“When’s the last time you looked in the mirror … I mean really looked?” he asked.
“I look in the mirror all the time. I’m a woman remember,” she said, feeling very uncomfortable with the subject.
“Your beauty is different. You’re beautiful like the sunshine, or a the flowers in spring.”
Mya smiled. “You are a sweet talker. I like your lines … they’re interesting.”
“Lines?” he asked in mock anger. “How would you know about lines? You said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“No …I said I didn’t have a boyfriend right now, but I’ve had boyfriends.”
“Oh I see … so maybe you are not so pure. Maybe the young maiden has some experience?” he asked, his eyes sliding from her face to the hollow between her breasts.
His gaze sent heat rushing through her body. Did she really want to be talking sex with a man that made her heart race every time he smiled at her?
The wind kicked up again and she began to shiver. “It’s starting to get cold,” Mya commented, hoping to change the subject.
David got to his feet and went to his motorcycle. When he returned, he draped a jacket over her shoulders.
“Won’t you need this?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her.
He settled in beside her, a little closer than what he’d been before. Suddenly his nostrils flared and his head jerked to the side. He was staring out into the darkness.
“What is it?” she asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know, but I thought I heard something.”
Mya hadn’t heard anything but the wind. “Maybe it’s just an animal,” she offered.
He shook his head. “No … it seems different than that.”
Mya found his words confusing, but didn’t spend too much time pondering their meaning. She was too worried about what might be lurking in the darkness beyond the reach of the firelight.
Just then a bolt of lighting came out of the sky and hit the ground near the cliffs. Mya let out a startled cry.
David put his arm around her and pulled her close. “We’ll be okay here.”
The sky erupted, sending down a torrent of rain. Now Mya fully understood why it would have been a bad idea to try and make it back to town before the storm was over. She knew that the weather in Arizona could be unpredictable, but this was the first she’d witnessed just how violent the storms could be.
She was comforted by his nearness, but at the same time it made her feel skittish. The many different facets of his personality unnerved her. He was being so tender now, but he’d practically pushed her away that day after showing her so much passion. “Why did you get so upset the other day … after we kissed?” she asked.
Mya felt his chest heave as he took a deep breath. She waited for him to answer, but he didn’t.
“Is it because there’s someone else?” She hadn’t entertained the idea that he might have a girlfriend, but it did make sense.
David was shaking his head. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it? What’s wrong with me?”
He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “ Mya … it’s not you.”
Mya jerked her head away. “Really?” she said, a cynical smile on her lips.
Pulling her crushingly close, he gently covered her mouth with his. Her lips parted to accept his kiss, but she wasn’t prepared for the way his tongue would send trembling desire racing through her body.
Raising his mouth from hers, he caressed her with his eyes. “It’s not you. If there was nothing to consider but the two of us … you’d be in some real trouble right now.”
Mya tried to protest, but her voice died away when his lips brushed hers with a gentle kiss.
“Let’s leave this conversation for another time.” He gave her a sad smile.
Mya wasn’t about to be put off again. He’d sent her temperature through the roof, and she needed him to cool her off. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she licked at his lips teasingly, hoping to entice his tongue into her mouth.
David’s groans were full of frustration. His tongue explored her lips before sliding into her mouth. His kiss was so hot – so powerful that it seared right through her body, leaving her trembling for more.
She felt his arms encircle her waist and gently guide her onto her back. His mouth was next to her ear. “Mya … you can’t even begin to know how much I want you,” he whispered. The feel of his hot breath against her skin made her shiver.
Mya’s need was too profound to put into words. All she could do was moan.
His fingers expertly worked the buttons of her shirt until it lay open, exposing the sheer bra that covered her breasts. It fastened in the front, making it easy for him to release. Now her large - fleshy mounds were completely exposed to his burning - hungry eyes.
David’s head dropped, and she felt his long silky hair brush against her flesh.
Mya gasped when she felt his hot tongue caressing her budding nipples. Never in her life had she hungered for something so much as she did then. Her need for him was so overwhelming that nothing else mattered. She didn’t even care if the sun came up the next day, as long as he fed the hunger that was tearing apart her body.
“Sweetheart … you know we can’t do this.” His voice was rough and uneven, evidence that it was taking everything he had to hold back.
“Don’t stop,” she breathed.
“We have to.”
“If you leave me like this … I will burn up,” she cried out in tiny gasps.
David’s fingers went to the button on her pants. “I won’t leave you like this sweetheart. I’ll help you feel better.”
At this point Mya didn’t care how he put out the fire, as long as he did. He slid her pants down just far enough that he could spread her legs. His fingers found their way to the soft - wet folds between her legs. Mya screamed and arched her hips to him.
