Dark Side of the Moon (12 page)

“After we arrived at the house, London had us split up into four groups.  Every full moon, we patrol the Fairbanks territory to make sure everything is okay.  And on top of that, we were looking for the rogue.  I heard it found you?”

I nodded.  “It tackled me, but thankfully I was able to get away from it.  It was scary enough shifting into a wolf for the first time, but it was too much that he found me again.”

“Hopefully we can run him off soon.  That or you’ll have to stay close to London while you’re wolves.”

“I tried, but he runs too damn fast.”

“Yeah, we all do.  You’re probably going to have to build up your stamina and endurance to keep up with him.  Other than running into the rogue, how was your first full moon?”

“It’s so strange…I don’t know if I can explain it.”

“Luckily, I went through what you did when I was eleven.”

“Were you bitten then?”

“No, I was born into this life.  We usually don’t have our first transformation until puberty.  And with kids going through it at younger and younger ages, I’m sure younger generations will probably shift when they’re six or something.  My parents didn’t have their first shift until they were almost fifteen.”

We were quiet for a moment.  I wanted to know about that wolf that growled at me last night.  And even though she wasn’t there, Artemis may be able to give me some insight considering she’s a beta.  “So, last night, I caught this scent, and I wanted to follow it.  But as soon as I stopped, someone growled at me until London tackled him.  I have no idea what that was about.”

“What did it smell like?”

“Kind of like that rogue, but with a hint of cologne.  I can’t quite place it, though.  But why did London tackle that guy?”

A smile appeared on her face.  “He was disciplining one of the guys for getting onto you.  It was your first full moon, so I can understand why they growled at you; you need to stay with your group when we run.  London obviously didn’t like that he was trying to control you in any way because you are most likely going to be our second alpha.  They are not to be reprimanded by their subordinates, and London was just putting him in his place.  It’s nothing to worry about; they should have thought about the consequences before they even growled at you.”

“Most likely?”

“Well, you’re London’s mate, and he’s our alpha.  There are always two, and they are usually a mated pair.  Same with betas.  You’ll learn all about it in time.  So, is there any place in particular you want to go?” she asked, changing the topic.

I shook my head.  “I haven’t really gone into town since we moved here.”

“We’ll have to go out of town to go to the mall.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to go, Artemis?  London told me that there was another pack the next town over.”

“There is, but not to where we’re going.  We’ve declared this town to be neutral, so if there are some of them there and they try to do anything to us, London will have to take action.  They really don’t want that because their current alpha is past his prime, and they don’t want to lose him just yet.”

There was a lot for me to learn, apparently.  It wasn’t just turn during the full moon and run around; Like London said, they were like their own little society.  “So, are there wolf politics?”

“In a way, yes.  There’s a hierarchy in each pack, with the alphas on top, the betas just below, then everyone else.  We do form alliances with other packs because sometimes an alpha of another pack will decide to attack another and it causes wars.  Numbers are the most important thing in pack wars, because if you can get more than the opposing pack, they will sometimes back down.  We’ve been on good terms with all of the packs around us, but that doesn’t mean the O’Malley’s won’t try to pick a fight.”

“London said you were from that pack.”

She nodded.  “Before the new alpha, we had been a friendly pack.  But then he wanted to try to expand our land by any means necessary.  My family wasn’t the only one that didn’t want to forcibly kill people.  One other family came with mine to the Fairbanks clan, and O’Malley’s been sour about it ever since.  But I’m not complaining about it because I met the love of my life due to his arrogance.”

“Do you…think that the wolf that attacked me is from your old pack?”

“He very well could be.  None of us were there when he attacked you last night, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you.  Or he could just be a mentally unstable wolf that was kicked out of his pack.  We won’t know unless we catch him in his human form.  But enough about that.  We’re supposed to get to know each other today.”

“Did London put you up to this, Artemis?”

“Nope.  In fact, he has no idea.”

Well, that’s good I suppose.  London wasn’t forcing her to get to know me, so she could just be doing this because she wanted to.  Or Channing could have put her up to it.  But Artemis looked genuinely happy, so I wasn’t going to question it any further.

For most of the day, Artemis and I shopped around the mall in Blue Pine, the city next to Moonlight Falls.  Though we didn’t buy much, we had fun going to the stores and checking out the merchandise.  I did get a few shirts for when the weather warmed up, and Artemis got a few outfits, too.  We both had similar tastes, and she was never rude or hateful if I found something she didn’t like.  She just say something along the lines of, that color didn’t look good on her or the style makes her look fat.  She was actually a very nice and happy person.

