Insolita Luna

by M. J. O'Shea

  “Zack, I don’t want you to have to change your life for me.”

  “Don’t even start. I already said I’d do anything for you. Taking a few night classes is nothing. I’m already the TA in a night writing class with my parents’ neighbor. Remember weird Professor Hawthorne?”

  Noah nodded. “Yeah, I remember you telling me about him.”

  “It’ll be fine. I don’t like to be up in the morning anyway. You know that.”

  “I do know that. You’ve always been nocturnal.” He smiled at me in the darkness and I grinned back.

  “See? We’re perfect for each other,”

  We were quiet again after that, but the silence had changed. I could tell our last conversation had done some good. The air wasn’t filled with quite so much worry and guilt. We enjoyed each other’s company as much as we possibly could in the weird circumstances we happened to be in. I supposed that it was always going to be like that with him, wondering if someone was after Noah or both of us. It didn’t really matter. I’d meant it when I told him I didn’t care. I’d run from a whole army of Harpers if I got to be with him while I was running.

  I MUST have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew I could see the lights of the city in the distance. “We’re here already?” I asked.

  “Yeah. You were asleep for a long time.”

  “Sorry I wasn’t better company. I guess I was pretty tired.”

  “I haven’t exactly been letting you sleep much.”

  I grinned and squeezed his hand, thinking of what we’d been doing instead of sleeping. “Believe me. Not complaining.”

  “Me neither,” Noah said and lifted my hand to his mouth for a little kiss.

  “Hey, you want me to drive? I know we’re almost there, but city traffic will be awful if you’re tired.”

  “Nah. You don’t know where we’re headed so it’ll be easier if I drive.”

  “What do you mean? Aren’t we going to my place?”

  “I gotta make a stop first. We’re going to visit a friend of mine.”

  WE PULLED into the city around two in the morning. I didn’t need to wonder about who Noah knew that would be up so late. It was New York, after all, and he probably had some pretty unusual friends. He wove through the streets as if he’d driven them a thousand times. I could tell he was familiar with the city. I didn’t want to think about how often he’d possibly been only a mile or so away from me. It was too frustrating. We were headed toward the East Village, a place where I’d spent many hours in the past three years.

  “So, we’re going to see my friend. He goes by PC.”

  “PC? Like the computer?”

  Noah rolled his eyes with a wry smile. “No, ‘PC’ like Pascal Charles.”

  “Vampire?” I was hoping he was one of the nice ones.

  “Um, no. Not exactly.”

  “Just tell me. I think I’ve gotten past the freaking-out stage. Are there any surprises left?”

  Noah laughed sarcastically. “Oh, I’m sure there are a few. PC isn’t a vampire, but he’s not fully human either. He’s a lycan.”

  “Lycan. I’ve heard that before. Are we talking about a werewolf here?” Of course we are. What’s next, Frankenstein? “Okay, I thought you guys were, like, mortal enemies or something.”

  “You watch too many movies. I don’t have any mortal enemies. Well, except anyone who tries to hurt you. PC is on our side. He’s tired of having to hide, just like me.”

  “Did he get… bitten too?”

  “No. The gene is in his family from his mother’s side. They weren’t sure it was going to happen to him. He didn’t change for the first time until about eight months ago. It tends to manifest with puberty, but I guess he was a bit of a late bloomer.”

  “Is it a full-moon thing?”

  “Not at all. Lycans aren’t werewolves. They can control the phasing. Well, PC still has trouble controlling it when he’s mad, but he’s working on it.”

  “How come?”

  “His dad’s French and his mom’s Romanian. I’m not sure which of them has a more fiery temper, but he’s got it coming from all sides. He’s pretty good at controlling it now.”

  He seemed to know an awful lot about this nonwerewolf. I felt a prick of jealousy. Another part about being with Noah—I was probably going to be jealous of every guy who looked at him sideways. That’s what happens when you’re with a pretty one. I was prepared to deal with it.

  “How long have you known him?” I had to ask. I didn’t want to sound like I was digging for details… but I was.

