Chapter Twenty-Three
Miranda felt like she could float away as they stepped into the warm night air. Her heart was so much lighter.
Eden was safe. Darren had a place to stay during his first full moon—and an ally who could help him through it. Things were looking up.
Now they only had to deal with a homicidal elf and the zombie apocalypse.
One thing at a time.
Darren didn’t look quite as relaxed. His shoulders were hunched and he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook his head. “It’s been quite a night.”
“Mostly good, though. We need to celebrate our victories.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Something that got him moving. A way to siphon off his obvious restless energy.
Miranda hooked her arm through Darren’s elbow and pulled him along with her down the steps. Instead of heading for the car, she walked around the side of the house.
“Where are we going?” Darren said.
“Eden made a moon garden for Shade. That’s how they met—he contracted her to do a landscaping project. She wanted me to see it, so I’m taking advantage of this opportunity.”
“I don’t know if we should be prowling around a vampire’s yard.”
“We’re not prowling. We’re strolling.”
Darren let out a little chuckle and the muscles of his arm relaxed under her hand. They followed a well-worn path through the grass that led down toward some trees at the side of the yard.
Shade’s house felt like it was out in the country, even though it was really on the outskirts of town. The privacy all that land surrounding his home lent must be really useful—especially on full moon nights.
The path was a dark ribbon in the pale grass on either side of them. Even without the lights from the house, Miranda could find her way. Darren could probably see perfectly well.
She looked up at the dark, starry sky. The moon was right above them, nearly full and gleaming silver.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
Darren didn’t look up. His arm tensed again.
“Is it affecting you?” she asked. “Should we go back inside?”
“No, it’s okay. I mean, I can feel it. A pull like the tides. But I’m starting to get used to it.”
“Eventually, you’ll enjoy it.”
He scoffed. “Did you see that in one of your visions?”
“Not exactly. It’s more a feeling I have.”
They rounded a corner of the small hill they were walking down, and she froze. Darren sucked in a breath beside her.
“Oh my God,” she said.
The hillside before them glowed.
Huge flowers stretched their petals along lattices that hovered over paths of milky stone. Plants with soft white leaves caught and reflected the light like tiny hands bending at a stream for water. The rice paper walls of an Asian-styled tea house gleamed in the center of the space.
They walked forward into a sea of a thousand different shades of silver.
“This is amazing,” she said. “Even the ground cover catches the light.”
Darren wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer as they ducked beneath a low-hanging vine. She glanced at his face to see him staring at the garden, his eyes wide and lips parted.
As subtle as the colors were, it was still a feast for her senses. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for him. They sat on one of the benches and looked around.
He took a deep breath and let it out, his body relaxing next to hers. “This is the most peaceful place I’ve ever been in.”
“I feel it, too.”
After everything they’d already been through and what still awaited them, it was a welcome respite. It didn’t last long.
“Do you think Forester is still alive?” Darren said.
She let out a sigh. “It depends on how much iron was in the bullet Mr. Morrison used.”
“Probably not much.”
“It’s safest to assume Forester is still alive, then.”
Darren was quiet for a moment, then said, “Good.”
“Good?”
“I want to be the one who kills him.”
If he’d growled as he said it, she would have been less unsettled. But he was absolutely calm. It didn’t seem like he was struggling with his new nature or being influenced by it at all.
He wanted to kill Forester. And she couldn’t really blame him. That didn’t mean it was safe to hold on to those thoughts.
“I don’t think revenge is a good thing for you to be focusing on,” she said.
“I disagree. It gives me a direction for the anger. The rage. You have no idea what it’s like.”
“I don’t. But I will.” She put her hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers. “Someday soon, I’ll be going through this. I need you to show me that I can handle turning without it changing who I am.”
“It’s getting harder to remember who I was before this.”
“Let me help you. You’re a man who will drop everything to help a stranger. You’ll risk yourself for others without hesitating.”
He let out a little snort and said, “We have that in common. What you did to save that family…”
He shook his head and she felt him tense again. He shouldn’t be thinking about her accident, about her being in danger. That wasn’t a good way to stay calm either.
“My visions told me I’d be fine,” she said.
“Don’t downplay it. What you did took courage. Seeing what was going to happen must have been terrifying. But you still got behind that wheel.”
