Snarling at the Moon

by Zenina Masters

  Sera liked kissing him; it was akin to having a mouthful of pop rocks. She had always loved pop rocks.

  When he broke their kiss, she was disappointed, but she tabled that as he worked at her neck, using his teeth on her in a way that made her beast snarl with enjoyment.

  Her nipples were tight and her breasts ached. He seemed to know what was going on in her body, because his broad hands cupped her breasts and massaged them gently a moment before he closed his lips over one nipple, and he sucked softly, his breath and tongue jerking a nerve connection of sensation between her breast and groin.

  She could hear the crackling of energy between them as he moved back and kissed her, stroking his tongue over every nick and scar she had accumulated in her time in the collar.

  His hands urged her knees apart, and she resisted out of reflex. He persisted, and she eased her thighs apart, shivering at the cool air that rushed in to touch her embarrassingly wet skin.

  He covered her folds with his mouth, and his hot tongue worked inside her with amazing dexterity.

  Sera squeaked and held onto the blankets next to her hips. The newness of the feeling blocked her enjoyment until she managed to relax in his grip.

  He moved his head slightly and slid a finger into her while he covered her clit with his mouth. She began to shift her hips against the slow press and retreat of his finger.

  The enjoyment he was generating moved through her body until even her fingers were hot. Her toes flexed when he slid another digit into her and she continued to gasp and shiver while her senses were overloaded.

  The noise she made when she came was a bit of a surprise. It was a short, sharp cough that preceded her being flooded with fey magic and spirals of her own power.

  He slipped a third finger into her and held her on the peak as she shuddered with him slowly tonguing her clit.

  Sera slumped back to the bed, and he pulled away from her before covering her and easing inside with tiny thrusts that pushed and twisted him into her.

  Atter was glowing with power, and to her surprise, so was she. She clutched his shoulders as he entered her; her hands gleamed with bright energy as the tension inside her finally allowed him passage.

  Seconds, minutes, hours, it all blended together as they moved against each other, his pale eyes staring at her, and her gaze was locked to his.

  The crackles of magic were all around them, blinding them to everything outside their union.

  Atter stroked her clit again while adding a twist to his hips, and it took a dozen grinding thrusts before she gasped and arched against him, power moving between them and through them.

  He groaned, and she felt the burn of his own magic in her veins, inside her and against her skin.

  He slowly lowered himself until his weight pinned her firmly, and he kissed her. The kiss was passionate but sweet. The sparks of conflicting magic were smaller now, tiny aftershocks that ran through them as they came down from the blast of the senses.

  Sera stroked her hands up and down his spine lazily and enjoyed the moment.

  * * * *

  Teebie was concentrating on putting out the fires that the shockwave had sent out. If this was what happened every time fey mingled with shifters, no wonder the unions had been forbidden. The wildfires and electrical surges would have driven folks to believe in the devil.

  Her other guests were gripping their tables and staring at the second floor.

  One cleared his throat. “What was that?”

  Teebie resumed the tidying of the tea service. “It was a first union between two powerful beings.”

  “Atter mated with that thing?” Trebor laughed.

  Teebie felt the tray crack under her hands. “Get out.”

  The elf blinked in surprise. “What?”

  “Get. Out. What she is is because of your kind, the way she looks, her social standing in her community, all changed because of an arrogant fey who wanted to capture and keep shifters as beasts, pets. There is no place for you here.”

  He was shocked but he got to his feet.

  With a flick of her fingers, Teebie tossed his bag against his chest. “Tell Teal and Tony what you like, but do not come back here. You are not welcome. You did not arrive with an open heart; you can take your closed heart and leave.”

  Trebor turned to the elf next to him. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Maksin cocked his head. “No. I find her beautiful, even with the fangs. Your prejudice should have kept you out of the Crossroads, but I know you pulled strings to be one of the first to bring home a breeding shifter bride.”

  Trebor stiffened his spine. “Why else would one want a shifter to mate?”

  Teebie smiled as deep, joyous laughter ran down from the rooms above. “I do not want anything to disturb their joy. Come with me.”

  She grabbed his arm and teleported him to the Meditation Centre. Teal and Tony emerged and looked at her in surprise. “Teebie?”

  “This one wants a pet he can fuck and breed. Send him home and tell the fey seers to smarten up.”

  Tony’s eyes filled with fury, and he grabbed Trebor’s arm as the elf protested. Teebie could see the elf fighting, his muscles bulged and his neck strained. The guardians of the Crossroads pinned him into the portal and sent him home.

  Tony turned and the icon hung from his fingers. “Thank you for bringing him here before he could begin to poison the populace.”

  Teebie was still vibrating with fury. “No one disrespects my guests.”

  Teal inclined her head. “Well done.”

  “I also want to change the bed and breakfast back to the Open Heart. I will put a scanner on it, and those who do not have an open heart will not pass the threshold.”

  “Done. I will have the beavers make a new sign for you. Something fancy but tasteful.”

