Blue Moon (Colors of the Moon #1)

Chapter 17

A soft touch on my arm tugged me out of my dreamless slumber. My eyes flew wide open, while my muscles squeezed in alert. Instead, of any kind of danger, however, I came across Jared. He was sitting at the edge of my bed, with his hand resting on my upper arm.

"Jared?" I croaked, while wondering if I was still dreaming.

"Good morning." He moved his hand to my cheek and brushed the tips of his fingers along my skin.

"What's going on?"

The soft sunlight coming from behind the curtains, helped me to discover that he was already dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a black T-shirt.

"Jansen found another hunters' hideout, and he asked for my help."

"Jansen?" My still half asleep brain was slow to process his words.

"Alpha Jansen. He's the Alpha of our neighboring pack and a close friend of mine."

His soft strokes along my cheek lulled my heavy eyelids to flutter back shut. This could definitely become my favorite way to wake up.

"Do I need to come with you?"

"No," he chuckled. "You're staying right here. I just came to tell you where I'm going."

"Okay."

Despite having my eyes closed and still being half asleep, I felt him lean toward me. My lips tingled in anticipation, however, the soft brush I expected never happened. Instead, he kissed me onto the middle of my forehead.

My eyes flew back open just as he straightened back up.

"Dyson's in charge while I'm gone, so you listen to him. Okay?" He waited for my nod in agreement and then stood up from the bed. "I'll see you in a few days."

"Be careful."

"For you anything." With one least smile in my direction he exited the room.

I stared at the softly open door for a few minutes and then switched my gaze onto the ceiling. Despite knowing that it was most likely still early and that a few more hours of sleep would do wonders for me, I was now fully awake. Thoughts of what could happen to Jared were skipping through my mind. Knowing he was a werewolf and could therefore, take care of himself, didn't help. I was still worried about him.

After several minutes of going back and forth I give up. With a sigh I got out of bed and took care of my morning routine. I dressed in a light blue shirt with flowers and a flowy pastel pink skirt.

The moment I reached the open doorway of the deserted dining room, I realized just how early it was. I had two options. Either I could wait for the breakfast buffet or waste some time by taking a stroll. And because this was me, I had no problem deciding.

Because I already had the pack house memorized from top to bottom, I decided for a stroll through the forest. Walking in nature had always had a calming effect on me, and right now I needed the calm.

The fresh morning air greeted my lungs as I took in several deep breaths. The undergrowth was still damp from the dew, making my shoes wet as I drifted deeper into the forest. I tried to absorb the tranquility of the morning by reminding myself that Jared was a werewolf. It meant he was more than capable of taking care of himself. After all, he could transform into a giant wolf. If that wasn't reassuring enough, then nothing else would be.

Step by step I grew calmer. I wasn't sure if the walk or my self talk was to blame, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that I was starting to calm down.

My bubble was ruptured when a sound of approaching footsteps filled my ears. Just as I spun around to face the newcomer, a puffing Dyson came to a screeching stop in front of me.