Moon Rising (Mount Henley Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Moon Rising

  Kat Zaccard

  Copyright ©2018 by Kat Zaccard

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author. For information regarding permission, please email [email protected].

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either used fictitiously or are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ASIN: B07JYD388G

  Cover design by CreativeGerman

  Maps by Corina Soares

  For Guthrie, who has a hero’s heart.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my sister and editor, Rebecca Zaccard, for encouraging the evolution of this series.

  Thank you to Jonathan Yanez for mentoring me throughout the publishing process. Thank you to all my beta readers, especially Erin Bailey. I’m lucky to work with skilled professionals to produce a quality publication. Thank you to Les at German Creative for the excellent cover design. It’s such a pleasure to see my ideas come to life. Thank you to Corina Soares for the incredible maps. I love that readers can dive into Mt. Henley! Thank you to Beth at Hercules for your skilled proofreading and friendly discourse.

  Thanks to my family for supporting my passion. Thanks to my friends for always having my back. Thanks to you, for joining me on this journey.

  Love,

  Kat

  Moon Rising

  Kat Zaccard

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 1

  Being back at home felt like being in an alternate reality or a past life. At least Shea was with me. Shea was my anchor to the real world. She was like a pinch reminding me that last year in Canada had really happened. I was happy to have her home with me for summer break, except that Greenville, Wisconsin didn’t quite feel like home anymore.

  Even now, walking down the quaint Main Street, I felt like a stranger giving a tour of the town I grew up in.

  “That antique shop has been there forever.” I pointed. “But that place is something new every year.” I squinted at the sign. “Randy’s Rugs?”

  “Eww,” squealed Shea. “It’s probably a front.”

  We giggled maniacally. It felt good to laugh. These last few weeks away from school had helped to ease our grief.

  “Let’s go get a café Americana. You have to try the drink of my people,” I joked.

  We both turned as a voice rang out: “Oh look, girls. It’s Looney Luna back from Hogwarts. How was boarding school, Alice? Your parents must have been thrilled to get rid of you last year. I know I was.” Carianne laughed. Her group of friends joined in.

  My face burned and Shea looked ready to go over and fight. I put a hand on her arm, restraining her. “Forget it, Shea. We have bigger problems than Carianne.”

  “That’s Carianne? I should have known.” I’d told Shea about Carianne’s antics from my freshman year here in Greenville. She had befriended me, belittled me, then spread rumors about me all over school. By the end of my freshman year, I was practically an outcast thanks to her relentless taunting. Those old feelings rushed back, but they weren’t as powerful as before.

  Here I was, with my best friend. What did I need Carianne’s approval for? Or anyone else’s for that matter? Besides, I really did have bigger problems.

  “What’s the matter, Looney? Cat got your tongue?”

  “Whatever, Carianne.” I turned away from her, pulling Shea along with me.

  I heard Carianne call out, “Don’t worry; I already took Nick off your hands!” Malicious laughter followed us as we walked away.

  “Wow, you weren’t exaggerating about her,” Shea said, doing her best to be nonchalant.

  “Yes, a real winner, that one,” I grumbled.

  “Like you said, who cares about that little snot? You have bigger problems. I can’t believe she stole your old boyfriend just to rub it in your face!”

  “I can. Though Nick was barely my boyfriend.” We’d had one date that got cut short, followed by a brief breakup via text. It was definitely small potatoes now.

  Looking at the passing shop windows, I noticed a flash of movement and frowned at our reflection in the glass. The guy rounding the corner behind us looked familiar. I ducked into the next door, pulling Shea along with an “Oomph.” I shushed Shea and peered out the window, pretending to look at a rack of postcards.

  “Alice! What are you doing?” Shea whispered.

  “Hush! I’m waiting. There!” I squatted down as the man I’d noticed passed the shop window.

  Shea slapped her forehead before grabbing my hands to help me up.

  “Why in the world did you come in here?”

  I finally looked around and realized we were in the local head shop, surrounded by psychedelic mushroom tapestries, colorful bongs, and a roped-off X-rated section. Shea’s face was as pink as her strawberry-blonde curls. I felt my own face warming. If my parents caught me in here, I’d be dead. I had to bite back a bark of laughter. Instead, I peeked out of the window looking for the man.

  “I don’t see him.”

  “Who?”

  “Come on.”

  We left the boutique and continued walking down the street.

  “I thought I saw somebody following us.”

  Shea looked around. “Who?”

  “I don’t know … some guy. I ducked into that shop to try to get a better look at him, but I didn’t recognize him. Short, dark hair, sunglass, big muscles—that’s about it.”

  “Big muscles?” Shea’s mouth twitched.

  “Yeah, like he’d be tough to take in a fight.”

  “Oh, we’re fighting him now?”

