside him and drove home in silence.

  o0o

  The door swung open behind me, and I snapped out of my memories. I'd moved in front of the mirror, and in the reflection, Jenna approached, eyes narrowed.

  "What the hell are you doing, Mac?"

  I turned on the water and quickly lathered my hands. "I'd think that'd be pretty obvious given the room and all."

  She clamped down on my arm and forced me to face her. "What was that little scene in the cafeteria all about? You embarrassed the hell out of yourself—and us, your friends."

  Shrugging out of her grip, I reached for some paper towels. "I could ask the same of you. Why in the world would you pick on her that way?"

  "That's beside the point. She's nothing to us. Why would you defend her?"

  I shook my head in disbelief. "What's wrong with you? Her best friend was just killed and you used that to tease her. God, you disgust me."

  I brushed past her and grabbed my things. Before I could leave, her voice stopped me.

  "Watch yourself, Mac. You're nothing at this high school without your friends."

  I focused on the door before me as the vehemence beneath her words sank in. She was right, crossing my group would equate to social suicide. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my spine and pushed out the door, determined that I didn't give a damn.

  Chapter 5

  I kept my head down the rest of the day. Several members of my group watched me from time to time, but I avoided them as I moved between classes, praying for the day to come to an end. When at last the final bell rang, I made my way to my mother's classroom.

  "Mind if I ride home with you today?"

  "What, no David?" She was rightfully confused. The few times I didn't ride home with him, I usually went with Ty. I had only glimpsed Ty a couple of times throughout the day. Every time I got close to him, he had abruptly disappeared into the crowd.

  "I just thought I'd ride with you today." I kept my voice carefully nonchalant.

  She smiled and squeezed my arm. "Give me just a few minutes. I need to grab some things from the office."

  I had no difficulty pinpointing her mood. Once we were buckled into her SUV, she chattered on incessantly, a little too happy and upbeat to be believable.

  "Mom, what really happened to Kim?" I cut in.

  She sighed deeply, her eyes steady on the road. "I knew you were going to ask."

  "Well?"

  She didn't immediately answer. I began to think she wouldn't.

  "It was an animal attack. They found tracks all around her body. And what with..." She paused. "With the condition of her body, they think it must've been a rather large animal that did it."

  "It's true then."

  She grimaced. "I'm afraid so."

  "But the police said we were safe—how could they know that? It could be anywhere!" Like in a darkened school corridor. I shivered.

  She placed a calming hand on my knee. "Honey, it's fine. They tracked it and...well...it's over."

  "Oh." I suddenly felt very stupid for my thoughts about Caleb. He was just a punk who probably got off on scaring me.

  "Are you sure?" For whatever reason, tension still crawled across my shoulders.

  We pulled into our driveway, and she brushed the hair out of my face. "Positive. But just for my peace of mind, stick close to town, okay? No going off alone, and especially not into the woods. Not until we know for certain there aren't any others."

  "Okay."

  She studied me for a long moment, her emotions transparent. What if it had been me? her eyes said.

  When at last her gaze had traveled over every contour of my face, as if to confirm I was indeed all right, she turned away. "Come on. I bet your father's starving."

  o0o

  I couldn't find Ty that afternoon.

  When I emerged from the trees between our houses after attempting to catch him yet again, David's car was parked in the driveway. The sight made me want to run in the opposite direction. But I couldn't do that. I hesitated a moment outside the back door, rehearsing what I would say until I had it down.

  "I think we should break up. I think we should break up." I said the words softly to myself, and at last buoyed by the growing confidence in my voice, went inside.

  Seated alone in the living room, David stood when I entered.

  "Hey," he said. "I looked for you after school. Where were you?"

  I swallowed hard, my mantra suddenly leaving me. "I got a ride with my mom."

  "Everything okay?" He pulled me down onto the couch beside him. "You were weird at lunch."

  My brows threatened to quirk up. So that's what he called it. "No...I..."

  Do it, Mac. Do it.

  "Listen, David..."

  "Makenna! There you are." My mother swept into the room, a can of soda in hand.

  "Thanks, Mrs. Wilhelm," David said with his charm-the-pants-off-of-you smile. "I was just about to ask Makenna if she wanted to hit the movies tonight."

  I opened my mouth to protest.

  "That's a wonderful idea," my mom said, the worry around her eyes suddenly alleviated.

  "But it's a school night," I said.

  She waved me off. "Go—have fun."

  Take your mind off everything that happened, her eyes pleaded.

  How could I say no? I soon found myself being ushered out the front door.

  As I suspected, we didn't go to the movies. We ended up out at the old drive-in instead. All of our friends were already there, including Jenna who flashed me a smug smile as I stepped out of David's car.

  Headlights illuminated the overgrown field where most of the poles had been stripped of equipment and were crooked or flattened to the ground—martyrs to the constant party-goers need to destroy everything around them.

  Surrounded by wilderness, the large movie screen stood riddled with graffiti. In the center of the lights, a large metal trash can blazed, casting long shadows over the group as they tipped back plastic cups filled from a keg in the back of one of the pick-up trucks. My own beer grew warm, and when no one was looking, I emptied it onto the ground.

