Moon Crossed (Werewolf Hunter Series): Season 1 (Episodes 1-6) (Crescent Hunter) (13 page)

An indulgent smile
bleeds across his features, lighting his eyes, and he nods. “Yes
ma'am.”

After
Cole leaves, I fill everyone in on what happened. Locke is straight
pissed off. “I just can't imagine any wolf-borne doing this. I
guess it could be some sort of territory dispute, but as far as I
know there isn't anything to dispute. I'm going to take a ride up
after the full moon and talk to some of my old friends in the pack.”

“Anything you can
find out would be awesome. Not to mention, if Red Top isn't aware of
the intrusion, I'm sure they'll be interested in finding out about
it.” It's not that I want to add fuel to the fire, but it is
their territory.

“This has to be
handled and we need to find out who they were. I'm sure the council
will be interested in this kind of activity.” Aunt Rain is
already formulating the argument.

“Maybe they'll
actually start to pay attention to us again.” It's been
bothersome to me that they've really been ignoring our area. It
doesn't matter that things are quiet; they still should acknowledge
us.

“Be careful what
you wish for,” Aunt Rain warns.

“True.”
Locke raises his eyebrows.

I'm still feeling a lot of soreness and I'm tired. “I'm going
to lie down for a bit more.” I get up from the table and head
for the door.

“Claire?” I
turn around upon hearing Locke call, “I don't think you should
be on patrol alone anymore.”

“No, this is
where I draw the line.” To stop the conversation, I continue
out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

After three hours of
sleep, it's time to head down to the lab. Two more days until the
full moon and I want to be ready with the new potion. I shower,
change, and head downstairs, stopping in the kitchen for a snack.
It's odd that nobody's home.

I shake it off and
continue down. After flipping on the lights, I get to work right away
analyzing the samples I've applied the cure to. There isn't a lot of
change, which is disappointing. But I'm not totally disheartened.

All of the boys have
provided me with blood samples to use in my
experiments. It's good to have a baseline, especially when one of
them is going to be a guinea pig.

Presently, I have
Brogan's blood cells under scrutiny, comparing them to an older
sample. I'll get another sample tomorrow, and then one after the full
moon when he takes the potion.

The feeling of a
wolf-borne in proximity comes over me. Kyle.

“Claire?” I
hear his quiet voice coming from my office.

“Hey, Kyle, come
on in.”

“How's it going
in here?” he asks, looking around at everything.

“It's going.”
I shrug. “I'm just gathering some data, getting ready for the
full moon.” I look in the microscope again to see the effects
of applying the potion directly to Brogan's blood cells.

“Yeah, Brogan
told me he was going to be taking the anti-shift potion.” He
doesn't look me in the eye, but that's normal for him.

“Yeah, he is.”
I nod.

“Oh, here.”
He comes to the table and puts a pound of coffee down. “I
brought this for you. I hope you like house blend.”

“I love any
coffee, as long as it isn't flavored.” I pick up the bag and
smell it. “That's so sweet of you! Are you trying to be my
favorite wolf?”

“I would love to
be your favorite.” Redness colors his face.

“You know I don't
really have a favorite.” I go to him and give him a hug. “I
love you all the same amount, but in different ways. Just like a
mom.”

He shuffles his foot
around and inhales. “Do you love Cole like a mom?”

Crap. “Kyle, Cole
and I are just friends.”

“I've watched how
you two have become very close.” He looks me in the eye,
awaiting my reaction.

“Yes, we are very
close. But I don’t want you to worry.” I put my hands on
his shoulders.

“I am worried.”
He turns away from me.

“Listen, I've
heard all about the big bad –” Kyle cuts me off.

“No, that's not
what I'm worried about.” He looks at me with a half-smile.

“Then what are
you worried about?” This is odd, considering that I was ready
for the talk again.

“I'm worried that
you two are going to deny how you feel about each other and miss out
on what could be the best thing that ever happened to both of you.”
He sits in one of the chairs.

“I'm sorry. I
mean, I don't...” Shock has my tongue.

“It isn't just
how you look at each other when you think no one is looking; it's a
fundamental thing. When you are near each other, you both visibly
glow.” His eyes light up while he's talking. “I've never
seen Cole so happy as when he's with you.”

“How long have
you known him?” I'm hoping to maybe get some straight answers
about who Cole Jackson really is. The roguish misogynist that
everyone is making him out to be? Or the Cole I know.

“Brogan and I
have known him for a long time. Since long before he transferred.”
He nods to me.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”
There's a touch of pain in his expression.

“So is what
everyone says about him true? Is he really just a horn dog looking to
rack up the notches on his bedpost?” I ask, point blank,
because right now it feels like that's all that matters.

He hesitates, blowing
out a breath. “Cole is a complicated guy. He had a couple of
serious relationships, but he got his heart broken every time.”
He shakes his head as though he's feeling the pain of those breakups.
“And he's gone a little off the rails since then, but he's a
sincere, sweet guy and he really cares about you. I can tell by how
he is when he's around you.”

