Page 36 of Bad Moon Rising
Orion can’t be bitten. He can’t. This isn’t supposed to happen.
I’m here to protect him.
It’s my job to keep them safe—as the head of the family, as the most experienced hunter, as their big brother. Everything in my life dictates it should be me bleeding out on the ground, not one of them. And certainly not Orion, who wouldn’t dare to hurt even a butterfly
I never should have brought them here. If I’d done my job right, I would have kept them far, far away from this monster hunting business.
Now my baby brother is bleeding out on the floor.
But he’s not going to die tonight.
It’s much worse than that.
The wolf saliva is already working its way through his system, changing him into something other. Something monstrous. Orion’s body jerks as it enters his limbs, twisting sinew and breaking bones and remaking him into a beast. The wound in his throat is already closing, and the first tufts of hair push through his cheeks.
We don’t have much time.
Jackson crawls over the mangled body of Chase’s wolf. He tries to take Orion’s hand, but it’s so slick with blood that it slips through his fingers. My brother’s face is stricken, so far from the happy-go-lucky joker he’s always been. “Is there a pulse?… Is Orion…?”
“He’s worse than dead.” God, just saying those words makes vomit crawl up its throat. I pick up my youngest brother. He’s as light as a feather. His limbs kick, and his features twist as the magic changes him from the inside out. A claw pushes through the leather of his New Rock boot, and my stomach twists with horror. “The keys are in my pocket. You’re going to have to drive.”
“Where are we going?” Jackson hasn’t seen the claw yet. He’s frozen, his voice robotic.
He’s in shock.
“Back to the silo.” I do what I do best when shit hits the fan—compartmentalize everything, hide my pain away, bury my anguish beneath layers upon layers of cement. It’s the only way I’ll get through the night.
The only way Orion—sweet, innocent Orion, who only wanted to make the world a better place—will get through the night.
“But…” Jackson’s whole body shakes. Terror widens his eyes and creates lines of strain around his mouth. “He’s been bitten, hasn’t he? Orion’s been bitten.”
“Yes, Jackson.” My voice comes out harsher than I intended. “Take the keys.”
“He’s going to turn any minute now.” Tears fall down Jackson’s cheeks, and it’s almost more than I can bear. “Mom and Dad told us what we had to do if someone gets bit—”
“We’re not staking our brother,” I growl firmly. I can’t blame Jackson for falling to pieces, but I need him to help me. A second claw pokes through Orion’s boot, and a deep, terrifying growl rises up from inside him. Fuck. We don’t have much time. “Listen to me very carefully. We’re a family, and families stick together, no matter what. You got that? Orion needs our help or he’s going to wolf out in the middle of the school, and that will be very, very bad. So I need you to pull your head out of your ass and take the keys and drive, okay?”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, little bro. I’ve got a plan.”
I have no plan, and I hate lying to my brother. But his twin is transforming in my arms, and I know enough about parenting to know that sometimes a lie is necessary.
Just like the lies I told Lily.
My words bolster Jackson. He sucks in a shaking breath and pulls himself together. He reaches into my pocket and grabs the keys. I dare a last look down at Chase or what’s left of him. When a werewolf dies, the saliva that contains its magic turns into a kind of acid that starts to eat the body from within. With any luck, he’ll be unrecognizable by the time anyone finds him—a DNA test on the pile of goo remaining will be inconclusive, and the clumps of matted fur will mean the police write this off as an animal dying inside the school, unrelated to the missing person’s case for Chase Howards. Hell, maybe if we get lucky, they’ll believe that the animal ate Chase before disappearing into the night.
We run out of the administration block and circle back to the parking lot, cutting through the horticulture garden to avoid being seen by anyone at the gym. Jackson sprints ahead of me, which I’m secretly thankful for, because the sobs that wrack his body are too fucking painful to listen to.
The trunk’s full of my monster-hunting supplies, so I shove Orion into the backseat. Jackson slams on the gas, and we tear out of the parking lot. I dare one last glance over my shoulder, grateful that Becka got Lily to safety.
Lily.
My heart breaks for her. She loved Orion, and they should have had the chance to explore something more.
What happened tonight makes it more clear than ever that I was right to leave her and my brothers behind. I came back to Haddenwood for less than one fucking month and brought the monsters right to Lily’s doorstep.
Lily Dean deserves everything good and wonderful in life. She doesn’t need us. We’re no good for her.