Hunter Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel #2

by C. D. Gorri

  “Get in here and close the door.” He looked like he aged ten years in the last few moments. Oops.

  “Now I have been patient with you and I have tried to make you see your place in the pack, but you cannot have your boyfriend in there attacking dominant pack members.”

  “He didn’t attack her! She came at me when my back was turned. Ronan defended me. He didn’t deserve to get hurt!”

  “What? Your back was turned and she went to hit you? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. We weren’t even using weapons today! Why did she even have that short staff strapped to her back?”

  “Hmm. I see.”

  “And Ronan isn’t my boyfriend!”

  “Yeah, well I wouldn’t go shouting that about either.”

  “What?”

  “Listen Grazi, I’ll handle Cara. Let’s talk about the bigger thing here.”

  “What did Dimitri mean I’m ‘the one’?”

  “Don’t go listening to that one now. Bigger things, Grazi!”

  “Like what?”

  “Your Wolf, Grazi. How did she come out on a night when the moon is not full?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? That’s not good enough. We have operated for hundreds of years under the strict belief that we only change at full moons and Holy days. You changed not only on a night other than those I described, but you did it in the bat of an eyelash! Look, just go. You go home for the evening, alright? I’ll have to sort this out before it becomes public knowledge.”

  “Fine.”

  “Oh, and what are your plans this weekend?”

  “Angela and I are going to get together, why?”

  “Tell Ronan where you will be. I don’t want you out alone.” I gave him my version of a scathing look and left for home. He laughed so I guess I still needed to work on it.

  On Friday I went to watch Sebby and his team practice at the indoor turf arena after school. Indoor soccer was a little loud and confusing. So many bodies packed together in such a small room. There was so much noise. It took me a few minutes to train my Werewolf ears to tune some of it out.

  Not only was it too loud, but it smelled like sweat. It was horrible for my sensitive nostrils. It stunk. Like a lot of nasty teenage boy sweaty socks. That corn chip kind of stink. Yuck.

  The arena was warm, too warm, despite the chill outside. I really wanted out of there. I looked up to see Sebby jogging over to me. Great. Can’t leave now. His perfect smile in place.

  He was so boyishly handsome. I just wished it moved me a little more. I guess that’s just another thing wrong with me. The school star was interested in me and I couldn’t even fake it back. I’m such a freak.

  “Hey Grazi, you made it!”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to say hi, I’m going to leave soon though. I’m going with Angela to get ready.”

  “For the party, yeah. I’ll see you there, ok?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’d kiss you, but I’m a sweaty mess.” He grinned and squeezed my hand. I could feel my cheeks blush. It embarrassed me when he talked out loud about kissing. I mean we had kissed, but nothing huge. I stood and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

  Julianna and the cheer team were sitting a few bleachers away. I could feel their eyes on me and Sebastian. I ignored them and walked out of the building. She was so not going to bother me on my first-ever party day.

  “Angela I can’t wear this!”

  “But Grazi, it’s a cosplay party! You have to.”

  “But not everyone going plays Wolf Moon.”

  “Yeah, so what? Most of them do play. Besides the others, they’ll be in, like, other costumes. It looks great.” She said the last bit in a sing song voice. I turned around in the mirror.

  OMG. I couldn’t believe it. The outfit she got me was very similar to my WolfGirl2014 avatar. I should have paid more attention when she was designing her! I had hardly looked at the game in the last couple of days.

  I completely forgot about WolfGirl’s risqué apparel, which consisted of black fishnet stockings, a pair of super short high-waisted shorts, knee high boots with three inch heels and steel toes, a skin tight turtle neck that was more like a sports bra with sleeves and a wide black belt. Angela kept pulling my arms to my sides as I tried to cover my bare midriff.

  As for my hair, now that I approved of. It was in a side French braid and hung over my right shoulder in a thick rope. There was a pleather looking rubber band with metal studs on it holding my braid together. It reached down to my waist. The platinum streak glistened throughout and was actually kind of cool.

