Before the Moonrise

by Dawn Gray

  She felt cold hands against her skin as the blond one approached her in the dream. He ran them over her bare flesh, caressing and teasing her erotically. Gradually her eyes opened, returning to her room, and the nightmare became reality. He stood over her bed, his silver eyes locked onto her own. He leaned down and pressed soft kisses on her warm skin.

  Lily’s heart thumped against her chest as her body betrayed her, reacting to his touch with desire that built up the more he stroked her. She panicked, wanting to move away from him, but unable to do so. She began to feel the heat of an attack in her muscles.

  “Be still, my darling.” His voice was as seductive to her ears as Jared’s, and gradually the pain started to fade. “You are mine, you were destined for me.”

  No! her mind screamed as he slid a cool finger down under the strap of her nightgown. Get away from me!

  He smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her neck as he broke through the thin material that held the silky gown on her. With a slash of a sharp nail, the fabric ripped and floated away from her body, exposing her vulnerable flesh to his touch and to his wandering eyes. Her muscles froze, paralyzing her in the spot where she lay on the bed, unable to get away from the monster above her. Only her head moved, turning away from those lips as she closed her eyes.

  She could feel his hand, gliding down over her curves and coming to rest on her right breast. She drew in a deep breath, trying not to feel what he was doing to her, trying to keep his invasion from her mind. Unfortunately, the feel of his skin against hers tingled, and her nipple grew hard to the touch. Lily heard his laugher in her mind, knowing he was enjoying the struggle within her. It wasn’t until his mouth latched onto the hard peak that she feared she might give in willingly.

  Fire raced through her veins as he suckled at her breast, tugging and nipping just enough to get small reactions from her, begging him to continue. She stared with wide, hazel eyes as he moved away from her chest, dragging his sharp points across the soft skin of her belly, his glowing eyes locked on hers all the while.

  She felt the cool hands spread her thighs, and even though she wanted to cry out, her voice was gone. She found she could do no more than whimper as his tongue swirled the area of sensitive skin. An odd thought entered her head about how she had forgotten to shave, and then disappeared just as quickly when she felt that frosty tip glide over her supple folds, parting her and giving him access to her core.

  She could feel the surge of pleasure climbing in her body, flowing towards the height of her climax. Forcefully she pushed it away, thinking only of Jared, of how it would feel to have him close.

  The vampire snarled and moved up towards her, kissing her passionately as his fingers slipped into her silky wetness. Lily sucked in a deep breath as he pressed past her barriers and brought her body spinning over the edge with his thrusting fingers. Tears flowed freely from the corners of her eyes as she fought against the onslaught of emotions that this vampire was giving her. Her body wanted him, wanted more from him, and she would have given in if it weren’t for the pounding on the door.

  

  Jared could feel her behind the door, the war she fought with her own body. He prayed that she didn’t give in, that she held out until he could get to her. He roared in anger, a possessive and protective sound that echoed through the house, and he could no longer hold back the beast in him.

  He could smell the immortal on the other side of the door, along with what he was doing to Lily, and his canines erupted. His eyes turned as black as night, leaving no space for the light of silver blue to shine through. He howled loudly, filling his lungs with power. His hands grew wide and strong as fingers turned to claws, and he ripped at the door with the sharpness of them.

  The moon was upon him. His time as a wolf was growing near, but his mate was behind that door, in the hands of his enemy. He would try to hold off the change as long as possible, but he wanted nothing more than to let loose and rip the bastard apart.

  Wood splinters flew in every direction as Jared tore it from its hinges, moving through the shattered door to stand in the room where his beloved lay. He looked over at the bed, seeing in heat and regular vision, the cold body that lay half over Lily’s naked torso. She looked at him, her face full of pain and grief, and she begged him for help with those eyes as the tears fell onto the pillow.

  The vampire slowly moved, showing the beast before him his hands and the warmth that coated his fingers. Then, he purposely brought them to his lips and licked the tips of his fingers. Jared growled in anger, roaring as he rushed around the side of the bed to grab the creature by the neck. The vampire only laughed, baring fangs of his own at the beast before him.

  “She will be mine before the sun rises, animal!” the vampire promised, wiping the hand that he had just held up across Jared’s face. “She belongs to me and there is nothing that you can do to stop me.”

  “I’ll rip your heart out, you bloodless bastard!” Jared hollered as he raised his free hand to strike, but the vampire only laughed and faded from his grasp. Jared howled one more time as his fist closed around nothing except air. Clenching them in anger, he glanced down at the woman who lay before him. Naked and stiff, Lily stared blankly at the wall, without blinking. He cautiously knelt down beside her. “Lily?”

  His voice was husky, that of the animal inside of him. As he cautiously reached out to touch her, his hands changed, shrinking back to normal. He could feel his canines retract, and his normal vision return to his eyes. Without touching her, he could see that the vampire had not taken any blood, but what he had taken from her seemed so much worse.

  Slowly, he turned her head towards him, touching her cheek gently with his warm hands, watching as a shiver passed through her. He leaned down to her, kissed her lips softly, and then moved to whisper in her ear.

