Blue Moon

by Angela Colsin

  “Sorry, I didn’t wanna be overheard. I’m Leonard Mason. Folks call me Leo.”

  He held his hand over to her in order to shake in greeting, and watched the young lady looking at it before glancing up at his face with big hazel eyes to see his small but kind smile.

  Finally, she reached up and took it, replying, “Ashley Passmore.”

  “Nice to meetcha,” Leo nodded, remaining as easygoing as he usually was. “So, you alone, or you got some people in town?”

  “It’s . . . just me. Should I have someone else with me?”

  At least they were on the same page now. Quietly, he explained, “I’d think your pack might worry about you travelin’ through other territories without anyone to escort ya. Where are ya headin’?”

  Leo watched the young lady turning her head down, but not before he thought he saw her eyes beginning to tear up.

  “I don’t know,” she finally whispered.

  Things were coming together slowly but surely. This young lady had to have lost her pack if she was broken up like this.

  “Something happen to your people?”

  Vaguely, she shook her head while still staring at her lap. “I don’t have any people. I don’t even know what a pack is.”

  And with that, everything came screeching to a halt.

  Now Leo was completely dumbfounded. Any lupine, turned from being a human or born as one, would know what a pack was.

  “You don’t know? Wait a second,” Leo turned to face her more directly, asking, “you’re not a newborn, are ya?”

  “What’s that?”

  That one question told him everything he needed to know, and Leo groaned. She was a newborn lupine and a stray. Not a good combination.

  Keeping his patience—something he was usually commended for when many lupines had next to none—Leo explained simply by asking her, “You used to be human, didn’tcha?”

  “Yeah,” she drew out softly. “Didn’t you?”

  The look in her eyes suggested that she badly hoped he'd say yes, but Leo had to shake his head. “No ma’am, I was born this way. But if you weren’t, then who turned ya? Do you even know?”

  The entire situation had alarms going off in Leo's head left and right. Did this woman even know what a lupine was to begin with? Would she understand his question about being turned now?

  But most importantly, how the hell had she been turned and who did it if she didn't even know what a newborn or a pack was?

  Again, he remembered the night Henry Hodgins was shot, and more specifically, what got him killed. Their former Alpha was betting on those newborn fights where humans were turned with no knowledge of what a lupine was before being forced to brawl.

  This beaten down woman sitting next to him rang all the bells to qualify her for being put in that situation. Leo had never heard of a newborn escaping it, but what other explanation was there? He damned sure knew no lupine in their right mind would go around turning humans for no reason at all.

  He also realized that Cade would definitely want to know about this no matter what, especially if these assumptions were correct. The Alpha spent the last year tracking down small packs running games and managed to stop two of them. So this wasn't something Leo could keep a secret.

  He couldn't imagine what she might tell him about who'd turned her either.

  Chapter 2

  For the first time in nearly two weeks, a sliver of light was shining into Ashley's dark, stormy world.

  The man sitting next to her now was beginning to make her hopeful even though he had no idea what she'd been through, and she wasn't even sure how to tell him about it if he asked.

  Ashley knew where she'd once been human, she was now something called a lupine. She'd boarded the bus that evening in a desperate attempt to evade others who'd been holding her captive, managing to escape them two days prior.

  The trouble was that she didn't know how she'd escaped, or why they'd locked her up. Everything was confusing and she was uncertain, even over her own sanity.

  After more than a week of being chained up naked in an old, musty basement, beaten by rednecks, and blacking out constantly, Ashley woke up two days ago alone in a field. The collar she remembered wearing was blissfully gone, and she took her chance and ran, inevitably arriving in Arkin City where she could still scent her tormentors following her.

  She had the dire feeling that if she was caught, she was going to be killed, so she'd hopped on a bus as a hopefully quick means of escape.

  Because the only lupines she'd ever met had abused her and kept her locked up, Leo scared her at first. All of her newly enhanced senses were screaming that he was a lupine too. But on the other hand, she also didn't recognize him through scent as being one of those chasing her down.

  In essence, his scent told her that he was a lupine, but not a familiar one.

  When he'd boarded the bus, she didn't know what to do. If he wasn't one of those chasing her, then would he even care about her? She had no idea, and it was easy to see that she was confused about a number of things when he actually did address her.

  But the more he spoke, the more at ease she began to feel. Where she'd once been nervous, Ashley was now completely curious about this man and his surprisingly warm smiles. He didn’t seem to want to hurt her, only wanted information about her situation instead.

  But how far did that curiosity go before he became hostile? Would he if she gave him a 'bad response'?

  Now he wanted to know who’d turned her. Was that what it was called, turning? Ashley decided she could think of other names for it—torment, anguish, confusion—but she didn’t mention them out loud.

  Still, she had to tell him what happened to her, or try anyway. So she hesitantly gave a reply and hoped he would remain friendly in the meantime.

  “I don’t know who turned me. I was attacked by wolves in the woods on Highway 33 in South Carolina.”

  The explanation gave Leo an angry, disbelieving look that she couldn’t exactly understand—and hoped wasn't directed at her. But his next question was asked as if the notion was completely disagreeable, “You’re sayin’ that someone turned ya without even gettin’ permission first?”

