Moon Rising (Mount Henley Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  “Nadia’s doing great; she already shifted a day earlier this week. We’ll see if we can push the shift to a day after your longest time. It’s a little harder as the moon is waning,” Diego added.

  “Cool,” I said a little too brightly, then added more casually, “Maybe you can give Shea some pointers too.”

  “Pointers on what? Oh hey, Diego!” Shea joined the group, and we exchanged greetings.

  “Diego’s here to help Nadia with her training,” I explained.

  Shea cut me a look that only a best friend could read: And what do you think about that?

  “Oh that’s awesome! Yes, I’d love to get in on more training. Alice’s advice is always the same, feel the moon, or something like that.” Shea chuckled.

  “I can’t help it. I just know the moon’s there behind the clouds, so it’s there behind the Earth’s shadow too.”

  “There’s definitely truth to that, Alice, but no one can shift as easily as you. It’s no wonder your advice is a little unclear to those who struggle with it. I trained nonstop for over a year to gain that level of control.” Diego was trying to mediate, but I think he liked the idea of being better than me at teaching, especially since I sorta stole his youngest Sliver status from him, even if only a handful of Weres knew it. I smiled my concession and was glad to let someone else show Shea how it was done. Our friendship didn’t need the added strain.

  We all wandered through the gardens while Diego updated Nadia on some of his ideas for improving security. He mentioned that they’d been adding patrols and increasing security at Mt. Henley as well.

  “Parents are nervous about the recent attack, and the whole werewolf community is coming to grips with upyr on this continent. To be honest, many still don’t believe it.”

  “I don’t blame them. It’s hard to believe.”

  “But with Kulani’s death, how can anyone be in denial?” fumed Shea.

  “It’s difficult for us, and we were witnesses. The rest of the pack has the word of a few teenagers and the photographs of a gruesome crime scene. Rumors are spreading that it’s an elaborate hoax to cover up a murder,” said Nadia.

  “That’s outrageous!” I was furious that anyone would use my friend’s death for macabre gossip, or worse, political gain.

  “The Queen Regent won’t confirm or deny any rumors. So far, the council has declared that they’re still investigating the event and, in the meantime, increasing security to prevent future tragedy. But, as far as they know, this was a singular event, and unlikely to repeat.”

  “That’s crazy! The people need to know.” Shea’s anger reflected how we all felt.

  Nadia turned to me. “It was intentional; of that, I’m sure. Most of the High Council wanted to preserve themselves so they couldn’t reveal they knew of the upyr threat. They’re denying claims that there’re more upyr in the Americas; however, the plan does involve a slow reveal of the growing threat. First, they’ll publicize increased sightings in Europe. It plays well into their plans to increase the number of exchange students at Mount Henley this year. They can’t keep the secret once a bunch of Eurasian werewolves get here and start blabbing.”

  “Is it only wolves from Europe and Asia coming?” Shea frowned, worried that other nations might be at risk. The werewolf gene is similar to the red hair gene in that there are werewolves of every ethnicity and background. Shea often wondered if the two genes were somehow linked, since there’s an inordinate amount of redheads among werewolves. Shea, of course, had strawberry-golden locks. I had dark auburn hair, more brown than red, but in certain light, the auburn highlights shone through more. And even Nadia and Diego’s black locks had a touch of red visible when the sun glinted off of a few strands.

  “The upyr have only been sighted in the Northern Eurasian continent,” explained Nadia. “Perhaps they prefer colder climates? Some of the refugee wolves are going to Africa as well since the upyr have not traveled that far south. There’re no reports of upyr south of the Canadian border.”

  “Not yet,” I added ominously.

  “Yes, well, the council feels that having more patrols and werewolves that are familiar with the upyr threat will help us.” Nadia had the grace to look ashamed as she said this.

  “Huh, you’d think the Eurasian dignitaries would contest that?” I pondered.

  “Well, when you are queen, you can ask them.” Shea smiled. I caught Diego’s eye; his face was a mask.

