Sometimes By Moonlight (16 page)

“Wait a second. I can’t leave like this. Not with—”

“Harriet will make the excuses for the school and your family,” Massimo said.

“No, we have to go back. You don’t understand!”

“
Tutti va bene, signorina
,”
Massimo said as he drove the car through a guarded gate and onto the tarmac, where a small jet was powering up. The car skidded to a halt and Massimo popped out of the car. The back doors unlocked and I stepped out onto the airstrip.

Massimo, keeping his sunglasses on, reached for my hand. “Come. The plane must depart.”

I stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to burst into flames in the sunlight, but maybe that only happens in the movies. The old vampire guy led me toward the jet, and all I could think about was that I was leaving Austin behind. That he was out in the woods, bleeding to death or already dead and I was abandoning him.

“I can’t,” I said, balking at the door of the plane.

“You must,” Massimo said as he kissed me on both cheeks.

Tears were streaming down my face. “No.”

“
Non ti preoccupare
,” Massimo said. “Don’t worry.”

Maybe that meant that he was going back for Austin, or maybe that meant that it wouldn’t matter anyway. He pushed me forward, toward the steps of the plane.

“Wait. Can you thank Mrs. Lemmon for me?” I said.

“
Certo
.
” He nodded. “
Arrivederci
,
Shelby.”

“And there she is!” a loud British voice boomed as I entered the plane. A tall guy with long, salt and pepper hair and a scruffy beard grabbed my hand and jerked me into a chair. The chains on his leather jacket jingled. “Took old Massimo long enough to collect you. He’s slow for the bloodsucker variety,” he said. “Best buckle your seatbelt, love.”

I glanced around the interior of the plane. It was finished in wood and the seats were made of butter yellow leather. I blinked at the scruffy guy. “I’m sorry, what’s going on?”

“Fuzz Bridges,” he said, strapping himself into the seat across from mine. “I’m sorry our introduction is such a crude one.” He extended his hand.

I shook it, trying to understand. “You’re…”

“Austin’s dad,” he said.

“Oh, thank goodness! Fuzz, we’ve got to go find Austin! He’s out there in the woods probably—”

“Oi, I’m back here!” came a voice from the rear of the plane.

“Surprise.” Fuzz grinned, his teeth white and sparkling. “You’ve got a quick minute and then we’ve got to take off. The Horsemen will be on our tail soon.”

I ran to the back section of the plane, where I found Austin sprawled on a couch. My heart swelled in my chest. “I thought you were—”

“I know,” Austin said, his voice weak.

I sat down on a corner of the couch and studied him. His face was pale, and he had a gash above his right eye. I lowered my lips to his and kissed him lightly.

“I told you not to worry. That I’d figure out a plan,” he said.

“You were shot by a stupid boarding school guard. That wasn’t part of the plan.”

He laughed, which made him wince. “No, it wasn’t.”

Gingerly, I peeled back the blanket covering him and saw bandages on his chest and shoulder.

“I assure you, it’s not as bad as it looks,” he joked, wincing again. 

I pulled the blanket back up over him. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was trying to figure out how to save you and how to get myself out of there. Luckily, Mrs. Lemmon ended up helping me escape.”

Austin nodded.  “I told you there was someone on the inside. When Dad first heard about your being sent to Steinfelder, he contacted his European publicist, Massimo, who convinced his girlfriend Lemmon to take the job there. They thought we’d blow her cover if we knew it was her watching over you. Lemmon contacted Massimo last night after the shooting, and he rang Dad. They flew here immediately and found me in the woods.”

“Thank goodness for private planes,” I said, glancing around.

Fuzz’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “That’s enough now, lovebirds. Take your seats, please.”

I went to get up, but Austin caught my hand. “I’m going to be fine,” he said. “Now we have to worry about you.”

“So… I’m really going to turn?”

“Looks like it,” he said. “But at least you’ll be in Muldania, with us. With me.”

I kissed Austin again, but my heart wasn’t the least bit light. The change was ahead of me, but more than that, The Seven Horsemen were working to drive the werewolves out of existence. I didn’t understand what they hated about Lycanthropes, especially Austin’s family, who were good people, who didn’t kill randomly, who actually contributed to the world. But now that I was becoming one of them, I was a target, too.

I strapped myself into the seat at the front of the plane near Fuzz. After a quick takeoff, we started chatting. I tried to laugh at his jokes. I told myself to be happy I was finally meeting Austin’s family and he and I were both safe. But the worries in my mind weren’t fading.

“You’re going to love Muldania,” Fuzz said, handing me an icy can of soda. “It’s beautiful, even in the winter. And the hunting, well, it’s superb.”

My eyes must have given me away, because then he said, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s not so bad being our kind. And you’ve certainly brought a smile to my son’s face.”

“Yeah?”

In Fuzz’s scruffy face I saw kindness and warmth. “Indeed. I think it was love at first bite,” he said with a hearty laugh.

“Ugh, that’s the kind of joke my grandma makes.”

Fuzz looked taken aback. “Now you’ve hurt my feelings,” he said, clutching his chest.

“Oh, geez. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Father, leave her be!” Austin yelled from the back of the plane.

His father laughed again, throwing his head back. “Sorry, only having a bit of fun. I like a giggle now and then.”

“Yeah, my dad’s a joker too. A quiet one, though,” I said.

Fuzz’s smile faded. “Don’t you worry. We’ll figure that out, too.” He patted my hand. “Maybe we’ll have him and the whole family out to the castle, even.”

“Oh, well, maybe not,” I said, and then I filled him in on Honeybun and Dad.

And after that, I kept going. I told him how I worried about the changes coming with the arrival of my little sibling. And how I couldn’t imagine my dad accepting me when he found out all the werewolf stuff. And how I’d never really felt like I belonged there in Beverly Hills with them to begin with.  I told Fuzz stuff I hadn’t said to anyone.

“Shelby,” he said after I finished, “this gift of ours may seem an unusual one, but it brings with it freedom like you’ve never known.” He paused for a moment, glancing out the window, and then turned back to me. “When you’re one of our kind, my dear, you’re free to be who you’re meant to be, under the moon or not. You must hide the wolf at times, but you need never hide the real you or how you feel. Not among our kind, anyway.  We live freely in the truth of ourselves.”

As we flew on toward Muldania, I leaned my head against the window, imagining what my new life would be like. I pictured the stone castle, a safe haven for the pack. I thought about my growing bond with Austin. I envisioned myself in my wolf’s body. And for the first time, I felt a surge of excitement.

Moonlight may have the power to reveal things that are best left unseen, but perhaps some of those things deserve to be brought into the light. And maybe hiding the truth of who you are or how you feel isn’t really living. Suddenly, becoming a werewolf didn’t seem like such a bad thing. Not if it offered the freedom Fuzz spoke about. 

I decided right then I would welcome the moonlight.

I would embrace it, danger and all…

# # # #

About the Author

Heather Davis is the award-winning author of the novels
Never Cry Werewolf
,
The Clearing
, and
Wherever You Go
. She lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. You can find out more about her work, including future books in the
Never Cry Werewolf
series, at
www.heatherdavisbooks.com