  “I am with you, precious.” He felt her move under him. At first, it was just a deep intake of breath, and then he felt her convulse as the tears and the sobs began to come. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her naked skin and holding her tightly as she cried out all of her fears. “I’m never going to leave you, angel!”

  With a sigh, he looked up at the door. There stood Jean and Kylie, watching them from the entranceway. Jean nodded towards his friend and gently pulled an obviously upset Kylie from the scene, leaving Jared and Lily alone.

  After some minutes, her sobs subsided. Jared lifted her body, cradling her close. He brought her into the bathroom, where he sat her on the toilet seat as he started the shower. She observed, with cloudy eyes, as he pulled the shirt from his pants. With his back to her, he exposed the tattoo that covered the skin there.

  “I wasn’t dreaming,” she muttered in a shaky voice, reliving the vision of him in the bathroom from the first night that they were there, watching as he turned towards her. Slowly he knelt down in front of her, placing his hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch. “I’m so glad I wasn’t dreaming.”

  Jared scooped her up, holding her close as she put her head against his chest, and set her standing under the warm jets of water. Lily closed her eyes, feeling the tension in her body wash away until she felt the hands on her hips as Jared stood behind her. It only took her a second to relax, knowing his touch from the pulse that passed between them, and the feel of lather against her skin made her smile.

  He washed her back, taking the time to memorize the feel of each muscle as his hand ran over them. When he touched her backside he couldn’t hold back the gentle squeeze he gave each cheek. Before continuing on, he took the shampoo and began to wash her hair, feeling the thickness of it flowing through his hands. The small sighs that escaped her lips made his stomach tighten. He wanted this to be for her, to wash away the memory of the creature and his touch. But the more he listened to her, or smelled her scent in the steam, the more he felt himself growing needy of her body.

  Jared stepped back, placing space between them so that he wouldn’t give away his arous
al, and began to rinse her hair. He had his eyes on her the whole time, a smile forming on his lips. Once the shampoo was gone, Jared continued with his job. Kneeling down, he turned her to face him.

  Lily looked down at the hard evidence of what their closeness was doing to him, and she couldn’t help but smirk, which received a sigh from Jared.

  “Ignore that,” he said, a grin forming on his lips. “It happens in the presence of beautiful women.”

  Lily laughed, and it shook him to the core. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back, feeling the spray on her skin. Jared picked up the lathered pouf and began to massage her calves with it. His hands ran up and down over her feet, but he skipped her stomach and came up to wash her shoulders. He wanted so much to avoid touching her in any way that she might take as sexual. Once done with her upper half, he moved back down and washed her thighs.

  Gentle hands came down upon his shoulders. Jared closed his eyes, loving the feel of her soft skin against his. He glanced up, into hazel eyes that held so much life in them, which stared down at him with devotion … and an emotion stronger than either of them could have imagined.

  “Jared,” she said softly, and he moved closer, kissing her navel gently. He felt the muscles jump under his touch. “I need you.” Gradually he stood, wrapping his arms around her waist as she looked up into his eyes. “I need you the one place he will never be … inside me.”

  He leaned towards her, cupping the back of her head with his hand as his lips stopped an inch from hers. Jared licked his lips, feeling her warm breath against his as they both struggled to breathe, the intense emotions driving them both crazy.

  “You have me, baby, deeper inside you than anyone will ever be,” he murmured. “You have me in your heart, just like I have you in mine.”

  “Make love to me.” She placed her warm hands against his solid chest. “Here and now.”

  “I make love to you every time I lay eyes on you.” He smiled, but it faded as their lips touched softly.

  He could feel her hands clutching at his back, trying to bring him closer as his mouth ravaged hers. To show her how much he wanted her, his tongue slipped into the warmth of her cavern. Jared closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold off the desire of his beast to possess the woman he held, but he was slowly losing the battle the harder she gripped him.

  Jared pulled away quickly, placing his head back in the stream of water before looking down at the confusion in Lily’s eyes. He shook his head as he pushed the wet strands of hair from her face.

  “There’s an animal in me, and he wants out,” he explained, trying to hold the desperation back in his voice, his hand slipping from her neck to her breast. Her eyelids drooped as he gently thumbed her nipple, bringing it to attention at his will. “I want you, my body wants to take you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t care what way you do it, Jared,” Lily said, her voice breathless as she stared wantonly into his blue eyes. “Just do it!”

  He turned her around in his arms, pulling her back against his strong, wet chest. Pushing her hair away from her neck, he lowered his lips to her flesh. He growled softly in her ear, feeling her shudder as the sound vibrated through her, and he pressed his throbbing member against the softness of her back. Languidly, he slid his hand down her arm, catching her by the wrist. She let him move her arm up to brace her against the wall.

  “I won’t hurt you, Lily, I promise,” he whispered to her, pleading with her to believe him. She nodded in response and he cupped her leg, just under her knees, bringing it up to rest against on the edge of the tub. “Stay there, don’t move.”

  Tenderly he kissed her, moving down over her spine, his fingers spread wide as they rested on each hip, holding her where he wanted as his mouth roamed freely. He skimmed his lips over the flesh of her bottom, closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent. He slowly moved down, slipping between her legs to place his mouth over the soft folds of her flesh.

