December's Moon

21| AURORA

| AURORA |

Aurora darted out of the library, slamming the palms of both hands on the door and shoving it open. Her leather combat boots pounded against the floor as she rushed up the stairs. She skidded around the corner at the top and took the first turn out of the building.

As soon as she was outside, a blast of cool air gusted across her face, sending her long hair flying over her shoulder. She licked the mist from her lips as she pushed her hair behind her ears. A chill tore through her, but something about it soothed her. Like all werewolves, nature was where Aurora felt most comfortable. Fresh air calmed her. She had a feeling December had taken the quickest route out of the building as well.

Like a force beyond her control was pulling at her legs, her feet led her around the back of Stowe and Tame Hall and along the path past the dorms. The damp grass on the soccer field soaked the toes of her boots as she climbed down the hill and headed towards the entrance to Welwick Woods.

On top of the boulder that guarded the break in the fence, a lone wolf sat perched as still as ice. If it weren't for the breeze rustling his soft, grey fur, Aurora would have believed he was made of stone. He faced the forest, but as Aurora approached, he turned his gaze to her.

Two burning blue eyes met hers, staring with an intensity that froze her in place. Her breath hitched in her throat as chills rushed through her. Goosebumps ran across her forearms all the way up to her shoulders.

"December." She crept a few feet closer, unsure how to start. She reached one hand out towards him, but he bared his teeth at her. His tail swished behind him, and his hackles rose along his spine.

Aurora stopped in place, only a few yards away from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I attacked you."

He leapt down from the rock and landed softly on his front paws first. He paced a few steps until he was between her and the entrance to the woods, but he didn't approach. Blood soaked the light gray fur on his chest. A few drops leaked out, splashing onto the dirt beneath him.

Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat. She'd done that to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're bleeding."

He lowered himself to the ground, so he was lying with his legs beneath him, his gaze still not leaving her—threatening.

"Please, talk to me," Aurora said. "It wasn't my fault. That woman that tried to trick you the night of the first party, she came to me, too. She's some sort of shifter. She was controlling me. I don't know how, but—"

Aurora cut herself off when December rose to his feet. He shook a mist of rainwater out of his fur, and then with a crunch of bones, the wolf in front of her shifted into the form of a human. December crouched to the ground completely naked, holding one hand to a large gash across his chest.

Aurora's stomach turned as blood seeped between his fingers. It had been difficult to tell how bad the injury was when fur was covering it. It was bleeding enough to soak his hand.

"I believe you," December finally said. He grimaced, clutching at his chest as a shiver raged through him. "I saw your eyes when you were attacking me . . . There was something else in there." A pause. "I know it wasn't you."