BlackMoonRising (3 page)

* * * * *

Steve had been ecstatic when he’d started talking to Herman,
but angry by the time he left the gym. The experience was everything he had
hoped for and all the memories came rushing back. It was him. The man he had
fallen in love with so many years ago was a handsome firefighter named Herman
Fleming. Fuck. He finally knew his name and the emotions overwhelmed him.

He didn’t even know why he had offered sex so quickly. Maybe
because he hadn’t a clue what else to say. It was good to know that Herman
didn’t rush into fucking a stranger. Somehow that thought soothed Steve a bit.
Although Steve definitely would have fucked Herman or sucked his cock or done
anything else that Herman would have wanted, just to make him happy.

What a mess he had gotten himself into. He was irritated at
himself and Herman. How the hell could this be handled the right way? He was
sweating and he felt anxious. Maybe even a little short of breath.

A horn suddenly blared. Steve had walked right into the
street without checking the light. He moved to the sidewalk and took three deep
breaths to calm down.

But none of this took into consideration that Steve was a
shapeshifter and a bounty hunter looking for Herman the fugitive. And what
about Herman? Had he been going to the gym all these years? Had Steve left the
gym too soon years ago after Herman didn’t come back? Maybe Herman had wanted
to talk to him but Steve had never returned.

The only bright spot was he’d heard Herman say he wasn’t a
murderer when he had eavesdropped on him at his friend’s apartment. Being a
recovery agent, it wasn’t Steve’s business to believe guilt or innocence. His
job was to bring Herman in. What was he going to do about that? When he told
Herman that he wasn’t Gerry, would the lying hurt any chance they might have
for a future relationship? Herman would be upset when he heard the truth and
might run. If that happened, Steve would have to chase him down and handcuff
him, like any other bail jumper. That would be an awful ending and cause
unnecessary pain on both sides.

Did Steve even want a relationship with someone who’d hurt
him so badly? He thought back to those painful months after Herman had disappeared.
His heart had been broken into a million little pieces, wondering what had gone
wrong. He’d gone to therapy for depression, didn’t eat well for months and
drank too much alcohol to numb the pain. The nightmares still hadn’t stopped.

It was obvious today that they still had an attraction to
one another after all this time. A major attraction that they both sensed.

As Steve walked toward home, he felt the need to shift and
get some of his anxiety out. Not as an aggressive dog, although his emotions
waffled between anger and despair at his situation. He headed down a side
street and into an alley. A Dalmatian. Something that a fireman might want, he
thought wryly as a lump formed in his throat. He took off his jacket and gym
clothes and placed them next to a dumpster. Maybe someone else could find use
for them. He lost a lot of clothes this way but had learned over the years that
it happened from time to time. If he cared enough about certain clothes, he’d
hide them and with any luck they might be there later when he returned to pick
them up.

He visualized a Dalmatian. His muscles and bones shifted
throughout his body as he became a midsized, muscular white dog weighing
approximately fifty pounds and standing twenty inches tall. Black spots
appeared all over his body. He was on all fours and ready to run.

Steve ran for blocks, down side streets of quiet apartment
buildings and elementary schools with children out on playgrounds for recess.
He was careful when he crossed roads and remained on the lookout for other dogs
that might present a problem.

Once he reached his street, he turned into the alley behind
it and into the small backyard. He was out of breath and tired. At least his
head was clear from the fresh, cool air. It was time for a rest and then decisions
needed to be made.

His landlord never did much to the yard of the
three-apartment home where he lived. And although he had neighbors in houses on
both sides, everyone minded their own business. He kept an apartment key inside
a fake rock under a shrub near the garage. As he shifted back to a naked man,
he quickly pulled his key out of its hiding place.

“What do we have here?” cooed a female voice. “Is this my
neighbor from the first floor? My neighbor who is obviously a shifter.”

“Obviously.” Steve stood, but covered his genitals with his
hands. The woman had long, braided black hair, wore a brown overcoat and
carried a small bag of groceries. “Yes, ah, I recognize you as the woman who
lives above me. I’m Steve.”

“Nahla.” She smiled. “Nice to meet you, shifter. Although we
have a chilly day for a walk, it must be even chillier to be naked.”

“Thank goodness we have no snow. My feet would be even
colder.” He laughed nervously. “Please excuse me. As you can see I’m freezing
and should get inside.”

