Before The Heart Of The Moon: WEREWOLF CAMPFIRE SERIES, #2

By A.L. SECORD

Rachel is back at Summer Camp just like the last five years.  Silver Lake Camp is filled with ghost stories and strange howling.  She's nineteen and should be a camp counsellor this year.  But instead she is following orders from her devastatingly handsome neighbor.  He has become hotter than the summer heat and she can't stop dreaming of the kiss they shared when he was still awkward.

She also can't seem to stop getting into trouble.  She is definitely under his radar.  Will she ever rekindle the love they once shared?  Or has she completely blown her one chance at being with her soulmate.

 

In this love story of finding your heart can she ever tame his?  Will the beast in him ever be satisfied.  After all she is only human.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: DARK FANTASY WEREWOLF MAGIC PUBLISHING
• Release date: Jun 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738989546

Book preview

BEFORE THE

HEART OF

THE MOON

WEREWOLF CAMPFIRE SERIES: BOOK 2

Written by: A.L. SECORD

DARK FANTASY WEREWOLF MAGIC PUBLISHING

Copyright © 2023

BEFORE THE HEART OF THE MOON

WEREWOLF CAMPFIRE SERIES: BOOK 2

Copyright © 2023 by A.L. SECORD

Thank you to my friends; my Sullivan and McEwen family that love and support me.  A Big Thank you to: God; Trinity and Tori Secord; Bradley Sullivan; Ellen Irvine; David Fox; Shelley Druet; Annie Bishop, and Kent and Megs Garlough.  Thank you fans from all of my heart and soul.

All rights reserved.  Printed in the United States of America and Canada.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

DARK FANTASY WEREWOLF MAGIC PUBLISHING Copyright © 2023

This book is available in eBook, and print formats.

Edited by: APRIL SECORD

Book Cover design by: APRIL SECORD

EBook ISBN: 978-1-7389895-4-6

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7389895-3-9

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-7389895-5-3

First Edition: JUNE 2023

10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Acknowledgments

1

Most years, the loving sunshine and lyrical laughter outshone the strange howls or weird circumstances at Silver Lake Camp.  Most days it was just wonderful to be around the sexy model-like counsellors.  This was the best leadership camp money could buy and the longest. That’s why I had been dumped here for the last five summers again, while my parents frolicked in Europe. 

But this year was different.  I should have been a camp counsellor.  I’m nineteen and too old to follow the rules.  I should be the one with the whistle. I should be dating my childhood crush. Not following his orders.  Then again, I did like looking at his behind when I followed his orders.

Instead here I am frozen in fear.

I see him with a wrinkled brow and a clear frown on his face.  He’s been my neighbor since I was six and he was eight.  He is the hottest, Captain of Silver Lake Camp. 

And he is getting me in trouble.  I know he’s going to come in and get me.  He’s going to have to.  I’m not willing to come to him.  That’s for damn sure.  I thought as I treaded water while my teeth chattered.

If I had a mirror I’m sure my lips would show the exact blue of my favorite freezie even though I hadn’t eaten anything in hours. 

I also know at this time and every time; he has been right. 

A very sad circumstance of the very situation and others, I have been in this summer.  I shouldn’t have swum to the forbidden area in the far side of the lake.

Rachel I said its dinner time.  If you don’t want me to come get you; I suggest you swim to the shore. Right now.  Darion had such a harsh tone as he yelled to me from the shore and ducks got startled. 

In all my years of being around him; I had never heard him bark at me.  The definite doom in his voice echoed off the tree-lined water.

Rachel what are you doing?  It’s dinner time for crying out loud.  I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cow.  Don’t make me come get you and drag your boney butt out of the lake.  Darion shouted to me as his face went red and his eyes looked predatory.

I...I can’t.  Just leave me be.  I shouted back. 

Fine then.  Have it your way.  He said calmly which frightened me even more. 

Slowly he started to take off his shiny red whistle with precision deliberately placing it on a rock.  He slowly placed his clipboard down and glared over to me.