  “I don’t know!” I threw my hands up in exasperation and followed Shea into the coffee shop. I froze when I saw the man in sunglasses take a steaming mug from the barista. I squeezed Shea’s arm, sidling my eyes in his direction. The man turned to doctor his drink and sit down.

  Shea ordered us two black coffees to go. She paid, so I tipped generously. We high-tailed it out of there without cream or sugar. Both of us were allergic to cream anyway.

  “OMG! Was that the guy?”

  “Yes!” I didn’t even take the time to tease her for saying OMG out loud. A couple of months of cell service and we were ordinary teenagers again. We turned the corner, and I glanced back in time to see the man in sunglasses leave the coffee shop and look down the street.

  “Crap!” I started to run.

  “Do you think this is necessary?” Shea was trying to not spill her cof
fee as she caught up with me. I realized mine was leaving a handy trail.

  “You’re right. I have a better idea.”

  With a shrug, Shea followed me down the block. We headed to the river that bisected the older and newer parts of town. Crossing the bridge, I was sure to slosh a little coffee on the planks.

  “Let’s hide over here.” We crouched behind a tree and waited, panting for breath.

  In a few minutes, the man with sunglasses crossed the bridge. Shea and I were ready. She popped out from behind the tree and tripped him. He skipped over her extended leg, but it was enough to throw him off balance. I swiped his other leg out from under him, and he toppled in a heap. Not our best maneuver, but it worked.

  “Why are you following us?” I demanded. We stood back, ready for attack, but the man didn’t seem interested in fighting back.

  “Your Highness, forgive me.”

  At his words, I started to relax. This wasn’t an upyr bent on my destruction. He was likely a guard sent from the palace. At his next words, I tensed up all over again.

  “I have orders from the queen—” he began, but Shea cut him off.

  “The queen! What does she want?” she demanded.

  The man looked puzzled. “I… that is … not the queen herself, but I am under orders from Captain Gregor of the Royal Guard to protect you. I… I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness, I wasn’t supposed to be seen.”

  “Yes, well, you have been.” I pondered this new development while the man picked himself off of the ground. Shea maintained a defensive position and kept herself between him and me. I swallowed the bile of annoyance reminding myself she meant well. But I never wanted another friend caught between me and danger again. Never mind that particular bitter pill appeared unavoidable.

  “So the queen herself didn’t order Captain Gregor to send you?”

  “I… I mean, the queen has many important things to do,” the man sputtered, clearly not understanding Shea’s motivation for her interrogation. We had recently learned the Queen Regent wanted me dead, among other things. Lucky for me, this bumbling guard did not seem like an assassination attempt.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Sir Levi of the Noble Clan Weston, Ma’am, at your service.” He bowed with perfect courtly grace. I sighed. So much for being an ordinary teenager.

  “Are there any more of you?” Shea inquired.

  Sir Levi looked as if he wanted to ignore Shea’s existence. He couldn’t be mad at the princess for knocking him over, but he could hold a grudge against her friend, especially a Winterstone.

  “Well?” I nudged. “Answer her question.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. There are two of us on duty. We each take twelve-hour shifts. The other is Maxwell of the Royal Clan Dolph.”

  “Great, just great.” The family of my unwanted betrothed was spying on me in the guise of protecting me. If that didn’t make matters worse, it certainly didn’t make them any better.

  “Okay, Levi, is it? Here’re your new orders. Go back to the palace. We’re just fine here on our own.”

  “With all due respect, Your Royal Highness,” Levi was starting to sweat, “I can’t disobey a direct order from my captain. We have to stay in Greenville to protect the Royal Clan of Luna. It is our duty and our honor!”

  I sighed again. I couldn’t deny that I did in fact need some protection, not to mention I really didn’t want to get this guy in trouble. He was just doing his job after all.

  “Okay, Sir Levi, how about this. You guys keep your distance. As long as there are no upyr roaming the city, we should be fine.”

  “Your Highness, we must keep you in sight,” he protested. “As a member of the Royal Guard, I hope to prove loyal to serve you when you take the crown. My family is also of noble blood and we fully support the return of the Lost Luna to the throne.”

  Shea finally relaxed her guard while I bit my tongue trying not to sigh again. At least he seemed genuine enough. I reached out with my alpha powers to see if I could feel any deception in his words. I couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but he felt sincere. He wasn’t here to kill me. Given his nobility, he likely told the truth. Clearly Prince Ulric of the Royal Clan Dolph had something to do with who was chosen to protect the future queen and his future grand-daughter-in-law. Oh, there was that bile again.

  “Listen, Levi, I hear you. But we’re the only four werewolves in the entire town of Greenville. I think I’m safe. As long as you patrol the general area, we’ll be fine.” I threw my wolf into it a little bit. Again, I couldn’t be totally sure it’d work, but I’d been practicing a little. It may have been wishful thinking or an overactive imagination, but I thought my alpha powers were progressing.