“I planned to brew some ginseng tea once I made it home. If
you’d like some to help you warm up, I can bring you a cup.”

He shook his head yes, although he just wanted to leave.
“That is very kind of you. Thanks.”

They walked into the landing of the house together. She took
the stairs to the second floor, while Steve opened the door to his apartment on
the first.

Instead of plopping into bed like he wanted to, he threw on
a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He picked up yesterday’s shirt and socks
from the living room and put them in the dirty-clothes pile on his bedroom
floor. The unwashed dishes on the coffee table were thrown in with the others
in the kitchen sink. He knew he was messy but so what. Rarely did he ever have
company.

He wasn’t sure if Nahla meant what she said. Taking his
phone to the couch, he checked to see if there were any messages from work.
There were.

His mom had requested some kind of update today on how the
search for Herman was going. He let out a breath. Not sure what to say about
that one.
I met him, Mom. Followed him from where he’s hiding to that gay
gym I used to like in Boystown. Turns out Herman is the love of my life. I
offered sex but he turned me down.

Not sure that was what his mom wanted to hear.

Nahla was true to her word. He heard her tap on the door
moments later. After opening it, he took the warm cup of tea from her hands.

“Thank you.” He took a sip of the fragrant beverage and it
warmed his throat all the way down. “Tasty.”

She stood in the doorway and he wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Thank you again. I’ll bring the cup up later after I wash
it.”

She smiled. “I have what many people call a sixth sense. You
see, I’m a witch. A rather good one too.”

“Oh,” Steve stammered. He hadn’t asked for any information,
but she obviously had other plans.

“I have the power of premonition. I’m also able to sometimes
sense and tap into other people’s emotions.” She breezed into his apartment and
sat down on the couch.

He nodded but felt irritated at the nerve she had to invite
herself into his apartment. “Please make yourself comfortable.”

“I’m not here to annoy you. Promise.”

Steve sat down. It was as if she’d read his mind.

“I’ve been on the landing right after you’ve entered your
apartment. I’ve touched the mailbox after you’ve picked up your mail. I’ve felt
your aura many times from living in the same building. I know you have issues.”

“Then tell me. What will happen tomorrow?”

She stared at him for a space of a heartbeat. “Tomorrow will
be a day you will always remember.”

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud. ”That could mean a lot
of things. I’ve already had a bad day, so I guess I’ll hope for a good one.”

Nahla stood and walked to the door. “If you ever feel like
there is some way I can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We have
something in common. We’re different from others in normal society. I’m a
witch, you’re a shifter. There are even witches who are shifters, you know.”

“I’ve heard of that in Native American history, but never in
modern Chicago”

“Hmm. Seems like someone needs to keep an open mind.” She
left his apartment and started up the stairs. “Just remember what I said.”

“Hey, Nahla,” he hollered, “is there a cost?”

“Of course. There is always a cost.”

Steve closed his door and continued to drink his tea. Always
a cost. Monetary? Who knew with a witch? But he would keep her advice in mind.

Next thing on the agenda was to call his mom. He touched the
number on his phone and waited for the connection.

“Hey, Steve.”

“What’s up, Ma?”

“Checking in. Any news on Herman?”

He hated like hell to lie. His mom had always been there for
him. Not only after his dad had been killed, but also when puberty brought on
shapeshifting and after Steve came out as gay. He was fortunate in that his mom
had been there every fucking day of his life.

So many people couldn’t say that. Families are torn apart by
life events like death, divorce or a son admitting he’s gay. What a lucky guy
he was to have a strong, supportive mother. She had even pushed the therapy
after Herman left because she was concerned for his mental health.

He wouldn’t lie but he couldn’t tell her everything.

“Steve? You there?”

“Yeah. How’s it going on your side?”

“Herman took a large amount of money out of the bank right
after his dad died. It looks as if he knew he wouldn’t be able to access his
account for a while. Eric and I checked out the fire station where Herman
worked. We talked to his boss and numerous co-workers. They all said the same
thing. He’s a great person and firefighter. No complaints, nothing out of the ordinary
with his behavior. He was supposed to cover for a co-worker on the night of his
dad’s death but the co-worker changed his mind and came to work instead.”

“Interesting.”

“Another thing. One of his buddies mentioned that Herman
thought his stepmother might be having an affair.”

“That would be a motive.”

