Page 10 of Marked By Moonlight
“Kael.” I try to move my arms, but I can’t. His strength is far superior to my own, especially when he’s angry. Although, I’ve never seen him this upset. The anger doesn’t even make sense. It’s like a rage has been building uncontrollably inside him, and he has no choice but to unleash it to survive.
For a moment, I think this is what is going to finally set his wolf free. My father said strong emotions are a common way that we shift for the first time. A strong tantrum at three years old. An unrequited crush at thirteen. An encounter with a bear in thewoods. A nightmare. A first love. Any strong, heavy emotion can unleash the wolf.
It’s almost unheard of not to have had a strong enough emotion to unleash your wolf by our age. Teenagers are usually the oldest to receive their wolf. Maybe this emotion Kael is feeling is his body’s way of forcing a strong enough emotion to unlock his wolf. Maybe this isn’t really how he feels.
Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. If he shifts, while I’ll be incredibly happy for him, I’m a goner. Shifting in this hotel room is less than ideal. He’ll tear me apart, along with the rest of the room, and threaten human authorities trying to tame him.
As it is, with his strong grip on my arm, I fear for my life. He’s not in control of himself.
I have to think fast and find a way out of this. I do the only thing I can think of that might knock him off balance enough to free myself.
I slam my mouth over his, and he gasps. A second later, I feel his claws forming where his fingers once were, digging his razor-sharp tips into my bicep. This time, I won’t get away completely unscathed.
I deepen the kiss, trying to lock into his primal urges or at least dampen his rage.
I lean into him like I’m enjoying kissing a man who I now think of as a brother. His reaction isn’t the real him. I’ve already forgiven him for this moment, but I still have to find a way to survive.
When I kiss him harder, he pushes me away. A small sliver of consciousness returns to his body, and his claws loosen on me.
“Run,” he croaks out. “Now!”
Chapter 5
Lumi
For a split second, I consider staying. I don’t know what’s about to happen to Kael. And if he is going to turn, I need to help him find a safe place for it to happen.
“Please,” he groans.
I turn and run—out of the motel room, through the open-aired hallway, down the open staircase, and toward our Jeep. I’m not sure where I’ll drive, but seeing as the sun is setting and the moon will soon begin to rise, making his shift more likely, I’m going to have to spend the night away, hoping Kael survives.
Panting, I make it to the door, but the handle doesn’t budge.
Shit, I didn’t grab the keys.
I can’t go back.
I hear a door thrown open and footsteps pad down the hallway above the parking lot.
Fuck, I don’t have time to hesitate.
I start running again, but I don’t know where I’m going to go. There’s a busy highway to my left. I can’t lead Kael there; too many witnesses.
Woods—there’s a forest behind the motel. We’ve searched it before and found no wolf packs. There also aren’t any hiking trails, so we shouldn’t run into any humans.
Kael will be safe if I can lead him far enough away.
And what of me?
I should have spent my time learning how to fight, how to wield a weapon, anything to defend myself. Instead, I put my energy into trying to shift. I thought once I could shift into a wolf, I’d be safe—so foolish.
Maybe I’ll climb a tree or something once I lead Kael far enough in the woods?
I don’t know; I just run.
I hit the edge of the forest just as the sun begins to dip down beneath the horizon. The faint glow of the sky is all that lights my path as I jump into the thick underbrush—branches and leaves cut into my skin as I dart between trees and bushes.
Growing up in a forest comes in handy, as I know exactly where to step and how to make a path for myself where none exists. I keep running, even as I hear his footsteps behind me. I don’t glance back. I don’t look to see if he’s shifted—I know he hasn’t yet. His footsteps would be heavier, he’d howl, and he’d be screaming in pain. My father said it can take a while to shift the first time. If he shifted now, I might have enough time to run and hide.
