by Renee Jordan
A woman's face appeared at the window. She was aging but still had traces of her youthful beauty. Her hair was graying. She was motherly as she peered out into the darkness. I recognized her. Forrest's adopted mother.
“Oh, no,” I whispered, my eyes filling with tears.
“We loved to come out to this cabin.” Forrest's voice was hoarse, almost dead of emotion. “My adopted parents had owned it all my life. It was up in the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. I loved the woods. I would always go out in them when we visited. I felt connected to them.”
The beast appeared, watched by green eyes. He was large, covered in black fur. The eyes glowed red in the moonlight. Saliva dripped from his teeth and fangs. The beast was Forrest's shifter form, but twisted into something monstrous.
“I was seventeen. Eager to start my senior year of high school. I had big plans. They were so proud of me. I wasn't their son, but they loved me like I was. They were my parents whether or not we had the same blood.”
The beast prowled forward. He snarled. I shuddered. There was such hunger in that growl. He sniffed the air, smelling the warm bodies in the cabin. The beast reached the porch before the front door, creeping up the stairs. Through the window, Forrest's father began playing a banjo while Forrest's mother sang.
“Like always, I was out in the woods. I had no idea what I really was. I was just enjoying nature. The sun set. I knew I should go back, but I was comfortable in the woods. I had spent so much time up here, I wasn't afraid.
“And then the moon rose.” Forrest trembled. “It...sang to me. It overwhelmed me. I became a beast. There was nothing in my mind but the need to kill. I knew where there was prey. It didn't matter to me who the prey was. It didn't matter how much I loved them. I just had to feast.”
The beast burst through the front door. I squeezed my eyes shut. Forrest sobbed as his parents screamed in agony. I shuddered, holding Forrest tight. I wanted to close my ears. They screamed for so long while the beast snarled and growled.
“I enjoyed it. When I was the beast, I reveled in their warm flesh and coppery blood. I feasted on my parents.” Forrest shuddered, tears pouring down his face. “God forgive me, Kotie.”
“It wasn't your fault.”
“When I woke up, I knew what I had done. I remembered every sickening moment of my rampage. The beast had seared their deaths into my mind. I fled into the woods in horror. I ran deeper and deeper. I didn't stop until night fell. The change came upon me again. The beast took over. I hunted. I found a pair of men camping. I ripped apart their tent and feasted again.”
New screams roared through Forrest's mind. I clenched my eyes tight. I didn't need to see any of this. I wish I didn't hear it. “I'm so sorry, Forrest. I had no idea.” He never liked to talk about his parents or why he needed the tattoos to control his change. All those times I asked him, I had no idea I was bringing up this pain.
“The third night, I killed three. Two guys and a girl. Out camping. College students.”
My heart was pierced by each new scream.
“When I woke up, the guilt consumed me. I was covered in their blood. I found a cliff. A river flowed far beneath it.”
I opened my eyes. A naked, younger Forrest, covered in dirt and blood, stood on a mossy cliff's edge.
“I was prepared to jump. I wouldn't kill anyone else. The beast would never hunt again.”
My father appeared. He looked the same, his green eyes locked on Forrest. He strolled up, smiling like a used-car salesman.
“The Traveler chained the beast. He saved me. He sent me to Moonrise to guard something precious. To make amends for all the lives I took.”
Green eyes. I frowned.
“That's why you can't free me, Kotie.” Forrest turned my face so I stared into his eyes. “I can't ever hurt you. I need the barbed wire. I need it to hold the beast in.”
Green eyes. Why was that important?
“Show it to me again,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Please, Forrest. Show me why the beast is dangerous.”
My heart thudded. The cabin returned. The passion moon burned. The beast stalked forward. Green eyes watched.
Green eyes.
“Why was my father there?”
“He wasn't.”
I pointed. “Look. Green eyes. He was there standing in the woods.”
“I...”
“Show me what happened before. What happened when you changed?”
Forrest's forehead furrowed. “I...I was just just looking at the moon and...”
