〃Please； Micah； I'm not on birth control。〃 A clear thought at last。
He bit softly at the back of my neck。 〃I had myself fixed two years ago。 You're safe with me； Anita。〃
〃Please； Micah； please don't。〃
He bit harder； just this side of drawing blood； and my body went passive； calm。 It was as if he'd hit a switch I didn't know I had。 When he pressed himself inside me； he was slick； and I knew that sometime when I'd been paying attention to Jean…Claude inside my head； he'd spread more soap on himself； allowing that thick hardness to slide more easily inside me。
He pinned me to the wall and slid inside me； one tight inch at a time。 It wasn't that he was long so much as he was wide wide enough that it was just this side of pain to have him work himself inside me； even with the soap。
He pushed until most of him was inside me； and there was a stopping point。 Then he began to draw himself out； slowly； so slowly。 Then in again； slowly； still having to push himself； to work to make room for himself inside me。 I stood pinned against the wall； passive； unmoving。 It wasn't like me。 I moved during sex。 But I didn't want to move； didn't want to stop； and there was no thinking； just the feel of him moving in and out of me。 I wasn't as tight now； and the soap had given way to my own wetness； so that he began to move more smoothly in and out of me。 He was gentle； but he was so big that even gentle was almost overwhelming。 He came to the end of my body before the full shaft of him was inside me。 I could feel him bumping against my cervix at the end of each stroke。 Most women find having their cervix bumped painful； but some women find it pleasurable。 His size was intimidating； but when I realized it didn't hurt； in fact that it felt wonderful； a part of me that was still sane； still keeping track of some safety measures； relaxed and shut down。 My last measure of control went away。 I didn't want sex。 That was just a means to an end。 I wanted to feed。 I wanted to eat his lust； drink his heat； bathe in his energy。 The thought brought a sound low in my throat。
Micah braced himself against the wall； his body pinning mine pletely； and began to find a rhythm； still gentle； but quicker。 He was being so careful of me； and I didn't want him careful。
I heard a voice that didn't quite sound like mine。 〃Harder。〃
His voice came out squeezed tight。 〃It will hurt if I do it harder。〃
〃Try me。〃
〃No。〃
〃Micah； please； just do it； please。 If it hurts I'll tell you。 Please。〃 He'd been less controlled in the other room； and I realized why。 He truly was afraid of hurting me because he was inside me。 When he was just rubbing himself on my body； he hadn't had to worry about damaging me。 Now he did。 It gave him an edge of control that kept me from feeding。 He was a Nimir…Raj； and he had enough power to keep me out。 Unless he let down his guard。 To do that he had to lose more control than this。
Even as I thought it； a part of me was swimming to the surface。 I could think again； at least a little。 I didn't want to do this。 I didn't want to feed off of him。 It was wrong； in so many ways it was wrong。 I started to say； 〃Micah； stop； I can't do this。〃 I got as far as； 〃Micah 。。。 〃 and he took me at my word。 He thrust into me so hard and fast it tore a scream from my throat and brought that new part of me that was Jean…Claude's hunger in a raging wave of heat that rode my body and spilled out my mouth。
He'd stopped。 〃Are you alright？〃
〃Don't stop。 Don't stop！〃
He never asked again。 He drove himself inside me so fast and hard that it left me gasping； unable to catch my breath。 Small； helpless noises fell from my lips； spaced with the words； 〃Oh； God； yes； yes； Micah！〃 Every time he thrust as far as he could； smashing himself inside me； it rode that fine line between overwhelming pleasure and pain。 And just as the pleasure began to turn to pain； he'd withdraw； and I'd be able to breathe again。 Then he'd thrust himself inside me again； and it would start all over。
It felt like he filled me up as if I were a cup； until there was nothing inside me but the feel of his body； the feel of his flesh pounding into mine。 It was tight； thick； like he'd plugged a hole with his body； and would never let it go。 That sense of fullness inside me grew； grew； and spilled over me； through me； inside me； and tore out of my mouth in ragged； frantic screams； as my body spasmed around him。 And it was only then that his control slipped away； letting me know that he had still been gentle。 His control went when he did； and I drank him into me； through his chest pressed to my back； his hips thrusting against my butt。 I drank him in； as he exploded inside me。 I fed on him； drew him inside every pore of my skin； until it was as if our skins gave way and we spilled into each other； became for one shining moment one thing； one beast。 And I could feel his beast inside mine； as if they were coupling within our bodies as our human shells merged。 In that moment； I didn't doubt that I was truly his Nimir…Ra。
