Page 9 of Moon Cursed

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IWOKE UP MINUTES—HOURS—DAYSlater under a mound of crushing darkness.

I screamed.

Chapter One

Oh, no. No! No, no, no, no, no!I screamed down the bond—pure and unadulterated panic overwhelming me. “Help! Edric, help me!”

Nothing.

Not one word or a stir came back. Not even a stray passing thought. Was he asleep? Was he still passed out from Badr’s hit? Was he... ignoring me?

Choking, chilling horror froze my veins. Was this it? Was this how Edric decided to solve themeproblem? Someone else went through the trouble of killing me, so why not look the other way... and let them?

No!I cried, slicing that horrible thought off at the knees. Edric was an irritating, rule-twisting hypocrite, but he wasn’t a monster. I’d seen deep enough into his mind to know that. He’d never abandon me to die a slow, dark death, and neither would his wolf. If he wasn’t responding, it meant he couldn’t hear me—

—and I was screwed.

No,another voice shouted at me.You’re not going to die here. You’re not abandoning Hope to the horrifying future in store for Wolf Nation. Get up, and get out of here!

I repeated those words to myself, over and over, sounding the battle cry that propelled me up even as tears flowed hot and free down my face. Cold and dark—that’s what I remember most of when I lost Mom.

She was already sick and dying when vampires busted through the door and came for me. We ran but Mom was slow. Weak. She screamed at my father not to stop and to get me to safety no matter what.

He did so. Throwing me over his shoulder, he sprinted upstairs and tossed me in the safe room, shutting me inside before I knew what was happening. But he didn’t come in with me. Of course he didn’t, he went back down to help Mom.

Dad didn’t turn on the lights before he shut me in, and I couldn’t find them in the dark. So there I sat in the chilly blackness, crying and praying to Luame that my parents would come back for me... and only one did.

But that’s not happening to Hope! Her mother is coming back for her, so get up. GET UP!

Phasing through the crushing dirt, I got my feet solid and firm beneath me.

I had no illusions. The only reason I was still alive was because of my wolf healing, but that wouldn’t save me forever. The vicious ache in my head was a backdrop to my fear. My feet felt like they were being crushed by two anvils. And it was dark.

So very, very dark.

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