  Teebie inclined her head. “We are about to have another fey-shifter mating. Can you call the witnesses?”

  “Of course. I will send a courier when we are ready.”

  Teebie chuckled. “Fancy name for Andy.”

  Teal snickered. “The new ritual is fancy. I thought we needed to make it a little more ornate.”

  “It is ornate enough. I have to get back. Atter and Sera caused quite the reaction. I have never seen that much cold flame in my life.” Teebie nodded and took her leave of the guardians.

  With him gone, the darkness that she had felt in her domain was gone. She whistled slightly as she returned to her home and sent a snack tray up the stairs for the new couple.

  Their formal joining was going to be a bit of an ordeal, but they would get through it. The balance was important, but with the damage Sera had suffered, there was no predicting what form it would take.

  Chapter Eight

  The strange ceremony was a little peculiar. The funny thing was that they would have to do it all over again in the human world.

  She sent her energy to the centre where it was held, Atter sent his energy to the centre and it was held, and then, when they agreed to the mix of their energies, they were struck and bonded to the power of shifter and fey in equal measure.

  Her body fought the cool surge of energy in her veins, and it wasn’t until she saw the light of Atter’s face gleaming with sweat and light that she surrendered to the icy burn under her skin.

  She was floating above her podium, drifting as the sun set and her skin glowed with the same brightness that Atter’s did.

  A harsh snarling was coming from his side of the ritual, and she could see the sharp canines flashing in his jaws. With a laugh, she held her hand out to him, and her instinct pulled them together.

  He was shaking his head as his body fought for supremacy over the fey magic.

  “Give up to it, Atter. Just relax and let it run through you. It is weird, but it doesn’t burn.”

  He whined and pressed his forehead to her shoulder.

  The official made the necessary binding to lock their blended energ
ies in their bodies and it was over.

  A woman who burned with magic stepped forward and smiled. “I think you two are balanced enough to get the hang of this in the human world. It won’t take Atter much time to get his grip, and you have already integrated the fey magic which is normally the most dangerous part.”

  Teal, Tony and Teebie stepped forward.

  Teebie smiled, “Your bags are packed.”

  “We are ready when you are.”

  Atter whined again.

  Sera lifted her hand to the locals and smiled. “Just a minute.”

  She took Atter’s hand and lifted her Grecian skirt up to keep her from tripping, hauling him into the open field beyond the mating ground.

  He was dressed like an ancient knight, and it looked good on him. The tunic was soft and trimmed with silver, the fabric was a rich dark blue. She didn’t think she would ever fall for a man in tights, but he looked really good.

  When she was far enough away for even enhanced hearing, she looked up at him. “Shifting 101. The first thing you do is anchor to your form with hands and feet. Concentrate on fingers and everything that goes with it.”

  He looked at her with his lion’s features and flat nose. With a sharp breath, he inhaled and his paws became fingers and his ears were his own again.

  He sighed in relief. “You have to fight that all the time?”

  “My beast? No. She and I know each other. You have been given a new entity to live in your body, and you two will have to get to know each other. The big key is to run with them. Live in their environment for a while and they will leave you alone in yours.”

  “How much time does he need?”

  “I don’t know. It depends on his personal inclinations. My beast is still mostly a wolverine, so he won’t want to mate with me that way, but knowing that he can take his mate might drive him back to your normal form.”

  He scowled. “So, you manipulate him with sex.”

  She smiled brightly and patted his cheek. “No. You do. Now, let’s have some cake and then get home. I hope you don’t mind my moving in. I don’t really have much more than a room with a bed and a woodstove.”

  “I have room, pardon me. We have room.”

  She chuckled. “You adapt quickly. Put it in writing, mate.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they walked to the party. One slice of cake, one rainbow beverage provided by Spike and they were ready to leave.

  Sera could feel the tenuous grip he had on his fey form. She kept close to him because his lust kept his desire for his current form active. His lion was going to need a run but that could wait a few hours.

  He looked down at her and smiled with delight. “Your teeth are normal and your ears changed.”

  She yelped in surprise and checked her ears. “Son of a bitch.”

  Where her normal curved cartilage was were two pointed elfin ears. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  Dira was nearby. She drifted close and commented quietly, “You were not locked into your human form. You didn’t consider it important. The balance gave Atter more animal and you more fey. The flying was part of it. His family has always surfed along on light. You picked that up without hesitation. Your learning time will be better spent in his environment becoming the next person you are meant to be. You have been daughter, shifter, prisoner, survivor; now, it is time to add cherished and beloved to that mix.”

  Sera blinked at the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes. Atter’s arm was tight around her and he held her against the solid warmth of his chest.

  Teal and Teebie came forward and the gathering shepherded her to the Meditation Centre where an amazing stack of luggage waited for them.

  Sera wiped her tears and looked at Atter, “You don’t pack light.”

  He chuckled. “Only one of those is mine.”

  Teebie and Teal came forward, smiling.

  Teal explained. “The ladies here decided that since your family didn’t give you a trousseau, we could manage to put one together, so we did.”

