The beauty of the aurora borealis, with its pulsating lights that curved and rippled in the sky, began to fade behind a mass of low, menacing-looking clouds, which were spreading quickly over Cedar Falls Woods. The aurora's once vibrant hues now merely cast a dying green glow, creating an eerie, ominous feeling. Even the silvery gleam of the full moon was being overpowered by these clouds, and much like an eclipse, it left the small town in darkness.
For seventeen-year-old Anastasia Lockhart, this forbidding setting was a perfect reflection of her inner turmoil, because what had started as a romantic date with her werewolf boyfriend, Frost Stone, had turned into a nightmare when she'd received a frantic call from her best friend, Chloe Fairbanks, telling them about a chilling turn of events. Despite Anastasia and Frost's best efforts to save Chloe's father, William, from becoming a werewolf, he'd shape-shifted anyway and was now running loose in the woods. They had to find him before anyone saw him, which would cause yet another werewolf hunt, or worse, he had the chance to kill someone.
"You have to go faster," Anastasia pleaded with Frost, even though he was already exceeding the speed limit. "We need to get there now."
Anastasia and Frost were on a deserted road that ran parallel with the woods, on route to the Fairbanks' house. In spite of the ticking clock, she'd insisted that they find Chloe first, to make sure she was alright and gather any information that may aid in their search.
"I'm not putting your life in any more danger," Frost stated firmly, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he drove in the slippery conditions caused by the season's first thaw. "Chloe will still be there when we arrive – I promise."
"I hope you're right," Anastasia said, her voice laced with worry.
Frost never made promises he didn't intend to keep, but there was no way he could predict Chloe's behavior. On the phone, she'd sounded desperate as well as devastated, and that was never a good combination. Thinking about the state Chloe must be in caused a wave of emotions to come over Anastasia. She'd always hated to see anyone in pain, and she couldn't help but feel partly responsible for this whole mess because she was keeping secrets from her – big secrets.
Chloe had no idea that Frost was a werewolf, far less that he was the one who'd bitten her father. Although, in his defense, William had used a silver bullet to shoot Frost's biological father, who was also a werewolf, and would've killed Frost, too, if he hadn't been stopped. It had been a horrific, heart-wrenching fight, and as she reluctantly recalled that fatal night in the woods almost a week ago, Anastasia could hardly believe how wild and unpredictable her life had become. Unfortunately, that was the sacrifice she had to make if she wanted to be with Frost.
Sensing Anastasia's growing unease, Frost spoke in a reassuring tone. "I know I'll be able to find Mr. Fairbanks as long as I can pick up his scent, and to be honest, I don't think that will be much of a challenge. When I was a new werewolf, all I did was run throughout the woods and..."
"And what?" Anastasia pressed, when he hesitated slightly.
"Hunt," Frost answered solemnly. "I'm not going to lie to you, Anastasia. New werewolves can be more dangerous than even seasoned ones. They're guided by animal instincts they haven't learned how to control yet. That's what makes them so strong but also volatile."
Anastasia gulped. She'd seen firsthand how powerful werewolves could be, so the thought of one with no self-control frightened her. Although she'd initially been concerned about everyone else's safety, she now wondered what danger she and Frost would be in if they found William.
