Axel doesn’t even bother to look at me as he walks away. My head hurts from the whining my wolf is making and my knee feels sore from the tumble we just took. I wipe my pants off and freeze when I touch an oozy substance. Whimpering slightly, I look down and find I’m covered in egg. I turn to look for any survivors and find three.
The chickens cluck around the coop like I’m not even there, so I take the chance and grab the only remaining eggs and sprint for the door, whipping it open and slamming it shut behind me. I breathe a sigh of relief at being away from them. I jump as a bird squawks and I run to the dining tent, clutching my little prizes as I have done so well.
“Billy,” I call out, looking for the large grumpy man.
There is no response, so I move deeper into the tent, looking around at all the random stuff that sits out. There are ribbons in mounds on the table, a map, and a bunch of random small wood carvings with
*Axel*The chains clink together in Billy’s hands as he stands, trying to convince me that maybe, just maybe, this time, the chains will work. He has tried chaining me four times. The longest time the chains restrained me is a whopping three minutes and fifty-two seconds. Billy knows as well as I do that more chains will only slow me down by a few seconds. I groan and slump down into the plush leather chair in my tent.“Those won’t work and you know it.”“It’s the best I can do. If we had a tiger cage, then I’d put you in it, but we house our tigers in tents like morons,” he says, trying to crack a joke.“Billy, I think I need to leave this time. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”“No! The show can’t happen without you. You have until the moon is at its fullest height to get away from here. It will be fine.”“You always say that and it
The power of the blue moon comes in flashes, crashing over me as a stark reminder that the time is near. With each nauseating reminder, my anxiousness grows. Sweat tickles my brow and the blood pumping through my veins feels cold. Billy steps close, handing me a glass of water. “It seems like it’s getting harder to control with every blue moon,” he whispers, looking at me with worry. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut and willing myself into control. He is right. Every blue moon has gotten harder and harder to control. I go out for longer periods of time and when I get back I feel like I’ve run a worldwide marathon. “I don’t think I can wait,” I whisper. “I feel like my wolf is going to crawl out of my skin and leave me behind in a puddle on the floor.” “Drink some water. You're on in a couple minutes and then you will take off. I will do an extra bit where you normally would.” “What are
*Maggie*I spent the better part of the night searching for Axel and Billy. The moment the show ended, I snuck into the woods, hoping to catch wind of them. Axel’s scent was nowhere in the air and Billy’s had long been gone, so I wandered, calling Brutus and making him join the fray. He searched further into the woods than I did, and I’m supposed to be meeting him in ten minutes by a dead willow tree just out of scent range from camp.Walking deeper into the woods to find our meeting spot, I hear the timbre of two voices, and I try to get closer. The words they are saying are too low of a decibel for me to make out, but I can identify a half-naked Billy looking mighty fine and a gaunt and exhausted looking, Axel. My heart lurches at the state of him as my feet propel me forward.Axel’s normally styled hair is damp with perspiration and his face is pale. Even in his disarray, he is breathtaking from this angle. I mar
Axel snores in the back seat while Billy drives. The rest of the crew is on the massive bus while we haul all the tent equipment and things in the trailer. Billy asked me if I would ride with him to help keep him awake, and since I’m supposed to make someone fall in love with me and Axel says I’m annoying. I’m thinking Billy is my best option. He is a touch older than me, but the five-year difference is more desirable than the 18 with the were-monkies. I thought about Freddie, but he keeps to himself. Always creepily watching everything. “I’m sorry about Axel being rude in the woods,” Billy says. “It’s fine. I’m used to his rude attitude now,” I say, sinking further into the seat. I hope he can hear me talking crap. “He has some weird aversion to you and I’m not sure what it is.” “Maybe it’s an alpha thing.” “Or maybe he just doesn’t like other werewolves.” “Does he have a reason not to?” “Do you really h
*Axel*I help as much as I can with the unloading of the tents, doing my best to avoid Maggie and her heavy glances. Ever since the car ride, I’m more resolved than ever to keep my distance from her. All it did was further prove how much power she and the mate bond have over me. A few kind words from her and I felt like I was the most handsome man ever produced in the world. No woman should have that power over a man, let alone a beast.Everyone is busy running around and finding the best spot for their personal tent. Billy and Freddie are having a heated conversation with hands animatedly flying about and their faces red. Freddie suddenly looks over at me and frowns, then turns his back on the still irate Billy, who shouts at Freddie as he shifts into his hawk form and flies high into a tree.I saunter over to Billy as he mumbles and grumbles about petulant young people who are selfish and have no respect for their elders. Which I f
*Axel*“This is a pretty heavy subject.” I frown.I’m not ready to tell her the fates have a twisted sense of humor and have destined her to be my other half. It kills me to admit that her pull to me. The attraction she feels is only because she has no choice in the matter.“I can handle it.” She says.I swallow hard. I have no doubt that she can handle the conversation. My worry is the rejection that I’m certain would come shortly after.“I really don’t want to talk about it right now. My head is hurting again,” I lie. I can tell she knows it’s a lie by the look of hurt on her face. She smiles sweetly and nods.“Ok. Another time, when you are feeling better.”“Sure. Uh. well. I should let you get some rest then.” She stands and moves for the door.“Maggie…” I call out before I can stop mysel
*Maggie* I survey the entire tent from up here, smiling widely at the view. I can see everything from the floor below to the nosebleed section. It’s spectacular. Almost like the air is less suffocating up here. Axel steps up beside me on the small platform, hardly big enough for the two of us. It has been a week since his illness. A week of him trying to make amends for the cold way he had treated me at first. His first attempt at remedying it all was offering me a position in the show. He added a tightrope segment but felt it would be far more intriguing if I did it partially in human form and partially in wolf form. Today is the first day up this high and I couldn’t be more excited. I spin a little too fast to face Axel and he lurches to the side slightly and I cling onto him as he rights his footing. “Oh, shit.” Axel says, turning pale. I chuckle as I look at him, my hold on him tight. “You ok?” I ask. “I don’t
*Axel*“I’m sorry,” Maggie whispers as she covers her face.I’m not sure what to do to comfort her or what I did to make her recoil in fear, so I stand staring at her. I reach out slowly, only to retract my hand in fear of further rejection. My eyes move over her, searching for any injuries, but find nothing obvious. I stumble over the right words and actions as she stands in front of me, falling apart.“It’s okay. I get it. The bond makes you feel things you normally wouldn’t,” I say, trying to comfort her. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. I won’t tell anyone.”She looks up at me in shock. Her eyes look my face over as she struggles to pull herself together. Her color slowly comes back to her, and she reaches out for my hand. I oblige and extend my hand to her. The sparks ignite on contact and I try to keep my reaction to myself. She gasps slightly and