Warmth spread through her chest. She hadn’t talked to anybody about what it was like, but he was right. In some ways, seeing what would happen actually made it more terrifying.
“You would have done the same thing,” she said. “That’s who you are. Who we are. We’re going to work together to make the world a safer place.”
“And stop the zombie apocalypse.”
He let out a dark chuckle and she joined him.
“It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud,” she said.
“Thinking about it makes my skin crawl. And there’s a lot more significance to that feeling now.”
“I can imagine. But thinking about that is probably as bad as thinking about revenge.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. “I need something to hold on to.”
“Hold on to me.”
He opened his eyes again. Tiny lights were flickering in them, making the gray of his irises even more beautiful. He leaned in and kissed her.
She brought her hand to the back of his neck, pulling herself closer as he deepened his kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth and she sighed, burrowing her fingers through his hair.
If he needed her to be his anchor, she was fine with that. He might not realize it, but he was doing the same for her—grounding her among these extraordinary events. Giving her a feeling of solace.
He knelt in front of her and started taking off her shoes.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I need you naked. Right now. Are you up for it?”
He paused, one of her socks in his hand. The night air felt good on her bare feet.
She shrugged. “Warm air. Soft grass. Sure.”
He smiled broadly, rising on his knees as he undid her jeans. She stood so he could shimmy them down her legs, along with her panties. She helped him out by pulling off her shirt and throwing it on the pile, along with her bra.
Darren knelt in front of her, a look of wonder on his face. She had a pretty good opinion of herself, even though she didn’t quite fit society’s expectations. But she’d never had anyone look at her the way he did. Like she was a goddess.
His hands actually shook as he reached toward her stomach and gently traced his fingertips over the roundness of her belly, then further down.
“You are so beautiful,” he said.
She ran her fingers through his hair. It was pitch black in the dim light of the moon.
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“It’s fact. I’ll gut anyone who says otherwise.”
She laughed. “You sure know how to sweet talk a girl.”
“Sorry. I’m still getting those surges.”
“I can think of better ways you can expend your energy.”
He smirked up at her, then ran his hands up along her sides. He cupped her breasts, kneading them, running his fingertips over her nipples till they were tight buds. He let his hands drift down to her backside when he was done and pressed a kiss to her stomach.
“You smell so good,” he said.
“Coming from a werewolf, I guess that’s—”
Her voice cut off as he moved his lips to the curls between her legs. Waves of pleasure flooded her senses. He kept one arm wrapped around her backside, holding her up, while the other joined his exploration.
He spread the soft folds of her skin, sucking her clit into his mouth. She gasped as his fingers traced along her slit, finding her pussy and sliding in deep. The rough skin of his fingers pulled against her skin, stimulating her further.
“Darren…”
He growled, holding her close, his tongue laving her relentlessly, fingers moving in and out, stretching her, preparing her for him. Her knees were starting to weaken as the pressure between her legs built.
He broke away from her suddenly, grabbing her waist and pulling her down to the ground. She wasn’t sure what he was doing, but was already dazed from the pleasure winding its way through her body.
The soft grass tickled her skin, the cool earth pressed against her back. She looked up at the round moon and the stars surrounding her.
Darren lifted her thighs, draping her legs over his shoulders as he practically dove back to her. This time, he found her core with his tongue. Arcs of pleasure flowed through her body. Her nerves were on fire, her pussy clenching with need.
He kept her hips off the ground, arms wrapped around her legs to keep her pressed to him so he could drive his tongue in deep. He found her clit with his fingers, circling it, his other hand clutching at her stomach with a desperation that somehow heightened every touch.
Her heart was pounding, her body aching for more, until finally the pleasure thrummed out through her body. She dug her heels into his shoulders, her back arching from the intense sensations. He kept thrusting, his fingers working her, pulling every drop of ecstasy from her climax that he could.
The moment she started to relax, he released her, easing her down. She had barely touched the ground when he gripped her hips and flipped her over onto her stomach. He pulled her onto her hands and knees. She heard his zipper, and felt him at her core for a brief instant before he drove himself in deep.
Her pussy stretched as he filled her, the pulsing of her orgasm intensifying as her body quickened again beneath his thrusts. He held onto her hips with an iron grip, ramming himself into her over and over again.
He let out a frustrated grunt, releasing her for a moment but keeping their hips locked together. The respite let her body finally start to calm a bit.
