“It really wasn’t a Halloween costume?”
“No.” He sighed and rested his chin on top of her head.
“Can it be stopped?”
“No.”
She turned to him and her pleading eyes nearly drove him to his knees. “Will I hurt people? Will I turn into a horrible monster every time there’s a full moon?”
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “No. I won’t lie, though. You will find that you have a natural predatory instinct to run, hunt and protect. Those feelings will be strong, but you will know exactly who you are the whole time and will never do anything against your nature. It’s really not so bad, baby. In fact, it’s wonderful. You will feel free, unrestrained by society. You will be stronger, faster, and when you get older, you will even be able to control how much you change. That’s what you saw me do last night—a partial change. And the full moon has nothing to do with it. You can change any time, day or night, whenever you want. The first time is the only time you can’t control it.”
“Oh, Anthony. Are you sure I won’t hurt anyone? I couldn’t live with it if I did.”
“Karen, think about this for a moment, okay. Remember the other night? Did I look like I was completely crazy and uncontrollable, or did it look as if I was aware of what I was doing?”
Her brows furrowed, and he knew she was remembering the fight in the alleyway. “Did you kill that man the other night, the one that bit me?”
He closed his eyes. Maybe he shouldn’t have used the incident as an example. He didn’t want her to know what he’d done. He knew she had to know on some level that he’d killed the pup, but he didn’t want to say it out loud. He was worried she’d see him as a monster. “Karen, please don’t make me answer that.”
She stepped closer to him. “Please. I need to know.”
“Yes. I killed him, and I’d do it again. If anyone ever tries to hurt you, I’ll kill them. I’m sorry, but this is one of the things you’re going to have to learn to deal with when it comes to my nature. I feel very protective toward you. I wasn’t joking about us being very territorial and protective.”
“I understand that you had to do it, Anthony. Really I do. I don’t like it, but knowing what he did to me in such a small amount of time, and thinking of what he’d do to other women, he deserved what he got. I’ll never pretend to condone killing for no reason, or to like it when there is a reason, but I don’t condemn you for protecting me.”
He hugged her to him. Relief so sweet poured through him, releasing his tense muscles. “Thank you.”
Her brows turned down. “I can’t believe this is happening. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from some bizarre dream.”
“I know, baby. I’m so sorry it had to come about like this.” He kissed the top of her head. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to scare you.”
“I believe you. But, Anthony, I am scared.”
He hugged her back to him. “I know, but there is nothing to be scared of. I promise. And I’ll be here with you the whole time. I have to tell you everything, though. I won’t lie to you.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, and I will never let you go. I will be dead before you will ever be away from me again, and as you’ve seen, I’m not that easy to kill. We will be together a long, long time. I can promise you I will never betray you and I will spend every minute of my life making you happy. I will protect you and put your well being before any other. Do you understand?”
No. He’d never let her go again. He’d spent too many lonely nights waking up to even lonelier mornings. Even the times he’d had a woman in his bed throughout his long years, something had always been missing. Now he knew exactly what that something had been. Karen, his blue-eyed, red-haired mate. The one woman on the face of the entire earth that could make his life whole, fill the gaping void of his soul.
She turned to him. “No, not really. I don’t understand any of this, Anthony. I mean, how can you love me? You don’t even know me.”
He took her face in his hands. “I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve known you in your dreams, and you’ve been a part of me since the day I first took breath. You were destined to be mine and you were imprinted with me at birth. From the day you were born, we were fated to find each other. I would have found you no matter what.”
“Oh, Anthony. It’s just so much to take in all at once.” She hugged him to her and looked up into his hooded eyes. “How long do I have until I change?”
“It will happen sometime tomorrow night.” He stroked her back, massaging the muscles gently.
“It figures. Halloween night.”
He chuckled. “Yes. And that’s also when the full moon will take place.”
“It looked pretty full the other night to me.”
“Yeah, but not quite there all the way. Tomorrow you’ll see.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No.”
“I don’t even want to think about it at the moment.”
He took her hand and led her to the cushy, black leather couch. He grabbed a remote off the glass coffee table and sat down, pulled her onto his lap and snuggled her to his chest. He pressed a button and a panel on the wall slid open, revealing a huge plasma TV. He pressed another button and a movie started. She chuckled when she realized it was indeed American Werewolf in London. And it was at the best part. He tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her just as Credence Clearwater Revival blasted through the room. A bad moon and trouble looked to be the least of the poor guy’s problems as he writhed on the screen.
They watched three movies and she never moved, too content snuggled into his warmth. He surrounded her, invaded her. She was aware of everything about him from his hard muscles to his spicy scent. Her body grew hot and needy. She wanted him even if her mind screamed that it was too much too fast. Her heart still knew better. It was the one thing that never wavered, never doubted what was between her and Anthony since the first time they had been together in her dreams. What exactly? She didn’t know. But she did know it was something elemental, natural. It was something meant to be.
Toward the end of the third movie, she couldn’t bear to keep her hands off him any longer. She turned her head and nuzzled his neck with her lips. His skin was hot under her mouth. She breathed him deep into her lungs and gave him a wicked lick. He growled, and heat flooded her womb.
“Baby, if you keep doing that, I’m going to have you right here on this couch.”
His whispered words were like a jolt of electricity sizzling her already achy body. She smiled and nibbled a path from his neck to his ear and whispered, “Do it, Anthony. I need you.” He tossed her gently onto her back and covered her with his warm weight. She felt safe, protected, cherished when he was wrapped around her. She tangled her fingers in his hair and his mouth came down on hers roughly, possessively.
She moaned and he began pulling at her clothes, nearly ripping them off her until she was completely naked except for his socks. “Anthony, if you keep tearing my clothes off me, I’ll have nothing left to wear.”
“Honey, I guarantee that I’ll be tearing your clothes off a lot. But don’t worry. I promise I’ll buy you as many clothes as you want.” He raked her bare body with his eyes. “I never knew my socks could look so damn sexy. Nearly as sexy as those fishnet stockings and garters you had on the other night.”
He ran his hands up and down her thighs, stroking her delicate skin, easing closer to the glistening curls hiding the place she wanted him to touch most. “Those fishnet stockings were ghastly. I hated that hooker getup.” She gasped when his thumb moved in a lazy circle around her clit.
“The hooker getup was sexy as hell on you.” He parted her knees and laid her wide open to his hot gaze. He licked his lips. “Not nearly as sexy as nothing is on you, though.” He swooped down and gave her one, long lick.