“Yep. I think I’ll have Eric look into that one more. If he
needs help, he’ll give you a ring. And make sure you stop by the office and
finish your work from last week—I don’t want it lapsing. We have new cases
coming in and your sister likes to get the old things archived quickly. You’ll
need to take on a couple more cases too.”

“That’s fine, Mom. I’ll get in this afternoon and finish the
cases for Suzy.”

“Oh, yeah. Someone mentioned Herman was gay. Maybe that
explains the phone number that originated from Boystown.”

“You’re right. Herman is gay. I found out he’s been to the
gym I used to frequent a few years ago.”

“How did you get that information?”

“I stopped in for a visit.” Steve bit his lip. He still
wasn’t lying to his mother.

“You going back?”

“Yep. Tomorrow. Talk to you soon.”

“Good luck. Bye.”

Steve hung up the phone. After a quick nap, he’d get to the
office and be a good employee for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow was going
to be a big day. If Herman showed up to the gym, Steve was going to confront
him with their history.

Depressed. That was the way Herman felt today. He’d stayed
up late with Mike and had a few beers, hoping they would help him sleep. Wrong.
His brain and body had decided that sleep wasn’t happening. All he did was
think about Gerry from the gym.

By morning, he leaned toward the fact that Gerry might be
Steve, and thought about their affair so many years ago. Their lovemaking had
been passionate and powerful but Herman had messed things up. Had Steve
continued to frequent the gym after all those years?

He remembered about a scar on the upper left side of Steve’s
butt that Steve had explained away as being from a camping accident as a kid.
It was about two inches long and uneven. Herman was going to the gym today at
the time Gerry said he would be there. If Gerry was there, Herman planned to
look for that scar.

As he ran to the gym, he was on the lookout for police cars.
How quickly his life had changed. Just over a week ago, he was happy with work
and his relationship with his dad. The only thing missing was a love life.
Today he was in hiding and he felt as though he was going through the motions
of life. The only thing to look forward to today was seeing if Gerry might be
the Steve of long ago.

It was rough not talking to any of his friends from work but
he couldn’t take any chances. The ones he cared about would understand once
this mess was all straightened out. Those guys knew him well enough to know he
wouldn’t have considered hurting his father.

Some of the others were strictly co-workers, without the
closeness of actual friendship. Those were the people who would have no trouble
giving out personal information. Throw him under the bus—or the fire engine, in
his case. After all, he was a wanted fugitive. He supposed he couldn’t blame
them if they did.

He had no idea what to do next. Should he turn himself in?
Maybe hire a good lawyer and hope for the best? He wasn’t going to find the
real killer. He couldn’t even go to his dad’s house and look for clues.

After arriving at the gym, he started on weights, moving his
feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. There were only a few men in
the gym. Two were obviously together and ready to head for the showers and the
others were concentrating on their workouts.

As soon as he finished the chest press, he saw Gerry coming
through the door, pulling off his coat to reveal a tight tank top and baggy
shorts. His well-shaped biceps and triceps were tantalizing. He’d love to lick
their muscular definition and taste Gerry’s salty sweat all at once.

“Morning,” murmured Herman as Gerry walked over to him.

“Hello to you.”

“How was your evening?”

Gerry hesitated. “Not so good.”

“Sorry to hear that. I had a difficult night too.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” Gerry looked away for a moment and
then back into Herman’s eyes. “I hoped to see you today.”

Every time they glanced into each other’s eyes, Herman felt
a connection.

“I thought I was going to work out, but don’t feel like it
now.” Gerry shrugged. “I’m not myself today.”

Herman nodded. “I understand. I’m feeling a little out of
sorts too.”

“I’ll be in the shower. Feel free to join me.” Gerry gave
Herman a piercing stare before he left the fitness room.

Herman sat down on a weight bench and pondered his options.
Was he up to a confrontation? That had been the plan for today. He forced
himself to stand and start walking toward the showers. His heart was heavy and
he felt sick to his stomach.

Herman moved through the jungle-themed lounge, where two men
watched a movie. He passed the closed green door that held the twelve-man
whirlpool. By the time he walked through the locker room and over to the
showers, he felt stronger. He could do this.

There were three showers running at full force in the
sizable shower area. All the curtains were closed.

“Gerry,” he called out.

The second shower curtain opened. “Down here.”

Herman made the few steps. He let out a deep breath as he
turned to face him.

