Free Gray Moon Rising: Seasons of the Moon by S M Reine Page B

and pretending to ignore them.
    “We’ll take her with us. We’re almost to the mountain, and the moon is coming in a week. If she’s a werewolf, she’ll change sooner or later, and we can’t leave a girl stranded in the meantime. If we get a late season snow, she’ll die.” Eleanor opened her mouth to argue, but Yasir stopped her. “That’s my decision.”
    She got to her feet. “We should test how she responds to silver poisoning. Or cut her and see how she heals.”
    “No. We shot the others because we were already certain of their species. Not all werewolves heal quickly, either. It depends on how nourished they are.”
    “But—”
    “Stripes is right. This one’s a kid, probably younger than your son, and we don’t have reason to think she’s a werewolf. Remember that our primary mission is to protect humans. All of them.”
    “You’re making a mistake,” she said.
    Yasir moved so fast that Seth actually jumped. He leaped to his feet and punched Eleanor across the face.
    Her back hit the tree. A silver knife appeared in her hand instantly, and she lunged at him with a roar. Eleanor was terrifyingly fast, but even she was no match for the reflexes of a kopis with military training. He dodged out of the way before she hit.
    She spun and lashed out a foot. It caught him in the gut. His breath gusted from him, but he caught her ankle.
    With a swift motion, he pulled her off her feet. She landed with a grunt.
    Yasir planted a boot in her chest and crouched. “Who’s the commander?” he asked. Even though his voice was calm, his face was twisted into a look of hatred.
    “I’m the specialist,” Eleanor said without a hint of contrition. He leaned his weight on her chest, and bones creaked. She moved to stab him. He yanked the knife out of her hand.
    “You didn’t answer my question,” Yasir said. “Who’s the commander?”
    “You are.”
    He let her stand. “We’ll take the girl with us. You hear me? But if anyone sees her change—shoot her. Bed down, everyone. Tomorrow morning, we go to the mountain.”
    Seth waited until everyone was asleep before climbing into Jakob’s SUV. He didn’t close the door all the way so he could keep an eye on the sleeping bags outside.
    Carefully, he unknotted Bekah’s bindings. The motion made her stir. Bekah’s eyes opened, and there was no recognition in her face. Only pure panic. Her wide eyes darted around the darkened car. She sounded like she was going to hyperventilate.
    “What’s going on? Who are you? Where am I?” Her words slurred over each other, as though she had forgotten how to talk like a human.
    “Shh,” Seth whispered, hoping she would take a hint from his volume. “Look at me, Bekah. It’s me. It’s Seth.”
    Confusion furrowed her brow. “Seth?”
    “Yeah. It’s all right. You’re okay.”
    He helped her sit up against the seats. Once he was sure she wouldn’t fall over, he let go. Bekah rubbed her eyes. Her hands left smudges of dirt on her face.
    She gave him a trembling smile that was barely a ghost of her usual glow. “I can’t believe it’s you. I’ve been… lost… for a while. So I didn’t expect to run into anyone I know. Did Rylie call you?”
    Seth blinked. “You didn’t come here with Rylie?”
    “No. Didn’t you?” Bekah frowned. “Where am I?”
    “You’re in the car of… uh, some friends of mine. We found you in the forest not far from Gray Mountain. Aren’t you supposed to be at the sanctuary in California? How did you get all the way out here?”
    “I’ve been having dreams about this mountain. On the last moon, when I changed… it was like I totally lost myself. I must have been wolfed out for hours. I woke up the next day miles from home without any of my friends, and I didn’t know how to get back.” Bekah shivered. “But I didn’t want to go home. I hitched a ride with a family on an RV vacation. That’s how I got across the country.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “No. My leg hurts.”