Moonshadows Ch. 07

Author's Note: Phew! I seem to have drawn a little bit of vitriol with that last chapter! I guess that means I've either attracted the notice of the good ol' internet trolls, or people just feel quite strongly about what's been going on in the plot.

All snark aside, I want to extend an enormous thank-you to everyone who has taken the time to vote and comment on my work. I read every note you lovely folks leave for or send to me and take great heart in knowing that there is still interest in my stories. To that end, I'm making an effort to get these chapters out with shorter breaks, and am hard at work on the chapter 8.

Thank you again for your interest, and happy reading!

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In the dream, it was very dark. My eyes were closed, I realized, but I didn't open them. I felt hands on my skin, warm, calloused, gentle, and smiled because I knew it was Rafe. His touch slid teasingly up from my sides, along my neck, until his hands cupped my face. His breath puffed warm on my cheeks from his closeness, then his lips pressed against mine with a sweet urgency that sent heat swirling through the rest of my body.

I draped my arms over his wide shoulders, loving the sensation of his firm musculature beneath my forearms, and let my fingers twist softly in his thick hair. His lips parted mine so we could taste each other, and I clung to him even more closely, my naked body flush with his own. In the back of my mind, I had the impression that it had been a long time since I had felt him like this. I held him all the tighter and he reciprocated by wrapping his long arms around me as well.

My eyes were still closed as I felt us reclining, him on top. He was so hard along my stomach, and I wanted him desperately. I wriggled my hips and enjoyed the hair of his chest tickling my nipples until he stilled my gyrations with a firm touch on my hips, spreading my legs with his own. Panting, I let him settle between them, wet and flushed and eager with need.

"Rafe," I whimpered.

"Shh," he murmured and silenced me with a burning kiss that soon had me panting.

My whole attention was centered on where the head of his cock brushed against my slick entrance. I quivered with impatience, but he was running the show. So slowly I thought I would go crazy, he penetrated me until the head and about an inch of his shaft rested inside my heated walls. Then he stopped, and I gasped at how cruel he was being. His firm grasp on my hip and the weight of his body prevented me from wiggling further onto him so that I threw my head back with a groan of deepest frustration.

With a rumbling laugh, he gave in, and pushed a little more of himself inside to begin a shallow thrusting that was better than nothing, but still infinitely aggravating. It wasn't enough. I whined my protest, needing him to justfuck mealready and reached up to show him with my fervid kisses just how desperate I was.

I think it was the none-too-gentle nip on his lip that did it. He hilted himself in an unexpected rush and I cried out to be fully joined with him at last. God, I'd missed this. I couldn't quite remember why it had been so long, but trivial thoughts like that were quickly wiped away in the headlong rush of pleasure that was his dick pumping in and out of my slippery cunt.

He stopped suddenly, and pulled out. I froze with surprise and loss, but he was only rolling me onto my stomach, his knees outside of mine. Rafe slid a rough palm over the sweaty skin of my back, and I understood his intention, arching my ass higher, inviting him to take me again. His hand moved to line himself up then gripped my ass firmly as he drove back inside me, balls deep.

I cried out as I was stretched, colors flaring brightly behind my eyelids. With my legs pressed together like this, it was an extremely tight fit, every sensation heightened by how closely our intimate flesh rubbed against each other. He drew back for another deep thrust and I yelped again at his return, arching into him for even more.

His pace was steady. Long, deep strokes that made me acutely aware of every millimeter of his cock as it rubbed inside me on his way out, then a concussion of pleasure as he plunged back in, bottoming out with fierce satisfaction each time. His hips slapped sharply against my ass, a staccato rhythm under the wet sounds of my pussy and my increasing moans. One of his hands edged beneath me and his strong fingers dug into my breast with a possessive strength that made me bow my back even further, offering myself to his attentions. When his fingers found my nipple and squeezed, I squeaked and shuddered and my pussy clenched tightly around his rock-hard length, making him groan against my hair.

A pressure wound inside me, my whole body starting to tense with each plunge of his wide cock. My hands fisted at the sensation and I panted through my mouth. I pushed myself back against him as much as I could from my position, reaching for that amazing peak, growing even tighter around him as I started to tremble at its approach.

