Bad Moon: Bad Duology Book Two

by Colt, Shyla

  “I know this is a lot to take in, babe. But you need you calm down.”

  She heard the worry in her friend’s voice, but she couldn’t stop the downward spiral. Anger rose up hot and ravenous. It incinerated the common sense and compassion she was known for. Heat emanated from her pores.

  An entire life built on lies, tailor-made to keep her docile and managed. When did I become a tool instead of a person? I’m a chess piece moved in a long game. Kept blind and imprisoned in an ivory tower by loyalty.

  She began to shed her clothing. I’ll show them all how done I am with rules. Connecting with the companion who’d always weathered the storms with her, she stopped fighting the urge to change. Muscles contracted, and tendons snapped as her bones reshaped and fur replaced skin. Dropping onto all fours, she threw her muzzle back and howled before she left her stunned friend behind. She’d changed in the middle of the day with the full moon weeks away. Things would never be the same.

  * * *

  Exhausted, she stopped by the Sacred Dancing Lake. The Blackfeet Tribe believed the mountain peaks were the backbone of the world. They often climbed the mountain, collecting berries, herbs, and plants for food and medicine. Admiring the impressive mountain range in the distance and the placid water, she could understand their train of thought. If the spirits of the ancestors were to gather anywhere, this peaceful place would be a prime location.

  Collapsing on her belly, she rested her head on her paws. Missing her father was a condition that never healed, and was prone to flares. His presence always made her feel safe.

  She longed for him now with an acuteness that made his loss feel fresh all over again. Saline obscured her vision. Whimpers spilled from her throat. Tiny white flakes of frozen water began to drift down. Watching them dance, she let her mind rest as they melted harmlessly on her thick fur. In the distance, a cluster of snowflakes, whirl together. Energy pulsed in the air. Apprehensive, she rose to her feet. As she sniffed the area, she caught an impossible scent. Dancing back on her hind legs, she saw a misty white fog blowing in toward the mainland.

  Her heart knocked in her chest as a tornado of snow flurries took on a shape. She knew that stance, those broad shoulders, and long legs. Am I hallucinating? Had she just been pushed over the edge and fallen headlong into a mental breakdown? The image blurred, and in its place was that of a familiar four-legged form. Backing up, she prepared to run when the vision solidified and took on color. The russet and brown wolf stole her ability to move from her.

  Dad?

  Golden eyes full of affection and power met her own. She held her breath as the wolf padded over and she looked down in deference to his dominance. He nuzzled her muzzle, and she offered her neck. This isn’t possible. The words repeated in her brain on a loop.

  “My little wolf. You’ve had to deal with so much on your own, but I’m here now.”

  Giving in to her desires, she returned his affection with gentle nips. Whatever this might be, she’d fully bask in the presence of her father, and deal with the fallout later. Daddy. Playful licks and nuzzles drove home the fact that he was corporal as they roughhoused. Time seemed to stand still as the two reconnected.

  “Daddy, I don’t know what to do. Please, help me.” She communicated with him through the mental link all family members possessed.

  “Do what you were born to do.” Her father’s vagueness confused her.

  “I don’t know what that is, Dad.”

  “The right thing, little wolf. Not the easy route, or the one that feels like an obligation. Make choices you can live with because they resonate with your soul and your gut.” He nudged her face with his muzzle. “I’m sorry I can’t offer you more. You will never have a simple life. Fate dealt you a wicked hand. One, I know you’re strong enough and smart enough to play the game well. It may not seem like it, but you were sent here for a reason. White Creek hasn’t gotten much right, but they weren’t wrong about you. It’s no secret the balance has been shifted. As much as our species like to believe the vampires and witches are rivals completely separate from ourselves, we aren’t. It’s why we’re all failing to thrive, and the darkness is beginning to overpower the light. We’re on the verge of discovery. In an age of social media where telephones have cameras capable of high-resolution videos and photos, rogue brethren are a serious danger. Across the board, the rules we’ve been bound by are bending. The cracks are forming, and all too soon, our foundations will break, unless we do something about it.”