  “Angela I look too, too-”

  “What? Hot? Sexy? What are you complaining about? If I had your body I’d dress like that all the time!”

  “What? You are nuts. Besides you look great.” She did too. Her hair was in soft loose curls around her face. She wore a pair of black leggings and a baby doll type top in swirling patterns. The fabric was shimmery and clung in all the right places. It was open low on her back and tied with crisscrossed ribbons.

  Her mid-calf silver boots had a four inch wedge heel and were just about the coolest things I had ever seen. Since we were the same shoe size I was hoping to borrow those in the future. Yeah, right. Where would I wear them?

  She also had a plastic replica of Faolana’s sword strapped to her back. Faolana is Angela’s avatar. She had glued on prosthetic wolf ears and her nails were filed into claws. I just shook my head. My best friend pretended she was a Werewolf princess on Wolf Moon regularly. If she only knew.

  We left for the party in a car Angela’s dad rented for us. He was very successful and very protective of his only daughter. The driver barely grunted hello. I didn’t mind, I was too nervous to talk anyway.

  On our way to the party we swung by that Kelly house to pick up Ronan. I hoped Nonna wasn’t looking out our window when we got there. She’d want to see my costume. Yikes!

  “Whoa.” Ronan exclaimed when he got in the car. He had on his usual faded jeans, green Converse sneakers and a black t shirt. His emerald eyes glowed as he looked me up and down, luckily Angela was busy tweeting or she’d have seen. I nudged his foot with the toe of my boots.

  “Sorry. I just never seen you like this. You look,-”

  “She looks hot right? I bet Sebby will notice!” Ronan’s lips formed a hard line at Angela’s words and he looked out the window feigning a bored air.

  I knew different though. My Werewolf senses are tingling. I tried to make light of it, but he was angry and I couldn’t understand why. We were so not an item. Besides there was Julianna to consider.

  That phone call of hers the other night replayed in my mind. What would I do if she and Ronan spent all night clinging to each other? It didn’t make any sense to me. He wasn’t even her type! Ugh. Think about something else, Grazi.

  We pulled in to the parking lot at the Factories. It was sort of behind CyberSodas. I think it was technically the same building, but a back section that was no longer in use. Sometimes party promoters rented it out.

  When we got there music was pumping through speakers that were set up around the floor space. It was super loud. Just about everyone there was dressed up. And everyone was dancing. Jumping up and down to the bass.

  I had never been to a party and this was really cool. I looked around through the fog machine and strobe lights. It was easy for me to make people out despite the interference of those machines. Werewolf eyesight.

  People were dressed in faux leather and spandex. There was a lot of skin showing, way too much makeup, fake weapons and even more lethal looking heels on many of the young girls there. It was mostly teens but some twenty-somethings as well.

  “Hey there’s Derek! You know, our friendly neighborhood soda jerk. He looks so hot. I didn’t even know he was pack.” Angela’s gaze was fixed on Derek.

  He was dressed in tight jeans and a leather jacket. He had prosthetic ears glues to his head and Werewolf fangs drippi
ng fake blood. He also wore a broken dog collar. Jeez, the stereotypes we Werewolves have to endure, I’m telling you. He was checking out Angela who was smiling right back. Good for her.

  I looked around some more. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. It seemed normal, I guess, for a party. I wasn’t an expert or anything, but it seemed cool.

  There was an older guy who stood at least a head taller than everyone else in the crowd. He was more than a little out of place. He was definitely not a teenager and not into cosplay like the rest of them. The stranger was large and intimidating.

  Ronan grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor before I could study the mystery man more closely. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. This was the second time in my life that a boy had invited me to dance.

  Though invited is putting it generously. He didn’t ask, he just kind started to move with me in his arms. Amazingly enough I was able to follow.

  He smiled at me and I laughed. The beat pounded through the air and made the walls and floors vibrate. Ronan’s large hand rested on my hip as we swerved and jumped and rocked to the song. It was some new piece of pop, not my style, but I was having so much fun.