But as we were about to leave the mall to head back to Moonlight Falls, we passed a video game store.  I sighed.  Dan really was a jerk.

“What’s wrong, Selina?”

“Dan, my younger brother, saw London trying to help me back into the house this morning, and he’s blackmailing me.  He wants a super collector’s edition of a game, but I don’t have enough to get it, even if I return what I just bought.”

“Go see if they have it,” she said, pulling out her phone.

I gave her a confused look.  “Why?”

But she already had her phone to her ear.  A second later, she said, “Hey, London.  I’m in Blue Pine with Selina doing some shopping.  She just told me that her brother saw you helping her into the house this morning, and he’s blackmailing her.”  She paused for a second.  “He just wants a video game.”  Another pause.  “Alright.  Yeah, I’ll have her home soon; there’s no way she’ll miss the initiation tonight.  See you later.”  She hung up her phone, and looked at me.  “London’s going to pay me back for the game, so go see if they have it.”

I continued to give her a bewildered look.

“Don’t worry about it, Selina.  Just go get the game.”

“Why is he doing this?”

“Because it’ll be really difficult on both of you if you’re grounded.  As in he’ll probably go crazy from not being able to see you.”

Guess that made sense.

It took me a few minutes to find the specific game Dan wanted, and thankfully, they had the premium collector’s edition.  Even though it was a hundred and fifty dollars, Artemis didn’t bat an eye as she handed the cashier her card.  I’ll have to let London know that this can’t happen again; he shouldn’t have to bend to my brother’s demands, and we needed to be more careful next month so this doesn’t happen again.

With my new purchase in tow, Artemis and I returned to her car.  Now, my only problem was getting this through the door without my parents seeing it.  While I thought about that, Artemis and I talked about our favorites.  It was nice having someone to talk to that was interested in the same things as me, but she wasn’t Miranda.

Speaking of, I haven’t talked to her or Jocelyn in a while.  What were the up to?  It would have been rude of me to call them while with Artemis, so I’ll have to call them when I return home.  So much has happened since I last spoke to my best friends, but I wouldn’t be able to tell them half of it.

Being a wolf was going to be difficult if I was going to have to keep secrets all the time.

Chapter 14

When Artemis and I returned to Moonlight Falls, she asked if I wanted to stop and get lunch.  I was pretty hungry, and she took me to a restaurant she said her family owned.  “London’s mom helped my dad secure the building, and we’re mostly employed by pack members.  We do have a few people who are human working for us, too, so that we don’t discriminate and are covered during the full moon” she explained as she parked the car.

As soon as we walked in the door, the hostess smiled.  “Hey, Artemis.  Would you like me to tell your dad that you’re here?”

“Please.  Is my table free?” she asked.

“Yes, go right ahead.”

I followed Artemis to a table near the back of the restaurant, next to the windows.  As soon as we sat down, a waitress arrived with menus, and we gave her our drink orders.  Artemis already knew what she wanted, but I had to look the menu over because I had never been here before.  After we gave the waitress our order, I asked Artemis, “So, how many have we met?”

“Two.  Three when my dad comes out here.  That should be any minute now.”

“Am I going to have to remember who everyone is?”

“Not immediately, I don’t think.  I can’t see London making you do that just yet.  But eventually, yes, you will get to know everyone, if just by name or personally.  We’re our own little community, and we have to stick together.”

I hope London didn’t expect me to remember everyone immediately.

“So, when do the aches usually kick in, and how long can they be tolerated?” I asked.

“A couple hours after you last saw each other.  And it just depends on how much you miss them.  Sure, I want to be with Channing right now, but I want to get to know you, too, Selina.  I just feel a light burn right now.  Why?  Do we need to call London?”

I shook my head.  “I was just wondering.  They would usually kick in around ten or eleven at night.”

“But that was before you knew you were mates.  That was seven hours after you saw each other.  It may be quicker than that now.”

“It’s been six hours already, and I don’t feel anything.”

Before she could respond, a man approached us.  Artemis smiled at him, and stood to give him a hug.  He must be her dad.  “Daddy, I’d like for you to meet Selina, London’s mate.”

I didn’t like her introducing me like that; it made it official, and I still needed to think about what I was getting myself into.  I gave her dad a smile instead of showing my inner thoughts.

