The Crescent (11 page)

“Maybe they know how you actually got them and didn’t want to say anything?”

I hated to state the obvious- “Wouldn’t you think you’d remember having the shit beaten out of you enough to get these types of bruises?”

Jillian squinted her eyes like she didn’t appreciate my observation. “You would think, but you’re the one sitting here obsessing about strange dreams that aren’t real.”

OUCH.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you.” I replied, a little more snidely than I had intended. I climbed from the car trying to make sure I didn’t bump any of the too real, too fake, not sure how they got there, bruises.

Jillian rushed behind me towards the school. “I’m so sorry Lacey.” She grabbed my arm and I winced. “Damn. I forgot.”

Wrapping my arms around my body, I tried to ignore the pain rushing through me and not bite her head off. “It’s fine.” I continued walking not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. I should’ve stayed home; I’m not ready for this.

“Maybe you should talk to Mrs. Stone…” Jillian whispered as we neared the office. We both stopped walking when we saw Brandon slumped against the building. His dark eyes focused in our direction as if he had expected us. “Oh my…” Jillian said under her breath. “SO, I guess I’ll catch up with you later?” Her tone changed as she rushed off leaving me with my love turned monster.

“Hey.” I swallowed hard, staying several feet from him. Brandon looked at the gap between us and stood upright. His face pale and his eyes were blood shot.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for the other day.”
The other day… When he kissed me in the nurse’s office.

“No sweat.” I tried to play it off, but he just confirmed that it wasn’t a dream. Brandon’s eyes shifted back and forth to students walking on the sidewalk and people going into the office.

“Can I take you to lunch?” Brandon stepped closer and my sense of flight kicked in; I stepped a full stride backwards. “Just to repay you… you know for your kindness?”

“No. Thank you. I have a boyfriend.” I said the first thing I could think of. Alex and I weren’t officially dating and after this week, I had no idea what we were.

Brandon looked disappointed at my rejection. “Is this about what happened?” He held up his hand to show me his mark that matched mine. The mark on my palm had doubled in size since the last time I saw him.

“You know.” Brandon smirked. “I know you know. Just accept it.”
Let it overtake you… let yourself go.
His words from my dream whispered against my ear and my neck. I took in a deep breath but my legs wobbled. I threw my arms out to stop from going down, but he caught me first.

“Easy- Easy.” He wrapped his arm around me and took my backpack from my shoulder. “I’ve seen that look before.” Brandon tugged me closer, my face almost pressed to his chest. Panic and satisfaction washed over me in alternating waves as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath at Brandon’s chest. I wrapped my arms around him ignoring the pain and pulled myself even closer to his body; my own body not wanting to let him go. I heard my backpack hit the ground, in an instant Brandon’s hand was under my chin.

“Are you alright?” His eyes were safe and familiar so close to my face. I nodded, but wasn’t really sure if I was. “Come on.” Brandon kept his arm looped around the small of my back, as we walked away from the office. I went with him complacently as visions wreaked havoc on my brain; being in love with Brandon then watching as he violently transformed into a hideous creature ready to attack me.

“You look like you are feeling better.” Still in a trance, I wasn’t convinced that I felt better as he opened the door to his house. I doubted that I looked any better either. My stomach and head told me it was a mistake to leave school with this boy that I didn’t know. My heart told me I’ve known him forever and regardless of what he was, I loved him; I needed him.

The house was scantly furnished with an old couch, a coffee table with a lamp on it, a small TV on a stand and a two-person dinette in the kitchen. “I know it’s not much.” There were no pictures, no decorations, nothing about this place felt like a home. “It’s sort of an in between place.”

I shook my head and settled my shaky legs on the couch. Small talk. That’s what I needed right now. “So do you live here by yourself?”

Brandon retrieved two sodas from the fridge and came to sit next to me. “No. A few of my friends live here with me.”

“You don’t have any family?” I watched carefully for his reaction.

“They are my family.” He cracked open his soda and took several sips. Silence overtook the room. I looked around and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “What about you? Are your parents cool?” More small talk.