I was right at the edge, but I had to see him. I needed to look into his golden eyes and watch him lose himself to the bliss of it. I needed him to see how good he made me feel. How much I loved him. So I opened my eyes at last and turned my head. From the corner of my eye I could see that he had his head tucked tightly against my shoulder, his dark hair falling forward to obscure his face.

"Rafe," I whined again, my body taut and quivering as his thrusts quickened.

He growled, but he didn't look up. Our bodies slid against each other frantically now, his cock pressing up against my cervix in that way that made me squeal in ecstasy. My fingernails dug into my palms. I wasso close!

"Please!" I begged him. For release, for something I couldn't even name but craved so much that I vibrated with need. His body curled over mine, driving his cock into me even harder. My head swam with the pleasure of it, but I managed to keep my eyes open, requiring the connection of our gaze while I came.

Then he looked up at last. But it wasn't Rafe's burning golden eyes that I was looking into at all. It was Cassian's face. And he was grinning.

I screamed as the dream unraveled in climax and horror.

It felt like a long time later that I finally returned to true consciousness. I was wrapped in thick, satiny blankets, nestled deep into the bed. I was so cold and shivering violently; perhaps that was what had finally awoken me. My whole body was heavy and limp with weakness and upon opening my eyes, the room rocked very slowly, the colors strangely muted. Even the low lighting made my head hurt so I closed my eyes again and tried to sink back into sleep.

I wasn't disoriented as sometimes happens when I wake up. I knew exactly where I was, how I'd gotten there, and why I felt like death warmed over. I winced mentally. Perhaps not the best choice of words given that I also remembered thewhoI was with. Or maybe "what" was a better word for him.

I knew he was sitting somewhere behind me, though he was too quiet and motionless for me to hear. Still, it came as no surprise when he spoke.

"I am pleased you have finally woken, Selene. You slept for some time." He paused then and chuckled smugly, a wicked, sensual sound that made my skin crawl. "Though I suppose it's understandable given your... exertions last night."

He was mocking me. The sick son of a bitch was mocking me. Curious to the part of my mind that was mere observer to all this, I found myself getting mad. The heart-chilling terror of last night seemed to be gone, or maybe I was just too tired to feel it anymore. Either way, a sullen anger battled with my bone-deep weariness until I muttered irritably at him, "Aren't you bored of tormenting me yet?" My voice came out husky with exhaustion and crying.

"Hardly, my dear. Especially when you continue to supply such refreshing responses. Besides, I've only just begun to sample the many delights of your young body..."

He was trying to scare me, but I wasn't having any of it. I was fresh out of scared for the moment. So I kept my eyes closed and retorted a little more sharply. "Go for it. You already bled me, so I'm sure I'll be super fun in bed now." I pushed aside the lingering remnants of the awful dream, refusing to give it any further thought.

Cassian laughed, a beautiful, unnatural sound. "Gained. As to that, however, I have something for you. Sit up."

I sighed as weariness and apathy took the forefront in my emotions again. "Leave me alone." I just wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe this time I would be too tired for any further dreaming...

"I'm afraid not, Miss Dalton."

His hands scooped carefully under my head and the surrounding pillows to prop me comfortably into a mostly-upright position. Sighing again, I opened my eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning, grimacing through the pain that the soft lighting produced in my head. I was still pretty light-headed, and I felt about as alert as a block of wood, but I was alive. For the moment, anyway.

I stared at Cassian tiredly. He had a steaming mug of something in his hand and the fog wafting up around his bare chest and pale face made him look even more eerie than usual. He extended the mug to me.

"Drink this."

I thought about just closing my eyes, but I was so very cold, and the steaming mug promised at least momentary remedy to my insistent shivering. So I reached out shakily and wrapped my fingers around the wonderfully toasty ceramic. My depleted muscles wouldn't obey me, however, so Cassian had to continue to hold the vessel with me, and help guide it to my lips. Maybe it was a mark of just how far my temperature had dropped, or maybe his fingers had absorbed some of the heat from the beverage as well, but his flesh didn't seem quite as frigid to me anymore.

