Dark Guardian - Moonlight Part 20

"Mason told me that his college roommate-"

"Yeah, that was me. He was such a geeky kid, in awe of his father. When he started talking about Bio-Chrome, I thought it was destiny."

"If you wanted a cure so badly, why not let them experiment onyou ?"

"Because I didn't trust Keane not to portray me for what I am: a freak." He shrugged. "Besides, I was in the mood for a little revenge." He stood up and jerked me to my feet. "Now let's go."

I heard a low, threatening growl. There were probably a hundred wolves in this forest, and I had no idea how many Shifters. But I knew before I turned around and saw the familiar multicolored coat of fur that it was Lucas in wolf form. He bared his sharp incisors.

"Dammit, Lucas, what did you do-dig the bullet out? You are determined to prove yourself, aren't you? Unfortunately I don't have any more silver bullets. Do you know how expensive they are?" Devlin shoved me to the ground. I hit with a jarring thud. "So I guess we'll settle this in the way of our kind."

From my position, I could see Lucas's side. He was still bleeding. Even with the bullet gone, I guessed he couldn't heal completely. He'd be weaker- A shirt flew at me and landed over my face. By the time I could s.n.a.t.c.h it off, Devlin had shifted and a black wolf was crouched near me. The black wolf I'd seen the night of the beer party. He was larger than Lucas. His teeth seemed longer, sharper.

Mason had mumbled something about the eyes not changing. I understood what he meant now. Shifters retained their human eyes. I could see Lucas in the silver and the madness that was Devlin in the gray.

I knew this would be a fight to the death, as it was supposed to have been when Lucas first challenged Devlin's place as pack leader. I knew Lucas was weak and wounded. I knew Devlin was strong and insane-and there was a certain strength that came with madness. Lucas was risking the loss of everything. Devlin had already lost it all. He risked nothing, and that made him the more dangerous of the two.

I knew that Devlin had every advantage. That I was likely to lose Lucas, lose what I'd only just discovered.

I love you.

The words were just a whisper in my mind. But it was enough. Lucas heard them. His head jerked toward me.

It was a tactical mistake. As Devlin launched himself at Lucas, I realized that with my words, I'd sentenced Lucas to death.

FIFTEEN.

With a challenging growl, Lucas catapulted himself toward Devlin.

Teeth bared, the brothers collided in midair, snarling. Their strong jaws were snapping, and their claws were tearing through fur to reach vulnerable flesh. I could smell the earthy scent of fresh blood on the air, and my nostrils flared in response. Was it because I was that much closer to a full moon and would soon be what they'd become?

They slammed to the ground, scrambling apart to regroup. They slowly circled, each searching for a weakness-a vulnerability-in the other. Lucas waited, and I knew he was h.o.a.rding what little strength he had left. Devlin lunged.

Lucas sprung to the side. Devlin landed. Lucas pounced onto his back, biting into Devlin's shoulder. Devlin yelped from pain and maybe surprise, too. Surely he hadn't expected Lucas to be so aggressive. Devlin bucked, trying to throw Lucas off. Lucas bit Devlin again.

They rolled. They snapped at each other. They broke apart and came back together. Over and over. I could see Lucas's strength waning. I kept my eyes on him, wondering what I could do to help and knowing with a sense of helplessness that there was nothing. Tomorrow it might have been a different story; tomorrow I might have been more help, with my first shift behind me. But for now, Lucas had to battle alone.

I knew Devlin would show no mercy. Devlin would go for his throat if the opportunity presented itself.

They fought on. Tumbling, one over the other, they were getting closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. They broke apart as though they realized that was the only way to slow their momentum. I tried to blank my mind. I didn't want Lucas to know how frightened I was for him. I didn't want to make my previous mistake of distracting him. His breathing was labored, his side coated in blood.

I clutched Devlin's shirt only because it was something to hold on to. I glanced over at his discarded pants and saw the gun. I scrambled over to it and lifted it. It was hard to hold with my hands tied, but I managed. My adoptive dad had taken me to the shooting range lots of times. I was pretty good with a gun, if I did say so myself. Even though up until this point, all my targets had been outlines on paper.

I aimed it, but Lucas was in the way. Was this his battle and his battle alone to fight? Would he hate me for killing his brother? The bullet wasn't silver. The odds were it wouldn't kill him, but it might give Lucas a chance. I moved over to the side, hoping for a better angle.