“And then you were the beast. My father watched you. Oh, Forrest. He made you into the beast. He set you up.”
“What?” Forrest shook his head. “No. I'm the beast. I wasn't created.”
“This is what he does, Forrest. Remember. Remember the moon rising.” I cupped his face and peered into his eyes. There was something in there. Another spell. It was so subtle, clouding his memory. I kissed Forrest and fed my love into him.
Forrest spasmed. The world blurred and changed. A young Forrest walked through the woods dressed in a pair of surplus army pants and jacket. He was so young, reveling in the beauty of the woods. It grew dark, the shadows long, but he was still enjoying the woods. He romped and played through the lush ferns.
“You were a puppy,” I smiled.
“The moon's about to rise,” croaked Forrest, his body trembling.
Green eyes appeared. My father stepped out of the shadows.
“Who are you?” the young Forrest asked. The moon crested the mountains. It was red. Young Forrest was captivated by it, his eyes transforming gold.
“Spirits of control, bind this beast's flesh and set him on his hunt,” my father chanted.
Green Life spirits swarmed the young Forrest, binding his flesh to my father's control. The real Forrest growled as his younger self transformed into a werewolf for the first time. “That bastard!” Forrest snarled. “He made me kill them!”
The beast howled and set off to find prey. My father smiled as he followed, his green eyes watching.
“My father destroys everything good!” I hissed.
Forrest strained at the barbed wire as he tried to reach for my father.
“You have nothing to fear from your wolf, Forrest. You are not a monster. He is!” I seized the barbed wire. Golden light burned. “Now help me set you free!”
“Yes!” Forrest howled in righteous rage.
The golden light poured into the barbed wire. The crimson energy was driven back. Forrest's hands grabbed the restraining spell. His hands glowed golden. Together, we ripped the barbs from his flesh and set him free from his fear.
Forrest stood up, his arms crushing me to his chest. Our lips met. I closed my eyes and savored the passion of my wolf. He would never hurt me. Our kiss was fierce and loving.
The world turned golden around us.
Chapter Ten: Green Eyes
I never broke the kiss. My lips were glued to Forrest as the golden light lifted us away. We were wrapped in it. A cocoon of love. It pulsed and beat in rhythm with our hearts. Despite my father's attempts, he had failed to destroy the one good thing the both of us had created together.
Our love was so much stronger than him.
The golden light vanished. The Whitefroth splashed beside us. Forrest's wolf head medallion burned between us. The werewolves howled around us, rejoicing that their leader had been freed. I wanted to howl with them.
I broke the kiss, a smile a mile wide painted on my lips. “I freed you, Forrest.”
Tears stained his cheeks. “You did so much more than that, Kotie.”
I understood. The guilt had left him. It wasn't his fault. It was my father that killed Forrest's adopted parents and those other people. Forrest had just been his weapon. Another person manipulated down the path my father wanted.
That ended tonight. All his plans would fail. I would see to it.
I broke the kiss with Forrest. He stood naked and stron
g. His chest was free of the barbed wire tattoo's black stain. I touched his sculpted pecs, tracing where the tattoo should have been. I had fully freed him. My hand trailed down his body. He did look good naked.
And then I realized he wasn't the only one not wearing clothes. I gasped and looked up at the night sky. Vanessa was the only female werewolf of the pack, the rest were men, and they were very naked.
My cheeks burned. They were also very muscular. I resisted the urge to peak more.
“He's waiting at the Moon Tear Spring,” Forrest growled. “We need to hurry. He has Penny, Miss Maggie, Connie, Evelyn, and Augustus. He'll kill them all if you don't show up by midnight.”
I nodded my head. “Then I better not disappoint him.”
“Do you have any idea how to stop him?” Forrest asked. “He's powerful.”
“Love.” I said, taking Forrest's arm. “Our love will defeat him.”
“Then let's go,” Vanessa snarled. She seemed completely unconcerned that she was naked.
“We're not far from the trail and the cars. We can make it.”