  Was that some kind of rule that these lupines couldn’t break? Ashley stared at him blankly, though she did nod because she certainly hadn't given anyone permission to attack her.

  He responded to the slow movement with a low groan, rubbing his eyes in a manner that said something hadn't been done right.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Only in so many ways,” came his response as he looked back over. “How long have ya been on your own now?”

  “A few days.”

  “Do you know anything about what happened to the ones that turned you? Or when you were attacked?”

  Ashley thought about that for just a brief moment before she responded. “I was attacked over a week ago I think, but I don’t know what happened to them.”

  That was a lie. The reason she was on the bus was because she'd scented them and knew they were in the city. But if she told Leo that, how did she know he wouldn’t try to turn her over to them? Or just refuse her help completely? So she steered the conversation in another path.

  “I'd never even heard of a lupine until recently.”

  A look of sorrow overcame Leo's face as he stared ahead in thought, suggesting that he wasn't without feeling.

  “And you’ve got nowhere to go, do ya?” he asked.

  She merely shook her head.

  “Do you even know where you are now?”

  “Somewhere in Georgia. Arkin City right?”

  Leo sighed loudly, and Ashley gave him a hopeful look because, as sad as it was to think of, she had no one else in the world to turn to but this stranger she'd just met on an inner city bus.

  When the vehicle made another stop, Ashley saw Leo looking at the scrolling sign above the driver that now read Laurel Avenue when he next spoke, “Yeah, you’re in Arkin City, Georgia. So,
tell me something, you hungry?”

  “Starving,” Ashley replied easily.

  “That's a good thing because I know a place we can go that's close. So what do ya say to lettin' me buy ya a meal, and while we eat, I'll answer all your questions.”

  “What place?”

  “It's a local joint called Blue Moon just a short walk from the bus stop. Sound good?”

  Ashley's stomach rumbled at the thought of food. “It sounds too good to be true, honestly.”

  Leo gave her a warm, understanding smile, which put her at ease. Somehow, she felt he would be easy to trust. There was no instinct yelling at her to run away, so she could only hope that she was right about her intuitions on his personality.

  “I’ll try my best to make it as true as possible,” he promised. Then he asked as if needing to know, “How old are you anyway?”

  “Twenty three.”

  Leo looked a little surprised, which Ashley was used to because people always thought she was younger than she really was. But thankfully, he didn't comment on it.

  What he did say, however, had her growing wary once again.

  “That’s good. Being legal age makes it easier to figure out what to do with you.”

  “Wait a minute,” Ashley started, unsure she liked the sound of that.

  She kept her voice low, not wanting the driver or other passenger to hear her, and noticed they were both engrossed in their conversation at the front of the bus, making it easier to speak freely.

  “What do you mean, figure out what to do with me? Why’d you even talk to me to begin with? I’m really not trying to cause any trouble for anyone.”

  Leo just smiled, replying, “I have a daughter that you remind me of, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I just turned you loose. Besides, you already said you don’t know where you’re headin’. Bet everything you're wearin' is all you own too, isn't it?”

  When he mentioned it, she looked to the side, unwilling to admit that was true.

  “Not to mention you’d be safer stickin' around here for now,” he added.

  “Safer how?”

  Leo gave her a look that said she should know what he meant. “You didn't even know we existed when you were turned. That's how.”

  Ashley frowned. He was right, and she watched him tug out his phone. “So I'm gonna give a call to someone who can help.”

  Despite her need for it, Ashley shook her head at him quickly. After all, her tormentors were still chasing her, and there was no telling what might happen once he found out.

  “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to stick around here.”

  The sound of her stomach rumbling broke the silence following her words as if to argue with the statement.

  “Okay, I’ll make a deal with you, Ashley,” Leo compromised. “You let me call my Alpha, and I’ll take ya to Blue Moon to get something to eat. We’ll see what’s what there, and if you’re still not convinced that sticking around would be safer than going off on your own, at least you’ll have a decent meal to go on. How's that?”

  Ashley wanted to take him up on that bargain more than anything. Hell, I'd be stupid not to.

  With a soft sigh, she decided to agree. “Okay, but I’m not promising anything else.”

  “That’s all I ask,” Leo replied, then put in the call.

  Ashley waited, listening when Leo got an answer.

  “Hey Cade, sorry I’m calling so late, but I need your help. I found a stray with no pack and no place to go.”

  Leo kept his words in check, watching the human passengers remaining completely oblivious to the conversation while he added, “But get this, she’s a newborn who was turned against her will. Said she was attacked in the woods off a highway in South Carolina about two weeks ago, and she didn't know about us beforehand. She’s been abused and doesn’t remember much aside from that.”

  Silence ensued for a moment before Leo said, “Right, she's scared and we can’t just let her wander around all alone with nowhere to go.”

  Ashley took in a deep breath, hoping she wasn't making a bad decision. Leo further explained that they were riding the bus because his truck broke down, so they'd be at Blue Moon shortly before pausing and adding, “All right, see ya there.”