  “What do you mean by something, Dad?” She sat back on her haunches, watching him pace back and forth as he spoke.

  “Together we will see the world burn, or watch it be healed. The original bloodlines must reunite to repair the damage done.”

  “How am I going to accomplish that?” she asked.

  “You’re going to need help, little wolf.”

  “From who?” Everyone here felt indebted to the Alpha.

  “The ancient wolves who’ve long retreated and washed their hands of the modern world. They have watched and waited for a sign.”

  “I think we’d know if there were wolves here.”

  “Not these wolves. They were here long before we were thought of. Let me tell you the Blackfoot legend of the Wolfman.”

  Blackfoot Mythology

  The Wolf Man

  There was once a man who had two bad wives. They had no shame. The man thought if he moved away where there were no other people, he might teach these women to become good, so he moved his lodge away off on the prairie. Near where they camped was a high butte, and every evening about sundown, the man would go up on top of it, and look all over the country to see where the buffalo were feeding, and if any enemies were approaching. There was a buffalo skull on the hill, which he used to sit on.

  “This is very lonesome,” said one woman to the other, one day. “We have no one to talk with nor to visit.”

  “Let us kill our husband,” said the other. “Then we will go back to our relations and have a good time.”

  Early in the morning, the man went out to hunt, and as soon as he was out of sight, his wives went up on top of the butte. There they dug a deep pit, and covered it over with light sticks, grass, and dirt, and placed the buffalo skull on top.

  In the afternoon they saw their husband coming home, loaded down with meat he had killed. So they hurried to cook for him. After eating, he went up on the butte and sat down on the skull. The slender sticks gave way, and he fell into the pit. His wives were watching him, and when they saw him disappear, they took down the lodge, packed everything on the dog travois, and moved off, going toward the main camp. When they got near it, they began to cry and mourn so that the people could hear them.

  “Why is this?” they were asked. “Why are you mourning? Where is your husband?”

  “He is dead,” they replied. “Five days ago he went out to hunt, and he never came back.” And they cried and mourned again.

  When the man fell into the pit, he was hurt. After a while, he tried to get out, but he was so badly bruised he could not climb up. A wolf, traveling along, came to the pit and saw him, and pitied him. ‘Ah-h-w-o-o-o-o! Ah-h-w-o-o-o-o!’ he howled, and when the other wolves heard him, they all came running to see what was the matter. There came also many coyotes, badgers, and kit-foxes.

  “In this hole,” said the wolf, “is my find. Here is a fallen-in man. Let us dig him out, and we will have him for our brother.”

  They all thought the wolf spoke well, and began to dig. In a little while, they had a hole close to the man. Then the wolf who found him said, “Hold on, I want to speak a few words to you.” All of the animals listening, he continued, “We will all have this man for our brother, but I found him, so I think he ought to live with us big wolves.”

  All of the others said that this was okay, so the wolf went into the hole, and tearing down the rest of the dirt, dragged the almost dead man out. They gave him a kidney to eat, and when he was able to walk a little, the big wolves too
k him to their home. Here there was a very old, blind wolf, who had powerful medicine. He cured the man and made his head and hands look like those of a wolf. The rest of his body was not changed.

  In those days the people used to make holes in the pis'kun walls and set snares, and when wolves and other animals came to steal meat, they were caught by the neck. One night the wolves all went down to the pis'kun to steal meat, and when they got close to it, the man-wolf said, “Stand here a little while. I will go down and fix the places, so you will not be caught.” He went on and sprung all of the snares; then he went back and called the wolves and others—the coyotes, badgers, and foxes—and they all went in the pis'kun and feasted, and took meat to carry home.

