Silent Shadows

Matt hadn’t been kidding about the hard manual labor. Danny and I were both doing it. Once he was healed he was chopping trees for lumber. And once they were chopped, they went over to me to be sawed into planks of wood. I think I gained about five pounds of muscle on each of my biceps from that, and I sweated more than I ever have in my life combined from sawing wood in the August sun. On top of a goddamn mountain, nearer to the sun.

We started at nine every morning and ended at sunset for a week and a half. Danny and I would go shower (separately, since Matt would have noticed), eat something and then fall into bed too exhausted to even talk. I think Danny had it worse than me, because he was chopping full grown trees and then clearing the stumps. My theory was that Matt had given him the harsher punishment because while it had been my idea, Danny was supposed to know better and should have said something, instead of helping me steal the car and nearly get killed.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead and took a long drink of water. It was hot as fuck out here and I could barely stand it. Especially since Danny was standing about three yards away from me, shirtless and sweaty and swinging an axe. I didn’t understand how he looks incredibly sexy all sweaty, and I look like I got drowned in a sewer. It was very difficult to pay attention to the saw blade in my hands when he looked like that. It was a miracle I hadn’t lost a hand yet. Although losing more blood would not have been fun. The holes in my stomach had finally healed up and I did not want to have to get more stitches from Zinnia.

“Today was your last day.” Matt said after dinner that night. Danny and I heaved sighs of relief. “I hope I won’t have to do that to you two ever again.”

“One can only hope.” I couldn’t hide the smile on my face.

“I like this kid.” Dylan ruffled my hair and made a face when it was sweaty.

“Not my fault dude.” I shrugged and dragged my sore ass to the shower.

--

I blew out the candles on the cake that Danny and Arin had made for me. It was lopsided and the frosting was super thick in places and nonexistent in others, but the gesture was wonderful.

“Now we can give you a beer legally.” Zacky handed me a bottle and I cracked it open.

“To Ronnie.” Brian held his beer up in a toast and we clinked bottles.

“Any of you fuckers get me presents?” I was kidding. I didn’t expect Matt to pick up a wrapped box.

“This is from all of us.” He said, putting it in front of me.

“Us too.” George said. Jordan, Dylan and George were amazing and I was happy to have them around.

I opened the box and unfolded the layer of tissue paper. Nestled inside was a silver pendant shaped like a circle, with clouds engraved on it. It clicked finally that it was the full moon.

“This is beautiful, thank you so much guys.” I said, running one finger over the smooth silver.

“My present is gonna have to wait for a couple weeks.” Danny whispered in my ear. Thanks to werewolf hearing, though, everyone heard and made faces at us.

“When y’all get freaky, don’t do it around us.” Dylan muttered.

“No promises.” I stuck my tongue out at him and took another sip of beer. “I don’t know how you guys can drink this shit. It’s awful.”

“Oh hush up.” Johnny laughed.

Danny and I excused ourselves around two-thirty. It was seriously hot in our room and I threw all the sheets to the bottom of the bed. My pajamas consisted of my underwear and a bra.

“So close, yet so far.” Danny sighed dramatically when he saw me. “Three more weeks and you’re mine.”

“Now that is a great birthday present.” I pulled him close to me. “Come on sexy ass, birthday girl needs her rest.”

“I’m not the one with the sexy ass in this bed.” He rested his face in my neck.
I couldn’t wait for the full moon. That was all that was standing between me and everything I wanted. Once I could shift, I would be a full member of the pack. Once I could shift, I would be able to stand as Danny’s equal and as his mate.

“Ronnie? Are you awake?”

“Mmm, yeah?” I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

“You know how werewolves mate for life?” He said, sweeping some hair off my face.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure that…you wanna be with me for life?” He looked down at the bed, avoiding my eyes.

“Danny, are you serious?” I chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure that you’re the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. I love you.” I paused. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No! I just…I didn’t know if you thought I was good enough.” He stared down at his hands.

“Daniel Murillo.” I looked at him with an amazed expression. “You are, without a doubt, the most amazing, wonderful, gorgeous, sweet man I’ve ever met. I love you, I want to be with you until the day I die and you are not getting out of that mister.”

He smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I love you too.” I kissed his chest and snuggled in closer to him. “I’m sorry I was being silly.”

“Go to sleep love.” I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

I’d stopped having nightmares. I think knowing that my parents’ murderers were gone made them stop. Having my mom’s cross helped too. It hung around my neck and I never took it off. Now my final obstacle will be surviving my first shift.
--

The full moon was here. Of course, the moon is full for about two days, so no one knew what day I was gonna end up shifting on. Everyone was telling me to get some rest while I could, because I’d need my strength when I shifted.

Danny barely left my side all day. Matt had taken him off patrol duty for the time being, so he could keep me company.

“Ronnie?” Matt called down the hall. I was in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. Danny was sitting next to me drinking some coffee.

“What’s up?” I said through a mouth of Cocoa Puffs.

“Remember all that lumber you guys were cutting?” Matt asked, turning a chair backwards and sitting in it.

“I’m pretty sure I remember.” It would be a miracle if I could ever forget that experience.

“Well there’s a reason I was making you do it and it’s an extra birthday present to you.” Matt smiled. “The lumber is for the house we’re gonna help you build. God knows no one wants to be around you two when the order goes out of effect. And you’ll want the extra space for the kids I’m assuming you’ll be having eventually.”

“Thank you Matt.” I gave him a hug and he stiffened up for a moment before relaxing and hugging me back. “So when do we start?”

“Look outside the window.” Matt laughed. In the space that Danny and I had cleared, I could see most of the pack starting to build a house frame.

“Now how the fuck did I miss that?” I murmured.

“You’ve been thinking of other things.” Matt shrugged. “Anyway, you should both get some rest.”

“I’m tired of resting. I wanna go help.” I jumped up and went outside to assist.

“Good, you can help build your damn house.” Jorel laughed, handing me a hammer.

“Start nailing where Johnny tells you to.” Danny and I helped get the frame down that day.

I was pleasantly tired when I climbed into bed that night. I would miss this room, but having a house to ourselves would be nice. Especially with the filthy, dirty things I was planning to do to Danny as soon as this damn order expired.

Danny and I were planning to stay up all night, but when he dozed off I didn’t wake him up. As creepy as it sounds, I liked to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful and calm in his sleep.

As time went on, my skin started to itch, like it was too tight for me. I was so restless it wasn’t even funny. Something drew me out of the room and outside. In hindsight, I should have woken Danny up to tell him I was going outside. But the moon was like a magnet, drawing me to the trees.

As soon as I stepped under the light of the full moon, I felt a jolt all the way down to my feet, like I’d been struck by lightning.

Then came the pain. The wolf inside me was throwing herself against the bars of her cage, fighting to get loose from her long imprisonment.

It felt like my bones were trying to rearrange themselves. My spine jerked and cracked, like my vertebrae were switching places. I let out small gasps and grunts of pain, curled on the floor in a ball.

I didn’t know how long I’d been lying there before Danny came running outside. “Danny, it hurts.” I sobbed, convulsing again as another wave passed over me.

“It’s okay, it’s gonna be all right.” He lay down next to me, murmuring soft words of comfort and encouragement. “You’re halfway, just a little longer.”
My eyes rolled back into my head as my bones cracked and snapped into place. I could see silver fur sprouting over my body, and with one final shiver, I made it all the way through the shift. As I lay there, catching my breath, Danny shifted into his sandy form. Gently, he nudged me with my nose.

It was time to run.