The water cascaded over Gerry’s body like a waterfall,
powerful and beautiful. Herman was instantly mesmerized and unable to turn
away. Gerry’s blond hair lay plastered wet against his handsome face. The
defined muscles on his arms and chest glistened from the water and ceiling
lights like stars in the sky. Herman stared at the firm six-pack of his
abdominal muscles and followed the happy trail at his bellybutton down to
Gerry’s hard cock, which bobbed back and forth in front of him as he moved.

Herman felt sweat running down his chest and back. He didn’t
know if it was from the steam of the water or his sexual arousal. All he could
do was stare at the handsome man in front of him.

“You like?” asked Gerry. His hand skimmed down the front of
his chest to his dick. He took it in hand and slid it through.

Instead of looking at Gerry’s shaft, Herman focused on the
next step. “Turn around.”

Gerry slowly turned around. The solid muscles in his calves
and thighs. The curve of his luscious butt.

The moment of truth.

Herman looked at the upper left side of his butt and saw it.
The scar had faded even more over the years but it was there. This man was
Steve, his lost love. Part of him felt anger at the deception but Herman knew
he shouldn’t judge, as he’d been dishonest too.

“How you been, Steve? I’ve missed you.”

Steve didn’t flinch, but turned off the water. “Guess it
wasn’t difficult for either one of us to recognize the other, even though we’ve
changed physically.”

“Even with your blond hair and increased muscle tone, I
thought you might be Steve. I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. It
made me remember our time together.”

“Five years ago. Next question. Why did you leave me without
an explanation? I didn’t even know your name. Was I dumped for someone else?”

“Not at all.” Herman shook his head. “There wasn’t anybody.
I had family issues.”

“Family issues?”

“Yeah. It had nothing to do with us. It was all about my
relationship with my dad. We hadn’t talked in a long time and he wanted to
patch up things at the same time me and you were meeting. He was ill and needed
care and I couldn’t say no. Did you still come here regularly after all these
years?” Herman couldn’t help but leave out an important part. The part about
him being scared. He wasn’t ready to go there with Steve.

“No. After about a month of visiting the gym and constantly
looking for you, I gave up. Having a few anonymous hookups with those fleeting
moments of happiness didn’t help. I only wanted you.”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be that way.”

“It tore me up.” Steve shrugged. “I didn’t know if you were
living or dead or just were tired of fucking me. Between dreaming of you and
having a recurring nightmare about another problem of mine, I’m surprised I
ever get any sleep.”

“Again, I apologize for my behavior. I didn’t mean for it to
be that way.” Herman hated not telling Steve the complete truth.

Steve nodded. “I’ll think about what you said.” He stroked
his dick.

“Don’t do that, please.”

“Why?” Steve’s eyes widened. “Do I still excite you?”

“You know you do.”

Steve tilted his head but didn’t smile. “Then watch this.”

“No. Don’t.” But Herman couldn’t move. His feet felt like
they were stuck in cement.

Steve lathered his hands with soap and closed one hand
around his shaft. He slid his rod up and down inside his fist, from base to
hilt, slowly at first. Herman stared at the wonder of how Steve’s muscles moved
as he handled himself. The biceps of his arm bulged, his abdominals retracted,
his pelvis pulsed back and forth to an imaginary beat. The cock head would
disappear and suddenly reappear from his fist, driving Herman wild with desire.

As Steve increased the pace, Herman couldn’t turn away. He
stared at the curvature, the thickness, the beauty of this man’s hard-on as he
fucked his fist. It took all Herman’s resolve not to drop to his knees and take
Steve’s dick into his mouth. He wanted to make love to it with every bit of his
being. Steve moved his hand faster and every time Herman glanced into his eyes,
Steve stared back at him. It took only moments before Steve shouted as he came.
He moaned loudly as his cock pulsated with his orgasm, his hand not leaving it
until he milked every drop of his come onto the shower floor.

Herman could barely stand. He felt weak and exhausted by the
emotion of what had happened. “I have to go.”

Steve let out a breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done
that. It wasn’t nice.”

Herman wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It was actually
very nice.”

“As you can see, I still want you.”

“I’ll be here tomorrow. Same time if you can make it.”

Steve nodded.

As Herman turned and forced himself to leave, he heard the
water turn back on. There was no way he could run to the apartment. He could
barely walk.

