by S Bolanos
“Okay…story please,” she prompted.
I glanced up at her and back at the glass. “You remember those days I missed last month?”
“Yeah…”
“That was my first change,” I said quietly. “Somehow, I got stuck. Long story short, he hit me with his Jeep and I ended up at his house.”
“He hit you? With his car!”
I met her righteous fury with a level look. “Jeep,” I corrected. “Anyway, when I finally changed back…”
“You called me,” she filled in.
“Right.”
“Are y’all seeing each other at all?”
I winced at the undercurrent of betrayal. While I may not have gotten around to telling her we were together, I clearly hadn’t done enough to disabuse her of the notion either.
“Sort of. Well, now, anyway. I think. Maybe not,” I finished unconvincingly. My shoulders sagged and I put the wine glass down before I could accidentally snap it in two. “Anyway, the real problem is the killer wants to finish what he started. That’s why I’ve been staying at Michael’s, so he can basically be my bodyguard and because the killer already knows where I live. But all of it was for nothing.”
“How do you mean?”
“Yesterday he found us in the woods and tried to kill me again.” I clutched my hands together. “Charline, I don’t know if I’ve ever been so terrified in my life. I wasn’t alone. I was supposed to be safe. He promised to keep me safe,” I hiccupped. “But I wasn’t. And now things are awkward between us. That’s why I drove Michael’s car instead of mine, so the killer wouldn’t think I was alone,” I finished out of breath, unshed tears stinging my eyes.
The silence dragged by filled only with crickets and tense anticipation.
“Sara, honey.” She reached out, and unlike when Michael had reached out to console me, I didn’t flinch away.
“So, yeah, this is my life now,” I said, meeting her gaze with a watery one of my own.
“I really don’t want to believe you, but your attitude suggests that it’s all true. Or at least you think it is,” she qualified. I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up her hand. “I like to think that you're not off your rocker and for the most part, you seem sane enough,” she said with a small smile.
“Oh, Charline.” I launched myself across the space between us, almost breaking my empty glass in the process. “Thank you so much for not freaking out and thinking I’ve lost all my marbles,” I said, making sure to hug her more gently this time.
“Who said I’m not freaking out?”
“What?” I released her and slid back.
“Sara, there’s a serial killer after you. Werewolf aside, it’s still a serial killer and you’ve already almost died.”
“You said it was always clear that I’d survive.” Of all the things to surprise me, this shouldn’t have been it, yet her words shook me.
“I lied,” she said bluntly. “It was nothing short of a miracle.”
My stomach sank. “That means that the werewolf curse is what saved my life,” I said more to myself. I looked back at her, she seemed equally unnerved by the explanation.
Had it really been that close?
The skepticism of the nurses and surprised optimism of the doctor suddenly became much more profound. “Thanks for lying I guess,” I said, averting my eyes.
“It seemed like the thing to do.” She gave my hand a reassuring pat. “Now that we’ve covered that, you have a long way to go to helping me believe all of this.”
“I thought you said you accepted it?”
“I’m maintaining it as a possibility.”
I frowned at her. Tonight had already turned into an emotional roller coaster and I wasn’t really up for defending my reality.
“Don’t look at me like that. Come on, even you have to admit it’s pretty far out there.”
I nodded in defeat, recalling how I'd fought Michael on the topic despite having already turned twice. “What do you want to know?”
“For starters, what can you do? Can you do it now, so I can see?” she asked, eyes wide with hopeful wonder.
“Um no.” Her face fell in obvious disappointment. I rolled my eyes and sat up straight. “Eventually, I’ll be able to change when I want, but for now it’s mostly with the moon.”
“Mostly?”
“Well, it’s also whenever I panic and freak out. It’s very inconvenient, but I’m working on it.” I focused on the ground, hoping she wouldn’t want me to explain further.
“I guess I’ll have to settle for you telling me about it for now. And I want the real story about you and Michael.” I flinched at the blatant accusation in her tone.
We stayed up well into the night. Me telling her everything and her doing the best she could to take it all in.
17
Kisses that Burn
I woke up in Charline’s guest room to the tantalizing smell of breakfast. I followed my nose to the kitchen where I found my host surrounded by a cornucopia of breakfast food.
“How do you have all of this food in your house?”
“I plan ahead,” she responded, matter of fact.
“For what? The apocalypse?” She gave me a look. “Still upset?” I asked.
“Well, yes. But I also got to see that werewolf appetite first hand last night.”
“Duly noted and appreciated. By the way, have you seen my phone?” I glanced around in pursuit of the errant device.
“Um, I think it’s by where the cookies were last night.” She gestured in the vague direction of the breakfast table. Where the cookies were was now a heaping stack of pancakes and sure enough, my phone—dead. By the time I located a charger and my phone had enough juice to be turned on, Charline had finished cooking.
“Oh shit,” I said as the screen finally came to life.
“What?” she asked as she removed her apron and hung it on a peg.
“I have twelve missed calls and almost as many voicemails—all from Michael.”
“Oh shit.”
Despite my trepidation, I immediately called him.
