For as long as I could remember, I hadn't

kept anything a secret from Ivy. Half the time it

was because she squeezed information out of me,

the other half because I blurted it out in

excitement. Now I had been keeping several major

events under wraps for quite some time. Besides

discreetly seeing Brandon, I'd managed to keep

three classified secrets: one, that Brandon

Maddox had rescued me from the wolves; two,

that I was in love with him; and three, the

Westsider I was in love with might possibly be a

werewolf.

The secrets burned inside me. If I told Ivy

about Brandon, she'd be upset that I was in love

with anyone other than Nash. And if I told her he

might be a werewolf, she'd clearly think it was a

prank. She'd be in as much disbelief as I had

been and, like me, would want proof. Finally, the

news of a teen werewolf would spread through

the town faster than a flood. Brandon's existence

would ultimately be at stake. Before I told anyone

anything, I needed to know for sure what was

happening with Brandon - if his dreams and

what I thought I'd seen meant that he was,

indeed, a werewolf.

My calendar and my notebook became my

best tools. As the days passed by, I logged all

possible lycanthropic events - the three nights

when the moon appeared full, Brandon woke up

shirtless and covered in dirt. Brandon dreamed a

lot during waning and waxing moons. He was

ravenous during the day. And I noted the shapes

of the moon and circled the date of the next full

moon, which was several weeks away.

Brandon continued to be a loner at school -

keeping to himself in the cafeteria while my

friends and I gathered at the popular table. I was

completely torn up about it. I wanted to go over

and sit by his side. Every other table was

crowded with friends and cliques. I'd be the only

one to break out of the pattern that had gone on

for years in Legend's Run. Most important, I

would lose my best friends if I chose the Westside

over the East. Plus, I worried that Brandon could

change his mind about me at any moment. He

clearly had some strange things going on in his

life. But I couldn't get his kisses out of my mind,

and of course, his saving me that day in the snow

created a special bond between us.

Regardless, I watched Ivy and Abby chat and

cuddle with their boyfriends as day after day I'd

stare at Brandon and watch him eat alone, all the

while wanting to be sitting beside him.

"Why so glum?" Ivy asked one day at lunch.

"It's nothing."

"You miss Nash, don't you?"

"Now that you mention it... I - "

"You do?" she said.

I don't, I was going to say. "Why don't we

invite Brandon to sit at our table?" I asked Ivy. I

gestured to the handsome guy, who was pulling

several über-sandwiches from his bag. "He eats

by himself every day since he moved here."

"Are you kidding?" Abby asked. "He's a pig.

Look at him eating. He has three sandwiches. If

you sat next to him, he might take a chunk out of

you, too." My friends laughed.

"I just thought it would be nice to include

him," I said.

"Maybe there's a reason he doesn't have

friends," Abby said, tapping my shoulder.

I sighed. I didn't know how I'd ever be able

to make my friends accept the boy I was secretly

in love with.

Nash had been on his best behavior toward

me. Though I resisted, he insisted on escorting

me to my classes and on buying me lunch every

day. I wasn't used to all this attention from him.

Nash was turning into the boyfriend he should

have been all along. However, I kept him at bay. I

never kissed him or in any way considered a

rekindling of romance.

The odd thing was that the more aloof I

became toward Nash, the more he tried to win

me back. Nash was like a wolf in the wild - his

territory was being invaded and he was here to

reclaim it. If I had been doting on him like I had in

the past, I was sure he'd probably ignore me the

way he had when we were dating. Whether Nash

knew it or not, he was feeling the effects of my

admiration for Brandon.

But I suffered in silence. Brandon's shirt was

my only reminder of our night together and that

kiss under the full moon. I imagined his turmoil

dealing with a condition that he hadn't asked for.

Brandon was elusive again, as he had been

in those days and nights following the full moon

about three weeks ago. He was often late for

class and then snuck out before I could catch up

to him. He might have been protecting me from

himself, or maybe he was finally blaming me for

causing his condition. I showed up at his house,

and even walked around his hilltop. But my calls

to him went unanswered.

