Colorblind (Moonlight)

by Dubrinsky, Violette

  “From when you were watching me, hidden behind those trees,” she replied, and he almost groaned as her body disappeared beneath the surface. She began to tread water beside him. Her hair lay flat on her head, curls wet and running loosely to her back.

  “That was before you were floating on your back?” Leon asked softly, moving closer. Her smile faded slightly and her eyes lowered to his lips before lifting again to his. The nod she gave him was barely a slight motion of her head but he caught it. He felt her nerves as if they were his own and reached out cup her cheek. Did you do that for me?

  Her eyes widened as he spoke directly into her mind. She closed her eyes. He felt her then, a soft, delicate brush as she sought access to his thoughts. He lowered his shields and she slipped into his mind, her eyes popping open as she glimpsed some of the images at the forefront.

  Leon thought she’d pull away, swim again from him, but she shocked him by replying in kind. I knew you were watching me.

  His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head as the other slipped around her smooth back. Penny parted her lips as he pulled her forward.

  ***

  At the first touch of his lips to hers, she sighed, slipping her arms about his neck as their bodies pressed together. The kiss started slowly, gently, a caress of lips and tongues. Within seconds, it turned frantic, something that both terrified and entranced Penny. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own, wrapping itself snuggly around Leon’s as she kissed him enthusiastically.

  With her legs hooked around his back and one of his hands squeezing and rubbing her ass cheek, Penny could feel the hard length of his erection between them. She’d seen penises before, but they’d belonged mostly to the young boys who hardly had clothing to wear. What pressed against her felt much larger and thicker than any she’d seen before.

  Lifting slightly, she ground her hips against his length, moaning at the sensations that rushed her body. She felt like she was humming, her body pulsing as if she was a heartbeat. Leon growled and bit her lip, drawing blood. Penny whimpered, but he caught it with his mouth, his arms tightening about her body.

  She didn’t feel him moving, but cool air touched her skin and then the pliable earth was at her back.

  “Leon—” she began softly, only to sigh when his lips closed over her nipple, tugging slightly before bathing it with his tongue. “Oh…that feels…amazing.”

  He did the same with her other nipple, sucking and licking until she placed her fist against her mouth to keep from screaming.

  Leon didn’t like that, apparently, because he moved her hand away and replaced it with his lips, kissing her thoroughly before licking his way down her body. Her legs were already parted, so he settled his face easily between them.

  Confused, Penny pushed to her elbows. “W-what are you doing?”

  He lifted his head, locking yellow eyes on hers before speaking in a low voice. “You’ll enjoy it.”

  Penny didn’t doubt it. Her body loved everything he did to it.

  She felt his fingers at her most intimate place and gasped, remembering how good they’d felt inside her. That had been two weeks ago, and she’d thought of it daily. Every time she saw him, every time she watched his fingers move as he wrote a letter…

  She fell back against the bank as his finger lightly traced over her center, sliding over the nub hidden by her folds of flesh, before dipping down to her entrance. The most delicious sensation accosted her. Instantly, she lifted her head. He was kissing her there! Leon was kissing her down there!

  “Leon—you’re—can’t—that’s…dirty….”

  He gripped her hips tighter.

  “Leon….”

  Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the bank, moaning when his lips tugged slightly on her sensitive nub. His finger pressed into her slowly. Penny pushed her thighs further apart, arching her back for more. Whimpering, she gripped his hair, holding him in place as she felt something unfurl in the pit of her belly. Her thighs began to shake; her lips opened on a silent gasp. It was the same feeling she’d had two weeks ago, the one that had robbed her of her breath. She cried out hoarsely as she pitched into bliss. As she tried to catch her breath, he kissed the inside of her thigh before his lips settled on her sensitive bud again.

  “Leon—wait—I—ooh…hmm…” She broke off and gripped his hair, uncertain whether she wanted to push his head away or pull him closer. As he licked her from hardened bud to opening, she gasped, clutched his hair tighter, and screamed. “Leon!”

