Bound By The Moons

low, inhuman growl-it came f

University. I'd opened the window for some fresh air, but instead of spring breezes and the occasi

fr

own; I knew what the wild sounded like.

s...

ng

animal I'd ever

backyard, but I couldn't see anything. Just the flicker of moon

indow fast a

, I tried to be

be. Portwood was rural enough to still have wildlife

led like something had looked directly at me-t

shove the t

threw mysel

en chasing a new thread for my paper-how recurring werewolf myths appeared in surprisingly similar forms across dispa

man, alwa

een his humanity a

n in Latin and roughly translated b

by the Moon's decree. His soul tethered to another'

y poetic. A

hrase "tethere

one I felt when

my chair, sudd

hor, not prophecy. Stories we told to expl

il

d echoed like a

treet to clear my head. I had barely taken a sip of m

n, uninvited a

too," I said, a

u left the university w

ize I needed y

on softened.

nking cups and quiet conversation hummed around us like w

?" I asked finally. "Last nig

s jaw t

d

d you're not going to

d stay inside after dark. Lock

not an

y one you'll

n I meant to. "I don't need prot

g in behind them. "You say that like y

y m

o. Like the truth sat on the edge o

, he stood.

n wh

e in the clearing. The one

t racing. "What's

dn't

thing between fear and longing

55

d it drowned out the crickets. The moon hung heavy in t

es. My skin buzzed with energy, like

ounded by thick forest-Grant and I had played here as ki

t sure they were

idnight, Luc

und. He just... eme

ing about the way he moved-graceful, taut, like something h

" he said,

, stepping forward.

long moment. Then he

to unbutto

d. "Um.

d the truth," he sa

irt and stepped into t

others looking as though they'd just healed. Deep claw scars. Ci

happened to yo

tepping closer, "i

at rippled down his body, I

cream-tore from his throat as his body shifted. Hands curled into

nt. Terrifyi

Lucien had stood, now

Not a man i

wo

Eyes the same icy b

rt slamming against

but moved with familiarit

to its eyes

ci

s when I

of

icity when

ched me like h

e said he wa

ust a man w

a wer

was hi