The Moon Rises (24 page)

“Do you remember what I said to you in the
alley?” Anton asked, accepting how his prayers were answered.

Gigi nodded with a soft smile. Anton took her
face in his hands again, caressing her cheeks and causing her eyes to grow
wistful. He could see how fast she was breathing and he hoped she wanted him to
kiss her. When he leaned down, her chin lifted and her lips met his.

The moment their lips touched, the world stopped
and it was just them. Anton never felt anything like the sensation in his life.
He would later wonder if she was some kind of temptress, but right then he was
lost in her.

His hands reached behind Gigi, wrapping her into
his arms and pulling her snugly against his chest. Anton could hear her heart
pounding as Gigi’s hands slid up the back of his shirt. Her lips were soft, yet
eager and they opened for him when his tongue licked them. Gigi tasted sweet
and Anton pulled her closer, wanting more. He didn’t even consider what she
wanted.

When Anton pressed her against the desk, Gigi
made a lovely little moan and her legs wrapped around his hips. Her purple
skirt was soon hiked up and his zipper pressed along her pink and white polka
dotted panties.

Kissing her hungrily, his hands slipped under her
shirt, causing another hungrier moan from her lips. When his thumbs grazed her
nipples, Gigi gasped and threw her head back while pulling him closer. While
using her new position to taste her neck, he imagined Gigi in his bed, naked
with her soft full breasts in his hands. He imagined suckling those hard nipples
his fingers were teasing.

He imagined tasting every inch of her, just as he
was now licking her throat, nipping at her jaw, and sucking at her pulse. As
his mouth explored, Gigi grinded against him and let out little heated gasping
noises.

Anton couldn’t think rationally – not about his
inability to have a mate or the danger of having Gigi as a girlfriend or even
how he wanted to take her on the desk in the front office where anyone could
see them. His only thoughts were how good she smelled and how good she felt and
those little gasping moans she was making and how badly he wanted to be inside
her. When he unzipped his jeans, the sound of this action triggered something
rational in his otherwise irrational brain.

Stepping away quickly, Anton left Gigi with
nothing to hold onto and she collapsed awkwardly on the desk. He studied her as
he tried to pull himself under control.

Gigi watched him, while licking her lips.  She tasted
his affections in a gesture which was both innocent and erotic. Her skirt was
still wrapped up around her waist and he could see those polka dotted panties. His
mind though was on the startled expression on her flushed face.

“I’m sorry,” Anton mumbled, unable to find his in
control Alpha voice. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” he muttered, wanting desperately to return
to her arms, though they could move their embrace to a more private location.

Just realizing he still wanted to sleep with her
- no, not wanted, but
needed
to sleep with her - made it clear to him
how he was losing control. Maybe it was the stress of the upcoming war, but
Anton had wanted so desperately to feel Gigi - to be inside her, to explore
every inch of her - that he hadn’t really worried about what she wanted. He
wasn’t sure she wanted any of it and Anton wasn’t a guy who pushed himself on
women.

Hell, he didn’t even chase women.  He showed a
bit of interest and if the woman wanted to take it further, she had to make the
effort. As Alpha, it was too easy for him to let his authority intimidate
females into doing his bidding. He always held back to ensure he wasn’t
crossing a line. Yet he would have crossed every line with Gigi and still
wanted to as he stared at her.

“I’m very happy you’re okay, but maybe you
shouldn’t come to the office for a while.”

The moment Anton said the words, not only did his
heart tell him to take them back, but Gigi’s face told him the same thing. Her
expression had been confused until then, but the confusion shifted into the
look of a scolded child. She finally slipped off the desk and fixed her skirt.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Anton sometimes forgot how Gigi didn’t understand
things, but it was clear she didn’t understand things right then. He didn’t
blame her for thinking he was nuts or a jerk, but she seemed to blame herself.

