Page 2 of Vicious Luna

I keep pace with my dad, watching and listening, knowing this whole thing is pointless. I’m trying to come up with some way to talk him into giving all this up when I hear a deep rumbling sound in the distance.

A growl.

I slam to a stop, my breath catching in my throat.

Dad must hear it, too, because he also freezes, the two of us barely breathing as we stare into the dark forest, both listening intently. My pulse picks up speed, pounding in my ears as my fingers grip my rifle tighter.

The seconds that tick by feel like an eternity before chaos erupts.

A freakishly large grey wolf springs from the dense brush, sharp teeth bared in a snarl as it launches itself at my father. It moves so fast that neither of us can line up a shot in time, and it easily takes him down to the ground, knocking his rifle out of his hands and snapping its jaws as it goes for his throat.

I don’t think, I just react. I pull the trigger of my rifle, popping off a shot that goes wide and has the wolf jerking his head in my direction. Evil, soulless eyes of liquid gold stare into mine as I squeeze the trigger again, and this time, I don’t miss.

A high-pitched whine escapes from the animal’s throat as my bullet pierces its meaty abdomen, its body jerking from the impact. Without hesitation, I fire two more shots, and my aim is true. The wolf stumbles sideways, collapsing onto the ground beside my father’s prone form.

“Dad!” I gasp, still gripping my gun tightly as I lunge toward him and drop to my knees at his side. “Are you hurt?”

He curls up to sit with a groan, scrubbing a hand over the back of his head where it hit the ground. “I’m fine,” he huffs, almost like he’s annoyed. Then he turns to look over at the body of the wolf beside him and I follow his gaze, sucking in a short gasp when I realize that the air around the animal looks like it’s shimmering.

My eyes widen, and everything I thought I knew about the world goes out the window as the wolf’s fur starts to recede, revealing smooth tanned skin. Its bones rearrange, and I blink chaotically as my brain struggles to grasp what I’m seeing.

Within seconds, there’s no longer a wolf laying there on the ground beside my father, its fur soaked in blood. In its place is a human man bleeding out from bullet wounds in his chest and neck; the same places I shot the animal.

Holy shit…

Werewolves are real.

2

PRESENT DAY

“Avery!” my twin’s voice roars from the hall, followed by the thunder of his footsteps stomping toward my room. I glance at the open doorway from my spot on my bed, and when he comes into view, I choke on a laugh at the sight of him. My brother- the big bad Alpha wolf, covered in muscle and ink with a permanent scowl- is sportingbright blue hair. It’s definitely alook.

“Bold choice, but I kinda like it,” I comment with a smirk.

Madd cuts me a glare that’s as cold as ice, his voice low and menacing. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you.”

He dashes toward me and I roll off the opposite side of the bed with a laugh, putting the furniture between us.

“C’mon, I think it’s a good look,” I tease, stifling another laugh as I tilt my head in consideration. “You never take risks with fashion, good for you for stepping out of your comfort zone.”

A threatening growl rumbles from his chest as he darts around the end of the bed, circling it to get to me. I jump back on it to dodge him, running across the mattress with a scream before hopping down safely on the other side.

“What’s going…?” I hear Sloane start to ask as she appears inthe doorway, her voice trailing off when she sees my brother. She slaps a hand over her mouth to cover her giggle, but it slips free anyways, Madd’s head snapping in her direction.

He clocks his mate’s reaction to his new look, then returns his glare to me with even more intensity.

“You’re fucking dead,” Madd snarls, lunging across the bed and trying to grab for me.

I leap back with a shriek. “Save me, Sloane!” I wail dramatically, rushing her way and ducking behind her for cover.

Love the girl, but at five foot nothing, she makes for a terrible human shield. Madd rolls off my bed and storms in our direction, still seething as he approaches. He stops right in front of Sloane, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he stares down at his mate. “Move.”

She folds her arms over her chest and lifts her chin, holding her ground. “Remember when you said you’d never make me choose between you and my best friend?”

Girl’s got a point. The three of us have been inseparable since birth, but when the two of them started dating at sixteen, some solid rules had to be put into place. Their relationship is completely their business- I’d rathernotknow about my brother’s sex life, thank you very much- and my friendship with Sloane will never be compromised by one of me and Madd’s feuds. I mean, it’s not like we have many of those anyways. We occasionally rile each other up like this, but there’s no question that my twin is my ride or die. He was my first best friend.

Though you wouldn’t know it right now judging by the scowl on his face. He narrows his eyes on his mate, staring her down.

---