  Teebie nodded. “There are enough clothes there to get you through the first few months of living with Atter. After that, he should have set you up with one of those goblin seamstresses they are always so proud of.”

  Atter nodded. “I will get right on it.”

  Sera hugged Teebie and Teal in turn, sniffling with a smile. “I always cry at weddings.”

  Everyone laughed, and she stood with Atter on the portal platform. The guardians charged up, and with precise care, they were transported off to Atter’s home or at least his transport point.

  Sera was cuddled against him, and she cautiously opened her eyes when they stopped moving and the light dimmed.

  “We are in the folly.”

  She looked up at him. “The what?”

  “It is a stone temple that was built in the gardens for no other reason than to look pretty.”

  Statues of ancient gods and goddesses lined the pillars, and she could see a large manicured lawn that led up to a huge brick house larger than her high school.

  “This is your house?”

  “Our house. Yes.” He smiled and kept his arms wrapped around her. “Can we shift and run around a little?”

  She chuckled. “Yes. Let me just skim out of this dress. I like it and I want to keep it.”

  “Put it in the ether. Interdimensional space.”

  “What?”

  “We remove our clothing and park it in an interdimensional space, and when we shift back, we put it on again.”

  He whispered instructions, and when he was done, she tried them out.

  She squawked in shock as she saw that her fur was now snow white. She heard his laughter, and she turned to snap at him.

  When she was done with her threat display, she went for a run. Her body took up a rocking gallop that moved her through the precisely manicured grass with ease.

  The lion that eventually overtook her was faster, stronger and had far more grace than the previous version.

  Sera slowed and stopped, rolling to her back and rubbing back and forth in the grass. When she had stretched and scratched her itch, she watched the lion run back and forth, chasing dandelion fluff.

  A long stretch and she stood, putting her gown back into place, ties and all. She quickly grabbed a hank of her hair and sighed in relief that it was still her normal dark sable. She loved her hair. It was her favourite part of her.

  With a motion of habit, she stroked her scars, but they were gone as well. Sera sat and waited for her mate. Eventually, he noticed her and came running over.

  She stroked her cheek along his, in the standard marking ritual. He lapped at her tears with his wide, rough tongue and rumbled in comfort.

  Sera chuckled and put her arms around his neck, burying her face in his mane.

  A moment later, she was holding her mate and he was holding her in return.

  “What is it, Sera?”

  “The marks are gone. They disappeared beneath this bright new skin.”

  “You have your memories, but you don’t need to wear the damage. This is a new start for both of us. We are doing this together.”

  She chuckled. “How is your beast?”

  “He is concerned for you.”

  She kissed him and embraced the fey magic pushing at her, trying to drive away her tears. Elves rarely cried. Apparently, their magic didn’t like it.

  She felt light touching her and pulling her upward. She held onto him as the pull continued. “What is going on?”

  “You are learning to use light-based magic. I prefer lunar magic, but you seem attuned to the sun.”

  He stood and held her hands. “Just go and see what it wants you to do.”

  Thankful that the gown was full and swirled around her in silken waves as she rose, she let go of Atter’s hands.

  Sera shot into the air and hung fifteen feet above the ground. The power of the sun poured into her and
out her hands, feet, mouth, spine and everywhere in between.

  Atter rose in front of her and took her hands again. “Take it in and wear it on your skin.”

  She nodded and followed his direction. When she had done everything he had suggested, she was back on her feet and her skin was a soft gold, her ears were still pointy and her hair was still sable. Whew.

  He landed in front of her and kissed both her palms. “Ready to meet the staff?”

  “You have staff?”

  “We have staff. Some are human, some are not. None know you are a shifter or that shifters exist.”

  “I presume that the non-humans do.”

  He rocked his hand in the air. “No one knows what the goblins know.”

  She smiled and looked back to the folly. “Where did the bags go?”

  “The staff collected them while we were running around on four feet.”

  Sera looked to the house. “I suppose we should get this over with.”

  “Ah, if you have that much enthusiasm for our bed, I will die a happy man...eventually.” He winked and offered her his arm.

  She smiled and took the arm, walking into the new life with her mate.

  Chapter Nine

  Serapha tried not to be nervous at her second wedding. There were elves, lesser fey, human politicians who had wrangled an invitation and three members of her family who had come when she called.

  Her personal maid helped her with her hair for a final time. “Lady Nightsong, you do not need to worry. Lord Artur is enamoured with you. He has finally warmed to the idea of home and family.”

  Serapha patted her belly. “Good thing too, Keepa. I gave up on not getting pregnant this month so something is already starting.”

  Keepa paused. “You are with child?”

  “Currently I am with a cellular cluster.” Serapha looked at herself in the mirror and had to admit that Keepa’s aunt’s skills with the needle and thread were amazing.

  “Pardon me for a moment, lady. I will be right back.”

  In a flurry of claws and teeth, Keepa ran for the door and headed down the hallway. Sera could hear her go.