A Cursed Moon - Chapter One
Chapter One
A
Cursed Moon
“Damn it,
Bren—wake up!”
“Hmmph?” Someone
with a death wish was shaking me. You don’t disturb a werewolf’s sleep; that’s
just common fucking sense. The breeze shot through the cracked opened window,
bringing a strong whiff of Tahoe’s magic. I grinned and inhaled. That shit was
better than witch ganja, and it lulled me back to sleep.
But then Dan
flipped on the leg lamp on my nightstand and opened his yap again. “Wake up, I
mean it.”
“Grrrrr.”
“You can take that
werewolf shit and shove it up your ass.”
That made me
chuckle into my pillow. Dan swearing was damn funnier than Elmo dropping the
“F” bomb. He shook me again, this time harder. I flipped over and tried to get
comfortable.
“For crying out
loud, put some pants on! I don’t need to see your . . . stuff.”
“It’s my goddamn room.
I can sleep naked if I want. And what the hell do you mean by ‘stuff’? What are
you, ten?”
Dan ignored me. “Bren,
your stupid one-night stand stole all our food, our DVDs, and
our laundry detergent.”
I half-opened one
eye. “Wendy wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“Her name was
Natasha.”
“You sure?”
“That’s the name
she wrote all over my bathroom with her lipstick.”
I sat abruptly,
suddenly panicked. “She didn’t take my porn, did she?”
Dan’s jaw slacked.
“Is that all you care about, that she took your porn?”
“No.
For shit’s sake I’m hungrier than hell. How are you going to fix me breakfast
without any food?”
Dan threw his
hands in the air, in that same exaggerated way he always did when I pushed him
to his breaking point. He kicked my dirty clothes on the floor and paced like
an expectant dad. “You have the audacity to think I’d actually cook you
breakfast—after what your one-nighter did?”
I scratched my
beard. Damn, I needed a trim. “Well, yeah. It’s your job around here, you’re
the woman. You’re supposed to cook, clean, and pay most of the bills. My job is
to keep your ass safe from humans, vamps, weres,
witches, little old ladies, and pretty much anything else you’re afraid of. It’s
part of our deal, along with me getting you laid.”
Dan stomped to the
side of my bed, stumbling over a pair of my old jeans. “First of all, it was
just that one little old lady. I may be human, but I’m pretty sure she was some
kind of spirit―especially given the amount of supernatural activity around here
lately. Secondly, I don’t need help getting laid.”
I stared at my
beanpole roommate. His messy curly hair hung over his thick black-framed
glasses, and he tripped over air on a regular basis. Jesus.
There were Girl Scouts more muscular and agile than him. “Yes, you do, Dan.”
“I’ve gotten laid
a lot lately, all without your help.”
“Ugly girls don’t
count, man.”
“Celia’s not ugly.”
I laughed and
yanked at my overgrown hair. Damn, I needed a cut, too. But unlike Dan, I did
grunge well. “Celia was more than eight years ago.” I chuckled again. Talk
about a mercy lay.
He narrowed his
eyes. “What’s so funny?”
“I still can’t
believe you were her first. How’d you talk her into it? Did you promise to
tutor her in chemistry or something?”
Dan’s entire face
reddened, making him look more like a tomato than a walking piece of broccoli.
“Whatever, Bren. I’ll prove to you I can get laid.”
“Sure, sure, you
can get laid. Don’t get your thong in a bunch.”
Dan stamped his
foot. Shit, I only thought girls did that.
“I mean it, Bren. I
have to work late at the lab tonight, but I’ll meet you at eleven at the Watering
Hole. I’m going to get a girl so hot your head will spin.”
I yawned. “Sure
you will, buddy.”
“Fine. If you don’t
believe me, how about we bet on it?”
“Dan, you don’t
want to bet me on something like that. You’ll only lose and embarrass yourself.”
“You’re just
afraid. I thought you were a wolf, not a chicken.”
My brows furrowed
and I snarled. “Did you just call me a chicken?” This
time it was Dan’s turn to laugh. I could be pretty damn intimidating, but he
knew I’d never hurt him. He was a mothering pain in the ass, but also the best
friend I’d ever had.
“You heard me,
clucky.”
