Moon Crossed (Werewolf Hunter Series): Season 1 (Episodes 1-6) (Crescent Hunter) (61 page)

“Then how was
it?” My voice rises on the last word, choking back the emotion.

He shakes his head,
then grabs Zane by the collar. “You're going to pay for killing
her.”

Zane's entire body is
rigid and at the ready. I know he's quick, and I really hope he can
handle this, but with seven or so other wolves ready to pounce on us,
I'm not sure we can. “No, Cole, you want me to pay for loving
her.”

My eyes widen at the
revelation. “Jessica was your sister?”

Cole diverts his stare
to me. “Yes, and he killed her.”

“No, Cole, he
loved her.” I look down, which was a mistake.

The wind is knocked out
of me by a wolf jumping on me, and the melee begins.

Growling, snarling,
grunts of force as Zane and I fight off the pack of wolves. I'm not
sure who jumped on me, but I'm able to scramble out from under him.

“Locke,” I
cry out in desperation, hoping he can stop this.

In the dark, even with
my enhanced vision, I'm having trouble seeing what's happening with
Zane and Cole, and what wolves are on him. I'm fighting three myself.
Kyle is the only one I know who’s on me.

I can feel the remorse
in his attack. They are only trying to keep me busy, not hurt me.
This makes the urgency of me getting to Zane even greater; this
attack was meant to take him out. For Cole to seek his revenge.

Tor comes at me and,
using my magic, I push him back, holding him in place. I can focus
one more bit of magic, so I target Cole, who still hasn't shifted.
He's unable to move. With my hand outstretched, I approach him. “You
need to stop this. He loved Jessica. He didn't want to kill her, but
he had to.”

Claire.
Locke's
voice goes off in my head. He approaches us in wolf form.
You need
to step away from this. It doesn't concern you.

Zane is my friend. I
don't abandon friends.
I hope my words hurt.

Aunt Rain and two other
hunters have joined in the melee, and the cacophony of sound rises.
Many of the wolves have gone into a frenzy. Gnashing teeth, clawing,
trying to get out of the invisible restraints the hunters are putting
them in.

Still holding him with
my power, I look Cole in the eye with as much hatred as I have hurt
inside of me. “Cole, stop this.”

His expression is hard
to read; it's a mixture of pain and malice. “You don't know
what it's like to live with this pain.”

Lightly, I run my
fingers over the scar on his neck. The one he got when he tried to
defend me against Pike when my father died. “Don't I?”

His eyes squeeze shut,
clouding his expression with anguish. “You remembered.”

I hold my arm up to
show him where my scar is. “Just like the wound you gave me
here.” I touch my other hand to my heart. “
This
will
never
heal.”

“I tried to save
you. I tried to stop him, but you don't understand.” He shakes
his head with so much remorse that I want to throw my arms around
him.

“I do understand;
you came back to finish what he started.” All other sound and
activity has dulled down into silent slow motion. Zane is fighting
hand to hand with Tor and Locke. The other hunters aren't in my view,
but the muted sound of battle haunts the background.

I reach behind me,
sliding my dagger out of its sheathe. “I won't let you hurt
him.” Tears spill over from the corner of my eyes. The conflict
I feel right now is overwhelming.

“Are you going to
murder me for him?” His eyes are pleading for me to feel
something soft and loving for him. I do, but I can't let it show.

“No. When I kill
you, I'll be doing it for me. Right now, this has to stop.” As
I raise the knife over my head to plunge it into his chest, I take a
moment to contemplate whether I want to do this. Do I really want to
stab him in the heart, giving him the ability to feel me, track me?
In my hesitation, I feel something tickling my hand wrapped around
the hilt. A sad smile amplifies the tears running down Cole's cheek.

I look up to see the
iridescent purple butterfly resting on my hand. The knife falls to
the ground in surrender, and I drop to my knees, releasing Cole from
the confines of my magic.

He drops down in front
of me, branding me with the tortured longing. We are caught in each
other's eyes, saying a million things to one another without speaking
a word.

A raw scream rising
over the melee breaks our gaze. Aunt Rain is on the ground with
Trevor ripping at her chest. I spring away from Cole, channeling my
power toward Trevor and throwing him as far away as possible. I slide
to a stop on my knees beside her. “No, no, no.” I put my
hands over her, trying to heal her, but her injuries are too severe.
Her rib cage is cracked open and I can see her beating heart.
“Someone help me,” I screech with everything that I have.

Cole kneels down beside
me. “Let's try to do this together.”

I can't take the time
to consider whether this is some sort of trick, or if he's sincere. I
try to draw on his energy, but it's not enough to put her back
together. Remembering Red Top, I muster that energy inside me, but
it's just not enough.

I barely hear Aunt Rain
begin to speak. “It's okay.”

“No, you can't
die.” I'm sure my words can barely be understood through my
sobbing.

“This is how we
are meant to go.” She presses a smile that lights her dirty
face. “Don't be angry with Trevor. He's in a frenzy; he didn't
know.”

I can't even begin to
try to process the fact that TREVOR did this to her. “No,
you're going to be okay.” I try again to focus my energy to
heal her. “Someone help me!” Everyone succumbs to the
anguish in my sobs. The fighting has halted, and all eyes are on Aunt
Rain and me.

She raises her hand,
lightly touching my arm, and with a wise smile, she whispers, “You
have it wrong.”

“What do you
mean? If I can help you, tell me how. Tell me what I'm doing wrong.
Please, please Aunt Rain, please don't leave me.” Why am I so
stupid? Why am I so weak that I can't do this?

She coughs and
sputters; blood runs down the corner of her mouth as breath becomes
short and sporadic. “Please. Anyone, please help me.” I
wonder if I'm the only one who can hear my tortured screams. They are
all just standing here, frozen.