“Where the hell have you been!” The shout crackled with static. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I drove, I changed, I called. What’s the point of a phone if you don’t use it?” I winced and looked over at Charline in silent apology.
“I’ve been at Charline’s. We were talking and I left my phone in the kitchen. It got late and I thought it would be safer to stay. I didn’t realize my phone had died until this morning.” When he didn’t respond, I tried again. “I’m sorry.” Still nothing. “Michael? Michael?”
“What’s the matter?”
“It cut out.” I looked down at the phone that very clearly read as no longer connected to the call. “I don’t understand.”
“Is it charging? Maybe it didn’t have enough power,” Charline guessed.
“Maybe.” I double checked the cord to make sure it was plugged in all the way on both sides. Sure enough, the connection was secure.
“You could try turning it off and taking out the battery.” I frowned at her. “Or not.” She threw her hands up and walked away to deal with the beeping oven.
With a defeated sigh, I settled for simply restarting it. I was about to try calling him again when I heard a thunderous knock at the door. Charline and I exchanged nervous looks. After a brief moment of hesitation, she went to check it out. While I couldn’t see the door, I could hear everything fine, including the very loud voice that definitely was not Ted.
“Where is she?” Michael demanded.
“Now calm down. It was an accident…”
“I want to see her. Now.”
I scurried to my feet, prepared to meet my maker. Michael launched into the kitchen like hell itself was on his heels. His gaze encompassed the kitchen in one blistering sweep. I swallowed as anxiety took hold. When that fiery look landed on me, I shrank inward.
Maybe it would have been better to hide.
He stalked t
owards me and I stepped back only to run into the table. My voice shook as I held up a hand to stall the inevitable. A feeble protection in the face of such wrath.
“Take it easy, Michael. I…”
He ignored the impediment and grabbed me in a hug tight enough to send all of the air whooshing out of my lungs. “Thank the moon you’re okay. I’ve been so worried. All I could think was that…” He failed to finish and squeezed tighter. “I never should have let you leave.” His hand stroked my hair as he buried his face against my neck. “You could have told me you were coming to Charline’s,” he added, softer.
“Michael,” I wheezed, “my ribs.” He immediately released me and I had barely enough time to drag in a ragged breath before his mouth crashed down on mine. “Mm,” I mumbled in surprise. My toes barely scraped the ground as I was swept up in the unexpected embrace. One of his hands slipped into my hair and pressed my mouth harder against his. I gasped at the fierceness and he took the opening to deepen the kiss.
Fire raced through me, heedless of the fact that I was standing in someone else’s kitchen. He eventually released me to stumble back to the table. I leaned against it for support, more than a little light headed.
“Wow. I want a man to kiss me like that,” Charline said from the entryway.
I sank into a chair, which was about the only thing I could manage. Michael’s hand drifted from my head to rest on my shoulder where it stayed as if to reassure him that I was really there.
“Sorry for bursting in here, Charline,” Michael said, not sounding nearly as winded as I felt. “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he continued. “I…”
“I know. You were worried. Now that you’re here, you might as well join us for breakfast. I should have enough for two werewolves.”
Michael’s head whipped around to face me. I waved weakly and glanced past him at Charline who was scowling at him despite her proclamation of understanding.
“She told me all of it and quite frankly it’s getting harder and harder not to believe.” She shook her head and pulled another plate down.
“I can’t believe how much better I feel now that Charline knows.” The bed creaked in protest at my unceremonious fall. “You don’t think she’ll—you know?” I quickly dismissed the doubt. “No, of course not, silly of me to even think it. But it's such a relief. Don’t you think?”
The bed shifted as Michael joined me. “Mmhmm,” he mumbled.
“That was enthusiastic.” I lifted up to my elbows so I could look at him. He met my gaze, but didn’t comment. I let out a groan and flopped back down. “I suppose it’s not really a big deal for you, you already have people who know and accept you.”
“Yeah,” he said softly, without any real conviction.
I wonder what that would be like, to have a whole bunch of people know and not care.
“Michael? You’re being awfully quiet. You’re not still upset, are you?” I asked, this time sitting all the way up. “I told you I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I suppose I’ll get over it,” he said as his fingers danced lightly across my cheek.
“What are you doing?” I asked, breathless. Rather than respond, he pulled my tee so he could place a kiss on the exposed shoulder. “Oh.” I cleared my throat, which had constricted at the sudden onrush of heat. I hadn’t really been sure what to make of the display at Charline’s and now this was adding to the confusion. “I thought. I mean. I didn’t realize…” I trailed off. He placed a kiss on my jaw and my heart skipped.
“What did you think, Sara?” he asked, his voice low and husky, his lips barely brushing my skin.
“I…I’m not sure.”
“Did you think that the other night was meant to be a one-night stand? Or maybe you thought it was because of the full moon.” The warmth of his hand burned against my thigh.
“I guess,” I squeaked as he slid his fingers under the hem of my shorts. His resulting chuckle made my insides quiver.
“Oh no, Sara, I’ve wanted you for months.” He placed a kiss on my neck and I gasped at the faint feel of teeth. “Maybe longer,” he whispered, his breath hot on my increasingly sensitive skin.
