Read Online Crying for the Moon by Sarah Madison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Madison
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before stuttering and blanking out.
“Oops,” Alex said into the stunned silence.
The boys erupted into wild cheering just as Tate came out of the restroom. Alex collected Tate’s coat and handed it over to Tate as he walked up.
“What’s all that about?” Tate asked, glancing over his shoulder as they walked back to the front of the bar.
“I have no idea,” Alex said.
Chapter 4
T HE closer it got to the next full moon, the more misgivings Alex started to have about Nick’s group hunting the property. It had been such an easy thing to suggest at the time; he knew how difficult it was for werefolk to find the kind of forest deep enough to allow the hunting they craved. Sure, they could go to a major city and find plenty of prey there, but for a pack such as Nick’s, who preferred not to kill humans or live so close to a large metropolitan area, Alex’s place was ideal.
He couldn’t take back his permission now. Still, he worried about the brown tabby. EPT had begun regularly showing up for the little dish of canned food he put out every morning. At first, the young tom would flatten and hiss if Alex came too close to him, but as the days passed and Alex made no attempt to touch him, the tom had become amazingly friendly, becoming a permanent fixture around the house and running up to greet Alex whenever he pulled up in the driveway. The cat would roll on his side on the porch as Alex approached, entwining himself between Alex’s legs as he tried to enter the house. The cat even tolerated it when Alex attempted a cautious rub behind the ears. Alex knew if given half a chance, EPT would be making a bid to come indoors soon.
The day the cat proudly deposited a limp mouse body on the porch stoop for Alex to see, he’d experienced an odd mixture of pride and camaraderie. He’d thanked the cat and told him that he’d already eaten, however. EPT had seemed to take it in stride and had settled down to munch on the mouse himself.
As the night of the full moon grew closer, Alex wondered if he could somehow tempt the cat into the basement, where he could keep him confined until the moon was on the wane again. He wished he’d never started feeding the tom and wondered how that had even begun in the first place. Something about that expectant little face looking in his door each morning, and the way EPT shifted his weight back and forth on paws that kneaded the air, had compelled Alex to start buying cat food and setting it out each day. EPT was still prickly, however, often growling and swatting at any other cat that showed up for the food. There was no way Alex could physically pick him up, either, so if the cat wouldn’t follow him into the basement, there was nothing Alex could do to protect him.
Alex found a widget for the lunar cycle on his browser and added it to his home page so that whenever he went online, he’d know just how close it was to the next full moon. He’d never noticed before how quickly the moon went through its phases until he sat staring at his laptop, wondering how he’d become so attached to a feral cat, and how he could protect him from the coming hunt.
He’d been out late one evening, walking through grass that was brittle with frost, when he’d noticed lights on the road. He had realized it was Tate, coming back from some emergency call, no doubt. He’d watched until he could no longer see the red taillights through the trees and had begun to worry once more. Tate’s late-night comings and goings put a new wrinkle in things, and Alex wondered how he could warn Tate to stay home during the full moon without sounding like a nut-job.
He hadn’t spoken to Tate since the night Alex had watched Tate eat dinner. They’d said their goodbyes on the street, with Tate suggesting that they do this again sometime and Alex agreeing that it would be a good idea. Somehow, the days had passed without Alex attempting to contact Tate. Even though he had a perfectly good reason to do
“Oops,” Alex said into the stunned silence.
The boys erupted into wild cheering just as Tate came out of the restroom. Alex collected Tate’s coat and handed it over to Tate as he walked up.
“What’s all that about?” Tate asked, glancing over his shoulder as they walked back to the front of the bar.
“I have no idea,” Alex said.
Chapter 4
T HE closer it got to the next full moon, the more misgivings Alex started to have about Nick’s group hunting the property. It had been such an easy thing to suggest at the time; he knew how difficult it was for werefolk to find the kind of forest deep enough to allow the hunting they craved. Sure, they could go to a major city and find plenty of prey there, but for a pack such as Nick’s, who preferred not to kill humans or live so close to a large metropolitan area, Alex’s place was ideal.
He couldn’t take back his permission now. Still, he worried about the brown tabby. EPT had begun regularly showing up for the little dish of canned food he put out every morning. At first, the young tom would flatten and hiss if Alex came too close to him, but as the days passed and Alex made no attempt to touch him, the tom had become amazingly friendly, becoming a permanent fixture around the house and running up to greet Alex whenever he pulled up in the driveway. The cat would roll on his side on the porch as Alex approached, entwining himself between Alex’s legs as he tried to enter the house. The cat even tolerated it when Alex attempted a cautious rub behind the ears. Alex knew if given half a chance, EPT would be making a bid to come indoors soon.
The day the cat proudly deposited a limp mouse body on the porch stoop for Alex to see, he’d experienced an odd mixture of pride and camaraderie. He’d thanked the cat and told him that he’d already eaten, however. EPT had seemed to take it in stride and had settled down to munch on the mouse himself.
As the night of the full moon grew closer, Alex wondered if he could somehow tempt the cat into the basement, where he could keep him confined until the moon was on the wane again. He wished he’d never started feeding the tom and wondered how that had even begun in the first place. Something about that expectant little face looking in his door each morning, and the way EPT shifted his weight back and forth on paws that kneaded the air, had compelled Alex to start buying cat food and setting it out each day. EPT was still prickly, however, often growling and swatting at any other cat that showed up for the food. There was no way Alex could physically pick him up, either, so if the cat wouldn’t follow him into the basement, there was nothing Alex could do to protect him.
Alex found a widget for the lunar cycle on his browser and added it to his home page so that whenever he went online, he’d know just how close it was to the next full moon. He’d never noticed before how quickly the moon went through its phases until he sat staring at his laptop, wondering how he’d become so attached to a feral cat, and how he could protect him from the coming hunt.
He’d been out late one evening, walking through grass that was brittle with frost, when he’d noticed lights on the road. He had realized it was Tate, coming back from some emergency call, no doubt. He’d watched until he could no longer see the red taillights through the trees and had begun to worry once more. Tate’s late-night comings and goings put a new wrinkle in things, and Alex wondered how he could warn Tate to stay home during the full moon without sounding like a nut-job.
He hadn’t spoken to Tate since the night Alex had watched Tate eat dinner. They’d said their goodbyes on the street, with Tate suggesting that they do this again sometime and Alex agreeing that it would be a good idea. Somehow, the days had passed without Alex attempting to contact Tate. Even though he had a perfectly good reason to do
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