A slow grin eased
across my face. “All right then, name the terms.”
“The loser has to
clean and cook for the rest of the year . . .”
“Is that the best
you can come up with? Oooh, I’m real scared now.”
“. . . wearing
a French maid’s outfit, regardless of who’s in the apartment.”
My grin widened. The
little turd had some balls after all. “You’re on.” I held out my hand. He
refused to shake it until after I showered.
I glanced at my
dogs-playing-pool clock. “Oh shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I was supposed to
meet Aric and his Warriors an hour ago at the Den.” I shrugged. “Oh well. They
should know better than to expect me to be on time.”
Dan shook his head
in a way that told me a lecture was coming. “Bren, what’s wrong with you? You
should feel honored that Aric invited you to join his pack. He’s a renowned and
respected pureblood.”
I kicked off the
sheets wrapped around my ankles and stood, feeling my temper rise. “He only
asked me to keep tabs on Celia.”
Dan followed me to
my closet where I yanked out my last pair of clean jeans and a flannel shirt.
“He asked you because you earned his respect when you helped save her and her
sisters. Bren, we would have lost Shayna if you hadn’t tracked her.”
I threw the
clothes over my shoulder. “Whatever, he’s an asshole for dumping Celia.”
Dan leaned against
my dresser while I reached in to grab socks and a pair of boxers. He seemed
bummed all of a sudden. But hell, watching our girl Celia get chewed up and
spit out had been a nut-punch none of us needed. For all her strength and good
looks she’d never had any confidence when it came to males. And thanks to that
idiot pureblood, she never would again.
Dan pushed his
thick glasses back in place when they slid down his long schnoz. “Bren, Aric
didn’t have a choice. He has to marry another pureblood were.
Even Celia has come to terms with that.”
I rammed my finger
in his face. “That’s bullshit. You’ve seen her, she’s not the same, and
everyone damn well knows it.” I stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door,
cracking the doorframe. I didn’t want to talk about Aric and Celia anymore.
That ass-wipe broke her heart. Then he had the balls to get pissed when she
turned to that master vamp prick, Misha.
I took my sweet time
getting ready and then drove from Incline
Village to Squaw
Valley . The Den sat on top of Granite Chief Peak
The ’stang roared
up the dirt path, kicking up pebbles every time I hit the gas. I’d like to say
my baby raced up the steep incline like cougar in heat. I’d also like to say I
banged Ali Landry. Neither was true. I fought to keep my ride from swerving off
the goddamn cliffs. The trek up the mountain took me fifteen hellish minutes.
Talk about a pain-in-the-ass commute.
Waves of magic
thickened the closer I got to the entrance. The weres and
the local coven of witches had combined their mojo to reinforce protective
wards surrounding the mountain and any place used as a safe house for
preternaturals. Dan was right about one thing; spooks had been popping up
around Tahoe like gophers . . . gophers who liked eating people.
It wasn’t exactly a shock. Since the Tribe had emerged a lot of mystical shit
had gone down. And since our recent run-in with the demon lords leading them,
the amount of spirits lurking about had gone haywire. It hadn’t grown too bad
too handle—just a couple of ghosts here and there trying to claim lives—but hell it was enough to keep us on our toes.
I pulled up to the
iron gates. A werewolf named Bob barreled out of the gatehouse crankier than
sin and roughly the age of stone. His scowl revealed his pleasure at my
arrival. I flipped him off. I wasn’t pleased either, pal. My hopes were that
that hot blonde, Heidi, was working so I could talk her into a nooner. So much
for that.
Bob growled hard
enough to quiver his lips like a bulldog. Impressive―if I were a toddler
and afraid of idiots. I blew him a kiss and peeled rubber through the gates,
away from the dense forest and onto the Den’s large campus. The place looked
like a ritzy ski resort for those born with silver spoons rammed up their asses―not
a school for teaching those who could change into
snarling beasts at will. Giant chalets with wraparound stone-stacked porches
and outdoor fireplaces made up the buildings on either side of me. I huffed.
There was money in being were. Too bad those bastards
weren’t willing to share with a mutt like me.
I passed the
library lawn where Koda and Liam―two of Aric’s other Warriors―engaged in some
kind of training activity with the young weres. They
scowled at me. I smiled and gave them a wave. Hey, what could I say? I was a
hell of a guy.
