Blood Moon (Moon Books) (16 page)

The part that floored me was that I could feel a few eyes coming directly my way. I hadn’t really spent a ton of time checking myself out in the mirror. Most of the early evening had been taken up with trying to get used to the barrage of new sensations that constantly came my way. I knew I looked different though. My skin was more like Noah’s now, luminous and glowy instead of just pale; and my hair seemed to do exactly what I wanted it to do rather than constantly fighting me like it had for the past twenty-one years. Even the black was different, making me look mysterious instead of like some college kid with a stupid dye job.

I put my arm around Noah’s waist and cuddled up to him grinning. I didn’t feel the need to stick close to him because I was uncomfortable. I just wanted to be near him because it felt great. I felt great.

Why would anyone not want this?

“Noah,” Dan the bartender nodded. It took him a long moment to realize who I was. “Oh my!” He grinned. “I wasn’t sure if this one was even going to make it through the other night. I was obviously wrong.”

Noah chuckled. “Yeah, he’s tougher than you’d think. You’re looking at New York’s newest vampire.” He leaned over and gave me a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Congrats. Welcome to the family.”

I smiled at Dan, whose vibe towards me had changed a hundred and eighty degrees since our last encounter. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here.”

Noah and Dan both chuckled at that.

Noah led me into the bar, arm around my shoulders, smiling at the socialite vampires with their designer bags and sharp fangs. Weirdly enough, I actually felt like I belonged. Apparently they’d been staring at me before because I was human, not because my clothes weren’t up to par. It was a weird feeling for me, fitting in. I’d never felt like I really belonged anywhere, other than with Noah. I’d had friends in high school and college, but there was always this mental separation between me and them. At least that’s how I always perceived it. For the first time, I finally felt like I wasn’t an outsider.

I was so busy enjoying my newfound environment that I didn’t notice the little dark tornado until she nearly bowled us over.

“Zack!” she exclaimed, leaping up and wrapping her miniature curves around me.

I laughed and gave her a long hug back. She smelled pleasant, but not really all that edible to me. Her aroma was warm and light. It reminded me of sunshine. “Hey, Leila.”

She stepped back and looked me over carefully, fingering my hair and my cheekbones. “Very nice. You were adorable before, but now...” She nodded appreciatively.

I blushed and ducked my head into my chest.

“Leila, you’re embarrassing my boyfriend.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It was one of those rare moments in life when everything felt like it had fallen into place. I was finally part of the group, an equal to Noah. I felt strong and new and in love. My world couldn’t be better.

“C’mon, baby. We gotta find you a boy snack,” Noah whispered.

I laughed under my breath. “Well, actually, I think I may not swing that way. At least where my taste for blood is concerned. On the street the women smelled way better to me than the men did.”

Noah’s eyes grew wide. “You going straight on me?”

“Maybe. But only until we get home.”

He pulled me in for a lusty little kiss that left me breathless and wishing we could be naked already.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” I breathed and squeezed his hand.

Leila, who I’d completely forgotten about, fanned herself dramatically. “Ah, to be a fly on the wall of casa Zack and Noah tonight.”

I burst into laughter and swatted her arm.

She held out her hand to me. “C’mon, gorgeous. Noah’s clueless when it comes to girls. Let me find you a hot chick to sink your new little teeth into.”

I took her hand with a smile. Noah gave me a mock hurt look, but then smiled and headed off to search for his own dinner.

* * * *

Prowling the bar as a vampire was a completely different experience than being looked at like an appetizer had been. This new side of the fence was much more comfortable. Leila had her arm looped loosely through my elbow and we were cruising the collection of girls looking for that perfect first bite.

“You like blondes?” she asked.

I shrugged. It had never occurred to me to think any girl was really attractive. I inhaled experimentally as we walked past a few of the girls. Finally, one of the smells made goose bumps go up my spine.

“I want that last one. The girl that just walked by,” I whispered to Leila with an excited grin.

She turned and scanned the crowd. “The sexy one in the green shirt? Give me a sec. I’ll be right back.”