  “Of course, they’re having trouble containing the Mount Henley attack. The kids went home for summer, and everyone’s talking about the upyr attack at school, despite the council’s best efforts to keep it under wraps. Diego is practically legend.”

  “You are?” I glanced at Diego, who looked embarrassed.

  “Of course, the famous upyr killer. He did take out two upyr with his bare claws!” Nadia, like the rest of the werewolf community, had no idea that an upyr had helped save us during the attack. Everyone else was knocked out, so only Diego, Shea, and I saw Sloane decapitate the assassin. Shea and I were also the only two who knew about Diego’s super shift.

  “I didn’t do it alone. Sir Henry, Hayley, and Kulani were all part of the attack.” Diego was determined to give credit where credit was due. “Not to mention Adam, Shea, and Alice herself. We all helped take them down.”

  “True, but even if they wounded the upyr, you were the one to finish them off. That’s beyond impressive.”

  “But I didn’t do it alone…”

  “Of course not, but just enjoy the glory, okay? You’re a hero.” Nadia ignored how uncomfortable her praise was making Diego. I steered our conversation away from the topic.

  “What about Japan?” I asked Nadia, knowing her family was Japanese. “Would the Kitsune help us?”

  “Kitsune?” Shea asked.

  “The werefoxes,” Nadia said.

  “Japanese werewolves were displaced by the Kitsune after the Genpei War in 1185.” Ha! I remembered something from history class after all.

  “That’s a nice way of saying they were driven out of Japan,” interjected Diego.

  “So the werefoxes control the islands of Japan?” Shea clarified.

  “Pretty much. Japanese werewolf clans sought refuge with the werewolves in Siberia and beyond,” Nadia explained. “Before the joining of the packs, however, it was difficult to be a new clan in a claimed territory. The Japanese clans eventually spread out all over the globe. When it became apparent that werewolf numbers were dwindling, the various royal families organized into the Great Pack under the first Great Queen. My family was one of the oldest royal clans and first among foreign nations to take a seat on the High Council of the Great Pack.”

  Nadia and Nolan were orphaned after their parents died in a plane crash several years ago. Nadia had claimed the Osakura seat on the High Council and became the matriarch of her family at the cost of her beloved parents. I listened to Nadia and thought about the pressure she must feel in losing her parents, caring for her brother, assuming the council seat ... especially with the state of Japanese werewolves displaced from their homeland. Knowing they were the last two remaining royal werewolves of the Royal Clan of Osakura was an onerous weight to bear.

  “So is there any chance the Kitsune would help us?” Shea inquired.

  “I think the real question is: can they be trusted? In the fables, they’re trickster foxes with seven tails.” I’d read up them after learning the term last year.

  Nadia laughed. “The Kitsune have as many legends as werewolves do. They do shift into foxes, not wolves, but I’m pretty sure they only have one tail. Just like I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a Werewolf of London.”

  We tried to chuckle but didn’t quite succeed. Shea looked nervously at Diego, and I shook my head at her. We’d agreed to keep Diego’s secret. When his life was threatened he could shift from his wolf into a bizarre human-wolf hybrid. He stood on two legs towering maybe eight feet tall. He had a furry humanoid torso, large muscular chest, and strong arms
with oversized hands that ended in claws. His head was wolfish with furry ears and an elongated snout, but very human eyes. But I could still see Diego in his eyes. I knew he was fully aware, if not fully in control, of his super shift.

  Without Diego’s super shift and Sloane’s intervention, more than one of us would have died the day we lost Kulani. Shea and I were the only ones to witness the true outcome of the attack. Diego had helped save us by shifting into his super wolf, part-man, part-wolf beast that was reminiscent of Hollywood’s monsters and the legend of the Werewolf of London. He needed that strength to kill an upyr. One werewolf alone couldn’t normally do that.

  Shea and I spent a lot of time at the library and online digging into old stories about monsters. We were searching for answers as to why Diego was the way he was. Shea wondered if Jack the Ripper and the Werewolf of London were actually the same legendary monster. She feared that Diego might be related to Jack the Ripper and potentially dangerous. I’d gotten angry when Shea brought up her theory. I knew Diego was in control of his wolf no matter how he shifted.

