Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dark Side of the Moon

Psycho

We spent hours at Rumble, and I enjoyed watching Nera visibly relax. It seemed she was fitting in here a lot more than I thought she would. She and Charlie were getting along and I was glad to see it. It seemed like Nera could use a friend.

After listening to her story, and trying to refrain from cracking my seat as my fists strained with rage, I saw another side of Nera. Not that I knew her that well to begin with, and she mostly came off as hard and defiant, but I got the feeling she had been somehow broken inside that house in Biloxi.

I was surprised to hear her not skip over the more degrading parts and that showed me she was as brave as ever. Not that I would have thought any less of her if she had. I probably would have myself. But knowing those details would help to bring these fuckers down.

I briefly wondered if I should call Viper again. Biloxi was only about an hour away. Was that still his jurisdiction? I wasn't sure, but even if it wasn't, I was sure he'd know who was in charge there. Perhaps they had no leadership at all. I'd be lying if I said I knew any other werewolves in this area besides the ones in my pack. There were a few rouges out there, and a few families who kept to themselves, but outside Louisiana, I didn't pay much attention. This thing with Nera showed me that I probably should.

Of course my family in Minnesota were wolves, but we didn't speak—except my mother and me—and I had no plans to go back there.

My mind drifted to my last few months there. One night in particular—the night that solidified my decision to leave—took over my mind.

I wandered down the hallway of the Hellcats MC's clubhouse, half drunk, alight with pain, and just wanting to get to sleep. It had been a horrifically bad day. I'd been voluntold to participate in fight club, and when I refused, I'd been locked in a cage all day in nothing but my underwear and held there until the full moon. Once it was highest in the sky, the Hellcats' leader and unfortunately my uncle, Scar, opened my cage and tossed me to the dirt floor of the warehouse, where I turned painfully and disgracefully in front of a crowd of bill-waving lunatics, wanting to see two wolves fight to the death. My opponent, a new prospect of the Hellcats, didn't have it much better. We were told only one of us would come out alive. It was merely survival at that point.

The full moon was not only a physical transformation, but an emotional one as well. Everything was heightened, and emotions from anger, to sadness, to elation were all electrified and magnified. I didn't want to fight this young prospect. I wanted to retreat to the lake and turn under the peace of the crickets singing and the full moon. To run around the lake until dawn blessed us with its presence and I turned back. It was what I always did. Joining the Hellcats was the worst decision of my life—not that I'd had a fucking choice.

His giant gray wolf lunged at me, and I fought back, ripping into his skin and fur with my fangs and claws as my wolf howled in joy at getting to fight. We rolled around the dirt floor of the arena, humans and whoever else screaming and hollering at witnessing such violence. I pinned the wolf to the floor, but he quickly flipped me over and took a chunk out of my hind leg. I yowled in agony and then he raked his claws down my back and over my snout. I mustered up enough energy to roll over, immediately hopping out of the way before he could attack again. When he lunged at me, I was on the defense, immediately scraping my claws deeply down his chest. He went down with a yip and a thud, blood pouring from his wounds. He wouldn't heal fast enough to live from that wound. My wolf howled in triumph, while the human side of me that was barely hanging on, cried in grief. A scream of anguish caught my attention and I whipped my head over to the crowd to see a pale, redhaired woman holding a swaddled baby and screaming for her mate. For the man I'd just almost killed. For the father of her young pup.

I glanced back at him, my tongue lolling from the side of my mouth as I panted, trying to catch my breath.

"Stop," his mate screamed. "Stop! We'll go. We'll leave and never come back. Please. Please save him!"

My gut clenched and my heart broke. But, my wolf was happy. He held his head high and bayed in delight at his triumph. Two humans, in what I could only describe as riot gear, dragged the injured wolf from the arena floor and I barely registered it when another human with a microphone declared me the winner.

Scar was nowhere to be found, of course, since he too was a wolf and was out turning somewhere. But I had quickly caught onto his penchant for watching the fights over and over from his computer after the full moon, as he had every one filmed. Sick, sadistic, demonic motherfucker.

I dragged myself to my room that next morning tired, injured, and internally howling in grief that I might have possibly killed that kid. He didn't deserve that.

But neither did I.

"Do you want to go on a walk?" I asked Nera as we exited Rumble. It was a short walk to the clubhouse, but I wanted to be alone with her. The protective, possessive wolf in me wanted to never let her out of my sight. I wanted to make sure she was safe. Of course, no harm would come to her here on this compound, but that didn't mean I wanted to be out of her presence.

"Sure," she replied with a soft smile that reached her eyes. Instead of turning right to go to the clubhouse, we took a left and headed up the paved road that led to the homes at the back of the compound.

We walked in silence for quite a few minutes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The sun was beginning to set and the moon glowed brighter the longer we walked. I was grateful as hell that I was done with my monthly curse for the next thirty days.

Seeming to have the same thoughts, Nera looked up at the moon. "You're gonna need to leave soon, huh?"

I shook my head and in an act of bravery, or maybe it was just instinct, I grabbed her hand. It was soft and warm in mine, and I was glad when she didn't pull away or protest. "No, I only turn one night a month."

She looked up at me, shock coloring her features. "Really? I thought it was all three nights of the full moon."

"Well, it is for pure wolves. My mother is a wolf. My father was human. It's a weird loophole," I replied.

