RockMeTonight (16 page)

The hours went by and my feet grew weary. I called out to
her again.
Hear me, Lily.

Someone heard me, but it wasn’t Lily.

“You’re looking for someone?” a man said. He had dark wavy
hair and was accompanied by a petite blonde woman with a ponytail.

“Yes. A woman. Have you seen one out here?”

“You called for Lily?” the woman said.

“Yes, you know her?”

“Are you the one?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“What one?” I replied, confused.

“The one who she spoke about. The one who left.”

Feeling guilty, I said, “I was stupid. I freaked out. I came
back. Twice.”

The woman smiled. “Good. But I’m sorry. Lily left.”

“Left? Where did she go?”

“Back home,” the man said. “To Massachusetts.”

Blast it all to hell!

“Was she here with you?” I asked.

“Yes,” the man said.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” the woman said.

“Thank you for watching out for her. I need to go back to
her.”

“Keep your mind open,” the man said.

“And take care of her,” the woman said.

“I plan to. If she lets me.”

Bloody, bloody hell! How did I miss her?

I trudged back to the car, kicking myself. I came up here
for nothing. What a wasted trip. Once again, I’d leave the forest without her.
A melancholy settled over my being as thickly as a cloak.

“Nico?”

Did I just imagine her here? Hearing her call me through the
trees?

“Nico, it’s me. Lily.”

Spinning around, I saw her behind me.

“Lily!” I ran toward her to embrace her but then remembered
how she had put on the brakes. “I heard you’d left.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Excuse me?”

“A man and woman. They said you’d left.”

Recognition spread over her face. “I did. Then I saw the
Massachusetts plates on the car next to mine and looked closer, recognizing it
was your car. So I came to make sure you’re okay. Have you been here all these
days?”

“No. I went home. And then I came back.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because—because.” Ugh, why didn’t I rehearse what I was
going to say better? “There’s no one like you, Lily.”

“Oh,” she said softly, closing her eyes as if taking in what
I’d said. When she reopened them, she said, “That’s the problem. I’m different.
I’m a shifter, Nico. Not human and not suitable as a companion for a human.”

I had to be careful and not push her too hard, forcing her
to retreat. “I came back because I care about you. And I’d like to give
whatever we have a shot. At least at being friends if you don’t want anything
more.” Watching her carefully for any signs of distress, I continued. “I’m so
sorry that I left. I’ll never forgive myself for that.” I paused to reorganize
my thoughts before continuing. “What I saw you do—change the way you
did—it’s—if I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t believe it. However, I did, so I know
it’s true. Crazy but true. Although I know I must be too narrow-minded since
it’s hard for my mind to comprehend the idea of shifting humans, I will get
past that. I’m here to listen if you want to tell me your story. And I’m not
here because I’m interested in some freaky story. I’m here because I’m
interested in
you
.
”

She took two slow, long breaths before responding. “Nico, I
care about you too. So much so that even though I want to be with you, I know
you deserve better than someone like me. Someone who doesn’t have to run off to
the woods once a month to change into an animal.”

I took a step closer to her. “No matter how different you
think we are, we belong together. Don’t you feel it? I’ve never felt about
anybody the way I feel about you.”

She looked down to the forest floor. “You’re so accepting of
me. I don’t know if I deserve it.”

In another few steps, I was before her. I reached out and
took her hand. She didn’t pull away but looked up at me, encouraging me to go
on. “You’re such a kind, loving person. If there’s anyone who doesn’t deserve
something, it’s me who doesn’t deserve someone as good as you.”

“Oh Nico.”

“What?”

“You make it so hard.” She wiped away tears forming in her
eyes.

Realizing I broke through her defensive veneer, I gave her a
naughty look to lighten the mood. “You make it so hard for me as well.”

“Not that! Don’t make me laugh. This is serious.”

“I know. Sorry. So what is it—besides a part of my
anatomy—that’s so hard right now?”

