Full Moon Rachel Hawthorne (top 10 novels .TXT) 📖

could have happened to me. It gave me a chance to just reflect. I saw the kaleidoscope of my life and no matter how I turned it, I saw you.”

A wide grin spread across his face. “You’re serious?”

I smiled. “I’m serious.”

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me with excitement and enthusiasm. When we finally came up for air, I was dizzy.

“I was thinking we’d go to the waterfall lair for your transformation,” he said.

The first transformation always occurred in the forest, away from other Shifters. A guy went through it alone. He just went off—and when he came back, he was changed. The girl always went off to a secluded place with her mate. The area around the waterfall was one of the most beautiful in the forest. Our lair was hidden behind the waterfall. It was a favorite place for many a couple. My father had taken my mother there. It provided a little extra romance for the occasion.

“Sounds amazing.”

“If we’re going to go to the waterfall, we should leave in the morning. If you feel strong enough,” he added.

I nodded. “I will.” Suddenly I felt so weary. “But right now, I need to lie down.”

He took my hand and we started walking back toward the mansion. Why did I feel as though I was being watched?

I glanced slyly off to the side. And there was the beautiful black wolf, watching.

When I woke up from my nap, Brittany was sitting on the window seat, gazing out as twilight fell. I’d gone to the room that I usually shared with her and Kayla. I was feeling strong enough that I didn’t need to be nursed anymore—and getting away from my mom for a while was a nice bonus.

With a yawn, I sat up and pushed the pillows behind my back. “So where are you going for your transformation?”

“Not the waterfall.” She didn’t turn toward me.

“Brittany, who’s going with you?”

She didn’t answer. She just sat there. I climbed out of bed, walked over to the window, and sat on the thick pillow. “You can’t go through this alone.”

“That’s just an old wives’ tale.”

“What if it’s not?”

She looked at me, something hard in her blue eyes. “Then it’s a seriously messed-up evolutionary tactic. I mean, really, it’s totally sexist. If guys can go through it alone, we can, too.”

“You could ask…Rafe.”

Her eyes softened with sadness. “So you chose Connor?”

“He’s always been there for me.”

“Is that a good enough reason, though? Do you love him?”

“Yes, I love him.”

“But do you love him enough?”

“God, Brittany. What is with you? Do you love him? Is that what this is all about?” I’d asked her before but she’d never given me a definite answer.

She looked out the window again. “Doesn’t matter. You’re the only one he’s interested in. I’ll just be the lone she-wolf. I’ll become legendary. Maybe I’ll start a new trend, and we’ll do away with all this destined mate nonsense.”

“Do you really think that it’s nonsense?”

“I think we’re locked in the old ways. I think we need to come into the twenty-first century.” She slid her gaze over to me. “You could always go through it alone, too. Choose your mate later.”

I shook my head. “I’ve already chosen my mate.”

She got up. “We should probably go down for supper.”

I looked out the window and saw Rafe standing at the edge of the woods. “I’ll be down in a little bit.”

I waited until I knew she would be almost to the dining hall before I slipped out of the room and headed down the back stairs that led outside. I hurried across the grass to the woods, which were quickly becoming lost in shadows as the sun descended and the growing moon began to rise.

I slipped between the trees. “Rafe?”

In his usual quiet way, he was suddenly in front of me. I leaned back against a tree.

Rafe put his arm over my head, pressing his forearm against the tree. He trailed his finger along my cheek. “So you knew I was out here. That means you came to see me.”

Nodding, I gazed into his beautiful dark-brown eyes. I didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to hurt him, but he deserved to hear it from me. “Connor and I are going to leave for the waterfall tomorrow.” Oh, this is hard. “I just wanted you to know…I’m going with him.”

“So you’ve chosen him,” he said with deadly calm. The words were a statement, not a question.

“It was always supposed to be him,” I said.

“Why? Because that’s what your parents want?”

“No, because it’s what I want,” I stated clearly, irritated that everyone seemed to think my parents were responsible for my choices. “He’s a good guy.”

“Yeah.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Makes this hard.”

“I guess you’d challenge and kill him otherwise, right?”

“If he was a jerk—in a heartbeat.”

My own heart sped up. “Well, don’t,” I ordered sternly. “I don’t want him hurt. And if you’re looking for a mate, Brittany is available.”

“I don’t feel for Brittany what I feel for you. Don’t you get that?”

“Rafe, maybe if we’d noticed each other sooner—”

Another burst of harsh laughter came from him. “I’ve noticed you since middle school, but you were always hanging out with Connor. You never gave anyone else a chance.”

Until this summer I hadn’t even considered anyone else, hadn’t wanted anyone else. What was wrong with me? It had always been Connor.

“You told me that you didn’t notice me until this summer,” I reminded him.

“The strong feelings I have for you didn’t hit me until this summer, but I’ve always noticed you. When the full moon comes, and you’re with Connor, think about what you could have had,” he said.

Then he kissed me deeply and thoroughly. I knew I should have protested, should have pushed him away. Instead I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, knowing this would be the last kiss we’d ever share. I wanted it to last forever, even though I knew it couldn’t.

When he drew back, I felt what