She looked over her shoulder and saw him pull his shirt over his head and toss it aside. He fell across her back, the warmth of his chest covering her. He put his hands on top of hers, their arms flush against each other’s.
And then his hips started to move in earnest.
He crashed into her, the hair of his chest rubbing against the skin of her back. He buried his face in her neck, as if he was intent on keeping as much of their skin touching as possible.
She’d never known her body could take—or give—so much pleasure. Her pussy contracted around him, pulsing as the stimulus sent her over the edge into another climax. It went on and on as he pounded into her. He threw his head back and let out a guttural yell, spilling himself deep.
He didn’t seem to want to stop. His breath tickled the hair around her ear. He pulled himself out slowly—almost all the way—then sank back into her with a sigh. He kissed her neck and shoulders, nipped her earlobe.
He was savoring the feel of her, of their skin pressed together, so much of their bodies touching. He finally slid from her pussy, but kept holding her close.
“Darren, that was—”
“Not yet. Please. I need this.” He kissed the side of her neck again.
If he needed to hold on to this sense of connection, she was happy to help. Even if she sort of wanted to melt into a puddle on the ground with a Darren blanket on top of her.
He shifted his weight, gripping her hips to keep her where he wanted her. He sat back on his knees, holding onto her so that she was straddling him even though they were facing the same direction. She leaned against his chest, soaking in his warmth.
“Hold onto me.” He lifted her arms so they were wrapped around his neck and she could hang from him. Then he moved his hands to her body.
After two amazing orgasms, she thought her body would be content. She was wrong. His hands cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers until the pleasure was so intense it almost hurt. He lifted their weight, massaging them, as he trailed kisses along the side of her neck.
His lips latched onto her skin, suckling it, leaving a mark. One hand stayed at her breasts while the other drifted over her stomach, lovingly tracing it before delving between her legs.
Instead of her nerves feeling sated or overloaded, it was like he had primed her for even more pleasure. Heat tore through her nerves and her skin erupted in gooseflesh everywhere. She felt his dick prod at her again, slowly parting her flesh as he eased it into her pussy.
He rose up on his knees, pushing her body with him, crossing one arm over her chest to help her keep her balance as he started to thrust into her again. He never let up with his fingers on her clit.
She gyrated her hips on his dick, taking in more, wanting to him to feel as much pleasure as he’d given her. Her arms were still around his neck and she used that as leverage to pull her body up along his shaft and slide back onto him.
She turned her head to try to kiss him and saw him staring up at the moon. The silver light splashed over his features, emphasizing his strong cheekbones and straight nose. His eyes were glowing.
She tried to imagine what this must feel like for him. The pull of the moon, his heightened senses making everything more intense, the friction of their skin touching, the bond of their love strengthening as they experienced all of this together.
He looked back to her, his lips parting as he saw her staring at him. Then he claimed her mouth with his.
His tongue thrust deep, mirroring the movement of his dick buried inside her body. She let herself soak in the sensations, drinking in all of him, as much as she could with her human senses.
It wouldn’t be much longer until they had both turned. She made a promise to herself that afterwards they’d return to this spot again when the moon was almost full.
She broke off the kiss, tilting her head so that her neck was exposed for him. She hadn’t missed what a turn-on it was for him. Werewolves were predators. It made sense that the gesture would reach him on a deep level.
He sucked in a breath, then lowered his lips to her. He ran his lips, then his tongue along her skin before nipping and suckling it. His hands picked up momentum, his thrusts coming faster.
She let herself relax further against him, just taking everything he was offering. The pleasure of his hands, his mouth, his shaft. The knowledge of his love and how much he trusted her.
This was their ‘forever’.
The heat that had been slowly pulsing through her body coalesced, building to a flashpoint that radiated out from where they were joined. Her entire body vibrated with it, thrummed with pleasure as her pussy pulsed around him.
He groaned against her neck, increasing his pace again, moving his hands to her hips to keep her steady as he pounded into her. She held his neck tight, focusing all her attention on his dick spilling into her, filling her with his seed. He pressed himself in as deep as he could and held himself there.
This time, when he started to soften, they both fell forward onto the grass. He let himself slide from her, but kept his arms around her, pulling her next to him. They lay on their backs, catching their breath, as they stared up at the growing moon.