I peeled to a stop
and parked in front of the administration building, a chalet that ran up three
damn stories. Aric’s quarters were supposedly on the top floor. I wondered
briefly if he could see God from there.
Gemini lolled down
the stone steps as I slipped out of the ’stang. Out of all of Aric’s Warriors,
he was the most tolerant of me. It must be because of that whole Zen thing he
had going on. At first I didn’t understand how he and Celia’s sister Taran had
gotten together. She was a sexy siren and louder than a bunch of frat boys at a
strip club. If he was any calmer, he’d slip into a coma. Then I saw how his
laid-back nature affected her and I got it. She was his yin, he was her yang.
He
probably also likes what she does to his yang. I know what I’d like Heidi to do
with my . . . Shit. I wonder if I could track her.
Gemini squared his
jaw, darkened by a well-groomed goatee―kind of prissy if you asked me. “Bren,
Aric and I would like a word with you.”
I shrugged,
knowing he was pissed and knowing I could give a rat’s ass. He
led me across the street into the main building used for classes,
recreation, and dining hall. Ten-thousand square feet of wall-to-wall dark wood
awaited me down the corridor. Too bad Gemini turned left toward Aric’s office.
We found Mr. Royal
Among Weres sitting behind a mahogany desk in an office roughly the size
of my apartment. He flicked a pen across a paper he was grading, kind of an odd
task for a guy who’s supposed to be a big shot. He angled his chin up as soon
as he caught my scent and—surprise, surprise—he didn’t appear happy. “Have a
seat,” he said through gritted teeth.
Gemini positioned
himself at his right side, just like a good ole Beta should. I sat down and put
my feet up on his pristine desk. Hell, I’m already in trouble.
Might as well have some fun— I hadn’t finished my thought before Aric backhanded
my feet off so hard that I spun in my chair. “What the hell, Aric? Do you have
your period or something?”
“Bren, when I
invited you to join our pack I thought you understood it wasn’t in name only. Belonging
requires not only for you to fight evil alongside us, but discipline and
commitment to learning our ways and educating the minds of our young males. You’ve
been a lone wolf all your life, so I’ve let some things
slide—”
“Is this about the
sex-ed talk I gave the students?”
Aric gripped the
sides of his desk. Any minute, he was going to smash that fine piece of
furniture into rubble. I didn’t care; it wasn’t coming out of my paycheck. He
let out a deep breath. “That wasn’t a sex-ed talk,” he snapped. “That was a
how-to-get-laid speech.”
I shrugged. “Same
difference.”
“No, it’s not. Especially
when you were supposed to be lecturing on driver’s ed.”
“I mentioned the
driving, but that bored the shit out of them. So I talked to them about what to
do in the backseat. Believe
me, that kept their interest. I was just getting to the extra-credit
assignment when you barged in.”
Gemini
interrupted, probably to give Aric a moment to calm down. “Bren, we keep males
and females separated during their schooling in order to keep them focused on
their learning and decrease their naturally competitive natures. In their
teens, they’re extremely impressionable and hormonal.”
“You mean horny? It’s
okay, Gemini, you can say it. We’re all adults here.”
Aric leaned back
in his leather chair and narrowed his stare. “Look, Bren. It’s not just about
the damn speech. As weres we’re the ones obligated to protect
the earth. Our war against the Tribe has reduced our numbers to a handful of
scattered packs.” He swore when I rolled my eyes. “Are you that blind to what’s
happening? It’s bad enough we have demon lords to deal with, but this ghost
activity is getting a hell of a lot worse!”
Shit,
the guy’s testy. “Don’t you think I know all this?”
“Then you need to
start getting here on time, start learning everything you can to make yourself
a better Warrior, and assist our youth in becoming the best they can be.” The
knuckles in his hand cracked when he balled them into fists. He must not have
liked me picking that piece of lint off my shirt just then. He growled, further
emphasizing his annoyance. “Bren, the Elders don’t
approve of your presence. I’m sticking my neck out for you and I expect you to
start making an effort!”
“I resent that. I
make an effort. Who the hell was pummeling evil back to hell with you just the
other week?”