“They’re ok.” How do I tell him my dad is an alcoholic, my mother is an enabler and I can’t bring myself to tell them about my dreams for fear they will have me committed.

Brandon smirked as though he knew the conversation I just had with myself. “Must be hard being the only child.”

“Ummm… I don’t remember telling you that.” I set the soda down and glanced at the door wondering if I should make up an excuse to leave.

“You didn’t have to.” He smiled and without explanation continued. “Why do you cover your eyes with contacts?” He looked like he was going to touch my face, but stilled his hand just inches away when I started to lean back from him.

“How did you know I wear contacts?”

Brandon half laughed and allowed his fingers to brush my cheek sending chills through my body. “Because the first day I met you, they were blue. The next, they were green, almost the same color as mine.”
DUH.

“Everyone in my family has blue eyes, not green.”

“So you don’t like being different?” His question unnerved me.

“No it’s not that…” I barely knew him; did I really owe him an explanation?

“Then why cover them? Your eyes are beautiful without the contacts.” His finger brushed the smooth skin beneath my eye. “Why don’t you take them out now?”

I inched further away from him on the couch, finally feeling my legs steady. “Because… I don’t want to.” I responded aggravated at his inquisition.

“You don’t want people seeing the real you, the beautiful person behind the mask?” He antagonized me as he poked fun at my desire to be like my family.

“I need to go back to school.” I got up from the couch and stomped towards the door. Brandon made it to the door before I could even turn the knob.

“Leaving so soon?” He tried to sound lighthearted, but his tone wasn’t. I tightened my grip on the doorknob wondering if I could really get past him and out the door.

“I need to get back to school. I’m going to get in trouble.” I lied; the look on his face told me he knew it.

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will. You don’t know my parents.”

“I know they are lying to you. Don’t you want the truth? Don’t you want to know why you are having the dreams about me and why we are connected?” He brushed a stray hair from my face; his eyes shined making my knees feel weak.

And I hated to admit he was right; I wanted to know. I wanted an explanation for the dreams, for my love for him, for my reaction to Alex and for my parent’s strange behavior. “Yes… but…” My voice sounded meek. Was I really
ready
for the truth?

Brandon lifted my hand and traced his finger around the purple crescent moon that had grown darker on my palm. “Your parents will never love you like I do.” I released my grip on the door and my body started to relax with each twist of his finger against my hand. “I would never do anything to hurt you like they have. They have not prepared you, warned you, for what you will shortly become. They thought they could stop you from your destiny, but they were wrong.” He leaned his forehead to mine, “You have felt the changes. You have started to smell them- to react to them?”

The only smell that I had encountered was the strange stench around Alex. “My boyfriend smells funny…”

Brandon leaned back; casting his eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. “Please don’t call him that. He is your enemy and mine. I don’t want to think that he’s touched you… in anyway.” Brandon hesitated. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”

The night at Alex’s house rushed back to me and the thoughts of how I wanted to sleep with him so badly but couldn’t. “No.” I couldn’t tell my imaginary boyfriend that I wanted anyone else. It felt like I was a cheater, even though technically, I wasn’t.

“That’s the only way he could’ve broken our bond.” Brandon’s fingers loosely intertwined with mine. “If you would’ve willingly given yourself to him.”

“Brandon… I don’t understand any of this.” My heart bounced against my chest from the mere touch of his fingers and his breath on my face.

“I know you don’t. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. It took me forever to find you.” Brandon brushed his fingers down my arm making me hold my breath. “But I’m here now and there is nothing they can do to change that.” I anxiously anticipated his kiss as he leaned towards me. When our lips finally touched my pulse raced and I threw both of my arms around his neck deepening the kiss. I felt the sting from my bruised arms for the briefest moment, but it stopped the instant my mind flooded with visions of his love for me and mine for him. I was faint again and breathless from his lips covering mine.

TWELVE

“Hey.” A petite dark haired girl said as I opened my eyes. I glanced around the unfamiliar room. “I’m Lily.”