A slow - torturous growl tore from his throat and he began shaking. The scent of her was pulling the wolf into his body. There was no telling how long he would be able to keep it at bay. David kept his eyes closed so that she would not see the animal lust that burned within them. If she were to look into his eyes now, the sight would terrify her - sending her running for her life.
Taking a deep breath, he fought back the savage instinct that was ripping him apart and concentrated on giving her pleasure - the release that she needed so badly. His fingers massaged her hot - swollen lips before plunging into her tight core. As she bucked against his hand, he imagined what it would feel like to have his stiff flesh plunging into her. He was to the point that he was ready to trade his soul for just a few minutes inside of her when he felt the trembling take hold of her body. Mya’s screams of ecstasy ripped through the night and she suddenly became still.
David pulled her into his arms. “Feel better now?” he asked, his voice shaking with the need that was still burning inside of him.
“Hmm,” she whispered. “But what about you? Let me do something for you.”
“It’s okay,” he breathed. “Just let me hold you for awhile.”
If there was one thing he was absolutely certain about. If she touched him, it would send him over the edge. He would take her no matter what the consequence.
Chapter Ten
With morning came awareness. Mya woke to the piercing cry of a hawk as it prepared to swoop down and nab its found prey. Just beneath the sound of the screeching hawk, she could hear the mournful echo of the wind as it blew through the nearby rock canyon. But what she was most aware of was her head resting on his chest, and the rhythmic beat of his heart as he slept.
Mya’s eyes fluttered open and she was immediately dazzled by the deep blue sky visible beyond the rock overhang. Taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, she noticed that it carried just a hint of damp desert sage.
She couldn’t remember falling asleep in his arms. There was the memory of feeling drowsy, but
nothing beyond that.
“Good morning,” he said in a deep - hoarse voice.
Mya sat up slowly, aware of the ache in her muscles - the result of sleeping on the cold ground. “The storm is gone,” she stated the obvious.
David sat up and stretched. “And you made it through the night in one piece. Not bad for spending the night with a killer … wouldn’t you say,” he winked.
Mya rolled her eyes. “I never said you were a killer.”
“Oh but you’ve been thinking it.”
The laughter in his eyes raked on her nerves. “We should get back to town. Donny is probably looking for me.”
David chuckled. “No doubt he’s wondering how he’s going to explain to your parents that a renegade Indian made off with you.”
Mya was troubled by David’s words. The last thing she wanted to do was worry her mom, especially after what had happened the last time.
“Maybe I should call him,” she said, pulling out her phone.
David stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothes. “It’s hard to get any reception out here. You’ll probably have to wait until we are closer to town.”
He was right. Her phone had no service.
A few minutes later they were on his bike and headed back to town. She found her car exactly where she’d left it, except now there was a parking ticket tucked beneath one of her windshield wipers. Mya slid off the back of the bike and pulled the ticket from the windshield.
“Well even police employees are not immune to the parking police,” David gave her a sardonic smile.
Mya scowled. “At least someone noticed I was gone.”
David was still sitting astride the bike, but he killed the engine. “Mya …” he paused. His features darkened with a storm of conflicting emotion. “If you should need to get in touch with me … its okay. If you need my help or anything.”
The sudden change in his manner made her nervous. “Thanks.”
“Your uncle has my number,” he said, his face lighting up with a dazzling smile.
The different layers of his personality were mystifying. One minute he was cold and distant, the next he was turning on the charm.
Mya gave him an uncertain smile. “Okay.”
At that point they should have parted ways, but he continued to stare at her as if he wanted to imprint her image permanently to his memory. His eyes raked over her and she felt her heart leap with excitement. There was no mistaken the desire in his eyes.
Unable to resist, Mya leaned into him, touching his lips with a light kiss. Without waiting for him to respond, she got into her car. If he had something negative to say about the kiss, he could say it later. For now, she didn’t want anything to spoil the moment.
He waited until she was on her way down the street before leaving.
When she looked into the rearview mirror and saw that he was no longer there, she suddenly felt like there was a hollow pit in the center of her chest. It never failed. Whenever she got anywhere near David Bray, she was tormented by confusion. When she was with him, he provoked a sense of euphoria in her that she couldn’t ignore. But there was something about him that troubled her - something that she couldn’t put her finger on.
* * *
It was a fifteen-mile drive from town to Donny’s property. She’d already tried calling him, but now her phone was dead. There was no doubt he was angry with her, so a little while longer wouldn’t make that much difference.
Mya hadn’t gotten too far out of town when she heard the sirens. Her automatic response was to look in her rearview mirror. The patrol car was right behind her - so close that if she hit the brakes at all, her pursuer would be crawling up the rear end of the car.
