Crying for the Moon (14 page)

“Big words, Professor. I’m almost done. Come on. That doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Alex strained to listen, pressing his ear up close against the wall as well. He found himself almost nose to nose with Tate, his expression wicked and charming. Alex started to pull back, but Tate grabbed him by the arm and briefly held a finger up to his lips.

“Well, no,” Peter admitted in a small voice. “That doesn’t hurt too much.”

“How about here?” Nick questioned, and the husky overtones in his voice sent a little pool of heat to Alex’s belly. He thought he could make out the sound of lips against skin, and he glanced involuntarily at Tate.

Tate’s pupils dilated suddenly, and his lips parted; his breathing was shallow and rapid. He smiled seductively at Alex when their glances met. He pulled Alex closer to him, so that their breath mingled. The warmth of Tate’s body was a siren song to Alex’s pulse.

“How about here?” Nick’s voice was practically a purr.

“You might have to go a little lower than that,” Peter suggested with a slight rasp to his voice.

Alex brought his hand to Tate’s face and pulled him all the way in for a kiss. He could feel Tate smile beneath his lips and then somehow Tate had turned them so that Alex’s shoulders had landed against the wall with a small thump, all the while continuing to kiss Alex hungrily. It had been a long time since Alex had kissed anyone like this. Victor hadn’t believed in kissing and only did it when seducing his next victim.

Tate kissed Alex as though he couldn’t get enough of him, and the surge of excitement it caused made Alex want to strip him down then and there. Tate’s tongue pushing against his own brought to mind Alex’s hot-tub fantasy. When Tate slipped a warm hand under Alex’s sweater and began to curl his fingers into Alex’s flesh, Alex opened his mouth with a small moan before Tate swallowed it down with another kiss.

“Did you hear something?” Alex heard Nick ask on the other side of the wall.

“Shut up and get back to what you were doing,” Peter ordered. “Hurt man in need of some comfort here.”

Alex heard Peter’s murmured, “Oh, yeah. Now that’s more like it.” Tate kissed him fiercely, fucking Alex with his mouth, only to break off and nip at his throat. Alex couldn’t help it; he arched back and dug his fingers into Tate’s shoulders. Tate wasn’t shy with his teeth and the pleasure-pain sensation was exquisite.
You know he’d like some of the same
, Alex’s mind suggested evilly.

Tate pushed his hips up against Alex, and Alex began to rock his pelvis in turn, getting just the right edge of friction he needed. His ass clenched with each little thrust, his hips twisting as he brought himself closer to what he needed to come. Suddenly, that glorious pressure pulled away and he opened eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed to see Tate hastily unzipping his jeans.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” Tate asked. His voice was dark with need. His hunger plainly evident on his face, he no longer looked like the cheerful boy next door. He took Alex’s hand and placed it over his crotch. “This is what you do to me. Every time I think of you.”

Alex slid two fingers down inside the open fly and felt the firmness of Tate’s rigid cock. Tate sighed and tipped his head back at Alex’s touch. Driven by a need to touch him more, Alex twisted his hand down into Tate’s jeans and almost moaned again at the way Tate’s cock throbbed and seemed to reach for his hand. Alex carefully worked his hand over the waistband of Tate’s briefs. The tip of his index finger brushed over the head of Tate’s cock, collecting pre-come and spreading it as he moved his fingers. Tate planted his feet and gripped Alex by the shoulders. Just when Alex was thinking this would work better if they traded positions, so that Tate could lean against the wall, he heard the bathroom door open and shut. Nick would be looking for them soon. Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand.

Tate seemed to read his mind. He smiled with regret at Alex as he zipped his jeans. “Hold that thought for now,” he said. “Probably just as well,” he added with a sly glance over his shoulder as he headed for the door. “I’m told I can be pretty noisy.”

I am so screwed
, Alex thought, as he followed Tate out into the hallway.

“
W
HO
the hell is
this
?” Alex growled as he looked out the window. Tish winced at his tone and came to stand alongside him. Tate joined them both a second later.

“No idea,” Tate said as they watched the gold minivan pull to a halt in the driveway.

“Oh, dear,” Tish said, as they watched a young blonde step out of the van and shut the door, looking around curiously. “I think that might be Peter’s sister.”

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Duncan said, rising from the couch to come over to the window as well.

