Temptation of the Wolf: A Silver Moon Novel (Book 1) Page 2

  Pierre paused for a brief moment. “Ah, ma douce une, what is wrong? I can taste the sadness in your voice.”

  A sigh escaped her before Luna could stifle it. “I don’t know, Pierre. This place is both familiar and strange. I’m home, but it’s not been my home for over twenty years. It’s my parent’s home, it’s Michael’s home, but it’s not really mine. It’s knowing that I wasn’t wanted here, but I still wanted to be here. It’s painful knowing it, and even more painful feeling it”.

  “Luna, I am sorry that I am unable to take your pain away. I wish I could have travelled to America and stood beside you at this time, but work dictates otherwise”.

  Silent tears ran down her face. Luna wiped them away and smiled at Pierre’s words. “I know, darling. The office would go crazy if you weren’t there”. It was true. Everyone relied on him to have everything sorted out far too often. Pierre was dependable. “I just wish I didn’t have to do this.”.

  “You are not doing this alone, my love. Your brother is with you, yes? He will see to everything and I am just a phone call away”.

  Smiling through the tears, Luna sighed softly. Pierre was a little old-fashioned in his way, believing that women should allow men to do certain things. Little things, like holding a door open or pulling out a chair, she secretly enjoyed, traits which were endearing, but having her brother sort out everything? No, that was a little annoying.

  “I had better let you go, Pierre. You don’t want to miss football”, she said. Thursday evenings he would play football with some of his friends and, although Luna was by all definition, an American, she still referred to many things with French and British terminology, since the majority of the boarders at her school came from Britain and France. Michael would always tease her when she said football instead of soccer, or jam instead of jelly, trousers instead of pants, but Luna would always joke that she was more European than American.

  “Yes, it is time for football. Be safe, ma douche une, and remember to call me tomorrow. I miss you already”.

  Hanging up, Luna brushed her drying hair and left her childhood room. Hopefully Chase would have left the house by this time and she could try and relax before everything got too crazy.

  Walking into the kitchen, Luna found her brother in the kitchen talking softly on the phone.

  “Sure … nuh huh … usual place … do I get a crown? Yes, I am taking it seriously … no way … he can go tuck his tail underneath his legs and piss off …” Realising that he had company, Michael hurried his call. “Gotta go, Mike. I’ll catch you tonight. Hey, sis”.

  “Who was that?”

  Michael shrugged, throwing the phone down on the counter. “Just a family friend. Got to meet him and a few others tonight to sort a few things out. Thought I’d make us some dinner before I need to head out”.

  “What kind of things? Want some help?”

  “Just business stuff and yep, you can make the salad”, he said, gesturing to the variety of ingredients already sitting on the side. Luna set about washing and dicing everything, working alongside her brother in silence. Whenever Michael and their parents had visited her in Paris they had always cooked in silence; it was a moment of familiarity that Luna desperately needed. It almost made her forget why she was there.

  Almost.

  Sitting down at the table, Luna’s face scrunched up in disgust as she watched her brother chew on the bloodiest steak she had ever seen. “Urgh. You realise that cow is still mooing somewhere?”

  Michael laughed softly, wiping the blood from his lips. “What can I say, I’m the big bad wolf. I like it rare”.

  “There’s rare and then there’s still alive”, Luna grimaced. She looked down at her plate trying to ignore the sight of the bloody steak. “So what happens now?”

  Silence filled the room for a few brief moments, but they felt like hours. Taking a deep breath, Michael spoke. “We have a meeting with the sheriff in the morning. I’m not sure what he wants to talk about, probably that it was an accident and when we can collect the bodies. Funeral will most likely be held on Monday”. Picking up his fork, he stabbed another hunk of bloody meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

  “I just don’t understand what happened. I mean, Dad was always such a good driver”, Luna said, forcing herself to eat a bite of her salad.

  Michael shrugged. “Perhaps a deer ran out in the road. We get a lot of them here, especially in our woods”,

  Before she could answer, there was a rap at the door. “Is that Chase? Did he forget something?”