My nickname was ‘Eagle Eyes’ for a reason.  Even though I was 100 feet away; I could see the murderous look in his sharp blue eyes.  Those same eyes had usually made me feel safe.  But I guess the old saying was true of what my mom used to tell me; Men aren’t easily parted from their dinners. I think she always got the saying wrong.  I heard our chef say; a way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.  Either way it didn’t matter.  I was keeping Darion from something he loved and I trembled at what he was going to do to me.

Darion looked quite sinister. 

I watched with wide eyes as he slowly set his baseball cap on the rock and bared his clenched teeth. 

Then, it was game time as he discarded his vintage tee and re-tightened his drawstring-shorts.  He kicked off his sneakers and was stomping to the edge of the dock.  In each lift of his leg I could see his tight muscles almost shimmering in the pitiless sun.

He stopped at the edge of the dock with his hands on his perfect waist and tapped his foot.  Man, was he ever hot.  And at twenty, he was definitely a man.  There was no mistake in my mind.  Even when he’s mad at me, he’s magmatic.  Could he get any more perfect?

In every other situation this would have been exciting. 

The guy of my dreams was going to start chasing me.  We were alone and he was giving me his undivided attention.  This should have made me the happiest girl in the world.  Instead I turned away from all his gloriousness and the washboard stomach I dreamed of being held against. 

I started swimming faster and faster away from the shore.

My tears escaped as I pushed myself to swim harder. 

Why couldn’t this be a happier situation?  There was no way I could be caught.  I would rather die than be captured now.  Why can’t he just let me be?  I’m not hurting anyone, although my toes are tingly and my teeth can’t stop chattering.  It’s so annoying going into hypothermic shock.  Not to mention this pale-sickly looking skin is ruining my tan.  My inside dialogue was interrupted by splashing as I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder.

I couldn’t force my eyes away from the fierce blue eyes devouring my soul right now.  But I violently broke from his direct gaze.  I started to pull the water with every breast stroke. 

I couldn’t get over the look in his eyes.  The memory of his blue was like a gray-ash that burned a hole into my retinas.  I have to keep going.  I have to swim harder.  Push myself like never before.  He can’t catch me.  Not now.  Not like this.  I would rather spend another hour out here and freeze to death.  Screw Darion.  He isn’t going to catch me.  Today wasn’t the day I was going to die of embarrassment.  Not today.

Leave me alone Darion.  Go away.  I...I can’t be around anyone right n-n-n-now. I swear my teeth were cracking as I clicked that sentence barely out.

Rachel I’m going to get you.  So I suggest you swim towards me and the shore.  You are in so much trouble.  You know it.  Darion said harshly yelling over the splashing sounds of me trying to get away from him.

While he was blabbing, I pushed myself to the furthest I have ever pushed myself in my life.  I was aiming for that creepy cabin on the other side of the lake.  It was the lonely cabin that sparked all of our ghost stories around the campfire.  I felt like I was winning this game of cat and mouse too.  I was further ahead and just past the floating dock.

Then the water splashing sounds stopped.  I slowly turned around.  The water was dark and he was nowhere to be seen.  Oh no.  Where did he go?  He’s underneath somewhere...

I got you Rachel.  Darion whispered in my ear from behind me.

I screamed suddenly and jumped. 

Then burst with tears rolling like waterfalls down my cheeks, I faced the cold hard truth and my handsome adversary.

Now come on Rachel.  None of that.  You gave me a good chase but it’s over.  Darion said as he placed his warm hand on my shoulder. 

Then he pointed toward the shore with a hand gesture so sharp it cut the hot air between us.

I can’t.  I...I can’t.  Please let me b-b-be.  I said crying and hammering my teeth. 

What gives Rachel?  You’re the one I can usually count on all summer.  You may get instructions a little cutely-backwards from time to time, but I was recommending you for camp counsellor next year.  You have always been a role model for the younger teens.  So why now?  Darion said as he blocked my vision of the other shore with his muscular chest.

I...I can’t get out of the water.  I...I don’t want you to see me.  I said as my shame fluttered away. 

I could never lie to Darion; his blue eyes were like a truth serum.  I was in a trance and couldn’t turn away from his hypnotic stare.  The eerie blue was erotic and commanding.  I almost felt like I might die happy drowning in his ocean.

