Secrets of the Moon Read online

  When Kenny turned to look at me once more, Kyran moved forward, blocking his view. The movement didn’t seem deliberate but it struck me as odd nonetheless. I could have sworn I actually heard Kyran growl, but the sound was so low I couldn’t be sure. Kenny stared back at Kyran as if challenging him and the spectacle didn’t go unnoticed by me. For a brief moment, I thought they were actually going to brawl inside the classroom. Kenny was the first to back down though, turning his attention back to the front of the room when Kyran refused to look away.

  At least Kyran’s move stopped Kenny from ogling me in plain sight of our classmates.

  What’s wrong with these people?

  As soon as Kenny turned his face away, Kyran leaned back against his chair and settled in. A million questions crossed my train of thought, but I opted for dismissing them right away. I had no idea what that whole showdown was about and pretending to understand would only give me a headache. After all, it must’ve been a guy thing.

  Fighting off the growing attraction I felt for Kyran, however, was a losing battle. I tried not to stare at him but it was impossible for me not to notice his roguish good looks or how his alluring scent drew me in like a death trap. No matter how much I wanted to deny that there was a more powerful force at work than just simple fascination, I couldn’t exactly ignore the sensations that coursed through me whenever he was around.

  However, my exploration was cut short when all of a sudden Kyran stiffened next to me, placing one hand over his abdomen and leaning forward in his chair as if in pain, a single soft moan escaping his lips. Startled by his sudden change, I stared and at the same time wondered what was wrong with him. His posture transformed drastically from one second to the next. He was in such obvious discomfort that I thought he would pass out right then.

  When I reached out to him, extending my arm with the intention to touch his shoulder, he pulled away immediately. The abruptness with which he moved caused the wooden chair to screech loudly as he drew away. Before I could snatch my hand back, he stood and glared at me for a moment before taking his backpack and stomping out of the room. Everyone stared after him in silence, even the professor. Since I had no idea what was going on, I just pretended complete obliviousness.

  For the better half of an hour, I sat there and wondered what ailment had befallen my unusual companion, for he appeared as if he was going to vomit, his face grown pale. I stared at his empty seat, totally perplexed over his sudden change. It was confusing and, yes, a little out of place. Was he sick? The way he reacted in class had me worried out of my mind. I couldn’t have said anything to offend him since I didn’t even mutter a single word to him but yet he appeared as if he was angry with me. Just the look he gave me before he stomped out of the room caused a shiver to run down my spine. There had been something about those eyes at that moment that scared the hell out of me. They appeared predatory, inhuman almost.

  Deciding it best to find out for myself whether or not he was okay, as soon as Mr. Scalon dismissed the class I hurried to the next one, hoping to catch Kyran there. I had no way of knowing if he was still around or if he’d gone home, but I secretly hoped he was somewhere on campus.

  No sooner had I made it out into the hall than I spotted Kyran with his group. The scene unfolding in the hallway wasn’t exactly what I expected. The big one was busy talking to Kyran, his face distorting in anger as he spoke. The others interjected every once in a while to say something to Kyran that he seemed not to like at all, if that angry look on his face was any indication.

  As I continued forward, I noticed how every once in a while Kyran would place one hand on his abdomen and lean heavily against the wall, as if the pain within was too much to bear. He appeared to be hurting terribly, yet his group of friends seemed angry with him. Were they oblivious to his discomfort? I mean, I noticed. Why couldn’t they?

  The big one leaned in again and whispered something to him, but Kyran turned his head away—an angry look altering the outline of his handsome face. I looked on in fascination as he snapped at the group once more before turning to leave. Before he could get more than two steps in front of him, his twin brother yanked on his arm and pulled him back, stopping his progress. That’s when Kyran spotted me and much to my dismay, they all turned to look at me at the same time he did.