Aric leaned
forward. “Engaging in the occasional clash with the dark ones isn’t enough. You
need to sharpen your fighting skills as a wolf and a human. They’re average at
best, and we don’t know what shit we’re going to face.” He watched me
carefully, trying to gauge my reaction to his tirade. “I can’t drive this into
your thick skull enough. You have to be ready and capable to take on any
opponent―whether it’s another preternatural or something that rises from the
demon realm.”
I tucked my hands
behind my head, seriously not giving a crap. “Aric, you saw me in action last
week. My fighting skills are awesome.”
“No, they’re not. You’re
a brawler. All those kung-fu movies you claimed to have watched are not enough.
You need to study actual technique and form. It’s the only way to ensure your
survival and that of the earth’s.”
I’d survived a
hell of a lot more than this rich boy and his buddies ever had. The prick was
totally asking for it. “I don’t have to do jack. I can kick any one of your Warriors’
asses.”
Aric’s lips curved
into a smile. “Really? You’re saying you can take Gemini, Koda, or Liam?”
I leaned forward
and grinned back. “Not only them, but you too, pretty boy. Any time, any place.”
Aric stood slowly
and walked around the desk. “How about outside, right now?”
I stood to face
him and waved an arm out. “After you, sunshine.”
Gemini
straightened. “Bren, I don’t think you realize what you’re getting yourself
into.”
I followed Aric
out, ignoring Gemini and ready to rumble.
We passed Liam and
Koda leading their group inside for chow time. Liam’s eyes cut to Aric then me.
“What’s going on?”
I puffed out my
chest and winked. “Nothing, buddy. I’m just about to pound the shit out of your
fearless Leader.”
There was a brief
pause before the tap of fingers drummed across cell phones and the stupefied
group clamored behind us and hurried to catch up. By the time we crossed the
street and onto the large lawn in front of the library, weres
were rushing out of buildings and sprinting down the sidewalks from every direction.
Students and faculty alike circled around us. It was about forty degrees
outside, and the cloudy, overcast sky had already begun to drop the first
traces of sleet. Aric yanked off his navy University of Colorado
I stripped out of
my flannel shirt and tensed my muscles so they bulged. “How ’bout we chuck the
rules and say anything goes?” A loud murmur spread around the crowd. “And how about
the first one who gets knocked out loses?” Murmurs morphed into excited shouts.
Aric just stood grinning like an idiot. Dumb shit didn’t know what he was in
for.
“Fine, Bren, we’ll
play it your way. Just to make it interesting, the loser—that would be you—has
to do anything the winner—me—wants. Are we clear?”
“Damn straight.
Ready when you are, hero.”
Aric advanced. “Take
your best shot.”
“How about my best
kick?” I led with my foot to the outside of Aric’s knee. As he sidestepped away
from my fake kick, I caught him with a left cross to the nose. He winced. I
winked.
“Damn shame you
punch like a girl.” He landed a spinning heel kick to the side of my forehead
when I lurched forward.
I staggered back
and grunted. “Lucky kick, asshole.”
We circled each
other with our eyes locked, looking for an opening to attack. Around us the
young wolves chanted, “fight, fight, fight, fight,”
reminding me of the good ole days on the playground.
Aric attacked
first with a jab. I blocked it but couldn’t stop his knee from jamming into my
ribs or his elbow that slammed into my chin. I went down. Aric followed, but I
surprised him with my speed, meeting his jaw with a right cross.
“Oh. I’m sorry, sweet
cheeks. Did that hurt?”
Aric responded
with a spinning back kick into my solar plexus. I stepped back to catch my
breath, but Jet Li continued with a spinning back fist into my temple and followed
with a hammer fist to my forehead. For a moment, I thought my brain had actually
fallen out of my skull. I shook my head to try to clear it.
Okay . . .
that got my attention. When brawn failed, it paid to rely on strategy. Time to get a little dirty. “So, Aric, have you talked to
Celia lately?”
A united gasp
spread throughout the crowd, followed by a deafening silence. Even the damn
birds in the trees stopped chirping.
Aric paused,
shooting me a death glare hot enough to singe.
Liam cut through
the mob of students. “Bren, I wouldn’t mention her name if I were you.”