  Michael shook his head. “Nope, Chase knows that he can just walk in. Must be someone else”. Placing his cutlery on the table, Michael walked towards the front door. Not hearing any voices, Luna stood up from the table and made her way over to find him standing in the doorway, a look of bewilderment covering his face.

  “Michael, what’s the matter?” Luna asked. Then she looked down.

  And screamed.

  Four

  Luna’s screams only lasted for a moment but Michael nudged her to jog her out of continuing. “Don’t be so dramatic, sis. It’s not that bad”, but there was a dullness to his voice that betrayed his words.

  Blood spattered across the porch, the vivid redness a grisly glare upon the weathered wood. In the middle lay the severed paw of an animal, the blood still oozing out and the bone cracked and jagged. A small pile of white pebbles was positioned above the grisly sight. Luna covered her mouth with her hand. “Michael, what is that? Is that a dog’s paw?”

  Michael shook his head. “No, it’s a wolf’s paw”, his voice strained.

  “There are wolves here?” Luna asked, well aware of the slight increase of pitch in her voice.

  Michael nodded. “There are a few in our woods. They don’t do us any harm so they’re free to hunt there. Just don’t go hiking through the woods at night and you’ll be safe”.

  Luna tore her head away from the severed paw. “Who on earth would put a severed paw on your porch?”

  Michael grabbed hold of her upper arm and pulled her inside the house before shutting the sight away. “No idea. I’d better call Chase, see if he knows anything about it”.

  “Do you think Chase put it there?” Luna asked, her brow crinkling in bewilderment.

  “Nope. But Chase knows a lot of things I don’t”. Michael strode into the kitchen and grabbed his phone. Putting it to his ear, it wasn’t long before Chase had answered. “Chase, get your butt over here. Someone’s put a severed wolf’s leg on my damn porch. No, I’m kidding, I thought I’d make a funny with you. Yes, I’m damn serious. Get over here now”.

  Chase was over within twenty minutes. Hearing him drive down the path, Michael and Luna opened the front door just as he reached the porch. Still in his jeans and t-shirt he’d worn earlier, he was looking at the grisly sight left.

  Is he sniffing? Luna asked herself, watching him inhale the air around the leg.

  “You have a wolf’s paw on your porch”, he remarked.

  “No shit, Sherlock”, Michael retorted, rolling his eyes. “What can you tell me?”

  Chase’s eyes never left the paw as he sat on the top step. “It’s a fresh cut. Two hours at the most I’d say. Don’t think an instrument was used, looks like it was ripped off by hand”.

  “Who on earth has the strength to pull off a wolf’s paw by hand?” Luna interrupted. It was only then that Chase looked up at her.

  “I think you’d better go inside”, he said, his eyes darkening.

  Luna shook her head. There was she was going anywhere. “Someone has left a severed wolf’s paw on my parent’s porch. It’s disgusting but I want to know who did it and why”, she proclaimed.

  Chase looked to Michael. “It’s one of ours”.

  With those words, Luna watched her brother’s face drain of all colour. “Go into the woods and see if you can find out anything”. There was command in his voice, echoing the same authority that had been present in their father’s voice when he was alive. Mi
chael faced Luna. “Go inside, sis”. When she shook her head he continued. “Go make some coffee or tea or something. I’ll be there in a minute”.

  “You’re not my father, Michael. Don’t tell me what to do”, she replied, the crossness evident in her own voice, but she still turned away and went into the kitchen. She rummaged through the cupboards and found three mugs. She made her brother’s coffee the way he liked, strong with cream and sugar, but since she didn’t know how Chase liked his, he could damn well drink it the way she made. Black and strong enough to keep a bear awake all winter.

  After making herself a cup of tea from the few English tea bags Luna had purchased for her mother from her last trip to London at Christmas, she sat down at the table where the remnants of their steak dinners sat. She should really clear the plates away but instead she wrapped her hands around the mug and breathed in the hot steam rising from it.