  Yet, we were curious about his skill and where it came from. His mom lived in Dryden behind Mt. Henley and ran a small café there. Diego knew nothing about his father, and his mom, Luciana, never talked about him. It surprised me how many of my friends had mysterious origins, but I supposed that’s the life of a hidden society. No one puts “werewolf” on their birth certificate.

  As we made our way out of the gardens, we reached a larger clearing, where we planned to practice shifting that night. Shea was a little worried she’d be the only one that couldn’t shift, but I promised I wouldn’t either if she didn’t.

  “That’s sweet of you, but I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve been dying to shift all week.” I was grateful she didn’t mention my evening excursions. I didn’t need a scolding from Nadia or Diego on safety and secrecy.

  “I know, but that’s what friends are for.” I grinned and we raced back to the house.

  Chapter 5

  Later that night, we met the team of lawyers at dinner. I’d previously met Robert, and he introduced me to the rest of his team. Claudia, Manny, and Edmund were the best of the best, according to Robert. Over salads, they outlined their strategy, and over dessert, they leveled with me.

  “The problem is,” explained Claudia, “we need a legal reason to dissolve the betrothal. Unless the Dolph family agrees to annul the contract, there’s little legal recourse available to you. Both parties must want to dissolve the contract.”

  “But I never agreed to the contract in the first place. My birth parents, who are both deceased, made this barbaric plan for me before I was born.” I was starting to panic that I’d be stuck in a loveless marriage. What was the point of being queen if I couldn’t marry whom I chose?

  “While that seems like a reasonable argument, it won’t hold weight in court.” Manny had a patronizing way of talking to me, so I ignored him and turned back to Robert.

  “So what’s your plan?” I leveled a piercing look.

  “Your Highness, we have tried to bargain in lieu of dissolving the betrothal. We’ve offered money, land, and even flirted with the promise of more political clout, but Prince Ulric is determined to align his family with the Royal Clan Luna. You’re the last Luna. Unfortunately, he already has what he wants most.”

  Robert was stalling, so I asked him frankly, “So I’m stuck?”

  “Well…” He looked anywhere but at me. “I wouldn’t give up all hope…” His words rang hollow.

  Nadia, with her usual disregard for feelings, put in, “It’s not the worst pairing, Alice. I know Logan’s a pompous ass, but his family name carries weight and wealth.”

  “And mine doesn’t?” I countered petulantly.

  “Of course it does. That, in a way, is the problem. They’re not only one of the oldest family clans in the Great Pack, they’re also one of the most prolific. There’re more Dolph wolves than most royal clans put together. They could be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy. No doubt your parents’ original reasoning behind the match. Keep in mind, Alice, this is a normal occurrence among the pack.”

  “Easy for you to say, Nadia, you’re not betrothed.” Shea always had my back, and I was grateful for it. I’d been avoiding looking at Diego the entire dinner. As I glanced at him now, he looked like marble, staring down at his dessert, untouched.

  “What about the legality of betrothal in general? As queen, could I put forth a bill, or command, or something to abolish the practice?”

  Manny began to sputter, but Claudia quickly cut him off. “The problem is you’re trying to change one of our oldest laws. It’s unlikely you’d get enough votes. The council is getting younger, but the older generation still holds the majority of the seats.”

  “And the Dolph family has more influence than most,” Robert added. “They’ve spent centuries climbing the social ladder. Prince Ulric is one grandchild away from having his family on the throne. Such an obvious maneuver would not play well with the other royal clans.”

  “What if—” I jumped and the whole table seemed startled as we turned to hear what Diego had to say. He cleared his throat and looked at Robert, not me—“What if as the last Luna, Alice decrees that all her heirs will be given the surname Luna to preserve the royal line?”

  I clapped my hands and gasped. That’s it! It could be that simple! I looked at Robert, hoping for a hint that this could work. He and Claudia were huddled together, talking excitedly. Manny grew red in the face. He potentially wanted to fling his forkful of cake at Diego given how hard he was holding the utensil and glaring daggers at Diego. Something told me he didn’t like anyone else having a good idea but him.

