Shadow of the Moon Read Free Page B

him as a journey straight back to hell. It was possible that he was here to enjoy the slopes, but judging by the way he was watching me, I had a feeling he was here to convince me to return to Wolford.
    I handed the drinks to Romeo and Juliet. Three giggling girls who were eyeing Daniel as though he were their favorite flavor of chocolate shouldered their way to the front and breathlessly gave me their order: a white, a dark, and a milk hot chocolate.
    As I turned back to the preparation counter, I glanced surreptitiously over to where Lisa was talking with Daniel. She was leaning on the counter as though she intended to take up residence there. Not that I could blame her. He had magnetic eyes and a wicked grin, the kind that made me want to join him in a smile. But I resisted the temptation. I didn’t trust his appearance or the fact that I couldn’t feel his emotions. Why was he blocking them? How was he blocking them?
    Beyond the floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows that provided an unobstructed view of the main street with its quaint shops and the towering snow-covered mountains in the background, the purple and blue shadows of twilight were descending. The crescent moon was already rising, yet still faint, giving it a ghostly, ominous appearance. A chill swept through me.
    Wiggling her eyebrows, Lisa walked back toward me. “He ordered a chunky chocolate. You know what that means. And I’m so tempted to put my theory to the test with that guy. Did you see his killer grin?”
    Lisa had a theory that the more chocolatey a guy liked his hot chocolate, the better he kissed. If nothing else, she reasoned that he’d taste great. Daniel was the Big Bad Wolf, and she didn’t even know it. His bottom lip was full and would provide such a nice cushion for mine. I wanted to kick myself for even wondering what his kisses might be like, because I suspected he was trouble.
    “Apparently, though,” Lisa continued, her brow furrowing, “what he really wants is you. He says you’re friends, that you’ve been expecting him?” She ended her statement on a high note, questioning what he’d told her, wanting me to confirm or deny it.
    Fear spiked inside me. He was here for me. The elders had probably sent him. I knew they wanted me to be at Wolford when I experienced my first full moon. And while legend said that I needed to go through my first transformation with a mate, I couldn’t risk someone else’s life if the harvester kept his promise and came for me. But I couldn’t explain any of that to Lisa, so I simply lied. “Never seen him before in my life.”
    I carried the steaming mugs over to the three girls. As they paid, I said, “See that guy at the end of the counter?”
    “He’s a little hard to miss,” White Chocolate said. “Even with that heavy jacket on, you can tell he’s all muscle. And that face. He belongs on a Calvin Klein billboard.”
    “I wouldn’t mind him keeping me warm all through the night,” Milk Chocolate said with a giggle.
    “Then this is your lucky day,” I lied smoothly. “He’s looking for someone to hook up with. And he has two friends who are just as hot.”
    “Really?”
    “Where are they?” Dark Chocolate asked suspiciously.
    “Parking their Hummer.”
    “They have a Hummer?”
    “Oh yeah.” I leaned in conspiratorially. “Their parents are mega rich. The guys just got in today and don’t know anyone. They were flirting with me earlier, but, well, I have a boyfriend.” I was becoming exceptionally skilled at lying. Before I’d run away from Wolford, I’d never lied, but I was astounded by how easily the false words rolled off my tongue lately.
    The girls didn’t even bother to wait for their change before traipsing around the corner to flirt with Daniel, so I dropped it into the tip jar. The money collected would be divided between all the employees at the end of our shift. It was never much, but my needs were simple: a good book, a warm fire, my own mug of hot