  Michael reappeared after what seemed a lifetime, his face still solemn. Watching him pick up his coffee and taking a sip, Luna realised that she’d never seen him so serious before.

  Michael sat back at the table and looked down at the contents of his mug. His voice was steady but flat. “The paw belongs to a wolf of ours. She hunts here when she wants. She’s gentle. Chase and I are going to see if she’s still in the woods, see whether she’s still alive or not”.

  Setting her tea on the table, Luna asked, “Michael, why do you have wolves in the woods? Aren’t they dangerous?”

  Her brother shook his head. “Wolves are not as bad as everyone makes out. Yeah, they can be dangerous but only when provoked. They’ve on this land for centuries, right back to when our ancestors came to this land from England. No one would ever run them off or hurt them. Mom and Dad loved them. I love my wolves. As long as they’re on my land and don’t go hurting others, then they’re mine and I won’t let anyone hurt them”.

  The determination and passion in her brother’ voice was crystal clear. She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard it for anything else, even for a woman.

  “Listen”, Michael began. “I’ve got to attend to some business tonight, I’ll be back late. I want you to stay indoors tonight. Don’t go out in the woods at all after sun down. Chase is going to stay here as well”.

  Picking up her tea, Luna began to feel a surge of annoyance rise up again. “Michael, I love you, you’re my brother, but I’m twenty-seven years old. I don’t need your friend to babysit me at my age”.

  “I don’t care how old you are, Luna, you’re staying indoors, Chase is staying over and that’s that. I’ve lost my parents and probably one of my wolves in less than a week. Don’t want anything happening to you now”. Pushing away from the table, Michael strode over to one of the counters and pulled out a pocketknife and his keys from a drawer. Luna raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. “I’ll be back tonight. I’ve got my phone on if you need me”. With that, he strode out of the house, the door banging loud enough to hear from the kitchen.

  Since it was clear that Michael wasn’t going to clear up Luna supposed it was down to her. Washing the plates and tidying up gave her something productive to do, keeping her thoughts away from the bloody present on their doorstep, even though trying to find where everything was meant to go was a pain.

  Until Chase returned.

  Just as Luna was putting the last pieces of cutlery, whispers of a breeze caressed her skin. Turning around, she jumped when she saw Chase standing in the middle of the doorway, watching her.

  “Oh”, she exclaimed, her voice breathy with surprise. “I didn’t hear you come in, Chase”.

  “I didn’t expect you to”, he replied. “Is there any coffee going?”

  Luna shrugged. “I made some for you earlier but I think it’s cold now”. Gesturing to the where the untouched mug stood, Chase grimaced as soon as the liquid touched his lips. “Want me to make some more?”

  His black hair and tanned skin shone with slight perspiration as he shook his head. “No need, I’ll just nuke it”. Placing it in the microwave, he pushed a button and waited. “Your brother tell you he wanted me to stay here whilst he’s out?”

  Taking a deep breath to mask the annoyance in her voice, Luna spoke. “Yes he did. I will tell you just what I will tell you – I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a grown woman; I don’t need a man telling me what to do”.

  The microwave pinged. Grabbing the now steaming mug of coffee, Chase looked up at her. “Princess, someone ripped off the paw of one of our wolves. It’s times like these that require you to be careful and to listen to your brother”.

  Pulling a face, Luna filled the kettle and switched it on. Thank goodness her mother had the sense to purchase an electric kettle; the old-fashioned ones took far too long. She needed tea ASAP. “So let me ask you what I asked Michael, who would rip of the paw of a wolf? And why put it on our porch?”

  Chase slowly sipped on his coffee. His face relaxed with each swallow but when he spoke the tension returned. “I have no idea, sweetheart. The paw belongs to a young she-wolf and she’s only been hurt today. The blood was still fresh but it wasn’t done on your parent’s land. I’ve taken a look in the woods, she’s not there and I couldn’t find any more blood. My thought is that she’s been captured and taken somewhere. Most likely been left for dead”.

  Shivers ran down Luna’s spine. She couldn’t imagine what would possess someone to do such a horrendous thing. “I never knew my family loved wolves so much”, she finally said.

