Blood Moon

Blood Moon STAR TOUCHED: WOLF BORN BOOK ONE MICHELLE MADOW For the readers in my Facebook group, who asked to read about a specific type of magic. I hope you enjoy it! Ruby “Ruby Grace!” Luna exclaims, grabbing my hand as I step out of the bathroom. “Connor and Brandon asked us to play beer pong.” My heart skips a beat at Connor’s name. Truth be told, he’s half the reason I’ve stayed at the party this long. Actually, who am I kidding? He’s the whole reason I’m still here. Luna knows him better than I do. She’s my best friend and college roommate, and for the past few years, she’s been coming to this small town in the Adirondack Mountains for ski trips. I only met him a few hours ago, but that was enough. He’s tall. Muscular. And the proud owner of a pair of dark eyes that sent a cold shiver through me the instant I saw them. As for Brandon—the other beer pong contestant—I can’t remember who he is. I do know this: I’m terrible at sports. And my lack of coordination is unlikely to impress Connor. “Are you sure you want me to be your partner?” I ask Luna. “They asked for the birthday girl,” she says, grinning. “Are there any other birthday girls?” Instead of answering, she digs her nails into my upper arm and pulls me out of the house and into the backyard, where twenty or so people are chatting in circles and lounging in the steaming hot tub. I shiver in the winter clothes Luna loaned me and glance up at the sky, where the full moon glows overhead. It seems bigger than usual, casting down an eerie light. Maybe that’s normal up here in New York. I wouldn’t know. This is one of the few times I’ve ever left Florida. Most of the people outside are wearing all-leather clothing that shouldn’t give them nearly enough warmth in early January. Some of the girls even have skirts on, their legs bare except for boots that reach their knees. “How are they not freezing?” I ask, running my hands up and down my arms to chase away the chill. Luna shrugs. “They grew up around here. They’re probably used to it.” It’s as good of an answer as any, and as we saunter over to the ping-pong table on the deck, I can’t help but notice the heads turning to follow us. I almost feel like prey. But they’re not looking at me. They’re looking at Luna, with her light blonde hair and tall, willowy frame. My best friend looks like she belongs on a runway in Milan—not on her way to a game of beer pong at a house party in a small town. In her presence, I’m just part of the background. What I have going for me are my eyes—the unique turquoise color gets some second looks and compliments—and my brains. But I don’t like being the center of attention, so I’m perfectly happy letting Luna take the spotlight. We approach the ping-pong table, where pyramids of red plastic cups are ready to go on each end. “There she is.” A guy with light brown hair heads over to me and drops a ping-pong ball in my hand. He must be Brandon. His eyes roam up and down my body, and I take an uneasy step back, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. “It’s only fair for the birthday girl to shoot first.” “Sure.” I hurry to the opposite side of the table, glad to put some space between us. On the other side of the table, Connor crosses his arms over his black leather jacket and glowers at me, as if he’s annoyed I’m even here. “Are you going to take your shot or not?” he snarls. His antagonistic tone takes me by surprise, but I manage to compose myself. “I’m just analyzing my competition,” I say, trying to sound cool and collected even though my heart’s beating so fast that it’s about to burst out of my chest. I center myself and line up my shot, glad to have something to focus on besides the intense way Connor continues to stare at me. I take a deep breath, and with a flick of my wrist, throw the ball in what I hope will be a perfect arch. Instead of landing in one of the cups, the ball hits Connor directly in the crotch. Oh. My. God. My face flushes with embarrassment. “Keeping your eyes on the prize?” he asks, and my cheeks burn even more. Everyone’s staring at me, waiting for my response. Even Luna, who’s usually quick to back me up on everything, is sitting this one out. I have two options. Own it and try to fire back, or embrace the embarrassment and apologize. I’m not usually one to fire back, but I’ll probably never see these guys after tonight. Maybe it’s time to be daring for a change. “You call that a prize?” I tilt my head slightly and give Connor a small smile that I hope looks flirty and mischievous. There’s a second of utter silence, like a record stopping, and I immediately question my sudden moment of boldness. Because Connor’s glaring at me like he wants to rip my head off my body. And from the way some of the guys nearby crack their knuckles and move in like hawks, I have a feeling they wouldn’t stop him. His gaze sweeps around at the onlookers surrounding us, who look ready to obey whatever command he gives them. His arm muscles tighten, he clenches his jaw, and I wonder if I should run before he and his friends attack me like a pack of wolves. His eyes stop on Luna, and his voice is a whisper, but still clear in the night. “Continue.” She bites her lip and glances over at me, question in her eyes. I nod at her to