The drink was hot chocolate, dark and thick and almost overwhelmingly rich. It tasted amazing. As it trickled down my throat, I could feel it heating me from the inside and knew that the calories would help revive me a little further. That of course led to a thought that made my mouth twist.

"Why are you even bothering with this?" I asked between sips. "You make it a point to nurse all your victims after you feed on them?"

His disturbing, oddly attractive features were amused. "I know rarity when I see it. To simply drain and discard you would be an unconscionable waste."

I grunted over the rim of my mug.More like you're not done playing with your new toy,I thought bitterly. A wriggling worm of fear stirred in my belly at that concept but I stamped it down firmly. Anger was good. Anger I could use. Fear would destroy me. So I clung to my bitterness and narrowed my eyes at him.

"So what are you going to do with me?"

"Simply telling you would take half the enjoyment out of it, would it not?" He raised an angled brow at me in what might have passed for playfulness on another man. On him, it was just evil. "Why don't you guess?"

An alarming sense of deja vu overwhelmed me momentarily as I recalled a similar dialogue between me and Rafe. It was right after he'd revealed himself to me.Can't you guess?A black wolf in my foyer. His astonishing golden eyes filled with love and concern and hopelessness. My tired heart gave a painful squeeze.

No. I couldn't afford to think of that. Not now. I wrenched my attention back to the monster in front of me. He was studying me with rapt interest.

"Just then. What were you thinking about? You had the most fascinating expression."

I took another swig of the hot chocolate. Too rich now, cloying in my mouth, but something to do. I swallowed with difficulty.

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Miss Dalton, you know that if I desired, I could simplymakeyou tell me."

I let my hand fall from the mug and leaned back into the pillows, tired of the pretense. Tired of everything. "So do it." I told him, and at that moment I honestly didn't care. "It's not like I can stop you anyway." I closed my eyes again and tried to will my head to stop spinning.

"Mm. I think I prefer to coax it out of you."

I made no reply, and after a moment, I felt the bed shift slightly and just barely heard him get up and move away. I lay there and must have dozed off at some point because when I opened my eyes again, I was more alert and my headache was just a vague discomfort around the edges of my vision. I was still pathetically weak and exhaustion hovered over me like a shadow, but at least the world wasn't tilting around anymore. Cassian was nowhere to be found.

This did not relieve me. At least when he was present I had a sense of what was coming. This unknowing was much, much worse.

I contemplated trying to get up and make a break for it, but I wasn't so naïve as to think that my captor would have just left me alone with the door wide open. And I was pretty sure I didn't want to find out what his idea of punishment would be for a failed escape attempt. So I waited and little by little I felt some strength returning to my muscles. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not given the oft-alluded to "activities" Cassian kept mentioning.

By the time he finally entered through the mahogany door, fully dressed in an outfit as impeccable and subtly expensive as his usual standard, I was restless and uneasy. He nodded and smiled as he saw me awake then locked the door behind him and strode to the bedside. He casually unbuttoned the collar of his fine, pressed shirt as he spoke.

"I have decided to let you go tonight."

I stared at him, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Unless you would prefer I not?"

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. This was just another game, something to get me to hope so that he could break me again like the sadistic bastard he was. It had to be.

"Just like that, huh?" I asked, my voice flat with distrust.

His sophisticated smile held an edge I didn't like. "Something like that."

So there was a catch. Bizarrely, it made me feel a little better to hear it. At least this way I knew for certain there was something coming and could prepare for it. Or so I thought, anyway.

Sitting up a little more, the blankets fell down my front to reveal that I was still shirtless, though I had my bra. Suddenly self-conscious and wary, I clutched the blanket to myself and looked around the room for my missing articles of clothing. My gaze alighted on them a few feet away, arranged neatly on a chair, socks tucked within my sneakers. I scooted to the edge of the bed and swung my legs over the side. The movement reminded me of how fatigued my muscles were, so I took it slowly and Cassian made no move to help, instead choosing to watch my tender, halting progress with cruel amusement. I had to relinquish my protective blanket as I struggled to stand and there were a few harrowing moments as I swayed, wondering if I was going to topple onto my face or maybe just fold to the ground. Ultimately, however, I found my balance and somehow made it over to my clothing to don it.

