The Moon Rises (25 page)

“But Dave would have died. He’s okay, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but he’s a dude. Let him die. We girls
don’t get the power they do, so it’s only fair that they get to die in battle
while we hide in the corner.”

Gigi squinted at Ella then smiled. “You’re full
of shit.”

“Excuse me,” Ella said, laughing.

“You wouldn’t have run away.”

“Yes, well I’m a Were. I’m built to kick ass.”

Gigi thought to mention how she killed the
monster, but she wasn’t sure how she killed it. Besides each of her friends was
acting like the others couldn’t be trusted. Gigi figured it was probably safest
not to trust any of them.

“I’ll be careful,” Gigi said, handing the sandwich
to Ella.

Grinning, the Were looked at the plate. “I’m glad
you’re okay.”

Gigi smiled because Ella was one of her favorite
people, but she was never sure how much the Were really liked her. Even though
she watched out for Gigi, Ella seemed awkward around her sometimes. Now she
knew Ella was her friend because the look in the Were’s eyes was soft and Ella
was never soft.

Justine wasn’t as soft as she stared at the wall
and Dahlia seemed tired since she was out during the day. The three females
made small talk, discussing nothing in particular. Justine then texted Silas
and told him Gigi was fine and would be at work that night.

In a flash, they were gone and Gigi was alone
again. Anxious about being unable to visit Anton’s office, she decided to
change into sweats and head to Declan’s gym and get out her tension. Ella said
Declan was upset the night before, so he might like to see her alive.

Unlike Anton’s office which was empty, Declan’s
gym was full of Weres who were pounding the crap out of punching bags and each
other. Everyone was wound up and Gigi thought maybe she should leave.

The intoxicating odor of so many sweaty males was
riling her up again too. Her mind returned to Anton and how his lips felt on
her neck. His touch was better than she could have imagined, but apparently the
pleasure was all hers.

“Gigi.”

Woken from her daydreaming about Anton, Gigi saw
Declan approach her cautiously.

“Silas sent word about you, but…”

Declan’s expression was strange and Gigi felt a
bit uneasy with him looking at her.

“I need to speak with you,” he nearly growled.

Once in the office, Gigi watched him shut the
door then turn to her. Standing over her, less than a foot away, Declan still
looked angry. Yet his gray eyes were studying her face in a way which made Gigi
think of Finn.

Declan’s hands were suddenly on her face and
before she could step back, his lips were on hers. When his tongue slipped into
her mouth, she tasted root beer. Yes, Declan liked root beer. She also tasted
something else. Something better, richer…something male.

His hands grabbed just under her butt, lifting
her off the ground and wrapping her legs around his hips. Temporarily startled,
Gigi soon complied, her arms around his neck as she soaked in his heat.

Declan growled when she pressed her hips against
his, sliding along the hardness in his jeans. Gigi didn’t know much, but she
knew his growl was an approving sound. She also knew she wanted him to make the
sound again. Gigi especially liked the pressure between her legs.

Then Declan suddenly stopped.

Pulling his lips away, Declan set her on the
ground and took an unsteady breath. When his eyes watched her, she thought he
might kiss her again, but he didn’t.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Declan said, wiping his
mouth as he stepped away.

“Thank you.”

Declan nodded and she saw him swallow hard as he
kept backing away.

“I messed up your hair,” he muttered, waving a
hand next to his head to show her which side was messy.

“Sorry.”

“No. I…I’m just really happy you’re okay.”

Gigi watched him as he reached the door. Declan
seemed embarrassed or maybe nervous.

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t mention this to
anyone especially Finn.”

“Did we just do something wrong?”

“No, not we. Me. I was too happy to see you, I
guess.”

Before Gigi could say anything else, Declan
opened the door and backed out of the room. He watched her until the moment he
disappeared into the mass of male bodies.

Gigi’s first inclination was to leave the gym,
but then she thought of how both Anton and Declan kissed her then just stopped.
Declan at least didn’t tell her to stop coming around.

Flustered again, Gigi needed some time with a
punching bag. When she asked to use one of the bags which were being pummeled
by cranky Weres, the males stumbled over each other to offer up their bags.

Gigi took her turn beating the crap out of the
bag, pretending she was hurting the monster’s master. Declan avoided looking at
her, but she could almost feel him not looking. His gaze avoided her, yet
seared her with its heat.

By the time Gigi left the gym, she was relaxed,
yet aroused again. She had waited for weeks to be touched again like Finn
touched her on their date. Now in one day, males were kissing her left and
right, but it all ended with her alone.

After another shower, Gigi was restless and her
shift wasn’t for another few hours. Heading back out, she needed something to
settle her, yet everyone she came into contact with made her feel weird. Even
Ella, who hugged her and seemed genuinely worried about her, also spent a lot
of time telling her to shut up and never trust anyone.

The great part about being friends with Michael
was how he never sugarcoated anything. Anton and Declan usually acted pretty
normal, so their odd behavior was unnerving. Michael didn’t know how to be
normal because this would involve the kind of effort he wasn’t willing to put
in.

Michael was sitting cross legged on his desk,
shirtless as usual, as he watched a soccer game. He growled when he heard the
door open, never looking at Gigi. He then inhaled and the growl ended. Turning
to her, he frowned darkly.

“I don’t do ghosts.  Go away.”

“Do what with ghosts?” Gigi asked, staring at
him.

“Hell, even dead, you fucking stare.”

“I’m not dead. If I was, why would I visit you?”

Smiling, Michael jumped off the desk in an oddly
graceful move.

“True. I can imagine a few other places you might
haunt first.”

