Insolita Luna

by M. J. O'Shea

  I’d never been anywhere like this place before. In my bed, in my own apartment, I’d somehow ended up somewhere completely new. I was powerful, hot, the person I’d always wanted to be. The shy, nerdy Miles who’d spent his life waiting for something to happen was gone. Burned away. I threw my head back, reveling in the heady thrill of the moment. It was PC’s needy whisper that brought me back to reality.

  “Can’t wait.”

  I opened my eyes and looked down at the person who’d changed my life. I love you, I thought, my heart in my throat.

  “Ready?” I whispered. He nodded and grasped my hand, leading it to his entrance and pushing. I chuckled softly. “I’m going to take it slow. Just fingers tonight.”

  “But—” I saw the protest in his eyes.

  “No buts, love. We’ll get there.” The word just slipped out of my mouth. I wondered momentarily if he heard it. He arched and moaned. I grinned and decided my slip had gone unnoticed.

  The small click the lid of the lube made echoed in the silence, important somehow. Symbolic. I squeezed the liquid out, coating my fingers. Then I leaned forward to kiss him as I slipped my hand back between his legs. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are right now?”

  And he was. His eyes were wild, golden, and full of want. His cheeks were flushed, lips parted, his back arched silently. I brushed his kiss-swollen mouth with my own. Then I began to kiss his chest, his collarbone, breathe in his ear and lick the curve of his jaw.

  When I had him nice and distracted, I pushed the first finger in. He grunted slightly, then settled. I pulled out slowly and tried it again.

  “More,” he whispered. “I want it.”

  I nodded and made my way back down his chest, stopping every few inches to enjoy a soft, sucking bite of his flesh. He moaned and leaned into my touch.

  I withdrew my finger and added another, pressing gently, feeling the taut muscles stretching, opening for me and letting me in. He groaned and I scooted down to suck him into my mouth. I rubbed my fingers around, searching for the small bundle of nerves that would make his vision go black like he’d done to me. It was easy to tell when I’d found it. PC’s hands clutched the sheets and he let out a strangled scream.

  God, Jesus. Never stop doing that! You feel so damn good. Love how you touch me; love your fingers. Want you inside me always….

  I loved that he was babbling and out of control. Apparently I had the same effect on him that he had on me. I increased the pressure, making sure to rub against that perfect spot every single time I moved my fingers. He breathed hard and arched up, grabbing above his head to hang onto the headboard. His thighs started to twitch.

  Coming, babe, can’t stop. Do it harder.

  He moaned and flooded my mouth with his release. I heard his breathing, hard and sharp, slowly calming in the quiet of the room. It was then that I realized his breathing and moaning had been the only thing I could hear aloud. He hadn’t said a damn word since we first started. At least not with his mouth.

  PC? It was an experiment. I was pretty sure of the outcome.

  Yeah? He somehow managed to look sheepish through the haze of bliss that still lingered. I sat up in the bed and glared at him.

  “What the hell?”

  He winced at the look on my face.

  It seemed my unfailingly honest boyfriend had a bit of explaining to do….

  Chapter 18: This Means War

  I STARED at him silently, saying nothing, waiting for the explanations that had better start coming before I throttled him. He sighed and sat up as well, reaching for my hand. I hesitated for a second and hurt flooded his face immediately. I relented and let him take my hand. God, even when I was annoyed at him I couldn’t say no.

  What a sucker.

  “Okay, so the bond… well, it was never gone.” He spit that last part out quickly and made a face like he was afraid I was going to hit him.

  I simply raised my eyebrows in a silent gesture that said “Continue.”

  “Remember what my mom said? Nothing can break it. Ever. Not time, not distance, and not vampire venom either. I guess you just couldn’t feel it for a while because your senses were in transition.”

  “When were you planning to tell me?” I felt stupid. “Do you have any idea how often in the past two days I’ve worried you’re going to get sick of this and leave—decide that you really do want to be alone? It would have been nice to know that you couldn’t.”