Sighing, she switched on the turn signal and started slowing down. Her thoughts scanned over the last couple of minutes, trying to figure out which traffic law she’d broken, but she couldn’t think of anything.
When the car came to a stop, she put it in park and rolled down the window. She figured she’d probably be waiting a few minutes while the officer ran her plates, but to her surprise he came right up to her window.
“Hi … I’m Officer Jim Bailey,” he introduced himself. “Are you Mya Reynolds?”
Mya nodded. “What did I do?”
“I didn’t pull you over for doing anything wrong.” He smiled, his white teeth brilliant against his dark skin. “Your uncle has us all on the lookout for you. He needs you to contact him as soon as possible.”
“My phone is dead.”
“You can use mine,” he said, pulling a black mobile from a case attached to his belt.
“Thanks.” Mya took the phone and dialed Donny’s number.
“Detective Begay,” he answered with a gruff voice.
“Donny … it’s Mya.”
“Where the hell have you been?”
“It’s a long story, but I’m on my way home now,” she assured him.
“There’s been another one. I need you at the crime scene now!”
Mya was stunned into silence. It wasn’t that she was surprised there had been another murder. That was something she’d been expecting. What shocked her was the anger she heard in Donny’s voice. Though there had been times he’d been upset with her, never had there been so much fury when he spoke to her.
“Where are you at?” she asked.
“I’m on route 264 between Window Rock and Gallup … behind Drew’s Diner. It’s east of Tso Bonito.”
“What do you have so far?” she asked.
“I’ll fill you in when you get here.”
“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she told him before ending the call.
Mya handed the phone back to Officer Bailey. “Thanks.”
“Sorry about having to pull you over like this,” he apologized.
Mya waited until the officer drove away before making a U-turn and heading back to town. At least she knew one thing for certain. If the victim was killed last night, she could be sure that David wasn’t responsible.
* * *
When Mya arrived at the scene, her first sense that something was different was the number of police cars and CSI vehicles. The last two murders had gotten plenty of attention, but with the deaths initially appearing to be animal attacks, they hadn’t gotten as much attention as they should have in the first stages of the investigation.
This time it was different, and that told Mya that the investigators were fairly sure that this time it was a homicide.
Mya stopped when she reached the yellow tape that was used around the crime scene. Donny saw her and motioned her over. The officer guarding the crime scene stepped aside so she could enter.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Well this damn sure isn’t an animal attack,” he told her shaking his head. “The victim is female. That is one difference.”
“And,” she prodded.
“Go take a look for yourself.” Donny pointed to the heap on the ground that had already been covered. Mya could see blood seeping through the white cloth. She was shocked that the victim hadn’t already been placed in a body bag.
Taking her arm, Donny led Mya over to the body. A CSI technician lifted the sheet for them. As soon as Mya saw the body she started to gag, jerking her head to the side so that she wouldn’t have to view the grotesque image any longer. Taking a deep breath, she fought back the bile that rose up from her stomach.
The victim’s skin had been cut clean from the body. All that was visible were muscle and tendons. Mya couldn’t even begin to comprehend what kind of pain the woman must have experienced before she died.
“Please tell me she was already dead when her skin was taken.” She spoke in a weak - shaky whisper.
A dark shadow passed over Donny’s face. “I wish that were true.”
Mya again felt her stomach lurch. She couldn’t even begin to think of what kind of person could do this to another human. They had to be beyond sick.
“We … we need to bring this killer d
own.” Mya nearly choked on her words.
Donny took her arm and led her away from the body. “The killer is not who I thought it was. Now we know for sure that this is a skinwalker.”
Mya frowned. “How do you know that?”
“This is why they are called skinwalkers,” he explained patiently, but Mya could still detect anger in his voice.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to call,” she apologized.
“We were not sure if this was you or not.” Donny was glaring at her with unshakable anger. “You were the only girl on the rez that we knew was missing.”
Suddenly Mya realized how worried he must have been after the body was discovered. “I am so sorry.”
Donny waved away her apology. “Just don’t do it again. Even without a killer running around here, it can be dangerous.”
“I know,” Mya nodded. “But you don’t really think this is a skinwalker. Maybe it’s a nut that thinks he can be a skinwalker, but …” her voice trailed off.
Donny drew his brows together in a deep scowl. “Maybe … but no matter which way you look at it, we have ourselves a problem.”
She couldn’t argue with that. It didn’t matter if the killer was supernatural or some psycho, people were still dying.
“So now what?” she asked, finally getting some composure.
“We ask around and find out who is missing. I’ll meet you back at the station. You start going through missing person reports and I’ll ask around. Maybe someone saw something last night.”
Bad Moon Rising - Paranormal Romance Page 10
