The Moonlight Chronicles (Book 1: The First Bite)(Complete)&Book2: (teaser)

Chapter 5: Decisions

I jump over the front gate and sneak around the ranger’s house as I make my way farther into the forest. It doesn’t take me long to find the foot bridge leading over to the other side. I quickly bound across it and begin running in the direction of the waterfall. The terrain gets harsher as I begin to leap from boulder to boulder as I make my way up the steep incline.

Finally, I spring over the edge and up to the top of the waterfall. I begin to run along the bank back to where my original campsite was…the place where my old life ended. The thought makes me shudder, but I push my emotions aside and press on knowing that I cannot let my choices affect the lives of innocent…people, even if I don’t agree with their policies.

When I reach the barricaded site I set my pack down and take a moment to catch my breath as I try to figure out which way to go. Tara gets a whiff of the pack’s scent, something she remembers but remains foreign to me, and like a bolt we are off. I barely manage to grab my bag in time before we are off again plunging further into the woods. She occasionally scents the air or sniffs a tree, but we steadily make our way through the woods heading for the source of the smell.

The sun is beginning to set by the time we reach the edge of the clearing where their cave lies. I can feel her excitement as she sees them moving about, but all I feel is dread. I make sure to stay downwind as I briefly debate what to do next. %

I am forced to make a decision when they begin to funnel out of the cave and staying downwind of them all seems unlikely for much longer. I know that as the moon rises they will turn and flood into the forest, so my best chance is now…before they all run through the forest carefree and unaware of the possible dangers to them.

I leap out of the forest and into the clearing. All eyes are on me as I calmly walk towards them. I place my bag gently on the ground and growl, “I need to speak with Keegan.” I see movement within the shadows of the cave, then I hear him say, “You know, it’s funny, but even though I haven’t seen you in some time, I still recognize that voice. What brings you back here my lovely?” He walks out of the cave and into the dwindling light as he asks, “Have you come back because you finally realized that you belong at my side?”

I growl, “No, I have come to warn you that…” Then an immense pain spreads from my stomach and all across my body. I suddenly realize that I have only had one meal and a small snack today, but have expended a tremendous amount of energy getting back here. I was so focused that I hadn’t noticed the growing hunger within me. I double over in pain as my body begins to shift back.

Keegan’s eyes go wide as he sees me curl up and begin to shift back. He looks over to a couple men happily feasting on half a deer carcass and barks, “Bring that here. I have a feeling she hasn’t been feeding properly.” The men don’t look happy about losing their meal, but they don’t object and quickly drag the remains over as Keegan lifts my head up onto his lap saying, “Dare I ask where you have been all these long weeks? I know you left the forest. We tore through it looking for you for days before we realized that you were no longer within the confines of this forest.”

My stomach growls and I wince from the pain. The men set the carcass down next to him and he plunges his hand into the raw flesh all the way up to his wrist. He skillfully pulls out the heart and offers it to me saying, “This will make you feel better.” I throw a hand over my mouth and try not to gag as I watch the blood slowly ooze between his fingers and drip onto the ground. Frowning, he looks at me and says, “I see you have still not gotten over your repulsion for raw meat, but I know that right now your reaction is more because you are repulsed with yourself for wanting to eat a raw heart than you are at actually ripping into this and satisfying your hunger….or at least lessen it.”

Though I hate to admit it, he’s right. It smells so good and even though I have been eating cooked meat, I have been craving it raw lately. My stomach growls again and I can’t help myself. I grab the heart in both hands and tear into it. It is much tenderer than cooked meat and has a far richer flavor. The fact that I am even enjoying it at all repulses me even more. He looks down at me and smiles saying, “Now don’t you feel so much better?” I look at my bloody hands and can only imagine that my face matches the bloody horror spread across them. Reluctantly I reply, “A bit.”