Before The Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves #1)(16)
Author: Catherine Bybee

Several wolves stood by Max’s side as if in unity. They approached their enemy slowly until all hell broke loose.

Behind her, a truck pulled up along side the car. Inside a middle-aged man rolled down the window and shouted at her.

She opened her window slightly to hear his words.

“Get out of here. Do you have a death wish or something?”

Janet glared at the fighting pack. “I can’t leave him here.”

“Max can take care of himself. You’re a distraction, Janet. Go.”

She stared at him in surprise. “How do you know who I am?”

Annoyed with her questions, the man yelled again. “Go!”

Torn, Janet glanced at the mayhem unfolding all around her. Wolves fought and tore each other to pieces.

She reached for the door, thinking she could somehow help. The muzzle of one wolf slammed against the glass, teeth bared. Swallowing hard, Janet put the car in drive and tried her best not to look back.

Chapter Eight

James let her in the gate and met her at the door. He took one look at her and then ran to the garage to retrieve a pair of bolt cutters and removed the chains.

He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t comment. He simply went about getting Janet the supplies she needed to bandage her marred wrists.

She went to her room, and walked straight to the shower. Clothes and all she got in and set the water on high, trying in vain to wash away the horrible images of the night.

Tears flowed and her body shook as she yanked the clothing from her skin. She rubbed her skin raw, soaped it up and scrubbed it again and again.

Exhausted, she put on a loose pair of pants and a large sweatshirt. With her hair drawn back in a ponytail, she walked to the kitchen for coffee.

James handed her a cup and suggested she join him in Max’s study. It was only midnight. They had hours to wait.

Janet walked into the study for the first time. A bank of monitors took up the entire wall. Cameras pointed in every imaginable direction throughout the house.

“Do you sit here every month?” she asked James.

“Most months, Miss.”

“How long have you known that Max is a…” Oh, God. What was she suppose to call him?

“A werewolf?”

A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Yeah, I guess that’s what he is.”

“I’ve served his family for the last thirty years, Miss.”

She put her coffee down. “Why?”

James moved away, his eyes distant. “They saved my life.”

Not knowing what else to say, Janet sipped the hot brew and resigned herself to wait.

****

Alarms and buzzers woke her from her restless sleep. She focused her fuzzy gaze over to James from her perch on the couch. He spoke to someone at the gate. She read the relief in his face.

The images on the monitors showed several trucks overflowing with wolves coming onto the property. They were home.

Within minutes, the living room filled to capacity with the pack that had fought by Max’s side. Blood-marred hair clung to half of them, their wounds evidence that their fight had been vicious.

Despite her trepidation, Janet searched them all for Max. Unable to locate him amongst the pack had her spinning in circles and renewing the effort.

Finally, Richard walked in with Max at his side. He stopped in his tracks, their eyes caught and held.

James approached from behind and handed her an armload of blankets.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

He pointed to the horizon. “The sun is coming up.”

As he said the words, the room filled with deafening howls and everyone started to change.

The sea of hair quickly changed to a sea of naked people. Men and women, alike.

Understanding, Janet started covering those who were closest with the blankets.

Janet rushed around the room and realized the scene was becoming a massive triage. Several of the wounded needed immediate attention.

“Richard,” she called bringing looks from several of those who already walked about.

Richard turned to her side.

“I’m going to need sterile gauze, hydrogen peroxide, betadine and tape.” Janet narrowed her eyes at him when he didn’t move. “Now!” she yelled.

Richard jumped back to gather what she demanded. Janet knelt down to the woman at her feet. The gash on her chest was deep, the bleeding significant.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” she told the moaning woman. “Hold this.” She placed the blanket to her side and pressed firm.

Looking up, Janet saw another man with a bite to his face. She rushed to his side to see how bad it was.

Two hours later, several people had been taken to local hospitals, while others left for home.

Exhausted, Janet sat down and rested her head in her hands.

“Here.” Max came up behind her and set a cup of coffee in front of her. “You look like you could use this.”

She sat up and met his eyes. He had made himself useful during the ordeal of cleaning up his family’s wounds, but he hadn’t said a word to her since he changed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He sat down. “You wouldn’t have believed me.”

“You didn’t give me a chance, Max. You lied to me.”

“I never lied to you.”

“Omitting the truth is the same as lying, and you know it!” He tried to place a calming hand on her shoulder. She shook him off and backed away. “I trusted you. Do you know how difficult it is for me to do that? What other dark secrets do you have?”

His jaw tensed. “My being a werewolf is enough, don’t you think?”

“Your secret almost cost me my life.” Janet stood and started to pace.

“I know,” he murmured.

“That’s it, I know? Don’t you have anything else to say now that you’re human again?”

“I’m sorry.”

Janet cocked her head to one side. She felt the tears stinging the back of her lids again. “I’m sorry, too. I thought maybe we had a future together.”

“We do have a future, Janet.” Max shortened the distance between them.

She backed farther away and put her hands in front of her. “No. We don’t.”

“Don’t say that.” he insisted. His arms circled her shoulders. He forced her to meet his gaze. “We are meant to be together.”

Janet shook her head.

“Yes, we are.”

Her resolve started to crumble. Her body wanted to weaken and slip into his embrace. Not again. She pushed against his chest and ran from the room.