A Taste of Moonlight

By Kristy Hoefler

After the unsettling death of my mother ten years ago, I somehow managed to put together a semi-normal life. That was until I was attacked by werewolves. A pack whose leader was out for my blood. Then I met Graham. His pack has chosen to protect me. Apparently one of my ancestors put a curse on the two pack leaders long ago. So here I am in the middle of a battle between the two largest werewolf packs to ever walk the earth. It's crazy to think that a few weeks ago my biggest worries were work and my dog. Now is more like will I live to see tomorrow? Honestly, I don't know. I guess I'll tell you when tomorrow comes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristy Hoefler
• Release date: Feb 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224260690

Book preview

I want to thank my best friend Jessica, who encouraged me to finish my book and read all my rough drafts.

Chapter 1

I hadn’t made it halfway across the parking lot when I knew I was in trouble. Call it intuition, but it was like I actually felt someone’s eyes on me. Behind me, I heard a snap. I turned to look but saw nothing. I shrugged it off. 

I’m fine. 

I took a calming breath, then hurried to my car and put the key in. Just as I went to turn the key, I heard the rustling of leaves come from the woods behind me. I froze. My heart skipped a few beats before restarting. I tried to focus on the car door and turning the key. I didn’t want to be one of those girls from the horror movies who turns around and gets killed. Or, the one who walks into the woods to see who’s out there. 

No way, not me. I value my life. 

So I tried to turn the key and of course, it jammed. The girl in the horror movies popped back into my head. I had to calm down. The key was just jammed because I was freaking out. I took a few deep breaths and turned the key . . . there, the door opened. I jumped in my car and locked the doors. 

Ha, I’m no damsel in distress. 

BOOM! 

What was that? 

Something fell . . . or jumped onto the roof of my car. I looked around and saw that no trees were down. 

Not getting out. 

Then came a scratching sound, like nails down a chalkboard. 

Definitely, not getting out! 

I only saw the tail at first but slowly the whole creature slid into view. A wolf. Huge. It must have been 200 pounds. Like the ones . . . no. Not possible. And although I should be terrified I couldn’t help but notice his eyes. They looked so human. Then I noticed the teeth and the eyes were no longer all that important. Teeth that could easily shred me if he were to get inside my car. 

Thank goodness for my car! 

Suddenly the wolf looked away, listening. I did the same and followed his gaze. One piercing howl sounded in the distance. As if being called, he jumped off my car and ran back into the woods. I quickly started my engine and drove home.

––––––––

Once home, I called my Dad’s house. My Dad and brothers all lived together still and had thought I was truly nuts for moving out on my own. Especially after the wolves incident with my mother. We used to be one of those normal families with sibling rivalry and family dinners. But that ended the day my mother died, and so did any resemblance of a normal in my life. 

After my mother died, my dad had also made my brother's promise to keep a close eye on me. I guess he thought that I would be the least able to fight the wolves off. As if they were going to keep coming after my family. Around the same time, Dad had us all promise to stay together saying that he’d build a large enough house for us all to live in. If we wanted to. And he did. 

Of course, I was the only one who had broken that promise. Sort of. I mean I kept in touch, called on a regular basis. When my brothers’ band had a gig I would go to see them play. But I was not going to live in a house with six guys for the rest of my life. Nor did I want to live in the past. One freak accident was not enough to stop me from living my life. If it was my time, then it was my time. Not that I wanted to die or anything. I just didn’t ever want a person . . . Or creature, to have that kind of power over me. I was in control of my own destiny. 

So in choosing freedom, I’ve apparently also chosen trembling inside my apartment, alone with my dog, Bug. As I waited for someone to pick up the phone I tried to push Bug away. He’d followed me around since I got home. I knew he was worried about me, I was worried about me. I could have been eaten tonight. I hung up the phone. 

And that is precisely why I shouldn’t tell them. 

Nothing had actually happened and I was fine. It would just escalate my already crazed father. I won’t bother them till there is something to tell. 

