Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne
The basics
Title: Dark of the Moon
Author: Rachel Hawthorne
Series: Dark Guardians #3
- Moonlight (2009) - Full Moon (2009) - Dark of the Moon (2009) - Shadow of the Moon (2009)
Add it: Goodreads
Goodreads Summary:
I've loved him forever, but he can never be mine. Brittany is determined to prove herself to the Dark Guardians. And yet she's been keeping a devastating secret: She hasn't experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian's transformation. The only intense feelings she has are for Connor--and she's kept that a secret, too. But she knows she'll never truly have Connor's love if she's not a Shifter like him. At the first full moon after her birthday, her greatest fear is realized: She doesn't transform. Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she'll go to extremes she never thought possible . . . and put all the Dark Guardians in incredible danger.
Read a full summary of Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne below. If you can’t remember what happened in Dark of the Moon and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.
Many thanks to Rachel @ Rachel’s Reading Corner for writing this recap!
In short
Brittany discovers she isn’t a Shifter. Connor and her are kidnapped by Mason and his Bio-Chrome gang. They are forced to reveal their secret and are experimented on. Obviously, they get saved but Mason dies – Brittany killed him out of mercy after his “werewolf injection” didn’t work. Connor and Brittany become mates.
what happened in Dark of the Moon?
- Brittany doesn’t Shift during her designated full moon.
- Brittany only tells Lindsey of her new found Static-status. She lies to her friends and the elders.
- Connor and Brittany got into a fight at the gym but it turns out it was a test. Connor wanted to know whether Brittany was worthy of being his second in command.
- Brittany and Connor kiss in the woods after he admits he knows about her crush.
- Lindsey reveals she to Brittany that Rafe knows about her Static-status. He can read Lindsey’s mind after all (through their mate bond).
- Lucas makes Brittany switch groups. She goes with him and Kayla into Tarrant. They find a tranquilised wolf in the forest on the way.
- Brittany’s mum reveals to her that her father was actually a human. Brittany storms out of the house in frustration and is ambushed by Mason. She is interrogated in the woods and Connor is revealed to have also been kidnapped. They are thrown in a van and transported to the Bio-Chrome lab.
- More interrogation. Blood and saliva samples are forced from Connor. Brittany and Connor bond during their imprisonment. They kiss.
- Mason comes up with a plan to force Connor to Shift. He locks Brittany, Connor and a cougar into a cage. Connor is forced to Shift to save himself and Brittany. He kills the cougar but collapses into unconsciousness. He was injured during the fight (bitten). Brittany revealed that she couldn’t Shift before the fight began.
- Brittany convinces Mason’s father – Dr. Keane – to treat Connor. She is forced to reveal Shifter secrets in exchange for the help, and is returned to Connor’s cage. She had to agree to be the first test subject for Mason’s “werewolf injection” for this privilege.
- Connor is healed. He tells Brittany he is okay with her Static-status. They kiss. A lot.
- Mason takes Brittany out of her cage to give her the new “werewolf injection”. Connor begs her not to, saying that he loves her just the way she is. Brittany changes her mind.
- Mason takes the injection instead. He half-Shifts into a terrible monster. The lab erupts into chaos as he starts going crazy.
- Lucas, the elders and the rest of Wolford arrive at the lab and rescue Connor and Brittany. They evacuate the rest of Bio-Chrome scientists. Dr Keane isn’t found or Mason. They blow up the remaining laboratory.
- Connor and Brittany are recovering when they are ambushed by a still half-Shifted Mason. Connor Shifts and fights him. Brittany interjects and stabs Mason through the heart. He dies.
how did it end?
Brittany and Connor are saved. Bio-Chrome was destroyed. Mason died. The elders call a tribunal for Brittany to decide whether she is still allowed to become a Dark Guardian now that its known she isn’t a Shifter. Everyone votes “worthy” at the tribunal. She is accepted as a Static Dark Guardian. Connor declares Brittany his mate at this tribunal meeting, and she agrees. They have their own version of the shifting ritual to celebrate.
anything else
Shifter = “werewolf”; they don’t like that term so call themselves ‘shifters’ instead.
shift = the act of turning from human to wolf or vice versa
statics = people that not shifters (non-werewolves)
elders = the governing council of the shifters
Wolford – the shifters secret home in the woods
Tarrant = a local Static town where most Shifters live until they are “of age”.
Bio-Chrome = the evil company that Mason runs. They want to harness the power of the shifters for use in medicine (their rapid healing) and the military (their strength).
prowling = travelling in wolf form
This is a full plot summary of what happened in Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne. Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!
