Fear trickled down my spine. How close were they? I needed to run. I needed to get inside. I turned my head to see how far to the house it really was. It was a long way. Could I run to it fast enough? Could I outpace the danger?
I decided to take the chance. I jumped to my feet and in the same breath, bolted for the house and the back door. I ran like I was being chased, and for all I knew, I was. I ran so hard my chest hurt. I pumped my arms as I ran. I ran so fast I hardly felt the cool grass on my bare feet. I hurled up the stairs and in the same motion threw open the door and fell inside. I slammed the big door closed and bolted it.
I dropped flat on my back on the floor and gasped for breath. My heart beat like it was trying to get out of my chest. I settled a hand on my chest and tried to slow my breathing and my heart.
I was almost back to normal when the overhead light winked on and blinded me.
"What the hell is going on? Abigail? What are you doing down here?"
My father, of course, towered over me. It had to be him, of all people. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light and I squinted up at him. I didn't get a chance to answer as his eyes were focused on my feet. My mud and grass covered feet. Oh crap, I was in trouble. My slowing heart picked up speed again.
"You were not just outside, were you?" he asked. It was not a question. It was a statement said with deadly calm. He already knew the answer. He just needed to say it out loud.
Since I was happy to have made it back inside alive, I wasn't all that afraid. Well, maybe I was a little because who wouldn't be? He was a big man with a bit of an animal temper. I answered him, "Yes."
He bent over me, grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up to my feet in a single motion. He didn't let go of me, though, oh, no. Instead, he pulled me up off the floor so my feet were no longer touching it and I was level with his face. He asked with that same calm, which was completely contradictory to his actions at the time, "Why were you outside, Abigail?"
I swear I about peed myself. I half wanted to run back outside. At least the danger out there would have probably killed me quickly. "I…I wanted to run in the forest. I couldn't sleep. I thought the run would wear me out."
It was the truth, the whole truth, and yet, I doubted he believed me. There was something in his eyes that told me he didn't.
With extreme gentleness he set me back down on my feet. He turned away from me and said, "Go to bed. I don't want to look at you right now."
"I'm not lying to you," I said.
"We will discuss it in the morning," was his only reply.
"Fine, don't believe me," I said. I held my head up and proudly left the room. Yes, maybe going out in the middle of the night hadn't been all that smart, but it wasn't for any bad reason. I wasn't sneaking to meet anyone.
I snorted at that thought. Heck, if I wanted a guy right then, all I had to do was crook my little finger in his direction and he would come running to me. I didn't have to do any running, not with the way I smelled. The thought made me crinkle my nose. Smell, such a simple thing, but it grossed me out. I wanted to smell good in a conventional way, not a hormonal way.
I didn't really want a guy anyway. Did I? Derek's face flashed in my mind. No, no. I didn't want him. He was a controlling ass and, heck, he didn't even believe in love. I didn't want him. Even telling myself that, though, I knew I was lying. Maybe what I needed to remind myself was that I didn't want to want him.
I flopped back into my bed, dirty feet and all. I didn't care. I'd get the sheets changed in the morning. Part of the reason I didn't want Derek was that my parents wanted me to. It was a stupid reason, but that was a big one. I was the keeper of my own destiny. No, he was not suitable. Just no.
Stupid Derek and his stupid gorgeous face were my last thoughts before I finally allowed sleep to claim me.
REVIEW:
Title: The Full Moon Rises
Author: Courtney Rene
Reviewed by Angelia Amos on Amazon
I was so excited to see that Courtney Rene had written the sequel to A Howl in the Night. The Full Moon Rises doesn't disappoint as we learn more about the complicated world of shape shifters that Abby has been thrust into. Abby leads us through her new world determined not to let the male dominated families keep her on the sideline as a new threat arises threatening all of them.
ALSO BY COURTNEY RENE
REVIEW:
A Howl in the Night
Courtney Rene
978-1-936403-84-4
Reviewd by William Delamar
On a scale of 1-5, the rating is 5 by William Delamar.
I don’t generally read novels in this genre, but a friend recommended it, so I read it and I’m glad. The author, Courtney Rene, writes clearly and the story unfolds with purpose and intrigue. It’s the kind of book that’s hard to put down. Abigail Staton’s mother has a strange reaction to a gift to Abigail from Dad. Abigail is thrust into a world not of her choosing. Finally she has to make a choice and face serious consequences with any decision. This novel is a grabber. If you dare read it, be prepared for a shock.
BLURB:
Sweet Sixteen is supposed to be a turning point in your life. The world is before you in all its glory, just waiting for you to reach out and grab it. Right? For Abigail Staton no, not so much. Not only does she suddenly lose her best friend due to a fight, but suddenly her mother expects her to believe that the father, she has never met, is actually a werewolf. With that revelation, Abby is thrust into the world of two wolf clans who are not only fighting each other, but also fighting for Abby, one of the few females born to the shape-shifters. Her father is determined to pair Abby up with Derek, a very dominant and overwhelming shifter. Abby vehemently balks at this union to disastrous results. When war is declared between the two clans, Abby has to decide what side she is actually on.
BLURB
Seventeen year old Abby can’t shake the darkness that continues to haunt her since her escape from the Hunterz. She can’t let it go. Questions continue to circle. Questions no one will answer. Who are they, really? Why do they hate the wolves so much? The answers could be found in a young boy named, Sam. He may be from the Hunterz, but he smells of wolf. Derek wants to believe her, and tries to help, but Abby still hasn’t learned how to accept help from others. Her relationships with her mother and father continue to deteriorate, but Derek is a puzzle. Some days he’s exactly what she wants and others he is all that she despises. Being a shifter isn’t as simple as she thought it would be. The wolf part is easy. It’s the human side that needs a little work.
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