Red Moon (5 page)

She clamped her legs shut around his hand, and grabbed his
wrist with trembling fingers.  “My lord – stop!”

He stopped, holding his hand perfectly still against her,
but continued to place soft kisses on the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Are you sure you want me to stop?  Your wetness would
suggest differently.”  There was more than a hint of arrogance in his
voice.

She hesitated and then nodded.  When he made no effort
to move his hand, she blew out her breath in a shuddering sigh. “My lord...”
 She prompted.

When he spoke his voice was tinged with amusement.
 “You’ll need to loosen your legs then, girl.”

She realized her thighs were still clamped tightly around
his hand and heat flooded her face.  She relaxed her thighs but kept her
fingers wrapped around his wrist and, with an agonizing slowness that had her
moaning softly, he slid his finger out of her.  He let his thumb brush
against her clit, and she gave a loud cry and squeezed her thighs back around his
hand.

He chuckled, a warm sound that she felt more than heard, and
sucked on her earlobe again.  “I’m starting to think you don’t want me to
stop, girl.”

He circled her clit with the pad of this thumb before
rubbing it firmly.  “Should I stop?”

“No!  I mean yes... I - I don’t know.”  She
whimpered helplessly. 

“Take your time to decide.”  He breathed into her ear
and stroked and rubbed her clit once more. 

With a soft moan of need she opened her legs wide and
released his wrist.  He chuckled again.  She knew she should have
been embarrassed but his fingers were rubbing and exploring her with a rough
and exciting urgency.  Every touch of his fingers against her clit was
sending bolts of pure pleasure through her pelvis and legs.

She was panting and moving restlessly against him when he
stopped and grabbed the shirt that was bunched around her waist.  He
pulled it up and over her head and then pushed her onto her back.  He
pressed his upper body against hers and kissed her slowly, pushing his tongue
at her closed lips until she opened her mouth and allowed him access.  He
stroked her tongue with his own and they kissed hungrily for a few moments,
before he pulled his head back and stared at her naked body. 

He made a low murmur of appreciation at the sight of her
naked breasts before dipping his head and sucking her nipple into his
mouth.  She arched her back, her fingers threading through his long hair
as he sucked gently.  He rolled her nipple between his teeth before laving
it with his tongue.  He kissed his way to her other breast and tugged
lightly on her nipple with his teeth.  She could feel his cock hard
against her hip, and she reached down and took him into her hand.  He
groaned loudly before suddenly pushing her thighs apart and lowering his body
between them.

“M’lord.”  She moaned.

He stared down at her.  “Tristan.  Say it.”

“Tristan.”  She whispered and he shuddered against
her.  He took her hands, linking their fingers and pinning her arms above
her head, admiring the way it lifted her full breasts.  He nudged her
thighs farther apart and she moaned when his cock rubbed against her clit.

“Tristan, I – “

She cried out, her body arching against his when he entered
her fully with one smooth thrust.

He groaned with pleasure, releasing her hands so he could
prop himself up above her.  He stared down at her and she blinked in
surprise.  His dark brown eyes were now green and glowing with a fierce
light.

“Kiss me, girl.” He whispered and she obeyed him
immediately, kissing him hard on the mouth.  He withdrew, staring down at
her as he pushed slowly back into her.  From the moment he entered her,
his entire body had been filled with a strange and powerful warmth; Avery’s
walls clung wetly to him, and he gritted his teeth and ignored his almost immediate
need to both climax and to shift.  He took several deep breaths as she
wiggled and arched beneath him.

“Please, Tristan.”  She panted softly.

He slid in and out of her in a slow, deep rhythm as she
moaned his name repeatedly.  He was just reaching between them to rub her
clit when a scream pierced the silence.  She stiffened underneath
him. 

“What was that?”

“Stay here.”  He ordered.  He pulled out of her
and stood, throwing his pants on before leaving the tent.  Avery, her body
aching with a need for release, grabbed his shirt and tugged it over her head
before stumbling to her feet.