“Fuck,” Alex said vehemently, heading for the door. He opened it before the blonde had time to mount the stairs and knock.

“Hello,” the blonde said on seeing Alex and the others stream out onto the porch. She lifted her chin determinedly. She had guts; he’d give her that much. “I’m Julie Mabry. I’m looking for Peter.”

“He’s not here.” Alex was abrupt, already turning and shouldering his way back through the others when Julie spoke again.

“I happen to know for a fact he is.”

Alex turned to face her again. She waggled a cell phone in her hand. “Google Latitude,” she said as she climbed the stairs. “He activated it two hours ago.”

“I will kill him,” Alex said to no one in particular. Tish shot him an uneasy look.

“Peter’s sister, eh?” Tate stepped forward, all welcoming smiles. “Sorry. Alex here was just trying to help me out. I’m Peter’s doctor and I’ve given strict orders that he not be disturbed.”

Duncan’s snort was so quiet that Julie’s exclamation nearly drowned it out. “Peter’s doctor! What’s wrong with him? Is he all right? I just
knew
this would happen.” She gave everyone on the porch a hard glare.

Julie Mabry was certainly Peter’s sister, all right; the resemblance was clear. They both had strikingly blue eyes and similar features, though in Julie’s case, her hair was suspiciously lighter in color. Whereas Peter resembled a high school football player, Julie was softer and rounder. She was obviously homecoming queen material. She faced them squarely as they formed a little barricade to the entrance of the house and she placed the hand holding the cell phone on her hip and looked defiantly at them all.

“I want to see my brother.”

“I’m afraid that will depend a lot on you,” Tate said smoothly. “You see, while Peter’s injuries are not life threatening, it’s important that he’s not unduly stressed right now. Therefore, whatever it is that drove you up here to confront Peter, now is not the time for it. Unless you can promise to wait until Peter is better to say your piece, then I think it would be best that you not see him right now.”

“Wait a minute….” Julie swung her head around to look at the cars parked in the drive, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the Subaru’s personalized plates. She turned back to glare at Tate. “Just what kind of doctor are you?”

“Veterinarian.” Duncan was succinct, as usual.

“A veterinarian. That figures,” Julie sniffed. “You can’t keep me from seeing him. Not unless you want me to come back with the authorities. I’m not afraid of you.” She glanced around at the others, a slight curl to her lip. “It’s not nightfall.”

“Exactly who are you gonna call?” Duncan asked with a grin.

Alex’s brain supplied the word “Ghostbusters!” and he had to hide his snort. He took a step forward and smiled nastily. “You are incredibly naive if you think that after dark is the only time you are not safe.”

A little silence descended at his words. Julie’s mouth gaped open and then she shut it determinedly. “Why don’t we let Peter decide?” she asked stiffly.

Alex glanced at the others. He remembered Nick’s words from the night that Tate had cooked them dinner. “It’s your funeral.” He stepped back and indicated the door with a flourish.

After a moment’s hesitation, Julie swept past them and into the house.

Duncan chuckled as everyone else trailed in behind her. Inside, Julie paused uncertainly in the foyer as Alex moved past her up the stairs. “He’s up here,” Alex said, not looking back to see if she followed.

Outside the bedroom door, Tish stepped up and knocked briefly. At Nick’s invitation to enter, she turned to the others and said firmly, “Wait here.” She entered the room and partially closed the door behind her. They could hear the low murmur of Tish’s voice as she spoke.

“No. Tell her to go away!” Peter sounded querulous and sharp, his voice bleeding through the door and into the hall.

Julie’s mouth tightened as she pushed past the others and into the room. Tate reached for her arm in passing but Duncan stopped him. “Better let them have it out now. She’ll only be back later.”

With a sigh, Tate nodded. His mouth twitched as Tish rejoined them. “I guess we should go back downstairs, huh?”

“Whatever.” Alex felt suddenly weary. He remembered with fondness the hours he’d spent in solitude, working on the house. Why had he ever thought of himself as lonely?

“I want you to give up this foolishness and come home!” Julie’s raised voice was clearly audible to all.

“Foolishness!” Alex could hear the sputtering rage in Peter’s voice, and he traded a look with Tate. Maybe they
should
intervene.

