MOON TOUCHED

  GEMINI WOLVES

  SARA SNOW

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Also By Sara Snow

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  About the Author

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

  © 2023 J&B Online Enterprises, LLC

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  1

  I couldn't believe it. My mind refused to wrap around the concept. Could it really be true?

  Was my father involved with the Lunar Shadow Society? The same LSS that had taken my twin, Anita? And kidnapped many other people whom my friends loved? Well, if they were still my friends. Things hadn't been the same since Hudson died, and knowing it was my fault, I felt the need to keep just as much distance as they did.

  But this, they needed to know. This was huge. My own father might have been in the LSS. Before Anita's disappearance, I had no clue werewolves even existed. Now I had found out that our own father could've belonged to the very organization I wanted to take down...

  Where could I even begin?

  On one hand, I had answers. But this revelation brought on many questions, leaving me more confused than ever.

  How could my father have been involved with the LSS? What did he do for them?

  Was he a wolf, and if so, why didn't Anita and I know or feel the shift before now?

  I began to ask questions that hadn't even crossed my mind before. Things that I would've never considered to be anything of importance suddenly felt incredibly significant. The falcon on my father's necklace had always been a falcon. Now, it was a symbol of something else.

  Why did we begin to move around a lot when Dad gave up his job at the lab?

  My parents' accident—was it really an accident?

  Was my dad... a bad guy?

  No! No way. My father was a good man. He was kind, funny, generous. There was a reason he was involved with the LSS, and I'd find out what it was. I needed clarity. Answers. I needed to talk to Gunner. But he wasn't speaking to me and had avoided me like the plague since everything happened.

  Not that I blamed him... but this time was different. I had major news, and we needed to have a meeting.

  I sent out a group text, hoping they'd respond.

  I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It had been a bit since I stood at this door. I'd been here only once since Hudson died, and even then they had barely spoken to me.

  They were still grieving and in shock, I reminded myself, desperately hoping it to be true. Kimi had said to come over, but she didn't leave a bunch of emojis like she usually would've, which left me feeling like I wasn't wanted here, as if she was inviting me over but wasn't happy about it.

  She opened the door with a smile and gave me a hug, though she didn't hold the same enthusiasm. Ollie and Zeke sat on the sofa, pausing the movie they'd been watching.

  "Hey, Gabby," Ollie said with a wave.

  Zeke walked up and gave me a hug, which was unexpected—but welcomed. "How have you been?" he asked, holding me at arm's length. "I haven't seen you much lately."

  "Uh, yeah," I stammered. "I thought it'd be best to keep some distance since... well, you know." I couldn't say it. Not out loud and not with them.

  "What happened with Hudson wasn't your fault," Zeke said, his voice soft and reassuring.

  A scoff came from behind the curtain divider, and Sydney stepped out. "It wasn't?" she asked. "Because those slashes didn't come from the LSS."

  She stood in front of me, arms crossed, and glared.

  "Syd, I am so sorry for what happened. I swear, I never meant to hurt Hudson."

  "Hurt him? You killed him!" Though her demeanor was angry and dominant, I could see the pain that crushed her inside.

  "I never meant to," I said, my voice cracking as tears welled in my eyes. The lump in my throat made it hard to speak. I tried to swallow it down, but it didn't work. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I've felt the guilt of what I've done every day since."

  She stared at me, not speaking. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, if she believed me. She had told me before that she did, but she was still angry.

  "What's your news?" she asked, taking a seat at the table. It felt empty without Hudson, but there was one other person who was missing.

  "Where's Gunner?" I asked.

  Zeke looked away, and Kimi stepped forward. "He's... occupied," Kimi answered.

  "Occupied? With what?"

  Ollie motioned with his hands tipping back a bottle.

  "He's drinking?" I asked, a little annoyed. "I know he's not exactly speaking to me, but this is important. He needs to be here."

  Honestly, I was disappointed he wasn't there. I hoped that he would come for important news, but he hated me that much not to come? Enough! I understand why he was pissed at me, but he couldn't just freeze me out. Whatever his opinion about me, taking down the LSS was more important.

  "Look, I wanted us all to be here, but apparently that isn't going to happen," I said, a little irritation in my tone. Oh, well. Time to rip off the Band-Aid. "I think my father was in the LSS."

  The silence held so much noise. Even though they weren't speaking, their thoughts were loud in the expressions on their faces. As much as I didn't want to, I explained.

  "A few weeks ago, I left a note for the LSS offering a trade. Me for my sister." Kimi and Zeke gasped, cupping their mouths in shock. "The LSS left me a scroll with a flyer for the rave. On the scroll was a wax insignia of a falcon and a moon. My father has a necklace with the same symbol, only with a sun added in."

  I pulled the necklace from beneath my shirt, holding it out for them to see.

