Page 42 of Dark Moon Secrets

What was it that I was going to find out? I was the queen of the witches? Though I didn’t think witches had queens. Maybe I was going to be married off? Well, they could think that.

Would I learn more about my parents? That was the decider and why I stayed because I might learn why they were murdered. And if I could do magic, I could make those who killed them pay. I would have to stay and learn then, but it wasn’t going to be easy. What else was going to help me stay here?

Part of me couldn’t wait for the dark moon because I would find out more. But at the same time, I didn’t see why I had to wait.

What the hell was out there that would hurt me?

I pressed my hand to the cold glass, looking down to the back street behind the shop. A movement caught my attention. Who could be outside now?

I leaned forward, trying to see what was down there. What might be creeping in the shadows?

A dog moved from the darkness, standing in clear view.

Just a dog, of course.

For some reason, I looked closer as if my subconscious had picked up something I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. My pulse quickened to an erratic rhythm.

It was a huge dog. Huge.

Black fur, gray to white underneath, it stood confident, ears pricked, tail still, strength radiating from the beast. It stood in plain sight, letting me see it and know this was his territory and I was imposing.

And it looked straight at me, knowing I was upstairs, looking down at it.

As if it had been watching me, I held its gaze. Its golden eyes almost glowed in the night. I couldn’t draw myself away. It moved its head, gesturing a motion as if to come down to it.

No way. I blinked quickly, convinced I was seeing things.

It moved its head again, its tail moving in a small wave.

Does it want me to come to it?

It does. I was sure of it.

I gasped, my skin prickled, and I pulled away from the window, letting the lace fall back in place.

I’m being stupid. It’s just a dog. Owners had overfed it, and it was huge.

I looked back out the window. My eyes locked with the dog’s once more. I was drawn to it. I wanted to go to the dog, run my hands through its fur, snuggle it tightly, and let it take away all the stresses burning through me.

How could a dog have such an influence on me?

The way it looked at me was familiar as if someone else had looked at me like this. Someone I had met recently, but I couldn’t put the pieces together.

It wasn’t a dog, more like a wolf. But we didn’t have wolves in Australia. A dingo maybe, and while I’d never seen one in real life, I knew this wasn’t any animal native to Australia. No way it could be a wolf. I refused to think that was even a possibility.

The dog moved as if it were getting impatient. Its white teeth bared in the light from a nearby streetlight.

A shiver went down my spine. I couldn’t go to the dog. I wasn’t thinking right.

I stepped away from the window and tugged on the old blind string to screen myself from that dog. Was it really a dog? It couldn’t be anything else.

I’m on edge. I’m not thinking right. I had been essentially drugged by Luna today in order for me to use my magic.

I began to concede defeat. I had to rest, but I couldn’t get over how the dog looked at me as if it knew me.

There was a buzzing sound in my backpack. It took me a moment to work out why that was important. Then I realized.

Shit, I hadn’t even checked my phone I’d been so wrapped up in myself. What would my friends be thinking? That I had abandoned them? That I wasn’t okay? Was I okay? I didn’t want to answer any questions from them. Hell, it wasn’t like I had answers that I could give them.

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