Throughout it all, I had remained determinedly silent, but as I felt the collar of my shirt brush against my neck, I couldn't help but gasp at the sharp pain that stabbed through me. Cassian chuckled as my eyes watered. What I had been registering as merely a deep ache was now revealed to be quite raw to the touch and I winced again as I explored the area with delicate caution. My suspicions were confirmed as I felt the two round holes along my jugular.

Cassian was suddenly there, his face a picture of concern. Only his obsidian eyes betrayed his delight.

"My dear, let me see that. Ah..." My chin was caught in the fingers of one hand while the other gently stroked the wounds. I sucked in a breath and bit my lip to keep from making further noise. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"That looks painful," his tone was not at all apologetic. "My fault. Here, let me help with that..."

Before I could protest, flinch, even fall away from him, he bent down and I felt the awful, cold wetness of his tongue sliding over the angry punctures. Terror made a sudden reappearance at the thought that he would bite me again. Bleed and condemn me to the terrible pleasures of feeling my life being sucked away. My pulse quickened dizzily, and not just in fear.

But he merely licked at the tooth marks, and after the initial burning contact, a cool numbness spread over the area and I did feel better. He straightened once more and I touched my neck with trembling fingers. I stared at him, wide-eyed in fear and surprise. His smiling lips were stained red at the seams.

This time I had just enough opportunity to whimper and begin to take a shaky step backwards before his head descended again. His iron hands held my face immobile and his mouth latched to mine, demanding and dominating. A silent wail started in my head as I tasted the blood on his tongue.

But it wasn't my blood. I knew the difference as surely as I could distinguish water from the most perfect wine, or a whistled tune from a symphony. And I couldn't help myself. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back, tasting him as eagerly as a woman dying of thirst.

He disengaged himself from me what couldn't have been too much later and licked his lips of the last crimson traces. I let him go, willing my body to reflect the self-disgust that threatened to overwhelm my mind. Stubbornly, I felt physically fine. Perhaps not up to full health, but I was standing on my own without any shakiness and I felt somehow keener, more aware of everything around me than I ever had before. I also hated myself.

Cassian stooped down and fetched my shoes then offered them to me, the picture of old world courtesy. Without the blood hinting at the predator underneath, he might have been mistaken for a gentleman.

"Come. I will take you home now."

I felt my eyes well with tears of hatred. "You bastard," I whispered. "You fucking bastard..." Of course he would let me go now. It wouldn't matter if I ran anymore, would it? Not after that.

He chortled. "Bastard? Perhaps. Butfucking," the curse word was startling when delivered in his refined tone, and somehow more obscene, "That we have not done yet. Are you indicating an interest?"

I glared at him with a loathing that almost matched what I felt towards myself and snatched the shoes from his hand. Because I no longer had to worry about balance, I was able to jam them and my socks on my feet and march to the door quickly to wait for him to open it. I would not give him the enjoyment of seeing me twist at the doorknob fruitlessly like a caged animal. Even if that was close to how I felt.

He unlocked the door silently then paused, eyeing my chest with a sly smile. "Don't forget your shirt, Miss Dalton." Then he slipped past me to stride elegantly down the hall. Indignation or outrage almost seemed redundant at that point so followed him mutely, buttoning my shirt as I went.

He held the car door open for me as he had on the way here. Had it only been last night? I didn't acknowledge the gesture, just got into the plush leather seat, though inside I was reeling. He was mocking me again with this show of cordiality. Whatever. Soon I would be home and I could crawl into bed and... what? Wait for him to track me down again? Let him feed from me, manipulate me, and love every minute of it? I felt something inside me wither.

No. Whatever it took, I would not be subjected to that again. I would stay silent for now and let him keep smirking in his perceived triumph over me. Let him take me home thinking he could retrieve me again at any time. I knew better. If I had to kill myself, he would not taste me again.

We arrived back in a part of town that I recognized much more quickly than I'd anticipated; it had seemed so much farther on the way to his place. I wondered idly if that was just because of the standard phenomenon of the return trip always seeming shorter, or if I had been so scared on the way out that the time had stretched cruelly. Either way, Cassian soon maneuvered the car over to the curb and turned off the engine.