Tristan squinted in the sunlight.  Mrs. Lanning was
standing next to the wagon, her face white and her body trembling.  She
held the broken end of the chain in one shaking hand and she stared wildly at
the group who had gathered around her.

“The Red is gone!”  She stared down at the broken chain
and then held it out to the others.  “She is a witch!”  She
shouted.  “We need to find her and burn her before she kills us all.”

“Mrs. Lanning calm down!”  Tristan scowled and pushed
his way through the crowd of women who had gathered around her.  From the
corner of his eye he could see Maya emerging from her tent, Sophia clinging to
her leg and Nicholas still asleep in her arms.

“She’s a witch, my lord!”  Mrs. Lanning grabbed his arm
and squeezed it anxiously.  “She has disappeared into thin air and we must
hunt her down and burn her.”

“Avery?”  Maya appeared next to him.  She shifted
the sleeping Nicholas against her.  “Where is Avery?  What’s going
on?”  He could hear the panic in her voice and he rubbed his
forehead. 

“She’s fine, Maya.  She’s – “

“Your sister is a witch!”  Mrs. Lanning shouted,
spittle flying from between her lips.  “We should use this one to lure her
back into the open.”

She reached for Maya and Marshall stepped in front of her.
 “Don’t touch her, you old bag.”

“Marshall – enough.” Tristan barked at him.  “Mrs.
Lanning, calm down.  Avery is not a witch.  She hasn’t
disappeared.  She’s – “

“Maya?”  Avery’s soft voice called out worriedly, and
Maya breathed a sigh of relief as everyone turned to see Avery standing in the
opening of Tristan’s tent.

She tugged nervously at Tristan’s shirt as Maya hurried over
to her.  “Avery, are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”  She smiled reassuringly at her younger
sister as Sophia joined them.

“Hi Avery.  Why are you wearing Tristan’s shirt? 
Were you sleeping in his tent?”  She asked brightly.

“Um…”  Avery could feel herself blushing as Mrs.
Lanning pushed her way out of the crowd.

“Whore!”  She hissed, pointing a trembling finger at
her.  “You seduce our lord with your whoring ways.”

“Hold your tongue, Mrs. Lanning.”  Tristan pulled the
older woman around to face him.  “Was it you who chained her to the wagon
last night?”

The woman hesitated.  “She was being insolent, my
lord.  She threatened me and the others, and I chained her out there for
our own safety.”

He looked at Avery.  She stared calmly back at him, and
he had a quick memory of her voice moaning his name as he fucked her.

He cleared his throat roughly and looked at the other women.
 “Is that true?”

They hesitated and Mrs. Lanning gave them a threatening look
before her gaze narrowed in on Laura.  “Laura – tell him.”

Laura swallowed nervously.  “It’s true, m’lord. She was
– was threatening us.”

“How?”  Tristan arched his eyebrow at her.

“She was chanting spells and – “ Laura began hesitantly.

“What does it matter how?”  Mrs. Lanning spat
bitterly.  “She was threatening us.  You need to either burn her now
or dump her at the outskirts.”

“I trust you’re not trying to tell me how to run my
household.”  Tristan spoke in a dangerously soft voice, and Mrs. Lanning
shrank back.

“Of course not, m’lord.”  She whispered.

He stared at the group.  “We need to get back on the
road.  I have every intention of being in my own bed tonight.”

“But what about her?”  Mrs. Lanning whined, pointing at
Avery.

“We’ll deal with her at home.  Bring me the key so I
can unlock the cuff around her wrist.”

He looked around.  “Get moving, people.  I want to
be on the road in an hour.”

“Avery, are you okay?”  Maya asked in a low
voice.  Avery looked up from packing Nicholas’ bedding. 

“I’m fine.”

“What happened last night?”

“The hag chained me to the wheel, like she did the night
before.  Tristan discovered me, broke the chain and took me back to his
tent.”  Avery shoved the blanket into the canvas bag and reached for his
bag of clothing.

“Did you have sex with him?”  Maya asked bluntly.

