Beneath The Full Moon {TMT #1}

Chapter 3

Looks like you got your wish.

I ignored the strange yet husky voice in my head and the sudden increased pace of my heartbeat and focused on a crying Maddison.

"It's okay, it's okay." I rubbed her back over again. "Just tell us what happened."

She sniffed before opening her mouth to speak, her accent growing stronger as each word spilt. "H-He was going to get more firewood t-to feed our fire. Gabe said he will do it, but then Joseph insisted and said he can manage by himself."

Someone brought out a tissue and gave it to Maddison to blow her nose. She smiled weakly at the woman who did so as we all waited with anticipation for her to carry on.

"So I did the only thing I could do to protect him. I followed him, because I did not want him to get hurt or missing. Gabe got annoyed with him here at the camp so he didn't even bother going. But I wanted to. Yet I also did not want him to see me or else he would start y-yelling at me saying that he doesn't need a babysitter, so I-I hid behind trees while keeping an eye on him to make sure he was alright."

She blew her nose and sniffed. "Then all of a sudden this large beast showed up and ripped him apart!" I stiffened as her sobs got louder and I struggled to take hold of her shaking shoulders with my slightly shaking hands.

They're real?

"It didn't show any mercy. I can't understand why an animal would do that! He was just an old man."

Oh God, no. They can't be real. But if they are then why did they attack Joseph? I gulped.

"I can't understand how something like that could be here at all," I muttered and looked at the horrified faces of the tourists, then at John. "I thought you said they avoided outsiders and didn't like humans." It suddenly became difficult to breathe. "I thought you said-"

"I said what has been repeated for months to each group of tourists that come through here each time," John cut in defensively. "I said what I was paid to say as a tour guide."

"But Joseph-"

"He must have crossed their territory then."

"So you're telling us that all you told us on the history of werewolves was all crap?" Miguel inquired, his tone taking an angry edge.

"Half of it," John answered, not seeming fazed at all at being the target for a potential act of violence. "That which was fabricated by the historians. But the other half is true, about them appearing on the full moon."

"Just great," someone muttered aloud. "We're all going to die now." It was clear that none of them wanted to die in the hands of the beasts. Unfortunately, it turned out that Joseph had been right. Maybe there was such a creature of the full moon.

I guess they don't call it the Black Woods of Lycanthrope for nothing.

"I don't want to die, miss," she whispered and buried her face in my chest. "I do not want to. Not now."

"It's Phoebe, honey. And you won't. I'll make sure of that." I rested my chin on the top of her head and sighed. She had a small frame so it was easier to wrap an arm around her and give, even though, a small comfort.

"We have to figure out how to avoid this creature before it gets to us," John spoke up, breaking the shocked silence.

"Whoa." Miguel rose his palms. "Did you not just hear what the girl said it did to Joseph? That thing literally ripped him apart. We can't risk losing our lives. Será suicidio!"

"We will risk losing our lives if we stay here," I said and raised my voice so everyone could hear. "It's a long way to get firewood so Joseph's death must have happened somewhere far. We still have enough time to-"