The Moon Rises (40 page)

“Could I be a demon?” Gigi asked, remembering the
show she watched.

Tobin laughed and patted her hand. “No, I don’t
think so. Demons have a certain scent you don’t possess. My current theory is
that you were a normal human child and someone got hold of you and twisted you
into something else. You should have some kind of magic lingering on you, but
whoever made you has hidden it much like they have hidden your memories. To do
this though would take great power which is why the witches are convinced you
aren’t human. Hiding magic is very difficult.

“On the other hand, the perfect healing you have
shown after fatal wounds is also very difficult. A very powerful sorcerer or
maybe a clan of witches could do it though. I have heard of witch clans out west
who can twist magic in ways we have never seen here in the Circle. Possibly the
locals think too small and so we can’t imagine what you’ve had done to you.
Still I suspect you are human with a few minor tweaks by an overly curious clan
of witches.”

Gigi sighed deeply which caused Tobin to smile.

“I haven’t been much help, have I?”

“I’m still confused, but at least I don’t think
it’s a demon. I saw demons on TV and they looked really scary.”

“Don’t believe what you see on TV, but demons are
very scary. Vicious creatures with only destruction in mind. It’s why I don’t
believe one would be patient enough to take the girls from the club.”

Gigi watched the children while Tobin watched
her. “Do you think Sara could be alive?”

“Yes,” he said softly. “Killing the girls doesn’t
make much sense. If it were a human serial killer then I would understand, but
whoever made those flying beasts is very powerful. I suspect the waitresses are
being used for experiments.”

Gigi glanced at Tobin who was watching her in a
very male way.

“If I could save the girls, but they have been
tampered with, could they be fixed?”

“Depends. Powerful magic can often fix what other
powerful magic has damaged.”

“Could you fix them, if I found them?”

“Yes.”

“Would you?”

Tobin’s gaze softened. “Just as I would have
fixed you, if it was in my power to do so.”

Gigi watched him for a long time. “I was very
lonely when I first got to the Circle.  Some people like being alone, but I
don’t. Why do you have to be alone?”

“Have you read the book
Of Mice and Men
?”

Gigi shook her head.

“There is a character in the book who is not very
smart. He loves bunnies, but when he holds them, he holds them too tightly and
they die. His love smothers as does mine.”

“You love the children though.”

“Yes, I do,” Tobin said with a smile. “They ask
for less than a lover would though. They also give more than a lover gives.
What I need is too much and I hold my loves too tightly until they leave or
die.”

“Why do you hold them so tightly?”

“Because I know no other way. When something
breaks in us as children and it never heals properly, the wounds which remain
taint our decisions. I suspect you are still lonely unless you have the one you
want with you at all times.”

Gigi nodded, thinking of how restless she became
when Finn was away.

“Be careful not to smother him with your love.
Most creatures are not as flawed as us. They love normally and our love can destroy
them.”

“I’ll be careful, but it’s never enough. I need
him with me always.”

Tobin nodded as his gaze caressed the children.
“It’s why I have so many children. The longing inside me needs to be fed and
one or two children would never be enough to satisfy it.”

“Maybe I should be alone then. I wouldn’t want to
hurt anyone,” Gigi said as tears stung her eyes at the thought of losing Finn.

“No need for that. Just be careful. If he is not
the one, another male will fill your needs,” Tobin said then added, “Do you wish
to be a mother some day?”

“Yes, but Sara put me on birth control before she
was taken. She wanted me to be safe because she said I was going to end up
pregnant by some dog. She doesn’t like Weres.”

“The Weres do tend to be overbearing with their
females and usually don’t marry their human lovers or acknowledge their half
breed offspring. They don’t make very good mates, no.”

As Gigi wiped her tears, she realized Tobin
thought he would be a better mate. Maybe his assessment of Weres was true, but
not with Finn. If he didn’t have the threat hanging over them, Finn would want
her forever. He would love her and marry her and they would have children and
he wouldn’t care if they were half breeds. He would just love them because Finn
would make a good father and be there for his children like his father couldn’t
be there for him. He would make a perfect mate, but Gigi couldn’t tell Tobin
any of this.

“Maybe you’re right. I might be dead soon though,
so I don’t really think about children and marriage,” Gigi lied, unwilling to
hurt Tobin’s feelings. She knew how it felt to be lonely and she often ached at
the thought of Anton’s loneliness.

Tobin glanced at his children then back at Gigi. “If
you do find the monster, you should just tell someone like myself and I will
handle it. There are a great many powerful creatures in the Circle who could
deal with a powerful necromancer or even a clan of witches. If witches are behind
this, you can not destroy them all. You will die and it would be a waste of a
cherished life.”

Smiling, Gigi nodded. “Maybe you’re right. I
think I know how to find the monster, but maybe I’m not the one to destroy it?
Killing those flying beasts was a fluke and besides they’re just henchmen.
Their master is very powerful so I’ll ask for help if I find him.”

Tobin smiled, accepting her lie. “If you find the
monster, the powerful of the Circle will destroy him. If possible, we’ll save
your friends too.”

Gigi grinned brightly, wishing Tobin might find a
female he could love without smothering. Someone who could love his ghoul
children like the human children they once were. When Gigi first walked onto
the ghoul floor, she expected to find horror. What she found instead was eternal
loneliness. They were all so lost and forever searching for something to fill
the emptiness inside them. Gigi saw herself in these ghouls and hoped she too
could soothe her emptiness without suffocating the one she loved.

Gigi’s plan was to search for the monsters by
driving around the Circle and waiting for her hands to tingle. While it was a
simple plan, the Circle was a big place. Using a map to break the Circle into
sections, Gigi gave herself a chunk of territory to search every day. The
monsters would likely be hiding inside during the day, making them a stationary
target.