Devlin launched himself. Lucas sprung up and slammed into Devlin, sending them both careening over the edge of the cliff.

My scream followed them down.

Still holding the gun uselessly, I rushed to the edge of the cliff and looked over it. I could see Devlin, partway down, impaled by the broken branch of a tree. He wasn't moving and he was in human form. I a.s.sumed he was dead.

My heart was thudding painfully in my chest. Where was Lucas?

Then I saw him, still in wolf form, making his way painfully back up the side of the cliff.

"No!" I yelled. "Go back down. I'll meet you at the bottom."

But he kept trudging upward until he reached level ground. He trotted over to me. He licked my chin. I wrapped my arms around him, buried my face in his fur, and wept.

After all that, my mind was blank. I didn't know what to think, except that maybe he'd welcome the silence.

When my embarra.s.sing breakdown was finished, I leaned back and looked into his silver eyes that remained the same whether he was wolf or human. "I was so scared. I know he was your brother and you didn't want to fight him, but he forced you. It's not your fault he's dead."

He threw back his head and howled. It was the most lonesome sound I'd ever heard. When the echo of his sorrow and pain fell into silence he collapsed against me.

I didn't know what to do, but I knew if I couldn't stop the bleeding in his side, he was going to die.

His howl had been more than a reflection of his suffering. It had been a call to the others. Within an hour, a dozen wolves had reached us. A black wolf with brown eyes cautiously approached.

Using Devlin's shirt, I'd been able to stop the bleeding, but Lucas was too heavy for me to carry anywhere and too exhausted to move himself.

Lucas lifted his head slightly and I knew he was communicating with the wolf. I also suspected who it was: Rafe, who'd always been Lucas's second-in-command when we were taking the Keanes into the wilderness. He disappeared down the cliff and into the cavern for several minutes and when he returned, he was in human form and wearing clothes. He took charge.

The other wolves didn't seem inclined to reveal their true ident.i.ties, but when it became apparent that Rafe couldn't get Lucas into the lair behind the waterfall alone, another wolf stepped forward. His fur was an almost golden hue, his eyes blue. Connor, I realized. He, too, went behind the waterfall and returned clothed and in human form.

Once we had Lucas back in the cavern and beneath blankets, he shifted. I wouldn't have expected Shifters to be so modest. Maybe it was only because I wasn't one of them yet.

Rafe examined his wound. "Looks like it's healing slowly."

"Yeah, if I go back into wolf form for a few hours, I think it'll heal enough not to be bothersome."

"So why did you shift?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

He gave me a tired smile. "Because I wanted to talk with you, be there for you." He touched my cheek. "I know what you're thinking, but you don't know what I'm thinking-not yet anyway."

I wished Rafe and Connor would leave so I could curl up against Lucas. I just wanted to be alone with him.

Rafe said, "I'm going to pack some gauze around the wound to slow the bleeding." He gave Lucas a pointed stare. "You should have called for us as soon as you started running into trouble. You don't have to face all our problems by yourself."

"Think you could chew him out later?" I asked. "He's really been through enough today."

"Do you want Devlin taken back to the village?" Connor asked.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, my parents need to know."

"We'll see to him," Rafe said. He and Connor left.

I touched his side near the wound. "I can't believe you dug the bullet out."

"It wasn't that bad. He didn't hit anything vital. I'm surprised it didn't go through on its own."

"So it'll heal now?"

"It'll take most of the day, and it hurts like a b.i.t.c.h, but I should be okay by tonight."

By the time I was supposed to transform.

"We should both sleep," he said. "It's been a rough day and tonight's going to be challenging."

"Okay." I started to move back a little, and then changed my mind. I leaned forward and kissed him

slowly. Whether I changed tonight or not, I was falling for Lucas . . . hard. I drew away and gave him a soft smile. I twisted around and removed my boots. When I turned back, he was a wolf. I nestled up against his side. Sleep seemed impossible when I knew what awaited me tonight. So I was surprised when darkness claimed me quickly.

SIXTEEN.