  I had nowhere to hide. Being in the middle of the hall, all I could do was move forward or backward, but I couldn’t just go running back the way I came. They’d already seen me, so what was the point of fleeing. However, walking by them didn’t appeal to me much either.

  I could feel the hostility from where I stood. The tension in the air was thick. Whatever they were discussing, I didn’t think they wanted me or anyone else to be a part of it.

  As soon as I took two more steps forward, Kyran stiffened. Even with all the black clothing he wore I could still see his rigid posture. He resembled a cornered animal facing his tormentor. His demeanor dissolved my will to even ask if he was feeling sick or needed help with something. Thinking that I could live with his sudden outburst, I started to walk away when Kyran’s twin spoke…to me.

  “Hey!”

  His very handsome and enthusiastic smile caused my quick strides to falter. Unlike Kyran, who was always serious, his twin brother was always smiling. At that moment his smile was as wide as his face.

  Unsure if he spoke to me or not, I turned to glance behind me to see if there was anyone else standing there.

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Marjorie?”

  Stunned, I nodded. “Yes, and you are?” I was surprised my voice sounded as steady as it did. Just looking at Kyran’s clone made me want to melt into a puddle.

  “My name is Alexis Rousseau and this is my family, Gage and Josephine.” He gestured to the big one and the girl standing to his left. “Kyran you already met.”

  The group acknowledged me for a moment and I started to feel a sense of relief. The hostility I’d seen before was no longer visible. Or at least I thought so. It wasn’t until my eyes rested on Kyran and his stiff posture that I wanted to once again flee.

  “Hello. It’s nice to meet you all.” My voice was so low I thought they wouldn’t be able to hear me. My heart, however, was beating so fast I thought it would shoot straight out of my chest. “You’re family?”

  The beautiful girl with the long black hair and bright blue eyes stepped forward and smiled at me. “Why, yes, these are my brothers,” she said. “But if you ask me, I’m the unlucky one. I’m the only girl.” She made a face.

  There wasn’t anything hostile about her posture or tone of voice, so I began to relax under their scrutinizing gazes. It was hard to say why exactly, but being around them did make me tense.

  “Ah, I see. You’re the Rousseau’s?” Stupid question. But gee, I was so nervous I could scarcely think, much less sound as if I wasn’t dumb or close to it.

  “Oui! That we are. It is nice to meet you, Marjorie…?” She frowned a little but it disappeared quickly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know your last name.”

  “Marjorie Emery,” I said, sparing a glance at Kyran.

  Kyran turned away that time, avoiding eye contact. Apparently irritated by his rude behavior, the big one, who I now knew was named Gage, elbowed him in frustration. The tension in the air was as thick as a funnel cloud, but I pretended not to notice.

  “Nice to meet you, Marjorie.” Josephine smiled warmly at me.

  Alexis turned toward Kyran only to notice his back was still to us. Murmuring under his breath, he turned apologetic eyes to me and smiled.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” I said. With the exception of Kyran’s incredibly weird behavior, I came to realize his family was nice. Different, but definitely nice, which I liked. Kyran’s moody personality, not so much.

  And then, just like that, my feelings changed from intimidation to irritation and then to anger. Why was he being so rude? What was his problem? Did he just decide to include me in his list of people he wanted to avoid? Because if that was
the case, then two could play that game.

  As if reading my thoughts, Alexis turned back toward me with a frown and drew me closer to his warm body by draping one arm over my shoulders, and just like when Kyran touched me before, a bolt of awareness rushed through my entire body.

  “Don’t mind him, he’s just being a pain.”

  The second Alexis said that, Kyran bunched his hands into tight fists.

  “Allow me to escort you to class.” Without waiting for a response, Alexis whisked me away from the rest of the group, which seemed like a good idea for Kyran relaxed his posture almost at once.

  Josephine waved while Gage stood staring after me in what could have passed for an apologetic expression, and Kyran kept his back to me. I had the sudden urge to go to him and kick his ass. His attitude really pissed me off. At first, yeah, I was a little intimidated. But now I was just plain furious. Damn it. And it was so hard to stay mad with this gorgeous hunk walking with me down the hall.

