Moon-marked 3: Quintessence

Chapter 3

Full moons were usually joyous spots in Becky's memory, the events crisp and crystal clear, but not this one. All the worry and confusion muddled the details in her mind until she had to start texting notes to herself from Seth's phone so she wouldn't forget the specifics when Finn called. Not being able to shift and run had left her twitchy, but Seth was happy to help with that when they got back to his house. Despite his ordeal, he still had a ton of energy to spare and she needed to get her mind off things if she was going to get any sleep at all. That was a recipe for an energetic night that resulted in torn sheets, bruised hips, and a broken lamp, but all that exertion still wasn't enough to soothe Becky's nerves.

Every time she'd had her mouth on Seth, she worried. What if the fangs—if that's what they really were—extended at the worst possible time, like when she was giving him a blowjob? What if she scratched him and drew blood, and the scent awakened some hunger instinct in her that she wouldn't even recognize, let alone know how to control and contain? For all her inhibitions, Seth seemed gloriously free. After his initial disbelief in the forest, he had been processing the strange turn of events with equal parts calm and eagerness—at least his side of it. Whenever he felt his excitement was making her yearn for the run she had missed, he reined in his enthusiasm and focussed on distracting her.

All the stress and sex should have left her tired, but Becky's sleep was broken and fitful. She snuggled as close to Seth as she could, but even his steady warmth didn't put her at ease. Her skin started to prickle from head to toe, and when Seth kissed her shoulder, his lips felt cold in comparison. "Shit," he murmured. "Sun's coming up. Let me close the curtains." He eased out from under her and she promptly burrowed under the covers, seeking both warmth and darkness. Just as he started to ease the blankets back, his phone rang. "Seriously?" Becky heard him fumble for something and then swear. "Shit. It's Paige. Just rest," he said, leaning over to pull the blankets back far enough to kiss her cheek. "I'll let you know if it's important."

The spiky feeling in her skin gradually faded away and Becky felt herself drifting off to sleep, her pulse turning deep and slow enough to count each beat. When Seth returned and patted her shoulder, his hand felt icy. "Cold," she murmured, drawing her legs up.

"That's... weird. I thought I was too warm, but... whatever. Doesn't matter." Seth sat gingerly on the bed and stroked her back, keeping his hand on the blanket so he didn't make her flinch. "That was Paige. Rather than courier the amulets over, she flew in with them." He pressed a kiss into her hair. "I know, I know. She said she wouldn't. But now she's at the airport, so I'm going to go pick her up."

Becky tried to reach for his leg so she could pull herself up into a sitting position, but her limbs felt as unforgiving as concrete. "Gimme ten?" she groaned.

"No. You stay here. You need the rest. And as much as I would love to take the credit for that," Seth added, kissing the spot just behind her ear, "I know I'm not the sole culprit. I'll close all the curtains before I leave, but be careful when you get up, okay? Stay away from the windows until we get back."

"Love you." Becky managed to get an arm outside of the blankets and she reached up for his face, but missed and got the collar of his shirt instead. When had he put on a shirt? Time was moving so oddly.

"Love you too." Seth kissed her and tucked her in, and she barely heard the door close behind him.

Without the soundtrack of his heart as her pillow, Becky sank into a strange sleep, punctuated with pulses of red and black like inkblots smearing a sketch. A shape would form only to dissolve or drift away; an incessant noise would make her press her hands to her ears until she realized it was the sound of the blood in her veins, now unbearably loud and close. Darkness fell slower than she expected, and it felt as flimsy as lace as it settled around her.