  ***

  A surge of pleasure rushed him at hearing his name on her lips, and he continued on, knowing she was close. Soon, she began to buck wildly against him as her hips arched off the ground. Leon removed his lips, licking them and watching in fascination as her sex contracted with her orgasm.

  Moving up, he moved between her spread legs, his shaft brushing over her wet slit.

  Penny moaned again, opening her eyes and staring up at him in amazement.

  ***

  “Leon…,” she began softly, nervously, waiting for him to look down at her. When he did, she continued, “I’ve never done this before.”

  He smiled, revealing lengthened fangs. He looked feral but she wasn’t terrified. Not in the least. She still found him attractive like this. Probably more so. “I know.”

  She nodded. “I’ve never wanted to…before you.”

  His lips captured hers again, his tongue stroking hers in an erotic dance that sent heat coursing through her body. When his smooth, thick sex pressed against her opening, Penny gasped into his mouth. As her flesh gave under his unrelenting hardness, she clutched at his back, nails lengthening and digging deep.

  ***

  Leon looked down at her. Her eyes had shifted to yellow and she had an expectant look on her face. He was lowering his head once more when he heard it, a slight rustling that had nothing to do with the wind.

  Lifting his head, he turned in the direction of the sound. Inhaling deep, he scented two humans approaching. He would have smelled them earlier had he not been distracted by Penny.

  “What is it?” she asked, looking in the direction of his gaze.

  He groaned in pain when he left her body.

  “Call your wolf,” he said softly, unable to resist the urge to give her another kiss before he moved away and turned back in the direction of the humans, a male and a female. He sniffed, trying to see if could pinpoint them, but Penny’s scent was making that difficult. “Someone’s coming.”

  When he turned back to her, the black wolf was staring at him curiously. Leon shifted, reveling in the burn as his muscles rearranged into the sleeker body of the animal, and moved into a thick cluster of bushes to his left. She followed, lying on her belly as he crouched low and waited.

  Chapter Four

  Before they stepped through the trees and shrubs, Leon knew it was Pleasant and Julia. What Pleasant was doing on the plantation at this late hour, Leon didn’t know. Nor did he know why Julia was with him. A few reasons, none good, came to mind but he stilled them and waited.

  Julia stepped through the clearing first, her face a blank mask of resignation. Pleasant followed directly after, his hand at her back as he moved forward. Leon watched in growing understanding as Pleasant looked back in the direction of the plantation house before nudging Julia forward again. He led her over to a tree, and said quickly, “Take off ’em clothes, girl.”

  Without any protest, Julia began undoing the front buttons of her dress.

  Penny lifted up from beside him, rustling the bushes as she did so. Her anger was palpable, almost as great as his. Before he could speak to her, she released a low growl.

  “Wha’s that?” Pleasant asked, his hand going to the pistol at his hip. He eyed Julia and repeated his demand, as if she could be expected to know.

  “I dunno, sir,” Julia replied with her eyes downcast.

  “That you, wasn’t it, girl?” Pleasant demanded harshly. “You ain’t eat tonight?” He sno
rted in disgust and captured her chin between his fingers. Julia whimpered as he crashed his lips to hers and began tugging and pulling at her dress.

  Penny had come to her feet and was about to lunge when Leon stepped in front of her. She bared her teeth at him.

  Wait here.

  She didn’t look thrilled at those orders so he added, Trust me.

  ***

  With that, he was gone. Penny barely heard or saw him move. He was a blur, blending with the trees and wind and disappearing from sight.

  She sat back, lowering herself and watching the cringe-worthy scene unfold before her. Pleasant still pawed at Julia, who stood passively in his arms. She stared ahead, her eyes as blank as the expression on her face.

  When Julia’s dress fell to the ground, and Pleasant began hastily undoing his own clothing, Penny found herself unable to wait longer for Leon. Pleasant was going to rape Julia, and she couldn’t sit idly by and watch it happen.

  She growled again and this time, Pleasant froze and looked exactly in her direction. His eyes locked on to the bushes that concealed her and he drew his weapon.

  “You hear that, girl?” he asked Julia softly. When she didn’t reply quickly enough, he demanded, “Eh, girl?”