Leila returned with the tall curvy brunette in tow. I inhaled, loving her complex colorful aroma. My head spun and I couldn’t help shuddering. I wanted to bite her so desperately bad. I decided that it was best to wait for Leila’s instructions. I’d hate to hurt someone on my first night out.

“Trista,” Leila began when they reached me. “This is Zack. He’s new, so I’m going to help him out a little.”

The brunette looked me over. “Cute,” she murmured, her voice throaty.

I blushed a little. Obviously being turned into a vampire hadn’t changed my ability to get embarrassed in a heartbeat.

“Zack, this is Trista. She’s a regular so don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Just take it slow.”

I stepped up to Trista and wove my fingers into the warm hair at the base of her scalp. Little excited trills tingled all over my body.

“Okay, lick her skin where you’re going to bite. Your saliva will make the skin tingly so she won’t feel the bite as much.” I knew that worked. I’d felt the tingles myself many times. I licked and could feel Trista tremble. Her back arched, her neck was exposed and open.

“All right, when you’re about to bite, think of blood. Just the thought will make your fangs drop. Then pierce the skin gently and drink only until you feel slightly full. Any more will be too much blood loss for her.” I opened my mouth, thinking of the juicy pulsing blood gushing through her veins, ready for my tongue to taste it. The tiny sting of fangs poking through my gums distracted me from my goal for a split second, then I was back, brushing her skin with my small newborn teeth, trying to prolong the anticipation.

The second I bit into her neck, my brain exploded. Her flavor was a heady mix of fruitiness and sultry heat. I saw hundreds of colors floating behind my eyelids, the colors I could sense in her scent; reds and purples and pinks, warmth and passion. I was instantly overcome by desire. Desire for more blood, of course. I would always want more blood. But I also wanted to touch her, a need that I’d never associated with a woman before.

I ran my hand up her torso lightly and traced her collarbone with my fingers, caressing. I could feel the blood gushing through her veins, headed for my mouth. She covered my hand with her own and squeezed, moaning and arching her head into me. Her moan seemed to vibrate in my head, causing the multitude of colors to burst and sparkle. My own blood rushed headlong between my legs and I moaned a little, swallowing the sweet hot liquid. The sexual heat combined with the lust for blood, making me want to increase the suction.

My stomach started to feel full and sloshy. I knew it was time to pull away, but I was so tempted to keep drinking. In my mind I knew I didn’t want to hurt the girl. My instincts were telling me to drain her dry.

It took a gentle throat clearing noise to break my trance. Leila was looking on, her face serene, eyebrows raised.

Shit! I had to watch myself. I understood why Noah didn’t want to drink from me when he was hungry. I licked Trista’s neck and gently released her. She shivered and gripped my elbow to right herself.

“You okay?” I asked.

She gave me a wobbly smile. “Yeah, that felt incredible. You’re a natural.”

“Really? I thought I might have taken it too far.”

“No. Just the fact that you thought about not hurting me is more than so many out there would ever do.”

“How’d you know I was thinking that?’

She winked but didn’t answer. “I hope I see you around, Zack.” She gave me a short kiss on the cheek and sashayed off towards the bar.

I felt a strong pair of arms encircle me from behind. Breathing in, I trembled slightly and laid my head back against his shoulder.

“You did great, baby.”

“For a second there, I really didn’t think I was going to be able to stop.” I put my hands over his and entwined our fingers.

“You were fine,” Leila assured me. “All it took was one tiny reminder from me and you let go. If you were really in danger of losing control, I would’ve had to haul you off of her.”

“I agree. You weren’t going to hurt her. It was pretty damn hot though.”

I was glad Noah couldn’t see my face. It had to be bright red. “You were watching?”

Leila rolled her eyes. “Of course he was watching. That was about a half step away from porn. Most the people in this bar were probably watching.”

I shrugged, then squeezed Noah’s hand and turned to brush a kiss across his lips. “I know how he feels. I love watching him too.”

We stared at each other for long moments. I was all of a sudden tired of the vampire bar.

“Okaaay. So I’m going to leave you two alone and go find Jason.” Leila laughed and turned to go. “Have a great night, boys. I imagine you won’t be here much longer.”

