Dark of the Moon Read online

  "Yeah, me, too." Sorta. And then I remembered what I'd seen near the river. "Hey, listen, has anyone mentioned finding traps in the woods?"

  "No. Why?"

  "I ran across a snare about a day and a half walk from here, near the river."

  He got really still, the way a predator does when it scents its prey. I knew he'd gone into warrior mode, was considering strategy.

  "You think it was Bio-Chrome?" he finally asked.

  "I don't know. Maybe. It was designed to capture something the size of a wolf."

  He released a harsh curse, then gave me a hard stare. "You walked from there? You didn't think you needed to travel in wolf form so you could get here more quickly?"

  "I had my backpack with me." I knew it was a lame excuse, which Connor confirmed with his next words.

  "You could have left it somewhere, gone back for it later."

  It made me angry that he was questioning me—also that he was right. And that I'd had no choice in my mode of transportation. Two legs were all I had access to at the moment, so I searched for another lie. "I'd taken some sentimental items with me to help me face the transformation alone. I didn't want to risk losing them. Besides, it wasn't as though we were in immediate danger, and I needed the time alone."

  The tightening of his jaw only confirmed for me that no one would accept me if I couldn't shift. I also realized that lying about it wasn't going to be easy either. I should have come up with a better excuse—one that didn't make me look irresponsible.

  "I'll check it out," he said. "In wolf form, I should be able to get there and back by morning. Are you sure you're not up to coming with me?"

  How I wished…

  "I'm sure. I covered my tracks, but you should be able to follow my scent."

  I could tell he wasn't happy with my decision, that he thought I was shirking my responsibilities. By not telling him the truth about me, I was. But my fallacy—whatever had prevented me from shifting during the full moon—was mine to deal with.

  "Later then," he said grudgingly.

  Turning on his heel, he walked back into the forest, but I didn't follow. I knew he was going to remove his clothes and transform into a wolf. For a species that spent a lot of its time without clothes on, we were a modest group.

  Looking back out over the water, regrets prodded me. I knew that I should confess my limitations, but I also knew that if I did, I might be cast out. But even without the ability to shift, I could still make a valuable contribution, could find a way to protect the Shifters—especially if what I suspected was true: The trap was set by Bio-Chrome. They were still coming after us.

  Nothing was left for me to do right then except return to the mansion. I couldn't go with Connor into the night. He was free now to love someone else, but I was shackled by my inability to shift.

  Hearing the rustling of brush, I glanced to the side. The most beautiful wolf I'd ever seen stood at the water's edge. In wolf form, Connor always took my breath.

  His fur, like his hair, was a sandy blond that bordered on light brown. It had various shades, darker along his back, lighter near his paws. I wanted to dig my hands in his fur, hold him close, and confess everything. I wanted him to shift back into human form, put his arms around me, and assure me that everything would be all right.

  But I knew none of that would ever happen. If he knew the truth about me, that I hadn't shifted yet, he'd be appalled.

  With a last look at me, he splashed across the brook and loped away, awash in moonlight. With longing, I watched until I could no longer see him. Shifters healed when in wolf form, but I wasn't sure that shifting would heal a broken heart—either his or mine.

  THREE

  As I hurried back to the main house, I realized that I now had something I hadn't had before: a chance with Connor.

  And just as quickly reality slapped me hard in the face. That chance was only available if I could figure out what had happened to me, why I hadn't shifted. I mean, really, what guy wanted a Static girlfriend?

  When I arrived at the house, I located my backpack, started for the front door, and stopped. It was late. Only a few lights were on, but I wasn't ready to run into anyone else and continue with my cover-up. Besides, I had something I wanted to check.

  We were an ancient civilization. Some believed we'd been around since the dawn of time. Others thought we'd come into existence with King Arthur and the magic of Merlin that had surrounded him. The elders never really confirmed our origins. They simply protected the secrets of our history. Those secrets were housed within ancient texts that the passage of time had made so fragile that only the elders were allowed to read and study them.

  While I walked in the shadows along the side of the house, heading toward the back, my mind drifted to the ancient texts that were stored in a room that only the elders were allowed into alone. They'd shown the room to the Dark Guardians, reverently removed the ancient book from a glass box, and allowed us to touch the worn leather so we'd have more regard for our past. But the book was never opened in front of us. The words were never read to us. Surely something so carefully guarded contained secrets—and answers.

  I didn't bother sneaking. No point when the night guards had a keen sense of smell. I was surprised that I hadn't spotted anyone yet, but I figured they were probably on the far perimeter. Their job was to stop anyone who shouldn't be here from getting this close. They weren't here to stop us from doing anything we shouldn't. After all, we'd all sworn an oath to be honorable. An oath I was about to break.

  When I reached the back door, I turned the knob—not surprised to find it locked. I swiped the keycard and watched the red blinking light turn green. Taking a deep breath, I slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind me.

  Now was the time for stealth. I was in an area we were discouraged from hanging out in. The hallway was unlit. Closing my eyes, I envisioned what everything had looked like when the elders brought us to this area of the residence. The hall was wide. Tables decorated with antiques and statuettes honoring wolves lined the walls. If I simply walked down the center, I should be okay.

  I crept slowly and carefully, until my eyes adjusted to the gloom and the shadows began to take shape. I realized that a few of the doors were open. Pale moonlight spilled through the windows into the rooms and whispered into the hallway. But it wasn't an open door that interested me.

  My heart thundering, I came to a stop in front of a closed door. I knew if I was discovered I'd be stripped of my Dark Guardian status—but that was going to happen anyway if I didn't get some answers. I put my hand on the knob and a chill went through me. I wasn't certain if it was the knob or my hand that was cold. It was as though the ghosts from the past were breathing down my neck. "Enough already," I muttered. Squeezing my eyes shut, I twisted the knob.

  It opened.

  I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from gasping out loud with surprise. I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Or what I thought I was going to do if it hadn't opened. Was someone in there? Was one of the elders working late? Or did they trust us to respect that we weren't supposed to enter this room? Or maybe someone had just forgotten to lock it.

  Pushing on the door, I cringed when the hinges gave a creak I glanced around quickly, then decided the hell with it. I shoved open the door and stepped inside.

  No one was there.

  I switched on the light and dimmed it. An ancient mahogany desk sat in front of a massive fireplace. The mantel was stone with feral-looking wolves carved into it at either end. I guessed that they symbolized Dark Guardians watching over the treasures. The room was huge with ornate brocade chairs and carved wooden chests scattered throughout. I could envision the elders sitting around and going through the treasures tucked away in the chests for safekeeping. Leather-bound books lined the shelves on two of the walls, but those weren't the books I was interested in. The one I cared about was in the glass case on a stand in the corner.

  I set my backpack in a chair. Striding by the desk,