Her smile reached her golden eyes and I swore I lost sense
of time.

“Staying away from you,” she said.

All teasing aside, I took her other hand in mine and looked
at her earnestly. “Then don’t.”

She threw her arms around my neck and I kissed her
furiously. I explored her luscious mouth with the hunger of a man who thought
he might never kiss those lips again. She returned my kiss with such ardency we
tumbled onto the ground.

My hands touched, caressed, explored her, remembering the
familiar peaks and swells of her sensuous body. “God, I missed you,” I
whispered.

“I missed you too, Nico.”

“Give us a shot, Lil. This is too good not to try.”

She rolled on top of me, straddling me on the forest floor,
and kissed down my neck. My erection was already so hard it ached against my
jeans. “You have to stop now. I can’t take another minute without being inside
you.”

She took off her shirt and bent back down to kiss me. “I’ve
grown used to being naked in the forest.”

Having this brazen temptress seducing me sent another bolt
of excitement through part of my body. I tore at her pants, pulling them down
as quickly as possible. As soon as she stepped out of her panties, she pulled
at mine. I helped her ease down my jeans, but then stopped to retrieve a condom
from my back pocket.

“Looks like you were prepared in case things went well,” she
teased with a glint in her eye.

“Always the optimist—especially when it comes to you.”

I eased the condom over my cock and she positioned herself
above me, gliding herself against me. She then eased the head in her and slid
down slowly, sending a flood of pleasure racing through me. She rode me slowly
at first, taking her time and building up a rhythm. I watched this goddess
above me, mesmerized by the look of pleasure on her face and entranced by the
perfect way she tightened around me, sending more waves of excitement through
me.

Whatever she was, however she transformed from one shape to
another, was beyond my understanding. My perplexed thoughts were distracted by
her escalating pace and louder cries of passion. I grabbed her hips and pumped
up against her as she built to her climax. She called out as she shattered
around me. Her muscles tightening around me and slicking me with her fluids
shot me to the stratosphere and I followed her into the void, grabbing her
shoulders as I pulled up against her and released my energy into her. Then I
fell back onto the forest floor and she lay down upon my chest. Our hearts
raced so rapidly I didn’t know whose was whose.

“I’m glad you came back,” she said.

Although I was beyond ecstatic to have Lily in my arms
again, a voice in the back of my mind nagged at me about where we stood.

She never answered your question about trying to work it
out.

After we made love on the forest floor, we dressed and
leaned against a couple of trees.

“So you sure you want to hear this? You won’t freak out?”
Lily asked.

“Promise. I will remain open and non-judgmental,” I said
solemnly.

“I was born up in New Hampshire, in the Lakes Region. I
lived with my mom. I never knew my dad. My mom met him at an organ concert at
Hammond Castle. She was working as a lifeguard on a beach down in Cape Ann for
the summer and he was working on the fishing docks in Gloucester that summer.
They fell in love and talked about getting married in the fall.

“But then there was an accident on one of the ships. I don’t
know what happened exactly, my mother either didn’t know or didn’t want to tell
me. But he died in some sort of tragic accident. My mother was devastated. She
didn’t think she’d ever recover. Then she found out she was pregnant with me
and, knowing that I was a part of him, she found the strength to go on with her
life.”

“I’m so sorry, Lily,” I said. “For your mother, for your
whole family. For you.”

Blinking tears aside, she put on a brave face. “When we
found out I was a shifter, it was a shock. I was twelve and scared out of my
mind when my body changed. It hurt so much and I tore up my bedroom. My mother
didn’t know what to do. She sat outside my bedroom door all night. The next
morning I changed back and we tried to figure out what happened.

“We never heard of anything like that in my mother’s side of
the family. So we figured it must have been on my father’s side. We searched
for some of his relatives—some of my relatives—but we never found them. Family
came from out of state to retrieve his body after his death, but my mother
never met them. She never even knew if they had a funeral. After she found out
she was pregnant, it was too late. They were gone. She tried to track them down
back then, but she didn’t even know their names. Whoever they are, they are
tough to find. Extremely reclusive.”