Koda clasped
Liam’s arm and pulled him back to the edge of the circle. “Let him talk, Liam. We’ll
see just how far his mouth gets him.”
My head jerked
around, like I had no clue whom Liam meant. “Mention whose name? Oh! Do you mean
Celia, his ex-girlfriend who’s now shacking up with a vampire?”
Aric’s deep growl
rumbled low into his chest. “I’m warning you, Bren, don’t go there. She’s not
here to save your pathetic ass.”
Heh,
heh, heh. Am I getting to you, lover boy? “Oh, I know she’s not here,
Aric. She’s busy with Misha.”
Aric attempted an
uppercut to my chin, but his fury made him sloppy and I drove my knee into his
balls. He dropped like a chunk of granite. Heh, heh . . . a snarling chunk of
granite.
I stood over him
and shook my head. “Sorry, Celia. . . . Well, then again it
shouldn’t matter to her, now that she’s got Misha to help her out in that
department—”
“Oh!” The crowd yelled
when Aric leaped up and nailed me in the face. Two of my teeth hit the grass
like hail. I kicked his boys again―more out of instinct than tactic. He hunched
over in agony. I spit out a lot of blood and about three more teeth. No worries, they’ll grow back in a few hours.
Things were
starting to go my way, so I decided to have a little more fun. “You probably
heard that Celia is staying in Misha’s guesthouse. I heard the same thing, but
I don’t believe it for a minute. If I know my boy Misha, Celia is probably with
him right now—if you know what I mean.”
Aric broke my nose
with his fist then under-hooked my left shoulder and slammed me into the frozen
ground. I choked, trying to breathe, and spit out more blood.
Okay,
now I’m pissed. I’d bled enough, now it was his turn. I staggered to my
feet. “Nice one, Aric. Do you think that’s how Misha throws Celia on the bed
every night?”
My trash talk didn’t
have the effect I wanted. When I charged, he flipped me onto the ground again. I
whirled back to my feet—not wanting him to realize how he’d knocked the wind
out of me. We faced each other again, circling with challenging stares.
Enough
is enough. Time for you to go down, you cocky son of a bitch. I prepared
to take him out with my best move, but not before letting one last comment sink
in. “So, do you think Celia screams out Misha’s name? You know, when they’re
doing it like monkeys?”
I’m
not sure how it happened exactly, but the world went black. When I opened my
eyes, a hell of a long time later, it was white and I couldn’t see a goddamn
thing. It took me a moment to realize that it was because I had a note
conveniently stapled to my forehead. It read:
Dear Loser,
From now on,
you will be at the Den on time and ready to work. When you are here you will be
respectful to my Warriors and to me, and you will abide by our ways. You will
also be in charge of cleaning this bathroom you’re lying in by six o’clock
every night for the next month.
One more thing. Celia is my
mate. If you ever disrespect her again, I’ll tear out your fucking throat.
Sincerely,
Aric Connor, aka Your
Fearless Leader, who knocked the shit out of you
I looked around.
The place was an endless room of black tile and chrome. It had seven stalls,
seven separate urinals, and four showers. I swore up and down. When the hell am I going to learn to keep my mouth shut?
I may have been an
asshole, but I was an asshole who kept his word. It took me hours to clean the damn
place. Didn’t anybody teach these little pukes how to aim? I
was finishing up scrubbing the last urinal when a stampede echoed down the long
corridor outside the bathroom. A pack of young wolves stormed in, occupying every
last stall and urinal. Apparently, they’d just finished dinner, and judging by
the sounds and smell, chili had been on the menu.
Liam, Koda, and
Gemini roared with laughter outside the door as I let loose on the evil little
bastards. “Hey! You better get your assess back in there and flush, you pricks. . . .
You, aim for the hole, aim for the hole, don’t look at
me—aim for the goddamn hole! Oh, I know you assholes
aren’t showering now. Everyone get the hell out. . . . I don’t
give a shit if you’re not done, get the fuck out now!”
Every last turd
scrambled out leaving wads of toilet paper and dirty towels scattered across
the muddy floor. I swore when I glanced at the wall clock and saw it was five-goddamn-thirty.
Somehow, I was going to get the Warriors back for this.
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