Mated

After the Moon Part Two

Kieran tried to not sound like a baby as his mate cleaned his wound for him. It hurt like hell and he wasn't really accustomed to being in pain for this long. By now, a normal wound would have been healed. At this rate, he would be lucky if it healed by tomorrow—the next day at the latest. Once he was cleaned and bandaged (another foreign thing for him), he guided her to the couch so she could rightfully relax while he made breakfast.

He made a huge spread. Plenty of hash browns, French toast, bacon, ham, eggs, strawberry pancakes, sausage, and a lot of organic maple syrup. Lyric had started to shake and complained of feeling lightheaded. All Kieran could figure was the change had really drained her—not to mention the start of that change in the bathroom—and she needed all the food she could get. Her body needed to recharge itself. She needed rest and food. He made himself a pot of black coffee; it was one of the weird things he craved after a run. Straight black coffee with his giant breakfast.

"Lyric," he called, "breakfast is done. Come on out and help yourself."

She shuffled to the kitchen, wrapping the knitted afghan blanket around her that had been on the back of the couch, and plopped into a chair at the large table. She was pale and still shaking. Out of reflex, he put his wrist to her forehead and found her cool and clammy to the touch. That worried him. A change, even for a Rarity who hadn't change in years, shouldn't have been this rough.

"It's normal for me," she whispered, looking at him.

"Huh?"

"The shivering and clammy skin," she sighed. "Changing really takes it out of me. Once I eat and rest for the whole day, I'll be fine."

"You sure?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Yeah, it always takes a lot out of me," she shrugged. "I don't know why. Is it normal?"

"Actually, not that I know of," he said, stuffing his face with some hash browns. "I mean, I get pretty tired the day after and I know my appetite kicks into full gear, but I don't feel sick or anything. You look awful, no offense."

"I don't feel so great," she muttered, eating a slice of bacon. She hummed and closed her eyes in what could only be bliss. "But food will help."

She actually put him to shame while eating breakfast. She out ate him by three plates and finally had some color back in her face by the time she finished. With a yawn, she shuffled back to the couch and laid down, snuggling in. He asked her to get up so he could pull the couch out into the sleeper and when she did, she hurried off to the bathroom. He made up the sleeper sofa with extra blankets and pillows and went to the bedroom to at least grab some boxers to pull on. He set out some boxers and shorts for Lyric as well, calling to her on his way by the restroom. Kieran crawled into the bed and pulled the blankets up around him. He was always so tired the day after a Moon. So much so that he would be kept home from school the day after; which made for some interesting rumors.

"Kieran?" Lyric murmured, crawling into bed beside him. "What would happen if I accidentally bit a human? Would they turn?"

"I think so," he yawned. "It doesn't really say much about it in the book I have. Rarities turning a mortal is sort of taboo. I just know that a bite to me is gonna take its sweet time healing up."

"What about your kind?" she asked around her own yawn. "Is it taboo to turn someone?"

"Not amongst my Pack," he replied, rolling over to snuggle up to her. "But some Packs have a strict no turning policy. Why all these questions?"