“And so you faced this change all alone each month?”

“No. My mom was very supportive. She figured it was best to
get me away from people, both for their safety and mine. When there was a full
moon, we drove up to the White Mountains so I could change in nature and be
cloaked by the forests.”

“Did she stay with you?”

Lily shook her head. “She tried. But I’d run off into the
woods as soon as I changed. So she’d get a hotel room nearby and pick me up in
the morning. I always came back to the spot we parted. Eventually we moved up
to the mountains permanently.”

“Did you ever meet others? Like you?”

“No. I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one. But I didn’t
really look, to tell you the truth. Must be part of the mountain lion in me.
Mountain lions are solitary animals that usually live on their own.”

“It must have been very isolating. To be alone in this.”

She nodded slowly. “I got used to it.”

“Have you ever thought about looking for your father’s side
of the family now that you’re older? I’m sure they’d be both surprised and
thrilled about you.”

“I’ve thought about it for years,” I said. “But I’m so hurt
and confused. What if they’re all shifters? I can’t imagine having family like
that. And they’ve never been a part of my life.”

“Perhaps you should give them a chance; find out who they
are.”

She clucked her tongue while appearing to contemplate it.

“I’d go with you to find them, if you’d like.”

“Oh.” She moved a piece of hair that had fallen onto her
face. “I’d have to think about that.”

Knowing I had to be careful, I broached the subject of us
being together once again. “What about a mate? I hope you can find some room in
your life for a companion. Someone like me?”

She watched me carefully before answering. “It’s been a week
full of new discoveries. I find I’m more open to new experiences.”

“Even with a human?”

“Only with this human.” She leaned forward and kissed me.

“So you’ll do it? You’ll give us a try?”

“What do we have to lose?” she said. “Except our hearts.”

I took her into my arms and kissed her like the crazy fool I
was. “You make me so happy. Do you know that?”

When she laughed, I caught sight of her even, pearly teeth.
How amazing was it that they extended into the sharp points of a predator.
“You’re nuts!”

“I know.” Pulling back, I said, “Do you know something,
Lily?”

“What?”

“After I got over the shock of seeing you as a mountain
lion, I realized how beautiful you were. In both forms, you are nothing short
of extraordinary.”

“Oh stop, Nico. That’s not true.”

“It is though. It’s magical.”

Her shoulder twitched so slightly I wasn’t sure if it was a
shrug.

“I’d love to see you like that again. And
really see you
.
Not behave the way I did last time.”

“Are you sure?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Yes.”

“Because I learned how to control it. How to change at
will.”

“You did? When?”

“I’ve decided to be more open to my other nature, not fight
it anymore. While I’ve been up here, I learned I can change at any time. Not
just at the full moon.”

My mouth dropped open.

“You sure you want to see this?”

Unable to speak, I just nodded.

She took off her clothes. I was as fascinated by her body as
I always was. Now my curiosity was even more piqued knowing what was going to
come next.

“Here goes,” she said.

Within a moment, she had transformed into a mountain lion.
It wasn’t the slow, scary transformation I’d witnessed last time. It appeared
effortless, as natural as raising an arm.

The mountain lion gazed at me but didn’t move. My eyes
scanned the tawny, sleek fur filled with golden highlights like her hair. The
brilliant golden eyes. I took a step forward and then hesitated. She nodded. I
took another step forward. Very slowly I raised my hand to show her what I
meant to do and then I touched her fur. I ran my fingers through the soft coat,
watching the trail my fingers made as they skimmed through. She leaned her head
down and forward and rubbed gently at my leg the way a house cat would.

She pulled back and took a couple of steps backward. Then
she changed back into Lily, just like that. I imagine she was still Lily in
both states, but it would take me some getting used to Lily being inside the
mountain lion. No, Lily
was
the mountain lion.

“Are you okay?” she said.