Avery stared at her.  “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because he seems very uh, robust this morning.”  She
pointed out.

Avery cleared her throat nervously.  It was true. 
Tristan seemed even larger and stronger than usual this morning and despite the
drama from earlier, he was in a surprisingly good mood.  She glanced over
at him.  He was throwing Sophia up in the air, catching her before tossing
her into the sky again and the little girl was giggling with delight.

“I was soaking wet and freezing.  He put me in his bed
to warm me up and we fell asleep.  He slept against my body all night.
 Of course he’s going to feel good this morning.”  She replied
crossly.

Maya frowned.  “How do you feel?  Does he have a
sickness?”

“No.”  She shook her head.  “I feel perfectly
fine.” 

It was another lie; she felt more than fine.  In fact,
she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this good.  He had
unwittingly fed off her power all night, but she had taken her own dose of his
good health when she had allowed him to fuck her.

Her face flushed at the memory of how quickly she had stopped
protesting and parted her legs for him.  She had been like a cat in heat
and even now, her body was aching and throbbing with a need for release. 
She had spent the last hour alternating between cursing Mrs. Lanning for
interrupting them, and breathing a sigh of relief that it had gone no further
than it did.

Not that it mattered, she thought bitterly.  Mrs.
Lanning had already labeled her as a witch and a whore, and she would
undoubtedly make both hers and Maya’s life hell when they finally arrived at
Tristan’s home.  She stared down at Nicholas’ clothing and wondered if it
wouldn’t be better if she just slipped away when they reached his home. 
She could wait until their guard was down and slip away in the night. 
Maya had already proven her competency with his children, and Tristan would not
send her away.  If she disappeared, Mrs. Lanning would calm down and Maya
would be safe. 

“Avery?”  Maya’s soft voice interrupted her chain of
thought.

“Aye?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”  She placed a worried hand
on Avery’s arm, and Avery forced herself to smile at her.

“I’m positive.”  She glanced down at herself and
smoothed Tristan’s shirt down.  “Although I wish I had more clothing.”

Maya smiled at her.  “Your dress is still soaking
wet.  I’m afraid it’s his shirt for now.”

They carried the children’s things to the carriage, handing
them to Jeffrey who secured them carefully to the roof of the carriage. 
They returned to the tent and Avery hooked the baby sling around Maya, tying it
tightly at the back.  Avery began to disassemble the tent as Maya slipped
the sleeping Nicholas into the sling before beginning to help her.

“Here, let me.”  Marshall appeared beside her and began
to tear down the tent as Maya smiled gratefully at him.

“Thank you, m’lord.”

“Marshall.”  He reminded her.

“Marshall.”  She said shyly.

“You’re looking very lovely this morning.”  He smiled
at her as he carefully folded the tent and slipped it into its carrying case.

“Thank you.”  She murmured.

Avery rolled her eyes as Marshall slung the tent bag over
one arm before offering his other to Maya.  She took it with another shy
grin, and he led her towards the carriage.  Avery followed them, stopping
a few feet away from the carriage and suppressing a grin when Marshall
whispered something in Maya’s ear and she giggled and blushed, smacking his arm
lightly.

He helped her into the carriage as Tristan approached with
Sophia tucked into the crook of his arm.  He kissed the girl’s cheek and
deposited her in the carriage as Maya stuck her head out the door.

“Avery, are you riding with us?”

Avery nodded but Tristan took her by the arm.  “She’ll
ride with me for a bit.”

“I would prefer to ride with my sister.”  Avery argued,
trying to pull her arm free as Marshall and Maya watched them with bright
interest.

“And I would prefer if you rode with me for a while.”
 He squeezed her arm and glared down at her.

“I’d be more comfortable in the carriage.”  She
protested, glancing down at her barely-clothed body.

A look of irritation flashed across his face.  “Stop
your arguing and do as I tell you, girl.”

Her cheeks reddened with anger as he dragged her towards his
horse and lifted her easily into the saddle.  She pushed his shirt down
but her nakedness rubbed uncomfortably against the cold leather, and she
frowned as he wedged his body behind hers.

