EXCERPT FROM A BAD MOON RISING
By Sabrina Luna
An Ebook at Sugar & Spice Press
October 3rd 2009
A cool autumn breeze caressed him as he stepped out onto the wooden porch. “Megan?” he called out into the darkness surrounding the cabin. “Megan, sweetheart, are you okay?” No reply. Nothing except the sounds of nocturnal creatures in the woods and the watery-sounds of a nearby lake.
Derek glanced over to the gravel driveway. Her Honda was still parked right where she’d left it. His heart pounded wildly as he leapt off the porch. His skin was itching beneath his clothing. The sithech inside wanted out. Derek glanced up at the moon over the tree tops. “Damn you!” he hissed. “This is all your fault, isn’t it?”
The moon glowed back, cold, silent and aloof.
A rustle in the bushes near the car caught Derek’s attention. He stilled, holding his breath. His heart lurched into his throat as he made out a pair of eyes staring at him from the darkened hedge.
The creature leapt out from its hiding place. A large, reddish-hued wolf with green eyes. It was Megan in her sithech form. Derek had never seen another of his kind until now. His heart softened, deep-seated emotions bubbling inside him. Joy and happiness mingled with awe and a dash of fear. “Megan, is that you?” he asked softly, holding his still, uncertain stance. “I was worried about you.”
The wolf let out a low whimper, slowly padding toward him on four paws. Within a few feet of him, she stopped and sniffed the air. Derek knew she sensed his fear. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve never seen you like uh, this before.” He managed a thin smile. “But you’re beautiful. Really, really beautiful.”
He didn’t know how much of what he said she’d comprehend. In his own experience, he recalled that sometimes he felt human inside, other times not.
“Remember what I said earlier, Derek. Within us, there is a delicate balance between our human side and our sithech.” Derek heard her voice in his head as if she were speaking directly to him. The wolf blinked her big, green eyes, then slowly nodded.
“Of course I can understand you.” “Oh, good!” Derek exhaled a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I thought I was the lunatic.”
Megan trotted over to the porch and laid a paw on a pile of clothing…her clothing, folded neatly on a wooden plank. She glanced back at him, a glimmer of moonlight in her eyes.
“Wait here a moment,” she conveyed, then disappeared around the side of the house. Within a few minutes, a bare arm appeared around the edge of the cabin.
“My clothes, please?” she asked with a wave of her hand. “Sorry I took off like that, but I was feeling a bit edgy. I desperately needed a run in the woods.”
Derek grinned, scooping up the pile and handed them to her. “It’s okay. I understand. I just can’t get over seeing you like that, Meg. You’re a beautiful creature.”
“Gee, thanks!” Megan, now in her human form, rounded the corner, returning his grin. “Maybe I should pose for the cover of National Geographic, huh?” She winked.
He reached out, encircling his arm around her waist and drew her to him. “You’re a beautiful sithech and woman, too.”
In the glow of the moonlight, he saw her cheeks darken with color. She looked so lovely, so tempting—even if she had twigs stuck in her hair.
“Derek, you shouldn’t say such things.” There was a quiver in her voice as she attempted to pull from his grasp.
“Now, hold on, Meg,” he coaxed. “What’s wrong with me finding you attractive?”
“It’s just the moon having its effect on you. You’re not thinking clearly,” she protested.
“Well, I must confess, Ms. McShaw, I found you attractive even before the moon was near full. Does that make you feel any better?” Derek chuckled and leaned closer, catching a whiff of her dark musky scent.
Megan gazed up at him, speechless. He brought a hand up and tenderly brushed away a smug of dirt on her warm cheek with the pad of his thumb. A shiver went through his body like a ghost passing through a wall.
She drew a ragged breath. “Derek, now is not—”
Before she could finish her protest, he kissed her. Her lips were like warm honey, sweet and yielding against his hungry mouth. A low moan escaped from deep in her throat, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in closer, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, drawing their bodies together.
Every muscle in his body tightened, burning with an inner fire. His cock, buried in the crotch of the borrowed sweatpants, also responded, humming to life.
Involuntarily, his hips pushed forward, rubbing against her, seeking out her heat between the layers of clothing. His tongue darted over the warm seam of her lips, parting them gently and capturing her in a fuller, deeper kiss.
The sounds of the forest around them melted away. All of his senses were focused on Megan—sweet, delicious Megan. Sliding a hand beneath the hem of her shirt, he glided a hand over her hot, sweaty skin. Gliding upward, his hands grazed the cups of her bra, feeling the firm imprints of her nipples against the satiny material.
Oh, sweet Jesus! He loved the way she was responding to his touch, confirming that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. His heart thundered in his chest, his hips pressing against her body.
He peeled his lips from hers, planting soft kisses down her neck. The warm, musky scent was spurring him on, making him desperate, hungry and—
“No!” Megan’s voice broke the spell. “No, Derek, we can’t!” She pulled away from his grasp.
Dazed with desire, he blinked, confused. But he held his stance under the heavy gravity of her stare.
“Megan, don’t do this,” he softly pled. “I want you. Honestly, I do.”
“Now’s not the right time,” she protested. “Let’s wait until after the Samhain moon passes, then we’ll see if whatever we’re feeling is the real deal.”
“B-but, Meg, I’m real horny!” he stammered in frustration.
“I can tell.” She flashed him a smirk, her gaze dropping to the tented crotch of his sweatpants.
Derek felt his face warm with embarrassment as she turned, heading back to the cabin.
“I suggest you take another shower…a cold one,” she called over her shoulder. “I need to head to bed. I’m going into town tomorrow to meet with the pack. While I’m there, I’ll gather a few more supplies…including some more suitable clothes for you.”
* * *
A BAD MOON RISING
By Sabrina Luna
Available in Ebook format
October 3rd at Sugar & Spice Press