  Lily shook, uncertain how much more of his teasing she could take. Her legs trembled with every flick of his tongue, every invasion into her warmth, but she held out, placing her forehead against the wall. She closed her eyes, letting the feeling of Jared’s proximity flow over her. His touch was electric, his voice mesmerizing, but it was the beat of his heart—the one that seemed so in harmony with hers, matching her beat for beat—that made it so erotic.

  She felt him move, taking his mouth away from the heat of her. She stiffened, unsure of his next move. He leaned down, molding his body to hers as he pushed the hair by her neck away once more, and affectionately bestowed loving kisses on her skin.

  She was momentarily startled by the gentleness of his hands and the way that he moved, slowly gliding into her womb, stretching her as no man had before. He felt like velvet-covered steel inside of her, hard and unyielding. At the same time, he was soft. Each stroke was drawn out to give her everything she needed from him.

  Jared wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her to him as he pumped against her. She moaned loudly, the sound of ecstasy echoing through the bathroom, drowning out the noise of the exhaust fan. He replied in his own fashion, thrusting harder into her until their lovemaking became a wild frenzy of noise and movement.

  He could feel it building, teetering on the edge of self-control, but he held back the urge to give in. He stood straighter, grasping her hips to hold his momentum. He could feel her coming to the edge of her resolve, as she tightened and moved around him. He prayed that she held on just a little longer. He was losing his battle and leaned over to the flesh of her shoulder once again, feeling his canines extend as he bit into her flesh.

  Lily’s head snapped up, the feeling of his teeth only paining her for a moment before the ecstasy took over. The line between pleasure and pain was very thin, and his domination of her body was more than she could take. He had hit a spot for her that no man had ever helped her reach and she lost herself in that feeling.

  Jared felt her spiraling as he pressed harder, his own ending in sight. As she quaked beneath him, her sheath clenched tightly as she slipped over the edge. He released her and went over with her, his hot jets spilling into her as he suppressed the urge to howl.

  With a deep breath he put his forehead against her shaking back, slowly slipping out of her before moving away. He felt her hand on his wrist, holding him tightly as she slipped his arm around her waist and let out a breath of her own. Jared looked down at the blood red spot on her shoulder and closed his eyes before leaning down to kiss it.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured in her ear, wrapping both arms around her waist.

  Lily stood straight and turned in his arms, a bright smile playing on her lips. “What could you possibly be sorry for? That was absolutely amazing!”

  “I’m sorry that I hurt you,” he said, looking at her questioningly.

  “I don’t remember saying ouch. As I recall, it was more like oh.” She grinned, winking at him. Jared slowly started to smile, pulling her closer to him, and kissed her deeply on the lips.

  He looked at her, watching her towel off as he sat on the edge of the tub, and he sighed loudly enough to get her attention. Lily looked up at him, smiling as she wrapped the towel around her body.

  “Care to explain that little humph you just gave?”

  “There’s something I need to explain to you, but I’m not sure that you’re going to like it,” he replied, shaking his head.

  Lily took his hand, pulled him to his feet, and moved into the bedroom. Once there she took out a t-shirt and sat down on the bed with him. Jared watched as she let the towel drop before slipping on the shirt this time, and he could feel the desire stir in him again.

  He moaned and sat down beside her before his arousal became evident. “It’s about what happened while we were in there, when I bit you.”

  “I’m not going to turn into a werewolf, am I?” she inquired.

  “No, but you might be just as upset with me.” He sighed, and got down on the floor to kneel i
n front of her. “I’ve been part of the beast for two centuries, Lily. The wolf and I are one.”

  “I know that, Jared,” she whispered, unsure of what he was saying. Slowly, he raised his hand to silence her and shook his head.

  “Wolves in the wild mate for l-l-life,” he stuttered, and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Lily, what happened there was something I wanted you to decide on, not for me to push on you.”

  “What did you do, Jared?” she questioned, confused.

  “You and I are mated,” he said softly, looking deep into her eyes, as he licked his lips, “for life.”

  “That was a mating ritual? That bite that you gave me?” she yelled, trying to stand up, but Jared wouldn’t move. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and placed his cheek against her belly, feeling her heart beat racing in his ear. “Mated?”

  He listened to her for a moment, unsure of what her next words were going to be, what her next action was going to do to their relationship. Gradually he felt her fingertips, lightly running through his hair. She then moved down over his scalp as she cupped the back of his neck with one hand and continued to ‘pet’ him with the other.

  “Well, we’re going to have to figure out living arrangements, because I am certainly not moving my children down here. No matter how much I want you!” she stated, completely serious. “You’re just going to have to suck it up and deal with the weather patterns in Massachusetts.”

  Jared closed his eyes, his heart beat calming down as she continued to caress his scalp.

  “Come on. Let’s go to bed, mate.” Lily moved out of his hold and scurried under the covers. He slowly did the same, taking his time as the words sank in. She turned over and looked at him, at the worry on his face. “Hey,” she smiled, “I knew I wasn’t letting you go a long time ago, so put your mind at rest.”