Moon Kissed

by Michele Hauf

  He required no prodding. At this moment, he was more awake and alive than he’d felt in decades.

  He’d been strolling the neighborhood, assessing the abandoned real estate, when he’d picked up the vile scent of longtooths on the hunt. Their obnoxious odor had triggered his gag reflex. Yet he had sensed the female’s scent and had ducked inside the warehouse.

  If he could save one human from the clutches of a vampire, then it was a good day indeed.

  But what he hadn’t expected was the way she’d made him feel. Or that she’d make him feel at all.

  He had walked this earth for many decades and had given up hope of ever finding a true mate. Human females were so fragile, delicate, and not worth more than a few nights of pleasure.

  This one was different. She was emotionally strong.

  Could she be the one? A woman he could finally make his own. His mate. Forever.

  Chapter 2

  S unlight woke her. Bella sat up on the couch and blew aside a stray fern from her face. An oblique muscle on her side ached, forcing her horizontal again. She stared up through the luscious green fronds.

  “I slept on the couch?”

  Her body ached. Her hamstrings pulsed. Her shoulders and ribs felt bruised.

  She touched her tender lips. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

  Something had happened last night to turn her world on its side and roll it off a cliff. If she put aside the possibility of near rape, there was the evidence that those bastards who chased her were…

  Vampires.

  And the creep who’d held her in perilous safety had confirmed her suspicion as if he knew it were the truth.

  And he’d called her mortal, which put into question his own status.

  “Oh, Bella, you must have bumped your head. You’re thinking like a crazy woman.”

  Storybook creatures were not supposed to exist. A woman was supposed to fear serial killers, rapists and crazed gunmen loosed in city malls. Not men who looked human yet wanted to suck your blood.

  Her heart began to race as swiftly as it had last night. Bella pressed a palm over her chest. She still wore yesterday’s clothes. On the cotton shirt she saw a smear where his hand on her breast had dirtied the fabric.

  A repulsive shiver chilled her from neck to hips.

  Scrambling from the couch, she tore the shirt over her head and made a beeline toward the bathroom. Shedding her jogging pants, running shoes, panties and sports bra, she hit the shower, crying.

  “Shake it off, Bella. That was a new street you took last night. You were not thinking straight.”

  She always walked to and from the clubs at night and had never once felt unsafe. A northernmost suburb of Minneapolis, her town was considered upscale and safe. She lived on a main strip where neat townhomes and lofts segued into a neighborhood of trendy dance clubs and restaurants. The dance studio where she practiced three days a week was but four blocks away.

  Every other night she jogged five miles, usually down the strip, then through the city park that boasted manicured jogging trails and plenty of streetlamps. Never had she been attacked. The occasional catcall from a passing car or leer from a drunk huddled up against a storefront was to be expected. Heck, Benny the drunk, who nightly posted himself at the corner of Spruce and Second streets, always got a wave and a greeting from her.

  She’d thought to take Declan Street last night, knowing it traversed a vacant section of older warehouses. She liked to explore. Her intention had been to go no more than a block, but once those men leaped out at her, her brain had switched from curiosity to flight.

  Unfortunately, she’d run away from the safety of the well-lit strip.

  “You put yourself in a bad situation. You dealt with it. You’re safe and they didn’t hurt you. Now get over it.”

  Spitting out warm water, she turned her back to the stream and reached for a bottle of shampoo.

  Time to resume good old reliable Belladonna Reynolds mode. She was smart, stable, and could always be counted on to be responsible. Her Web design clients praised her creativity and precision. The dance studio was courting her to teach. Even when clubbing with friends, she was the one who quit drinking first, called cabs for everyone and made sure they got their car keys the next day.

  Cosmopolitans.

  He’d smelled the drink on her breath. Which was entirely possible. Bella hadn’t eaten yesterday after that late business lunch. Not wise, because she had been straining during that last mile of running.

  But to smell how far the vampires had fled? How could he possibly have known something like that?