  “I met him not too long after I was changed. I got his number from an acquaintance at the bar in case I ever ‘needed anything.’ We’ve gotten to be friends.”

  “Needed anything?” The jealousy surged.

  “Yeah, like if I needed protection.”

  Protection? I didn’t want Wolfy touching Noah. I knew it was irrational and stupid, but I couldn’t help feeling it. “So that’s why we’re going to see the werewolf? He’s a bodyguard?”

  “Uh, lycan. Don’t ever call him a werewolf to his face. That’s kind of an insult. And yes, we’re going to see him. He can help us, but he’s definitely not a bodyguard. He has some, uh, shady connections that will be pretty useful right now. He can get us weapons you’re not really supposed to have and can help us make this car disappear. Plus, it’s always good to have the lycans on your side when things get bad.”

  I was still reeling from the idea of a werewolf friend with underworld connections when I registered the last sentence.

  “Do you think they will?”

  Noah gave me a slow look. “I really hope not, but it’s always better to be prepared. If there’s one thing my family’s good at, it’s finding people who don’t want to be found.”

  I couldn’t help but agree.

  PC THE lycan lived in an old brick building in the middle of the East Village. I’d always loved the Village, felt like I could almost hear the Beat poets of the past sitting around in coffee shops, effortlessly cooler than we could ever hope to become. It felt different than usual, though. Didn’t take a genius to figure out why. After the fight with Grandfather Dearest and Noah’s assurances that assorted vengeful Harpers were hot on our tail, I had every reason to feel uneasy.

  I gripped Noah’s hand tightly when we got out of the car. I didn’t like the fact that I felt uncomfortable in what was essentially my own neighborhood. It seemed as if every dark corner held someone watching us, ready to report our whereabouts to good old Grandpa Harper. I was more nervous than I had been at any time that afternoon. I probably would have felt better if I had Noah’s old hockey stick in my hand. I supposed that was why we were going to visit the lycan—to get protection. Didn’t make me feel much better.

  “Zack, babe, calm down. They can hear your heart beating from Chinatown.”

  “They?” Suddenly I was even more nervous.

  He chuckled quietly. “I didn’t mean anyone in particular. It was a figure of speech.”

  “I can’t help it. I’m a little freaked out. How do we know that none of these people work for your grandpa?”

  He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “We don’t. I don’t recognize any of them, but that doesn’t mean anything. I didn’t recognize any of his employees in the bar that night, and there was obviously someone there watching me. There’s nothing much we can do about it, anyway. As far as they know, we’re going to visit a friend and then leave. Which is true.”

  “Okay. My tough vampire boyfriend will protect me anyway, right?”

  He grinned and then his smile softened. “I’d protect you with my life.”

  It made shivers go up and down my spine. I rubbed my head against his shoulder, then followed him into the building in front of us.

  Of course, Noah’s friend had to live on the top floor of a building with a broken elevator. By the time we got up there, I was panting and starting to sweat in the un-air-conditioned swelter of the stairwell.
Next to the unruffled and cool Noah, I felt like a mess. He grinned at me and brushed his lips across my damp forehead, then took my hand to lead me down the hall. When we reached the fifth door on the right, Noah stopped and raised his hand to rap quietly on the antiqued wood.

  I heard footsteps on the other side and the door was cracked open cautiously before being thrown wide. I was very surprised by the guy on the other side. He didn’t look a day over fifteen. He was small and lithe and I couldn’t even imagine there was a big brawny wolf existing somewhere inside him. I had to admit when I heard “werewolf,” I was expecting someone more along the lines of Hugh Jackman and not the twerpy little kid in front of us. Goes to show what Hollywood does to our perceptions.

  “Noah!” he exclaimed, coming out of the apartment and giving Noah a huge brotherly hug. Even I, who thought there wasn’t anyone in the world hotter than my boyfriend, had to admit there were no intentions in that hug. PC was just like a sweet little… puppy.

  “PC, this is Zack. My boyfriend.”

