Before the Moonrise

by Dawn Gray

  “Perfect sense,” he said, touching her face. He wanted to make love to her again, but he knew that she was tired and needed to rest. “I have to leave later, when the moon is at the highest point of the night.”

  Her eyes filled with worry and she was about to speak, but he placed a finger gently against her lips.

  “I can’t be here during those few hours. When I’m not a man, I’m caught between worlds and sometimes I don’t remember what I do. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt because of my beast.” He watched her nod, and then he gave her a small smile. “Go shower and I’ll be here when you’re done. I promise, no more Olympics unless you really want them. Okay?”

  Lily nodded and slid slowly off the bed, making her way towards the bathroom. Jared sighed, glancing over at the white and green bag that sat on the counter. He really had wanted the beignets for dessert, but he also wanted the cup of powdered sugar in the bag to play with. He rolled his eyes at the thought of licking it off from Lily’s soft pale skin. Where was midnight when you needed it?

  Jared’s eyes were closed when she entered the room less than twenty minutes later. As she crawled up onto the bed, the shifting of the mattress made them fly open. He was staring at her with a silver so intense it took her aback for just a second as she gazed deep into them. He looked down at her, frozen on her hands and knees, at her naked form. Slowly he looked away, letting her rest on the bed.

  “Should I get dressed?” she teased, a smile evident in her voice.

  “No, I need to learn some sort of restraint, right?” he answered, and turned back to her, watching her stretch out on her side next to him. Leaning down over her, he murmured, “You are so very beautiful.”

  “Thank you, I—”

  He placed a finger against her lips, slowly caressing the softness of them. “There is no need for words; I can see what you see in your eyes. I feel what you do in your heart. I’m there, tucked deep within you.”

  “Would it be bad to say that I wish you were?” She smiled, and watched as he shook his head, leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

  “I want to be, very badly indeed, but there is something I need right now that I was hoping that you would do for me.” He grinned.

  “What’s that?” She laughed.

  “Turn over.” She changed sides reluctantly, then he curled up against her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I just want to do this for a while, to feel you near me.”

  “Will you wake me up before you leave?” Lily asked quietly and felt Jared nod, nuzzling the back of her head with his nose.

  “Of course, my love,” he replied and slowly closed his eyes.

  

  Jean looked at the time, and then over at Kylie, who slept soundly on the couch. He rose, touching her cheek lightly before walking towards the door. Glancing once more around the apartment, he stepped out into the night.

  He pulled the dark coat more tightly around him as he made his way up Esplanade Avenue, heading towards the highway overpass and St. Louis Cemetery number two. The walk was through dangerous places, although he was far from afraid of the riffraff that paraded through the streets at that time of night. Once down near the tall brick walls of the cemetery, he pulled up his collar and moved inside the small, one-block section of the second of the cemeteries.

  He looked around, stepping causally into the dimly lit square where the older and more destroyed family vaults sat. With a sigh, he turned to his right and stepped up to a plain-looking, rectangular building no taller than him, and gripped the handle. It opened effortlessly, and he stepped through into its darkness. Before him, leading down into the concrete flooring, was a staircase. He moved with ease down into its depths.

  He stepped into the chamber, which looked much like the vampire’s lair, and gazed at the people that surrounded him. With his head held high, he walked towards the front of the room and stood, staring at the three people who sat upon the thrones.

  “You called this meeting. I am here, let’s get on with it, shall we?” Jean said, his voice commanding. The second of the three, a haggard old woman with eyes of silver-white, sat forward. She smiled her blackened grin.

  “You have not brought the animal with you tonight, Monsieur de Martien?” she cackled, shaking a bony finger in his direction.

  “The wolf stays to protect its mate. There is no reason for him to be here,” Jean replied, and glanced at the other three. A grizzly old man stood, his weakened knees shaking under his weight, and he stepped closer to Jean.

  “Where is the light?” he bellowed, his voice deep and harsh despite the look of his age.

  “The one who carries the light is the mate of the loup,” Madame LaQue’s voice spoke in Jean’s ear.

  Murmurs echoed through the hollow room until the third of the three—a woman, younger in age than the others, but very beautiful—stood up to speak. Her hand rose to silence the crowd.

  “The one who carries the light is always destined for a vampire companion, Martien, you know this better than any of us. Why have you let this happen?” she questioned. Her voice was that of a seductive vampire herself, but Jean knew better and bowed slightly at her presence.

  “The answer is simple really. Lily has found her companion in Jared. In fact, it was several months ago that they found one another.” He shrugged.

  “Yet she has given the light to another immortal?” the woman asked. “How can this be?”

  “The girl is out to destroy us all!” Madame LaQue hollered, sending the room into a frenzy.

  “The girl did not give herself to the vampire willingly. In fact, except for her blood, she has given him nothing. Her heart and soul belong with Gerard du Claverack and no one else,” Jean replied, his commanding voice speaking above those others in the room. “Now, I have come here only on your invitation. If nothing else is to be discussed besides a man and a woman, than I shall take my leave.”