  Vampires.

  Even thinking the word made her want to retch. Clutching the warm brass showerhead, she tilted her head to catch the water on the crown of her scalp.

  Why was she so willing to accept what a complete stranger had told her?

  She saw the fangs. Long and white, slightly curved, like a deadly blade.

  But nothing could be worse than that hard, stolen kiss. He’d violated her in the sense that she’d relied on him for safety, and then he’d stolen it with his gropes and aggressiveness.

  Bastard.

  I have your scent in my nose. I’ll find you.

  “Don’t think about it, Bella,” she told herself. “It was a bad night.” Should she call the cops?

  What could they do? She hadn’t clearly seen any of the men’s faces. Once they’d flashed fangs, her better senses had vanished.

  And she’d seen only parts of her captor’s face. Though she’d never forget his lecherous growl. He’d seemed more animal than the vampires.

  “Quit thinking that word,” she admonished and flicked off the shower.

  Stepping out onto the bamboo floor mat, she toweled herself off.

  Today was Saturday. Though her Web design business allowed her to work from home, she followed her no-work-on-weekends rule. With nothing required of her today, she usually jogged on weekend afternoons at the park.

  Nix that, she thought. Perhaps the video store down the block would offer some comedies to clear her thoughts.

  The doorbell rang. Bella glanced to the LED clock on the toilet tank. It was noon?

  She’d slept so late. Deservingly.

  “Seth.”

  Her best friend had said he’d stop by with tickets for tonight’s jam at the club. He DJ’d and they expected a sold-out house.

  Tugging a white watered-silk robe around her body, Bella raced out to the door, dodging the overgrown bamboo plant at the end of the couch. Seth opened the door with his key first and entered.

  “Oh, sorry, Bella. When you didn’t answer, I got worried.”

  He swung the key ring around his forefinger a couple times and tucked it in his pocket. Seth was a recovering emo who still loved the fringy eyebrow-dusting bangs and slim, fitted clothing. Recently, he’d graduated to techno club music in protest of the dirgelike tunes he’d once embraced.

  He leaned in to kiss her cheek. His lemony aftershave always made her smile.

  “What’s this? Did you fall and bump yourself? Your jaw looks bruised.”

  All the bravery she’d talked herself into during the shower slipped away now that she stood in the safety of Seth’s arms. Bella burrowed her face against his shoulder and sobbed.

  “Okay, something’s wrong. Let’s sit you down and—Bellybean, it’s okay. I’m here. Talk to me.”

  “Oh, Seth, you’ll never believe the horrible thing that happened to me last night.”

  “Hell, Bella. Do I need to call the police?”

  He steered her toward the couch. His bright blue eyes studied her as he touched her jaw gently. They’d developed a friendship during ballroom dancing classes in middle school. That friendship had deepened in high school, after a medical-careers class in eleventh grade. Seth had been Bella’s model for compassion.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Just a few bruises,” she said, sniffling. “Physically, I’m fine. Mentally, well…I was chased by thr
ee men.”

  “What? Where? When?”

  “Last night.”

  “Were you jogging?”

  She winced at his admonishing tone. “Yes, but I took a new route.”

  “You know I hate you jogging at night to begin with, but you promised me you’d stick to the parks and well-lit avenues.”

  “I was bored with that route.” Sucking in gasping breaths, she forced up calm and bent a knee to kneel on the couch by Seth. “I have to tell you this fast, because if I don’t tell someone, I think I’ll go crazy. But what I have to say is so crazy, you might think I’ve already achieved insanity.”

  “You can tell me anything, Bellybean. If someone hurt you—”

  “They were vampires.”

  He closed his mouth. Seth’s gaze searched her face. Not accusing or condemning, just listening.

  “Three vampires,” she said. “They flashed their fangs and chased me. Seth, I know it sounds strange, but the guy in the warehouse said they were vampires, too.”

  “The guy in the warehouse?”