I look back to her.
“What do I have wrong?” I'm begging for the answer.

She takes her bloodied
finger and traces something on my arm, mouthing the words, “No
mercy.”

Her hand slides limp
from my arm, leaving a streak of blood trailing down as her spirit
escapes this mortal coil. I wait, watching until she exhales for the
last time. Just like I did with my father, just like I did with
Brogan.

“No, no, no, no.”
I whip my head back and forth in disbelief. She can't be dead; she
can't be gone.

Everything around me
has become unnaturally still. Locke kneels down beside me. Kyle and
Tor stand behind us. Cole tries to put his arm around my shoulders,
but I shake him away with revulsion. His hurt expression doesn't
affect me. My aunt, the last bit of family I had left, is lying here
with her entrails sprawled out around her. She's gone. My hand
twitches, reminding me that I'm surrounded by people who are here to
do me harm.

Bile rises in my
throat, and a dangerous calm blankets me. Growling and snarling fills
the air from Trevor, who is standing a few feet away from Aunt Rain's
body and me.

There's blood dripping
from his muzzle. I study his eyes closely to see if he's
moon-touched. It doesn't matter; there's something in me that knows
I'm going to kill him, right here, right now. Standing slowly, my
glare never faltering, I say, “Let's do this.”

His gnarling sharpens
and his shoulder blades peak, telegraphing his intention to pounce. I
draw my father's sais slowly. Knowing this will be the first kill I
ever make with malice, I take two steps back from Aunt Rain's body,
moving into fighting stance. One sais pointing downward, ready for
stabbing, and one poised for blocking.

“Claire, stop.”
Locke stands between Trevor and me.

“He killed her.”
Through gritted teeth and teary eyes, I manage the words. Anger grows
like ecstasy in the pit of hell I call a soul, not being able to take
a moment to grieve for her because now Trevor's coming for me.

“Not like this,
Claire,” Locke warns.

“Come with me.”
A battered and bloodied Zane puts his hand on my shoulder.

I shake him off. “No,
I'm going to finish this.” I don't so much as blink.

Locke goes to Trevor; I
can't hear what's being said, but Trevor immediately shifts to human
form. He looks at Aunt Rain's body, trying to hide his disgust for
what he has done. “She deserved to die. She killed my family,”
he cries out, his voice wavering.

I shake my head slowly,
tears falling again while everyone looks on in silence. “No,
she didn't.”

An ironic laugh escapes
me. “Pike did.” I look down at Aunt Rain's mangled body.
“
You
did.”

“What do you
mean?” he demands while Locke holds him back.

A sardonic smile
crosses my lips at the pain I hope he's about to feel. “Aengus
and Amelia O'Conlon were our parents. Our mother was wolf-borne, our
father was a hunter. We are brother and sister. ”

“No, that's not
possible.” His confusion is understandable.

“You're a
hybrid?” Cole's mouth hangs open.

“Yes, Trevor. Our
father killed our mother, and Pike killed our father.” It
barely comes out as a whisper.

“It's true.”
Ki confirms what I'm saying.

“I don't…but
Pike said that she killed my family.” He motions to Aunt Rain,
confused and astounded.

“She raised you,
and she took us both in as though we were her children, and now
you've killed her.” My seething tone could cut metal.

He falls to his knees
next her body. “I'm so sorry.” He lays across her,
sobbing through his words. “I'm so, so sorry, Mom.”

My gaze shifts to Cole.
“You did this.” My voice waivers. It takes everything in
me not to kill him. “There has been enough blood spilled
today.” I turn and continue down the trail toward my house.
“Hayden, Ki, can you please prepare Aunt Rain for internment?”
My voice is cold; I don't stop walking.

“Claire,”
Cole calls, trying to catch up with me. I wave my hand; without
touching him, he's thrown backward onto the ground. I hear his voice
in my head.
Claire, I came to warn you about Trevor. I didn't come
here for this.

“Get out of my
head,” I growl at him without turning around.

“Please, give me
one minute. I can explain,” Cole pleads with me, but I don't
turn around or slow my pace.

“I'm begging you
to please stop.” He's back on my heels.

Spinning around, I look
him squarely in the eye. “Why don't you do what you do best.
Leave me.”

The hurt in his eyes
doesn't affect me. Walking backward up the steps, a sickened smile
rises to my lips. “Go on. Git!”

Zane walks silently
past Cole up the steps, taking position beside me. He doesn't reach
for me, but I know he wants to.

I sit in my rocking
chair on the porch and light a cigarette. Locke comes to where Cole
is standing. “Claire, I think you should listen to what he has
to say.”

“It doesn't
matter; it's either a lie or a manipulation. Just some other way for
him to fuck me, then leave,” I snap, and get more irritated,
because the last thing I want to do is sit here and listen to his
bullshit, when I just want to try to process my latest loss to a
wolf.

Cole turns to leave
with his head hung. “I'm sorry things turned out the way they
did.”

I don't answer, even
though there are so many things that I could say. None of them nice,
but all of them true. All of them attacking the lie that he's been
telling me for months: that he was ever my friend. The words escape
and they aren't what I want to say, but all that comes out is, “It
was your choice.”

Locke walks up the
steps to the porch. I throw my hand up, protecting the porch from
wolves. He bumps into the barrier and cries out in pain, stepping
back down to the yard. “Claire, I love you and I miss you. I
want to come to see you.”

“That won't be
necessary.” I say it with resolve. “Go.”

When they all disappear
into the woods, my shoulders fall and the deluge of tears starts
streaming down.

Through
my blurred vision, I look down at my arm where Aunt Rain had traced
something next to my tattoo, “No mercy.” With her own
blood, she had scrawled out two letters, changing it to, “Know
Mercy.”

I rushed in to save you and lost myself in your darkness