Blood Moon
Page 28
“I can’t see why Rose would want to be with you, maybe pathetic ones are her type. Well, I can change that. I promise I’ll take good care of
her—”
The words fueled him. Something flashed behind Jason’s eyes. He saw Simon holding Rose in an intimate caress, his claws digging into Rose’s back. He saw them together, Simon’s yellow eyes leering at his mate. He would not let it happen.
“Not…this time,” he managed to say. Simon stopped laughing.
If you have any strength left, wolf, he said to himself, I need it now.
“What did you say?” Simon demanded and pulled him close to his face. Jason spat a mouthful of blood into his eye. Simon’s backhand sent him reeling. He almost lost his balance but regained it when he grabbed hold of the filing cabinet.
Simon wiped the bloody spittle from his eye and laughed again. “You bastard. That’ll be the last mistake you’ll ever make.” And he stepped forward to finish him off.
But he never got there.
Rose appeared in the doorway suddenly. Her stricken face was like a beacon in the night. Jason saw her. He was going to make sure she was safe this time. He would not die this time.
“Jason!” she screamed.
It was the perfect distraction. Simon turned his head.
Jason stood to his full height, his hands balled into fists. He threw a hard punch. It hit Simon against the jaw and sent him flying backwards. Another punch and Simon was on the floor. Jason let him stand.
“I said…‘not this time’…fucker.”
He leaned back and kicked with all the strength and might the wolf loaned him. The kick was well-placed, hitting Simon in the jaw. It sent him flying back and through the wide-paned glass window in the office.
The glass sprayed everywhere and the crash was deafening. It drowned out Simon’s screams. For a split second, he was suspended before the window, trying to gain his balance. His arms and back were covered with embedded shards of glass. Blood oozed from every wound and his wide brown eyes were open in shock.
And then he fell.
Jason stood motionless, even as Rose rushed forward to him. He ignored her cries and her concern. He pushed her aside with his arm and moved forward slowly. Glass crunched under his feet and he ignored the shocking pain he felt.
He peered out the window, taking a deep breath as he stared down. Simon’s body lay among a thicket of broken and snapped branches. He lay at an odd angle and he didn’t move.
It was over.
“Let’s go,” Jason said tiredly as Rose stood next to him. Her hand was warm on his upper arm.
“Yes, let’s go.” Rose nodded and drew him away from the broken window.
Chapter Thirty
A winter chill had already set and it was only the first week of November. Snow fell in steady flakes, the earth blanketed in white. Everything seemed so peaceful. It was hard to believe only two weeks had passed.
Claire leaned against the awning of the deck of Jason and Rose’s cabin home and drew her arms around herself. She shivered in the cold. Her warm, winter coat was doing little to fight the chill, but she wouldn’t go inside for anything in the world.
The wolves ran across the meadow. Over the hill they would disappear, and then come back, chasing after one another, barking happily. She was learning to tell them apart. The light grey wolf was Rose. She stayed close to the tall and commanding white wolf that was Jason. A red wolf and a black wolf stood off to the side, sternly staring out at the horizon. Slater and Glen were always so serious about protecting the pack. Claire thought they seemed like sentries keeping watch.
Two darker grey wolves bounded after one another and made a game of catch in the snow. Aurora and Rebel were beginning to live again. Claire smiled.
Behind her, she heard the back door slide open. Yellow light filtered out and Cheyenne made her way down the steps and to the yard. In both hands, she held cups of steaming drinks.
“Hot chocolate,” she said. “It’s hot, so be careful.”
“Thanks,” Claire answered, taking hers. It warmed her hand through the glove she wore. “Where’s Davis?”
“I thought he was right behind me.” Cheyenne turned to peer back. Her cheeks and nose were already red with cold. “There he is.”
Davis emerged a moment later. He climbed down the steps and stood next to them.
“So what’s going on?”
“Nothing, really,” Claire said, watching the wolves. She saw Rose nuzzle Jason, who gave a playful lick to her ear, and Claire glanced away. “Just watching them. I’m glad to see your leg healed alright.”
Davis shrugged slightly. “It’s nothing, really. Not the first time I’ve been shot in the leg. I just hope it doesn’t happen again. This werewolf healing is great and all, but the pain can be a bitch.”
Claire nodded.
Cheyenne leaned against the railing, sipping her hot chocolate. “It seems a bit odd.”
“What does?” Claire asked. Davis moved next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She didn’t push him away.
“Well,” Cheyenne paused, chewing on her bottom lip, “I’ve noticed a trend. All of us are orphans, in one way or another. We are all parentless, living in this world lost and alone…but now…”
“Now, we are a family,” Davis finished.
“Yeah, like a pack.” The three of them exchanged glances with one another, then Cheyenne added, “I like it.”
“Yeah, me too.” Davis sighed softly. Cheyenne glanced at him a moment, then gave a soft smile.
“I’m glad the kids learned to change,” she said. Aurora nipped at her brother wolf. They bounded across the field happily, chasing one another.
“They learned quickly,” Davis remarked.
“That’s what I’m so glad about,” Cheyenne continued, “How quickly they learned. They need the freedom. They need to have a little fun.”
“What about you?” Claire asked as she glanced toward her. Cheyenne smiled again.
“Oh, I’m not too worried about that. I’ll give it a shot eventually. I think I’d like to change, but there’s plenty of time for that.” She eyed Davis a moment and lifted an eyebrow. “I forgot something inside. I’ll be back soon.” She went back up the steps and disappeared inside.
