Midnight Serenade

Chapter 20

I couldn't believe how quickly Friday arrived. It was even earlier for me than it should have been because my eyes popped open at five in the morning. I was so nervous about the full moon that I couldn't possibly get back to sleep. All day, I was jumpy and I kept zoning out, thinking about what was supposed to happen after the sun set. Everyone assured me that there was nothing to worry about, that I'd be fine, that it was totally natural and even fun. Jessica was unusually polite, even with Sawyer. But if anything, their attempts made me more nervous.

Before I knew it, Sawyer was leading me through the forest, toward the place designated for this occasion. Sunset was still quite a ways off, but every step I took made it all so much more real and frightening. But at least the daylight meant I didn't have to think too much about where to put my feet.

We'd walked for more than an hour before we reached our destination, and I was surprised by how cozy it looked. There was a good size tent and a futon in front of a firepit.

"Just your average wolf campsite," I muttered, setting my bag down near the tent.

Sawyer snorted in amusement and then pointed away from our spot. "Look."

"Oh wow," I breathed, moving to get a better view. There was a ledge, maybe fifty feet from the tent. Down below, the mountains acted as the backdrop for a large lake that had several waterfalls emptying into it. It was spectacular.

Well, if I had to spend a terrifying evening here, at least it was pretty.

"Do you want to sit?" Sawyer asked. "I brought food and drinks if you want anything."

"I'm okay for now, but shouldn't we..." I looked around our campsite, unsure. I felt like I should be preparing somehow, but I had no idea what to do.

"It's gonna be a while yet. Nothing much happens until the moon gets to the highest point. That won't be till about midnight."

Huh. I figured it would happen at sunset like you see in movies. I glanced at my phone and saw that it was barely after eight. So he wasn't kidding about us having time to kill.

I went to relax on the futon and Sawyer joined me. For a few minutes we just sat and I tried unsuccessfully not to dwell on the terrifying prospect ahead of me.

Sawyer's hand came down on my knee, alerting me to the fact that it was bouncing so much I could probably power a microwave.

"Claire, it's really fine. You've worked yourself up about something that isn't scary at all."

"It is scary," I argued. "I have no idea what's going to happen."

"So let's talk about it. Ask me anything."

"I don't know what to ask," I said, feeling frustrated. "I have absolutely no frame of reference. It's totally unfamiliar and crazy, and that's terrifying."

"People do things all the time that are unfamiliar to them, or even crazy. Like sky diving or bungee jumping. But this is different because this is what your body is designed to do." He took my hand in his. "I get that until it happens, it's going to seem scary, but please just try to stay calm. I promise it doesn't hurt, but if you psych yourself out to the point where you're terrified, you'll think it does. And I don't want this to be a bad experience for you. It should be exciting and fun. It's a rite of passage. It's supposed to be special."

"Sawyer..." That all made sense, but I didn't know how to banish that fear.

"Do you trust me?"

I stared into his eyes, and didn't even have to think about my answer. "Yes."