DARK CRESCENT

Truth to light

"Figured I'd get a jump on making some coffee" I said.

"At three in the morning?" Maggi asked, with one eyebrow raised.

"Well, you know your mom will be home in an hour or two, she's going to want some" I informed.

Terry's face fell at the sight of me, my presence shifting his entire mood. He glowered at me, narrowed his eyes, and fisted his hands.

"Oh, Terry just came by to talk to me about something" Maggi said.

I could feel my jaw clench, and Terry mimicked my expression, as we sized each other.

"Oh really, what about?" I asked, reaching for my coffee mug on the counter next to the wall.

I crossed my arms in front of me letting the coffee cup hang from my forefinger on my right hand.

"Maybe we can talk about it at the carnival when you're alone" Terry said through bared teeth.

"Why not just say it Terry, Tee, can I call you Tee? Whatever you have to tell her you can say in front of me" I smirked sarcastically, reaching over, and filling the mug with water from the faucet.

"You really want to do this?" Terry frowned.

"What is he talking about baby?" Maggi probed, turning to look up into my eyes.

"I don't know, but I invite it" I shrugged as I sipped the water from the cup, a smug grin on my demeanor.

"Dude, I will tell her" Terry growled.

"I mean tell her whatever the fuck you want she's not going to believe you" I answered nonchalantly.

"You don't control her" Terry barked.

"I've never tried" I replied.

"Alright, will you two put your dicks away, we're not doing this" Maggi snapped.

"See, still a brat" I snickered, pointing to Maggi with my mug.

Maggi turned and glared at me. I shrugged and drank more water, keeping quiet.

"Terry talk" Maggi demanded.

"Your boyfriend's a werewolf" Terry blurted.

My eyes widened and I nearly choked on my water. Thank God Maggi didn't see or hear my reaction.

"A what?" Maggi asked as if she didn't hear clearly.

"He's a werewolf" Terry repeated pointing to me.

I laughed hysterically.

"A w...a...are you high right now?" Maggi frowned.

"No. I'm serious he's a dead ass werewolf" Terry said, pointing aggressively to me.

I continued laughing. Maggi turned and snapped her finger at me, and my laugh went to a mocking snicker.

"Terry werewolves aren't real" Maggi said.

"Yes, they are, I've met some and a man, whose expertise is hunting them" Terry explained.

I raised up from my mug, looking at him in concern. I began to think about the bullet that killed Rodney. Normal hunter bullets weren't made like that. That took skill to place the silver just right at the tip. I lowered my mug and looked at Terry.

"Terry get out of my kitchen you have clearly lost your mind" Maggi giggled, pushing Terry towards the back door.

Terry looked at me as Maggi continued to push him. His eyes never looked away from me, as satisfaction swept over his face knowing he'd gotten to me.

"Yea, think about it Theo. I'm the least of your worries. There's something worse than me out there, better warn your brothers" Terry said, before he was finally out the door and Maggi was closing it behind him.

Once the door was closed, Maggi turned to face me, her eyes wide, expressing her agitation.

"Unbelievable" she said, throwing her hands up.

"He didn't touch you or hurt you or anything did he?" I asked, finishing my water, and placing my mug down.

"No, but I've never seen him worked up like that" Maggi explained, as she began walking passed me exiting the kitchen.

I reached to the hit light switch and that's when the smell hit me. Moss...blood. It was the scent of the new wolf. But the scent was so strong this time it smelled like it had been in the house. I turned my head and watched Maggi ascend the staircase, she yawned but continued her climb without looking back.

Once she reached the top, she turned and headed down the hall to her bedroom. I stood quietly, leaning my ear slightly in the direction of the stairs. Her bedroom door groaned loudly, and then click. Once I was certain the door was closed, I darted to the back door, unlocking it, and swinging it open on its hinges.

I halted at the steps of the back porch, leaned forward, and began sniffing the air. The dry ice and frost from the winter made it hard to get a clear scent sometimes, but it was there. His or hers scent was there, and it was fresh. The scent was so fresh that it smelled as if they had just left. Maybe Terry being shoved out the door chased them off. A small inkling in me wondered if Terry left safely or got carried off...a small inkling.

"Theo, come to bed!"

I jumped, startled at the sound of Maggi's voice echoing loudly through the backyard. I looked out in the yard, seeing her bedroom light glowing over the snow-covered grass. In the center of the glow, I could see her shadow hovering in the window.

"Yes dear!" I called up to her in a coy tone.

I watched her shadow close the window, and after a few moments the glow over the yard vanished. I rolled my eyes in amusement, turned on my heels and went back in the house, closing and locking the back door behind me. I headed upstairs, turning off lights as I went.

I couldn't understand why the new wolf was lingering near Maggi's house, maybe they used to live nearby. Moses said sometimes the change can cause you to have some memory loss. Maybe they were trying to remember something about this area. Either way I was going to get to the bottom of it. As I entered Maggi's room, she was sitting on the bed watching TV.