When we were finished and had slid to the floor； him still inside me； his arms hugging me to the front of his body； I started to cry。 He was afraid he'd hurt me； but that wasn't it。 I couldn't explain the tears to him； because I didn't want to say it out loud。 But I knew。 I'd tried not to be one of the monsters for so long； and now； in one fell swoop I was them； both of them。 You couldn't be a bloodsucking vampire and be a lycanthrope at the same time。 They canceled each other out as a disease or a curse。 But I had felt my beast curl around Micah's。 I had felt it like an embryo in a safe warm place； waiting。 And I had fed off of him as surely as any vampire。 I'd always thought I'd have to drink blood to be one of them。 But I had been wrong； wrong about so many things。 I let Micah hold me。 I felt his heart pounding against my back and wept。
12
NATHANIEL DROVE BECAUSE I was too shaky to concentrate。 I was functioning； moving forward； solving the problems one at a time； but it was as if the very ground I walked on； the air I breathed was precarious and new。 As if everything had changed； because I had changed。 I knew better。 I knew that no matter how bad you feel； or what horrible thing happens to you； that the world just keeps on going。 That the rest of the world doesn't even realize that the monsters are eating your heart。 A long time ago it use to bother me that I could be in such confusion； such pain； and the world just didn't give a shit。 The world； the creation as a whole； is designed to move forward； to keep on keeping on without any one individual person。 It feels damned impersonal； and it is。 But； then； if the world stopped rotating just because one of us was having a bad day； we'd all be floating out in space。
So I huddled in the passenger seat of my Jeep in the late darkness and knew that only I had changed。 But it was just such a big change that it felt like the world should have changed its orbit； just a little。
June was back to its normal hot； sticky self。 Nathaniel wore a ribbed tank top and silky jogging shorts。 He'd tied his nearly ankle…length hair in a loose braid that curled on the seat beside his thigh。 He'd found that if he let his hair fall onto the floorboard； sometimes it tangled around the pedals。 He had to watch the gear shift between the seats； too。 I'd never had hair that long。
Nathaniel had only had his driver's license for a few months； even though he was twenty。 Gabriel； their old alpha； had not encouraged them to be independent。 I sort of demanded it of them； as far as they were able。 At first Nathaniel had been lost when I started to demand that he decide things for himself； but lately； he'd been doing better。 It made me hopeful； and I needed some hope right now。
He'd picked out the clothes that he'd brought to the makeshift hospital for me。 Black jeans； royal blue scoop neck T…shirt； a black bra that fit low enough to acmodate the low neckline； matching undies； black jogging socks； black Nikes； a short…sleeved black shirt to cover the shoulder rig with the Browning Hi…Power。 People kept urging me to go shopping for a new main gun。 They were probably right。 There was probably something out there that would fit my hand better than the Browning。 But I'd been putting it off。 The Browning was like a piece of me。 I felt inplete without it； like I was missing a hand。 It was going to take something more than a smaller grip to convince me to switch guns。 So； for now； it was still me and the Browning。
Nathaniel had also brought my wrist sheaths and the matching silver knives。 I was going to leave them in the car since the shirt was short…sleeved。 They were a little too aggressive to wear into the police station。 I had just replaced the back sheath I had ruined in New Mexico。 It had been a special order； and it had cost mucho extra dinero to get a rush job on it； but it had been worth it。 There really wasn't anywhere else on my body that I could carry a blade that large and still be able to sit down without the hilt showing。
We drove in silence。 Nathaniel hadn't even turned the radio on； which he liked to do。 He rarely moved in silence if he could have music for background。 But tonight he let the silence seep into the J