Captured Moonlight

by Erin Kelly

  Those haunting howls erupted once more from the mountain, but they were further away this time. Her heart was pounding in her skull. The sky was lightening again, and night would soon give way to the day, and she had to get back to her Mate before then, before she was naked and helpless as a two-legger again, left blind and deaf and weakened from the subsiding power of the moon. She could howl for him, but that would draw attention from the others back towards her, and she didn’t want that. But what if they had found her Mate, helpless and hanging in that awful trap? She threw her head back and howled to him, and their howls came again in response.

  No! She couldn’t think of the number, but she knew that they greatly outnumbered her and her Mate. Still, she could run, and as their howls grew closer, she tore off again, splashed once more through the river, steered them hopefully away from where her Mate was trapped. Cornered he didn’t stand a chance against them. But she was fast and surefooted. She could easily lead them where she wanted for the night. And when she was two-legged again, she could return with help and get him out of that hole. She only hoped that the wolves chasing her weren’t faster than she was.

  ~*~

  His leg was twisted beneath him, excruciating pain shooting through it, and he struggled to get his weight off it, to shift it somehow, but it was impossible. The net was too tight around him, and one foot dangled outside of it. At least his Mate was safe, and far away from there. He struggled again but to no avail. He tried a new tactic and attempted to bite through the rope, gnawed on it, but something intertwined with the rope burned his tongue, caused him to yelp and pull back. The silver strands glistened in the moonlight, and he sneezed, huffed to get that burning sensation off his tongue. The howls began again, this time much closer... too close. He froze, ignored the flaring ache of his leg and watched, listened as something approached.

  Above him, an unfamiliar wolf was watching, carefully skirting along the edge of the hole. He felt a defensive growl rumble from his own throat, but he tried to cut it short. He was in no position to challenge anyone at the moment.

  Another wolf appeared, larger and a matching pale gold color in the moonlight. They saw him swinging helpless down there and chuffed at the other wolf, who whined softly. Something suddenly crashed through the trees and the two of them took a few steps back... a third wolf with darker colored fur skid to a halt alongside them, and then- he heard his Mate’s howl, and nothing else mattered. His Mate was calling to him, and he couldn’t even call back to her. If she came now... what would these other wolves do to her?

  He growled in warning, but they weren’t interested in her howl, it seemed. Something about the way the gathered wolves watched him stuck in the trap seemed to radiate sympathy before another chorus of howls filled the air from the distance and they suddenly turned and left him there. Alone.

  He whimpered helplessly. The sky was turning light again, the moon’s power already fading. His leg ached painfully. It was going to hurt even more when the Change came once more. He closed his eyes and prayed that his Mate was in a much safer place; maybe somewhere she could find help.

  7: STRANGERS

  When Sophie woke she was curled tightly into herself, the cold air of the morning brushing her backside. She nestled back, hoping to make contact with his warm body but Korban wasn’t there. She shivered, confused for a moment as she struggled to remember something from the night before but it’s all hazy, like a faded dream she can barely recall.

  “Korban...?” her voice was raspy. No response came.

  She tried to get her bearings as she sat up and scanned the area with her weary eyes, but nothing looked familiar in this stretch of forest. What was worse, her senses were dulled down to normal after the climax of the full moon, and she couldn’t rely on her keen nose to find the path. Her hearing wasn’t as reliable either, the birds chirping and the river bubbling nearby were the only sounds she picked up. She stood up slowly, and her knees weakly buckled at her first steps. She doesn’t see Korban in the area and her heart sank.

  All the tall trees around her looked the same, towering evergreens, maples and oaks. Their sweet smells were the same, and her own trail went in frantic circles. It seemed hopeless but she was not one to give up, especially now. She had to find Korban.