When I woke up, it was early nightfall. Lucas was still sleeping when I crept out of the cavern and eased out from behind the waterfall. It was one of those weird nights where the moon was visible at the same time that the sun was. I'd always found the moon peaceful, but not tonight. Tonight it seemed ominous, a sign of change that I wasn't sure I wanted to face.

I glanced around. No sign existed of the wolves who'd been here earlier, but I had a feeling they were still around, guarding us. They knew what was supposed to happen tonight. It seemed to me that I should feel different. Instead I wondered what my senior year of high school was going to be like if I had a boyfriend at a university in another state. I was concerned with clothes and shoes and grades. Typical teenage stuff. I just didn't know if I'd be typical anymore.

I felt Lucas's presence before I heard him or saw him. He came to stand beside me. He'd shifted back to human form. Even though he was still recovering from his wound, I felt strength emanating from him.

"The others are still here, aren't they?" I asked.

"Yes. Devlin said the Keanes had left. Tonight wouldn't be a good night for them to return. The first shift goes much easier if there are no interruptions, if we're not distracted by other things."

I glanced at his side. He was wearing a T-shirt and I couldn't see his bandages, but I knew they were there. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad for someone who got shot. I've gotten so used to shifting to heal wounds that I'm a little impatient that it hasn't healed completely, but I'm going to be all right."

"He could have killed you."

"But he didn't. And now it's your survival we have to focus on."

My mouth went dry. I was almost as scared right now as I'd been this afternoon. "If you're right about what's going to happen, I guess after tonight I won't be just a girl anymore."

He gave me a sad smile. "You never were, Kayla."

I nodded. "I know this probably sounds totally insane-and I know it's not like we're getting married- but I really feel grungy. I'd love to pretty myself up."

"A lot of the guys bring the girls here for their first transformation. There's a box over there with a lot of girl stuff in it. I'll show you. Then I have some things to prepare, too."

I found everything I needed in the cavern. I guessed that they were used to girls feeling like they had to be at their best when going through their first shift. There were little samples of everything, like you find in a hotel. Using the very edge of the waterfall where the water wasn't so harsh, I shampooed and showered. I applied a lotion to my skin. I combed out my hair and finger-fluffed it until it dried. I left it loose, hanging past my shoulders. I had a brief moment of wondering what my fur would look like before shutting down the thought. I didn't really want to contemplate the enormity of what was going to happen in a few hours.

I bundled up my clothes, then dropped them near our sleeping bags. Arranged over some containers was a wrap that Lucas suggested I wear. It would provide me with cover without hampering my movements until I shifted. Then it would just fall away.

It was white and silky and seemed appropriate for a first-time Shifter. I draped it around my shoulders. It had enough volume and folds that I didn't have to clutch the opening to keep it closed. I guessed after thousands of years the Shifters had figured out what they needed for this moment.

I walked back to the waterfall and stared at the rush of water. I didn't have Lucas's certainty that I was going to change. While I was afraid of what the transformation might be like, I was more terrified that if it didn't occur, in spite of his rea.s.surances, I'd lose Lucas.

Lucas and I ate by moonlight. We sat on a black cape, similar to my white one. I a.s.sumed it was his and wondered why he wasn't already wearing it. Apparently there were rituals involved here that I didn't yet know about.

Dinner was simple: just prepackaged sandwiches and protein bars. Lucas told me to eat plenty because I'd need my strength. Sipping my bottled water, I watched as the moon rose higher.

"So after the first shift, I can change at will?" I asked, wanting to know as much as possible in case it did happen.

Lucas was stuffing our trash into the front pocket of the backpack. He was all about not littering our environment. He glanced up at me. "Yeah."

"So, how do I do that?"

"The first shift, you have no control over. Your body is going to do what it needs to do to teach itself to shift. When you're ready to shift back to human form, just close your eyes and envision yourself as a human. Your body will take over."

"What if it doesn't? What if I get stuck?"

He grinned. "I've never heard of anyone getting stuck in one form. If you think you're in trouble, just let me know." He shifted away as though suddenly uncomfortable. "Just remember that I'll be able to read all your thoughts . . . and you'll be able to read mine."

"That's how we'll communicate?"

"Yeah."

"This is going to be so freaking weird. Are you sure you don't have me confused with someone else?"

"I'm sure."

"So what time will all this happen? When will the moon be at its zenith?"

"Sometime around midnight."

I nodded. "And what do you do?"