“Hello, Selina.  Are you ready for your initiation tonight?” he pondered.

“I think so.  It’s going to take a while for me to get used to everything.”

“I’m sure you’ll be just fine.  London will help you through everything.  I’ve got to get back to the kitchen.  Your food will be out shortly.  See you two later.”

Right after Artemis’ dad returned to the kitchen, our food arrived.  It was diner like food, and though it was greasy, it was so delicious.  I’ll have to convince my family to come here sometime.

After lunch, I asked Artemis if she could show me around town, tell me where her favorite places to hang out were.  She also told me which places were owned by pack members, and that they would welcome me with open arms.  I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if they were being this nice to me because I was the new member in the pack, or because London said we were mates.

Had he told everyone and pretty much backed me into a corner?  Even after I told him I’d have to think things over?  I was going to have to have a talk with him again.

Around five, I decided it was time for me to return home.  Plus, I needed to let my parents know that I needed to go out tonight.  Sneaking out again may not be the best idea because I doubt they’d believe I was sick then fine then sick again.

A few minutes later, we had arrived at my house.  “See you later, Selina,” Artemis said as I got out of the car.  I just gave her a smile.

Heading to the front door, I tried to keep Dan’s game hidden.  I didn’t want my parents to know I had bought it.  Or rather, London bought it.

Opening the door, I found the living room to be empty.  I quickly closed the door and headed to Dan’s room.  He was lounged in his gaming chair, staring at the TV.  “Here you go, jerk,” I said, tossing him the game.

He caught it, and gave me a confused look.  “You got it that quick?”

“Yeah, courtesy of London.  Now forget what you saw.”

“Is that any way to treat your baby brother?”

“Baby my ass.”  I walked out of his room, and went to mine.  I tossed my purchase onto my bed, shed my coat, and set my purse down.  Then, I went in search of my mom.  I needed to convince her to let me go over to London’s tonight.

She was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready.  “Hey, Selina.  Did you have fun with your new friend?”

“Yeah, Artemis is really nice.  You’re probably going to see more of her and her boyfriend Channing and London.”

“Oh?  Why is that?”

“Friends and study groups.  Speaking of, we have a test coming up in chemistry, and they want to study tonight after dinner.”

“Where?”

“London’s house.”

She thought for a moment.  “Okay.  Just don’t stay out late.  You have school in the morning.”

“I won’t.  Thanks, Mom.”

That was easier than I thought it would be.  I guess it was worth it for London to be the son of Dad’s boss.  I was just going to sit in the kitchen until dinner was ready, but my phone rang.  It was Miranda.

I quickly headed to my room as I answered, “Hello?”

“Hey, are you feeling better?”

I sat on my bed.  “Y-Yeah.”

“I called you a couple times last night, but you didn’t answer.  Your mom said that you didn’t feel well and must have been asleep.”

Shit, she called last night?
  “Yeah, I just ate something bad.”

“She also said that you had been over at London’s.”

Shit.  “Yeah, we were doing hour homework.”

“Uh-huh, sure you were, Selina.”

“We were.  His friend Channing and his girlfriend Artemis were there, too.”

“London’s girlfriend?”

“No, Channing’s.”

“Ah.  Does London have a girlfriend?”

Fuck, what should I tell her?
  She’ll either harp at me about thinking about dating him, or she’ll tease me about it.  I really didn’t want that.  “No,” I told her.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, Miranda.”

“Gee, touchy much?  It was just a question.”

I sighed.  I couldn’t tell her about everything that was going on with me.  She’d probably think I was crazy and wouldn’t talk to me anymore.  Plus, I didn’t want to know what London would do if I told her.  “What’s up with you and Jocelyn?” I asked, changing the subject.

For a while, she caught me up to speed on what I was missing.  But I only halfway paid attention.  I was thinking about what would happen tonight.

When my mom called me to dinner, I got off the phone with Miranda.  Dinner was pretty uneventful, Dad telling me to be careful when I went to London’s.  I could understand why because it was dark out and he wanted me to be safe.

After we ate, I returned to my room.  London said he’d pick me up at seven, so I had some time to waste.  So, I picked up my sketchbook, and drew.

I had only drawn a quarter of what I wanted it to be when the doorbell rang.  To make my lie believable, I grabbed my backpack after I put my coat back on.  Dad opened the front door as I came into the living room.  “Oh, hello, London.”