When she turned to leave, Gigi smacked into a desk
and stumbled towards the door. Anton wanted to stop her and explain, but what
he really wanted was Gigi in his bed. Instead he let her leave with the awful
look on her face rather than trust himself to behave with her.

Gigi was so flustered she started walking the
wrong direction before realizing her mistake and stumbling towards her
apartment. Anton watched her go and felt a desperate need to follow. He wanted
her more than he wanted to go to war or protect his territory or kill Declan or
maybe even more than he wanted to be an Alpha, but he let her leave anyway.

Gigi felt uneasy when she returned to her
apartment. Smelling Anton on her, she could also feel his hands and lips on her
skin. She wanted him so much and he seemed to want her too, but he pushed her
away. Unsure what she did wrong, Gigi was upset that Anton not only didn’t want
her in his bed. He didn’t even want her in the office.

Embarrassed by his rejection, Gigi took a shower
and washed off her arousal. She felt humiliated to have clawed all over him.
Maybe she acted too much like a whore and he was turned off?

Justine said guys wanted chicks to be easy, but
not too easy. Too easy meant acting like a whore which was what Gigi did when Anton
kissed her. She lost control because he felt so good and she had been waiting for
weeks for him to touch her.

Gigi sat on her couch, listened to music, and
cried a little. She mostly was confused. Did he not love her anymore? Did all
those things Anton whispered to her when he thought she was dying just go away once
she acted like a whore? Would he give her another chance or had she ruined
things with Anton like she did with Finn?

Startled from her moping by a knock at the door,
Gigi found Ella and Justine in the hallway.

“What the fuck?” Ella said, pushing inside and
hugging Gigi. “Seriously, what the fuck?”

“Charming, Ella,” Justine said, entering the
apartment and smiling at Gigi. “Where did you go last night?”

Gigi said nothing as she soaked in Ella’s hug.
Once the Were let her go, Gigi sighed.

“I don’t know. I woke up here and I’m better.”

“Shit, you look perfect,” Ella said, yanking up
Gigi’s shirt. “Not a mark. Unfuckingbelievable.”

“You guys thought I was dead?” Gigi asked,
shutting the door.

“Everyone did,” Ella said, falling on the couch.
“You were dying and then you were gone. The Alphas searched the area, but no
one thought to check your apartment since why would the monster bring you home?
Anton told Silas he saw you and I think Silas texted the whole Circle.”

Once Justine found a chair nearby, both of her
friends watched her curiously. Gigi thought to ask them about Anton’s behavior
and if he might change his mind, but Ella frowned darkly.

“I’m sorry, Gigi. I love you. I really really do.
I’m very very happy you’re alive, but if you don’t change the fucking music,
I’m going to beat the shit out of you,” Ella said as she frowned at the stereo.

Gigi smiled. “It’s She & Him.”

“I don’t care who the hell it is, change it
before I kill someone.”

Standing up, Gigi switched the CD to Crystal
Gayle.  While the new music didn’t please Ella much, at least she stopped
making threats. Returning to the couch, Gigi hummed to the music, sensing it
irritated Ella. Justine watched them both and sighed.

“Am I the only one who finds Gigi being alive the
craziest shit ever? Nolan also said you aren’t human, so what the hell are you?
Some kind of latent magic doesn’t explain how you lived for so long and how
they can’t smell magic on you or whatever else they were babbling about last
night.”

Gigi eyed them both and shrugged. “How would I
know?”

“Maybe you should ask the witches about your
missing memories?” Justine suggested.

“No,” Ella snarled. “Witches are dangerous.”

“Nolan isn’t.”

Ella sighed. “Poor dazed and fucking confused
Justine. He is a mama’s boy. If Mira told him to hold Gigi down while the
others harvested her, Nolan would. Letting them anywhere near Gigi after she
essentially came back from the dead, means she’ll disappear. Then their clan
will become more powerful and we’ll all have to pretend we don’t see a connection.”