On her first day out, Gigi decided to begin in
Roger’s territory because his area was considered the rough section of the Circle.
She just assumed the master and his monsters wouldn’t live somewhere nice.

After the gym and before Anton’s office, Gigi
spent a few hours slowly driving up and down street after street. Boring as it
was, Gigi felt this was the only way to find the master on her own. By lunch,
she realized she wouldn’t benefit from beginner’s luck. The day was a bust so
she parked on a street lined with little restaurants. Since she was unsure what
to eat, she strolled the block, hoping to find something good.

Gigi didn’t respond to her name because she was
so deep in thought about Finn’s shirtless chest. Suffering from a bad case of
lust, she finally heard someone calling her and turned to find Roger right
behind her.

“Head in the clouds?” he asked with a grin.

“I don’t know what that means.”

Roger’s grin widened and he ran a hand through
his spiky blond hair. “What are you doing in my territory?”

“Am I not allowed here?”

“Oh, it’s not that. I just figured you’d be too
stuck up to hang around down here.”

Gigi thought to how she chose his territory
because it wasn’t as nice as Anton’s and Declan’s. While she was stuck up, she
didn’t share this information to avoid hurting his feelings.

“I was looking for a place to eat.”

“Will wonders never cease,” Roger said and his
blue eyes lit up. “I was just trying out some new chefs at my restaurant. Want
to come in and give me your professional opinion?”

Knowing Roger desired her, Gigi didn’t want to
lead him on. Plus she wasn’t sure she wanted to critique someone else’s food,
but the Alpha nudged her towards his restaurant and she couldn’t find a reason
to say no.

The restaurant was small, seating probably no
more than sixty. The décor was pretty blah and she wasn’t entirely sure what
kind of food they served.

“I told you it was Gigi,” Roger said to Kyle who
was leaning back in a chair.

“I stand corrected.”

Gigi didn’t think Kyle was happy to see her, but
she was just guessing. He was a difficult Were to read because his hazel eyes
seemed bright and hazy at the same time as if he were tense and relaxed
simultaneously.

“Now I want your honest opinion about these chefs,
okay?” Roger said as he pulled out a chair for her. “I’ve been trying to get
this place out of the red for over a year, but I’m just drowning in it now.”

Gigi nodded, but she felt awkward around Kyle. He
was the only male Were who didn’t check her out. Michael claimed not to and insisted
he only stared at her boobs because he was guessing her cup size.

Still most male Weres would at least take a peek
or smile a little too much at her, yet Kyle’s gaze avoided her. Even though she
was with Finn, Gigi wished Kyle noticed her. Was she so vain she needed every
male to swoon for her? She didn’t think so, but she wanted Kyle to pay
attention. She craved his eyes on her.

Instead of focusing on a male she shouldn’t want
in the first place, Gigi waited to give Roger her opinion. The first chef
brought food which tasted fine, but Gigi wouldn’t pay money for it.

“Why not?” Roger asked.

“Because I could eat a TV dinner that tastes just
as good.”

“Ooh, harsh,” Roger said with a grin.

“Not really. Some TV dinners taste good. Still
they only cost like three dollars. Why come here when I could eat at home for
less?”

Roger nodded then gestured for the second chef to
bring out his food. Gigi took a bite then wondered if there was any polite way
to spit it back out. Noticing her discomfort, Roger laughed and handed her a
napkin. Even Kyle smiled, though he refused to look at her.

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad.”

“Why kind of food are you trying to sell here?”
Gigi asked after she drank a soda to get rid of the bad taste in her mouth.

“New American cuisine.”

“Do people eat that around here?”

Roger smirked. “Obviously not.”

“Maybe you should find out what they want to eat
then cook it for them?” Gigi said, standing.

“Why don’t you cook something then?” Kyle
muttered as he stared at the menu.

“I don’t really want to cook what this place
serves.”

Roger gestured for Gigi to sit back down. “What
do you like to cook?”

“Soul food, Cajun, you know, southern food.”

“I heard you’re a good cook. Can you make
something you would personally pay money for so I’ll know what sort of stuff we
could serve here?”

Gigi did like the idea of being in a kitchen as a
real chef. At The Moon Rises, she just cut vegetables and did other preparations
while the head chef actually cooked the food and picked the menu. Still Gigi
wasn’t sure how she felt about Roger, plus Kyle confused her. Even with her
heart set on Finn, she couldn’t help feeling a pull towards Kyle, even more
than she did for Anton. While this Were made her uneasy, she thought cooking
for them would be fun.

“I could cook, but I don’t know if you have the
kind of food here I would need and it takes time to prepare.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

Gigi thought about her ongoing search for the
master and how she would be back in the area anyway.

“Nothing particular until my shift starts at the
club.”

“Can you come here and make lunch for me and
Kyle?” Roger pulled out his wallet and handed her a hundred dollars. “Is that
enough for two lunches?”

“I don’t need that much.”

“Take it and here are the keys to the place. Come
when you want and use as much time as you need.”

Gigi frowned at him. “Why me?”

“Because if I can’t get customers in here, I’m
closing this place. I don’t want to lay off all these people, just because my
chefs have no vision.”

“Lay off means fire them, right?”

“Yep.”

Gigi eyed Roger who was grinning like he already
knew her answer. Taking the money and keys, she agreed to return the next morning.
Gigi would have stayed and had lunch with them, but the food was yucky and Kyle
still refused to look at her. She even sensed he only suggested she cook as a
way to make her look bad.