I ran at the center of a pack of naked men. It was disconcerting at times. I tried to keep my eyes focused squarely on Forrest's perfect ass, but there were definitely distractions on all sides. I focused on the problem of my father as I tried to ignore what bounced in my peripheral vision.
I was panting when we reached the top of the trail. A few cop cars and Forrest's SUV were parked at a lookout on the side of the highway. Luckily, they had left their clothes with their vehicles. The wolf shifters quickly dressed and then Forrest and I hopped into the his SUV and tore off, his deputies following.
The sirens blared. I was bounced up and down as we raced across uneven roads. I didn't mind. I wanted to save my friends and stop my father. It was worth a sore butt and a little bit of whiplash. In a short time we reached the highway that led to Moonrise, racing across the bridge over the Whitefroth.
“We were supposed to be married today,” I sighed as the dark landscape zoomed away.
“We still will be,” Forrest answered. “I want to see you in that dress again.”
I blushed and sat up. “Oh?”
“You were just delicious.”
“Wait until you see what I plan on wearing beneath it,” I laughed.
“We'll have to reschedule as soon as we can,” he grinned.
I reached out and rested my hand on his thigh. “I know we will.”
If we could defeat my father. I still had no idea how we would. He was strong, and he had my friends' lives as hostages. I couldn't give in to my father's demands, but I couldn't let him hurt my friends either. I wanted everyone to be there for our wedding. It wouldn't be the same without Penny or Augustus. And Miss Maggie would be walking me down the aisle.
I just had to trust my momma's words. Love would defeat my father. It had already freed Forrest from his guilt and fear. There was nothing Love couldn't do. Golden hearts danced through the car, drawn by my passion for Forrest and my desire to save my friends.
It was a different kind of love than what I felt for Forrest, but it was equally as important.
The road bent. Moonrise appeared. The town looked so peaceful. Once again, it had to be protected from another selfish asshole. Christian, Burt, my father, and who knows how many other witches had come to Moonrise to claim the power for themselves. It wasn't theirs. It belonged to everyone.
Not just my friends needed protecting, but this wonderful town that had adopted me. My home.
We raced by the Moon Tear Roadhouse. The flashing, neon lights were off. The parking lot was empty on a Saturday night. It was such a sad sight. All the bustle and life had been stolen away. Our convoy sped down Spring Drive. The people of Moonrise watched us pass. Evelyn's Treasures was the only shop not blazing with lights. Every one of my friends was coming back safely. Nothing would harm my town.
Forrest ran through the light at Miner's Way, making the left onto the road. It curved up into the mountains, the same road we had raced down two days ago to confront my father the first time. We passed the spot where Christian had tried to control me. Then the Moonrise Bed & Breakfast whipped by. We passed the dark driveway that led to our house. And then Forrest took the turn onto the gravel road.
The Moon Tear Spring lay ahead. The passion moon was overhead. The energy of the summer solstice built. I shuddered. It washed through the air. The headlights flickered and the siren warbled. Forrest growled and the hairs on his arms stood up.
“The spring is at capacity,” I realized. “It has finally built up all its energy. And tonight it can be used.”
And my father wasn't the right type of witch to use it. Like Christian, he needed a Life, Death, or Love witch to access the power. He raised me for this moment. How many other children did he have to father until he finally had a child with the right affinity? Did I have other siblings out there? Did they suffer as much as I had? Or did my father dispose of them for not being useful?
I clenched my fists in anger as the gates to the spring loomed ahead.
My tattoo prickled. Magic was about us.
“Forrest,” I warned, scanning into the woods. Bubbling, black spirits dribbled down the trees. They had been imbued with enchantments. “The trees!”
As my shout exploded through the car, the trees moved. Wood creaked and bark groaned. The branches rustled as a massive fir tree bent in half to slam its trunk across the road before the SUV. Forrest hit the brakes. The SUV slid on the gravel.
“Kotie!” Forrest shouted.
Metal crunched. Gas hissed. An airbag exploded before me.