Justine flipped off Ella. “Nolan wouldn’t hurt
Gigi. He looked upset last night when he thought she would die.”

“Yeah, they were all upset,” Ella grunted and Gigi
wondered if the two females would even notice if she left. “Because a dead Gigi
ain’t fuckable.”

Justine rolled her eyes, unwilling to talk ill of
Nolan. “Maybe she can ask Tobin then?”

“No,” Ella grumbled. “Gigi needs to keep her head
down and act like nothing happened. If she makes a big deal out of it, others
will start asking too many questions.”

“Good because she needs answers.”

“No, she needs to survive and being an oddity in
the Circle gets a person killed. Remember Amber Rose who floated or Arlo who
said he could channel angels and make them do his bidding or how about the
demon whisperer Carson? They were all freaks who were too open about their freakiness
and they’re all dead now.”

Justine sighed loudly and started to speak when a
knock on the door startled her. Gigi rushed to the door, suddenly nervous about
sitting in between Ella and Justine who were both pissed now.

Opening the door, Gigi smiled at Dahlia who
pushed back her cloak.

“It’s true,” Dahlia said quietly. Lifting a
phone, Dahlia snapped a picture. “Simon wanted proof of life. He was concerned
for you.”

“Yippee,” Ella said with a roll of her eyes. “How
did you get here during the day?”

“The canals run under this building.”

“Lovely because Gigi just can’t catch a break.”

“May I come in?” Dahlia asked.

Gigi nodded before Ella and Justine yelled no in
unison. Dahlia stepped into the apartment and gave them a haughty smile.

“I won’t eat her.”

“Oh, not now,” Ella muttered, “but wait until a
surge. You’ll get yourself a Gigi snack.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Dahlia slid into a
chair in a corner, where the sun wouldn’t touch her. “Simon would behead me if
I ate Gigi.”

“Because he wants to eat her first,” Justine said
with a frown.

Gigi watched the three of them and sighed loudly.
“Why are you here?”

“Yes, Dahlia,” Ella growled. “You’ve given your
master his answer, now off with you.”

“I meant all three of you,” Gigi said. “You
seemed sad when you thought I was going to die, but now you’re all just being
mean. Why are you even here?”

Justine shrugged. “We wanted to check on you.”

“I know Declan sent Ella and Simon sent Dahlia,
but who sent you, Justine?”

Justine shrugged again. “Silas.”

“I’m fine and I won’t talk about my freakiness,
but unless you’re going to be nice to each other, you should leave my
apartment. You’re upsetting my ghost with all your bickering.”

This last statement was a lie. The ghost was
sitting in the corner with her eyes closed, listening to Crystal Gayle. She seemed
oblivious to the females, yet after Gigi’s comment, she opened her eyes a crack
and smirked.

“Don’t be cranky, G,” Ella said, walking towards
her. “We’re just worried.”

“Do you want a snack?”

Ella shrugged. “I could eat. Are you going to work
tonight? Silas is telling people you won’t be in for a few days.”

“Why wouldn’t I go to work?” Gigi asked from the
kitchen. “I can make ham sandwiches.”

Dahlia sighed. “I don’t eat solids, Gigi.”

“Well there’s nothing for you to drink here,”
Justine muttered.

“Can you eat soup?” Gigi asked.

“Yes, but I’m not hungry. Thank you.”

“I’ll take a sandwich,” Ella said, joining her in
the kitchen. “Why didn’t you run inside when Dave told you to?”

Gigi frowned. “Because the monster was going to
kill him.”

“He’s a top solider in my pack. He’s Declan’s
right hand man. Even if he wasn’t, when a dude takes on a monster, you just let
him and go somewhere safe.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re a girl and can’t fight. You might
not be human, but you’re not strong like a Were.”

“I work out at the gym.”

Grinning, Ella rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re very
badass, G. You need to be careful though. Next time someone tries to mess with
you, just run. Don’t try to be a hero.”