All Chapters of Moonbound to a Human: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The bed was impossibly inviting. The crimson silk all smooth and glossy, black pillows stacked like they had never been touched by someone who actually slept. The nightstand beside it was dark wood to match, its surface polished but not to a sheen. I stepped closer, my heartbeat starting to thunder again. Lying on top was a book. Thick, hardbound, the kind with a cracked spine and a ribbon falling out the bottom end as a marker. The title was stamped in worn silver lettering: Territory Lines & Old Treaties."Of course his idea of light bedtime reading would be politics and boundaries..." I thought to myself pushing the book back further onto the nightstand. Beside it sat a small, flat object. An old pocketknife, the handle was blackened with over use, the blade folded away. It wasn't flashy, but practical. The kind of thing that you carried because you expected to need it. Further beyond, sat something small. A wooden something. It was a carved charm, shaped like a crescent moon w

My bra came next. It was simple not exactly boring. A deep wine red, because apparently my subconscious thought 'Oh hey, if you end up getting lucky tonight atleast you will match the bedroom.' The cups were smooth with a faint lace trim along the edges, soft, delicate, usually the kind of thing that I would wear for myself and not anyone else. The straps slipped down my shoulders as I unclasped it. I folded it quickly, almost angrily, and tossed it next my jeans. My panties matched the same wine red color with a thin band of lace at the hips and a little bow at the front that I suddenly realized looked ridiculous in this context. It's like I had shown up to war carrying a ribbon. I ripped them off as heat crawled up my neck, tossing them next to my bra. "Oh fantastic," I muttered, "Cute bow. Great choice, Savannah. Really Mature. Definitely not going to squash the 'fourteen your old with a crush' vibe we got going on here... not at all. Get in the shower." I ordered myself, pointi

"When I didn't hear you answer," he said, the words tumbling out fast, "You swore and then went quiet and I thought..." he swallowed. "I thought that you might be in trouble. I continued to stare at his face, and even through the steam, even with his face away and mostly covered, I noticed it. A faint blush warming the tops of his cheeks. Which, unbelievably, made this way worse. "As you can see, I'm not in trouble," I managed to croak out. It sounded like my voice was coming from someone else. Asher didn't move. Didn't even look. His hand stayed up. The pristine picture of rigid, but respectful panic. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should've... oh I don't know... waited longer? Knocked again?" I swallowed, shifted in the tub, then forced myself to sit upright. The towel was still clutched in my hands like it was my last shred of dignity."It's acutally kind of... cute that he's embarrassed. Big muscle man blushing at the sight of a lady dressed in a towel..." I thought to myself.

He was just... watching. Those dark eyes of his tracked me the whole way as I crossed the room, and I swear that the air was getting thicker with every single step. My skin prickled, my pulse spiked like it didn't understand the concept of self-preservation. I finally tore my eyes away from him and locked onto my salvation. My hiding place. My objective. His bed. I moved fast, clambering onto the mattress, and dove underneath the crimson sheets like it could erase me from all of reality. I yanked them up to my chin and then a little higher until I was basically a blanket burrito with eyeballs. Finally I was safe, hidden somewhat and totally not blushing at all. I heard a small chuckle and then Asher's footsteps on the rug. I followed him from underneath the sheets as he moved toward the wall. A soft click, and then everything went dark. It spilled across the room, leaving only the faint glow of smoldering embers in the hearth and the pale rays of moonlight through the curtains.

Nero. The two voices overlapped, pulling me in opposite directions. One fear, the other instinct. One begged, the other commanded. "Asher...?" The soft voice quivered again, closer now, like it was being swallowed by the dark. I felt Nero's presence as it began to swell in my chest, heavy and hot. His snarl vibrated through my skull like teeth scraping bone."ASHER. WAKE UP. Your mate is calling. She needs you." The word mate struck like a bell. My eyes snapped open. For half a second, the trees were still there, lingering. Only my heart was hammering and my skin had gone cold. Then the room resolved, took over. Black wood, heavy curtains, the faint glowing embers, the outline of the bed. And her voice. Her real voice. Trembling. And it cut through everything. "Asher...?" Fear dripped from the word like blood. I shot upright so face the couch creaked and complained, my feet already finding the floor. Nero surged up with me, protective fury waking with claws at the ready. A