  “Yes, Mr. Pleasant,” Julia replied in a low voice, her eyes still trained on the ground.

  He made his way slowly toward the shrubs, and Penny waited, intending to rush him when he was close enough she could lunge for his throat. The gun was all but forgotten as she anticipated the feel of his neck under her jaws.

  Pleasant was a few feet away—one more step and she would have lunged—when branches cracked and Leon stepped through, eyes narrowing at the sight of Mr. Pleasant and a very naked Julia. He looked every inch the master, with his crisp, white shirt, his dark trousers and black boots. In his hand was a sturdy stick that he used, supposedly, to navigate his way through the shrubs and bushes.

  “Mr. Pleasant, what is the meaning of this?” Leon demanded instantly.

  Pleasant all but forgot his quest to find the source of the growling. He turned, giving Penny his back, and looked nervously from Julia to Leon.

  Pointing the gun at Julia, who flinched away, he began, “She was tryin’ to run away. I done saw her and followed.”

  “She was attempting to run away in the nude, Mr. Pleasant?” Leon asked, looking from Pleasant to the pistol he had trained on Julia. “Holster your weapon.”

  “She could try run again,” Pleasant said, frowning as he stared at Julia.

  “Holster your gun,” Leon snapped, moving forward when Pleasant took a bit too long to do as commanded. By the time he reached the man, the pistol was back in its holster.

  “You’ve yet to answer my question, Mr. Pleasant. Why is she naked?”

  “After I caught ’er, she wanted to give herself to me in exchange for me not sayin’ nothin’,” Pleasant retorted.

  He was lying. If Leon hadn’t seen the truth with his own eyes, he could tell from the loud and frantic pounding of the man’s heart, the quick, shallow breaths he released, the pungent odor of sweat seeping from his pores. When Leon only lifted a brow, Pleasant continued.

  “I tol’ her it ain’t gonna work but she’s wantin’ to make me want her. And you probably ain’t been here long enough to know their kind, but these ones look so much like us it make us forget sometimes they nothin’ but pale niggers.”

  “So she ran away, you caught her, and she offered herself to you in exchange for your silence?”

  Pleasant swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. You wantin’ me to take ’er back to the plantation and teach ’er a lesson?”

  Leon stepped closer to the overseer, until he towered over the man. Pleasant grew more nervous. “I’m still confused, Mr. Pleasant. Why are you still on the plantation at this late hour of the night?”

  His heart rate spiked again. “Hollis and I usually take turns spendin’ nights, in case the niggers try runnin’.”

  “Of course you do,” Leon replied with a chilling little smile. Pleasant returned it, and looked over to Julia, who had silently pulled on her gown and now awaited judgment. “What you want me to do wit’ her?”

  “Nothing,” Leon said slowly, which only made Pleasant’s eyebrows lift as far as his hairline. “I will deal with her.”

  Pleasant was nodding and preparing to leave when Leon said clearly, “And Mr. Pleasant, I do not expect to find you chasing naked slaves again. Is that understood?”

  The man turned back to him, passed a look to Julia before nodding quickly. “I had a moment o’ weakness, sir. I’ll beat ’em black and blue before they try to give ’emselves to me.”

  Leon watched Pleasant disappear into the clearing and scowled. He would have to get rid of the man very soon. Pleasant angered him, but he aggravated his wolf entirely too much. His attempted rape of Julia, coupled with the fact that the man had interrupted his first time with Penny, had been enough cause to rip the bastard’s throat out. But he couldn’t. Not quite yet.

  Julia….He moved to where the young woman stood, shoulders sagging and eyes downcast as she waited for her punishment. When he stopped before her, she flinched.

  “How long has this been happening?” Leon asked.

  “Me runnin’ away, Massa?” she replied in a soft, bland voice.

  “No.” He gritted his teeth. The poor woman had been conditioned to accept the blame for the sadistic pleasures of those who thought her inferior. “How long has Pleasant been using you?”