  Loud music blared through the night air, and one by one, couples started to pair off and head out to the surrounding woods or into one of the cars' crowded backseats. The sounds of horny teenagers going at it made me uncomfortable—especially when David started to give me "the look."

  He wrapped an arm around my waist and squeezed. "Let's go for a walk."

  I tensed and pulled away. "Listen. I need to go home—it's getting late and I have a ton of homework for tomorrow. Plus I promised my mom..."

  "Come on, Mac! Just a short walk. You probably finished all your work already, anyway." He lowered his voice and leaned in close. "I know you're a good girl. I promise to behave."

  There would be no winning with him. "A short one...that's it. Then we're going home."

  "Fine." He was all innocence as he grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. "Come on—there's a spot I want to show you."

  We walked through the trees for some time and at last emerged into a small clearing. A blanket was laid out on the ground, and David bent down to light several candles flanking it on all sides. A radio lay beside it and he popped it on. Light strains of one of my favorite Van Morrison songs filled the air. He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

  "You're crazy."

  "Let's just say I'm sorry for what happened today. I wanted to make it up to you." He pulled me into his arms and held me close. We moved to the music and I had to admit it was all very romantic—a welcome relief from my constant worrying.

  "Thank you. Apology accepted." I st
ared up at the night sky. It was dazzling with numerous stars dotting its vast darkness. High up above, the moon shone down on us in its full glory.

  David leaned in to graze my neck, and when his lips sought mine, I didn't hesitate to return his kiss. His tongue slid between my teeth, and I moaned softly as his hands dipped inside my sweater to lightly skim my lower back. So caught up in the moment, I didn't realize what was happening until I found myself lying on the ground with him on top of me.

  His mouth grew urgent against mine and his hands freely roamed over my body. His warm touch sent a sheet of heat through me. For a moment, I believed I might be ready for this.

  My heart began a steady pounding against my chest. When he pushed his pants down and then helped me shimmy out of mine, I actually convinced myself I could go through with it.

  Ty's face appeared in my mind's eye, but I pushed it aside. I was here with David.

  I watched through thick lids as David reached for something in the pocket of his jeans. The tear of the condom packet ripped through the night air. A thick lump lodged itself in my throat.

  "I-I'm sorry, David. I can't do this." I began to sit up.

  His glowing eyes flashed with anger. "What are you? Some kind of cock-tease?"

  I recoiled as though slapped. "I'm sorry. I thought I could, but not tonight. Not like this." I started to pull my pants up, but he stopped me with a firm hand.

  With a knee, he spread my legs apart and pushed me back to the ground. "You can't stop something we've already started. Go with it, Mac. I know you want me."

  I pushed against him. "No."

  "You'll love it...now hold still." Pinning my hands to the ground, he moved between my legs. My strength was nothing compared to his.

  "David—stop." I flailed against him—tried to squirm away, but couldn't. "No!"

  A low growl emanated from the bushes behind me. David froze, terror slashed across his features. He slowly moved away. When I was at last free from his weight, I flipped onto my stomach. I couldn't wrap my mind around what I saw. I screamed and scrambled backward, bumping into David who sat motionless behind me.

  The creature approached slowly, pushing its way out of the bushes and trampling on the blanket and candles. Its large—I guess you would call it a paw—landed on the radio, crushing it beneath its massive weight. I knew in that instant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was what had killed Kim Urwin. I knew it despite what my mother and the rest of the world believed.

  A wolf would probably be closest to it in description. Only this animal was larger, its body nearly twice the length of any wolf I'd ever seen. It walked on all fours, but more than once, it reared back on its hind legs and seemed capable of holding itself upright without the necessity of the front pair. Sharp claws dug into the blanket with each step the animal took. They resembled human hands, only larger. I counted five digits. Images of the wound across Ty's chest flashed in my mind.

  Its face was that of a wolf, but almost human in size. It bared its sharp teeth as low growls continued to shake the air around us. Long ears laid back against its head and spittle dripped from its mouth as it moved even closer. When it came within a foot of David, their noses practically even, it released a violent, guttural explosion of sound that sent David running with his pants pooled around his ankles, all thoughts of me seemingly forgotten in his quest to get away. The creature didn't pursue him, but instead swung its head toward me.

  My entire body shook, but I couldn't move. I found myself hypnotized by it. We sat there for a long time, simply examining one another. Something from within the depths of its eyes hit home with me suddenly. A flood of recognition washed through me.

  "Ty?"

  At the sound of my voice, the creature reared back on its hind legs and let loose a howl into the night air. I watched, transfixed by the image before me. It turned and disappeared into the bushes.

  "Oh my God," I whispered.

  o0o

  Loud shouts rushed toward me. I scrambled to pull my jeans on before they reached the clearing. Despite other appearances, apparently David hadn't left me to my own demise. Or at least he was making every effort to contradict the idea—far after the point of his actions being able to make a difference.