“Hello, Mr. Scott.  Is Selina ready?”

“Yes,” I answered.  “I’ll be back later, Dad.”

“Alright, be safe.”             

After I shut the door, London eyed my backpack.  “I told them we were studying for a test.  They would have questioned me if I didn’t bring it.”

He nodded, and showed me to his car.  It was an older model SUV, but it didn’t have any wear or tear on the outside or on the inside.  After I set my bag in the floorboard and London was behind the wheel, we set off to his house.

“So, have a good time with Artemis today?” he asked.

“Yeah, she’s really nice.  But did you put her up to it, London?”

“No.  I didn’t know you were with her until she called me.  You should have told me about your brother, Selina,” he softly said.

It didn’t sound like he was chastising me.  “I just didn’t think about it until I saw the game store.”

“I want you to come to me whenever you have a problem, Selina.  I’ll help in any way I can.”

“One way you can help is to make sure he doesn’t see you running off again.  He said he heard me opening my window.”

“You’ll only have to do it four more times, so we’ll figure something out.”

I gave him a confused look.  “Four?”

“Yeah, until graduation.  Or your birthday.  Which comes first?”

“My birthday’s May first.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything else.  He had turned onto the driveway leading to his house.

But I had more to say.  “Why did you tell everyone we were mates even after I told you I’d have to think things over?”

“They’re going to smell my scent on you and figure it out on their own, Selina.  There’s really nothing we can do about it.  After you’re initiated into the pack, they’re going to expect a mating ceremony sometime.”

A mating ceremony?  “And is that what I think it is?”

“It’s kind of like a wedding.”

“And I already told you that’s not happening, London.”

“And I already told you that we can put it off to get to know each other better first, Selina.  It’s only been two days since that conversation.  Just give it some more time,” he said, putting the car into park.

There were a few cars in the driveway, but I didn’t see anyone in the front yard.  Were they all inside?

After we got out of the car, London said, “We’re still waiting on everyone to get off work, so we’ve got some time.  And we’ll do everything inside since it’s a little chilly tonight.”

I nodded and followed him up the stairs of the porch to the front door.  There were a lot of people in the living room, chatting.  I recognized most of them from London’s lunch group, and there were a few older people here, too.  When they saw us, they fell silent.

London didn’t say anything as he ventured into the living room.  I didn’t like how everyone stared at me.  It made me feel very uncomfortable to be here.  As London sat in the middle of the one empty couch, he said, “Guys, she’s not a freak show, so cut it out.”

They immediately looked away from me, and returned to their conversations.  It was so strange to see people obeying his orders so easily.  But I was going to have to get used to it, I guess.

Looking across the room, I saw that London was staring at me.  He patted the seat beside him, wanting me to sit there.  With nothing else to do, I made my way over to him, and sat on the couch next to the arm, not too terribly close to him.

“Have any questions for me while we’re waiting for everyone, Selina?” he asked as a few more people came in through the door.

I shook my head.  “I think what you told me earlier was pretty self-explanatory.”

Before he could respond, a woman approached us after entering the front door.  She was older, with dark brown hair and eyes.  She sat on the other side of London, and gave me a smile.  “Hello, Selina.  We’ve had so many opportunities to meet, but for some reason, London hasn’t introduced me to you yet.  I’m his mother.”

I saw London roll his eyes as I answered with a hesitant, “H-Hi.”

“It’s such a shame what happened to you last month.  I couldn’t imagine being attacked like that.  In a way, you have it harder because you weren’t born into this life,” she said with a sigh.

I wasn’t really sure how to respond to that.  How could I respond?  Thankfully, London did it for me.  “Alright, Mom, that’s enough,” he sternly said to her.

“What?  I was just—”

“We all know that you prefer those born wolves over those turned, and I don’t want you treating Selina as though it was her fault she was attacked.  So just go ahead and get over it.”

She gave him a long hard stare before standing and going across the room.  I didn’t pay attention to where she went.  I wonder why she was prejudiced and why she felt the need to say something to me.  I wanted to ask London, but I didn’t think now was the time or place.  One, we weren’t alone, like how that conversation should take place.  And two, he looked a little pissed.  I didn’t want to add to it.

A few minutes later, Channing and Artemis arrived.  They came over to us, Artemis with a smile on her face.  Channing looked serious as he spoke to London.  “Her mom and dad are on their way.  Other than that, everyone’s here.”