STRANGE MOON (Werewolf Romance)

Can things get any more complicated? Part 26

Chapter 26

"Something's wrong," Raydon said rousing from his sleep.

Sansia didn't respond. It had been quiet for several hours now. She had opted for a lie; a half truth. She had said that the authorities still had precious little more information. They were still talking about different types of wolves, nothing that was useful. Now hours later she laid there, Raydon on her left and Ms. Taitt on her right wondering if protecting Raydon had been the right move. All efforts to convince Raydon that the girls should be separated from the guys had proved fruitless. He insisted that he needed to be near her in case of an emergency.

"Sansia," Raydon whispered in her ear. The feel of his breath on her face sent strange tingles through her body. For some reason Raydon was drawn to her, it had to be because of the change and she was starting to wonder if she was right in encouraging it. The man on the radio had made it clear that people like Raydon were extremely dangerous; but he wouldn't hurt her, would he?

"Sansia!" Raydon shook Sansia's shoulder.

"I...um...what?"

Sansia sat up hurriedly. It had to be almost 3am. She wasn't sleeping of course, she couldn't sleep; the announcement had unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

"Something's wrong," Raydon repeated.

Talk about understatements.

"You've been lying next to me like a piece of wood all night," Raydon said. "What have I done now?"

"Nothing," Sansia said hurriedly.

Sansia slipped to her feet and hurried across to the desk where the radio was. Everyone was sleeping quietly. Raydon followed her.

"I know you didn't want me sleeping near you but it was for your protection," he said. "It's not like I tried anything."

Sansia turned away.

"Tell me what's wrong," Raydon insisted turning Sansia to face him.

"I said nothing," Sansia repeated.

"You've been acting strange from the moment you stuck those earphones into your ears; admittedly before; but super strange after. What did they say on the radio?" Raydon asked. "I have a right to know."

"Only you Raydon?" Sansia questioned.

Raydon looked puzzled.

"Of course not only me, all of us have a right to know," he said.

He was right of course, but if they knew the warning being issued against people like Raydon how many of them would want to be anywhere near him? But did she have the right to withhold pertinent information like that?

"I don't want to talk right now," Sansia said turning away again.

"I thought we were...friends."

Sansia could see that he had searched diligently for the correct word.

"I just need some space," Sansia said.

That was true. Too much was happening too fast and it seemed almost as if somehow she and Raydon had become inseparable. How had that happened? When did the two of them get so close? He was the vice president of sales and marketing, when did they become like two peas in a pod?

"You can talk to me," Raydon said.

"I think I need to sort my own thoughts out first," Sansia admitted hurrying towards the door. She wasn't really surprised when Raydon followed her. He held her hand delaying her escape.

"Please tell me what I've done."

His voice sounded so soft and desperate it was difficult to accept it was coming from Raydon Payne.

"It's not always about you Mr. Payne," Sansia said trying to keep her voice steady.

Sansia pulled her hand from Raydon's grasp and hurried through the door.

"Please don't follow me," she said.

Raydon stopped at the door eyeing Sansia cautiously as she hurried out of the room.

She never imagined that she would be saying something like that to Raydon Payne. Wasn't that in itself evidence that he was changing? The Raydon Payne she had known had no interest in her and couldn't even remember her name; this Raydon Payne seemed to have what could be described as an unhealthy interest in her. He listened to what she said, he risked his life for her, for pete's sake he was sleeping next to her just to make sure she was safe. Maybe she had thought part of his sudden interest had stemmed from the fact that she now represented a very small number of women that Raydon Payne currently had access to, but something was saying it was more than that. Sansia hated to think it, but maybe what was happening to Raydon was he was becoming more of a wolf, and like the men had said, slowly he was starting to see himself as a creature that needed a mate.

Why would he have focused on her? Because she was there? Sansia felt a conflict of pleasure and fear.

"How do I deal with this?" Sansia muttered to herself. "There's just too much going on, Raydon's potential danger to the group, Raydon's apparent selection of me...should I be excited or afraid? What kind of future does this world hold anyway for me, for us and could there ever really be an 'us'? What did wanting a mate mean? Was it something physical, mental, instinctive? What was going on and do I really want any part of something so strange?"

Sansia grabbed her head as she passed the second room where the others were sleeping, all this thinking was giving her a headache. Could things get any more complicated?

Sansia stopped and stared at the end of the corridor. Apparently they could. Belle Junior was lying on the ground, his body covered in blood and completely still.

Sansia screamed.