  The third of the group spoke once again, “Wait, Monsieur de Martien. I have more questions that I would like answered, if it would please you to do so.”

  “Of course, Madame,” Jean replied, bowing to her. She stepped down and slipped her arm through his.

  “Come. Tonight is a wonderful night for a stroll through the cemetery, is it not?” The two of them made their way out of the room, LaQue’s eyes on their backs until they disappeared into the darkness of the stairway. The woman, whose porcelain skin seemed to glow in the moon’s light, smiled up at Jean casually. “Tell me of this girl, Jean, which bring so much protectiveness to your eyes.”

  “She is my grandchild, Morna,” he replied, addressing her informally. “She does what all the others have, brings out my fatherly instincts, but the fact that she is linked to my closest friend makes me protective all the more.”

  “There are rumors going around, Jean, that she was taken from LaQue’s residence by a vampire. Is this true?” Morna questioned.

  “By Damon, the vampire she inadvertently turned. I believe he was allowed in by LaQue,” he answered, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t accuse if I didn’t know the history between her and Collin. She wants him dead, and what better way to achieve it than by giving the light to someone who can do away with him from the inside.”

  Morna laughed, hiding her smile behind a gloved hand. “She doesn’t want him dead, she loves him.”

  “That I didn’t know.” Jean laughed.

  “Yes, they were engaged in their youth, but he was turned before they could be married. He’s the only reason she casts those damn immortality spells of hers,” she replied. “What do you need from us to help you save your grandchild, Jean-Luc? It has been a century since the last moonrise and I think I like the idea of this child mated to your wolf friend. He’s been a great asset to New Orleans in his time.”

  “He wishes to leave with her.”

  “Of course he does!” Morna smiled, looking up at the moon. “Who wouldn’t want to be with their mate, and Jared has no commitment to stay here.
He does so because it is his home, and we will not keep him because of our selfishness.”

  “In that case, I need anyone you can give me. The moonrise is tomorrow night, as you are aware, and I have a feeling our little light will be trying to help out her vampire friend.” Jean sighed.

  “He lives?” Morna questioned, giggling. Jean nodded. “Oh, this just gets better.”

  “They buried him in the lair, after he helped us get her out. She has vowed to free him.”

  “We will help you free this newly lighted vampire, and bring him into our society. As for the others, I’m afraid I cannot say that their lives will be spared. For under Collin’s rule, the clans have just gotten out of control.” Jean folded his hands behind his back.

  “The less vampires to survive, the better,” he whispered, and smiled down at Morna as they exited the smaller section and stepped into the larger part of the cemetery.

  

  Jared woke with a start, his eyes reflecting the colors of the heat around him, and he could feel the tightening in his stomach. His quick movements woke up Lily, who turned over and stared into his yellow eyes.

  “Jared?” she murmured, worry filling her voice as she reached out and touched his face.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the time,” he answered back, his body shaking as the muscles strained against his stillness. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers lightly, then quickly got up off the bed. “I have to leave. Please, don’t worry. I will be back before the dawn.”

  “Where are you going?” Lily questioned, and watched him shake his head.

  “Along the river,” he answered, “towards the plantations outside the city. I’ll be safe there, and so will the people.”

  Lily sat up on her knees as Jared moved backwards towards the door. He watched a tear slide down her cheek and he stifled one of his own as she reached out for him. He couldn’t wait any longer. He shouldn’t, but it felt unnatural for him not to take her into his arms and kiss her just once before he left.

  Her lips were sweet, tasting of sleep and toothpaste, which he breathed in deeply before letting her go and rushing out the door. Lily sat back against the bed and pressed her fingers to her lips, to the sensation of his heated kiss that still lingered there, and then she covered her eyes with her hands.

  His breathing labored as he moved, trying to find the darkest alley along the riverfront. Cautiously he made his way to the French Market. A long, open-air pavilion held the flea markets on the weekend. He ducked behind the building, into the darkness of a tree as his body convulsed.

  He looked down at his hands, as the fingers extended and became those of an animal, covered in the black fur that matched the hair on his head. His chest contorted, as ribs and organs moved about, until his torso was that of a dog, bulky in the chest cavity and thin down near the hips. His legs buckled as they disjointed, becoming the hind end of the animal inside him. Lastly he could feel his face move, the muzzle of the wolf taking over as his canines elongated and filled his mouth with sharpened teeth. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark as he threw his head back and howled at the moon, before loping off into the darkness.

  The plantations were quiet this time of night, everyone tucked neatly into their beds, and they knew nothing of the beast that hunted around the grounds. He was in his natural state, wanting nothing more to do with the outside world than any other wild animal, but on the wind, he could still smell her.

  The vibrant scent of her had him shivering in his coat, and he turned away from the pastures and the wildness to head back into the city of New Orleans. As dangerous as it might be, his mate was too far from him and he wanted nothing except to have her by his side.

  She was a light to the darkness of his inner turmoil and she attracted him like no other. As he made his way through the darkening streets, silently avoiding any streetlights, he could feel the danger lurking close by.