––––––––

By morning, I was still pretty shaken. Bug had been a good friend and slept by me all night. And my family, thank god, had not returned my call. But that was due to proper planning. Leaving the phone off the hook does make it quite impossible for them to call me back. 

However, Sometimes they weren’t so bad. For my 21st birthday, they had all chipped in and bought me my first car. I guess it made them nervous that I rode a Moped to work and school. As a result, they bought me an ‘85 Dodge Charger. I thought it looked like a man’s car, they told me it was a classic. But at least today at work all I’d have to worry about were those 15 feet to and from my car. 

Once I got to work I just sat in my car. The thought of getting out of my car was a little nerve-wracking but necessary. Necessary because I wasn’t about to let one wolf run my life. That, and there was no bathroom in the car. Or food. So I got out and looked around. 

So far so good. 

I glanced at the woods.

No twigs snapping. No growls or howls. No problem! Looks like I’m not on the menu today. 

I took one step and tripped, inadvertently dropping my phone. I bent down to scoop it up and there it was. Somewhere, not far, to my right in the trees, I heard a snap. Followed by my heart. It was beating so loud I couldn’t hear anything else. 

Not going to run, not going to run, not going to run. 

Then I heard it again. My heart completely skipped a beat this time, well a lot. I guess I’m lucky it didn’t just stop. And unconsciously, I did the only thing I could think of. RUN! I ran like a mad woman, screaming until I was safely inside the warehouse. As soon as I was, I locked the door and leaned against it, out of breath, panting. That’s when I noticed George, my boss. He was sitting at his desk looking very bewildered. 

Uh-, George started, but I cut him off.

"There was a wolf out there! Did you see it? It was huge!"

George looked outside, then looked back at me. Then he started laughing hysterically. That’s a - ha - good one. Uncontrollable waves of laughter had him almost on the floor. 

He thought I was joking. Do I look like a person who is joking? Is there a smile on this face? No! 

Glad I could amuse you, George, I grumbled as I pried myself off the door and walked past. I didn’t actually see anything this morning. I’d only heard it. It might not have been anything, but it could have.

So, my job wasn’t glamorous but it wasn’t bad. We did furniture restoration; I cleaned it, George fixed it. By lunchtime, I had cleaned a long mahogany dinner table along with its four chairs, a bamboo dresser, and a cherry curio cabinet. My hands were going to shrivel from chemical exposure. That’s when I decided it was time to take a break. So I pulled out my lunch and went over to sit by the radio. As I was eating, Nickelback’s ‘Burn it to the Ground’ came on. It’s a great song so I turned it up. That’s when George walked in.  

George looked around and inspected the day’s work. Well, I’m off then. I’ll be back later to pick up the delivery. He turned and walked back into the office. After I was sure George was good and gone, I cranked the music up.  

A few minutes later I heard something in George’s office. I sighed and shook my head. George probably lost his keys again. This was a daily problem with him. He should really invest in some Velcro. That way he could just stick the keys to himself. 

Well, there are still those people who lose their glasses while they’re wearing them. Hmm. Perhaps George is a lost cause. 

I shrugged and kept bopping to the music. 

Then I heard it again, but it sounded different. Not like someone rustling for keys. More like someone ransacking the place. There better not be someone trying to steal from us. It’s not like we had a lot to take. Everything here had to be fixed in one way or another and we never kept cash here. Everything was electronic. I got up to check it out. 

As I reached the office door it rattled as if something very heavy just ricocheted off it. I grabbed the handle and swung the door open but that’s as far as I got. I expected to find someone trying to break into the desk or cabinets. But I couldn‘t have been more wrong. 

Any and all color drained from my face, my heart was going to need a jumpstart, and my knees were beginning to lack the strength to keep me in the upright position. I had to grip the door frame for support. It was George. Or at least what was left of him. He was surrounded by two wolves who were playing tug of war with his intestines. The wolves had torn him open from his throat to the bottom of his torso. They were both large and grey, with blood dripping from their mouths. The larger one I recognized from last night, was the wolf with the human eyes. 

