December's Moon

20| LUCA

| LUCA |

Luca stood frozen next to Aurora as they watched December rush out of the library. He was so fast in his wolf form, even Luca who was already shifted wouldn't have a chance catching him.

After the door crashed shut behind December, Aurora turned to Luca. He growled at her, his jowls curling back and showing teeth. Blood splattered the front of her white dress, speckling her face and hair with dark flecks. What had she been thinking? Why had she attacked the two of them like that? Something wasn't right about it, like something else had been controlling her.

"Luca." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was a tone he'd never heard her use before. She reached out to him.

Another low, threatening growl rumbled from Luca's throat as she took a step closer.

She stopped in place, pulling her hand back. "I'm sorry." She pinched her eyes closed for a few seconds before making eye contact with him and holding it. Her blue eyes looked like glistening gemstones, wet with a thin sheen of tears. "Please, Luca. I don't know what happened."

Luca hesitated, but finally he snorted a nod and began his shift. His joints and bones cracked painfully as they crunched and reformed beneath his skin. It took him over a minute, but finally, he returned to his human form.

He didn't know how he had made his shift from human to wolf so quickly when December was attacking Aurora. He'd done it in what felt like seconds—his quickest shift by far. Maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through him from the fight, but it seemed like more than that. It was like an electric energy was pulsing around him, radiating in a wave from the other two werewolves. It was like he had fallen into resonance with Aurora's and December's powers, amplifying his own. The out of body sensation it gave him was bizarre—almost frightening—but there was also something about it that was electrifying and thrilling.

He tried not to think about the strangeness of it as he gathered up the largest remnants of his torn clothing and wrapped them around his body, covering himself as best he could.

He shot Aurora a look out of the corners of his eyes. The fear that she might pick up the knife and try to attack again while he wasn't looking came over him, but she didn't. She just stood there—frozen—like a wolf in moonlight.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice coming out harsher and rougher than he'd intended. "Did he hurt you?" He suspected most of the blood on her was December's, but he couldn't be sure.

Aurora was silent and still for a second, but finally she gave a subtle nod. "I'm okay," she whispered.

Luca pinched his eyes shut for a moment before looking to her again. "What the fuck just happened? Why the hell did you try to kill us?" He took a step towards her. His hands shook as they clenched into fists. "You better start talking, Aurora."

She took a step back, putting both hands up in front of her at shoulder level in the surrender position. Her blue eyes shimmered with tears. They crested on her lower lids, a few leaking over her eyelashes and tracing shinning lines down her cheeks.

"I don't know, Luca." Her voice shook as she spoke. "I'm so sorry."

A pang shot through Luca's heart as he watched her. Her lower lip quivered as a few more tears traced over her pale cheeks. He'd never seen Aurora scared. She always exuded complete confidence and composure. Seeing her this way freaked him out. She looked more terrified than he was.