  “What’s your brother’s problem, anyway?” I asked once we were half way down the hall.

  Alexis smiled down at me and it took a lot of willpower to keep walking without tripping like an idiot.

  “Did I do something to upset him?”

  “You didn’t do anything to him. Unfortunately, Kyran is going through a long and very complicated process right now.” Alexis’s tone sounded like a combination of mock concern and true worry.

  “He seemed perfectly normal yesterday,” I mumbled.

  “Ah, see, there we have our first problem. You assume my brother is normal, which he isn’t,” he remarked.

  Oh, I’d noticed.

  The walk to the next classroom only served to draw unnecessary attention from all the other girls in the hallway, but I paid no mind to their probing gazes or their soft murmurs. I wanted to know the reasons behind Kyran’s puzzling behavior and that overruled any other concerns I might have of being gawked at by a bunch of jealous admirers.

  “He’s making me feel like I did something wrong.” My stomach knotted and twisted as I recalled Kyran’s sudden change. “And I know for a fact I did no such thing.”

  A dark shadow crossed Alexis’s face. “Don’t worry about him. He just needs to work some things out on his own.”

  “Like what? Does he need to figure out how to split his multiple personalities?”

  “You don’t know him well enough to know how many personalities he has.” Alexis beamed. “Or if he even has one at all.”

  It was my turn to smile. “Maybe he needs to learn how to develop one or maybe he’s just trying to fully avoid social contact with his peers by being mean and impolite. I don’t think he’s mastered that one quite yet, since every girl within sight wants a piece of his cake.”

  Alexis laughed heartily. “Piece of his cake, huh? That’s a nice way to put it.”

  “Seriously, I’ve only known him for a day and I’ve already noticed how he mopes around like he’s waiting for somebody to die or for something bad to happen.”

  “Maybe he is.” Alexis didn’t elaborate further, leaving me hanging with that comment.

  “He’s behaving like an immature little boy,” I protested.

  “He’s not being mean on purpose.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Could have fooled me.”

  “Ah, Marjorie, you have a lot to learn about us.” He said that as if he expected for me to get to know them better. “Kyran will come around soon. He just needs time to adjust, that’s all.” We stopped in front of my next classroom and he let his arm drop from my shoulders. I looked up to catch him grinning. “However, I’m really glad to have made your acquaintance.”

  He leaned forward and planted a kiss on my forehead before marching down the hallway. That simple peck caused a few bolts of exhilarating vibrations to course down my body that left me feeling weird, confused, and wanting more.

  I was so caught up in my thoughts I failed to pay attention to my surroundings until I noted Angela’s expression. By the looks of her, she didn’t seem too happy to see me either.

  “Hi Angie.” She gave me an irritated look and I stared at her in surprise. “What?”

  “Sporting a new admirer?” She gestured toward the door and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her.

  Why did she care if I sported an admirer or two?

  “What is it with people today? Everyone’s getting mad at me for no reason.” I pointed at the door. “Alexis was just escorting me to class, that’s all. I just had…never mind.” Why am I even explaining myself to her as if she’s my mother?

  “Where’s Kyran?” Angela had those mood swings periodically. Most times they were directed at me, but I didn’t mind. The simple fact that she had lost her ability to walk because of my lousy driving the night of the accident was reason enough to bear with her.

  “I really don’t want to talk about Kyran right now.” I waved my hand dismissively.

  “Who doesn’t want to talk about me?”

  Oh God! By the look on Angela’s face I knew he had to be standing right behind me. Her eyes widened and seem to even sparkle at the sight of him.

  “No one.” Finally deciding it was as good a time as any to take my seat and shut my trap, I did just that. The problem was he sat right next to me, and his silver-colored eyes were shooting daggers at me. “What?” I snapped when I was unable to take his constant leers.