  “I ran into an abandoned warehouse to hide, but someone was already in there. He grabbed me. I thought he was going to hurt me, but he kept me quiet and hidden until the vampires gave up and left. He said he could smell them and I feel like he was some kind of creature, too, and—Seth, doesn’t this freak you out?”

  Head bowed and hands between his knees, he blew out a breath. “Not as much as you think it should. I’m freaked you were chased. The guy in the warehouse—he hurt you? Is that how you got this bruise?”

  She clasped a hand over his when he touched her jaw. “He was holding his hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t scream and alert the others.”

  “So he protected you. Huh.” Seth put a fist to his mouth, thinking. “Did the guy protecting you have fangs?”

  “Not that I saw. He said he hated vampires, that they smelled vile. He smelled things a lot. Seth, I just told you I was chased by vampires.”

  “I know, Bellybean. Don’t worry. I’ve known vampires exist for a while now.”

  “What?” Surprised by that calm statement, Bella shot up on one foot, the other leg still bent on the couch. “You know about vampires?”

  The chilling rush of blood leaving her head turned her flesh to goose bumps.

  Seth shrugged. “I’ve been dating one for a couple weeks.”

  An openmouthed gape was all she could manage.

  “Sit down, Bella. You’ve just discovered that mythical creatures exist, and not in a good way, either. Are you sure you’re okay? None of them put their fangs to you, did they?”

  She was still too stuck on the “I’ve been dating one” part to summon a response. Dragging her leg from the couch, Bella paced around behind the couch.

  Seth was her BFF. They told each other everything. Shared good times and bad. He’d been the one to encourage her to begin dancing again. And he was always the first with a hug when she needed one.

  He’d told her about a new girlfriend a few weeks ago over soup and sandwiches at Panera. Bella had been stunned how quickly he’d started calling this mystery woman his love. Seth never dated long-term and preferred to keep his dating schedule open for late-night pickups after a gig at the club.

  And he’d neglected to mention this newest fling was a vampire.

  “Whoever it was that grabbed you did good,” he finally said. “If those vamps had gotten their hands on you they would have bitten you. I wonder if it was a were?”

  “A were—as in werewolf? Seth, you’re killing me here. First, you neglect to tell me your girlfriend is a vampire. And now you’re so casual about the fact that creepy horror creatures actually exist. I don’t know what to think.”

  “It’s a lot to take in, but accept the fact that you have proof vamps do exist and move beyond it, Bella. That’s what you do.”

  “Yes. Yes, I believe. I mean, how can a girl not believe when she’s seen proof?”

  He turned and propped his elbows on the couch. “And yes, I do mean werewolf. If he was scenting the vampires like you said, it’s my best guess. Those things are like bloodhounds times ten. They can pick out a peppermint Life Savers in a city the size of New York. Put them on the scent, and set them loose.”

  “Oh my God.” Again the nausea rose. Bella gripped the couch. “He said he had my scent in his nose, and that he’d find me again if he wanted.”

  “Shit, Bella, that’s not good.”

  “No kidding. The last thing I need is a werewolf tracking me down to—”

  Finish what he’d wanted to start last night in the warehouse?

  Bella sank to her knees. Seth bounded over the back of the couch and lifted her so she sat on the back of it. He nudged between her legs, his hands to her hips and his head bowed to her forehead.

  “Just lie low, Bella. It’s going to be okay. Last night was a fluke. Don’t ever go down that street again. And stick to jogging during the day, will you? Vamps don’t do daylight.”

  “Oh, mercy.” It was too incredible that the silver-screen stereotypes were true. “And crosses?”

  “Kill vamps dead. But only if they’ve been baptized.”

  “Christ.”

  “That’s about the point of it. Oh, and stakes work pretty well, too, but from what I understand, you’ve got to burst their heart or else they’ll bounce right back at you. Werewolves, on the other hand, can do daylight. So maybe I don’t want you going out for a run at all.”

  “Seth, I’m freaked that you know so much and are actually dating a vampire. How does that happen? Why does that happen? Are you her slave? Is she sucking your blood?”