  "I was watching a home video from my childhood, back when my father was a scientist who worked in a lab, and he come home wearing his lab coat that had the same emblem as the LSS. I'm not sure how or why, but my father was involved with the LSS."

  "We need Gunner," Ollie said, eyeing Kimi.

  She nodded. "We'll take you to him."

  Apparently, Gunner had spent the last few weeks spiraling in a bar. He'd neglected his work, spending all day drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. I watched him from the door, hunched over the bar from his stool, staring at the brown liquid in the glass. His hair had grown longer, his stubble forming an untidy beard. Though he'd never been one to wear the most expensive looking clothes, he was dressed in a wrinkled shirt with holes in the sleeves. I guess he'd neglected basic hygiene, too.

  I walked up to Gunner, taking a seat in the stool beside him, while Kimi and Ollie hung back.

  "There he is," I said, recognizing how lame it sounded the instant it came out.

  Gunner looked up, shaking his head before looking away. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice gruff and slurred.

  "Well, I texted everyone saying I have news about the LSS, but you didn't come."

  "I'm busy," he said, downing his drink and slamming the glass against the bar. He motioned to the bartender for another.

  "I can see," I answered, my tone filled with sarcasm. I wasn't about to kiss his ass to make him come back. "But I thought you should know, I think my dad may have been in the LSS."

  He showed no interest, no reaction. "Who cares."

  I took a deep breath to contain my irritation, despite the incredible urge to throttle him. "What do you mean 'who cares'? This is huge, Gunner. We may have a lead to something."

  "Maybe. Maybe not. Does it really matter?" The bartender slid another drink in front of him, and Gunner took a long drink.

  I was getting nowhere. Turning, I glanced at Kimi and Ollie, who caught my look and slowly came closer, listening in for the right moment.

  "Of course it matters," I answered. "If we can take down the LSS, we can stop them from kidnapping more people."

  "So what?" Gunner asked. "Your father was in the LSS. Sounds like a great guy. What does that have to do with me?"

  The comment about my dad was the one that unhinged me. I bent down close to him, pushing his drink away.

  "What are you doing?" he asked, throwing his hands up. But I didn't care.

  My voice was low, but it was stern and held a power of its own. "You listen to me. What happened to Hudson was an accident, and you have every right to hate me, but he wouldn't want you wallowing in a bar, soaked in self-pity. He'd want you out there fighting for everyone the LSS has taken."

  "You don't know shit about what Hudson would want!" he shouted, spit flying from his mouth in his drunken stupor. "You knew him for, like, two seconds. I knew him for years. He was the one who saved me and every one of the rogues. He took us in

and accepted us—welcomed us—when no one else would. And he's gone now. Because of you! Because you just couldn't listen to us. He tried to tell you those powers were catastrophic, and you didn't listen."

  "Gunner, enough," Ollie snapped, interrupting Gunner's rant. His voice was so loud and aggressive. I never thought I'd see him like that. "You know damn well that Gabby didn't mean to do anything. What she should or shouldn't have done doesn't matter now. Hudson is gone, and we need to move on with our lives. Fight the fight. Remember?" Ollie held up a fist, and for the first time I noticed a small tattoo on his wrist with an R inside of a circle.

  Kimi stepped forward, holding out a fist the same way Ollie did. Beneath her bracelets, I saw the same small tattoo.

  Gunner grunted, running his hands through his hair. After a moment, his lips curled into a smile, though it was subtle. "God, I haven't heard that in forever." He unhooked the watch on his wrist and held out a fist, wearing the same tattoo.

  How had I not noticed these tattoos before? We trained together just about every day. Had they always been there?

  "Fight the fight," Gunner said, pumping his fist.

  2

  "I'm so happy the team is back together," Zeke said with a squeal, setting a bowl of popcorn on the table.

  Gunner and I reached at the same time, our hands bumping. Despite our time apart, I couldn't keep my cheeks from growing warm at his touch. I quickly pulled away, taking a sip of the tea that Kimi made instead.

  "Me too," Kimi said, digging through the boxes of my parents' things that I'd brought over while Ollie set up the home movies from his laptop to the TV.

  For hours we scoured through my family's things, watching old videos, digging through their boxes. We made notes about anything that could relate to the LSS, but in the end, we didn't find much. Just that lab coat and the necklace.

  Until Ollie found my father's notebook.

  It was hard to read his scribbles, but we managed to decipher that the LSS was experimenting with wolves.

  I read the page aloud, pausing every so often as I attempted to make out his writing. "My time with the Lunar Shadow Society has taught me one thing: Man or beast, we are all filled with greed. We are all selfish. We all want to claim a power that isn't rightfully ours. I wanted to make a difference, but I refuse to continue this work any longer. As founder of the Lunar Shadow Society, I hereby withdraw my employment and association."