  Nodding, Chase smiled. “What’s not to love? They’re beautiful creatures. Smart, fierce, loyal, stunning. They’ve been on this land for a hell of a long time. Your father protected them always”.

  “I didn’t remember they were there”, Luna said, her words barely audible.

  Chase put his cup down. “How could you remember? You were sent to school when you were young. By the way, you came back with a sweet accent. You sound like a cross between French and English”.

  A smile slowly sprang over her face. “I know. Pierre says he likes the contrast of accents I come out with”.

  Chase narrowed his eyes slightly. “Who’s Pierre? Your boyfriend?”

  Luna nodded. “We’ve been dating for a few months. Nothing serious. He’s nice”.

  Chase snorted and laughed all at once. “Nice, huh? He must be boring you then”.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “When a woman says her boyfriend is ‘nice’ it means that he bores them out of their skulls”.

  Her green eyes narrowed as she looked at her brother’s friend. “Hmmm. No one has ever called you nice then, Chase?”

  A smirk rolled over his mouth. “Not once, princess”, he replied.

  Luna looked him straight into his chocolate-coloured eyes and with a flick of her pale golden hair told him, “I can believe that”, and waltzed out of the kitchen, leaving Chase standing there, watching her walking away, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

  Five

  Between the severed paw, the bloody porch and the stress of her parent’s deaths, Luna thought she would suffer bad dreams that night, but surprisingly she quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The silence of the woods was a little strange to listen to compared to the hustle and bustle of busy Parisian streets, but jet lag consumed her completely.

  The pale pink walls were drenched in blackness, the only light seeping into the bedroom from a few twinkling stars and an almost full moon. A heavy stillness hung in the air and the tangled sheets around Luna’s legs felt claustrophobic. Grabbling for her phone, the screen told it her it was a little after two a.m.

  Kicking the sheets away, Luna lay there in the dark, peering through the darkness. Even in the dead of night, lights would find their way into her apartment. Here it was different. The dark was deep, complete.

  A faint scratching sound emanated through the darkness. Is that a mouse? She thought, straining to hear the noise. Sitting up, Luna brushed her blonde tresses out of her face and tried to determine
where the noise was coming from.

  The scratching was getting louder. It seemed to be coming from the window. Reluctantly, Luna forced her aching body to stand up, then made her way over to the window.

  Stars twinkled in the velvet darkness of the night sky, the moon shining brightly. Luna’s bedroom was positioned just to the right of the front door, giving her beautiful views over the driveway and the porch.

  A slight breeze caused the trees to sway from side to side. The scratching noise was getting louder but Luna couldn’t determine what it was. It sounded as though someone was scratching the windowsill, but there was nothing there.

  Since she couldn’t see anything but stars and trees, Luna started to turn away from the window and towards her bed.

  Without warning, something struck the window, causing her heart to jump into her throat. It was only when her eyes adjusted to what she was seeing that her brain tried to determine what it was exactly. A creature of some sort, one she had never seen before, its body twisted, its mouth open wide showing incredibly sharp discoloured teeth. Letting out a piercing screech, Luna jumped back in horror. Her own screams sliced through the air as the horrific creature scratched his nails down the glass. The nails were almost as long as her own fingers, stained in inky shadows, the creature’s eyes dark and fixating on her face. What on earth is this thing?” Luna thought, unsure of whether this grey, hairless creature was real or just a figment of an overactive, exhausted imagination.

  Her bedroom door flung open, banging against the wall. Chase stood there, dressed only in a pair of boxers, looking all around the room. Was he sniffing again?

  “Chase!” Luna cried, rushing over to him. She stopped herself from touching him, or hiding behind his body. That would be too pathetic. She had never played the damsel in distress before and she wouldn’t start now. But it was comforting to be beside someone just then.

  Chase’s dark eyes narrowed, trying to detect what the threat was. His eyes finally located the creature. “What the hell …” he whispered, the disbelief evident in his voice. “What the fuck is that on your window?” he demanded.