Read Online By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) by Jennifer Hendren - Free Book Online

he paced the room,
eventually curling up at the foot of the stairs.
    With a shaking hand, I patted around until I
found the flashlight. The beam fell on his russet colored body and
his fierce gaze bored into me. How I had failed to recognize him
immediately was beyond me. I'd know those deep green eyes anywhere.
He watched me for only a moment before he allowed them to close,
his breathing slowing to a steady rhythm.
    I pulled my knees into my chest and watched
him through the night. He didn't move and, at some point, sleep
took me as well.

Chapter 6
     
     
    I awoke to a rustling noise. Memories of the
night before flooded through my mind, and I bolted upright. The
room was dark, but faint rays of light poured in through the open
cellar door, highlighting the area at the bottom of the stairs.
Dust particles floated through the air just above the now empty
floor. Panicked, I scoured the musty room. Then I remembered my
flashlight. Fumbling around, I at last laid hold of it and bounced
the beam across the room.
    "Turn that off, please."
    The sound of Ty's voice just about stalled my
heart. I flipped the switch and pressed against the wall. I didn't
know what to say. Somehow "What's up?" or "How are you?" seemed
inappropriate. I settled for, "Are you okay?"
    I sensed movement to my right and squinted
through the darkness. Unable to make out more than a shadow, my
fingers itched to turn the flashlight back on. Would he be the same
old Ty? Or some half-man half-beast?
    "Cover your eyes," he said. "I'm turning on
the light."
    The scraping sound of a metal chain being
jerked made me jump. I squinted in discomfort when light flooded
the room.
    "You never listen." Ty's deep laugh resonated
across the room and the familiar sound relaxed me somewhat. Tension
left my shoulders as I blinked to adjust my eyes.
    He knelt in front of me, a wool blanket
wrapped around his waist. Unable to help myself, I threw myself
into his arms. "It's you," I mumbled into his shoulder. My words
sounded completely lame. Of course it was him. Then remembering his
injury, I quickly released him. "God, I didn't mean to hur..."
    My eyes scanned his chest. The marks were
gone. I ran a shaking hand down the smooth slope of his chest. Not
even the slightest sign of the deep gashes remained.
    Then I did what any normal girl would do
given my situation. I burst into tears. Too ashamed to look at him,
I turned my face away as I tried to compose myself. The more I
tried, the more hysterical my sobs became. Ty pulled me into his
arms and pressed me tightly against his warm chest. He smelled of
the outdoors—pine and dirt.
    Rubbing my back, he whispered softly, "It'll
be okay, Mac."
    My crying slowed until only a few stray
hiccups bubbled out of me. I brushed my tears away and at last
found my voice. "How did this happen?"
    He shook his head. "I don't know."
    My chin trembled. "Why didn't you tell me?
How long has it been?"
    Running a hand through his hair, he spoke
softly. "This was my second moon cycle."
    His words had a surreal quality to them. Just
when had I fallen through the looking glass? "Moon cycle?"
    A grim smile tugged at the corners of his
mouth. "I know it sounds crazy—trust me, I know. I still haven't
grown used to it all."
    I licked my lips, my throat closing. "Just so
I know we're talking about the same thing—we're in agreement that
you've been changing into a we-werewolf?" The word felt foreign on
my tongue.
    "I prefer to call it
'humanly-challenged.'"
    Momentarily stunned, I couldn't help the
hysterical laugh that escaped me.
    He smiled at my response. "That's more like
it."
    I sobered as the reality of the past few days
came rushing back. "Did you kill Kim?" I regretted my words as soon
as they popped out—blunt and to the point. No finesse.
    He inhaled deeply. I chanced a peek up at
him. His eyes were hooded. Deep circles lined his eyes and he
seemed aged somehow. I'd never seen him so exhausted.
    "I don't know," he said softly. "I want