  She blinked up at him in shock before she lowered her eyes and shook her head. “I dunno what you’s talkin’ about, Massa—”

  “Julia,” Leon began firmly. “I have no intention of hurting you. I know that you were not running away and that you were brought here against your will.”

  Her gaze darted behind him as if expecting to see Pleasant and Leon said in a soft but firm voice, “He won’t hurt you again.”

  Gray eyes locked on his for long moments. Leon knew she was trying to decide if she should trust him.

  “How long, Julia?”

  “’Bout a week afta you stop lockin’ us up, Massa,” Julia said softly, a little catch in her voice. Leon’s brows furrowed and she continued, “Massa Thorn used to lock us up every night so we can’t get out and nobody get in. When you stop, he start comin’ around at night, makin’ me go with him….”

  Leon nodded once, unable to formulate words as anger tore through him. On another slave plantation, this might be normal, but while he was master, it was not going to happen. In fact, he’d thought he was doing the house slaves a favor by not locking them up like animals. He now saw that while he was treating them a bit more like human beings, Pleasant had been using it to his advantage, raping Julia and Luna knew who else!

  “Has he done this to anyone else?” Leon asked through gritted teeth.

  Julia shook her head and replied in disgust, “’E only wants me.”

  “Why?”

  “Says I look most white,” Julia replied, bitterness obvious in her voice.

  “Would you prefer that I lock the door to your room at night?” Leon asked.

  Julia’s gaze darted up to his and he caught a glimpse of hope before she lowered her eyes. “We’s your slaves, Massa. You tell us what you do.”

  “I’m asking you, Julia.”

  “Yes, Massa,” she murmured. “It make us sleep more easy.”

  “Go back to the plantation, Julia.” She seemed anxious to get away and was already moving by the time he finished speaking. “And if something like this happens again, you let me know. No matter who it is, you come to me.”

  She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. A brief nod later and she disappeared into the trees.

  ***

  Penny stepped from the bushes and shifted to her human form. Her full breasts heaved as she glared at him. “You should have let me kill him! It could have been blamed on an animal.”

  Leon watched her with a mixture of lust and confusion. His brain w
as still fuzzy when it came to her, as he could still remember the feel of her body yielding to his. He took an unconscious step toward her, before shaking his head and taking two back. He had to remember his purpose, remember why being with her would harm that purpose.

  She eyed him curiously. “He won’t stop, Leon. He’ll stay away from Julia for a few days, perhaps weeks, but he’ll find someone else. That’s how they are. That’s how they always will be.”

  “They?” Leon queried, trying to keep his mind off how easy it would be to continue where they’d left off. Penny was already naked. It would take only seconds to remove his own clothing and press her to the ground. He shifted uncomfortably and forced himself to look away from the dark triangle of curls that beckoned.

  “Pleasant, Thorn, Ryder: white men who think themselves entitled to any slave on any plantation.”

  “Thorn?” Leon frowned as she mentioned her previous master. “How was your relationship with Adam Thorn?”

  Penny swallowed, a bit nervously, and blinked. She didn’t speak for long moments, which only piqued his interest. Leon tried to enter her mind, But she’d closed herself off to him. He’d taught her well.

  “As any slave’s relationship with her master,” Penny replied easily. Her tone and expression were at odds, however. Her face was a cold mask of…hatred.

  “Tell me about Adam Thorn.” He moved toward her slowly, watching her expressions as he did so.

  “What is there to tell?” Penny replied. “He was my master, much like you are, and I was his slave.”

  “No, not like me,” Leon corrected, slipping a hand to her cheek. She turned her face into it and stared up at him from lowered lids. “Tell me about Adam Thorn, Penny.”

  She closed her eyes and Leon stepped closer, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb.

  “He was a few years older than I and he was raised, much like his father,, to believe himself a god on this plantation. He enjoyed…hurting people, hurting slaves.”

  “Did he hurt you?” Leon asked, surprised at the low and controlled tone of his voice. His heart pounded angrily in his chest. Had Thorn hurt her? Was that why the man had told Jolie that Penny was difficult? Because instinct told her to fight him?