  She stood above him, as he cowered in the tree belt watching, with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands and a light bathrobe around her naked flesh.

  Jared breathed in deeply, feeling his arousal with every ounce of his primal being. Gradually, he stepped out into the light of the moon. Lily, who looked about the quiet night, heard the rustle of the leaves beneath her and looked down to pinpoint the cause. When she came upon the almost six-foot beast, her heart began to pound.

  Slowly, she backed away from the edge of the balcony, and turned quickly once inside. She slipped without notice past Kylie—who was sleeping peacefully where Jean had left her—making her way down the staircase, through the kitchen, and to the courtyard below.

  Lily stopped when she saw him standing there, hunched over. The curve of his spine reminded her of that of a dog when their hackles were up, and cautiously she approached.

  “Jared?” Her voice cracked, and she watched him step back as she moved forward. He sniffed the air, his face so much like the wolf’s that Lily stood amazed she had recognized him. As she stopped not more than two feet from him, he brought that muzzle down and sniffed at the air around her.

  Lily smiled, and slowly reached her hand up to touch the cold, wet nose of the beast before her. He took a step closer, shocking her, but his eyes closed as she gently rubbed the fur on the side of his face. She then reached up and scratched behind his pointed ears.

  She watched in awe as his eyes slowly became human, turning from the glowing yellow to the silver-blue she recognized, and his stance changed. His breathing was labored, and he panted against her touch. She quickly realized that it wasn’t her touching him that made him breathe so heavily, but that his body was changing. As she watched, he began to resemble more of a man than of the beast.

  His nose was a bit smaller than normal, pressed more against his face, as he bared his teeth at her and the hair had faded from the soft skin of his cheeks. She could see the rippled muscles of his chest and abdomen through the line of fur as he stood there, completely naked in front of her. He breathed in deeply once again, smelling her on the air as she watched his animal side register a female mate in close proximity.

  He reached out for her, his hands still covered in the soft black fur and long nails. His fingers had gone back to normal size, and his touch against her neck was soft and gentle. Jared grabbed her by the belt of the robe and pulled her to him, letting her feel the thud of his heart against her skin as he peeled away the soft terry cloth robe.

  She closed her eyes as the fur brushed against her neck where he nuzzled her, taking in her scent as his tongue licked along her collarbone. He cupped her bottom cheeks and pulled her up so that her legs circled his waist, her arms wrapping around his neck. He looked up at her, his canines still present, and moved over to the bench shaded in the darkness of the trees. He leaned over, laying her down on the cold cement of the backless bench. Gently he untied the robe, letting it fall to the side as he looked down over her body.

  She was completely aware of everything outside, the neighbors and the closeness of the houses that surrounded them, but all she could feel was Jared as he moved his lips down over her body, and into her core. She gasped as he delved into her velvet center, before rising above her. She wondered what he would do next, unsure of how he would manage to take her, but he grasped her by the hips, wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and plunged into her without a second thought.

  His need was great and as he thrust into her, he could feel the human part of him come closer to the surface. His eyes registered her body, as it moved below his, and slowly he brought himself down to her level. Wrapping his arms under her neck and shoulders, he let his body cover hers. He could feel her spiraling. The sheer eroticism of their joining had her toppling over the edge before he knew what hit him and she was taking him with her.

  He had never felt such a high during the moon, especially not in the way he felt it then, buried deep within the warmth of the woman he loved. Upon that thought, which should have scared him to death, the joy erupted from his body in waves
of liquid heat. As his heart soared, his body came to rest, pressing down on her and the hard concrete of the bench.

  Lily shivered beneath him, the cool night air hitting her sweat soaked skin. She wrapped her arms around the nakedness of a man with soft flesh and less hair, and she smiled. She could feel her heart pounding, matching the rhythm of the man whose body protected her from the chill of the night. Gradually she let herself sink into that feeling, loving to be so close to him, just loving him and everything about him.

  Slowly, Jared picked up his head and looked down over the hazel-eyed woman below him. She grinned up at him as she reached out and touched his face and then suddenly he realized the oddness of it. He touched his face also—his face, not that of the wolf, or the beast, but his face—flesh and blood and human. Gently he pulled out of her, and moved towards the fountain in the middle of the yard, where he leaned over and looked deep into the reflection that stared back at him.

  “Jared, are you all right?” Lily questioned, wrapping the bathrobe around her once more as she moved over to look at him. He looked up at her, tears cascading down his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closely, while she hugged his head to her. “You didn’t hurt me, if you’re upset about that.”

  “No,” he whispered, shaking his head as he leaned his cheek against the warmth of her stomach. “It’s not that at all.”

  “Then what is it? You’re scaring me,” she pleaded, sitting down on the edge of the fountain beside him.

  “I’m …” he stared, but looked at her with confusion in his eyes. “I’m human.”

  “Yes, very much so.” She smiled, touching his hand.

  “I’m not supposed to be, not for another two hours … at the very least,” he answered shaking his head. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not sure, Jared,” Lily replied, watching him get upset once again. She wrapped her arms tighter around him. “I don’t know how to help you.”