Davis and Claire were alone. He looked over at her. She looked back at him, confused.
“What was that about?”
Davis smiled shyly. “She wanted to leave us alone. I asked her when we were alone in the house if she would.”
“Why?” Claire was even more bewildered. Davis could only shrug. His face grew red.
She could only smile as her face went hot and she knew she was blushing as well. She dropped the topic and sipped her drink.
“I do like it,” Davis continued in a soft voice. “I feel like I belong somewhere.”
Claire smiled softly and stared down at her cup. “I don’t,” she said. “I’m not a werewolf. I don’t fit into this pack.”
“Nonsense,” Davis said. He slipped his arm from her shoulders. “You helped us out with Simon almost more than anyone. You fit in. Trust me.”
“Yeah, well, I feel left out. I mean, you have the ability to one day shift, to become that.” She gestured to the wolves that were tackling each other in the snow. “I’ll never have that.”
“Well, I’m not too crazy about the whole changing thing.” Davis rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be one.”
“So, you’re never going to shift?” Claire looked at him with an upraised eyebrow. Davis’ face grew red again.
“No, I mean… Well, one day, but not soon.”
She laughed. “If you say so.”
There was a long moment of awkward silence. Davis avoided looking at her and stared toward the wolves.
“What about your brother?” she asked.
Davis sucked in a harsh breath and she regretted pushing the touchy subject.
“Sorry,” she apolo
gized immediately.
He shook his head. “It’s fine. It’s just…I’ve lived all my life without a brother, and now suddenly, I have one. It’s not only that but, I killed our mother—”
“No. Simon did.”
“I held the gun”
“Davis.” Her tone was stern but gentle.
Davis sighed. “I know. I can’t help it—”
“I know, but how are you guys? Things all right?”
“Not really. I think he will always have hard feelings toward me. I don’t blame him.” He gave a forced chuckle. Claire smiled cautiously.
Again, there was an awkward silence. They watched the wolves for a while. Claire was aware that Davis moved closer to her. His arm went around her shoulders again.
“They seem so happy, now that there’s no threat of Simon,” he said, breaking the silence. Claire nodded and took a drink from her steaming cup. “I only wish I could’ve gotten more than just a piece of him.”
“Does that really matter now?” Claire asked him.
“No, not really I suppose. Simon took a lot from me, from a lot of us. He really fucked up everything.” He felt a wave of anger but released it. “I just wanted a little revenge myself. I guess Jason wanted it more.”
“I guess so.” She paused. “Do you think he’s really gone?”
The question seemed to take Davis off guard. He was silent for a moment, considering something before he spoke. “Jason saw his body. No one could’ve survived something like that—”
“That’s what they said about Jason and getting attacked the first time.”
There was more silence before Davis broke it again. “Jason told me he still dreams of Simon.”
Claire looked at him, startled. “What do you mean? Like, nightmares of what happened? That’s bound to happen with something that traumatic.”
“No, not exactly. He told me not to tell anyone. Actually, I overheard him talking to Glen about it. He dreams that Simon’s not dead. That he’s still out there somewhere, waiting.”
Claire shook her head. “Can’t there be some good for once? We don’t need thoughts of Simon bringing us down.”
“You’re right,” Davis said. He looked over at her and forced a smile. His arm was warm around her shoulders. “Let’s just enjoy the night.”
Claire smiled back. “I’d like that.”
They both turned their heads to watch the wolves congregating on the top of the hill. Though the moon was not full, the white wolf leaned his head back and howled loudly and triumphantly. The other wolves followed suit—Rose first, then Glen, then the others. One by one, their howls met together and made a beautiful joyous music that was carried away by the wind.
About the Author
From a very young age, Rose Marie Wolf was interested in things that weren't quite normal, so it was no surprise when she grabbed her crayon and started scribbling out short stories about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairies, elves and all manner of paranormal creatures.
Her combined love of writing and the supernatural grew and, in 2002, she began writing on her first serious work, a short story about werewolves she called "Sweet Moon Dreams". A few years later, with the help of her fiancé, she developed the story into a novel-sized manuscript.
Rose Marie lives in Indiana, with menagerie of pets, not including her fiancé and his mother. She is currently working on the final books in her werewolf series, The Moon Series, and she encourages readers and fans to join her discussion group on Yahoo! to chat about books, writing, publishing and her upcoming releases.
Website: http://www.rosemariewolf.com
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rosemariewolf
Look for these titles by Rose Marie Wolf
Now Available:
Sweet Moon Dreams
Coming Soon:
Hunter’s Moon
Werewolves Jason and Rose Barnett have tried to put the past behind them, but unfortunately Jason's strange dreams prove true and his dangerous obsession uncovers a shocking revelation that may destroy them once and for all…
Hunter’s Moon
© 2007 Rose Marie Wolf
Coming Winter 2007 from Samhain Publishing
Jason and Rose Barnett believed hunter Simon Connor to be dead and gone. But Jason continues to have strange dreams, which reveal something that could destroy the Paranormal Research and Development Institute and tear relationships apart.
Jason becomes a vigilante, fueled by his growing psychic powers that tell him something—or someone—is still out there. Rose, no longer able to stand by while her mate destroys their lives, begins her own struggle to save what little relationship they have left, before it's too late.
Then the unthinkable happens. A stunning eye-opener and an unexpected attack once again threaten their existence, and the rift between Jason and Rose becomes irreparable as their tumultuous past once again surfaces and their future becomes increasingly bleak.
This is book Three of the Moon Series. Books are recommended to be read in order.
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