  “You mean Zack-Zack? This is—”

  Noah nodded, grinning. “This is him. Zack, PC.”

  I smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” I didn’t forget for a second that I was actually meeting a real live were—I mean lycan. I wondered if I’d ever get used to all of it.

  “How did this happen, Noah?” PC asked, gesturing at me.

  I was surprised he didn’t wait until I went to the bathroom or something to start talking about me, but I loved the fact that Noah had obviously told him all about us.

  “We ran into each other a few weeks ago,” he answered, pulling me close and smiling down at me. “Turns out it’s exactly like I remembered. Better, even.” I wanted to kiss him, audience or not. I contented myself with rubbing my hand on his back.

  “And does he—”

  “Yeah. He knows everything. And that’s why we’re here.”

  IT WAS fun to watch Noah and PC together. I’d never seen him with a friend other than me, and they obviously had a totally different relationship than we did. They joked and flipped each other shit but I could tell that underneath it, they were close. Not romantic in any way. Just close. I was glad Noah had someone he could talk to.

  PC pulled us into his apartment, checking both directions in the hallway before shutting the door.

  “You think you guys were followed?”

  “No. Zack knocked my grandfather out before we left. He wouldn’t know which way we headed. Even if he knows I’m in the city, it’ll be hard to find me.”

  “You knocked his grandfather out?” PC grinned at me. “I gotta hear this one.”

  I smiled back at the kid and nodded. “Yeah, he was after Noah with some wicked-looking knife. I clocked him over the head with a hockey stick.”

  “Niiiiccceee. Hey, you want a soda or beer or anything? I got coffee too. I know bloodsucker here isn’t interested.”

  “Uh, sure. Are you okay with coffee, Noh? Will the smell make you sick?” He shook his head, so I told PC that I would actually love some coffee. I felt fairly certain we had a long night ahead of us.

  While waiting for PC to return, I was surprised to learn we weren’t the only visitors in his apartment. A few minutes after we got there, a loudly arguing couple burst from one of the back rooms. The girl was very pale underneath what would have been honey-colored skin, with long black waves and a tiny but voluptuous body. She reminded me of a real-life version of the princess from Aladdin. I could tell right away, though, that she was a vampire. I guess I was getting good at reading the signs. The guy, as far as I could tell, was human, like me. He was quite a bit taller than her and despite their arguing, I could see they totally adored each other.

  “That’s Leila and Jason,” Noah whispered to me. “She’s a vampire, obviously, and he’s human but a witch.”

  Now there’s witches too? I was starting to feel very ordinary.

  “Aren’t there any other regular old boring humans like me?”

  “You could never be boring. And, no, not really. Most humans tend not to react to us very well.” He smirked at me and raised his eyebrows. I felt a little guilty, since I had been one of those who reacted pretty badly at first. I could see the other two were looking at me curiously.

  Noah rose and gave the tiny little vampire girl a long hug. She kissed him on the cheek, her almond-shaped eyes flashing merrily.

  “Hey, Noah, love. We’ve missed you. You been holed up with the cutie on the couch?” Noah flushed a little but smiled and nodded.

  “Yeah. Leila, Jason, this is Zack.”

  I saw another significant look pass between Noah and the pretty girl. She was quite a bit more subtle than PC, but I could tell she knew about me too. It made my heart warm in my chest. I stood to shake her hand but was enveloped in a surprisingly strong hug.

  “It’s about time you two found each other,” she whispered. “He’s missed you so much.”

  I smiled at her. “I missed him too. He’s my best friend.”

  She grinned at me, teeth shining in the night.

  I turned and shook hands with Jason as well. His greeting was more masculine and subdued, but his smile was warm and friendly. It was obvious Jason was happy for Noah, as well. I was glad he’d had such good friends to help him through the last year. It had to have been hard for him.

