Some secrets are too dangerous… After the tragic events of the summer, Claire is looking forward to a new school year. All she wants to worry about is finding the most gorgeous dress to wear to the Autumn Ball with her perfect boyfriend. But as Claire knows all too well, the life of a werewolf is never that simple, or that sweet. When Claire’s human and wolf lives start to collide, her worst nightmares come true. She is hurting her best friend. She has been caught lying. And then the unthinkable happens: Someone discovers Claire’s secret. If Claire’s werewolf identity is exposed, everyone she knows will be put at risk. And the pack’s response comes at a cost higher than Claire can imagine. Claire will be forced to determine just how far she is willing to go to protect her family, her identity, and her life, before she loses it all… “An intense, compelling tale of love, loyalty, and friendship... Nocturne is a must-read!” -Cyn Balog, author of Starstruck “ Nocturne is a rich melding of the ordinary and the fantastic-- most of us don't know what it's like to be a werewolf, but we all know what it's like to juggle family, friends, school and more. Christine Johnson captures both with warmth, wit and authenticity.” -Saundra Mitchell, author of The Vespertine “[A] teen everygirl turned werewolf is torn between hernewfound role as a member in a pack of the centuries-old loup-garou and herfriends in the human world…..[A] solid story with an undeniably likableheroine.” -- Kirkus “Johnson once again spins a tale with unique werewolflore that is authentic and original. Claire’s conflicting emotions, self-doubt,and need to stay true to herself while obeying the pack ring true.” –SLJ Christine Johnson grew up in, moved away from, and finally came home to Indianapolis, Indiana. While she was in the “away” part of that adventure, she lived in Chicago, Illinois, where she attended DePaul University and majored in Political Science. She now lives in an old house in an old neighborhood with her kids and way too many books. Find her on the web at http://www.christinejohnsonbooks.com/ and on Twitter @cjohnsonbooks. Nocturne Chapter One CLAIRE’S HUMAN FORM offered no protection from the chill in the moonlit clearing. She shivered as the early-October breeze licked at her arms and cheeks. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stared across the circle, wishing her mother would hurry up and start the ceremony. A tangled pile of branches waited in the center of the pack. Marie kneeled down in front of it and leaned in, the mist of her breath kissing the outermost tips of the twigs. Claire’s mother closed her eyes, focusing. The graceful lines of her body tensed for an instant, and then it was over. The fire ignited with a roar, pulled into existence by the force of Marie’s will. The light and heat spread through the clearing, changing the texture of the air. The forest crackled with power—it was as though the fire had woven threads of lightning, tying the members of the pack together, linking them to something larger than themselves. As the flames grew, the feeling intensified, humming along Claire’s skin, whispering to her about the things she could do. Begging her to become a wolf. The pack stood in a circle around the fire, all of them silent. Waiting. The flames leapt before them, the trees towered behind them, and the full moon shone down from above. Everything was ready for their transformation. Marie raised her arms, and with her voice full of the authority that came with being the pack’s Alpha, she began to chant. She called each of their names, and Claire shifted from foot to foot, aching for the warmth of her fur. As she edged closer to the fire, Claire noticed Judith staring at her. She quickly turned her attention back to her mother but kept Judith in her peripheral vision. From her spot next to Marie, Judith regarded Claire with narrowed, judging eyes. Claire forced herself not to raise a what’s-your-problem eyebrow and kept her attention trained on her mother. The chant was almost over, anyway. Anticipation tugged at Claire as Marie called her name. This was only her second full moon ceremony since she’d completed her transformation, but every second she spent in the woods—every time she looked at the moon hanging in the sky like an ever-changing jewel—she loved it more. There were no secrets in the woods the way there were in her human life. There was just the pack. And the ceremonies. And the hunt. Marie lowered her arms. “And now it is time. You may transform.” The words hung in the air, tantalizing as a ripe apple. Claire forgot about Judith. She forgot about everything but the unbelievable joy of slipping out of her human form and changing into her wolf self. Paws appeared where her hands and feet had been, and her skin gave way to thick gray fur. Claire’s teeth grew sharp, and she felt the sudden, familiar heaviness of her tail. The instant she changed, her s