The wolves suddenly lost interest in their lunch and turned their attention to me. They began slowly creeping toward me. Panicked, I quickly looked around for something to defend myself with. The first thing I found within grabbing distance was a pair of jumbo bolt cutters. I put them up in front of me prepared to cut anything that came within distance. 

The smaller one was the first to make a move. He dove for my legs. I jumped out of the way and then quickly positioned the cutters, smashing them shut. The wolf howled in pain. The cutters had closed down on his right eye and cheek. 

Yes! One for the human! 

He shook his head wildly till the cutters came off. He pawed at his face and whined in pain. His friend took his eyes off me for a moment to check out his comrade. 

I quickly scanned the room while they were distracted and found a nail gun. I grabbed it and aimed, 

preparing to shoot. But the trigger was jammed. 

No! 

I realized after a moment that the safety was on. 

That makes sense. People wouldn’t want to accidentally shoot themselves with this thing. 

I tried to find the safety switch but looked up and saw that the wolves had refocused on me with a new determination in their eyes. They were a little more cautious this time as they started towards me. 

Temporarily out of options, other than throwing the nail gun at them, I looked around for anything else that would help me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the upstairs storage area. It was above the office-like patio that overlooked the warehouse. George had used the space as his ‘at work’ gym. I ran for it. 

I darted up the stairs, still holding the nail gun, with both wolves trailing me. I got to the edge but there was nowhere left to run. 

Now what? 

Looking around I noticed the shelving units. It would be a long shot but it’s possible I could make the jump. If not, at least I’d be dead or unconscious as they devoured me. I turned around. The wolves would be on me in a second. I jumped. 

At first, all I heard was breathing. 

Oh no, I must have missed the jump and I’m not unconscious so I’ll have to feel every bite, every rip of flesh as it’s torn from my body. 

I waited. The breathing wasn’t getting closer. 

Huh. And why is it so dark? 

Cursing my stupidity, I realized my eyes were closed. I opened them for the first time. I’d made it. I landed on top of the shelf next to some boxes. After a quick peak, I saw no wolves in the immediate area so I stopped to take inventory of all possible injuries. I checked myself over; two working arms, two working legs, and neck moves. Current status: Alive. 

Probably not for long, though. The wolves weren’t surrounding me so the breathing I’d heard was my own. But I still wasn’t alone. The wolves sat in anticipation from where I’d just jumped. One wolf, the one I’d cut with the bolt cutters, was sizing his own life-altering leap. 

What if he made it?! 

I fiddled with the safety switch till the nail gun was ready, then I let rip in the direction of the wolves. The smaller one was hit in the leg several times and the larger wolf was hit in the shoulder. 

Yes! 

But my joy ended as soon as it came. The nail gun ran out of ammo. I threw the gun aside. I breathed through the rising panic and started tearing open boxes. 

There has to be some kind of weapon in here. A baseball bat, a club, anything sharp and pointy. 

In my second box, I found a gun. 

Great! Bullets, where would they have stashed the bullets? 

After emptying the entire box I found none. 

Who would have a gun and no bullets? I guess when you think about it, packing them in the same box as the gun could be considered irresponsible. Except today! Today that very act could have saved my life! 

I turned just in time to see the first wolf jump. I ducked. There was a loud bang as the wolf crashed into the metal shelf. The wolf caused the whole shelf to vibrate from the impact. I held on as best I could till the shaking stopped. I peaked over the side; if the wolf wasn’t dead he was definitely out of this round. Which tilted the odds slightly in my favor. One on one I might have a chance. 

The other wolf went to check on his comrade as I continued to sift through boxes. But all I found were dishes. After five boxes of dishes, all I had managed to find was a silver cake cutter. At least it was pointy. Just as I went to open another box, the shelf shook. I managed a glimpse over the side and saw the other wolf, the one from last night, trying to knock the shelf over. 

Stop it! GO AWAY!, I screamed. Not that I thought he would listen but it’s what you do. Like at the movie theater when the lead character is walking into a trap. They can’t hear you but you try to warn them anyway. 