  “What did my brother say about me?”

  He was worried his twin had said something about him. Why?

  “What could he say? You guys have some kind of secret or something?”

  “Yes, we have plenty of secrets, some of which you can’t even begin to imagine.” His sharp tone had me turning in my seat to look at him. I returned his glare with one of my own.

  “I don’t care about any secrets you might have! It’s none of my freaking business anyway.” I was so pissed off I practically spat out the words.

  Kyran’s eyes were so intense as they studied me it was hard for me to even stare back. God, I’d never seen eyes like those in my entire life. They seemed unnatural in appearance.

  “Your brother was right, you are weird.” I blurted before I even realized it.

  “He said that?”

  Oops. Was it too late to take that back?

  “He said I’m weird?” He seemed genuinely offended by being called weird, and for a split second, I actually felt sorry for him.

  “Ah, no, not exactly,” I hurried to add.

  He looked so angry I thought he was going to get up and stomp out of the room again. If he did, I feared Alexis would probably get a good pounding.

  “Then what did he say?” he barked.

  My hand shook from holding back the urge to slap the rudeness right out of him.

  “Just that you’re not normal, that’s all.”

  The look he gave me then made me want to laugh. Before making a fool of myself, I bit my lip and turned away from him before I burst out laughing. I didn’t think he would appreciate me for laughing at his expense.

  He cursed in French and it took a lot for me to refrain from chuckling. It sounded comical and at the same time it was incredibly sexy.

  The feel of Angela elbowing me drew my attention away from Kyran. “What’s this all about?” she whispered.

  “I wish I knew.” I didn’t even know why we were arguing, or why he was mad, for that matter. “When I find out, I’ll fill you in.”

  “He’s one to talk.” Kyran finally spoke in a much more controlled tone. “He’s the biggest weirdo in our family.”

  Was it just me or did that sound very childish?

  “He really didn’t say anything I hadn’t noticed already.”

  We leered at each other then, each holding our own. But as I stared into his eyes, I could have sworn they changed colors, from silver to gray. Before I could take a second look, Kyran turned his face away.

  “So, you think I’m not normal?” he asked nonchalantly.

  “That depends on
how you define normal,” I said while trying to take a second peek at his eyes, but he wouldn’t look directly at me. “I don’t know what to think of you, really. You confuse me.” Confused was an understatement. Here we were, arguing, after only knowing each other for a grand total of twenty-four hours. The sad part was I really wanted to know why he was angry. What had I done to make him snap at me? I barely even knew him!

  “I bet I do.” He sighed heavily and placed both hands on top of the table, which I took as an invitation to inspect them with my eyes.

  Kyran had big hands that appeared as strong as a pair of bricks. It was hard not to stare as they lay atop the table. Something, aside from how big and strong his hands appeared, caught my immediate attention. I noticed what seemed to be a tattoo on his right hand, between his thumb and index finger.

  At first it seemed to be just a circle, but upon closer inspection, I noticed it wasn’t just a simple round-shaped tattoo on his hand. The tattoo resembled the shape of a full moon; the details were very vivid and realistic, almost like seeing the moon from one’s backyard at night. As he moved his hand, the tattoo seemed to move too. The gray and blue colors of it blended in with each other giving it a very realistic, almost real life appearance.

  “You confuse me too. I’ve never met someone like you before. I don’t know what to make of you.” He kept speaking without looking at me, and that annoyed me.

  Why couldn’t he just look at me as he spoke?

  “Yeah, well, likewise.”

  “You’ve a very strong personality, Marjorie. This could be a good thing sometimes, but other times, it could get you killed.” Finally, he turned to look at me and I immediately noted that his eyes were the same silver color they normally were.

  “I wouldn’t change who I am for anyone.” But then hadn’t I already changed? Right after the accident a lot of things had fallen into perspective for me, and I changed from a spoiled little princess to a shy little mouse.