Nick said something too quiet to make out, causing Julie to say sharply, “You stay out of this. You’ve done enough harm as it is.”

“It’s not something I can just wave a wand and undo, Julie.” Peter’s words rattled out like a hail of bullets. “It’s who I am. It’s what I’ve always been. I’m sorry if you can’t accept that, but that’s the way it is.”

“What do you mean, this is who you’ve always been? How is that even possible?” Julie’s voice was shrill. Tate frowned and started forward again. This time, it was Tish’s fingers closing on his arm that prevented him from entering the bedroom. He looked at her silently and relented once more.

“I’m with Nick and that’s all there is to it.” Peter still sounded angry, but tired as well.

There was a pause. When Julie spoke again, her voice was incredulous. “You think this is about you being
gay
? Peter, I don’t give a rat’s ass that you’re gay. It’s the werewolf part that’s freaking me out!”

“Oh.” Peter sounded disconcerted. “Well, I can’t change that either.”

Tate let out a sudden yelp of laughter, which caused silence to descend within the bedroom.

“Okeydokey,” Tate said into the stillness that followed. “I’m thinking now would be a good time for us all to leave.” He started briskly for the stairs, picking up his pace when everyone began to follow. Within seconds, they were all pounding down the stairs, racing each other to the bottom, breathless with laughter.

“So,” Duncan said when they all arranged themselves around the kitchen table. “What the fuck’s ‘Google Latitude’ and why would Peter activate it?”

I
T
WAS
early afternoon before Tate brought up the mattress idea again. He’d rechecked Peter’s bandages and had decided to remove the IV catheter while Julie looked on in disapproval. Tate had taken one look at Peter’s face and sent him back to bed.

“You too,” he ordered Nick. He turned to Julie. “You. Out. Everyone needs some rest now.”

“I’m leaving the room, but not the house. Peter and I aren’t finished here.”

“You’re finished if I say you’re finished.” Tate was polite but firm. “Peter’s been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours and if you aren’t part of the solution, then you know what that makes you.”

Julie glared at him as she stomped out of the room in a huff.

“Tough guy for a human, isn’t he?” Nick said to Alex, following them into the hallway. He looked unhappy himself. “Alex, I’m really sorry about all this.”

“Don’t worry about that for now.” Tate glanced back in the room at Peter, whose eyes were already drifting closed. “Alex and I will take the others up to my place to pick up a few things. We’ll work out the sleeping arrangements later. Go lie down with Peter. He’s more likely to stay put and not pick at his sutures if you’re with him.”

Nick passed a hand over the back of his neck, looking distinctly uncomfortable, before giving his little smile and turning away.

“Nice bod,” Tate said, tilting his head to take in Nick’s lean, muscular back and the way his jeans threatened to slide off his hips. He pitched his voice a little louder as Nick walked away. “But Peter’s ass is better.”

Nick went rigid for a second before his shoulders slumped with silent laughter. He raised an index finger over his shoulder, shaking it slowly a few times as though to suggest that the point had gone to Tate. He entered the bedroom without looking back, quietly shutting the door.

“Are you attracted to Nick?” Alex asked. He thought about the excitement Tate had shown during the overheard conversation between Nick and Peter, and he wondered now how much of that had to do with Nick himself.

“You’re the one I’m attracted to,” Tate said. “Nick is simply gorgeous. Just because I’m into you doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a little eye candy.”

Alex had to snort at the idea of Nick’s reaction to being called
eye candy.

“You’re thinking about this morning, aren’t you?” Tate asked. “Hearing Peter and Nick together was just hot, you know? Part of me would really like to ask them what it’s like when they’re in wolf form.” He looked wistfully at the door.

“Tate!” Alex exclaimed. He’d never thought about it before, but now that Tate had mentioned it….

“What?” Tate grinned, though there was a slight flush on his cheekbones. “I find sex, in general, fascinating. So tell me what you like,” he finished teasingly.

“I like you,” Alex said. He felt his face heat up immediately afterward.

Tate looked pleased, but embarrassed as well. “Good,” he said, giving his nose a little rub. “At least we’re on the same page here.”

We shouldn’t be
, Alex thought.
Not if you know what’s good for you.
He felt his face close down. Tate caught his change of expression and pretended not to notice, heading down the stairs instead. Resigned, Alex followed him down the stairs.