Page 39 of Heart Broken Mate

“I hope so. We found each other for a reason. There must be something about it that will help us. Bonne will know how. I am sure he will.”

“Okay,” she said, and we continued our journey.

I think the rabbit distraction thing worked because we weren’t attacked. We got into Nillport late at night, later than I imagined, and it was still the same town we left behind. It seemed it had rained earlier in the day as the roads were slick with water. The town was boisterous, and no one paid us any mind as we pushed through the streets. We kept our eyes low and focused on the road, not looking anyone in the eyes. There were posters already calling for people who had information about Hayley. Those were from the police. Lenny seemed busy.

At this time of the night, Bonne wouldn’t be at his shop, so we went to his house. Besides, his house was what we needed. That was where he kept his books and journals. The shop is for potions and poultices.

He would be very mad at me, but I was ready to take the heat. His anger would simmer down once he found out what I had for him. Bonne loves mystery, maybe more than he loves his own self.

I got to the door and asked Hayley to remain behind me. The air was a bit nippy, and I had a good sense his son and wife would be asleep. I knocked on the door just slightly. Bonne might hate his werewolf pedigree, but he couldn’t do away with it. The little noise will perk his ears. I knocked once more, just in case. A couple of moments later, the door opened to reveal a tired Bonne.

He squinted his eyes at me, surprised.

“Luke? Are you back already?”

“Yes, Bonne.”

He couldn’t see Hayley behind me, but he could sense someone was there with me. He looked at me, waiting for me to cough up the answer. He didn’t look as tired anymore.

“Don’t be mad, Bonne. But I brought someone with me,” I said and stepped aside to reveal Hayley, who waved at him slightly.

Bonne threw me a look with sharpened edges. He opened the door to let us in and closed it immediately before he started on me.

“Are you crazy?” he asked me. “Why the hell will you bring her here?” he turned to Hayley and smiled at her. “I don’t mean any offense.”

“It is fine,” Hayley replied.

He turned his attention to me. “What are you thinking, Luke? She is a fugitive, a killer. The council and the whole community is after her. Do you want them knocking on my door and taking my family away? I know you to be reckless, but this reckless? Come on, man!”

There was a creak from up the stairs before I could reply, and Bonne’s wife, Nellie, walked down the stairs. She stopped when she saw us in the living room. She looked from Bonne to me and then to Hayley, and her eyes went wide. Nellie wasn’t a werewolf, but she’s seen the posters outside, and Bonne tells her all that goes on in the werewolf world. She has a kid who was close to his ascension, too.

“It’s her!” she said, pointing at Hayley. “What is she doing here, Bonne? Luke?”

Bonne walked to Nellie and held her by the shoulder. “Go back to sleep, Nellie. Luke and his friend won’t be staying the night.”

“Actually, we will,” I said.

Bonne looked like he wanted to come over and strangle me. I walked over to Nellie.

“Nellie, you know me. I wouldn’t put either you or Jade in danger. I made sure no one followed us here. You’re safe. Trust me.”

Nellie looked at me like she wanted to complain and then sighed. “I’ll be upstairs, waiting,” she said and left us.

Then Bonne turned to me, demanding an explanation.

“There’s something you have to see,” I told him and walked to the dining room, pulling a chair for Hayley. Bonne gave meanother quizzical look. I removed my pendant and handed it to him.

“Yes? I know you have this. Is this why you came—” he started but stopped when Hayley got hers out and showed it to him too. The two were made from the same material—a perfect replica of each other. But there was only a slight difference between them. The difference made them distinctly identifiable. My own was almost smooth, but Hayley’s had a slight lump in the center. The bump on the surface of the moon.

Some people call werewolves the children of the moon and say that we are descended from the moon itself when it came down to earth in the form of a human but then had sexual relations with a wolf. The rocky bit on the surface of the moon, they say, is responsible for our heightened abilities.

“The other half,” Bonne said, rolling both in his hand. “And they fit into each other too.”

Yes, they do, we had tried that back in the shelter, and we had a full moon. It was just two pieces of metal that made a full moon. It didn’t make any sense.

“Can you find out what it means?” Hayley asked. “Or what it is supposed to do, if it would do anything.”

“Yes, I can find out. I am sure there is something in one of my books I can find. In fact, I know just where to start,” Bonne said, his eyes lighting up and anticipation and anxiety effused out of him.

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