Prologue

The gentle rocking of the car was starting to remind me of a cradle, especially combined with the fact that soft tinny jazz flowed from the car's speakers. I stifled a yawn as I lowered my book to look out the window, amazed at how cloudless the sky was. My father chuckled sympathetically, "Getting tired there, Re?" I smiled despite my tiredness, only my father could get away with calling me a musical note. "Well, not 'getting', per se. I've been tired for a while...just now showing it," I said with one of my signature looks. That got him to laugh again, and in that moment I took time to reflect. My father was still an attractive man for his age of forty-eight: his hair was still a soft chestnut brown, barely grey at the edges; his baby blue eyes still were clear and shone with compassion and his usual mischief--despite the light reading glasses perched on top of his nose. For as long as I could remember, it had always been just the two of us, since my mother died in a drunk driving accident when I was four. My dad, being a public defender, was assigned the case, but had to decline because it was so personal. He was never quite the same after that...sure he still worked, but he changed from being a public defender to an actual defense attorney, and only represented clients who were actually innocent...which meant less pay as well. Not that it ever bothered me, but I did wonder why he never remarried...or at least dated?

 

Dad noticed me staring out while thinking, and broke through my thoughts. "Well, Re, we'll be at our new home in a few more hours, and you can rest then," he said, still chuckling slightly but also sincere. I knew he was tired too. We've been up and on the road since 5am...so we'd both be glad to get to the house. Earlier in the year, my father got promoted...meaning he was being transferred from the small law office in our home of Denver, CO to the main firm in Pembroke, NC. While it was great news (raise in pay, new surroundings, a chance to start fresh), it caught me off guard. I was finishing up my sophomore year at University of Colorado, and I made the decision to transfer with my father. I loved the man to death, but to be honest, I kinda spoiled him and now he was helpless. I stayed at home and commuted to school, I did all the cooking and cleaning and laundry...so for him to move without me would be ridiculous. Besides, he was all I had...I really was a loner in school anyway...and so it didn't seem like that big of a deal. Thank the Goddess, I found a school near our new home that offered my major (Forensic Chemistry), and so I applied for the transfer and even got my scholarship to transfer over as well. I smiled at his concern, "Well, I'm fine Dad, really. Do you need me to take over driving for you?" "No," he replied, "I'm still good. I'll take a long nap once we get there though." I laughed, "Okay Dad." I stretched a little and went back to my book, The Beach House by James Patterson, one of my favorite authors of all time. I slipped back into the world of the rich and deadly, and in no time at all we arrived at our apartment just as the sun was beginning to disappear over the horizon. So began our new life....

 

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Night was approaching, and I was in an irritable mood yet again. I could feel the stir in my blood that called to me, the full moon was tonight, and I was forced to comply to my curse again. Sigh. When I was little, life was great. I had loving parents, and a wonderful sister that I adored, and then the next minute...they were gone. We didn't know that their was a gas leak...and I when I went to light one of my candles for a spell....Just the memory of it still hurts. So after my family was taken, I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle and their kids. I should have been grateful, but in my grief I turned hateful. I ignored their attempts to help me, I raged at them for no reason. That is, until one night when I was 15. It was a cold and stormy night. Everybody went to bed early, but I stayed up..I was brooding again. There came a knock on the door and when I opened it, there was this haggard old woman. She looked about 80...and ugly as homemade sin. I still remember it clearly: "Dear boy, could you please let me in?" "I don't know you. And this isnt my house to let you in or not." "But it's so cold and wet out here, I could catch my death...please, just for a moment to dry off?" "Look lady, this aint my house, so get gone before I call the cops."  After that, I remember the old woman became surrounded by a bright light, and then suddenly was a beautiful young maiden. I tried to apologize, but then she glared at me and said I was a selfish and rude brat, and needed to learn a lesson. Since you insist on acting like a beast, a beast you shall become. Every month when the moon is full, you will change into a Lycan, and suffer having to roam around like the animal you are. However, I'm feeling lenient. If you can change your boorish ways, and find love, and have her love you in return, by the time you're 21, the curse will be lifted and you shall be human again. But, if you cannot find and learn to love by the night of the Harvest Moon of your 21st year, you shall be doomed to remain a Lycan forever, and no longer be in your human form."

 

And so has been my pathetic excuse of a life since that time. Now, my 21st birthday is about to arrive in a few months, and then the Harvest moon a month or two after that....not much time left for me. By this time, I've given up the whole "love" thing. Every female I meet either leaves me for a more handsome dude, or runs away from my horrid temper. There is a silver lining I suppose to all this. The only people I've been able to tell my secret too have been my cousin, Josué; his friend Tyre', and his twin brother (my other cousin) Jaq. Through the years, they've been trying to help me, setting me up on dates and such....but it's time I face reality...I'm destined to stay alone all my life. They've promised that if I am stuck as a wolf all my life, they'd make sure I was taken care of and not hunted. I paced in my apartment. After high school, I refused to stay with my family any longer. I sure as hell couldn't stay in the dorms, not with my...condition. So I had my own place, but my friends and cousins stayed with me...1) to help with rent and 2) to make sure I didn't hurt myself while I was out being a Lycan. Sigh...I don't think I can take much more of this....During the day, I stayed somewhat cheerful...I had humbled myself and stopped acting like a total brat, but I wasn't exactly Mr. Personality quite yet. However, at night, that's when I became morose and start being depressed...especially when the full moon comes closer. And it was here tonight, I could feel it. I continued pacing, when Josué walked in from work. "Slow down, Adam. You're gonna wear a hole in the carpet." "I can't help it Josué, it's the full moon tonight. Soon as it gets dark I'm gonna change." My cousin dropped his keys on the table by the door and came over to me. "Look, Jaq will be in shortly, and Tyre' is out on a date. Just slip out the patio door when you feel the change coming...and just try not to get into any trouble." I sighed again and looked at my cousin, his icy blue eyes, partially hidden by his blond hair falling into his face, were filled with concern. He placed a hand on my arm. "It'll be ok, Adam," he said with a smile. He was full of optimism, both for me and him. We were both looking for love, even though my side was a bit more desperate. Moments later, Jaq entered and said hi, and then it was time for me to head out. My cousins nodded their understanding, and I rushed out the patio door just as the moon came up. I shifted into my wolf form (being a Lycan meant I was huge compared to a normal wolf...didn't help my confidence any) and took off running. Luckily, there was some woods by our apartment complex, and that's where I normally ran to spend my nights like this. As I ran, a breeze came from the northern end, and I caught whiff of a new scent. It smelled like....books, vanilla, lavender, and something I couldn't quite describe...and it smelled good. I had never smelled anything like that before. I wondered what that could mean...was it somebody trying some new perfume to impress an uncaring lover...or was it the promise of something coming...something that would change my life forever?