A Lycan should be dignified. He made a soft sound in agreement and let his eyes drift shut, his mind wander. Images of himself with ever-changing colours of hair formed and he snorted. When had he developed a sense of the absurd? Definitely the influence of a witch. Christina stirred beside him and he let his hand drift up and down the curves of her body before settling on cupping her breast. It felt good in his hand; round and womanly. “Stone?” She pressed a kiss to his chest. “Hmm...?” “Will you tell me your real name?” He opened his eyes. “Is it important?” She’d begun tracing a pattern on his skin, following the downward path of his body hair but had paused when he answered. “Not really.” Her tone belied her words yet it wasn’t enough to change his mind. He wasn’t one who shared much about himself with others, not even his name. She resumed the movement of her hand, circling his navel. His stomach muscles quivered in response to her gentle touch. “I was just wondering.” “Curiosity seems to be your middle name tonight.” She tilted her head up and he could see her eyes now. “I’m curious about you. Why you keep coming back each night. How long it will continue.” He shifted his gaze so he was staring at the ceiling. “A day or two. I might have a job that will take me out of the country.” The idea gave him an unaccustomed feeling of regret. “Oh.” He could sense her disappointment in that one small word and clamped his jaw shut to keep from mouthing platitudes. He hadn’t made her any promises. “To Central America, right?” “You must have excellent hearing.” “Lip-reading.” He gave a soft chuckle at her resourcefulness. She hitched herself up so her back was against the headboard and reached out to touch the scar on his face. He closed his eyes, absorbing the feel of her finger tracing the rough skin. The wound no longer hurt, of course, but somehow she still seemed to soothe the injured flesh. “How dangerous will it be for you?” There was concern in her voice and when he looked at her, worry marred her brow. He found himself answering, giving away more than he intended. “Not very. I need to go in, find some Lycans and help them get home. It should be pretty simple.” “But there are guerrilla fighters.” “I’m a Lycan.” He brushed away her concerns, giving no hint that the hardest part would be not using his abilities once the diplomat and his family were free. The children were too young to shift. The escape would have to be made in human form. “Will that be enough?” “Of course it will.” He reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her down so they were eye to eye. “I’ve done similar jobs before.” He kissed her, then murmured against her lips. “Now let’s talk about something more interesting, like the sounds you make when I do this.” He slid his hand down to tease the curls between her legs. A purr of appreciation escaped her and she returned the favour. All thoughts of his upcoming mission melted away.
Tina dressed for college the next morning, pulling on black leggings, a pink t-shirt and then layering the outfit with a long blue lace tank top that floated nicely around her hips. She was writing her last mid-term today and had cast a good luck spell on the shirt. Since her spells never worked very well, she figured it wasn’t really cheating. She tugged at the hem and then checked in the mirror to ensure it was long enough to cover her butt before starting to put on her make-up. “Why do you do that?” Stone was still in her bed, propped against the headboard watching her get ready. Morning stubble adorned his chin and he appeared more relaxed with his arms negligently crossed behind his head. He usually left as soon as he awoke but was lingering today for some reason. It was both disconcerting and thrilling to get dressed in front of him. Having him watch her wiggle into her