Under A Latent Moon (A Werewolf Tale)

Chapter 20

Harley

"Run! Run, Harley!" Mathias screamed. The house had already burst apart in a mass of debris and flames and now the dark curling smoke cloud reached up to the sky.

This was wrong. This was all wrong. Mathias was supposed to yell at her to run before the house exploded. But here he was, running alongside her.

With a firm grip on her elbow he pulled her closer, urging her to run faster. He'd never done that before, run with her. Yet she felt better knowing he was right there and not left behind, getting shred to pieces by a vicious rogue.

A howl tore through the sky behind them.

"I'm right here," Mathias said, huffing for breath. "We've got to get out of here."

"I'm too slow," she told him, her lungs burning.

"I'm not leaving you," he promised. "I'd never leave you."

The two bolted for the road--the same road Harley had been found on by a pack member when she was seven. If they followed that road into town, they'd be safe. No wolf, rogue or not, would risk exposure. They just had to make it there.

Close. The break in the trees was maybe thirty yards away. Mathias urged her faster.

Pounding footsteps behind them. Harley tried to push her limbs faster, but the cold fear spreading through her veins threatened to liquify her legs.

It didn't matter anyway. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her away. "Mathias!"

Harley gasped, jerking upright as bashing at the door ripped her from sleep. Where was she? It took a moment, but finally her brain made sense of the room around her.

Pack house. She was in the Willow Creek pack house.

Without thinking, Harley ripped open the door. Was something happening? Were they under attack?

"William Grey, just what do you think you're doing?" Natalie's voice sliced in from down the hall at the same time Harley whisper-hissed, "Will? What--?"

Will, clothes wrinkled and dark hair in wild tufts, glanced over at Harley with half-lidded eyes. "Harley."

Acutely aware of the fact she was dressed in an overly large t-shirt and short-shorts, Harley pulled at the hem of her nightshirt and asked, "Are you...Are you drunk?"

He frowned sloppily. His head kept wobbling, as if his skull wouldn't quite balance on his neck. "No, no. I'm not drunk. I'm tipsy."

She could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Will--" She met Natalie's eyes.

Natalie sighed and stepped forward. "Will, why don't you go sleep it off on the couch?"

"I told you...I'm not..." He blinked slowly, then gave a slight shake of his head. His hand latched onto the doorframe for balance.

"Natalie, It's okay." Harley assured. "I'll handle it."

With a grimace, Natalie crossed her arms and sent the back of Will's head a distrusting look. "You sure?"

Harley reached out for Will's elbow and began to guide him into her room. "I've got it. Thanks."

She clearly didn't want to leave Harley to handle an intoxicated rogue hunter. Still, she said, "Come get me if you need anything."