Free Silver Moon by Rebecca A. Rogers Page A

already too powerful as it is, but they want yours.”
    “Powers?” I snort. “Since when do werewolves have powers?”
    “We suspect these…abilities pre-date our time. No one knows for sure who the first werewolf was or how it was handed down, but we’ve evolved since then. Now we each gain a unique ability on our eighteenth birthday.”
    I open my mouth to speak, but Beth talks over me.
    “However, the only way to keep your powers is to wear a trinket to which the power can be bestowed.”
    “A trinket?”
    Beth nods toward my chest. I look down, picking up the locket and twisting it around to face me.
    “We each have something. I have a ring. Randy has a watch. You have the necklace. If you lose it, your power can be contained in another trinket. The only possible way for them to take it is to use dark magic, something I’m not even remotely familiar with.”
    “They can take my power?”
    “With you being a young werewolf, it’ll be easier for them to steal your power. You won’t be guarded in your new form, and you definitely won’t be used to using your ability.”
    “What’ll happen if they get it?”
    “If they do get their hands on it somehow, they can extract the power and use it for their benefit. In essence, you won’t have your power any longer, and we’d have to take extra measures to retrieve it.”
    Tears pool in my eyes. I keep my head down, pretending to stare at my locket. All this time I thought it was just a stupid necklace. I didn’t know it held my power. I didn’t know my parents were looking out for me.
    “How does it work?” I choke out.
    “The trinket has to have a spell cast upon it for it to hold the power correctly. If you were to lose your necklace once your power is active, then you would lose the power. As long as that locket stays around your neck, you’ll be fine,” she says.
    I nod and twist it between my fingers again. “What ability will I have?”
    “We don’t know. Even you may not understand it or release it for awhile. You might be out and about two months after your birthday and then it happens.” Beth shrugs. “We can’t tell you for sure.”
    “What powers do you two have?” I finally redirect my gaze from the locket to them.
    “Randy has the gift of creating things.”
    “Like…”
    “Anything,” Randy says, “from food to furniture.”
    “Can you show me?”
    Randy nods. He extends his hand, palm up, and a green apple appears out of thin air. He tosses it to me. I take a bite, crunching into the surface. It’s real as the ones sitting in the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.
    “Whoa. That’s awesome.” I look at Beth. “What about you?”
    “I have the ability of persuasion.”
    “Nice. I hope I get something really cool,” I mumble.
    “You will, dear. And I wish you’d find out quickly what your gift is.”
    I bow my head, staring at the locket again. “Yeah, me too.”
    “Tomorrow I’ll take you to visit a friend of mine. She can help you understand things, put them into perspective, if you want,” says Beth. Deep crevices form on her forehead, as she waits for my response.
    “Yeah, that uh…that sounds cool.” I nod my head, trying to convince her and myself.

 

    Chapter Ten

    I don’t sleep at all that night, wondering what it’ll be like when I transform. Will I be some hideous monster that ravages the town, like in black and white movies, or will I know what I’m doing and be in control of my body?
    An aroma billows upstairs and through my door—smooth and seductive. It lures me out of my bedroom. I practically lean against the wall on the way downstairs; I’m a zombie in the mornings.
    “I made coffee,” Beth says when I enter the kitchen. “I didn’t know if you’d drink any or not, but I figured you had a long night.”
    “No, coffee’s cool. I like coffee.” My head moves up and down, convincing her it’s okay, which is a total lie. I grab a mug out of the cabinet and pour the scalding hot