“I’m not wearing any underclothes.”  She hissed at him.

“I am well aware of that.”  He gave her a wolfish grin
and a shudder of need went through her.

She did her best to ignore it and frowned at him.  “The
leather is cold and… uncomfortable.”

“We definitely don’t want that.”  He reached into one
of the saddle bags and pulled out another of his t-shirts.  “Here, place
this underneath you.”

She looked at the shirt in his hand.  “Are you kidding
me?  Just let me sit in the carriage with my sister.”

She had braided her long hair and secured it with elastic,
and he tugged gently on the end of it.  “Your choices are the cold leather
or my shirt.  Take your pick.”

She continued to hesitate and he leaned forward, his breath
tickling her ear.  “Or perhaps you would prefer to have my hand there?”

She shivered violently as the memory of his hand between her
legs, his fingers rubbing against her, went through her head and he grinned
again.  “It seems as though you would prefer option three.” 

Quickly, before he could do what he threatened, she plucked
his shirt from his hands and tucked it beneath her.  She arranged it so
that it was covering the saddle and protecting her from the leather.

“Better?”  He inquired.

“Yes.”  She muttered.

“Good.”  He clicked his tongue to the horse and wrapped
his arm around her waist, rubbing her abdomen through his shirt as they
followed the others.  Like yesterday he dropped back until there was some
distance between them and the other riders.  She squirmed nervously as he
placed a soft kiss on her neck and cupped her breast familiarly.

“Please stop that.”  She pushed his hand away from her
breast and leaned forward.

He frowned and yanked her back against him.  “Why do
you deny me the pleasure of touching you?”

She swallowed.  “My lord – “

“Tristan.”

“My lord,” she said pointedly, “what happened this morning
was a mistake.  I should not have allowed you to,” she paused, “to touch
me so intimately.”

“You seemed to enjoy my touch this morning.”  He
stroked her bare thigh and she shivered again.

“Please, my lord.”  She said softly and he frowned at
the obvious distress in her voice.  He stopped touching her, holding the
reins with both hands and allowing her to lean away from him.

“I’m sorry.  I did not mean to lead you on this
morning.”  She said quietly.  “The other women are already agitated
by my presence.  If they find out that I am warming your bed, I’m afraid
they will make my life – difficult.”

She cursed at how weak she sounded but she needed him to
believe that she was worried only for herself.  She feared that if he
realized it was Maya she was concerned about he would send Maya away despite
her abilities with his children, in order to indulge in his obvious desire for
her.  She was not completely naïve to the ways of men, and she knew there
were many who could be like a dog with a bone when it came to sex.

He didn’t reply but he made no move to continue touching her
either.  They rode in silence for a few minutes.  Avery watched the
rest of the group disappear around a curve in the road ahead. 

“May I ask you a question, my lord?”

“If I can ask you one.”

She thought about it for a moment.  “Fair enough.
 What’s your question?”

“Were you casting spells on the other women in the tent last
night?”

She shook her head.  “No.”

He waited for her to elaborate and when she didn’t, sighed
loudly.  “Ask your question.”

“Why do your eyes change colour?”

He stiffened behind her. “They don’t.”

“They do.”  She insisted.  He remained silent and
she twisted her upper body to look at him.

“Earlier this morning when we were –“

She paused awkwardly and he grinned at her.

“When we were fucking?”

She blushed fiercely and he suddenly slid his hand behind
her head and gripped her neck.  He kissed her deeply, pushing his tongue
into her mouth as she moaned softly.

With a sudden gasp she tore her mouth from his.  “Stop
distracting me.  Your eyes turned green – why?”

He shook his head dismissively.  “You imagined it.”

She glared at him.  “No, I didn’t.  Tell me why
they – “

There was a sudden scream ahead of them and, with a loud
curse, Tristan dug his heels into his horse’s side and the horse galloped
forward.

They rounded the corner and Avery gave a gasp of dismay.
 “Faeries!” 