  It didn’t matter what was playing. The next song came on. A slower number and we paused. Face to face. His hand left my hip and brushed back a strand of hair that came loose from my braid. He leaned closer and I could smell the mint he had chewed on earlier in the car still lingering on his breath.

  My heart thudded in my chest. It was too soon. Too public. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?

  I didn’t have a chance to finish my internal freak out session. The tall man. You know the mystery man from earlier was circling back our way. He had two more people with him. I sniffed and my Wolf howled in my mind. Ronan turned around sensing the danger too.

  Brothers. My Wolf spoke the word in my mind and my anxiety changed to interest. The largest one zeroed in on me and his eyes glowed. The moment we made eye contact I felt the force of his power, but still I met his gaze. Ronan tensed beside me. I could feel his concern.

  “Don’t, he’s an Alpha. Don’t look at him.”

  I didn’t break eye contact. Something in me just couldn’t. I wasn’t trying to pick a fight. I guess my curiosity got the better of me. The large Werewolf and his companions saddled up to me and Ronan.

  He was careful to place himself slightly in front of me, but kept his head cocked to the side. He was not interested in challenging the Alpha. No, Ronan’s only interest seemed to be in protecting me.

  “Well, this must be the little princess everyone’s talking about.”

  “Heard you beat the hell out of Cara and Wolfed out on her. I’d have loved to see that,” said the man on his left. He was shorter than the leader with blonde shaggy hair. He looked friendly enough, but there was no mistaking the thick ropes of muscle that were outlined in his t-shirt and jeans. Is that what Ronan would look like in a few short years? My eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Rafe Maccon. This is Seff my beta, and Randall, he’s one of my Wolves too.”

  “Your Wolves? Are you a Hound of God?” My question was met with a few smirks and mock outrage from their Alpha.

  “Those tight asses? Heck no! We’re the Macconwood Pack, I’m Alpha. Here’s my card.” The man with shoulders wider than any football player I’d ever seen held out a business card to me. Printed on it in dark gold lettering was the following:

  Rafe Maccon, Alpha

  Macconwood

  www.macconwood.org

  www.facebook.com/rafemac

  rmac@macconwood.org

  2513 Winter Way

  Maccon, NJ 02145-1218

  “Um, thanks.”

  “If you need anything, little princess, don’t hesitate to give me a shout.”

  “Yeah, and like us on Facebook!” The one called Seff smiled and held his right hand in a thumbs up sign. Seriously, fellas? My eyebrows must have been raised because the one with the beard raised his own in response.

  “21st century, little princess. Pack’s got to communicate somehow.”

  “Yeah, well that game you created sure stirred the pot real good.” Seff said elbowing his pack mate a little in the ribs.

  “What game?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

  “Oh, it’s some crazy online role playing game. Made a mint, though. I gotta give that to you man.” Rafe high fived the tall guy with the beard, Randall I think.

  “You mean, Wolf Moon? You created that?” I was shocked. A Werewolf created that game? He basically revealed us to the real world. How was he still alive? Whoa.

  “Yeah. That’s why I’m here. This is sort of a tribute party. Just wanted to make sure it didn’t get too out of control like the last one did. Damn, police arrested half the Hoboken charter pack before I got them under control.”

  “But there’s mostly kids here.”

  “Yeah, well it’s still early.”

  “Hey, um I play. Wolf Moon that is. It’s pretty accurate from what I know so far. And that’s not much, but, how did you get away with it? Isn’t that illegal or something?” Randall looked at me when I said that, but not in any challenging manner. He grunted and looked at Rafe who gave the tiniest hint of a nod. They walked closer to us.

  “First the game was my idea to get all Werewolves and other supes talking, you know? I wanted a safe place online where things could be discussed without the NSA, CIA, or whatever other A listening in. They are always trying to find proof about us, you know.”

  “Yeah little sister, this is a big secret and we have gots to keep it.” Said the one named Seff.