"So… if both parents are wolves, then you're a full-blooded wolf. If only one, then you're half?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. If one parent is a werewolf, then the children are full-blooded wolves. The only difference is the control the moon has over them. With a human parent, you only turn one night a month. With both wolf parents, you turn for three."

"Huh," she replied. "That's super interesting. I had no idea." She grinned up at me then squeezed my hand.

We walked along the road, a soft spring breeze blowing, reminding us that we were limited with this mild weather until summer arrived and drowned us in humidity.

"What, they don't teach you that in witch school?" I asked.

She shook her head with a laugh. "No witch school. Well, not really. Our mothers, aunts, and grandmas teach us. Mostly."

"Tell me about you," I said as we walked and enjoyed the breeze.

"Not much to know," she replied. "Raised by a single mom. No idea who my dad is, or was. Mom won't say. I think she knows and just doesn't tell me. She's off doing her own thing. I have a brother, Alec. He's a warlock but definitely doesn't practice. He lives in Tampa and parties too much. Probably doesn't even realize I'm missing."

"If someone called the police—which they obviously did since there are missing person fliers—I'm sure they questioned him," I reply.

"You're probably right. I doubt he cares." I saw a hint of sadness in her eyes. "My mom either. Probably thinks I'm off partying, too."

I shook my head. "Just because that's what you went to Biloxi for doesn't mean you'd stay gone for seven weeks. Someone should have known something was wrong."

"I'm sure it was Amanda who called the police. My mom and brother don't care."

It made me sad to hear it. We finally reached the back of the compound, which was cordoned off with the large black wrought-iron gate that surrounded it. I glanced at the camera mounted to see it doing its job by swiveling in our direction when it detected movement.

"Wow, beautiful view," Nera breathed as we stopped at the gate to stare at the view of Lake Pontchartrain, the full moon's reflection dancing over the lazy wind-fueled ripples.

I smiled. "It really is. It's why I chose this property for the compound."

She sucked in the side of her bottom lip again, staring wide-eyed at the lake. "I don't blame you. It was a good choice."

We were holding hands, but she used her other one to grip the gate.

"Wanna go walk around the lake?" I asked.

She looked up at me. "Yeah, that would be super cool."

We strolled another ten feet to the gate door and I took out my keyring from my pocket and unlocked it. The camera mounted at the top immediately swung in our direction, and I gave it a thumbs-up to let Wizard and Trigger, who were in charge of the fence security, know that everything was copacetic.

I re-secured the padlock once we were on the other side, and then I picked up her hand once more. We walked along the shore in companionable silence, just gentle lapping of the water serenading us.

"So, what about your family?" she asked.

I resisted a wince. I didn't want to tell her about my sadistic family, but it wasn't like I'd ever told anyone else. The only one who knew was Trigger, but that was because he was my cousin and had fled Minnesota with me. It was the sick trauma bond we shared.

"My family aren't good people. Except Trigger and my mom. The rest can rot," I replied, trying and failing to keep the bitter out of my tone. "We left Minnesota a few years ago and never looked back."

"Trigger is your family?" she asked.

"Cousin," I grunted.

"You two look nothing alike," she commented. "Your mom still in Minnesota?"

I nodded. "My mom did whatever my Uncle Jimmy wanted, since he was her only sibling. I grew up in the life," I admitted. "My brother Shawn almost went to prison. Had to pay off a vamp to compel the cops he didn't do it."

"But he did… do it?"

I snorted. "Oh yeah, he did. That's the only one he got caught for. But we can't go to prison. We won't last a full moon there, obviously." I sighed. "My dad died when I was a teen. Lived a violent life. But… enough about me." I didn't want to talk about my sanctimonious family any longer. "I know I said I'd drive you back to Tampa, but you need to stay here, Nera. I won't keep you against your will but I'm going to advise against you leaving." What I really wanted to do was lock her in my house so she'd be safe until we caught these fuckers.

I didn't want her to leave, but I had to keep my word. I would never be like my family—like my uncle and brother—I would always keep my word. But there was something about Nera that had activated a possessiveness inside me. I hadn't ever been this attached to a woman so quickly before. I hadn't met my mate yet, and I never knew if I would, but I'd only known Nera a couple of days, so that couldn't be it. Could it?

We stopped walking when she halted, my hand jerking with the movement. I looked down at her and it was nothing but instinct that made my arms wrap around her waist.

"I want to stay and see this through, Psycho. God, it feels weird to call you that. You don't seem like one."

I manage a smile. "I used to be. I didn't give myself that name, my uncle did. It's been a part of me so long that I just kept it. However, you should know, that I earned it. Call me Shep if that's easier. Sheppard."

"That is easier," she said with a laugh.

My fingers itched to reach up and brush her platinum hair behind her ear, but I refrained. My hands felt too good around her slim waist and soft, round hips. "You really want to stay?"

She stared up at me unblinking. "Yes. I do want to stay. I won't be able to rest until I know those bastards are not kidnapping women. Assaulting them." She looked down.

My hand quickly left her right hip to reach her chin, tipping it up to face me. I stared into her eyes intently. "They will pay for what they did. I will tear them apart limb by limb if I have to. Especially the one who lured you… hurt you."

She offered me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She waggled her fingers and said, "No, that one's mine."