  Noah took my hand and led me to the couch. Leila and Jason took the couch across from us, and PC sprawled his lanky body into the overstuffed easy chair. I took my first good look around his apartment. It was very interesting, almost like an apartment you’d see in a movie. It seemed as if PC had lived there for years. The floors were scuffed wood, covered with exquisite Persian rugs; the walls were antiqued and adorned with posters of the New York City Ballet, Paris and Bordeaux, and replicated impressionist paintings. The shelves were full of lamps and books and odd collected objects like a sparkly Eiffel Tower and a little doll with an intricate flowered dress.

  “This is a great place,” I told him, still taking in the details.

  “It’s my parents’ apartment. They don’t usually live in the city anymore, but they keep it for me.”

  “It’s a big place for just one guy.”

  “Oh, we live here too,” Leila answered, pointing down the hallway they’d come from. I was a little envious. It sounded fun—like a permanent summer camp for the paranormally gifted.

  “So what do you need to get away from the Evil Gramps?” PC asked.

  IT WAS nearly dawn when we stumbled our way into my apartment. PC had offered us enough weapons to outfit an entire terrorist cell—Noah chose a few small pieces—and he promised to not only make Noah’s car disappear but get him a decent amount of money from whatever off-the-book sale he managed to pull. PC and the others had my phone number and promised to keep in touch daily. We’d ditched Noah’s phone back at the lake, figuring it was better to be safe than sorry.

  After closing and dead-bolting every single place where someone could get in, I led Noah to my brand new bedroom and helped him strip down to boxers before I tucked him into my bed with a kiss to his forehead. Just like when we were kids, he seemed to have energy for days but when he finally slept, nuclear war wouldn’t wake him. I tiptoed around the apartment closing curtains so if he woke during the day he wouldn’t be stuck in my room. Last, I closed the big blackout curtains in my bedroom. I’d invested in them the day my parents signed the lease so I wouldn’t wake up every morning with the sun right in my face. Then I crawled under the light summer blankets and curled up next to my already slumbering boyfriend. He rolled over in his sleep and wound his arm around my waist. I smiled and closed my eyes, thinking for the millionth time how happy I was to be with him.

  “I love you,” I whispered, not expecting a response.

  “Love you too” was the sleepy reply, mumbled against my neck.

  I curled up against Noah and closed my eyes. I fell asleep easily, feeling warm, comfortable, and safe.

  Chapt
er Nine: Games

  THAT EVENING I woke to the sound of my cell ringing insistently. At first, I thought it had to be an emergency so I bolted from the bed and picked up the phone immediately, without even checking the ID. I realized after I’d done it that it wasn’t a good idea to blindly pick up phones or open doors anymore.

  “Hey, yo. What are you two doing tonight?”

  In my half-asleep blur, I didn’t recognize the rough but friendly voice at first. “Hi, PC. You scared me. Is everything okay?”

  “Of course. Just wanted to see if you and your man were busy or if you could come chill for a while.”

  “Oh….” The request seemed so normal in the midst of the strange world I had been dumped in. I was also surprised the invite had been extended to me. I didn’t feel quite cool enough to be included in the Supernatural Squad, but apparently my attachment to Noah was a get-in-free card. “Uh, I don’t know what we’re doing. Nothing, probably. Noah’s still asleep.”

  PC made a loud snorting noise. “Dude, he’ll sleep forever if you let him. Wake his butt up and come over. It’s game night. The sun will be down in like twenty minutes.”

  Game night?

  “Is it safe?” I asked. “You know, for us to be over there? I don’t want to put you guys in danger.”

  He laughed, the sound echoing in the phone. “Don’t worry about it. I’m already in danger just by existing. So is Leila. Jason chooses to hang out with us, so he isn’t in any better shape than you. I say screw it. Come over. We’re playing Texas Hold ’em. I promise Jason only cheats a little. Plus we don’t play for money, just fun.”

  I smiled to myself and told him we’d be over as soon as I got Noah up and showered.

  “Oh Jesus, I didn’t need to hear about that. I see the way he looks at you and that alone is already way too much info. Just don’t stay in there all night, okay? We’ll wait for you to start the game.”