“Hi. I’m Lacey.” I sat upright on the bed and looked towards the door leading into the hallway. “Where am I?”

“You’re at our house. Brandon is in the living room.” She smiled; her eyes were brighter green than my own. She didn’t look older than ten or eleven.

“Are you his sister?”

“Sort of.” She closed the notebook she had been doodling in. “He asked me to keep an eye on you while he talked to Trevor and Matt. He didn’t want to leave you, but they have to deal with the Alex issue.”

“What
Alex
issue?” I hadn’t admitted to doing anything with Alex. Maybe Courtney had told Brandon something in hopes to get Alex.

“He crossed the line.” Lily smirked. “He has to pay for it.” Her words were menacing, disturbing.

I jumped off the bed and rushed towards the sound of the voices. Brandon was sitting on the couch and two boys just as big as him were sitting on the floor.

Brandon shot up from the couch, halting my advance. I tried to clear my head and tell Brandon to leave Alex alone, but his voice distracted me. “You’re up!” He wrapped his arms around me then pointed at the two boys to introduce them. “This is Matt.”

“Hey.” The larger of the two boys stepped forward further deterring me from my mission. He outstretched his mammoth hand and electricity shot through my skin when I touched his. I staggered backwards and Matt grabbed my arms to stop me from falling, but he caused more harm that good. My body shuddered, more waves flowed through my arms.

“I’m sorry.” Matt mumbled as Brandon yanked me away from him, taking me into his arms again.

“She’s still getting used to her senses. Give her some room.” Brandon gave him a dirty look and lowered his tone; the words were an order.

Trevor stepped forward and offered his hand, but Brandon stepped between us causing Trevor to pull back. “Sorry… I’m Trevor.”

“Why did I react to him like that?” I demanded, my skin still tingling.

Brandon looked at Matt, seriously displeased with what had just transpired. “Most of us have years to prepare for this.” He hesitated. “I guess we will give you a crash course.” Brandon reclaimed his spot on the couch and motioned for me to join him. Matt and Trevor made themselves busy in the kitchen. “When you are still young, learning your skills, most connections you make with a member of our pack will be that way. I promise it will get easier.” I shook my head staring at my hand. “OK, remember the day you met me? Remember when I took your hand in mine? That happened because we are meant for each other. Our life, or what will be our life, flashes in our minds. That’s the reason you’ve had the dreams, of us, of things to come. You have seen the world, as it should be, as it will be for us. It only happens when you meet your mate and it starts the countdown to the time that you will fully transform.” His body tensed like he didn’t want to tell me that.

“Transform?” It didn’t sound pleasant and with the way his body reacted, I doubted that it was.

“Yes, to be with me you have to transform.” He hesitated and looked everywhere but at me. “When you meet an enemy, you will be overwhelmed by a horrible smell that will almost incapacitate you. You will start to feel the changes more and more when an enemy is near. The smell will be worse surrounding more formidable enemies.”

Alex.

“What if I’ve already had that happen?” My voice cracked, I couldn’t say his name.

“Yes, Alex.” He reached over and rubbed my hand trying to soothe me. “Our enemies, they thought if they sent him…” Brandon squeezed my hand before he continued. “They thought that you would fall in love with him and they could claim you before your change. They thought they hid you well… they never thought that I’d find you... that your family would come for you.”

“This…” I rubbed my forehead.

“I told you, most have years to prepare. We are giving you everything in such a short length of time.”

“I don’t understand… my family? Why would they do that? I mean, why would someone want to claim me?” My words came quicker than my thoughts.

“Because you are the only Werewolf that can destroy their pack once and for all.”

WEREWOLF?

I rubbed my finger under the deep-set wells of my eyes. I stared at the stranger in the bathroom mirror. My parents… are not my parents? The haphazard grouping in the living room were closer to my own family than the ones I’d lived with for the past seventeen years. It’s too much to understand or even contemplate.

Enough make believe. “Can I go home now?” There’s no way I’m a werewolf or that I’m supposed to kill Alex… so not happening.