Eternal Moon

Chapter 13: Blood Moon

Kane felt his blood run cold when he heard the first of the screams. Then one turned to dozens.

"Stay here," he commanded Jamie before running out from behind the tavern towards the bonfire. Bedlam had ensued and he stood in shock for several moments as his mind tried to process what was occurring.

Another werewolf was tearing through the festival, attacking indiscriminately. Townsfolk were shrieking, running, trying desperately to escape in whatever direction they could find. But the werewolf was huge - dark gray with a viciously long snout and powerful hind legs that brought it up to over seven feet tall. It roared ferociously as it took down an innocent bystander, its terrible jaws ripping through flesh and bone, chucking a limb out into the manic crowd.

"Oh, my God..."

Kane turned at the sound of Jamie's voice and felt his stomach drop. Her eyes were wide with terror, her mouth agape.

He couldn't believe that just moments before, he had been seconds from taking her against the tavern wall. Now everything was falling apart.

"Laird!"

Deidra was kneeling at the body of someone he couldn't see a few yards away, her face contorted with grief and pain. Tears ran down her face and the firelight made her look like a shadow. "Please, do something!"

He knew what she was asking. Because he could already feel the beast inside of him rage for release. During all of his years as a werewolf, he had never given in to the urge to transform. The urge had never been there. The transformation had been an act against his will, taking over his body. But now he felt a deep desire to unleash the creature inside of him, to use it for his own purposes. This was his community, his town, his people. His woman.

... His mate.

Kane turned to look at the bewildered face of the woman he had just brought to shattering orgasm, the woman he would have taken back to the castle and made love to all night. The woman who could have loved him. But as his inner wolf cried out for retribution, for the chance to fight the other beast that dared to threaten his people and his home, he knew that would now never happen. not after what he was about to do.

The tight reins Kane Murdock kept on his beast came undone. Faced with a threat to his mate, his own demanded to be let out. Demanded to fight and protect. Bellowing, he sunk to his knees as the transformation began to take over. But he didn't fight it this time. He let it happen. Without resistance, the beast tore through his skin, elongating his limbs, extending his face, and sprouting long, pointed fangs. This time he welcomed the sudden rush of power that masked the excruciating pain. His skin gave way to dark fur and his hands morphed into long, pointed claws. Most importantly, his mind became solely focused on one objective: protect and kill.

Completely transformed, he stood to his full height and howled in warning at the other beast. The creature snarled and looked up from its fresh prey, dark blood dripping from its fangs. It threw aside the corpse like a sack of dirty laundry and roared at Kane. Then it launched across the town square.

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"No," Jamie whispered to herself as she watched Laird Murdock turn into a hideous monster. Shock, horror, revulsion. All swept over like a wave that would take her under. She backed away in horror, helpless to do anything. But what could she do? The man she had just let touch her was a werewolf.

The realization was compounded with disgust as the events of the past two weeks quickly came together. Laird Murdock was the werewolf. The werewolf that had forced her to stay in this village that first night, scared out of her mind in that small room. The werewolf that had destroyed her car and any other chance of getting back home. The werewolf that haunted this community for so long. The werewolf that had kept Kane away from her until their attraction had taken over. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.