Marked by the Moon

Author:Lori Handeland [Handeland, Lori]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780312389345
Google: 4ZDamAEACAAJ
Amazon: B008DI459I
Goodreads: 7951509
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2010-11-02T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Julian ran through the night, attempting to make the memories-fade. Not surprisingly,

running didn’t help any more than, fucking had.

He avoided his wolves. Right now he wasn’t-fit company for man or beast.

He heard them in the distance, their howls lifting in a joyous serenade to the moon.

If he was with them, he would’ do the same. The moon had marked them, it cal ed, it

soothed and invigorated: For werewolves, the moon was everything.

Julian ran until his stomach jittered and his head ached, and it became clear that he

hadn’t become il in LA because he’d left Alex too soon, he’d become il because

he’d left her at al .

And wasn’t that just fantastic?

Julian pushed that problem aside, dug a hol ow in the snow, crawled in, tucked his

tail atop his nose, and gave in to what was haunting him.

The memory of his wife.

I want your child, Julian.

She’d whispered the words into his ear as they lay side by side in their bed, and her

hand drifted over him. He smiled, rol ing on top of her, hardening even as he slipped

within. Then he heard what she’d said, and he slipped right back out again.

She reached for him, but he stil ed her hand. “Alana, I thought you understood.”

Sitting up, she pul ed the sheet to her chin. “Understood what?”

“The limits of our existence.”

“There are no limits. We’re werewolves, Julian.”

As if he didn’t know.

Julian climbed out of bed and began to pace. “Your grandmother told me she

explained things.”

“She did. She said I’d have a second chance at the life I wanted.”

“What was the life you wanted?”

“A dozen children.” She laughed. The sound, which usual y made Julian’s heart

flutter, suddenly made it stutter painful y. “Wel , maybe not that many. But I love them

so much. That’s why I kept teaching preschool even though the money was crap.

Kids make life worth living.”

“Alana,” he began, and her smile faded. “There’l be no children. Werewolves can’t

have them. It’s impossible.”

“That’s.. . crazy,” she said.

“Is it?” Julian came around to her side of the bed, refusing to be hurt when she

scooted away as if she’d just seen him for the monster he was. “Why would you

think a werewolf could procreate?”

“Because— Because Gran s ai d so!” Her eyes darkened with shock. “She

promised me. Do you think I would have agreed to become like this—” Her ‘lip

curled. “—otherwise?”

“You’d have been dead otherwise.”

“Better dead than craving blood, being ruled by the

moon, living in the middle of nowhere, with’ a town ful of freaks.”

Julian jerked as if she’d slapped him. He’d known she didn’t care for the blood; she

rarely ran beneath the moon unless she had to. And she real y hadn’t made many

friends beyond Cade and her gran. But he hadn’t realized she felt like this.

“Better dead’ she continued softly, “than an eternity of life without a family.”

“You have a family!” Julian shouted, frightened by her stil , white face. “You have me.

You have Cade. You have Margaret.” Although after the lie the old woman had told,

she might not have her for very long.

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