The enforcer patted her on the head like she was
a good dog then stepped back.

“Does Finn know?”

“Declan did, so I guess Finn would.”

“I’ll call him anyway and let him know you’re
here. That way he can come pet your head too,” Michael said, grinning
naughtily. “Or lick you since that’s his thing.”

Gigi smiled as she sat in an uncomfortable chair.
Michael only kept furniture in his office that was so painful to sit in that
people would hurry up and leave. Once Michael typed something into his phone,
he handed Gigi a bowl of peanuts and returned to watching his game.

“I heard the monster could fly,” Michael said
after a few minutes.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe that’s why I never caught its scent?
Didn’t leave one, just flew down and snatched up the girls.”

Gigi considered asking Michael if he thought Sara
and the others were alive, but she wasn’t in the mood for non-sugarcoated truth
about Sara. Michael suddenly stood up and headed for the hallway.

“I have a feeling this might involve feelings and
crying and shit,” Michael said over his shoulder as he disappeared.

Gigi frowned at the soccer game, not
understanding. She then heard the door open. Turning towards Finn, she smiled
and stood up. The Were looked extremely tired as he lingered at the door, just
staring at her.

A soft smile touched his lips then he took a step
forward. “Declan said you were alive and I wanted to see you, but I figured you
needed your space.”

“Space for what?” Gigi asked with a frown.

Finn shook his head and his hair fell in his
eyes. Gigi closed the distance between them and pushed the hair out of his
eyes. She wanted to touch his hair all the time and since everyone was acting
weird today, she was going to jump on the bandwagon. Finn’s eyes were so soft
as he stared at her, almost hypnotized by her standing alive in front of him.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a whisper.

“I feel fine. Someone healed me. Maybe it was my
ghost?”

Nodding, Finn looked around the room then back at
her. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course,” Gigi said immediately.

Gigi actually shuddered when she eased into the
embrace. Finn felt so good, so warm and safe. There was nothing erotic about
his hug, nothing hungry or demanding He held her gently and kissed the top of
her head as he caressed her hair. Gigi sensed he was consoling her.

For the first time, Gigi realized, truly accepted,
how something bad had happened to her. A monster tore her open and somehow she
killed it. She wasn’t human and some mysterious figure saved her. Pain and fear
lingered just outside her thoughts. The monster who took Sara had returned to
take another girl. While its death was a good thing, Sara was still missing.
Yet until Finn soothed her, Gigi hadn’t even realized she needed soothing.

“Are you in pain?” he asked as Gigi looked up at
him.

“No.  Whoever healed me, fixed me completely. Not
even a scar.”

Nodding again, Finn kissed her forehead. “Now
that they know what took Sara, I wonder if they can find her and the other
girls?”

Gigi stepped on her tippy toes and kissed Finn’s
lips. No one ever asked about Sara anymore and Gigi worried everyone would forget
her like they did Katia and Monica.

Finn showed no passion, just touched her lips
softly with his. Though he was clearly upset, he held her gently.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

Finn nodded, his eyes pained and a little wet.
“What would the world be like without you in it?”

Gigi wanted to point out how his world was
without her for most of his life and how the world would go on without her just
like it did when anyone died. Those were logical things to say, but Finn didn’t
need logic. Just as she needed gentle lies when Sara disappeared, Finn needed
them now.

“I’ll be more careful,” Gigi said, nuzzling her face
against his strong chest. “Ella said I was stupid to help Dave. Next time, I’ll
be smarter.”

“Not stupid,” Finn whispered. “Brave. It’s why the
world is better with you in it. I’m just happy you’re okay.”

When Gigi smiled up at him, his lips brushed
against hers then he frowned slightly.

“Declan said the monster was some big flying
thing. You actually fought a big flying monster, Gigi?” When she nodded, he
smiled slightly. “Of course you did.”

“It’s kind of strange how I got so scared when
you licked me, but I felt braver when faced with an actual monster. I guess I
might be maturing.”

Finn’s smile brightened. “Hell yeah. You kicked a
monster’s ass.”

“I don’t know how it died.”

Finn watched her and said nothing. His expression
was no longer unhappy as much as curious. If he wanted to ask more about the monster,
he didn’t.

“I’m sorry you were sad,” Gigi said when Finn
just watched her with those beautiful eyes.

“I lo…” Finn swallowed hard and sighed as he
slowly let her go. “I wish things were different for us. I hope you know how
much I wish that.”

Gigi nodded because she did know. Finn wanted
her, but nothing had changed. In fact knowing the pain of losing her had only increased
his need to keep her safe.

“I wish we could have another date,” Gigi said,
wanting Finn in a way which had nothing to do with lust.

Finn sighed, his eyes on the ground. “Me too.”

“Can’t we beat up the people who made the threats
so they’ll back off?”

Finn smiled then laughed when he pictured what
she was proposing. Gigi wasn’t sure why it was funny, but the unhappiness in
his eyes faded.

“That would be classic.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I know,” Finn said, kissing her forehead. “Can
you hang out for a while?”

“Aren’t you working?”

Finn frowned. “The girl of my dreams gets killed,
so yeah I’m taking the day off.”

“Girl of your dreams?” Gigi asked with a grin as
she ran her tongue along her top lip.

“Don’t flirt in my office,” Michael grumbled as
he returned. “Geez, I’d have thought you two would be done by now. You lick her
yet?”

Finn grinned. “Suck it, Mike.”

“I said stop flirting,” Michael teased then
turned to Gigi. “Want to watch soccer, nag?”

“No. Your chairs are uncomfortable.”