  I stared at the page, putting together the pieces. My father was a scientist for the LSS. I remember when he quit working in the lab. He came home that day so withdrawn and wrapped in his own head. He wouldn't tell me why he quit a job he loved, only that he was ready for a change. Shortly after, we moved from my childhood home, and didn't stop moving since.

  I kept reading.

  "These experiments were supposed to aid wolves in their shifting, allowing them to shift during any cycle of the moon. However, the LSS has postponed my studies on shifting and replaced them with a breeding experimentation instead. They believe that breeding strong wolves will result in a stronger species of wolf, leading us into a dark future in which wolves will overpower the humans. Though they don't see the error in that outcome, I have voiced my cautions, but to no avail. This is why I kept the artifact. I know they will stop at nothing to get it, but I can't risk it in their hands."

  Clutching the notebook in my hands, I looked up to see horrified expressions on everyone's faces.

  "They're kidnapping wolves to breed them?" Sydney asked, stepping into the room for the first time that night. "That's fucking sick."

  "What artifact is he talking about?" Ollie asked.

  I shrugged, having absolutely no clue. "I didn't even know the paranormal existed before my sister disappeared. This is all new to me."

  "Did he ever mention an artifact when you were a kid?" Ollie asked.

  I thought for a moment, trying to recall any mention, even in play, but nothing came to mind. Again, I shrugged.

  "If only we knew Hudson's source," Kimi said, looking around the room. "If he knew about the hunters at the rave, maybe he knew about the breeding experiments or the artifact."

  Sydney sighed, clicking her tongue. "All right, I may know Hudson's source," she admitted, holding out her arms in defense. "He brought me with him to the Underground a few times when he met with the guy."

  "Great," Zeke said, perking up. "You can take us to him. Maybe Kimi's right, and he knows something."

  Gunner, who had been silent for most of the conversation, asked if there was any other mention about the artifact. I flipped through the pages, skimming over my father's writing.

  "Oh, here," I said, pointing to the page. "Believed to increase power, similar to the power of the Gemini pack. If this is possible, then like the Gemini Pack, it could mean shifting during other phases of the moon is a possibility among wolves. Such power could be devastating if put in the wrong hands. They want it, especially Luther. He..."

  I trailed off when I noticed Gunner's head jerk up when I mentioned that name. Regaining my focus, I continued. "He believes such an artifact should be given to the alphas. Luther is growing dangerously close to obtaining the artifact through the Lunar Shadow Society by gaining support from the other alphas. His involvement has extended to his son, Lucas, in preparation for his future position as alpha. With these values instilled in him prior to his peak shifting age, we risk the values of the future generation of wolves. I fear this will result in a war with the delicate balance of our nature."

  Gunner stared ahead, his eyes wide. His lips were pulled tight, and he didn't speak. The energy in the room had shifted after the mention of Luther, and I wondered what everyone else knew that I didn't.

  "Who's Luther?" I asked, setting the notebook down.

  They eyed one another, as if debating whether to tell me. All eyes landed on Gunner, who blew out a long breath. "Luther is my uncle and Lucas is my cousin. Luke. He's the reason I left my pack."

  Wow. That was the first time he told me anything about his past. He'd finally let down some of the barrier between us by revealing the secrets of his past he'd never wanted to share before.

  Somehow, our families were intertwined with one another, with the LSS. In a strange way, it made me feel connected to Gunner. I wasn't sure why or what it meant, but the feeling was there.

  "What happened?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't build the barrier again.

  "Uh... well..." He blew out another breath, as if exhausted with this conversation. "A lot happened. I have questions from my past concerning the LSS that go back decades." He shook the collar of his shirt and said, "Whew! It's stuffy in here. I think I need some fresh air." Gunner stood from his chair, giving me the briefest glimpse before he walked out the door.

  I took that as my cue to follow.

  We stepped out into the dying sunlight, the sky deep shades of orange, pink, and purple. The sun faded behind the mountains, leaving a rocky, rugged silhouette, creating a beautiful landscape. He took a seat on the ground, just outside of the cave, and looked at me.

  "I know you've been asking about my life forever, so... I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you." He brushed his hand through his unkempt hair and down his face, landing at his beard, where he picked at the uneven strands.

  "Gunner," I said, interrupting his hesitation. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to tell. Do I want to know? Yeah, but only if you feel comfortable."

  He nodded, taking in my words. "Luke and I grew up together. There were three of us, really. Me, Luke, and Cass. The three of us spent every day together, playing and hanging out. We were close. When my father passed when I was a child, my uncle took me in. He was the alpha of our pack, and as you heard, a member of the LSS."

  Gunner paused, staring ahead as twilight claimed the sky. "I didn't know exactly what the LSS was doing, but I knew that wolves would disappear, and I'd hear the LSS had them. Though not many wolves knew about the secret society, those who did were either terrified of it, or they wanted in. But with the rumors I heard, I wanted nothing to do with it.

 

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