  “I don’t get it,” said Shea. “I mean, even with the Luna name, he’d still have an heir on the throne.”

  “True,” Manny agreed. “It may not be enough.”

  “But Prince Ulric wants to see a King Dolph, not just be added to the royal family tree,” Claudia countered.

  My excitement was tempered quickly. “Prince Ulric told me that my parents had agreed to give the girls the surname Luna and the boys Dolph. They assumed that the eldest female child would inherit the crown, but at least there was a chance for a Dolph ruler.” Being a feminist, I couldn’t decide if this was sexist or not. Either way, I knew my transgender friends would be annoyed.

  “Ah yes,” Nadia interjected, “an heir and a spare. Ulric does like a gamble. And either way he’s still grandfather to the potential heir-apparent.”

  I was getting grossed out thinking of babies I hadn’t birthed yet. Here we were casually discussing my unborn kids, already being dubbed “the heir and the spare,” not to mention having those babies with Logan. Blech.

  Robert cleared his throat and the chatter died down. “We’d have to review the contract, but I don’t think there’s a clause included about the surname. Typically, these arrangements are made with the knowledge that the offspring will take the highest ranking name. So there is a precedent for it.”

  “And of course the Luna name is highest ranking,” Shea affirmed.

  “But if Prince Ulric and the late Queen Marguerite put their agreement in writing, we may be stuck,” Manny interjected.

  Claudia cut in, “If it’s not explicitly laid out in the contract, though, that might be enough to tip the scales. If he has no chance for a Dolph monarch, maybe he’ll accept some islands in Lake Huron as a consolation prize?”

  “We’ll have to be discreet. This isn’t a threat to use lightly. You might have to first claim the throne before playing this card,” Robert finished.

  “So it’s a gamble then, and I might still get stuck with Logan.” Saying it out loud made me feel instantly sick. How could I marry that jerk?

  “It still may be our best bet,” Nadia put in finally. “If only you could tolerate him.”

  I snorted but held my tongue, not trusting my words. I reviewed my choices. Option one: accept the crown, my inheritance, and the weigh
t of responsibility of the Great Pack, and marry a privileged snob who doesn’t love me. Or option two: run away and leave the pack in the hands of Queen Christina, a potential sociopath and likely conspirator with the upyr, our oldest and greatest enemy forgotten into the realms of myth, until bloody corpses started to pile at my feet. Yeah … freewill, baby.

  Dessert was cleared and we retired to a parlor for coffee and chocolates. I wasn’t sure how I felt; slightly dejected, but determined to maintain hope. I noticed Diego by the window and wandered over to him.

  “Hey,” I said, thinking I’d have more but not finding the words.

  “Hey,” he smiled, “How are you holding up?”

  I looked at him, grateful for the inquiry, but not ready to trust my voice with the onslaught of emotions I was battling. I shrugged instead.

  Apparently, we were both at a loss for words. We stood there silent for a few moments. We turned when Nadia clinked her glass to get everyone’s attention. She invited everyone to the stables, where we could shift into our wolves for an evening run.

  I asked Nadia why she had a set of stables when it was impossible for werewolves to ride horses. They’re too terrified to have a preternatural predator on their backs. Nadia explained that they’d been converted into posh changing rooms when her family bought the estate.

  “Ironically, we still own several race horses, but obviously, no one in the family has ever been to a race. Can you imagine the chaos?” Shea and I laughed and thought Nadia must be in a good mood given her rare display of a sense of humor.

  We were all happy once we shifted into our wolves. Shea had no problem with the shift and she skipped around in glee. We all headed out into the night, starting as a large pack then splitting off into smaller groups. The lawyers went their own way, and Diego ran with Nadia, Shea, and me.

  The property was huge, and we had fun exploring the boundaries. Diego and I fell into our old patrol patterns as we sniffed perimeters and took turns taking the lead and bringing up the rear. As the nearly-full moon rose, we scampered around and delighted in the freedom of the run.