Chapter 17

Trudy could not stop the shiver that ran down her spine.

She had only ever seen Matt as his alter ego once in her life, and to this day she still remembered every tooth and claw, every inch of black fur and the sheer size of him!

Marcie was still standing in the doorway – waiting to protect the house’s inhabitants, should the need arise.

“You chased them off then,” she nodded approvingly.

“For now, but not for long I’m afraid.” Matt sighed regretfully.

Seline was waiting inside with the girls all gathered around her fearfully.

“You are all safe tonight,” Matt reassured them with a tight smile. “You should all get some sleep.”

Seline smiled at the girls and then Marcie encouraged them all to go up to their rooms – leading them along with bright confidant chatter. Once they had all gone, Seline led Matt and Trudy through to her study, closing the door firmly behind them, and indicating they sit down on the small sofas at the far end of her study.

“Tell me,” She demanded firmly. “I know that they did not just give up and leave for good – so what is their plan of action next, do you think?”

“They will return with the full moon, and not as men.”

“No,” she sighed. “I guessed that it would come to this eventually.”

“They do not mean to just come for the one girl though – they mean to take them all.”

“What?” Seline’s eyes blazed with a cold fury. “By what right?”

“They claimed the right of the pack, but their plan has evolved further than that – it would seem.” Matt leaned forward suddenly and touched Seline’s hand. “I shall stay here in the main house until this is resolved, so if you could make a room available for me, I would appreciate that.”

Seline nodded. “We have spare rooms enough; we can sort one out for you.”

“Thank you,” he hesitated for a moment and both women could clearly see how troubled he was. “They will come back with the moon and in their alternative forms, and when they do, I want you and the girls to stay inside. I want you to stay at the back of the house and away – well away from any of the windows ... I will take care of this once and for all, but I will do it alone.” He turned to Trudy pointedly. “And that means you stay inside too.”

“Not a chance.”

Matt’s lips tightened ominously, and Trudy’s eyes hardened to blue agates, even as she folded her arms defiantly.

Seline looked between the two of them then rose and sailed across to the door.

“Myself, Marcie, and the girls will stay locked up tight inside the house.” she promised as she opened the door. “Trudy however will speak for herself.”

She left them sitting in silence for a moment, until Matt stood up and turned on her.

“I need your promise to stay inside on that night as well.”

She looked up into his turbulent eyes and then stood as well – which did absolutely nothing for her due to the difference in their heights.

“I will not.”

“You will.” he meant to sound stern and dominant but even to his own ears it was more pleading and anguished.

She blinked her vibrant blue eyes, but her lips were in a firm line.

“No, I will be with you until the end now, we will face them together and either chase them off or be beaten down ... either way we will do it together.”

“I can’t protect you and dominate them as well – it will divert and diminish my aims.”

“I don’t need your protection!” she snapped in offence.

“I can’t have eyes everywhere – I will need to be focused and sure!”

She smiled suddenly and reached up to stroke his jawline. “And whilst you are doing that – I will watch your back, and make sure no one tries to side-line you.”

“Please,” his voice dropped to a husky plea, and Trudy remembered that tone and that plea from other – happier times.

He swallowed as her eyes darkened with a passion he did not understand, her emotions were like quicksilver as changeable as the weather it seemed. He knew though that if he was to take her in his arms at that moment then she would go willingly – enthusiastically – and oh how he longed to do that suddenly.

But he had another issue right now and that doused out his sudden surprising arousal.

“I need you to stay inside.” he asked one last time, and as she shook her head and her own eyes cleared, she opened her mouth to refuse.

“I can’t bear for you to see me when it happens!” he confessed brokenly. “I will become a monster and I don’t want you to see me like that!”

Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened in surprise and then she smiled gently and understandingly, and he thought she would finally agree.

She reached up again to stroke his face. “What you will become with the moon, is something amazing – I would not miss it for anything – or anyone ... I have seen you before in all your glory and I will not be frightened or disgusted – I will be in awe – as I was once before!”

His jaw dropped open, and his eyes dilated.

“When? How?”

A thousand and one emotions flittered across her face until it settled to only one. A deep resolution filled with sadness.

“You must remember for yourself for it to have any meaning ... otherwise they are just words – empty words.”

Seline’s words drifted through his mind; they were so much the same that he knew they must have talked about it together – about him together. He could clearly see the two of them talking together about him and a wavery hazy image flew behind his eyes, a bright golden day with the sun beating down on the golden hair and the jet-black hair, as they sat on the grass talking quietly and giggling together. The two young women looked across suddenly with bright teasing, assessing eyes and all those years later, Matt felt the same squirming embarrassment that he had felt back then.

He grinned suddenly and a hint of mischief twinkled in his eyes making him look younger, as he tapped into long lost emotions.

“Well, this will not happen for a few nights yet,” his voice dropped to a seductive whisper. “So, we could make use of some of that time with getting ... better acquainted?”

He stepped closer and his hand lifted as if to touch her.

Trudy knew that look all too well, had longed for it for so long, but not like this, not now, not here!

“No! Oh no you don’t!” she spun suddenly and fled from the room.

Matt started to go after her but then reigned himself in and rubbed at the back of his head.

What the hell had just happened? He wondered in bemusement, as the emotions and feelings and memories slid back into his subconscious safely locked away again.

It was as though someone else had stepped into his awareness – someone who knew Trudy well and felt he had the right – to touch her, to hold her, and to kiss her? And even though he knew that that someone else was himself, it still felt like a stranger, someone apart from him.

Trudy flew up to her room without meeting anyone else – thankfully.

She closed her bedroom door and for the first time ever, in this house – she slid the bolt across the top and turned the key in the lock for good measure.

Once she was sure that no one would come thumping on her door, she turned to pace her room restlessly.

All in all, she had very little sleep that night, as a sense of anticipation began to grow in her gut.

The breakfast table the next morning was a more subdued affair, as the girls all seemed to lose their cheerful sparkle, and the air was heavy with apprehension and outright fear.

Matt sat silently across from Trudy eating the excellent breakfast with thorough carelessness – it seemed.

Finally, as the silence stretched for too long, he suddenly looked up and after meeting her eyes for a second, he looked around the table.

“I don’t want any of you to be afraid,” he said quietly. “But I do want you all to stay inside until after the full moon, now.”

“But...”

“No. Just because they said they would wait until the moon was full – that does not mean they won’t try something before – if they catch anyone outside on their own – I feel sure they will be watching the house for the next few days.”

Seline nodded solemnly. “I think the risk is just not worth it, but we will need supplies; tomorrow is routinely our shopping day.”

“Who usually goes?”

“Myself, and one of the girls – or Marcie if I can’t make it.”

Matt gave a crooked little smile. “I don’t think anyone will want to mess with Marcie ... so what about if she and Trudy go today – go this morning?”