Their small group had been surrounded by a dozen of the
creatures.  Avery shuddered in disgust at the sight of them.  They
were short but powerful, with large, grotesque leathery wings sprouting from
their backs and bodies covered in strange markings.  Their hair was wild
and knotted with twigs and leaves, and they carried short and razor sharp
spears. It was nearly impossible to distinguish the males from the females, and
Avery watched in horror as one flew down and lifted Renee from the wagon.

She screamed in terror, struggling and kicking as the faerie
flew to the soft grass next to the road.  He dropped her onto the grass
and fell on her before she could rise to her feet.  He pinned her down on
her back and held his face above hers. 

He squealed in delight and opened his mouth.  It was
filled with razor sharp teeth, and his long, lizard-like tongue flicked out and
licked Renee’s cheek lightly and delicately before he began to inhale. 
Renee went still and her eyes shut as her mouth opened and a fine grey mist
began to rise from her open mouth and face.

“No!”  Avery cried out. 

Faeries were fierce and wild and had a taste for
humans.  Before they killed and cooked the humans they captured, they
sucked the essence of a person from them.  Avery had met a person once
long ago, who had been rescued from faeries before they could devour him. 
However, he had not been spared from having most of his essence sucked
away.  He had been like a dead man that still breathed, and Avery could
still remember the horror she had felt at seeing his blank eyes and limp body.

As Tristan urged his horse towards the carriage, she looked
behind her to see a large black wolf come bounding across the road and attack
the faerie on Renee.  The faerie screamed as it tumbled off of the girl
and jabbed at the wolf with the spear it carried in his right hand. 
Before the spear could penetrate the wolf’s thick pelt, the wolf tore the
faerie’s throat out.  Blood and black liquid poured from the faerie’s
throat as it made a weak gurgling sound and collapsed on the hard ground. 
The wolf raised its snout to the sky and howled triumphantly before racing
towards another faerie.

Tristan slid off his horse and threw open the door of the
carriage.  He lifted Avery from the horse and tossed her inside the
carriage.  She landed with a hard thud on the floor of it and Maya, crying
and trying to soothe a screaming, frightened Nicholas, helped her to the seat.

Tristan looked at Sophia.  His entire body was shaking
and rippling, and Avery could see the beard growing on his face.  “It’s
alright, my love.”  He spoke in a near growl.  “Stay in the
carriage.”

He glanced at Avery, his eyes glowing bright green, before
he slammed the door shut.  She pushed away from Maya and slid across the
seat to the window, looking out just in time to see Tristan’s clothing explode
from his body as he transformed into a giant grey wolf.

She let out a breathless little gasp as he howled
deafeningly before he crouched to the ground and then leaped into the air,
snatching a faerie out of the sky above him.  The faerie screeched and
beat at Tristan’s head but Tristan threw him to the ground, placing his front
paws on the faerie’s chest and his mouth around its head.  With a muffled
growl, he tore the faerie’s head off with a wet squelching sound.

Avery winced in horror as a jet of blood and black liquid
squirted out of the faerie’s gaping neck.  Tristan dropped the faerie’s
head on the ground and ran towards the other werewolves.

“Avery!”  Maya let out a wailing cry and she turned
back to see Sophia on the floor of the carriage.  Her small body was
shaking and rippling, and low growls and snarls were emitting from her throat.

“What’s happening to her?”  Maya moaned as Nicholas
screamed and wailed in the sling.

“She’s a werewolf.”  Avery knelt beside Sophia. 
“Honey, it’s okay.  Calm down, baby.  Everything’s fine.”

With another low snarl, Sophia looked at her and Avery
jerked back.  Like Tristan, her eyes had gone from dark brown to green but
they were filled with fear and confusion.

Maya, jiggling Nicholas frantically, knelt in front of
her.  “Sophia, my love?  Shhh…it’s okay.”

With a loud scream that was half-howl, Sophia’s clothes
burst apart and she shifted into a small grey wolf.  She crouched on the
floor of the carriage, growling and snapping her teeth at them.