  There was a fleeting moment where she wished she could find their bag of clothes, but compared to all of her other problems at the moment, covering her nakedness was a minor issue. Once she was on her feet she briefly missed having shoes, but at least the ground here was soft and mossy, damp with morning dew. Her eyes came to focus on a massive set of paw prints in the mud. For a moment she stared in wonder. Her eyes followed the path they made and they headed up to where she had rested. Her paw prints, and the thought was even more surreal. Irrevocable proof of what she’d been last night, in case her aching body wasn’t enough. She tried to call to him again, this time a little louder. “Korban?” There is still no answer, so she looked to where her wolf tracks entered the area and started to retrace her trail back. Perhaps she would spot his tracks as well and find where he had ended up. She wished more than anything that she could remember something, anything from the night before, but her memory remained a blank as she followed the steps back through the thick brush of this untouched forest.

  As she followed the spread out paw prints, she suddenly heard voices up ahead. Sophie froze in her tracks and listened. Her heart sank when she realized the voices that were grumbling and yawning did not belong to her missing Mate. For a moment she couldn’t make out what they were saying, the voices gruff but quiet, as if they sensed an audience lurking from the trees nearby. Maybe they were campers, which meant help and at least- hopefully- clothes. She would have to quickly come up with a reason for being naked out in the middle of the woods, but as she approached and peered tentatively around the cover of the trees and bushes- she quickly realized she didn’t have to worry about it. Her cheeks went hot again as she averted her gaze to the scene she’d stumbled upon. The group of men there were as stark naked as she was, and were all getting dressed in hushed whispers. Whatever she had walked up on, she didn’t want to know.

  “We have to get moving. I remember seeing a wolf trapped last night,” a female’s voice suddenly piped up over the grumbles of the men. Sophie paused, listening. Did these people set a trap that Korban fell into? Her hand clenched into a fist at the thought. She didn’t care how many of them there were, or if they were stronger than her and more dressed. She’d do whatever it took to get Korban back safely with her, where he belonged. “Finish dressing and let’s get on the move. We don’t have much time.”

  Sophie growled softly at that, simultaneously stepping on a branch and snapping it. The grumbles went silent. “Someone’s there,” a not too bright sounding man growled softly.

  Shit.

  ~*~

  Korban woke, his arm burning with pain and other aches shooting throughout his body. The air was cold and the rope was making him itch. His skin was raw and red from the impressions caused by his own weight. He groaned, feeling incredibly weak as his head spun. He remembered everything clearly, running with Sophie, then falling and getting snagged in this terrible trap... and now, something besides the pain had woke him. Sophie… where was Sophie? He opened his mouth to call out to her when something else caught his attention. A low growl in the distance that seemed to be getting closer, the rumble of an engine approaching, the sound growing louder and louder.

  He could easily talk this out. Whoever set this trap was probably looking for a bear or something like that. They’d all laugh when they saw him hanging there naked, then pull him out of this pit and he’d even be generous enough to just walk away without incident. He wasn’t that badly hurt, just very uncomfortable and wanted to go home and take a soak in the lake with Sophie... oh no. Sophie must be worried sick about him. He’d told her to run for help. Was that maybe her returning with someone? He heard the engine rumbling nearby, up in the clearing above him now. He struggled to g
et into a more dignified position as a metallic squeak signaled brakes grinding to a halt, followed by a masculine grunt as someone opened a heavy metal door. Heavy footsteps approached the pit.

  His aching arm gave a small throb of hope when two men in camouflage jumpsuits and hats suddenly peered down at him from the edge of the pit. Now he would be freed and finally have a good laugh about this. One of the men looked menacing, a permanent frown etched on his face, square jaw clenched and covered in cropped, pale whiskers. He carried himself like a drill sergeant, and was built like one, tall with lean muscle. The other man looked like he was barely out of high school, thin and stringy with a long neck and beady eyes. His eyes bulge a little and he shifted around anxiously when he saw Korban caught in their trap.

  “Thank goodness you guys are here now; I accidentally stumbled upon your trap, funny story…” Confusion set in, quickly replaced by horror when he saw the drill sergeant nod to the kid next to him, and the skinny boy pulled some sort of rifle from his shoulder and pointed it down at him.