“And how is
that?” I know the answer, but it's better to hear it from
someone else, confirmation that I'm not imagining things.

“He's gentler,
not nearly as cocky as he typically is. It's like you soften him in a
good way, and when you are together the air hums.” He smiles
cautiously.

All I can do is blink,
because I thought all of that was something I was imagining. Now, I
feel a deeper pain in my heart for something Cole and I can never
have. “But we can't be together.”

“It wouldn't be
the first time you've broken the rules.” He motions to the
whole house, indicating that my entire lifestyle is an affront to the
“rules.”

“But I'm not sure
that he –” He stops me again, waving his hand back and
forth.

“I know Cole.”
Kyle tilts his head and his brow furls with seriousness. “He
loves you.”

My mouth goes dry at
hearing those words, even if Cole isn't the one saying them. He
can't; he doesn't know how to admit how he feels. Yet, there's
something in me that won't accept it. “But how can you tell? I
mean, I know he's been with other girls since we started hanging out.
And I don't care, because we're just friends.” I have to throw
that last part in, since I'm not really allowed to be jealous.

“I can tell
because of the terror in his eyes. He's scared.” Kyle pulls a
half smile into his cheek. “Don't get me wrong, the fear is
good because of how he's been hurt. But everything that you're
feeling, he's feeling, too.”

His eyes are so kind,
yet unyielding in his message. I'm speechless, unable to think of
anything to say that won't break my own heart into a million pieces.
His smile widens and he flashes his dimples. “I will admit,
watching two of the most intrepid people I know do the delicate dance
of yearning has been fun.” He chuckles to himself.

“No way, I'm not
going to accept this.” I wave my hand as if cleaning a slate.

“I have never
seen two parts of the same flame work as hard to stay apart as they
do to be near one another.” He tilts his head, hoping that I
will finally admit what he knows to be true.

I give it a good long
pause of contemplation before I answer with the only real response
that I can. “We can't. So it's out of my head, and I'm happy
just to have him as my friend. If I can never have anything more,
being his friend will be enough for me.”

“Really?”
His tone is riddled with disbelief.

“Yes, really. I
don't have a choice.” I have to choke back the sorrow.

“Admit to
yourself how you feel. Go with that.” He comes and takes both
of my hands.

“I'll be content
making him happy every thoughtful way that I can. I'd shoot the moon
out of the sky if it would make him smile
just once.” The imagery of Cole's smile plays in my mind. “My
God, it's so beautiful when that boy smiles.”

“Only when he
smiles for you.” Kyle arches his brow, pausing. “He wants
to be a better man. He wants a reason to be good and you give him a
reason to smile, to strive for something better for himself and his
future.” He shakes his head. “Did you know that he was
down at the community college getting information for fall
registration?”

“He was?”
I'm astounded.

“Yeah, he said a
wise woman told him that he was wasting his intelligence.” He
looks hard at me. “I'm betting it was you.”

“I did say that.”
I hop down off the stool to pace.

My phone dings, telling
me I have a text.

I'm going to be late
tonight, but I'll be there. ~Cole

KK sounds good.
~Claire

“That was him,
wasn't it?” he asks.

I nod. “How did
you know?”

“Because of the
light in your eyes.”

My cheeks redden,
punctuating the need to control my expressions where Cole is
involved. Just because Kyle is okay with it doesn't mean that
everyone else will be. God, what am I thinking? This can't be.

“You are good for
him, Claire, and he's good for you. I haven’t seen you smile or
light up like you have since he started coming over.” He
watches me pace.

“But everyone
keeps telling me to stay away from him.” I plead for an answer
to that problem. “And Trevor...”

“Trevor can get
over it. We all will; how can we deny you that kind of happiness?”
He blows out a breath. “God knows you deserve it. And the way
Cole makes you feel is just plain good.”

I go back to the
microscope and pretend to look into the lenses. “I'll think
about it.”

“That's all I'm
asking,” he says in a relieved tone. “I also want you to
know that I won't judge either of you. We spend too much of our lives
denying ourselves the things that can make
us feel joy.”

There's a stretch of
silence between us, and I don't take my eyes off the blood slide,
even though I'm not looking at it.

Kyle inhales a cautious
breath and as though he's ashamed for asking,. “Are you sure
it's going to be safe?”

“What do you
mean?” I ask.

“Are we sure this
won't hurt Brogan?” He points to the potion.

“It shouldn't.
Nothing in it is harmful; it's meant to keep him from shifting.”
I change out the slide.

“Is it the same
one Trevor took last moon?” What is he getting at?

“It's a
variation.” I nod. “Trevor didn't shift until the night
was almost over. So I'm thinking the ingredients were good, just
not strong enough.”

“This one's
stronger?” He studies it in the beaker.

“Yeah.”

“I'm really
hoping none of us shift this moon.” The remorse in his voice
blankets the room.

“Me too.”