  “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you! And it hasn’t been two whole days. Not yet, anyway.” I rolled my eyes. What difference did it make exactly how long it had been? He looked at me beseechingly. “I needed you to believe that I wanted you anyway, that I wouldn’t leave you, that the bond didn’t matter. Would you have even considered it if you knew that the bond was still there and I still had no choice?”

  I thought about it. “Probably not.” I felt my body lean closer to his, the skin on the side that was closer to him aching for contact. How could I have missed that? I tried to think of the moment it had started happening again. Probably earlier that night, after my miniature blood buffet.

  “Well, it’s true. We’re still bonded. We always will be. But it doesn’t matter. I want you anyway. I love you anyway.”

  I had a hard time not believing the sincerity on his face when he told me he…. Wait, what did he just say?

  “You—”

  PC nodded. “Yeah, I said it and somehow I didn’t fall over dead.” He snickered. I let out a nervous chuckle, and he reached up to cup my chin in his hand.

  “I do love you, Miles. And it’s not the bond. It’s not because my skin wants to be near yours and my body hurts when you’re away. Those parts are real, but they’re not why. I love you because you make me laugh, and because those eyes of yours could get me to do anything in the world. I love the way you make all those cute little noises when we kiss and how you go crazy when I touch you. I wanted to tell you all of that before you felt the bond again ’cause I needed you to believe me. I was just too much of a chicken to say it. I mean it more than anything I’ve ever said before. You do believe me, don’t you?”

  I was reeling. I stared at him dumbly for a few moments until I noticed panic flare in his eyes. That was enough to put me in motion. I catapulted forward and smashed my lips against his, kissing him hard with lips and teeth and tongue and every drop of feeling in my heart.

  “I love you too,” I mumbled against PC’s lips when I finally pulled away enough to drag some air into my lungs. “I told you you’d be able to tell the difference.”

  He gave me a gentle smile and brushed his thumbs across my cheeks. I leaned my face into his palm and rubbed up against him.

  “I could all along. I just didn’t want to admit it. It was easier to blame some exterior force for what I was feeling than to deal with the fact that I was falling in love.”

  I could tell it was hard for him to say it still, even though he felt it and wanted me to know. My poor emotionally challenged mate. I had my work cut out for me. I decided to be merciful and change the subject slightly.

  “So did everyone else know we were still bonded?” I asked.

  He cringed again. “Yeah.”

  I had to chuckle. “Quit flinching. I’m not mad anymore and I’m not going to hit you. You’re acting like I’m some kind of abusive boyfriend.”

  “Sorry. I just feel like a shit for all the crap you’ve been through because of me. I’d be wishing I’d never met me if I were you.”

  “Hey, I know I’ve been saying it’s not me, but how do we know I’m not causing all this? You may be the lycan, but it could’ve been my soul that drew you in. None of it’s your fault, not the bond, not the vampire. None of it.” I took a deep breath and continued. “As far as the lying, you did have your motivations for not telling me, and at least they were noble.”

  “They were.”

  I grunted softly. “I guess this explains all the cryptic glances between you and Zack.”

 
; “He wanted me to tell you. I just had to make sure first. Make sure you knew how I felt, that you felt the same way about me.”

  “But you told him and Noah?” For some reason that hurt.

  “Not exactly. I didn’t even have to. After we… well, after last night, you asked how the elders would know what we’d done? Everybody can tell we’re bonded. The damn thing is practically radiating off of us now. We’re so connected, physically and mentally, that we’re practically one person. Didn’t you notice how easy it was to push your thoughts in my head?”

  It had been easy.

  “So everyone could feel the change but me?”

  PC chuckled. “Yeah. The physical need between us alone is so strong now, the guy who sells flowers on the corner can probably feel it, even though he’d never recognize what he was feeling.”