* * * * *

The next day they threw their clothes into a locker the
minute they got to the gym and in moments they were in a private hot shower
together. Muscular chests and hard cocks pressed against each other as the
water rained down. It was glorious and Herman felt his dick twitch with
excitement. Rough hands slid over wet skin, exploring the strength underneath.
Fingers touched nipples and skimmed stiff erections as they became familiar
with each other’s bodies once again.

Herman bent his head to Steve. Everything changed when they
started kissing. Steve traced Herman’s lips with his luscious tongue, glided it
around his chin and then back up again. As Steve’s tongue slid into Herman’s
mouth, the kissing became almost ferocious, as tongues dueled. It was tough
coming up for air.

The water poured down on them, adding to the insanely
arousing encounter. Cock against cock, tongues madly exploring each other’s
mouths. Herman’s breath came quicker as his wet, stiff shaft pushed harder
against Steve’s. Sensations he had all but forgotten roared through him. The
physical strength of this masculine body pressing against him was overpowering
to his brain. He wanted more.

Another man peeked inside the shower. “Looking for a
threesome?”

“No,” they hissed in unison and he quickly retreated.

Herman gripped Steve’s hand and placed it on his dick. Steve
wrapped his large hand around the girth and slowly stroked. The feel of his
hand as he caressed Herman’s skin caused Herman to shut his eyes in bliss. Steve
taking it into his mouth would mirror one of Herman’s dreams last night.

As if reading Herman’s mind, Steve moved to his knees,
putting his mouth level with Herman’s cock. He placed his hands on Herman’s
thighs and pushed his legs apart. One hand went back to caressing his shaft,
while his mouth moved in and sucked first on one ball then the other.

Herman groaned as Steve’s other hand slid underneath
Herman’s perineum and up between his ass cheeks. One finger found his asshole
and pushed gently past the tight ring of muscles, causing Herman to inhale with
pleasure. Steve pushed slowly in and out of Herman’s ass as he continued
stroking his erection and sucking his balls.

“Ah.” Herman groaned a heavy sigh. This was ecstasy and he
could barely stand. He hadn’t allowed himself this type of joy in such a long
time and didn’t know why. Herman lost himself in the wondrous feelings going
through his body. He focused on one thing at a time that Steve was doing and
then each thing at once. It wouldn’t take much longer and he would erupt.

Herman blinked and realized everything was a blur in front
of him. The hot water coming down was almost like an afterthought. He barely
knew where he was anymore.

Steve looked up at him. “I want to suck this big, hard cock
of yours.” He squeezed it.

Herman moaned in reply. His heart raced and his breath was
shallow.

“If you say no, I’m going to do it anyway. I’m too far
gone.”

“Suck it.” Herman’s breath caught in his throat.

Steve flicked his tongue against the crown of Herman’s dick
before he took it into his mouth. Herman wanted to see it disappear completely
and watched as Steve swallowed every inch. He couldn’t help but smile. Steve
wrapped one hand around the base as he sucked and played with Herman’s balls
with the other. He moved his lips up and down the shaft, sliding it along the
velvet skin. Steve used to say he could never get enough of Herman and he acted
like it this morning.

Herman watched as Steve’s hand moved to his own hard cock
and alternated between stroking and holding it tight. Herman wished that his
own hand or mouth could be there giving that gorgeous rod pleasure. He’d love
to stroke the thick flesh and suck every drop of come inside.

Steve moaned words around Herman’s shaft that Herman
couldn’t hear over the noise of the shower. The vibrations coming from Steve’s
mouth made him want to smile and hiss with delight at the same time. Herman was
going to come and he wished it wasn’t happening so quickly. It was his own
fault for not having had sex for so long except by his own hand.

As he cried out, his dick pumped its release into Steve’s
waiting mouth. Steve sucked hard as Herman came, pulling every last dribble. It
was apparent by the groans coming from his partner that his own release
happened seconds later by his own hand.

Herman was sorry he wasn’t on his knees in front of that
cock to help Steve out.

Once Steve stood, his mouth went to Herman’s and they kissed
slowly and deeply. Herman could taste himself inside Steve’s delectable mouth.
It was a warm and wonderful feeling to have a kiss like this. So close, so
tender.

He was glad to have forgotten his troubles for a short
while. The encounter had been amazing and something he hadn’t experienced in a
long time. The fact that it was with an old lover made it even more special. An
old lover who should have never been discarded.