  She grabbed his shirt and tugged aside the wide lapel to reveal a purple-and-green bruise on the side of his neck. “Oh, no, you are a slave.”

  “I’m nothing of the sort.” He tugged his shirt collar to make it stand upright. Seth was all about fashion and the right haircut. “She doesn’t take very much, and besides, it feels good.”

  “Good? To have some creature bite into your flesh and suck out your blood? Oh, Seth.”

  Bending and putting her head between her knees felt right, but instead Bella wavered before her friend. She wanted to hug him, but at the same time she couldn’t touch him. A vampire had bitten him. What did that make Seth?

  “It’s all cool, Bella. I’m in love.”

  Panic strummed her voice. “Because she has you under her control.”

  “Because she is the most perfect woman I have ever met. She makes me happy, and I make her happy. Now, I want to be sure you’re safe tonight, so this ticket will go to someone else.”

  “No, I want to go to the show. I’ve written it on my calendar.”

  “Heaven forbid, Belladonna Reynolds wavers from her schedule,” he mocked grandly.

  “Seth! I’m not going to hide in the dark like a mushroom. I can deal with this. Maybe. After I’ve wrapped my head around it. Vampires? Really?”

  “Yes, Bella, really.”

  “Right. Really.” She tucked her forefinger in his jeans pocket, where she suspected he kept the ticket. “I want a ticket, Seth. Please? It’ll be good for me to dance the night away and not think about other stuff.”

  He shoved a hand in the pocket and produced a Day-Glo green ticket and relented before she could take it. “Promise you’ll take a cab to and from?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Bella.”

  “The club is down the street, less than a mile. The street is well lit, and there are always clubbers and cars out well past midnight, so it’s not like I’ll be alone.”

  “Bella, among those clubbers are vampires. They are out there. And so are werewolves and demons and faeries and all other sorts.”

  “Oh, just stop, Seth. I haven’t gotten sick yet, but you keep talking like you’re such an expert on all those woo-woo things and I may hurl. Button up your shirt. I can’t believe you’d let someone do that to you.”

  “Don’t worry.” He tossed her a charming wink as he tugged a
t his lapels. “She’s very careful. If she took too much, I’d die.”

  “What?”

  “That’s not going to happen. She may even give me immortality. But that’s my choice.”

  “You’re not helping my need to hurl.”

  “Right. So tonight?”

  “Is she going to be there?”

  “Maybe. You want me to introduce you?”

  Come face-to-face with another vampire after last night’s adventure? “No.”

  “I understand.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “So you should go shower again, and maybe once more before you go outside today.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m thinking you can wash off whatever scent you were putting out last night. Or, I know, wear that sexy perfume you have, the one that smells like cloves.”

  “You think the werewolf will smell me from…anywhere?”

  “Don’t start to cry, Bellybean. I just think it would be a good precaution.”

  His hug felt great, yet at the moment Bella felt her arms would never be able to grasp the reassurance she needed. Everything in her world had changed. How could she return to the cheery, stress-free, well-ordered life she enjoyed?

  “Wh-what do werewolves do to people, Seth? I mean, if vampires suck blood, what about…”

  “I’m not sure. They wolf out when the moon is full, I know that, which makes them into hairy creatures. Or so I’ve been told. I think they’re real sex freaks, too. But again, it’s only hearsay.”

  “Sex freaks,” Bella muttered mindlessly. “When’s the next full moon?”

  “Couple weeks. Look, should I try to find out more info? Maybe I’ll ask around if anyone knows a wolf in the area, see what you’re dealing with.”

  She nodded. “That sounds good. But maybe it would be better to drop it all. Maybe he didn’t like what he smelled.”

  Not judging by how he had groped her last night. And that kiss, so hard, and yet wanting. If she hadn’t been freaked out of her gourd, she might have found it alluring.

  An alluring werewolf?

  “I think I do need another shower,” she added.