  In the morning the people were surprised to find the meat gone, and their nooses all drawn out. They wondered how it could have been done. For many nights the nooses were drawn and the meat stolen. But once, when the wolves went there to steal, they found only the meat of a scabby bull, and the man-wolf was angry. He cried out, “Bad-you-give-us-o-o-o! Bad-you-give-us-o-o-o-o!”

  The people heard him and said: “It is a man-wolf who has done all of this. We will catch him.” So they put pemmican and nice back fat in the pis'kun, and many hid close by. After dark, the wolves came again, and when the man-wolf saw the good food, he ran to it and began eating. Then the people all rushed in and caught him with ropes and took him to a lodge. When they got inside to the light of the fire, they knew at once who it was. They said, “This is the man who was lost.”

  “No,” replied the man, “I was not lost. My wives tried to kill me. They dug a deep hole, and I fell into it, and I was hurt so badly that I could not get out. Luckily, the wolves took pity on me and helped me, or I would have died there.”

  When the people heard this, they were angry, and they told the man to do something.

  “You say well,” he agreed. “I give those women to the I-kun-uh'-kah-tsi; they know what to do.”

  After that night the two women were never seen again.

  She moved back, digesting the tale. “This is where the pack came from?”

  “Yes. They’ve had enough of cruelty. If you could gain their ear and trust, you’d be a force to reckon with.”

  “Why me?”

  “Who else?” Her father’s automatic response sobered her.

  “How will I find them?”

  “Purify your body, clear your mind, and show respect to the spirits. You can do this, Joss. I’m proud of you. Despite the adversity, you’ve grown up well. You protected and cared for your mother. It’s no longer you task. Tell your mother she will always be my moon, and I her wolf.” The words carried a weight she couldn’t understand. How could he remain so dedicated to her when she hadn’t even tried to avenge him?

  “What happened to you, Dad?”

  “You’re not ready to know yet. I have to go, and so do you.” He backed up, fading in the snow he’d originally formed from.

  Heeding her father’s words, she turned and took off for home. The sun had set an hour earlier, and she had no idea how long she’d spent with her father. Time seemed to move differently when they interacted.

  Torches flickered in the hands of people clustered into groups. Floodlights punched wide holes in the darkness. She loped through them, ignoring their alarmed cries and shouts of relief.

  “The Moon Maiden turned without the full moon.” The voices became a buzz. Things are changing. The end time is near.

  “It’s begun,” Isiah yelled, raising his arms in the air. The screech of an owl in the distance felt like a herald of the death of White Creeks’ ignorant innocence.

  * * *

  Her mother swept out into the crowd, clutching her scarlet half cape to her thin frame.

  “What were you thinking?” The words had a bite. Anger raced down their mental link. She winced, not used to her mother’s anger or aggression.

  “Dad said you will always be the moon and he, your wolf.”

  The blood evacuated her mother’s face swiftly. “What did you just say?”

  Joss lifted her head. “You heard me.”

  “I realize you’re upset, but this is beyond cruel.” Her mother clutched her neck.

  “I bring you truth. How could I have known that phrase meant anything?”

  Her mother shook her head. “After all this time …”

  “He doesn’t blame you for anything. I do.”

  Her mother stumbled back, eyes wide, and mouth agape.

  “We should get her inside.” The Alpha’s voice was steel stretched over barbed wire. He was furious.

  She bowed her head in submission. But her heart protested the action. Their relationship was wrong. He wasn’t an Alpha she loved, respected, admired, and trusted. He was the warden who held the keys to her cell. The unhealthy arrangement had eaten away at her soul, weakened and depressed her. Starting today, she took her power back by any means necessary, and at any cost. She couldn’t lead on her knees, and she owed the members she’d helped keep here—virtually enslaved—a way out. If they choose it. She owed them this much.

  Head jammed to the max with facts, musings, plans, and realizations, she hardly registered the walk to the wooden mansion.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” His voice never rose, but the rage behind every word was palatable.

  Her ears turned down, and her shoulders slumped back.

