I watched as it suddenly stopped its eyes continuing to stare into mine as if it was looking directly into my soul. I couldn't look away from its brown eyes despite the fear that seemed to consume my entire being. The sound of bones breaking and snapping filled the air whilst the wolf began to growl. I felt my eyes widen even more as the wolf began to shake and slowly change until a human was crouching down in its place. There tanned back on display as they stood to their full height completely naked. "Mine."

Every half century in a small little town hidden in the woods, a beast comes out from the forest to claim his bride on the night of an eclipse. The people of call this phenomenon "the taking". This beast is said to be very dangerous. It roams door to door searching for the woman whose being calls to his animal instincts. He will kill, mutilate and destroy everything in his path until he finds his bride. In the past, the townsmen have tried to hunt the creature and kill him before they can steal one of their marriageable daughters, but the beast does not hunt alone. He has followers among the shadows to make sure his goal is accomplished. Once he finds his bride, he carries her back to the forest where she is never seen or heard from again. Celeste believes this so-called "legend" is just some scary fairytale her grandmother made up to scare her. But was she ever wrong when a pair of moonlit eyes stared straight at her through her bedroom window and entered her room. Next thing she knew, she was being carried out the house and into the woods by a half-naked man who called her his. Who would have thought? Grandma wasn't crazy after all. Young Adult novel. Paranormal/Comedy-Romance @2014