“Define months.”
“Let’s see,” he began as he lifted my shirt up and placed a trail of hot kisses across my stomach. “You wore a blue top with green stripes and gray slacks your first day. Your ass looked great in those by the way. Don’t suppose you still have them?”
“My first day? That was over two years ago.”
“Guess that makes it longer,” he mused, undeterred in his attention.
“If that’s true, why didn’t you say anything before?”
He let out a soft sigh that was punctuated with a gentle kiss. “Things were complicated,” he finally said as his nose trailed along my abdomen.
“And now they’re not?”
He stopped and looked at me. There was so much in his eyes, the expected heat and surprisingly, sadness. “Yes, things are still complicated. More now than ever. But I…” His odd explanation stopped midway. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine.
“You what?” I whispered, determined to have answers no matter how much my body wanted me to shut up.
“I can’t be this close to you every day and not touch you,” he said at last. Where I expected at least a small, teasing smile, there was a firm line.
Worry seeped past my curiosity. “What aren’t you telling me?” I searched his eyes for any hint. “What are these complications?”
“It’s not important now. They’re my complications and I’ll deal with them when the time comes.”
I opened my mouth to demand a better explanation only to have my words dissolve into a moan as his heated touch slid further up my thigh. He captured the sound with a kiss that sent what was left of my thoughts scattering.
“I can tell you one thing for sure,” he said, returning to my middle.
“What’s that?”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight again,” he said, his words bordering on a growl.
“We’ll see about that.”
He gave a throaty laugh that sent delicious tingles emanating from where his mouth touched my flushed skin. Heat continued to travel up my torso until his lips found mine once more. The kiss had a tenderness to it that brought back pleasant memories of our brief time in the woods. I tangled my fingers in his hair as the sweetness started to burn.
He broke our kiss to sit up where I helped to relieve him of his shirt. I wasn’t sure when mine had been abandoned. While his arms were busy with the garment, I stole the opportunity to run my hands over his chest. Craving more, I added my own kisses. He moaned and his fingers slid into my hair. He pulled me away and recaptured my mouth with an unforgiving kiss that tasted of need. Mindlessly, we ditched the last of the clothing separating us and resumed our fevered exploration.
Before he could settle back into the leisurely kisses he’d been blanketing me with, I pinned him to the bed and began my own leisurely stroll. He caressed my sides as I worked my way across his torso. His chest hair tickled my face and I stole a moment to rub my cheek against the softness, pleased with the rumble it elicited from Michael.
I refocused my attention and licked at each nipple followed by a light bite that made him hiss. Humming with satisfaction, I scooted further down and took his erection in hand. He groaned and I glanced up to find him watching me completely enraptured. I gave him a wicked smirk and held his gaze as I slowly lowered my mouth to his tip.
I swirled my tongue around the head, appreciating the hint of saltiness teasing my tongue. Michael’s lids fluttered as he struggled to keep his eyes open. I gave his length a leisurely stroke then wrapped my lips around him. His fingers white-knuckled the sheets while a groan that shook the bed fell out of him.
“Full moon at midnight!”
While I had no idea what the hell that meant, the breathy way he said it was more than enough to convince me I was on the right track
. I swallowed him deeper and sucked with renewed vigor. When his hips threatened to buck, I laid my hand flat on his hip and held him still. His next moan bordered on a whine.
“Stars. Shit. Fuck. I’m gonna come.”
I pulled off with a pop and stared at his heaving chest while he panted for breath. “Please tell me you have condoms.”
“I didn’t,” he said, instantly dampening my sex high. He chuckled, undoubtedly at my crestfallen expression, and tugged me up his body to claim me with a toe-curling kiss. In a heartbeat, he’d reversed our positions again. “Which is why when you left yesterday, I borrowed your car.” He reached out and pulled open the drawer of the nightstand. His hand dipped inside and emerged with a small handful of rubbers.
I huffed a laugh and shook my head. “Tease.”
“I haven’t even begun to tease,” he said huskily as he lowered his mouth, bypassing my lips to suck lightly on my neck. I squirmed with impatience, but he simply chuckled and moved to my chest.
A sharp cry escaped me as he sucked my breast into his mouth and twirled his tongue around the nipple. He relinquished his hold long enough to give me a toothy grin, then switched to the other breast while his fingers trailed down my quivering stomach to tease my entrance. The pad of his thumb rubbed with confidence along my clit until I was physically aching for more.
I dug my fingers into his shoulders and valiantly tried to stave off my orgasm to no avail. He nipped at my overly sensitive nipple and pressed harder and I came with a shuddering moan. My release was still washing through me when he slipped a finger between my folds, then two. He curled them at exactly the right angle and a second orgasm crashed through me with reckless abandon. I groaned loud enough to wake the neighbors as I clenched around him. His thumb danced lightly over my bud as he slowly slid his fingers out and back in.
I whimpered at the onslaught of pleasure. “Michael, please.”
“You sure?” He curled his fingers again and my entire body jerked. “I think I could coax another couple out of you yet.”