  “The feelings are coming back to me, too, you know. My skin constantly wants to touch yours again. It’s not just me wanting you on my own like I did yesterday. I can feel my body reaching out toward you like it always did before. Maybe because I’m getting closer to my final form.”

  “Yeah, probably that with a combination of the bond getting stronger. Listen, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you right away. I would have soon. I just—well, you know already. I wanted you to hear that I loved you and not have it be only because we have to stay together.” He paused for a second and looked slyly out from beneath his lashes. “Besides, I never actually said the bond was broken, so I didn’t lie.” He gave me a quick grin.

  PC was right. He’d evaded my questions, but he hadn’t actually lied. I had to give him credit for that.

  “Well, I love you too, even if you tricked me.” I pinched his nipple hard. “Don’t do it again, okay?”

  His breath caught.

  “Only if you promise me that you will do that again. Lots of times.”

  I chuckled and flopped back down on the bed, right next to him. He curved his arm around me and pulled me close. I felt so… secure. I had him in my arms and we were bonded and in love and everything was so very good between us. I let my eyes close, heavy and half asleep.

  Want you again…. Want more.

  The thought jumped into my head along with one of those lusty little pictures PC seemed to be able to conjure. This time it was me pushing into him, his ankles hooked around my neck, our hands clasped together on the comforter over his head. My breath caught in my throat at the heat he projected along with that picture. No way I was falling asleep after that.

  “You’re going to have to show me how you make those brain pictures someday,” I murmured against his lips as I drew him in for a kiss.

  “I will. Later.” He rolled me so I was on top of him and wrapped his legs around my hips. “Want you now.”

  “We’re not doing that yet, you know. Gotta warm up to it.”

  He made a soft growling noise that sounded an awful lot like some of the frustrated noises I’d made before when all I could think of was how much I needed him inside of me. I smiled and slipped my still-slick hand between us to touch him. He leaned up to suck on my neck and with a small push I was sliding my fingers inside of him and he was moaning against my skin.

  It was the same as earlier, but it felt different somehow. I pushed a thought out tentatively.

  Love you.

  Love you too, babe. I felt the smile in his words. He moaned and arched his hips into my touch.

  Yep. There was all the difference in the world.

  “WE RAN out of Cran-Raspberry. I’m thirsty!”

  PC’s voice carried easily from the corner of the room where he’d been staring at my minifridge for a while, probably hoping something would materialize out of thin air. I was lying on top of my bed, loose-limbed and sated, too sweaty to crawl under the covers.

  “Sorry. Juice isn’t high on my list of things to think about anymore.”

  He chuckled and stuck his head around the corner to grin at me. “I might run down to that all-night corner market to get some. You want anything?”

  “Not unless there’s a nice plump vegetarian. Actually, why don’t I go to the store? I want to get some razors and a new book. Besides,” I touched his nose with my fingertip. “You’re the one who needs all the sleep.”

  He flopped back on the bed, looking relieved that he didn’t have to go out. “You sure? The smell of food won’t make you sick?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. It’s cool. Not like they’re going to be grilling steaks in there. I have to get used to the smells anyway.”

  I stood and started to pull on pants and my sweater.

  “Be careful, okay?”

  I leaned over to kiss him. I wanted to go and get the short trip over with so I could crawl back in bed with him and play until the sun was high in the sky.

  “I’ll be careful. Try to stay awake. I’m not done with you yet.”

  PC made a happy thrumming noise in his throat.

  “Hurry, you tease. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  I hummed my way down the stairs and out into the chilly night air. The air didn’t bother me, even though I’d been so distracted by PC that I’d forgotten a coat. I was still heated from earlier and I was finding that my vampire skin, while sensitive to touch, wasn’t all that bothered by temperatures.

  The store was oddly crowded for such a late hour, but I didn’t mind the people. The overhead fluorescents weren’t very pleasant, but I ignored them and went about finding what I needed. Juice and razors quickly found their way into my basket, plus a new crossword puzzle book from the magazine aisle and a mystery to read as a brain break from all the heavy classics.

