Under an Alaskan Moon (Sample)

Chapter 12

If you have time, please check out my short story, Into the Rain.

The next time Colin woke, the sun the high in the sky. His eyes were crusty from sleep as he slowly blinked them open to stare at the rafters above. A clatter from the kitchen made him whip his head up to see Faye softly humming as she swayed her hips. He relaxed from his rigid posture as he watched her dance.

Mesmerized he slowly sat up, leaning against the leather recliner, careful of his bruised ribs. "Òch," he hissed, as he straightened his back.

Faye turned to him. "Ah," she said, "You're finally awake."

Biting down any nervousness she felt, Faye set the breakfast down on the table and carefully dipped the Wolf-man, or Colin, a plate. Avoiding eye contact, she set the plate down beside him on the floor.

"Eat," she commanded, "Then you will answer a few of my questions."

Colin obediently ate, the taste of eggs, toast and strawberry jam strange on his tongue after so many years. He vaguely remembered eating the milk and bread the night before.

He paused.

Was it the night before? Somehow he had a feeling it had been longer. Clearing his throat, he searched for words, growing frustrated as he garbled them up. It all sounded right in his head, but the message was twisted with words missing or out of order by the time his nerves relayed the message to his mouth.

But somehow Faye understood him. She turned and came to sit by him in front of the toasty warm fire, leaving the breakfast dishes in the sink.

"You've been out of it for about three days," she informed him kindly, staring into the flames as she stretched her legs out.

The blanket Colin had wrapped around his waist suddenly seemed too hot as he pushed it off. He couldn't remember anything beyond her feeding him after what he guessed was the first morning. Or was it night?

He was pulled back out of his thoughts to the warm cabin as a gentle hand was rested on his arm.

"You alright?" Faye's voice reached his ears, concern leaking out of the words.

He jerked his head in the affirmative nearly howling with unhappiness as she moved her hand, pulling her knees to her chest, her blonde hair piled high on her head and precariously wobbling every time she moved.

Then she looked at him, her big green eyes firm yet understanding.

"How?"

It was one question. But Colin, even with the massive amount of time spent in his fur, felt the massiveness of the situation. This conversation could destroy everything or lead to something more.

How indeed?

He pointed to himself, his voice scratchy from lack of use, and gruff. "I am wolf and man," he said slowly, pronouncing the words with precision.

Faye nodded. "So I didn't just have a crazy hallucination where my pet wolf turned into a man in my living room," she snorted, "Nice to know."

Colin winced at the sarcasm practically dripping from her voice. "Sorry," he said softly.

She shook her head and after a moment of silence said, "I was really worried last night. You were very sick. And I couldn't take you to the hospital because I didn't know what kind of crazy shit they would document about you. You're not normal."