Blue Moon (Colors of the Moon #1)

Chapter 25

"Jared!" I called out and continued to march forward.

No matter his wolf speed, I was sure he couldn't have disappeared far enough not to be able to hear me.

"Ja—"

I didn't even get to finish my second call when the said guy appeared three steps away from me. His eyes were ink black, his teeth sharpened into deadly tips, and yet I didn't stumble even a single step backwards.

"Leave," he growled.

"No." I shook my head and forced myself to ignore the white color of his clenched fists. "I need to know why—"

"Leave. I can't control my wolf right now."

"Then shift."

Instead, of immediately complying, his dark eyes widened and his sharp teeth retracted for the smallest inch.

"But you're afraid of wolves."

"I know. But two humans tried to kidnap me, while two wolves protected me. I think I'll rather trust a wolf right now."

He stared at me for three heartbeats, searching my eyes for any sign of hesitation. But there wasn't any. No matter how uneasy the thought of a big fury wolf made me, I would rather be around one then go back to that van.

"Don't move."

With four quick strides he disappeared behind a bush. A second later a shuddering sound of snapping bones filled my ears, but I forced myself to remain nailed to my spot. From behind the bush drifted a light brown wolf, with its dark eyes focused straight on me. Three steps away from me he stopped and planted his behind onto the ground.

With my heart thudding in my chest I waited for him to start edging closer toward me. Yet as nothing happened, I slowly realized he was giving me a chance to approach him at my own pace.

While observing his every reaction, I took a step closer. Only when I was sure he hadn't moved a single muscle, I took another. And another, until I stood right in front of him. I lifted my hand and touched the tip of his nose. Yet he remained as still as a statue.

Heartbeat after heartbeat I grew braver, until the wolf and I ended up lying on the forest ground. While he was lying on his stomach, I was sprawled on my side, with my head and upper body resting on his soft fur.

"Are you now finally calm enough to talk?" I ran my hand up and down his soft fur, which lured a huff out of the wolf's snout. "I'll take that as a yes. Those were hunters in the van, weren't they?"

He turned his big wolf head to the side and bobbed it in a small nod.

"I thought so. What I don't understand is what they want from me. I get that the first time they came because of Ryou, but now both my father and my cousin are gone. So, why are they back?"

The wolf only moved his head back to the front and laid it onto the ground.

"I can't help but think that they're after me because of either my father or my cousin. Do you think they're doing this because of my family? Or do they think I know some secret my father failed to tell them before he died? A secret I don't even know I know. Or—"

Before I could form another theory, the wolf's muscles underneath me flexed. Startled by the sudden move, I flew into a sitting position. More curious than actually scared I watched the wolf as he jumped to his feet and trotted behind the same bush as before.

The same gruesome sound of breaking bones filled my ears and in the next moment Jared walked back from behind the bush. This time he was back in his human form, while dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and in the middle of pulling a dark green shirt over his head.

"I don't know." He stopped beside me and offered me his hand. "I don't know what it is the hunters want, but I'm going to find out soon enough."

"The hunter..." I thought back to the unconscious blonde that had been part of both kidnapping attempts.

"Don't worry. I'll make him talk no matter what." Jared pulled me up onto my feet, but didn't let go of my hand. "So, instead of coming up with more theories, you can keep your eyes on the look-out for the traitor with the peanuts."

"The lemonade." For a second I almost forgot about the whole lemonade incident.

"Yes, the lemonade." Jared let go of my hand, and cupped my cheek instead. "Do you realize that making sure you're okay is turning into a twenty-four seven job? It's getting a little tiring to always be worrying about you."

"Sorry." I glanced down at my feet, suddenly feeling like the heaviest burden on this planet.

"I'm joking." He tugged me into his chest and wrapped his strong arms around me. "You're more than worth it."

I wiggled out of his hold, to tell him that I would make sure not to get even into a speck of trouble for the next twenty-four hours, when I noticed the soft fog covering his eyes. Before I could even start to wonder what he was being mind-linked about, he blinked and his eyes turned back into their beautiful denim color.

"The hunter's awake. Come, I'll take you to the pack house, and then go figure out what the hunters want with you."

"You don't need to." I snuck my hand out of his hold. "I can go back on my own."

"No, you could—" He began, while I narrowed my eyes. Surely he wasn't back to thinking I could get lost.

Before he could continue, the snap of a twig pulled our attention.

"I'll escort the Luna back to the pack house." Ortiz emerged from behind a tree. "You can go deal with the hunter."

My eyes were immediately drawn to the purple bruise covering most of his forehead.

"The pack doctor already cleared you?" Jared asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Ortiz waved his question off. "You can go deal with the hunter."

"Okay." Jared agreed before I could even open my mouth.

With a chase peck on my forehead, he turned around and disappeared into the opposite direction from the pack house. With only Ortiz and me left, I found myself hesitating for a heartbeat before I followed him through the forest.

"Why did you do it?"

Ortiz planted his feet into the earth the moment the question left my tongue and spun around to face me.

"Why did you help save me?" I asked again.

Ever since he had been ordered to stick to my side in the second rescue camp I had been wondering the same thing. What had triggered the sudden change?

"Because I'm the one who almost killed you."

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                - E