Tears just began streaming down my face as the panic started to win. I didn’t know what else to do, then I remembered the dishes. I started throwing the dishes at him in an attempt to scare him away. No such luck. Just then he rammed the shelf like a bull, knocking it and me to the ground. I went flying into a glass table. 

When I landed, I was lying in the pile of shattered glass. I must have really hit my head hard because it was ringing and there were little black spots in my vision. I flexed to make sure everything was still intact and functional. Barely. 

As I looked myself over, I did notice that I still had the cake cutter. How I managed to hold on to it, I’ll never know. I looked around and found that the wolf was inching closer and that I needed a lot of stitches. My arm was sliced from my wrist to my elbow with tiny chunks of glass stuck in my arm. I didn’t have time to check the rest of me, but the blood seeping through my shirt told me it wasn’t good. 

I quickly pulled the shards of glass out of my arm and managed to stand, but not straight. My whole body was in excruciating pain. I blinked my eyes to try and focus them. Just then the wolf lunged. I’m normally not a fighter, but I didn’t plan on dying here today. Not like this. So I started swinging. 

Note to self: if I survive this, enroll in a self-defense class! 

He yelped as the silver cake cutter sliced into his front right leg; which for a moment seemed to burn and sear his flesh.

I’d cut him! Yes! Keep swinging! 

Dory from ‘Finding Nemo’ was my new inspiration: Just keep swinging, just keep swinging! Swinging, swinging. 

Angered, the wolf snarled and then pounced, landing right on top of me. The cake cutter landed right in his chest by sheer luck. His massive weight being the other major factor. I managed to wiggle out from under the wolf, wincing and gritting my teeth through the pain. I looked over at the other wolf, he still seemed to be taking a nap. 

I painfully made my way into the office where George’s remains still sat. I tried not to look as hobbled over to the phone. Unfortunately, when I picked it up there was no dial tone. I put it back down and looked for my purse. It was on the floor behind George’s desk. I rifled through it trying to find my cell phone. But it wasn’t there. I must have forgotten it. 

Shit. I’ll just have to drive to the hospital and call the cops or Animal control from there.

I pulled my keys out and headed for the front door. I really didn’t want to go back through the warehouse but it was the only way out. I glanced around to make sure both the dead and sleeping wolves were where I’d left them, then I quickly made a break for the door.

Once in the parking lot, I realized driving was no longer an option. The car itself was fine from what I could tell, but what car functions without tires? They had been chewed to bits. 

Great. No car and I am seriously bleeding. 

I thought about this morning and the ‘live in my car’ option, but now it didn’t even drive. There was no way I was going to be here tonight when the rest of the pack showed up. The wolves must have calculated the possibility that I would escape. 

But how could they? They’re just wolves, aren’t they? Maybe they have Rabies.

I didn’t really have time to ponder, I needed to get to the hospital. It was only a few miles down the road. I guess I was walking. 

Luckily I didn’t have to walk far, a few minutes down the road I managed to wave someone down. As the guy drove I couldn’t help but think about what had just happened. If I was living in a horror movie this would probably be a werewolf flick. Good thing I live in reality.

Chapter 2

Finally, I got to the hospital. I was so relieved. My arm was throbbing and my side was in an unbelievable amount of pain any time I moved. I just hurt, everywhere.

The guy who gave me a ride dropped me off right at the entrance. The bright lights and electronic doors welcomed me in.

Heaven.

There was a short line at the front desk so I sat down to wait for it to disperse. It hurt too much to stand. There were a ton of people here tonight, both in the waiting room and in line to get seen. 

Must be a full moon. 

I looked outside. 

Yup, one very round, very bright full moon. 

Then I remembered yesterday. It had been a full moon then, too. 

I’m definitely glad not to be the girl in the horror movie now. Way too many coincidences. But maybe that’s what’s got the wolves going. The moon made them deranged. And me, just the moon’s innocent bystander. 

Or Maybe it’s just