  “I couldn’t very well set up a supernatural forum so I hid it. A roleplaying game seemed the perfect disguise. Too many humans use it for it to be real. Well, that’s what the big guns think anyway. It’s worked so far.” Randall shrugged then he leaned in to whisper something, but Ronan stepped in front of him and growled. Randall smiled.

  “Easy there, dude. I’m not poaching. Listen up, princess. Next time you log on to Wolf Moon put in code WM7809. It’s for pack only. It will get you in an entire new level of play. With um, real players so to speak. Anyway, seek out an avatar named SilverWolf, he’ll know the answers to what you’re looking for.”

  “But I didn’t even ask you any questions.”

  “No, but you reek of them, girl. Lots of questions. Unfortunately I can’t answer them.”

  “None of us can,” Rafe spoke up. “But since you are technically American I am obligated to offer you help. Tell your Uncle Sean I looked into the little problem you’ve been having and I’ve found nothing so far. I’ll be in contact if anything develops.”

  “Well, thanks, I guess.” The three hulking men nodded and continued their canvassing of the room. Some gamers recognized Randall. He stopped and signed autographs, answered questions, even posed for a few pics. Just your average friendly Werewolf game developer. Angela came back to our sides practically jumping with excitement.

  “OMG! That was Randall Graves! You guys just met the coolest game developer of all time!” She was jumping up and down in her excitement. I tried to act excited too, but I think I must have got it wrong. She looked at me like I was sick or something.

  “Yeah, he was great. Um, I’m thirsty.” I turned towards Ronan.

  “Aye, me too.”

  “Okay, I’ll meet you guys back here. Derek and I are gonna dance.” She winked at me and took Derek’s outstretched hand.

  I watched them go for a moment. Just to be sure they were okay. It amazed me how they complemented each other. She was all creamy skin and fire red hair and he was tall, dark and handsome. He seemed genuinely interested too. Way to go, Angela.

  I walked off with Ronan. He was in some state between shock and admiration. I can’t say I blamed him. Those were some pretty cool Wolves. We reached the make shift bar by picking our way through the dancing hoard.

  He grabbed us
a couple of waters. They were stacked on a folding table along with a bowl of punch and some plastic cups. I guess it was to keep everyone hydrated which was pretty cool. I got a whiff of super flowery perfume and didn’t even bother looking. Julianna. Wonderful.

  She and her friends were dressed in a sort of cosplay version of a cheering uniform. Only these were microscopic. Nothing more than bedazzled push up bras and a little ruffle around their hips. It was so short their Brazilian style cheering panties showed.

  In neon pink no less. They all wore high heels and pig tails and matching pink lipstick. They basically looked like slutty Barbie dolls. Julianna’s dream come true. Aunt Theresa would be so proud.

  I looked to gauge Ronan’s reaction. He was distracted all right, but not from looking at the cheer team. He was keeping tabs on the Macconwood Wolves. I smiled, slightly relieved. I mean I could never compete with my cousin in looks. Even dressed like this.

  “Hey Jules, look! It’s little orphan Annie with your sloppy seconds.” Lizette snickered filled a cup with punch and took a long swig. Once she stirred the bowl I could smell the alcohol from where I was standing. I immediately got tense.

  “Please Lizette, I am trying to have a good time here.” Julianna gave a shake of her head and reached for one of the plastic cups of alcoholic punch.

  “Julianna, come on, you shouldn’t be drinking that. It’s spiked.” I spoke earnestly though I knew it would fall on deaf ears. My cousin despised me.

  “OMG. Like, don’t speak to me! You don’t even know me!” She turned her back on me and took a big sip of the punch. I could see the little shudder she made when she finally tasted it. That told me she had only just started drinking.

  If I kept tabs on her throughout the night she should be fine. I wasn’t her keeper and she was anything but nice to me, but still. I owe it to Nonna. We are family after all.

  “Listen Maria, your cousin and I-” Ronan’s brogue was faint. He was so close his breath felt warm against my ear. My heart sped up a little faster with every word he spoke.