The Chronicles of Moon
Chapter 28

Forget this Shit

Colin leaves the office, and once again, all he wants to do is follow the smell of rain that still lingers in the hall. He made it to Moon’s door when one of the wolfs on border patrol linked him about some emergency about rogues on the border. Colin presses his forehead on the door wanting nothing more than to open the door and hold her. She seemed upset, and he could tell she was hiding her feelings from him. He didn’t want to push her, but he wants so much for her to open up to him. He wants to know everything that runs through that head of hers. His conversation with Ben only made him want to be with her more. How could she not remember her wolf emerging before?

The wolf links him again about the border issue. Colin exhales hard through his nose, distracted and not thinking clearly. Turning his back on the little door and walking back down the hall away from her. Farrell, of course, protests he doesn’t understand why someone else can’t go and check. Colin tries to reason with Farrell that maybe they should clear their head a bit before talking to Moon, but the stubborn wolf has stopped listening.

We don’t have to talk. Farrell fills Colin’s head with some thoughts Colin had been trying not to think about too much. He groans, frustrated as he adjusts, determined more than ever to avoid Moon at the moment.

Once out of the packhouse, Colin makes his way to the tree line he wasn’t really thinking about what he was doing his body was on autopilot as his head was filled with thoughts. Memories of childhood and his siblings. The upcoming move of Moon’s pack to his, and then taking up the most space in his mind, was Moon and the problem with her wolf. Just thinking of Moon, his mind fills with her smile, her eyes, her carefree nature, everything about her. He wants to know every part of her. He wants to be her strength, but he has the feeling she will be his strength and his weakness.

Colin becomes aware of his surroundings when Farrell growls low, something is wrong here.

The patrol wolves are nowhere to be seen, and suddenly the sting of a dart hitting him in the shoulder this is no tranquilizer dart, though. Instead, the searing burn of wolfsbane filled the muscle in his shoulder as Farrell let out a snarling growl looking for the attacker. The wolfbane worked quickly as it affected Farrell. Colin shifted as he lost the connection with Farrell in his mind completely. He can’t even mind link anyone now without Farrell. Another dart hit Colin in the other shoulder, and this one was a powerful sedative, and Colin raged. He couldn’t see his attacker as his vision blurred, and he hit the ground hard. He could see the dark work boots strolling toward him as everything faded to blackness. He was powerless to do anything.

***

Moon tosses and turns on the bed, trying to relax and sleep, but it is impossible. Her head hurts, and she feels sick. She gives up on the idea of sleep and goes to replace Ben and Colin and see how the arrangements are going. The announcement to the pack was already made thanks to Ben and Emily.

Moon opens her door, and she can smell coffee and chocolate. Colin must have been outside her door, and the scent is strong. Moon can feel her wolf purr in contentment. Moon looks for him hoping he’s still close by, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

Moon walks to Ben’s office and peeks her head in. “Hey, Benny, have you seen Colin?” Moon asks, looking around the room. Ben was gathering all the essential pack documents and ledgers. He had several boxes on the desk already filled.

“No, he left a few minutes ago. I thought he was going to check on you.” Ben replies distractedly, never looking up from the papers and files he was packing into a box.

“Well, he didn’t.” Moon is concerned now and pulls her phone from her pocket. She tries to call, but his phone just rings. I swear having a phone is pointless for wolves, isn’t it? You guys never have them on you.” Moon glares at the phone ending the call when the voicemail starts.

Ben chuckles. “Call Chris then.” Ben is unconcerned as he keeps packing, but Moon is becoming increasingly anxious that something is wrong. She leaves the office, heading downstairs. She was about to try Chris when she sees him and Zach walking out the door. Moon Calls out to them, and they stop turning to look at her.

“Hey, have you seen Colin?” Moon pants running to catch up to them.

“No,” Chris replies, looking at Zach as he shakes his head. “I thought he would be with you.” Chris tries to be playful, but Moon isn’t in the mood.

“Can you just link him or something?” Moon huffs in utter annoyance. She keeps looking around, hoping to see Colin come around the corner. Chris seems a little blank for a moment, but it’s clear when his eyes widen, and his jaw clenches something is wrong.

“I can’t reach him,” Chris utters as he starts linking others in their pack; finally, one person had seen him head to the north woods and shift. “He went north, Zach. Who was patrolling the north border?”

“That was Jamie and Billy,” Zach replies.

Chris tries to replace Jamie and Billy but can’t replace them either. “Shit! Zach, come on.”

“What! What is going on, Chris?” Moon demands to know, grabbing Chris’s arm before he takes off.

“I can’t link Billy or Jamie. I don’t know what is going on, but I will replace out, okay.” Chris is trying to reassure Moon, but it isn’t working.

“I want to go too.” Moon demands.

“No, it isn’t safe, and if you get hurt, Colin will kill me.” Zach answers for Chris.

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Moon glares.

“Moon, let us go and see what has happened. I promise we will keep you posted, but you need to be careful until you get that wolf thing sorted out.” Chris is gentle with his words, but the urgency of the situation is making his body tense.

She lets him go, and the men take off. Two more wolves join them at the tree line, and Chris and Zach don’t even stop to change; they shift and keep running. Moon stands there watching as her heart rate rises and her skin burns.

“Oh, screw this shit.” She growls.

“I’m sick of being left behind!” She’s yelling now as the feeling rage returns like a burning fire under her skin, replacing her anxiety with anger. She feels her bones pop, but she doesn’t care what happens to her. At least she won’t be left behind, and she’ll know what is happening and if Colin is all right.