Smoke filled the SUV. I shook my head, my chest aching from the seat belt. The smoke engulfed me in gray haze. My eyes widened, and I panicked at the smoke curling through the cab. My hands fumbled at my seat belt. The SUV was on fire. The smoke had a dry smell, and felt...powdery.
It wasn't like real smoke at all. I blinked and then realized it hissed out of the airbags.
I sighed in relief. There wasn't a fire.
“You okay, Kotie?” Forrest groaned as he threw open his door.
“Yeah,” I nodded. My totem flared. More trees moved.
The ground shook as massive tree trunks slammed down. Metal crunched. Forrest's pack ditched out of their cars into the scraggly brush as the tall trees attacked. Everything around us had been imbued and animated. My father had been busy. It must have taken him weeks to enchant all of this. The bushes wrapped thin, scratching branches around the limbs of werewolves.
Vanessa howled as she ripped her leg free of a thorny bush and leaped back. The bushes uprooted and dragged themselves forward by their branches. Metal groaned beside me. A bush yanked at my door, trying to rip it open.
“Spirits of flame, consume the bush!” I gasped.
The excitable Fire spirits obeyed. They were always eager to consume. Like a swarm of red fireflies, they descended on the bush ripping at my door. Fire exploded and wood crackled. The bush was dry and burned like a bonfire.
Right against the car.
It wasn't a great idea.
I cast another spell, forcing the Fire spirits to snuff themselves out. I kicked open my door, the burned bush crumbling to ash as I stepped out. Forrest leaped over the car to land beside me, seizing a lashing bramble and ripping it apart with his bare hands.
Other things besides the trees and bushes had also been imbued. A moss-covered log slithered forward like a slug, shooting out slimy tendrils of fuzzy green. Boulders ripped themselves out of the ground and hurled themselves at entangled werewolves. Animals poured out of the trees, small squirrels with sharp teeth, pecking crows, slithering rattlesnakes, and lean coyotes.
There was too much for me to dispel. When had my father prepared all of this? How long had he been in Moonrise? I sent Air spirits gusting down the road, blowing off the black feathers of the crows. Earth spirits seized the feet of snarling coyotes. Life spirits shriveled up attacking bushes.
Forrest became the
wolf beside me, his claws swinging and jaws snapping. He protected me as I cast my spells. I sent Love spirits to engulf Hank when a fir tree crashed down at him. A golden bubble erupted around him right before the trunk of the tree slammed into the shield with a loud crack. The tree straightened and wobbled. A massive crack had splintered through the middle. The tree split in half, the top crashing to the forest floor.
One tree down, but more surged in to attack.
Guns erupted. Some of the deputies fired their shotguns at the attacking wildlife. Others became werewolves to dodge and tear at the dangerous foliage. The moon rose higher in the sky. Energy burned through the glen.
The Spring glowed crimson behind us, shining through the gate and painting everything with red light. My father waited with my friends as his hostages. If I wasn't there soon, he would kill them. I bit my lip, glancing back at the pack as they fought.
Some were wounded, whimpering in pain as they were guarded by the vehicles. I took a step towards them, waiting to heal their wounds. I was draining my magic fast. And I still had to fight my father.
“Forrest!” I shouted.
He snarled as he turned towards me, his bestial eyes burning. The wolf head medallion glinted silver, buried in his black fur. “What?” he growled, his words distorted by his jaw. His claw swiped, tearing the bark off an attacking log and throwing the rotten wood away. It burst into musty dust against his SUV.
“We can't keep fighting this,” I said. “I need to get in there! It's almost midnight.”
Forrest glanced up at the crimson moon and snarled. He looked around at his deputies. He didn't want to abandon his pack. Howls filled the night. A shotgun fired. Things scampered through the brush, their beady eyes reflecting light. I kicked a squirrel away as it scampered towards me, sharp teeth ready to bite and gnaw.
“I know you don't want to leave them, but we can't keep doing this. There's just too much going on.”
Vanessa appeared out of the brush, blonde hair streaming behind her as she swung a rescue ax, chopping through a thorny bush crawling towards me. Severed limbs, dotted by waxy-green leaves, flew through the air.