  He burst through the trees, a baseball bat in hand—the perfect image of a knight in shining armor come to rescue his fair maiden from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon. Others followed behind him, their movements slow and clumsy in their drunken state.

  "My heroes," I said softly.

  When David spotted me sitting cross-legged in the clearing, he fell to his knees and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Are you okay?"

  I shrugged him off. "I'm fine. It didn't want to hurt me."

  Not far behind, Vince let out a low chuckle. "You sure you two weren't smoking some shit out here?" He took David's baseball bat and swung it haphazardly through some nearby bushes. "Come out, little wolfie."

  The idiot would be lucky if he didn't take somebody's head off by accident.

  "It's gone." I stood and brushed off the seat of my pants. With a calm façade in place, I started back toward the drive-in, the others following close behind. My mind raced as I replayed the event over and over. It all seemed so surreal and fantastical. Was it even possible? Had the...creature, whatever it was, really been Ty?

  "So what was it?" Vince clapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

  His breath reeked of alcohol, and I turned my face away.

  "David said it was like some giant wolf or something." His disbelieving tone rang loud and clear. "My dad helped kill one, you know?" He seemed to search for something more to say, but couldn't grasp the ends of his thoughts.

  "David's drunk. It was a dog. I threw a rock at it and it ran away." The lie came easily, the instinct to protect Ty strong.

  Vince roared with laughter. "A rock? He made it sound like you were being attacked by the Wolfman or something."

  He hung back, allowing David to catch up. "You let your girl one-up you with that thing, man? What are you, a girl?"

  The group seethed with laughter and the good-natured ridicule continued after we got back to the drive-in. The rest of the waiting gang, some too drunk or reluctant to chase a wild animal through the woods, crowded in around us to hear about the "attack" as it was now termed. I walked straight to David's car and climbed inside. Without a second thought, I put the car in gear and drove off, thankful he'd left the keys in the ignition.

  He could find his own damn ride.

  Several people shouted at me to stop, but I gave them only a passing glance in my rearview mirror, their shapes backlit by the fire behind them. If David pursued me, I didn't see him.

  For good measure, I parked the car in an abandoned field about a mile from my house. I left the keys inside and the door open. Hopefully, it'd be gone before he discovered it. It would serve him right for trying to force me to have sex with him. Asshole. And of course there was the little matter of him leaving me behind. What kind of boyfriend did that? An ex-boyfriend, I decided.

  Taking off at a brisk jog, my way was led by the full moon overhead. It wasn't long before my house came into view. The lights were out except for my parents' bedroom on the second floor. When I reached my front porch, I bent at the waist and sucked in deep breaths of the night air. It burned against my lungs. Once my breathing was back under control, I quietly crept inside and retrieved our emergency flashlight from the pantry.

  Before I could change my mind, I went back outside and pushed through the trees to Ty's house. It was also dark as I made my way past it to the shed in the back. The door to the building creaked as I pulled it open and closed behind me. The interior was completely black. I flipped on my MagLite—brought because it could double as a weapon should the need arise.

  I crept through the building, carefully skirting several medieval looking contraptions with sharp blades gleaming in the shaft of light. I reached the back table where I'd last seen Ty working and saw no
sign of the parts he'd been laboring over. I swung my light around and found doors leading to other areas—storage. Carefully peeking in, I found nothing of interest. On the verge of giving up, something caught my eye on the floor.

  Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the handle of a trapdoor leading to their storm cellar. As kids we used to play down there. Every part of my rational mind said to run the other way, but I bit back my fear and pulled the door open. It swung on rusty hinges and opened with a loud screech.

  Shining my light into the hole, I saw wooden stairs leading down into complete darkness. With a surge of bravado I didn't know I had in me, I went down the steps slowly, jerking my head back up to the shed every few seconds, completely convinced I'd heard something. All was quiet though.

  I reached the bottom, my feet landing on soft dirt. I swung my beam around and knew this was the place. Several canned goods lined a shelf to my right, but my attention focused across the small space. Attached to thick wooden support beams were the beginnings of what I knew to be Ty's handiwork. Tears came to my eyes when I realized what he'd been up to.

  Large metal rings hung from the posts with chains dangling from them. One side was complete, with a large metal cuff open at the end. The other was still a work in progress, perhaps explaining his absence that evening. Drawn to it, I ran my fingers lightly over the restraints and imagined the hard metal pressed to Ty's skin. Would he struggle to free himself? The thought of the unrelenting steel tearing into his flesh made me cringe. How alone he must feel.

  A creak came from the direction of the stairs. I whipped around, praying it was just my imagination. When a pair of gleaming eyes peered down at me, I scrambled backward against the wall. I searched the room for another means of escape and soon realized there wasn't one. I had unwittingly walked into a trap.

  The...he...took slow measured steps down, walking on all fours. Terror gripped me as I watched his descent. Would he know who I was? Or would he see me as an invader of his territory and rip me apart with his sharp claws and teeth? I didn't want to believe he'd do that, but the low growl coming from him made the possibility all too real. Pressed against the wall, I took in deep breaths, willing myself to remain calm.