Rachel, you know I’m also your friend right?  I’m your Buddy.  Anything you need to get off your chest, you can tell me.  I mean, we’ve know each other since I was eight and you were six.  You can talk to me, even though I’m the Captain.  Darion spoke softer as he wiped my flowing tears and dripping snot off my nose and then rinsed his hand. 

He flashed that beautiful smile that made me feel warmer but his eyes still seemed almost razorblade-like as they pierced me.

We had been slowly moving towards the shore and I hadn’t realized he had been corralling me like a sheep dog moves with a lamb.  I stopped as soon as I could feel the ground.  I squished my toes in the mud as the water hovered over my shoulders and looked over at the abandoned beach.  My legs are so tired.  I hate being this weak in front of Darion.  He’s just so strong.  I’m so exhausted. Thank goodness everyone is eating, at least.

I felt him turn my shoulders gently to face him and then I felt his eyes through my closed lids.  As soon as I opened my eyes into his now softer eyes; I let it rip again.  I really was caught, but my brain was mush.  He was going to know that I was just a stupid girl who liked showing off.  I could feel my face turning bright red as my ears burned with embarrassment.

Y-y-you know that tree?  The tree that y-you told us not to swim to; that had fallen into the lake? I...I went there.  I....I was trying to prove that it was okay and that you were wrong.  I cleared my throat as my sobbing voice strained to get out those words and the next part of my omission.

My bikini bottom got caught and ripped off.  I cried harder at this last confession. 

I tried to find it but the water was too murky. I blurted. 

I started hyperventilating after these words came out.  I was going to pass out from the painful truth.  I also had a nasty scratch on my butt that proved how unsafe that area of Silver Lake was.  I kept this to myself.  I was waiting for the; ‘I told you so’s’ to begin and the accompanying lecture about being irresponsible. 

I continued sobbing at my demise, when I felt his warm hand pat my shoulder and listened to his deep sigh. 

Rachel, what am I going to do with you?  Okay I have an idea.  I trust you to stay here.  Don’t make me chase you across Silver Lake again.  Darion said as he waded to the shore leaving me with water that seemed colder in his absence.

There was no way I could bring myself to have the energy to swim across the lake again.  I’d drown before I got to the middle where the big dock was.  My legs were so weak they wobbled forward but I stopped myself from going further than my waist.

I watched him grab his shirt from the shore and ran back to me.  My orange bikini top was so bright compared to my almost blue skin.  Orange was usually my happy-go-lucky color.  But my gloom extended to my bare bottom that was freezing; lacking the fabric it needed.

Okay my little wall flower.  My shirt should more than cover you.  But I’ll grab a towel for you too.  Darion said as he handed me his shirt and left to grab his towel quickly.

I fiddled around with his intoxicating, cologne-filled tee.  The cotton was dry and had a dreamy scent.  It was the perfect escape for the dread I had been feeling.

It was a weird sensation I had, as I adorned his soft cotton.  My heart and tears had stopped racing in sadness.  I felt cool and fearless as I breathed it in before he came rushing towards me.  I love his scent.  I could live in his shirt.  My thoughts stopped as he held the towel out like a wall and turned his head.

As I slowly eased out of the icy water; I noticed he was right again.  His shirt did cover me.  In the shallows, I stepped into the soft towel.  And as soon as I was against the double stitching; I was suddenly wrapped and scooped up into his arms.

I’m bringing you to your cabin and then the mess hall.  I expect you to dress warm.  And I will wait outside for you.  Darion said as he sounded more commanding then the hero I envisioned.

But there was no mistake in my mind.  This moment right now had changed my feelings again for him.  I laid my head against his bare skin and felt my heart surrender. 

I always had a crush on Darion from the first moment I met him.  I had run away from a tennis lesson and discovered him in the nearby woods with a dead rabbit.  We buried the rabbit together in a sacred funeral.  That secret we shared through the years.  My new neighbor and friend had arrived that day in my life, forever ago.  Now twelve years later; I felt like this bond we had always shared, could be something more.  Something life changing.

As soon as he set me down I wearily went up the steps to my cabin.  I changed into the warmest clothes I had and the thickest socks.  It was going to be a hot summer night but I needed the warmth.  I was out in the lake for at least three hours before Darion came.  I threw