Hunger Moon Rising Read online

  “Mom!” I threw what was left of my garlic bread at her, and she dodged it easily. “I didn't know you and Dad used to celebrate, uh, Mabon together,” I said.

  “Oh, sure.” She shrugged. “I know you've chosen not to join the local pack or live the traditional were life, and I fully support your decision. But when your father was alive, we celebrated all the Pagan holidays.”

  “What?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “I thought you were a strict Catholic.”

  “Well, now I am,” she said. “But in some ways the two religions are a lot alike. There's a lot of ritualism, a lot of tradition…”

  “A lot of cavorting naked under the full moon,” I pointed out.

  Mom laughed. “Yes, I have to admit Midnight Mass isn't as much fun as that. But you have to have someone to cavort with for it to really be any good.” She looked at me sharply. “In fact, if you're going to be out during the Hunger Moon, you just about have to have somebody. Is that why you're asking about it? Why you're so upset over you and Dani breaking up?”

  I felt another blush heat my face. “We were never together, Mom. Not that way, anyway. But, well…it's just that the moon's been having…” I cleared my throat. “An increased effect on me lately. Since this is Mabon Eve and the full moon is tomorrow night, I was just thinking that I should stay indoors. You know, out of the moonlight. Away from temptation, so to speak.”

  She nodded slowly. “You want to stay here so I can keep an eye on you?”

  I shrugged uneasily. “I guess if it wouldn't be too much trouble. And if something does happen, I mean, if I can't stop the change, at least I'll have the woods behind your house to go to.” Mom lived in a big old Victorian mansion on the far edge of town where there was a lot of wilderness and open spaces. It was a better place to hide a pony-sized wolf in than the tiny postage stamp of a lawn around my own neat tract house. I could just imagine what my neighbors would say if they heard me howling at the moon, let alone saw me.

  Mom sighed. “You know you can stay here. But I wish you'd stay out of those woods! You always got the worst ticks in there when you were a teenager.”

  “I'll try to be careful, Mom.” I got up and put my plate in the sink, then went over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “You're the best, you know that?”

  “I try,” she said complacently, still working on the sculpture. “There. You know—I think it's just about finished.”

  I stood back and looked at the sculpture critically. “Nope. I'm gonna have to disagree,” I told her. “There's no way my nipples are that big, and if they were, I'd shoot myself.”

  She laughed and slapped my chest, getting a splatter of wet clay on the front of my white polo shirt. “All right, I'll make them smaller.” She went back to work. “And listen, Ben, I don't think you need to worry about Dani. She's as much in love with you as you are with her. She just doesn't know it yet.”

  I sighed. “I don't think so, Mom. Or if she was, she isn't any more.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to drive back the tension headache that wanted to form there. “God—I just miss her so much. We were supposed to spend practically the whole weekend together and now…” I sighed. “Now I don't even know where she is.”

  “I'm sure you'll find out,” Mom said. “Isn't that your cell phone ringing? Is that the theme to the X-Men movie?”

  “Uh-huh.” I dug the vibrating phone out of my pocket and surveyed the caller ID window eagerly. “Oh, it's only DP.”

  “Who?” Mom raised an eyebrow.

  “An information source Dani and I use sometimes.” I sighed, debating whether to take it. I was in no mood to haul myself into the city and sit on the bus stop bench munching hotdogs with Daryl that evening. In fact, the best thing I could do would be to take a cold shower and go to bed early. Still, he'd never called me for anything frivolous before. Reluctantly, I pressed the connect button. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ben, my man.” DP's voice filled my ear. “How they hangin'?” he asked.

  “A little low and to the left,” I shot back, keeping an eye on my Mom, who was still working to correct the enormous nipples she'd sculpted. “What's going on, DP? I really don't think I can get to the city tonight. I'm kind of spending some quality time with my Mom.”

  “Well, ain't that sweet?” Daryl said. “But listen, you better get your white ass to the city, because while you're spendin' quality time with your mom, your lady is spending some quality time with Thrash Savage.”

  “What?” I had almost sat down again, but now I shot up out of my chair. Just because I wasn't active in the local pack didn't mean I didn't know the leader. Thrash Savage was the most ruthless Lead Wolf the pack had ever known, at least according to my grandfather. He was no one you wanted to get on the wrong side of, and now Dani had apparently gone after him, no doubt for a lead on that damn story I'd told her to drop.

  “You heard me.” Daryl sounded unperturbed. “She came by about an hour or so ago askin' for information. Said something about wantin' to find some missing girl. I tried to warn her off, but well, you know Dani. Once she decides she wants to do something, that girl's like a dog with a bone—ain't lettin' it go nohow.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Where did she go? Do you have any idea?”

  “Well, I told her Savage's usual Friday night hang-out so I guess she mighta went there. You know—La Bella Luna?”

  “Yeah, I know it.” It was a local Italian restaurant that was were owned and operated. I had only eaten there once with my grandfather. They made a pretty decent eggplant parmesan. But if Dani had gone there to try and get information out of Thrash Savage, she might end up being the main course herself.

  “Ben, you there, man?” I heard Daryl ask.

  “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am.” I sighed. So much for my plan to stay in on Mabon Eve. It looked like I was going to have to go after Dani again, even though I knew she would hate me for it. Even more than she already hated me, that was. Great. Just great. But she was in way over her head, and no matter how she felt about me, I still loved her. I couldn't leave her to fend for herself around the likes of Thrash Savage.

  “Thanks for the information, DP,” I said. “I really owe you one.

  “Well, I figured you should know. I mean, Dani can take care of herself for the most part, but Thrash Savage…” I could almost see him shaking his head, his platinum teeth gleaming.

  “I know,” I said. I was already reaching for my keys. “I better go.”

  “Talk to ya later, my man,” he said. “Oh, and just for future reference, my price is now a C note, not a Grant. Okay?”

  “I got you,” I said. If what he'd told me helped save Dani's life, I wasn't going to quibble about the price. “Bye.” I clicked off and looked up to see my mom looking at me anxiously.

  “You have to go out, don't you?” There was worry in her eyes but resignation as well.

  “Yeah, Mom.” I put my cell phone back in my pocket and gave her a hug. “I'm sorry, but it's Dani. She's about to get herself into some deep trouble if she doesn't watch out.”

  Mom sighed and reached up to hug me, careful not to get any more clay on my shirt. “You do what you have to do, honey. Just…be careful. Okay?”

  “I will,” I promised. But inside I wondered how careful I could be, considering where I was going and who I was going to face.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dani

  La Bella Luna was a really classy place—seen from the front. The back was a run-down alley with some pretty smelly dumpsters, one of which I was currently hiding behind. I'd changed out of my executive power-woman suit and into a plain black skirt and a white button down shirt. That way I could pass for a casual diner, or maybe even a waitress in a pinch. If push came to shove and it was a busy kitchen, they might just think I was a new hire.

  The back door slapped open and a large, burly, balding man came out with a steaming pot of something that smelled liked burned tomato sauce. He started slopping it into the du