BrightBlueMoon by Ranae Rose Read Free Book Online

prints left in the earth he died on have investigators scrambling for answers.  
    “As always, we at Monsters 24/7 are prepared to join the fray and expose what goes bump in the night. The hunt starts now. In 24 hours, we’ll know what, exactly, is killing tourists in the Great Smoky Mountains.”
    Michael pricked his ears forward as Gus fell silent, breathing a sigh like a deflating balloon.
    “Holy shit,” a familiar voice growled. “Are they serious?”
    Michael glanced toward Daniel, who had shifted into his human form and wore an expression of disgust so intense it would’ve been comical, if Michael hadn’t felt the same way.
    The lowest of growls rumbled in the pit of Jack’s chest, but it wasn’t directed toward Daniel – Jack’s golden eyes were still trained on Gus, alight with a hard gleam.
    “Can’t freaking believe this…” Daniel shook his head hard, grimacing, and returned to his wolf form.
    “All right.” Gus waved a hand from his place in the center of the clearing below the ridge. “Let’s get over to that campground so we can interview those tourists whose dog got in a scuffle with something last night.” He stomped forward gracelessly, bowling over a small sapling that snapped back up to whip him across the calf.
    “Damn it!” he huffed as his entourage followed, careful not to make the same mistake.
    As they filed away from the scene of the accident, it was apparent that there were five team members in all – Gus, Serena, Alex and two other men laden with technical equipment. They all seemed to be in a hurry, though their burdens slowed them down. It was easy to tail them, staying close enough to follow their conversation without being spotted.
    Gus rambled about a campground, interviews and searches, his conversation peppered with obscenities and technical terms that sounded made-up. Michael hung on every word, not because he found it interesting, but because he knew he’d end up re-hashing it all with Jack and the others before long. The alpha was leading the way, the fur between his shoulder blades bristling with indignation that Michael could smell.
    By the time the film crew reached the edge of the woods, they were all sweating beneath their loads. Only Gus carried nothing – even tiny Serena had been laden down with the duffel bag she’d pulled a towel from.
    Jack led his cousins and Michael out of the woods a different way, leaving the film team at the turn-around spot they’d parked their SUV in. Moving at a run, it only took the wolves a couple minutes to dash down the mountain to Jack’s cabin, paws flying as the world passed by in a blur of orange and gold.
    The pack females – and Kimberly – had gathered on the porch. They held mugs of what was presumably coffee, a plate of cookies sat balanced on the porch railing and Mandy had a magazine open in her lap. As soon as they noticed Jack and the others, they forgot their conversation and their drinks.
    Mandy stood, rubbing the small of her back as her eyes shone with interest and a hint of worry.
    The males filed inside, shifted and dressed in a flurry of jeans and t-shirts.
    “Well?” Mandy appeared in the doorway, and the other females gathered behind her. “Did you guys figure out what on earth Gus and his crew are up to?”
    Jack breathed a snort. “Yeah, we figured it out, all right.” Raising a hand to his face, he pressed his fingers to his temples and shook his head. “They’re filming some kinda show, here in the woods. Poking around and interviewing people, too.”
    “Monsters 24/7,” Daniel added. “Anyone ever heard of it?”
    For several moments, silence reigned.
    “It sounds vaguely familiar…” Kimberly stepped forward, pursing her lips as she stood beside her daughter. “If I’m not mistaken, I think I might’ve glimpsed it scrolling through the TV guide channel. One of those shows that comes on real late at night in the middle of the week or something.”
    Jack’s brow furrowed as he