  The call ended and Leo looked at Ashley again. “He's gonna come out to meet us, said he'd have something to eat ready when we arrived.”

  That's nice of him I guess. “Who's Cade anyway?”

  “He's the Alpha of the pack here, decides what's what. You might go to stay with him for the night at least.”

  Alpha, she thought. It sounded intimidating.

  “What if I don’t like him? What about you?”

  Leo smiled gently. “I would, but I’ve got a family, and I hate to say it, sweety, but you could be more dangerous than you know. One of the reasons why we don’t just turn people unwillingly is because it takes time to control the impulses you get with the change. So I’d rather not risk my family’s safety if you ended up changing without meaning to.”

  Changing into a wolf, Ashley thought. She'd already heard her captors talking, and knew lupines could do that. Leo's explanation also made sense, and she definitely didn’t want to put anyone in danger.

  But the weight of the situation was getting to her. “I . . . is that why I was blacking out so much, Leo? I’m changing into a . . . wolf?”

  She asked the last part as silently as possible.

  Leo looked appalled that she didn’t know the answer to that for certain. But he nodded his head in the positive despite the expression.

  “Yeah, that’s why. The instinct takes over new wolves, and they can't remember anything when they change back again. After a while though, you become as aware in that form as you are in this one.”

  Though his reply had been evenly worded, Ashley got the feeling he was a lot more upset than he was letting show. Thankfully, he was upset on her behalf.

  But confirmation of this was a hard hitting blow. Ashley tried to withhold her emotions since a breakdown right there was the last thing she needed when she was so close to potentially finding salvation.

  Working to calm down, she looked up when she felt Leo tapping her arm. “Here, it's cold, so take this,” he said, placing his jacket over her shoulders. “And don't worry too much right now. Just think about how you'll get to sleep in a warm bed tonight for sure.”

  The kindness in Leo's words and actions was extremely appreciated. He realized she was scared and uncertain, and knowing there was at least one person who wanted to help did wonders for Ashley's peace of mind.

  Finally, she gave him a smile in return.

  But she tried to remind herself that Leo didn't know she was being tailed, and once he found out, everything might change for the worse.

  She'd just have to be careful in considering her options. After all, the only certainty she had right now was that whether or not she understood what she was, she couldn’t give up.

  Not after coming this far.

  Chapter 3

  This just wasn't shaping up into a good night.

  Cade sat on the couch in his living room, entering a number into his phone while mentally cussing the device for having such a small keypad. He'd just received a call from Leo about a stray wolf in their territory, and the story was troubling.

  A newborn without a pack who couldn’t control her impulses was a risk to their kind. If she lost it in the middle of a crowd of humans and changed into a wolf, she would expose them easily.

  Making the situation even worse was the fact that, judging by the things Leo said, Cade got the feeling she might have been used as a fighting animal.

  Something would definitely have to be done about this, and Cade called Blue Moon, a bar and grille he co-owned with his sister, to give Martin a head's up that Leo was heading there with the newborn now.

  Martin was a manager and bartender, but more specifically, he was also a wolf in the pack. Cade put the phone to his ear, waiting as it rang when he h
eard the man he was looking for answering.

  “Thanks for calling Blue Moon, this is Martin.”

  “Martin, it's Cade.”

  “Hey boss man, what's up?”

  Cade grumbled, explaining the situation as he stood and went to the steps at the left of the couch to go to his bedroom upstairs.

  “You're kidding me?” Martin asked when Cade finished. “A stray newborn?”

  “That's what I said,” Cade muttered. “Leo's bringing her by, so I'm about to head up there to meet them. Is it busy right now?”

  “Not at all, just a typical Tuesday night,” Martin informed him, and a silent moment passed before he mused aloud, “Wonder what the hell happened to her. Who turned her?”

  “Don't know, but they did it without permission according to Leo, and he said he wants to get her something to eat because she hasn't had a decent meal. So go ahead and get something made.”

  “On it, boss. Need anything else?”

  “Not at the moment, except a stiff drink.” He heard Martin snorting in amusement on the other end and added, “I'll be up there soon.”

  “All right, I'll keep an eye out for 'em.”

  “Thanks, Martin,” Cade replied, hanging up.

  He'd made it to his bedroom by then and pulled a plain gray t-shirt from the dresser, tugging it over his head. Shoving his phone into the pocket of his jeans, he turned to go while wondering what to expect when he reached Blue Moon.

  Cade would probably arrive there after Leo since he lived in a wooded, residential area about a half hour from the establishment. His home was built on the edge of Arkin Lake, settled about fifty yards from the waterfront with a pier where a trawler was docked.

  It was a serene neighborhood, but despite the comforts offered by such a nice home, Cade was glad to have a reason to leave it.

  He'd inherited it from his father a year ago, and with Henry's memorial coming up the following week, he was growing even more uneasy than usual being there alone with his thoughts.

  Cade felt the home was simply too much room for him anyway, but he couldn't bring himself to sell it. It was built by his grandfather for one, and secondly, somewhere in the back of Cade's mind, he'd figured maybe one of these days he'd finally bond with his mate and raise a family there.