Eternal Moon

Chapter 19: In the Still of the Night

The beast roared in frustration as it slammed again and again into the steel door. The man, buried deep inside the animal, had caged them in a part of the castle basement, in a vain effort to keep the beast from ravaging the village further. He'd hoped that iron bars and hard-wrought steel would keep the beast trapped, but the man had underestimated the beast..

As the beast emerged from its human confinement, it immediately scented her. Its mate. Distantly, the voice of the man questioned what the beast's senses knew for fact. She was supposed to have left weeks ago. There was no way her scent could still linger so strongly. Not after the servants had washed away all evidence of her.

No, this scent was clear. Vivid. Full of her unique pheromones. And right now it stank of fear. Worse than fear. Terror.

Howling with determination and fury, the beast had demolished the iron bars in minutes and then begun its battle-ram into the steel door. Even the castle trembled as it smashed its entire body into the metal, punching a hard dent. Every part of the castle shook as it pummeled the door with its massive strength until the frame couldn't contain the beast's power.

The steel door hurtled forward as the beast escaped and began a sprint through the lower level of the castle. It ran through the empty halls panting, eager to get to an exit.

Wood splintered as the kitchen door exploded and the beast was unleashed out into the cool night. Instinct drove it past any other temptation and straight into the woods, darting swiftly over brush and roots. A full and beautiful moon hung amongst the clouds, lighting his way to the scent that grew stronger with each stride.

His mate. Man had a word for it but the beast only knew need. Drive. The elemental pull of nature. Man was not supposed to be alone. Neither was wolf.

When the scent grew so strong that the beast could practically taste it, it skidded into a small clearing where a small hut lay dormant. Smoke billowed out of a chimney, threatening to dampen the scent enough to confuse it, but as it paced the earth, it knew she was here.

But when it went to barrel through the front door, an invisible wall held it back.

Smashing into it again, the beast tried to attack the hut through a side window. But the barrier held there too.

As the beast circled the hut and found each way blocked by the impenetrable force, its rage escalated. It knew she was in there, terrified, in need of it. And it could not understand why it could not break through. No matter how many times it attacked, the force kept it at bay.

That realization ripped an unearthly howl from the beast that rang through the still night.

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Jamie looked up as the sounds around her collided into a cacophony of horror. The snarling monster reaching for her through the iron bars was hungry for her flesh, growling at her in fury. While the baleful howl of another wolf echoed outside, close enough that Jamie knew it was outside the witch's hut.

But the worst sound was the cackling of that same witch who was now standing outside the cells and laughing uproariously.

Sorcha seemed unperturbed by the two werewolves in her vicinity or the fact that both were viciously intent on killing. She seemed entertained by the sight of one trying to bust out of its cage as another tried desperately to get inside.

Jamie felt a wave of relief as realization erupted.

It was Kane. He had transformed and somehow scented her even deep in this cavernous dungeon. The howling outside was unlike the brutal hunger seething close to her; it was mournful, heartbreaking. Just like the night of the solstice, Jamie knew the werewolf above ground did not want to harm her. It wanted to protect her.