  “Change.” When she resisted the urge to obey, his nostrils flared.

  “Perhaps she can’t, Father. You seem to believe her change was intentional,” Isiah said.

  The Alpha turned from her. “What do you mean?”

  “The change may have come on her spontaneously. None of us has ever experienced a shift outside of the lunar pattern. The call might have brought her to her knees. Should we punish her for what’s beyond her control?” Isiah tilted his head.

  Joss glanced back and forth between the two men. Ian frowned.

  “You deal with her then. Dorothy.” Her mother jumped and rushed to follow him as he stalked off.

  Isiah knelt. “You’ve gotten yourself into a mess, little sister.” The mocking tone earned her yip. Isiah chuckled. “And she’s found a backbone.” He stroked her back. “What happened to you out there in those woods, hmm? I’ve felt an otherworldly presence before, but it’s never shown itself to me.” His fingers felt good behind her ear. Narrowing her eyes, she refused to relax. “I can’t help but wonder if you’ve aligned yourself with this power.”

  She growled.

  “Would you rather I let the Alpha deal with you?” He removed his hand and met her gaze.

  She sniffed. He had her between a rock and a hard place, his favorite position to maneuver her into.

  “Smart girl. You and I have much to talk about. You accelerated my time schedule.”

  Her ears perked up. What is he talking about?

  “I wasn’t expecting to see outward signs of transformation so soon. It’s okay. I’ve prepared for this, and it’s one step closer to our union.”

  She stepped away.

  “People saw you travel through the town as a wolf, others will hear about it shortly. You’ll be the talk of the town by mid-morning. People fear what they can’t understand or control. Keeping the peace requires a certain finesse and reassurance. We wouldn’t want the locals to panic, would we?”

  Her stomach knotted. “Control how?”

  Isiah shuddered. “I love the feel of you in my mind. Regulating the information and showing them we have a plan and a direction. Because this is all a part of a strategy. Together, we’ll usher in a new era. Surely the ability to change without the moon will be necessary to win the war on its way. Why else would evolution occur so spontaneously?” The smugness insinuated he knew more than he let on.

  “What do you know?”

  “What are you willing to give for the information?”

  “What do you want?”

  “Your cooperation when I announce our union.”

 
; “Fuck off.”

  He chuckled. “We both know it’s been leading to this.”

  “I’m not that desperate.”

  “But you will be. I’m going to enjoy watching you break down and ask me for help, Jossy. Until then, I’ll protect you from Father. Call it a gesture of goodwill between us. I want to help you and make things good between us. We’ve been through too much to remain at odds.”

  “Then stop trying to chain me to you.”

  “Silly girl. Haven’t you realized by now, our births did that? I’m playing the role assigned to me. You’ve spent your entire life resisting it, waiting for a chance to escape an inevitable situation. I used to be like you until I came to understand that would never work. Tell me what your real apprehension with us mating is.”

  “It doesn’t feel right. I don’t see you that way, Isiah. I never have. At best, you’re a brother-like figure. I can’t imagine being intimate with you.”

  “Sweet, naïve Joss. That’s the price of sitting on the throne. Sacrifice, loss of choice, and acting for the greater good. You’re under the impression that I have a crush on you. Don’t get me wrong, you’re gorgeous. I lucked out in that department.” He gripped the scruff of her neck. “But what I truly crave is your power.” His eyes flashed amber. “No one, you included, is going to take away my opportunity to rule.”

  “You don’t need me for that.”

  “Unfortunately, for you, you’re the only one who believes that.” He placed a sweet kiss on her crown and stood. “Come. Let’s work out the details. Things will be so much better when we have a plan and a script.”

  She dug her back paws into the dirt and stiffened.

  “Oh, those are the games you want to play?” In a lightning-fast maneuver, he grabbed her scruff and lifted her from the ground. His strength stole her breath away. “You aren’t the only one finding new strengths and talents. Some of us keep our secrets until they’re worth revealing.”