Noah barely glanced at her. “No, we won’t.”

Feel

It seemed like hours before we made it home. I decided that there needed to be a bar we could go to that wasn’t clear on the other side of town. I felt bad for the cab driver, too. Noah and I must have treated him to quite a show. We couldn’t keep our damn hands off each other. By the time we were halfway back to my apartment, I had his tank top untucked and my fingers were creeping under the waistband of his pants. He’d slipped his hands under my shirt too and was tracing soft fingertips in circles all over my lower back. I was still so turned on from the blood coursing through my system and the new tactile sensations that I wasn’t quite used to, that his simple little touch had me ready to blow. I think I may have moaned out loud. I was beyond caring.

Noah’s tongue slipped out and traced the line of my neck before breathing warm air all over it. I shivered violently and gripped at his back with my free hand. The other one struggled to touch him but kept getting hindered by his snug jeans. Looking up for a second, I tried to gauge how much the cab driver could really see. I’d just about decided that he couldn’t really see anything and it would be okay if I unzipped Noah’s pants with my teeth when he pulled in front of my building. With trembly hands, Noah pulled his wallet out and handed the driver a bill. It could have been just about anything. The cabbie didn’t complain, so I guess it was good.

We jogged for the door of the building, clutching each other’s hands and trying not to laugh. The elevator ride was another test of restraint. We barely passed. Finally we were standing in front of our apartment fumbling through our pockets to find the key. Noah was the first one to find his successfully.

“If we’d gotten another red light, I might have stripped you naked and taken you in the back of the cab,” he mumbled as he tried to fit his key into the lock.

I laughed breathlessly at Noah’s remark and shuffled on my feet. I couldn’t wait to be on the other side of that door. I was going to get rid of his annoying jeans immediately. I needed to feel his skin rubbing up against mine.

As soon as the door closed and we were on the other side I grabbed a hold of the hem of his shirt and ripped. The sound of the material being wrenched apart kind of surprised me but I was too intent on getting to his skin to really be concerned.

“Hey I liked that shirt!”

“I’ll buy you a new one.” My lips were muffled against his neck. I breathed him in again before I licked his neck and bit at the soft part of his ear.

That was all it took. He lifted me, kissing me with desperate intensity and turned for our room. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed our bare chests against each other. It had always felt amazing to have my skin touching his. Now there were no words. It took my breath away. We collapsed onto the covers, legs and arms and hands tangling in the dark. It didn’t seem dark, though. I could see Noah perfectly. His pale hair shone, his lips glistened from my kisses. His beauty was surreal.

I lifted my hand, slowing the intensity, and cupped his jaw, rubbing my thumb on his cheek.

“I want you all the time,” I whispered, in awe of the strength of my feelings. “Do you think the need will ever go away?”

“I hope not.” He smiled and nuzzled his cheek into my palm. Then with gentle hands he reached between us and started to unbutton my jeans. My hands went immediately to his waistband too. He beat me to it and tugged my jeans over my hips, which I lifted eagerly. Then with my help, he shimmied out of his pants and briefs, leaving him naked and beautiful, ready for me to touch.

I wanted to feel his him everywhere, to test all of his textures with my new senses. His chest was smooth warm velvet over springy muscles. I rubbed the bumpy satin of his nipples, loving the new type of skin. He breathed and curled his hand around my arm loosely moaning softly. My hands roamed further down, past his taut abdomen to the crisp hair and straining erection between his thighs. I wrapped my hand around it and made an appreciative humming noise in my throat.

“Zack.”

I delved deeply into the heat of his mouth and then pulled back, sucking on his lower lip. His hands reached for me too, touching the flesh that needed to be touched the most. I lifted my hips into his caress and scraped my teeth along the skin of his neck.

Kissing my way down his chest, my lips and tongue tested every inch that my fingers had just re-learned. His nipples pebbled against my tongue, and the intriguing landscape of his abdomen required long moments of exploration. When I got to the straining shaft that grew harder every second, I licked slowly, loving the hardness and the insistent pulse I felt beneath his skin. A few drops of liquid escaped him, and I tasted them too before I took as much of him as I could deep inside my mouth.