One day in study hall I began to cut off the

tips of my knit gloves and tried my fingerless

gloves on.

"What are you doing?" Ivy asked.

"I thought it would be cool to wear them like

this," I said. "This way I can keep warm and use

the computer or write my essay."

"You do think of everything," she said. "But I

warn you, it does look a bit Riverside."

That was exactly the look I was hoping for.

My new fashion statement was the only way I

could show Brandon my solidarity and let him

know I still was thinking of him. I wanted to slip

him notes in his locker, but it was too risky and I

wasn't that brave.

I'd caused his lycanthropic condition, and

the amount of guilt I felt was enormous.

"Mr. Maddox, we'll have to speak after

class," Mrs. Clark said one day in English when

Brandon showed up a half hour late.

"I told you he was juvie," Ivy whispered.

"And to think we invited him to Nash's house for

the party."

"We didn't," Abby said. "Mother Teresa did."

"I know you are kind," Ivy said, "but you

have to be careful. You can't bring in every stray

cat you see. Some of them have fleas, you know."

"Brandon isn't like that," I said.

"How do you know?" Ivy asked.

"Yes," Abby pressed. "How do you know?"

"Look at him. He's..." I began.

"Yes?" Ivy said.

"He's clean. He takes care of himself," I said.

"Are we looking at the same guy?" Ivy asked.

Brandon looked exhausted. He kept his coat

on all day and barely stayed awake through class.

It was apparent to me that the dreams he was

having were taking a toll on his body.

"He's probably doing drugs," Abby said.

"He is not!" I defended.

"How do you know?" Ivy wondered.

"I just don't think we should rush to

judgment," I said.

"But that's what we do," Abby said. She and

Ivy laughed.

"There are signs," Ivy said. "He has bags

under his eyes. He keeps his hands covered. He's

troubled. This isn't a pound. You can't take care

of everyone. You might have to let this one go."

"Besides, you have this hottie waiting for you

tonight," Abby said.

"Ladies," Mrs. Clark reprimanded. "Time to

pay attention."

Were my friends right? Was I choosing the

wrong course? I was always the rational one in

our clique - daydreaming and caring, but

terminally practical. Though I dreamed of

becoming a writer, I really wanted to be a nurse

or a doctor. I wanted to help people and have a

career that could be stable. But now nothing

seemed stable. If I followed my head, I'd get back

together with Nash. Not only would I be making

the rational choice, but I'd be making my best

friends happy. However, if I followed my heart, I

was on an uncharted course with conditions

possibly unfavorable.

After English, Mrs. Clark asked to see

Brandon. Ivy, Abby, and Nash went on to their

next classes while I stalled, straightening the

contents of my locker.

I hadn't been able to catch Brandon for

days, so this was my only chance.

"Brandon," I said when he finally came out

of the classroom.

He held a slip of paper. It must have been a

detention.

"You can't run away from me here, too," I

said.

"I'm not running away from you," he said

sincerely. "It's just it might be best - "

I couldn't bear to hear him finish his

sentence. "It's my fault," I said. When no other

students were around, I pulled him into the crawl

space of a vacant stairwell.

"Of course it's your fault," he said.

I was hurt. Brandon did blame me - though

he was right to do so.

"Yes," he continued. "I'm restless. Can't

concentrate. You're not going to make me say

any more, are you?" He grinned. He was wickedly

handsome, and I was flattered by his romantic

implication.

"Then why won't you see me?" I asked him.

He took my hand. He laughed at my gloves,

as they were just like the ones he was wearing. "I

just haven't been myself, and I thought it best if I

didn't complicate your life. I'm still having these

strange dreams," he continued. "It's probably

because I've had to make a lot of adjustments to

a new school. That's what Mrs. Clark said."

"I thought she gave you a detention."

"No, it's a slip to see the school shrink. I

keep having these bizarre dreams," he confided. "I

wake up exhausted, or I oversleep."

"Are you waking up in the same condition

you were in when you went to sleep?"

"I think so. My memories are still fuzzy, but

it's not like those times after we first kissed and I

woke up... like I'd slept out in the woods."

"What are the dreams about?" I asked.