  Korban’s eyes widened in terror and he quickly stammered, “Wait! Please... I... I didn’t mean to trespass or anything, I-!”

  There was a loud click then the sound of rushing air, and something sharp stuck him hard in the arm. Korban had a moment to stare at his arm, the syringe poking deep into his flesh and some sort of liquid vanished into his bloodstream. Fear gripped him. He only had a few seconds to wonder what the hell-

  And then his vision swam as his eyes rolled up into his head, and the world went black and silent.

  ~*~

  Footsteps approached and Sophie ducked behind a bush, crouched to cover herself and prepared to spring when a burly blonde woman suddenly peered over the bushes at her, her hair falling in curly strands over her shoulders. She was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, and while she was big and curvy it wasn’t just soft fat. She was large and curvy in a way that was muscular and strong. Her nostrils flared and her yellow-gold eyes widened in surprise. Wolf-like eyes, just like Korban’s. Sophie tensed and her nostrils flared. “Stop.” The woman told the other guys, and then her expression softened. “You look familiar. Who are you?”

  Sophie was taken aback. These men and this woman were also werewolves. She stammered in response. “S-Sophie,” she couldn’t help it, it was in her breeding to have manners, even if confronted naked out in the woods by a pack of werewolves.

  “Sophie Bane.” Recognition dawned on the blonde’s face. “Ahh... I see. Still well enough to transform back, that’s good.” She glanced to the others. “Grab the spare clothes, toss them to me.” She barked the orders and then offered a smile to Sophie once more. “I’m Valkyrie, Val if you like. Sorry, we didn’t expect to run into anyone else out here. Campers don’t usually stay on the hiking trails this far away from civilization.”

  “Nice to meet you Val. I’m looking for my boyfriend Korban,” her voice trembled a little with worry, “he was running with me last night. He was with me but we got separated somehow, have you seen him?”

  Val gazed to her and gave a short nod. “We saw a wolf we didn’t know caught in a pit, we just have to retrace our steps but I think we can find it.” One of the guys tossed her a bag of clothes, a pair of dark sweat pants and a dark t-shirt, and she tossed it over to Sophie. “Get dressed hon and we’ll get moving.”

  “Thank you,” Sophie said gratefully then quickly pulled on the clothes. She could deal without shoes for now. She was thankful to have her body covered from the cool morning air, and any of those large men’s roving eyes. The looks she got when she did make her way from behind the bushes were bad enough.

  She was used to the stares, or should have been by now. The wealthy housewife now turned monster, it was something the tabloids would have a field day with in each issue when she returned home. She was the first famous werewolf victim. She regarded the others anxiously as they finished dressing and putting on their boots, leather and spikes adorning much of their clothes. There were three large men who accompanied Val in the middle of the forest. A young, muscular man was pulling his long, dark brown hair back into a ponytail, another older, thin man covering his salt and pepper curls with a green bandana. They each wore identical leather cut vests with wolf skull insignias stitched onto the back that read Valhalla Knights.

  Val was now standing next to the third man, whose arms were the size of small tree trunks, thick muscle that was lined with tattoo sleeves to each of his shoulders. He wasn’t just solidly built; he was tall, taller than the large woman, and the other two men who were standing there. His blond hair was equally as long, if not as thick as hers, and his beard was neatly trimmed short, close to the skin. His gaze pierced through his dark sunglasses as he offered an amicable smile. “Sophie freaking Bane. Well this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I’m the pack leader, Odin,” he paused and put an arm around Val as his eyebrows raised in mild amusement. “You’re definitely not as dead as the rumors claim you to be. Devoured by a werewolf… well, looks like those rumors may be slightly exaggerated.”

  Giving her names like Odin and Valkyrie, she wondered if they were hiding something, or if maybe their pack went by nicknames. They were out here in the wild after all, with no human sponsors to be seen. “Yeah, you can say that again,” She impatiently looked around. They were still strangers after all, and she wanted to get to Korban as quickly as possible. Nothing was moving fast enough for her, and she did not want to appear ungrateful for the clothing, but she wanted to run to Korban and get him out of that trap and home before something bad happened.