  “Yes, Your Royal Highness,” he seemed to acquiesce, “but what about the full moon?”

  “We have plans to go to visit Dryden, where we’ll be perfectly safe. You two can stay here and guard my parents in the meantime.”

  “Your parents, Ma’am?”

  “Yes, Donna and Nathanial Nacht, my parents.”

  “Oh, your adoptive parents. I’m not sure.”

  “I am sure. They’re my family. I order you to protect them as if they were full members of the Royal Clan of Luna and the Great Pack.” I used every ounce of authority I could muster, conjuring an image of Nadia’s imperious stance and tone in my mind.

  “Y-yes, Your Royal Highness,” Sir Levi stammered.

  “Great, now we’re going this way. So you go that way.” I hated how snotty that sounded, thinking I was more likely channeling Jillian than Nadia with that last snipe. But I waited until he left to drop the act. Royal privilege was the cause of, and solution to, this invasion of privacy.

  “Wow, way to rock that crown, Alice,” Shea applauded when the royal guard was out of ear shot.

  “I guess. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Well, I think it worked at least for now. Who knows what his partner will think. Did Sir Levi Muscles say he was a Dolph?”

  “Ugh! Yes! Probably a spy planted by Logan’s grandfather.”

  “Prince Ulric wants to keep tabs on his future investment, I suppose?”

  “Shea!”

  “What?”

  She wasn’t wrong. My birth parents had betrothed me to Logan before I was even born. They both died shortly thereafter. Now I hoped that however tragic, their untimely deaths would help me annul the betrothal. Prince Ulric was hoping to have a great-grandchild on the throne and was less inclined to dissolve the contract between our two families.

  Just like that, all of my problems came flooding to my mind as the weight of the werewolf world fell squarely on my shoulders. I wished I could go back to pretending it was just another summer vacation before the fall semester. There was no going back. But a girl could try.

  I gave Shea a sidelong glance. “Sir Muscles, huh?”

  Shea blushed. “What? You pointed them out first.”

  “True, but I bet he thought you were cute too,” I teased.

  “Oh gimme a break!” Shea laughed. “You know there’s no one but Adam.” Her eyes softened, and she looked longingly into the distance.

  I blew air through my lips like a horse farting. “Don’t go getting all moony-eyed. I know you miss him.” I liked Adam a lot, but Shea had been moping around for most of summer break.

  “I more than miss him,” Shea whined. “It’s like a physical pain in my gut.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

  “Eight! It’s been eight weeks. And the last time…”

  Just like that, we were both bummed out again. Shea hadn’t seen Adam since the funeral. Our teacher, Kulani, had been savagely killed. She’d been more than a teacher. She had been my mentor and friend. She and her partner Jack had become like family to me last year. We all felt her loss keenly.

  Thinking of Jack made my heart sink. He and Kulani had loved each other so deeply. They were true mates. I used to doubt the rare bond was re
al. I thought whatever, it’s hormones, biology, and the ephemeral notion of true love. But what Jack and Kulani had was more than any of that. They were in tune to each other, their hearts in sync. He’d been ravaged by her loss. I’d written to him since I’d been home, but I didn’t expect a response. His grief was an ocean.

  And I was to blame. Kulani had died protecting me. She was killed by an upyr. Until her death, most of the werewolf world thought upyr were nothing more than a myth. Now everyone knew the monsters were real. They were preternaturally fast, super strong, and fed on blood. No one knew how many there were in North America, but I was fairly certain that whatever the estimates, they were far too low.

  Chapter 2

  Our mood hadn’t lifted much by dinner, but we put on happy faces for my mom and dad. We were having breakfast for dinner, so that helped. Maple syrup makes everything better.

  “Do you want butter, dear?” Mom offered Shea.

  “Mom, Shea’s lactose-intolerant too. Remember?” I couldn’t believe I was telling her again.

  “Oh, that’s right! Silly me. It’s so funny that you two have the same allergy.”

  “Yep, ironic.” It wasn’t my mom’s fault she was totally clueless about my werewolf life, but did she have to act so, well, clueless?

  “No problem, Mrs. Nacht. Thanks so much for making dinner, er… breakfast.” Shea smiled at my mom, then covertly glared at me.

  My dad chuckled good-naturedly before shoveling more pancakes into his mouth.

  I tried not to be annoyed. Shea had never had parents, and she seemed to really appreciate mine. But they’d always been my parents, so it was far less exciting for me to be coddled over. I couldn’t slip back into teenage complacency. I had a responsibility to the Great Pack.

  Before Kulani’s death, I was in denial about the whole werewolf princess thing. I figured I could get out of it and just let the Queen Regent keep queening. But after Kulani’s murder, something changed. Her death was on me. It was my fault. I should have protected her somehow. I had to be sure not to fail anyone else. My resolve solidified when I learned that the upyr attack had been an assassination attempt.