  It felt good to hurry, to know that PC wanted me to come back quickly. I liked having someone at home waiting for me. I liked the fact that my apartment actually felt like home finally, instead of somewhere I didn’t want to be. It was usually littered with his clothes and puzzles now, instead of being empty like it had been before. I didn’t mind the clutter. Or the fact that it smelled like him. I smiled.

  I miss you. I sent out the random thought, wondering if it would work.

  I miss you too. Are you almost done? His easy reply made me grin. Typically impatient.

  Yeah. In line now. I’ll see you in a few minutes.

  Hurry. I’m waiting. I want you again…. The words came with another hot, sweaty picture that made my cheeks flush.

  I fumbled with my cash in line and took my purchases as soon as the checker had managed to get them into a bag. Time to get home! I nearly skipped down the block; walking was too slow and I was impatient to feel him again.

  It came when I was about halfway home.

  Miles!

  My name was screamed in my head. It hurt like fire, licking over my skin and singeing every nerve ending individually. I felt PC’s anger and fear like they were my own.

  PC! What happened?

  I got no response. I started running, grocery bag dropped and forgotten.

  PC? Where are you?

  Again nothing. My heart was crashing into my ribs. I wanted to run faster but my legs wouldn’t carry me any quicker than they already were. People were staring at me, but I didn’t care. My stomach burst into agony. Oh God. He must be moving away from me! My body could feel the danger he was in. I needed to save him.

  PC!

  I tried once again but wasn’t surprised when I got no response. I rounded the corner at a sprint, legs and lungs burning. The pain didn’t matter. I didn’t care. The only thing that was important was getting to PC.

  I slammed into my building and up the stairs. The door to my dorm was hanging open, yanked off its top two hinges. The inside of the room was even worse. Couch overturned, sheets and pillows dragged off the bed and shredded. It looked like one of those scenes in a movie when the mafia ransacked someone’s apartment.

  PC had to have been fighting. The room was filled with strange smells: fear, anger, panic. I searched for his scent in the chaos, something to reassure me. It was there, faint and entwined with the
strong emotions. It was almost too much to process. I hung my head, dropping my keys, which fell, crunching metallically onto the dull hardwood. It was then that I saw gouges in the floor, the marks of long nails dragged toward the door. He must have shifted and tried to escape.

  But he hadn’t. I’d have known already if PC was safe. My body instantly reacted to the knowledge that he was out there somewhere, in danger and possibly hurt. I crumpled into a painful ball on the floor. My entire core felt like it was being ripped apart. I needed to breathe, needed to act quickly. I fished my phone from my pocket, squeezing my eyes shut at the agony that one small movement caused. I needed to get over the pain. I wasn’t any use to him like that.

  I opened my phone and tapped the speed dial. I was never happier in my life to hear Zack’s voice. I tried to tell him what was happening but my voice barely came out.

  “Miles, are you okay? What the hell’s going on?”

  I took a deep breath and concentrated. PC’s life depended on me not breaking apart. It took every drop of willpower I had, but I finally managed to squeeze out four painful words.

  “The werewolves have PC.”

  Chapter 19: Love Lost

  “MILES, YOU gotta try to sit up.” Zack’s voice was worried, patient, kind.

  I knew I had to sit up, wasn’t trying to be the biggest wimp on the planet, but it felt like knives were slicing through me every time I moved. So I sat, clenching my teeth and trying to just deal with it. The agony hit me hard, making my forehead break out into a cold sweat.

  “Zack, look at him. Maybe he shouldn’t sit up.” No. I didn’t call them so they could come take care of me!

  “No, I’m fine—well, as fine as I’m going to be. We need to get to him. I’m afraid—” I didn’t want to say what I was afraid of. The pain had never been so bad before. It might have been because PC was in terrible danger. Might have simply been my sharp vampire senses making it hurt so bad. The other option was unthinkable. I squeezed my eyes shut and sat up.