"You'll laugh. That's why I haven't told you

- "

"You have to tell me." I was adamant this

time.

He paused. "It was like the one I had after

we met on the hilltop. When I wake up I only

remember bits and pieces. But by the time I'm

out of bed, I forget it. I only remember brief

images."

"What do you remember?"

"It's the same every night. I'm a wolf. Only

when I run, I run like a man."

He waited for my reaction.

"See - I knew you'd think I was crazy!" he

said.

"No - it's just that - " I began. "I'm afraid,

too. To tell you the truth."

"I'm not sure I want to hear it, but I think I

know it."

"Those first few nights - when the moon

was full - those weren't dreams, Brandon."

He was startled and let go of my hand.

"I was there," I said. "I saw it happen."

"Then for the next couple of days - you

said you woke up, and you didn't come to school.

Those were the days the moon appeared full.

Then the moon waned and you don't turn, but

you continue to dream as if you are."

"It's not real, Celeste. It can't be - I won't

allow - "

It was hard enough to prove Brandon's

transformation really happened and convince

myself it was real. But for Brandon to accept his

new fate could be devastating. Mrs. Clark was

right. He should see the school counselor.

Brandon shook his head as if he was

shaking the truth away from him.

"But you are so gorgeous and powerful," I

tried to convince him.

"But if I don't remember, then it can't be

real? Right?"

"Maybe it's best you don't remember. Until

we get you help."

Brandon choked out the words: "What if I'm

a monster?"

"You aren't. You're just stronger and more

handsome... if you can believe that."

"How do you know, Celeste?"

"I was with you."

"The whole night?"

"Uh... no."

"So how do you know who I am or what I do

when you're not there?" Brandon's torment was

palpable.

I put my arms around him. At this point, I

didn't care who saw us together. "Uh... I don't.

But - "

"Then neither one of us really knows, do we?

How did this happen?" he asked. "How did this

ever happen?"

"It's my fault," I blurted out. "I tried to tell

you before. I was warned about the full moon...

about the woods and the wolves... about the kiss.

And now the moon, full or not, causes your

nocturnal affliction or your bizarre dreams. It's

my fault this happened to you. If you hadn't been

bitten by that wolf. If we hadn't kissed under the

full moon. If I'd listened - "

"Celeste, promise me something."

"Anything." This was the moment that

Brandon might be asking me to be his girlfriend -

to stick by him while he went through his

ordeal. He'd want me to bravely confront my

friends and make our relationship public so I

could finally support him the way he ought to

have been supported all along.

He took a breath and stared deeply into my

eyes. "Tomorrow is a full moon. Promise me that

you won't see me anymore." It was as if I'd just found out I'd failed every

class I'd ever taken. I was devastated at the

news. "I can't!" I said. "I won't."

"At least until I have this figured out," he

said sadly, cupping my face in his hands. "I

understand if you won't wait... but you can't

contact me, Celeste. Don't you understand? You

can't - "

"I know you. You wouldn't do anything to

hurt anyone."

"I want to be with you, more than you know.

It's just at night... it's best that you aren't

around me."

My heart broke. I'd finally fallen in love, and I

wasn't able to be with the one person I'd fallen in

love with. I felt as if he were being shipped off to

an overseas boarding school never to return. But

Brandon was here - in my classes, the hallway,

and the lunchroom. He wasn't saying we couldn't

see each other because he didn't care for me. He

was saying it because he cared.

I didn't want Brandon to leave our secluded

spot underneath the staircase. I was afraid I'd

never be able to be with him again. He must

have

felt the same thing because this time he took a

chance he hadn't taken before. He drew me into

him and gave me the most heartfelt kiss. It hit

me through my heart and down through to the

soles of my shoes.

It was as if he was saying good-bye.

Brandon disappeared into the hallway as I

sat down and sobbed.

I didn't have anyone to talk about my

problem with - no school shrink would have the

answers. No one would understand. No person

could help. No soul would believe me.

Or was there someone who would?

Guys plzz give feedbacks on the story as its my 1st time nd i think that book is not very popular yet :(