  “You’re prettier than those pictures in the magazines,” the man with the ponytail commented, not in a lewd or leering way, but she recognized the voice as the one who’d spoken earlier. He gave a charming grin, or it would have been if it didn’t painfully remind her of Korban.

  “Thank you,” Sophie said, glancing to the tall blond couple since they appeared to be the ones in charge. “I don’t mind talking more, and I don’t want to be rude, but my Mate may be stuck in a pit at the moment and I want to get to him before whoever set that trap gets there. I’m sure you understand.”

  Valkyrie nodded. “We should hurry. We don’t want to lose a lead like this.”

  They started walking in the direction they believed they saw the wolf trap, and Sophie quickly rushed up to follow them. She was curious about what they meant by a “lead” but only a little bit. More than anything she wanted to get to Korban, so they could all laugh this off later. She kept her distance, just in case this was a trap in itself... after all, no one seemed to be polite enough to offer a name in return yet, and they knew she was some sort of macabre celebrity survivor. Who knew what was running through the minds of these werewolves? She was trying not to be prejudiced, but her inner wolf, though sated from the moon, was still anxious and suspicious. Regardless of who they were as humans, they were still a foreign wolf pack, and she was in unfamiliar territory- both which were dangerous to her until she was reunited with Korban again.

  8: CAPTIVES

  Korban’s skull throbbed in time with his racing heartbeat when he woke. His mouth was dry and the only thing that hurt worse than his head was his arm. Before he could even see where he was the smell hit him. Even with his senses dulled, the stench was overwhelming- a stomach churning mixture of sewage, blood and thick cologne. It made him gag, and a voice next to him said in a crisp British accent, “Breathe through your mouth. It helps, a little anyway.”

  He took their advice, whoever they were, and it did help- at least a little. “Thanks,” he croaked, then finally managed to open his eyes and focus on where he was now. His vision swam and came to focus on... silver bars?

  The cement ground was cold and smooth beneath him. As he glanced around he saw silver bars on every side of him, surrounding him. It was far too small to be a jail cell... it was almost the size of a crate for a large dog. Or a human being.

  His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he suppressed a gasp of alarm. Thr
oughout the room, wherever he was, there were other cages like his. Laying in many of those human-sized crates were shadowy figures that he couldn’t quite make out. Was he dreaming? Or worse, was this some kind of purgatory? No... that disgusting smell was too real to be some dream, the pain too intense in his arm and head to be some state of death. The closest experience he had was when he’d been attacked and bitten five years ago. That had been almost a peaceful, floating experience after the sharp wolf teeth tore and ripped into his collar. It definitely wasn’t like this, this harsh and raw feeling.

  He remembered the net, then the needle sticking in his arm. The two masked men...

  So like the last time. Only their surgical masks were blue or white, and he’d been bound in the dark room to a hospital bed by his wrists and ankles, unable to escape-

  No, no, no. He couldn’t go through the tests again. All the poking and prodding...

  He scrambled to the back of his prison and almost instantly regretted the move. It was as if the bars were on fire and scorched his skin instantly upon contact. He cried out and fell forward, gasping for breath. “What the hell?!”

  “Silver bars. Not just coated either. Pure, solid silver.” The same clipped British voice said softly in a hushed whisper. “Keep your voice down or you’ll draw their attention.”

  “I hope the hell I do!” Korban growled. “Who are they to think they can stuff me into- us into-” he quickly remedied, “- some cage like an animal?!”

  A quieter, anxious male voice across the room pleaded, “Please, please don’t! Don’t provoke Them!” The last word held more emphasis and fear than most villains or terrorists did.

  “Them? Who are they?” Korban asked, but suddenly there was the sound of a heavy metal click.

  A lock being unlocked not too far away and the softest, scared voice whimpered, “Oh no...”